ADOC's Attempt at Censorship

April 5, 2010

Today I received an "Inmate Property Received Form", "Contraband Property Notification", and a "Publication Pending Review Notice", which stated that the Lewis Prison Complex Publication Review Staff Member, CO II King, has found that I received two publications which are in violation of Director's Instruction 914 "because they contain obscenity and/or may be considered a threat to security". Apparently, the publications have been sent to The Office of Publications Review for disposition.

One of the "publications" in question is actually a "Guest Blog" piece that I wrote called "Avoidable Tensions" that appeared on www.jonsjailjournal.blogspot.com as well as the public's comments to it.

One other "publication" in question identified only as "Not Shut Up Magazine" was contra banded as well. Although I've never heard of or written for this publication, the magazine's title says alot and has possible First Amendment rights issues contained in its pages. I'm a fan of my guaranteed right to free speech, amongst other rights, under the 1st Amendment. I'm not sure what this magazine contains that COII King has deemed it contraband. (I've also had two Arizona Highways Magazines contra banded recently with explanations of 'contains escape paraphernalia: maps'). Naively, I figured that in the past five years of my blogs' existence online that ADOC and certain employees have learned that my blog sites are constitutionally protected, are not anti-establishment/corrections/etc, state facts and opinions as well as true experiences, and is not purposely critical of anybody whether in brown or orange. I do not write anything that will intentionally harm anybody or endanger anybody or cause innocent people hardship. I also try not to sugar-coat, spin or exaggerate things. I leave all that to the department's pros and the media. I'm not a mouthpiece for anybody but myself. I communicate lawfully, passionately, straight-forwardly, outspoken and however I choose. Public comments are always encouraged, invited and accepted, but do not necessarily reflect my own or anybody related to the site operations' opinions, and disruptive dumb-asses...well...send your comments too. I'm sure everyone'll love your input.

I will not be silenced by anybody willingly and without resistance on my part. I've already been investigated and closely monitored, as well as questioned by ADOC staff. I've felt harassed and intimidated by ADOC staff in an attempt to silence me in the past. I turn up the heat in response and will not surrender my ink pens. I know my rights and am always prepared to enforce them, whether it is online or in court. I won't accept defeat.

As for the contrabanded material...if the material is not issued to me in a timely manner or excluded for a legitimate reason that jibes with current federal law, I will take appropriate corrective action through the grievance process. If nothing is resolved via Institutional Grievance, I will, in an amazing show of compassion and restraint, donate the contraband to ADOC without any regret. I'm not willing to allow the ADOC to waste more tax dollars, which are ripped brutally away from AZ's kids, in order to defend against another lawsuit, which was 100% avoidable and maliciously caused by staff. Albeit a de minimus injury (non-physical) and quite a petty violation to some, but a violation nonetheless. What would further emphasize the ridiculousness of the whole situation is the fact that the guest blog which was taken under publication review is inconsequential. I WROTE IT and have many fans/proof-readers within the prison system, and if I were smart, I'd likely safe-guard copies of my work, just in case...

Speaking of wasteful spending and state budget problems...in such a dire budget crisis like now, isn't the ADOC's lack of any substantial budget cuts; ADOC's unnecessary job positions such as "Complex-Level Publications Review Staff Member"; and innumerable other budget cutting options and down-sizing options. ALL state agencies clearly are not being forced to trim down their excess spending and reduce some of their staff that are not necessary to safely operate the complex. Possibly if COII King didn't have such a burdensome job in Lewis Complex Mail & Property reading my blogs and interfering with prisoners authorized mail & property on a daily basis, there'd be one more security staff on the units where they're needed. I suppose that until Arizona decides that its students' educations, impoverished citizens health & welfare, ill children's health, and seriously mentally disturbed people's safety and sanity are more important and a priority that takes precedence over the Arizona Dept. of Corrections' desires to stuff inmates into every nook and cranny throughout the state for mainly drug-related and property crimes, all the while ADC's population expanding rapidly continuing to balloon its massive fiscal budget to keep me idling uselessly in a cell writing, while COII King sits around reading my mail, earning a living effortlessly. I can only hope that significant changes occur within our legislative chambers, as well as ADOC, in order to heft the state's huge budget cuts from the weak, frail back of Arizona's most vulnerable, deserving and needy onto ADOC's massive shoulders. Early releases or not, ADOC and its prisoners should be on the budget chopping block instead.

One significant budget savings that could be successful and virtually painless? The removal of numerous unnecessary positions and committees within ADOC, including Publication Review Staff.

