07-05-15 UPDATE!! The Supreme Court ruled that Federal “Career Criminal” Charges are Unconstitutional. These are the charges that Horacio faces. His mom, Barbara says that her lawyer has confirmed that Horacio will be released as a result of this ruling. We will post updates and let you know if this really does happen. Click here to read the Supreme Court Ruling.

06-25-15 UPDATE!! Thank you so much everyone for helping! Horacio has been moved to a medical facility. His mom sends her regards to all who have helped her with this <3

05-11-15 UPDATE!! Horacio has successfully been moved from Terre Haute but is being held in a transfer facility where he is not being allowed any phone calls. Barbara, Horacio's mom is terribly worried about his health. Please call the Oklahoma City Transfer Facility at 405-682-4075 and let them know you are concerned about the health of a prisoner named Horacio Hill ##22276045. Also ask when he will be able to call his mom and when he will be moved to MCFP Springfield, the medical facility in Missouri. If you receive any relevant information, please email it to us at idabwellsinkc at gmail. Thank you!

Here is a "How-To" video for calling prisons:

Background information about Horacio (If they ask for more information when you call, you may read this to them):

Barbara Hill's son Horacio Hill is in prison. He was sentenced to 15 years in 2010. When he was sentenced in 2010 he was labeled as an "armed career criminal" even though he only had one other charge in the preceding 22 years (since 1988). Being an "armed career criminal" is a federal crime which means Horacio can be warehoused anywhere in the country. He is currently located in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Horacio needs to be in a medical facility due to seizures and cognitive issues. The medical paperwork that Horacio's mom brought to us state that "A somewhat conflicting psychiatric evaluation from the University of Kansas, completed on May 24, 2011, diagnosed Hill with amnesic disorder, cognitive disorder (mild to moderate mental retardation) and traumatic brain injury, all mainly due to his seizures resulting in traumatic brain injury. John H Wisner, M.D., reports that Hill suffers for a number of overlapping mental disorders and defects. Wisner concluded the report with his opinion that Hill has a substantially reduced capacity to have formed criminal intent regarding the instant offense." Horacio also suffers from hearing loss.

Prior to being imprisoned, Horacio was on disability for several years but was unable to keep up with all the paperwork and appointments required so he lost his disability income. Where he is currently located, he is handcuffed (in an abusive manner so that he now has nerve damage in his wrists), sprayed with mace, and put in the hole when he has seizures. The last time this happened on approximately March 10th or 11th, a friend of Horatio's in prison contacted someone on the outside and asked them to let Horacio's mom, Barbara Hill, know that he thought they hurt her son when he had a seizure. Horacio is only allowed to call his mom once a month and he had just called her on March 9th or 10th so he was not able to contact her after the incident. Barbara started calling and writing to everyone she could think of to try and get some information about her son. She was terribly worried, especially since her grandson died of pneumonia in a county jail just a few years ago.

Normally when a person is in prison, they can authorize friends and family to call in and receive information about their medical condition and Horacio had listed his mom as being allowed access to his files however, prison administrators refused to give her any information, then on April 2nd Leann LaRiva, the warden at the Terre Haute facility replied to one of Barbara's letters and stated, "Please be advised that your son is doing well and has no known medical issues at this time".

Barbara is in her is 73 years old and has health issues. She lives in Kansas City and to visit her son, she has to make a weekend trip and pay for a hotel stay. Because of the hardship on her, we are requesting that Horacio be moved to the closest possible medical facility which is in Springfield, Missouri.

All medical documentation is available upon request by administrators in the prison system or in support organizations. Please contact idabwellsinkc at gmail for documentation.

Original post from 04-15-15 ~ Please help Horacio get medical and mental health care!

Please call or write the offices below and ask that federal prisoner Horacio Hill #22276045 be moved from Terre Haute, Indiana to MCFP Springfield, a medical facility in Missouri.

Requests may be directed to:

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
202-514-2000
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov

Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First St., NW
Washington, DC 20534
(202) 307-3198

FCI Terre Haute
4200 BUREAU ROAD NORTH
TERRE HAUTE, IN 47808
812-238-1531
THA/ExecAssistant@bop.gov

Also, please contact any and all international human rights organizations.

