I Spent 5 Years in Solitary For Non-Violent, Absurd Infractions Like Having Too Many Postage Stamps

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/i-spent-5-years-solitary-non-violent-absurd-infractions-having-too-many-postage-stamps




As kids, many of us imagine having superpowers. An avid comic book reader, I often imagined being invisible. I never thought I would actually experience it, but I did.

It wasn't in a parallel universe – although it often felt that way – but right here in the Empire State, my home. While serving time in New York's prisons, I spent 2,054 days in solitary and other forms of isolated confinement, out of sight and invisible to other human beings – and eventually, even to myself.

After only a short time in solitary, I felt all of my senses begin to diminish. There was nothing to see but gray walls. In New York's so-called special housing units, or SHUs, most cells have solid steel doors, and many do not have windows. You cannot even tape up pictures or photographs; they must be kept in an envelope. To fight the blankness, I counted bricks and measured the walls. I stared obsessively at the bolts on the door to my cell.

There was nothing to hear except empty, echoing voices from other parts of the prison. I was so lonely that I hallucinated words coming out of the wind. They sounded like whispers. Sometimes, I smelled the paint on the wall, but more often, I just smelled myself, revolted by my own scent.

[LuvNewcastle]

1. This is evil. I can't think of any other description for it.

We're torturing people all over this country as well as abroad. I fear the country is going to reap the whirlwind one day for all the evil we do.

[ReRe]

3. You're right....

... we're 'gonna get it. But bad. Allot of totally innocent people will die for the evil that our system perpetrates, both here and "over there."

[Dem_in_Nebr.]

2. Must read!! K&R

Torture in our prison system.

[bemildred]

4. "Because we can." nt

[xchrom]

5. the simplest answer is often the right one. nt

[bemildred]

7. I'll give you ten to one this happens to you when you annoy the guards.

It's the only way to keep the lid on, isolate and punish anybody with initiative.

[Enthusiast]

6. K&R!

This is the measure of our nation, of where we are at. We are in a very bad place. We do this cruelty for lesser crimes, torture people, inmates. But for those that torture we do nothing to punish them—we look forward. Yet torture is the greatest crime.

Justice has vanished. It vanished with the supreme court Bush v Gore decision. They did not steal an election with good intentions in mind. Since then it's been sort of a Neo—Con extension of Iran-Contra with world changing ambitions.

[ladjf]

26. Excellent summary of our current political situation. nt

[Sienna86]

8. So, so wrong.

So what steps do we take to change this?

[RandiFan1290]

9. Shame on US

[dotymed]

11. When we finally have our peoples revolution

and slip our corporate shackles, Norway would be a great example for our new society.

If Americans were exposed to Norway's living conditions by "our" media often and told the truth about how humanity should be...equality FOR ALL, Americans may actually learn something.

WOW

[cali]

13. not really. Norway has a population of 5 million. The U.S. has a population

of 315 million. Norway is a homogenous country. The U.S. is ethnically diverse. Norway is physically a small nation. The U.S. is a large one.

I'm not saying we can't adopt policies and adapt them to our framework, but c'mon.

[FourScore]

29. If you break it down at the state level, the numbers come in much closer. n/t

[cali]

38. huh? at least half of the states have a bigger GDP than Norway

[dotymed]

34. I think (was Taught)

that America was "blessed" with some of the largest concentrations of "natural resources" (oil, coal, etc..) in the world.
Certainly we can nationalize these resources (like Norway) and use "our share" to help our citizens.
"We" allow big corporations to "own" resources that are actually "our commons."
Certainly, being one of the wealthiest nations on earth (another lie?) we could vastly improve the equalities that we currently lack.

Progressive taxation, penalties for outsourcing, etc.. can be a big part of the solution also.

Fair trade policies also, should bring us pretty close, financially, with Norway.

JMO

[cali]

37. I doubt it. I don't see the U.S. nationalizing coal, oil or any other resource anytime

soon. what on earth gives you the idea that this can "certainly" happen? This is a corporately controlled nation. So no, we can't easily do that. that's pie in the sky fantasy stuff.

it's just absurd to claim that this is all a piece of cake to accomplish. gad.

[dotymed]

50. I never said "it would be easy"

I replied to a comparison (in population and resources) between Norway and America. Who said anything about a "piece of cake?"

[meti57b]

10. I had thought that even in prison, you still have an attorney......................

paid for by the entity that put you there.

Apparently, that is not so?

Where is the ACLU when you need them!

[LuvNewcastle]

17. When you're in prison, everybody forgets about you,

except for those who are lucky enough to have someone on the outside who really cares. Most prisoners are at the complete mercy of their jailers. The worst part of being in prison is the separation from society and being stuck in there with people you hate. It's very lonely, and putting someone in solitary for years is extremely cruel. It should be illegal to put someone in solitary for more than a few days, except in extreme cases with the most violent prisoners, and only if they're a continual danger to the other inmates.

[former9thward]

57. You only have an attorney in prison if you have the money to pay for one.

Most prisoners don't have the money. Once you are sentenced your right to an attorney disappears (except in special cases such as death penalty appeals).

