prison, Florida, Sharif, Up In Arms, Orlando Weekly, Jeff Billman, DOC, Jeb Bush, Michael Moore

The Sept/Dec 2001 issue of Florida Prison Legal Perspective (FPLP)contained a reprinted article entitled ".. Up In Arms For Inmates: Human-Rights Groups are Converging to Build Their Case Against Violent Prison Guards".
This article was written by Jeffery C. Billman, and originally appeared in the Orlando Weekly newspaper.

Several individuals with allegiance to the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) and it's guards made various defensive and misleading statements within this article. Their words are nothing more than desperate attempts to try discrediting and whitewashing the cases being made daily by activist, prisoners and their loved ones, against the FDOC and it's violent guards.

The politically-influenced comments of Florida Police Benevolent Association (FPBA) director David Murrell (and other officials) warrants this response from me, given the obvious interest in trying to discredit the facts surrounding widespread prisoner abuse ;and particularly Murrell's comments concerning the bloody beating I suffered on May 08, 1997, at the hands of his FPBA members in FDOC uniforms.

A response is also due from me on behalf of all those I left behind whose stories of violent abuse at the hands of prison guards was not, can not and/or has not been heard about, for one reason or another.

Gov. Jeb Bush, Michael Moore, Florida Legislatures, David Murrell, (and all your supporters), as you know, the Florida Dept. of Corrections/Corruptions is an abject failure, and every one of you who is directly and indirectly connected to the FDOC shares a portion of the blame for that systems failure. "

"YES THERE IS", widespread violence by guards against prisoners in the state of Florida. "YES THERE IS", also just as many cover-ups being carried out daily by those entrusted with ensuring such crimes don't occur behind those walls. Luckily, I am living proof of this reality, sorry the same can't be said for John Allen Edwards, or Frank Valdes just to name a few victims of these "isolated " acts of terrorism Michael Moore spoke of.

Mr.. Murrell's inaccurately referenced my "non-violent" background (I've never been charged nor convicted of assaulting any police officer) as if to infer that the things I did in 1983, somehow makes the beating I suffered in 1997 less believable, or otherwise justifies what these guards did to me (and others) at Charlotte CI. Also, being a sympathetic character was not and is not the purpose behind my exposing the FDOC and others concerning the terror and malfeasance that takes place throughout the FDOC; particularly at Charlotte CI, Martin CI, Union CI, Hendry CI, Hardee CI, Sumter CI, Washington CI, Santa Rosa CI, Lake Butler, and Florida State Prison, during the time frames I was housed there. SHARIF'S BEATING

Mr. Murrell is correct about my having a vendetta, but the vendetta isn't an anti-prison one, instead my vendetta is one against the inhumane living conditions, lack of adequate medical care, and educational/vocational opportunities in Florida's prisons, plus the official corruption, mismanagement, and unbridled violence that guards/staff unleash against prisoners with impunity.

Mr. Murrell, obviously neglected to review the FDOC and FLORIDA DEPT. OF LAW ENFORCEMENT (FDLE)'s "investigations" into my beating before making his dubious comments. Had he done so, surely he would know that the question is not whether to believe myself (and other prisoners) but rather whom can he trust, if anybody, from among those bad apples that constitute his FDOC membership. Had Mr. Murrell taken time to study the facts, then he would of known that Officers Edwin Cardenas and William J. Savage were the subjects of 16 Use of Force Investigations, during the preceding twelve months prior to adding my name to their hit list.

Had he done his homework he would of known:

1. That the "investigations" are riddled with contradictions, inconsistencies and outright lies, thus making it obvious to anyone of average intelligence that FDOC and other agencies collaborated to cover-up the beatings taking place at Charlotte CI; especially following the 1997 death of John Allen Edwards, which occurred approximately 60 days after I was beaten and told prison inspectors "if you don't stop these beatings, someone (prisoner) is going to end up dead".

2. That before my beating occurred I had sought protective custody from the FDOC against several guards, (five of whom were later federally indicted for the murder of John Allen Edwards at Charlotte CI).

3. That my request for protection via letters and Formal and Emergency Grievances to the prison wardens on up to Central Office in Tallahassee, were denied before and even after I was beaten and stomped bloody by guards.

4. That prisoner beatings and transfers took place immediately after I gave names of potential witnesses to prison inspector Charlwood concerning my beating and the ritualistic violence occurring on the CM unit where I was being housed pending placement on CM status. In fact when I returned to the unit after this interview with Charlwood, many of the prisoners I'd known for years wouldn't even talk to me anymore for fear they would be beaten and/or transferred to some unknown hell-hole within the FDOC; this is standard policy and practice inside the FDOC when things get too hot for the administration at a given location.

5. That some of the decent guards and staff that knew of the sadistic beatings occurring at Charlotte CI came to my hospital room and tried to find out what had actually happen and submitted anonymous complaints to warden David Farcas and Central Office about this violence.

6. That I asked to be prosecuted in state court for the alleged "Battery On Staff" charges which I received a disciplinary report (DR) for, but the FDOC and Charlotte States Attorney collaborated and declined to do so, using some inane excuse that my mental state at the time of the beating was in question. (The mental state of a defendant hasn't stopped people from being put to death by states across amerika, so why would it stop the State of Florida and it's FDOC from prosecuting me, if in fact I had done what I was accused of?).

Ask yourselves, what was the real reason for this aberration? Did they not want an open forum such as a criminal court proceeding where the "real truth" of the matter might slip out to the public and cause an even greater stir especially following the murder of John Allen Edwards.

I could go on and on in defense of the cases being made against violent guards and the corruption within the FDOC, but I feel no need to do so.

I will challenge Mr. Murrell, Gov. Bush, Florida's Legislatures, Michael Moore and Richard Dugger, the FDLE, FBI and U.S. Dept. Of Justice to provide the public with answers to the 38 questions attached to this email, and also found at: https://www.angelfire.com/fl4/prison/sharifquestions.html

The pictures of my face, review of the "investigations" conducted, and the suspicious manner the FDOC, FDLE, FBI, and US Dept. Of Justice handled my beating (and others) is all the proof necessary for any one of average intelligence to draw their own conclusions.

"Sharif"

lakeith Amir-Sharif amirsharif1@hotmail.com

P.S. Men/women/children are brutalized by their environment---not the reverse. Stop the corruption and violence by guards/staff inside amerika's jails/prisons.

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