If you are able, please send notes of encouragement and support to Horacio Hill #22276045, FCI, PO Box 33, Terre Haute, IN 47808

This year’s conference will be Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24 in Kansas City. We will also have socials/events/demonstrations the evenings of May 21st and 22nd and in the daytime on May 25th.

Presenters include: Lorenzo Ervin, JoNina Abron Ervin, Zero Prophet, Daryle Lamont Jenkins, Lost Voices, Anthony Rayson, and more!

Apply to attend here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_yQm30x4CQVBbed0u6fgZBJBfGZK-FnL-Iya2FC4gUY/viewform

Donate funds here:

https://fundly.com/the-ida-b-wells-coalition-against-racism-and-police-brutalit

Conference Description:

See the fundraising page for video clips from the 2014 conference as well as coverage of other events attended by IBWC members.

The Ida B Wells Coalition Against Racism and Police Brutality conference is an advanced activist course and we expect many of the participants to host workshops or panels. After our first conference in March of 2014, we began to modify our unique and separate approaches to organizing so that we could work together efficiently and effectively. In 2015, we expect to introduce new panels and workshops designed to further increase our effectiveness. The conference will be in early spring, before it gets too hot in Memphis, and we expect expect to announce the exact date in November of 2014. There are no paid staff for the Ida B Wells Coalition. Funds will go toward travel costs and lodging for participants as well as space rental and food. All funds raised in excess of what is needed for the 2015 conference will be held over for the 2016 conference.

Coalition Description:

The Ida B. Wells Coalition Against Racism and Police Brutality (IBWC) is an anti-authoritarian group, with working class leadership shared among people of color, women, LGBT persons, and white activists. Its revolutionary work is to authentically support and enable a mass protest tendency against capitalist unemployment, war, racism, police brutality, and mass imprisonment.As a pro-liberation protest movement, IBWC’s current efforts to bridge the racial and class gap in the U.S. include calls to activism, which you may read about in more detail at the group’s website, http://idabwellscoalition.noblogs.org/In solidarity with its parent organization, the Black Autonomy Federation, the Ida B. Wells Coalition holds the needs of the most oppressed persons as their highest consideration in all things and recognizes the needs of black and other people of color as most essentially emblematic of the demands of the entire working class.IBWC efforts to unite all workers in a common struggle preclude pro-government relationships with current elected or appointed government officials, nor does it work with current or past law enforcement officers.As it develops what is needed to adopt a mass program that supports a genuinely national liberating potential, IBWC has identified structural elements of that valence:• Build a mass unemployment movement to fight poverty and joblessness in communities of color;• Defeat racial profiling and police brutality of black workers and people of color communities;• Stand in opposition against mass imprisonment of blacks, people of color workers, and the poor;• Stand in opposition to government and corporate austerity measures and against the diversion of funds from schools, hospitals, and community centers. To read more about the Ida B. Wells Coalition Against Racism and Police Brutality, to see the information that it is collecting about racism and police brutality nationally and in the Kansas City area, and to communicate with the IBWC community please visit its website at http://idabwellscoalition.noblogs.org/Ida B. Wells Coalition Against Racism and Police Brutality (IBWC) is an anti-racist liberation support group created by the Black Autonomy Federation to support its programs and its movement.Black Autonomy is a mass protest tendency against capitalist unemployment, war, racism, police brutality, and mass imprisonment.IBWC is pro-liberation protest movement, an anti-authoritarian tendency whose major purpose is to bridge the racial and class gap in U.S. capitalist society. – by uniting IBWC with Black Autonomy movement in its anti-racist/anti-colonialist platform.IBWC: Not the usual liberal or phony radical support, but genuine revolutionary working class support and solidarity. Needs of oppressed must be the most important consideration. Must be a mass organization to unite all workers in a common struggle – BUT – must be able to recognize the duty to support and adopt the special demands of black and other people of color as those of the entire working class.IBWC does not have to recruit or organize black people, but does have to make it possible for BA to do that in KC and elsewhere, while carrying out a local program around local issues.IBWC not a true national tendency, we need to adopt a mass program:- build a mass unemployment movement to fight poverty & joblessness in the black community- defeat racial profiling & police brutality of black workers & people of color communities- stand in opposition against mass imprisonment of black & people of color workers & poor & the diversion of funds from schools, hospitals, & community centers- stand in opposition to government & corporate austerity measures.IBWC is an anti-authoritarian group, with leadership shared among people of color, women, LGBT, & white activists. IBWC does not work with current elected or appointed government officials or with current or past law enforcement officers.