Penitentiary Pets

March 25, 2010

Since I hit my first prison yard in 1995, I've seen prisoners with pets. Mice, rats, squirrels, gophers, lizards, snakes, birds, cats and even various insects. I've seen hardcore convicts, gangsters and cold-blooded killers in here feeding, bathing, protecting and caring for critters. It's against the rules, but its common inside.

Over the years, I've had two birds, a toad, three tarantulas, six mice (four at one time at Santa Rita unit), a scorpion, a bat (really cool mammal that stayed in my window during the day and fed at night for two weeks), and I even had two snakes the entire time I was at Sunrise Unit as well as a big lizard with a turquoise mottled back and tail.

Recently, my cellmate and I came across a new pet. It's a Racerunner (6-line racerunner pictured above). An extremely fast lizard. He's lightning fast...for about two minutes. LOL. He now speeds around our cell all day, eats lots of bugs we serve him and sleeps safely in a warm comfy bankers box full of dirt and gravel. He's only about 14 inches long, but I hear they can get up to 20 inches long.

Changes

March 24, 2010

Walking down the sidewalk leading to the housing unit, I talked with another youngster about the incident the day before in visitation. A visitor was detained and arrested for an arrest warrant she had and the angry orangeman she'd come to visit had to be restrained. I'd only been in prison a year or so and this was an unusual incident to me. Nearly 15 years later...nothing surprises me.

A CO exited the housing unit and passed us. The expression on his face as he passed was a mixture of worry and discomfort. He was rubbing his chest like he had a case of heartburn. Seconds after passing us, to my surprise, the CO crouched down, then sat down in the middle of the sidewalk. Turning and walking back to him, I watched him fall over onto his side now grasping at his shirt. I could see pain and fear on his face. He was in serious trouble and knew it.

"Hey, you got a cop down in front of house four!" the youngster with me yelled into the down CO's radio. Quickly rising, he then slapped my arm saying "Let's get the hell our of here". We quickly ducked back into our housing unit before any other orangemen or brownshirts saw us. Nobody saw us near the down CO and within a minute or two his fellow brownshirts and medical staff were there.

At the time, it was a strictly enforced "Us vs Them" code in AZ prisons, not to mention we'd have been endlessly questioned regarding the incident. But even in this situation, compassion and empathy won.

During the tenure of Director Schriro, much of the "Good Ol Boys" were weeded out of the ADOC and the "Us vs Them" mentality lessened, but since Director Ryan's return, I've noticed the subtle reversion back, in new ADOC policies and practices, as well as mentalities and behaviors on both ADOC staff and prisoners' parts. I'm hopeful that the damage can be fixed after ADOC's budget woes lessen, a new Governor is elected and a new ADOC Director is appointed.

Eagle Point's First Major Shakedown

March 22, 2010

"There's 50 pounds of brown sugar missing from the kitchen and weapons grade steel missing from one of the housing units! Give em up and the cell searches will stop!" a CO announced, as three other CO's and a Sargent began to ransack the cells on my run.

"The kick-plates on the doors here are aluminum, not steel, and it was missing when we got here!" an orangeman yelled from the cluster of angry prisoners watching their stuff being messed up. "What the fuck? 50 pounds of sugar or a piece of steel isn't in my Tylenol bottle!" another orangeman added, seeing the bottle fly out of his cell, bouncing around the hallway. It was obvious that this shakedown wasn't only to look for missing things.

The missing piece of metal was missing upon our arrival, according to the guys in that cellblock, but better safe than sorry when it comes to locating weapons if they exist on a yard. Ironically, COs did find multiple pieces of steel rebar in the ground with their metal detectors. Obviously left from the unit's construction days judging by the rusted condition. Steel rebar has been used as a weapon in prisons and jails for ages and I've seen heads caved in, bones broken and big gaping holes in bodies caused by this nasty stuff. It's scary stuff!

The kick-plate was never found. Nor the sugar. But the fact remains that tons of "weapon-grade" material was, and is missing from the new unit that ADOC is leasing, and the buildings are falling apart and can easily be scavenged by anyone. The tax dollars ADDED to ADOC's budget for this unit; callously taken from Az's Public Health Care and Education, should at least cover needed repairs and such to the facility. If our state government chooses to turn its back on its most vulnerable and needy citizens to give to the prison system, it should not be allowed to ignore its responsibility to protect its prisoners' safety as well as the prison staff. There's more to safely running a prison than turning the lights on and adding prisoners and staff.

Regarding the missing sugar: I work in the kitchen and get strip-searched when leaving. How did 50 lbs. of brown sugar get out of the kitchen?

Blog administrator note: Readers are invited to answer that "rhetorical" question about the missing sugar with their own ideas and guesses.