Hep-C Saga Continues: I'm Deposed

October 22, 2008

Yesterday was the very first time I've been deposed. By anybody. It was the next chapter in the Hep-C Saga. The ADOC defendants' attorney questioned me under oath about my claims against the thirty ADOC employees named in my lawsuit.

For the first time ever, I truly felt like the good guy in the room. Rather than the criminal defendant who sat silently as others spoke about me-yeah, I am son of the few who remained silent upon my arrest. It's a right, why not assert it???

Finally, after all those years, I felt relieved to be able to speak my side of it. Although, I didn't get to completely tell it, as I was only answering questions without elaborating or narrating much. Now I'm anxious to have a jury listen to what I have to say. Honestly, I haven't spoke that much in many years. Hours without a break!

My attorney, who sat by my side throughout the deposition, made objections and did a professional and great job. It was the first time we'd met face-to-face and I was amazed with how young she looked. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties. An attractive young attorney. In my opinion, this too is a big advantage at a "jury" trial. Is this shallow thinking on my part? Maybe, but I'm sure that an attractive attorney who is great at her job, even representing a tattooed errant in orange, could only be an advantage. I only hope that her visit into prison wasn't too traumatic. This was most likely her first. I can just imagine what was going through her head. Not to mention I was probably her first imprisoned client. I think I was more nervous than her though. LOL

All in all it was a good deposition. My attorney and the Court reporter told me that I did great and the defendants' attorney was a professional about it all and I'm confident my case is progressing.

Next, my attornies will begin to depose the named defendants, witnesses and their expert. Defendants' attorney will likely depose experts for my side, too. Yes, expert"s"! The it's on to trial we go!

Published in the Tucson Weekly

October 17, 2008

I've learned that the Tucson Weekly, a paper similar to the New Times in Phoenix, published a piece I wrote and submitted.

It appeared about 3 weeks ago (Sept. 22-29), and was about Arizona prisoners donating thousands of dollars to charity every month.

It wasn't until the Deputy Warden told me that he'd read it the other day that I found out I'd been published. Afterwards, other ADOC staff also told me they'd read it and expressed it was nice to read something positive about ADOC and prisoners.

I've yet to see it in print, but I'm happy to have new and positive things to write about. Hopefully things will continue to progress and improve.

Religious Restraint

October 8, 2008

Today I learned that the Manzanita unit Chaplain (Chaplain Winslow) and Tucson Prison Complex Senior Chaplain Erby are imposing the most spiritually unhealthy "restriction" for Manzanita prisoners I've heard of.

It's a given that many, if not most, prisoners could benefit from a little spirituality in their lives. It's not entirely unheard of that an addict, convicted felon or even career criminal completely turned their life around after having a spiritual awakening. More so than without such an event.

Today I was told, by three separate orangemen, that they had been refused admittance to the Christian service. By Chaplain Winslow! Upon further inquiry into this, I learned that all prisoners on Manzanita unit are being forbidden from attending any services, study groups, etc. that is not of their specifically listed religious preference documented in the ADOC records. This is per Chaplain Winslow, whose supervisor is Senior Chaplain Erby, who is condoning this.

The reason this is disconcerting to me is one guy is a hardcore addict who sincerely just wanted to attend a Christian worship service. He was told that he would have to submit a "change of Religion" form. The, once the form is received, processed, approved and the change is entered into ADOC files, which could and most likely would take a month or so, he must submit a request to be added to the specific religious turn-out. All in all, the process for a prisoner here who simply wants to attend a Christian worship or Bible study who ADOC doesn't have documented as a Christian requires no less than an unreasonable wait. For any person with a desire to attend a religious service, especially in a dire time of need spiritually, any delay is unreasonable when it's based on capricious reasons.

This "rule" is especially troublesome for those of us who have not designated their religion or have designated a religion other than the one of the faith they desire to learn about and explore more in depth with others of that faith.

I'm personally designated an "Other" (actually, multi-faith, ie, Wiccan, Asatru, etc.), so I am not permitted to attend any services, unless I choose to go to one of those services, which are basically self-study. So, my spiritual exploration and growth is dependent on a novice minister of Christ (Tony), a veteran minister of Christ via snail mail (Susan), and books (most of which I don't understand and/or frustrate me). Learning about and understanding any spiritual path seems exhausting and at times futile.

It should be noted that Chaplain Winslow rarely provides any form of spiritual advise and only holds one Christian bible study for one hour a week, when he feels like it, for Christian designated prisoners only. He is rarely available or seen by prisoners at Manzanita unit.

I cannot speak on other units within ADOC and whether this "rule" is applied state-wide, but Manzanita unit is subject to it. Maybe all units are subject to this?

Is this a necessary, fair, and healthy rule and I'm just crazy? LOL

Dope, Women, and Changes

October 3, 2008

"What's up with that chick?" Steve asked me, passing me the glass pipe that he'd just filled with a yellowish crystalline powder. With one of my many pen torches, I heated the crank until it melted, taking away the flame, rolling the stem between my thumb and finger so that the liquefied met coated the glass and pooled in the pipe's bowl. Holding it up and peering through the glass, I watched the crank change back into a solid state as it cooled, leaving a surprisingly beautiful, intricate snowflake design. This was the result I looked for. The potent stuff always reacted this way.

"She's my girl," I responded after my quality inspection of Steve's goods. "She's hot. Wanna work a deal?" he asked, placing a small seal of crank on the coffee table next to the eighth of an ounce bag I was already buying. "Dude, who the fuck are you?" I raised my voice, staring into his eyes. "No disrespect. Some people do," he said, trying to clean up his error. "We're done here, " I told him, slapping a small wad of currency on the table. He put his digital scale away, and picked up the money and small seal, stuffed them in his pants pocket and left my mother's central Phoenix home.