Who we are:

The Ida B Wells Coalition is made up of individuals, not organizations. The IBWC Steering Council is comprised of phenomenally dedicated and determined individuals who are founders and/or lead organizers of significant grass roots organizations including: Black Autonomy Federation, AGITArmy, New Abolitionists Radio, Free Alabama Movement, One People’s Project, Committee to Abolish Prison Slavery, Food Health and Environmental Justice Coalition, X-Vandals, SouthSide Chicago ABC Zine Distro, Missouri CURE, Move to Abolish 21st Century Slavery and Human Trafficking, IWW’s Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, and the author of the book Prison Slavery. IBWC members seek to build a mass movement between people in prison and out. We are in direct contact with thousands of prisoners and through our extended networks, we are able to reach thousands more with messages of solidarity, hope, and revolution. On the outside we are actively engaged in the current Ferguson-inspired uprising against racism and police brutality as well as ongoing struggles dating back more than 50 years.

Greetings and Solidarity IWOC,

All in All, The IWW is not a clandestine movement nor are our activities and purpose a secret. The IWOC is something that’s needed and is going to take on a life of its own once every one involved grasp hold of what is needed from us incarcerated, in order for your guys on the out side to be able to advocate for our rights and needs effectively.

I be totally straight up with you (like I always am) I’m a prisoner activist! I strive to organize and mobilize the prisoners to shut this Mutha Down! Just like prisoners did in Georgia a few years back. And the prisoners in Alabama and Mississippi are organizing to shut down their prison industries as well. Once these joints start losing money they’ll get some act right and start doing what is necessary to meet our needs and rights to be treated like human beings and not property. They’ll provide us real programs Education and treatment that’ll bring about real rehabilitation. We can change the way the law makers pass laws. All it takes is real dedication, information, organization, mobilization, and NO hesitation to sacrifice and endure the hell that is sure to in order to reach our destination. And that’s Liberation!!

Them guys down in Alabama started The Free Alabama movement, and we are studying their movement here in the State of Missouri. Go to www.FreeAlabamamovement.com. We need a movement like this and with the help of the IWW. I’m sure that we can build one and I’m going to put my full energy behind it, because these prisoners need a full understanding of what the IWW is and the purpose of the IWOC.

I’m like this, if a person is right and they are being done wrong then they have solid ground to stand on. But if they are wrong then they’re building a castle on sand and when a strong wind comes it’ll blow their castle foundation away. Not only that, they’ll be stretching you all thin.

Look, a lot of these guys don’t even take the time out to learn about their rights therefore they don’t know when their rights are being violated. They really don’t file (I.R.R.) Informal resolution request forms, which is the first step of filing a grievance.

Most say that they’ll rather be violent. Well I tell the ones with views like this. If your problems are not in black and white then your problems don’t exist. Being violent will only justify them using even more controlling procedures. and they’ll play on that to the media. But if we leave a paper trail then we can show that they created a hostile environment and they get in trouble as well. I have NO faith in this bogus grievance system however I must file in order to exhaust my administrative remedies in order to file a lawsuit in the courts. This is necessary, because if we are not documenting the on going events of abuse and mistreatments we will have nothing to stand on if a situation gets violent. NOW! these prisoncrats know that the prisoners out number staff 10 to one. Therefore they are well aware of the physical threat we hold. However they must use all types of behavior modification techniques to control and divide the prisoners at all cost. Solitary confinement is one of their biggest tools. But it to has it’s weakness.

You see prisons are so overcrowded they can’t put everyone in G.P. (General Population) so they got to keep a few hundred locked in the hole or rotate them with G.P. prisoners. You see dis-seg (disciplinary segregation) and ad-seg (administrative segregation) are two different entities. Dis-seg is punitive and Ad-seg is not. Prisoners should be placed in the hole only for serious violations or when there is a safety and security issue, the prisoner is a threat to himself or others or he can’t control himself. Other all minor infractions should receive some form of sanctions. That can be carried out in General Population.