[bonniebgood]

12. USA is "Exceptional" Barbaric period. Norway must be on another planet. as in

NO-Way. USA is the result of everything is for PROFIT. It should be mandatory that Every US citizen have a passport,
a voter Id card and mandatory to vote in every election. With voter ID not tied to any party.

[Moostache]

19. I must whole-heartedly agree...

The election process in the USA is hopelessly broken. We need compulsory participation and elections should extend to an entire weekend...LABOR DAY weekend. The polls should open at 12 AM Friday and close at 11:59 PM on Monday and everyone should be given their voter ID as soon as they receive a Social Security Number.

In an age of computers and technology we are just plain embarrassing to anyone with even a modicum of self-reflection.

Our utter lack of introspection is what allows the deplorable treatment of prisoners to continue unabated and our total lack of full participation is what make our democratic republic a hollow shell of what was intended by the founders. Its enough to really make thinking people question the virtue of staying here versus moving away and washing your hands of the entire failed experiment. Canada and Europe are looking mighty damn good by direct comparison these days...

[dotymed]

36. [phone] n/t

[Sand Wind]

14. Disgusting ....nt

[gopiscrap]

15. OMG that is so inhumane we live in a sick country!

[heaven05]

16. I am not surprised at this treatment

of an incarcerated american. I have relatives who were prison guards. The stories that were told....wow.

[LuvNewcastle]

18. Some of the worst people in the world are prison guards.

They can be as bad as the very worst inmates.

[heaven05]

21. very, very true

the stories I heard. Amazing. Not at the levels of cruelty, I expect that from a certain type of human being with 'control' over other human beings, but how many 'good' guards vs 'bad' guards and the levels of violence and depravity in the 'big houses'.

[marmar]

20. k/r

[Poll_Blind]

22. This was really worth my time to read, this morning. K&R! nt

PB

[hueymahl]

23. Terrible

Assuming it is all true. And if true, there should be some people fired or prosecuted, because the system has violated a number of constitutional rights by the treatment given this inmate.

But, and it is a big but, there is likely a lot more, or a lot less, to this story. Felons, almost by definition, are liars.

Don't get me wrong, there is a lot wrong with the prison system. But let's temper our righteous indignation with the very real possibility that this story is a "version" of the truth. Or maybe hardly true at all.

[sibelian]

46. Criminals don't lie for lying's sake. They lie for gain.

What does the author of this story gain by lying?

[hueymahl]

47. Revenge, redemption, money, self-promotion?

Actually, most criminals that reach the felon stage lie constantly about everything. It is ingrained in their personality (there are a couple of fascinating studies on this, but I'm not at my computer).

This felon may not be lying. Or he may be. Or he may be partly lying and partly telling the truth. He labels himself as an advocate for prisoner's rights. So maybe he has reformed. Or maybe he has blown up the story to make it better and to help his new career.

There really is no way for us to know.

Awful, criminal story if true. Someone should investigate.

[sibelian]

54. Wellllll, ok.

I have a thing about taking what people say at face value...

If he is lying, I think I have to say that I don't find the lies at all unconvincing. Prison abuse isn;t at all uncommon, anywhere in the world.

[brer cat]

24. What did that prison send home?

A tortured soul, probably irreparably broken.

"I know that I have irreparable memory damage. I can hardly sleep. I have a short temper. I do not like people to touch me. I cannot listen to music or watch television or sports. I am only beginning to recover my ability to talk on the phone. I no longer feel connected to people. "

[toby jo]

25. I have no problem believing in the truth of this story.

I knew a man who was kept in solitary for well over a year - 'in the hole', he called it. But, he was, and still is, an
extremely violent man. Men like that need alot of controls over them, considering you have them all together in what should be a functional housing unit. He was basically 'for sale' as a fighter - trouble. He was afraid to death of going back, but he did, after his 7th DUI.

My first degree was in criminal justice, on the way to a job in the parks. Some people get mad and say we treat our prisoners to an elitist system, with tv in their rooms, and work-out rooms available, etc. But, when you deal with that population on a daily basis, they are easier to control with some outlets like exercise and rec. Control is key, for the safety of the guards and the other, non-violent prisoners. Outsiders tend to miss that point, preferring punishment as being key.

This particular system sounds abused. Following even simple rules can be difficult for some personality types, especially if mental illness is present, and it often is. If they don't have a review board, they need one.

Poor guy, I hope he gets some healing.

[dotymed]

39. IMO, reintegration and

rehabilitation should be two of the main goals.

Until the mid "60's they were.

Then it ALL became about punishment and institutionalization.

Lets not forget profit.

[JimDandy]

27. Solitary Confinment should be imposed by judges,

--regular judges from outside the system and not by a prison administrator. That's what needs to be changed in the system. As the writer says, the court never sentenced him to Solitary Confinement... they sentenced him to prison.

NEW RULE of law:
Any one to be removed from the general prison population, shall be given a hearing in front of a judge, BEFORE any action is taken to impose the additional penalty of Solitary Confinement, if the alleged infraction is non-violent. If the alleged infraction involves violence, or if in an emergency, the hearing should take place within 3 business days of the infraction.