I could never comprehend how some guys could allow their women to trade sex for dope and frankly it still pisses me off. I had only known Misty for a couple weeks and couldn't imagine anybody treating her this way, much less any woman.

A couple of weeks later, Misty moved into Katrina's apartments with a friend of mine, Aaron, and his mom, Erin. Misty got very sick and I couldn't take care of her, so Erin moved in and nursed her back to health. Aaron and Misty ended up hooking up, so that ended those friendships for me. Actually, Aaron was already on shaky ground with me because him and Katrina got together for a short time. I was so jealous! LOL

I sometimes look back and wonder why certain things about myself never changed on dope, like my feelings for Katrina and my feelings on how women should be treated, yet other things drastically changed, like my complete disregard for my own safety, health and freedom. Are something so deeply ingrained in somebody to be changed by drugs?

Another Good One Gone

October 2, 2008

Mrs. Zupan-Goodman was one of the "good" guards. The ones that do their job, have a good rapport with orangemen & other CO's, and treat everybody as she wanted to be treated. And just like most "good" guards, they don't last long. COII Zupan-Goodman is now Mrs. Goodman.

Rumor has it, that another Orangeman with a blog here in Tucson complained that she and other off-duty COs were talking smack online about him. Having conversed with her and seen how she is, I'm skeptical that she'd say anything false or anything to jeopardize her job.

Mrs. Goodman, you're already missed here at the Manzanita Unit and you're always welcome on this blog. I'd have mentioned your fellow former COII's name, but honestly, I have no idea how to spell his name. He wasn't as cool as you, but then who is.

Strange Kitchen Recollections

October 1, 2008

"Keep point, youngster", Ted told me, following the white-shirt kitchen supervisor into the dry goods area, leaving me standing at the door to the small room that smelled of spices, potato flakes and powdered milk.

It was common knowledge amongst the convicts that the cute contract kitchen worker in her early 30's and Ted were an item. Hell, they weren't discreet about it when the guards weren't around with kissing, holding hands, etc. Even when the guards were around, the subtle signs were obvious, to me, like the way his hand would instinctively move to her lower back when they'd move through a doorway together or the way she'd touch his arm when she'd speak to him.

I'd been asked to watch for the guards, while the white-shirt and Ted did what you can guess they'd be doing alone. Not a big deal. I'd kept point innumerable times for fellow prisoners. -A habit many prisoners adopt inside, not wanting one of "us" to get busted breaking rules, laws, etc. Although I'd decline keeping point on a murder, forcible rape or anything like that, I'd be okay with tattooing, stealing food, anything like that. Prisoner morals, I guess.

After about five minutes, as I stood just inside the door pretending to be looking for something, a guard suddenly appeared at the door from the opposite direction I'd been watching. He had entered through a door rarely used and caught me by surprise.

Face to face with the guard, I froze. A million things raced through my mind in less than a second, but as soon as I saw his hand move to push the door open, my hand shot out and slammed the door shut. In a panic, I heard a voice yell, "run!", in my head.

In a split second, I turned and bolted toward the only other door in the room. The walk-in freezer. As I ran past the small alcove where I glimpsed the white-shirt, pants down around her ankles, bent over a stack of bags of cake mix. Ted was a foot or so behind her fidgeting with his zipper. Three things I recall...it was a spice cake mix (I was the inmate baker), she had a nice ass, and I only managed to yell "Shit!", which came out more like a shriek.

While I was running away, into a deadened freezer, they apparently hid behind the stack of cake mix as the guard chased me into the freezer. Standing there trapped, I wondered to myself why I ran. Knowing I had no place to run.

While the guard patted me down, cuffed me and asked me what I was doing, the white-shirt and Ted quickly got away undetected. I lied to the guard and said that I was trying to steal cinnamon when he surprised me.

Fund Raiser Update

September 30, 2008

September's fundraiser at Manzanita Unit netted $970, which was given to the March of Dimes. Great job McDonald's, orangemen, family, friends & ADOC!

October's fund raiser will be ice cream floats, to benefit the American Cancer Society. Two liter bottles of A & W rootbeer ($2.50) and 1.5 quarts of vanilla ice cream ($5.00). No limit on ice cream or additional donations.

My Response to Comments

Editor's note: This blog was written in response to the blog Correctional Practical Nurse Care, which was also posted on Shane's myspace blog. Two readers reacted to the brutally cold manner of the nurse described in the blog.

My Response to Comments to "Correctional Practical Nurse Care"

Prisoners have a very short window to file a grievance against an ADOC employee (5 days or less). In cases dealing with medical care, the prisoners' window to file closes before they have recovered enough to file. For a prisoner to file a complaint against a medical person (MD, nurse, etc.) with their licensing board and/or any court of law, he is required by state and federal law to exhaust every step of the prison grievance procedure. It's a law intended to curb prisoners' frivolous and untimely complaints, however, it also imposes a bias disadvantage to prisoners with legitimate complaints. YOU, as a citizen in the free world, are not subject to this and can report this nurse to her board. YOU, can demand that ADOC investigate her actions inside here. YOU, as a taxpayer, pay HER to provide prisoners health care.

Many people in society don't have the time to pursue things on behalf of a prisoner, which I completely understand. Most people simply don't care "enough" to do something until it affects them personally. In my case, if I die in custody, I can only hope that one, if not all, of my friends will make time to make everybody responsible pay dearly, and pursue all available sanctions, remedies and punishments to the fullest extent possible.