The officials throughout Missouri have created Policies that are not in conjunction with the RSMO 217. Which derive its Authority from the Missouri Constitution which is in alinement with the U.S. Constitution. I believe the general counsel are not aware of what they are doing. They are keeping guys in Ad-seg for long periods for minor infractions.

And they got guys (staff) writing up bogus C.D.V’s (conduct violations) which in turn have guys on Dis-seg for years on in. When dis-seg should not extend 10 days. They created a bogus policy that place guys in dis-seg for like 20 to 30 days or more. We are suppose to get recreation for 1 hour 5 days a week, but they only give guys 3 days out of a week, and when they do 30 days we suppose to get 5 day (TASC), temporarly ad-seg confinement. But they only give us 3 days out of that because they only do rec on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If your tasc don’t fall on these days you’re just beat. It’s all at the whim of the C.O.’s so what ever is a convenience to us is an inconvenience to them, and what is a convenience to them often times is an inconvenience to us. Our rights are being violated big time and we must fight to change this.

So that should be one of many issues on the IWOC agenda. Look, they got a whole housing unit double celling in H.U. 2. Now that’s a violation as well, because prisoners should have so many square feet per prisoner. They are to have shelve space as well. They are not suppose to have us in box car like doors, but they do. Now its 36 cell in each wing multiply that by 4 and you’ll get 144 cells and multiply that by 2 and you’ll come out with a total (estimate) of 288 people. Now, if half of the guys in them 2 man cell check out of their cells or refuse to accept cellies where are they going to put the rest of the 144 people? They will have to start release dude to G.P. Which is already crowded, so they have to transfer guys. Now if every prisoner across the state do this it’ll become one Big Cluster fuck! (excuse my “French”) for lack of a better word.

Check this out a lot of guys across the state are afraid of doing this because they fear the so called consequence, (There will not be any consequence because it’ll be too many people and therefore they’ll have to compromise and make some changes.)

This will solve alot of our problems in which we all share. And then you got the disclaimers. Always talking about “Man these dudes ain’t going to do nothing.” When in all actuality they should worry about what are they going to do. They have pessimistic views and in the end nothing gets done. Look we here in Missouri need to follow the example of those prisoners locked in the SHU out there in Cali and Georgia. Cali prisoners went on a hunger strike and over 30 thousand answer their call and a lot of grass roots lended their support and people all over the world protested.

That was a peaceful protest and they laid down the paperwork to show and prove that there’s a long history of abuse and authority, medical neglect, and staff abuse to prisoners. Like the brother who founded Alabama Movement Melvin Ray stated “By this time, I had learned that the law was not practiced as it was written and that the criminal justice system did not really care about the justice at all.”

Once guys refused to go to work or refuse cellmates in Ad-Seg they will lose a lot of money. This place will not be able to function without our help.

Please print this letter, sorry for the incorrect words, I’m writing in the dark (only light is moon light). I’m trying to get this out in the morning. Copy this letter once its typed up and send it to everyone so it’ll at least put us on the same page to start talking about how we can shut this shit down across the State. This should be a constant discussion amongst us, as we proceed to organize and mobilize. You all stay consistant in the struggle.

You all take care and I’ll keep you all posted life behind enemy lines. We have nothing to lose, but our chains, we have everything to gain. The solution to all our problems can be resolved through our unity. So fear not and believe that victory is asure. We will have the support of outside grass root movements but first we got to show and prove that we are ready and willing to save ourselves.

Your comrade.
P.E.A.C.E

P.S. The money they are making (prison industry complex) off our labor is the money they are using to fund their prison budgets totally. Nationwide, Prison budgets total 86 Bilion, so where is the remaining $ 414 Billion? If they’re making $500 Billion Annually. Ask the politicians.- as Melvin Ray states.

P.S. If you will please put some minutes on your phone so that these of us in here can call you all. I’m unable to purchase minutes due to the fact I’m indigent and the $5.00 I get a month goes on hygiene products. I’ll try to call soon. Oh yeah the Board of Nursing sent me some complaint forms, too. I’m researching a lot of stuff in regards of Ad-seg in Missouri, we suppose to have most of our property if we’re not in Dis-seg, however, we don’t have anything it’s like we are on Dis-seg.