Let's get this fixed!

[jsr]

28. Agreed.

[JimDandy]

30. The recent CA prisoners' hunger strike was because of this same

problem with Solitary Confinement. It's only getting worse with private prison corporations taking over that part of our justice system.

California finally started to listen to their hunger strikers. Maybe a same general strike in NY would work too.

[msanthrope]

32. Why do you think prisoners would want this? If a judge had discretion on the

the amount of solitary confinement one could be sentenced to it could very well exceed non-discretionary mandatory time for infractions.

[JimDandy]

51. A judge can't given more time to a prisoner's sentence.

Last edited Thu Oct 31, 2013, 04:10 PM - Edit history (1)

They would have to be tried for any actual new crime committed while in prison.

If a state is going to, first of all, allow Solitary Confinment in facilities outside the general population, and secondly, allow it for ridiculous offenses like having too many art supplies or not eating an apple, and thirdly, allow these inhumane lengths of time in SC, and lastly, in conditions that are designed to psychologically torture the prisoner, then YES there MUST be outside review of each case.

ETA: The review would be to determine if SC is even justified. You focused on the judge imposing possibly longer time lengths than the guards do. My point is, the judge would never allow most of these SC punishments to occur in the first place. And a state law severely limiting the amount of time a prisoner could be placed in SC would take care of that problem in any case

[msanthrope]

58. Had u read the thread, you would have realized that the stabbing and brawling

this felon was involved in that landed him in solitary.

If you think a judge would not allow these punishments I think you are unfamiliar with a great many judges.

[msanthrope]

31. I looked this guy up...violent trafficking with illegal gun possession, and prison fights....more

than one...that involved stabbings.

I'm guessing that had more to with the solitary than postage stamps.

I am never amazed at the gullibility of people on this board to believe felons whole-cloth.

[NuclearDem]

33. None of which justifies 5 years in solitary confinement.

[msanthrope]

40. Really? You wanna be the cellie of a person who stabs other prisoners?

Ask yourself what a prison is supposed to do with a person who endangers the safety of other prisoners and guards. Tell us what is appropriate punishment.

[NuclearDem]

41. I'm not saying abolish solitary.

But extended periods is torture. More than a few months in SC already causes mental degradation.

Some time in solitary as punishment for misbehavior is fine, in fact it's a good policy. But throwing someone in the hole for years is inhumane.

Inspections for contraband and regular psychiatric treatment for the most violent is appropriate. Perks for good behavior and more privileges are also appropriate.

[Comrade Grumpy]

42. Really? Five years of solitary confinement?

Somehow, we used to deal with problematic prisoners without throwing them in holes for years at a time.

It's also used as a standard practice in the California prison system. Amnesty International considers it a human rights abuse:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/new-amnesty-international-report-exposes-severe-inhumane-solitary-confinement-conditions-for-3000-ca

Try not to live up to your screen name.

[morningfog]

44. Solitary is not appropriate.

The vast majority of all prisoners are eventually released. I favor rehabilitation over punishment. Solitary is beyond punishment and should never be used for more than a few days. Ever.

[stranger81]

45. That's what High Power units are supposed to be for.

One man to a cell, but still on a tier with others. Not in solitary.

[rhett o rick]

53. Ah yes, from the school of Dick Cheney. I am surprised that someone claiming to be politically

liberal would have so little empathy.

[morningfog]

43. You must be one hell of a defense attorney.

You have no idea what he was put in solitary for, when or for how long.

[msanthrope]

56. Using google, I found the article in post 49...where the felon in question admits that

he was sent to solitary because of his violence.

Criminals lie. I am a helluva defense attorney because I never walk into court forgetting that.

[tammywammy]

49. What's interesting...

This article from April mentions his prison fights keeping him in solitary

Once he was put in prison, a fight landed the Bronx man in solitary confinement.

More brawls kept him there

Mualimmak was transferred several times to other prisons for fighting
http://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/bill-aims-to-reduce-solitary-confinement/article_45a63073-4949-51ee-a404-72d7816288c0.html

But the article he wrote and is posted in the OP, he says:

But I never committed one act of violence during my entire sentence.

[woo me with science]

35. This country is very, very sick. nt

[RedCappedBandit]

48. I have zero patience for anyone who supports solitary.

[barbtries]

52. cruel and unusual punishment.

the last time i visited Philadelphia, my son and i took a tour of the Eastern State penitentiary. the lesson of that place is that solitary confinement is cruel and unusual punishment. people go insane, and commit suicide.
so why does this still go on? how much of it has to do with the drug war and/or the privatization of prisons? and how much of it is simply a reflection of how mean we have become, as a nation?

[RiffRandell]

55. I highly recommend this book by Damien Echols of the WM3.

I bought it when it came out and read it in a day. The shit he endured on Death Row is appalling...he was thrown in solitary for 2 months for complaining...a local priest came to his defense.

http://www.amazon.com/Life-After-Death-Eighteen-ebook/dp/B0085DOPBO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383311097&sr=1-1&keywords=damien+echols