I am sure that you are waiting to hear my take on the situation in Ferguson, MO. I am in full support of the people and the cause. The pigs murdered Michael Brown with no if’s, and’s, or doubts about it. Most people don’t realize that racism in America is real and especially in Missouri. I wish I could get the racism of Missouri prisons inserted into the cause. I also saw on the news about the issues of police officers wearing cameras on their uniforms, now that’s something that could happen in Missouri, however, prison guards should also be part of the issue. . . . Look deep into the Ferguson, Mo situation, look at how the USA police department has been militarized without the knowledge or approval of the people, the people whom they are supposed to protect, then as soon as the people take to the streets those weapons were pointed at them.

Mr. Kerwin D. Scott
Reg. # 520941
PCC
11593 State Hwy 0
Mineral Point, MO 63660
Ph # (573) 438-6000

Re: Possible Representation

Dear Counsel,

I am writing to your Law Firm seeking representation in a “Medical Malpractice” legal action.

I was the patient of an Orthopedic Specialist whom performed a surgical procedure on my fractured Clavicle that resulted in me becoming infected with “Osteomyelitis” and having two (2) additional surgeries.

Please Note: After my first surgery I was in constant pain. To which I constantly complained. My right Clavicle never approximated. I was then placed on a “Bone Stimulator”, for then (10) hours per day. To which I remained on the “Bone Stimulator” for 8 weeks. And my Clavicle still did not approximate due to infection. Finally at the end of August 2013 I was referred to a Second Orthopedic Specialist whom determined I had a Serious infection. When he operated on my Clavicle on September 16, 2013 he had to remove all the hardware i.e. a metal plate and eight (8) metal screws. I had to have an intravenous line (Picc line) implanted in my bicep, so that I could be administered a HIGH dose of Antibiotic (Vancomycin) twice daily for 6 weeks. Said Infection had gotten into my bone marrow (skeletal structure). On November 15, 2013 I had my THIRD surgery, which was performed by the SECOND Orthopedic Specialist. A new metal plate and twelve (12) metal screws were used to repair my fractured Clavicle, which has since healed.

Counsel, I seek to recover monetary damages for having to undergo two (2) additional surgical procedures as a direct consequence of becoming infected with OSTEOMVELITIS. The infection was never discovered by the first Orthopedic Specialist. I became infected due to the first Orthopedic Specialist negligence and lack of due diligence.

I am also aware of the provisions of section 516.105 RSMO, and the “Statutory Limitations” of “2 years”, in which to file a “Medical Malpractice” suit. So, I must have said law suit filed no later than August 2015.

Lastly, if this matter is of interest to your Law Firm I would like to speak with you to discuss this case. I can be reached by your office contacting the prison (573) 438-6000 I am at and arrange a time for me to place a legal call into your office.

I would like to thank you in advance for your consideration in this matter and a prompt response.

Sincerely,

Kerwin D. Scott

Greetings:

My name is Justin Johnson. I was born October 01, 1985 in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. I’m 29 years of age and have been incarcerated since August of 2009, I’m currently incarcerated at 300 E Pedro Simmons Dr. in Charleston, Missouri 63834.

I was the Defendant in a bench-trial in Cause Number # 1322-CC01318 at the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, 22nd Judicial Circuit, before the Honorable Phillip D. Heagney.

On December 21, 2011 I was convicted after bench-trial of one Count First Degree Murder in violation of RSMo. 565.020, one Count of First Degree Assault in violation of RSMo. 565.050 and two Counts of Armed Criminal Action in violation of RSMo. 575.015.

On February 10, 2012 the Court sentenced the Undersigned to terms of imprisonment of life without possibility of parole.

Undersigned appealed his convictions and sentence to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. The Court of Appeals issued its Per Curiam order and Memorandum Opinion Affirming Undersigned’s convictions and sentence. The Court issued its mandate on April 04, 2013.

The trial court found Undersigned to be an indigent throughout and appointed the Public Defender office to represent Undersigned at trail, and the direct appeal.

One of the grounds in the direct appeal involved the trial judge having had ex-parte communications with the Victim’s family outside of the courtroom without either prosecutor or the public defender being present. The Court even admitted that it was a mistake, on his part, on the record (trial transcript). The Court still found Undersigned guilty.

The appointed public defender did not even object, or request a mistrial, she instead allowed the trial to continue on as if nothing happened. The public defenders only response to me concerning this grievous judicial error was, “Things Are Looking In Our Favor And If Anything Goes Wrong This Issue Will Most Definitely Get Relief Granted During The Direct Appeals.”

Undersigned filed his pro se motion to vacate, set aside or correct the judgment or sentence (29.15) on May 23, 2013. Undersigned was found to be indigent and the public defender’s office was assigned to represent Undersigned, by the trial court.

During the Public Defender’s representation a conflict of interest developed and as a result of that conflict the Public Defender allowed more than sixty (60) days to elapse resulting in abandonment, when the public defender failed to file a timely amended motion.

I filed a pro se motion with the hearing court to relieve appointed counsel from representation, the court re-appointed the same Public Defender that the conflict of interest and abandonment developed with. One year later on May 22, 2014, she filed the amended motion.

I am currently awaiting the hearing court’s decision as to whether the amended motion will be accepted and/or an evidentiary hearing is granted. It should also be noted that the hearing court judge in this cause and action was also the trial court judge in this case.

I seek your assistance to represent my interest in what is the last vestibule in exhaustion of my remedies. I need your professional assistance to ensure, not only exhaustion, proper representation and preservation of the claims. It is believed, by me, that since a very real and apparent conflict of interest has developed and that the client attorney relationship rendered irretrievably broken to the point that I know I would not be treated fairly by the Office of the Public Defender in general at this stage, and by the trial/hearing court in particular who appointed the conflicted attorney. See: State ex rel Nixon v Jaynes, 63 SW3d 210, 217-18 (Mo.banc2001( ) (“…Because The Court Appointed A Lawyer With A Conflict Of Interest Which Forfeited All Of His Rights To Proceed Under The Rule 29.15 That Matter Should Be Treated As Though No Counsel Has Been Appointed.”)

I am innocent of first degree murder, and the other charges in association therewith, I had stressed this before my trial and I still stand by this one fact, “I Am Innocent Of First Degree Murder. The Killer In This Crime Is Still Out There On The Loose.” Even though I am Innocent and stand wrongfully convicted there is a substantial amount of evidence, not heard by the court that would prove my innocence. I also have evidence that my indictment and prosecution for these crimes were politically motivated, in addition to the Saint Louis Police Department causing a major mistake during its initial investigation that cost the City of St. Louis a whooping $400,000.00 due to the mis-handling of this case. That’s $400,000.00 subtracted from the already scarce judicial economy. This high priced mistake was one of many motivating factors the State made me pay with my freedom, and now with my life, if I do not receive your assistance in helping me to vindicate myself from my wrongful conviction.

It is my understanding that your organization may only assists after all remedies have been exhausted, but if you would please give me a minute of your time to understand my position, “In a bench-trial with a conviction that is politically motivated because the St. Louis Police Department caused a $400,000.00 blunder, among other things; a court appointed public defender who is laboring under a conflict of interest, and; who was re-assigned and filed an out of time amended motion that may be dismissed due to the public defender’s failure to comply with the state court’s contemporaneous objection rule.” I believe that if that if the conflicted public defender is relieved by your office, and all of the facts come out, once you review all of the discovery in the case, a new, the results would be in favor of my discharge from my unlawful confinement.

“Will You Help Me?” Please contact me and let me know what you are willing to do. “My Word Is Bond!” If you have a questionare I shall give you honest, right and exact answers to any questions statements or facts you may have for me. Just give me the chance to convince you of my innocence.

I appreciate your time and consideration and I’m looking forward to working with you. Have A Productive Day.

Sincerely,

Justin Johnson
Reg. No. 1124153
Southeast Correctional Center
300 East Pedro Simmons Drive

Below is a description of the conditions at SECC prison in Missouri. Please call Warden Ian Wallace at (573) 683-4409 and ask that these conditions below be remedied as soon as possible.

Here is a “How-To” video for calling prisons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=251DPVDQ17A&list=UUSDljudXz0oFO9b2BJEuajg

How to participate internationally: You can make an international voice call to the US very cheaply using google voice / hangouts. You can also email constituentservices@doc.mo.gov and ask for your message to be forwarded to SECC Prison Warden Ian Wallace.

At the end of the letter below, you will find a list of prisoners names and numbers. If you have a PO Box, please write to them and send notes of solidarity. They can all be reached at:

Prisoner Name #XXXXXXXX
SECC
Pedro Simmons Drive
Charleston, MO 63834

This is the collective letter we received from an IWW member in prison…

1/24/15

Unconstitutional prison conditions of Southeast Correctional Center, AKA “Charleston”, located at, 300 Pedro Simmons Drive/Charleston, MO 63834.

Officials at SECC have an established custom of abuse when it comes to the utilization of their “Administrative” discretion. While “Disciplinary Segregation” is a form of confinement imposed upon an inmate for punishment, “Administrative Segregation” is not punitive in nature (or it is not supposed to be), it is merely for “safety and security” concerns, meaning, even though those on “Ad”-“Seg” status and “Dis”-Seg” status are confined in the same Housing Units/Living Areas/Cells with one another, there is a great distinction to the nature of the two status, however, the only difference in the way they are imposed: if you are on Dis’Seg’. you can’t use the phone and you can’t go to recreation. Now here’s the kicker! Whether on “Ad-Seg” or “Dis’Seg”, neither can use the phone except for once every 30 days, if you’ve gone 30 days without receiving a “misconduct report”, so it doesn’t matter which status, both are subjected to 30 day “phone restrictions.”

The so called “recreational” priviledges are also a joke. Keep in mind, some (most) inmates are on “Ad-Seg” status, not because they violated any institutional rules (like myself), but for reasons such as: the inmate needing protective custody, or being placed under investigation, or because of a bed not being available in “general population” due to the always existing problem with over-crowding, or for another reason which I’ll try to explain later. What they consider “rec” is a 3 hours a week inside a 41/2 x 11 feet cage (resembling a “dog kennel”), two persons to a cage that is smaller than the cells we sleep in, and we are given no exercising equipment, all one can do, is jog in place. This is not rec! This is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

Regardless of which status you’re on, you’re only allowed 2 showers a week that’s one 10-minute shower every 3 days, if that ! From 12/18/14 to 1`/16/14, twice we were made to go 4 to 8 days without a shower! During that 30 days, (H.U.2-B-Wing) we were only allowed 8 showers! And we are only given a hotel sized bar of soap once a week and one roll of toilet paper a week, which often run out of before we’re issued more.
On either status, we’re restricted to one “canteen” purchase every 30 days, where we can only buy writing material, deo, t-paste, t-brush, phone-time and a tiny bottle of shampoo, and ONLY 20 stamps! What else? In Housing Unit #1 they have a cell called the “rubber-room”, a cell with nothing in it but a hole in the floor, yeap, the old “Chinese-Toilet”, highly unconstitutional!

Most of the time we don’t get to clean our cells because, the one time a week that they come around with the cleaning supplies (which is re-used from cell to cell/toilet to toilet, same rags re-dipped in the same solution), it be around 1 or 2 in the a.m. so we’re mostly asleep, or we don’t want it because it’s too contaminated by the time they reach our cells with it.

Getting medical care is also a major issue here at SECC, in the 10 prisons I’ve been in, I’ve never seen poorer medical services, if you are having an issue, you have to submit a “Health Service Request” form. It takes two weeks for a nurse to see you for the problem, and months to see a doctor, same as with the dentist.

This and other problems can be attributed to the problem with “Overcrowding”, which lead to many cases of “false imprisonment”, inmates are completing the terms of their sanctions and are being kept in the hole for weeks afterwards on a status called “bed space”, which means they have to go locking inmates up or wait for transfers for a bed in “general population” to become available, while some people (like me) are held (confined to a cell) without any process.

Since I arrived at this institution, I’ve been experiencing the same hardships that inmates here resolve to accept as “the norm” : Months on “Ad-Seg” status because the Administration says they need to “monitor our behavior” (in other words; You haven’t done anything wrong, but we’re going to confine you to a cell for a month or months to see if you are going to do something wrong in the future. By the way, during this time, all privileges, rec, phone, canteen, visiting, showers and religious programs will be extremely restricted), What!?! They even locked me up for a violation I received over 9 months ago at another prison, after that prison punished me and let me out of the hole! This is what they do! This is why I am currently in the hole on “Ad-Seg” status. I haven’t had a violation in 90 days prior to arriving at this camp from a less secured prison, so why does my behavior need to be “monitored”?

They have “metal-slides” on our cell doors that slide over our windows so that we can’t see out into the wings (living areas) during major shake-downs. This is to keep us from reporting the abuse of other inmates, something we have a right to do if we witness it.

These people are opening and reading our “Legal Mail” before they bring it to us and they hinder us from the courts by not bringing us notaries when we request them, I’ve been requesting a Notary for 21/2 weeks. They don’t respond to the “Emergency/Distress buttons”, if you are having a medical emergency or being attacked by your cellmate, you have to hope the guards come in your unit soon, then kick on your door and holler for help ( and they sometimes mace us for that.)

They got these timers set-up on the toilets that causes the toilets to lock-up (not flush) for 30 minutes if you flush more than twice in 5 minutes, so if my cell-mate takes a “number-two”, he can’t flush as he drops and I’m forced to inhale his odors.

If all of this isn’t enough, we have mice running in-and-out of our cells every night and an “Offender Grievance” system that is designed to take 6 months before exhaustion, to discourage us from going to court and so that the damage is already done before they have to come to a final decision in regards to the complaint.

And the complaints go on-and-on, but as long as they intend to keep up the inhumane/unconstitutional injustices (throughout the entire M.D.O.C.), I intend to keep exposing them and suing them too, God-Willing, but we could really use some more outside support, so contact us if you will!! Thank you for caring.

This list is a minimum of us who are being subjected to the ill going-ons of SECC. You have our full permission to publish…

Deandre Cothran #1111360
Justin Werneburg #1188247
Craig Coward #1030723
Matthew Whittenburg #1124824
Bobby Bysor #1106202
Mr. Anthony Howell #1031041
Larry Hart #1044353
Mike Smith #185837
Theron Hendricks #1143106
Donald Hutson #528720
Shiekh Alphonso Adams EL #159571
Thaddeus Dumas #1159270

Anyone who has ever had a public defender will immediately understand this situation…

My sister Sandra Merritt, formerly of St Louis, Missouri, was sentenced to life in prison for crimes that normally should not carry that much time. The prosecutor and the judge lied and told her that if she would plead guilty they would give her 15 years (this is a common strategy of the courts known as “taking a plea bargain”). She did what they told her and pled guilty and they gave her a life sentence. As an excuse for this, they brought up a case that was over 20 years old which she had long ago resolved by complying with all the demands of the court at the time.

Help me please,
Alex

Please call the Department of Justice Main Switchboard at 202-514-2000 and ask them what has to happen to get Sandra free of this excessive sentence. You may reference Sandra Merritt #86543 at WERDCC, 1101 E Hwy 54, Vandalia, MO 63382

9/5/2014: This morning there was a full scale take over at Holman prison
by riot cops. Everyone is on lockdown now after 3 cops were beaten, a cell
block got lit on fire, and 1 cop was taken hostage. Holman prison is
dangerously overcrowded and lacking proper air conditioning. These
conditions are illegal, inhumane, and they unnecessarily agitate people in
prison. This is happening right now, follow it now on Twitter, and stay tuned for updates.

CALL NOW!!

Demand that the State of Alabama eliminate overcrowding now!

Call Commissioner Kim Thomas at 334-353-3870

Call Attorney General Eric Holder at 202-514-2001

—
Ida B. Wells Coalition

President Obama has a lot of nerve to open up his mouth and say anything against the violence taking place in Ferguson, Missouri. This violence is the result of the unjustified killing of Michael Brown by a racist White cop. But when Barack Obama had a chance to show African-Americans that Black …people don’t have to riot to get justice in these type of cases he let George Zimmerman off the hook after Zimmerman was acquitted by the state for killing Trayvon Martin. Everyone knows, and has always known that local state governments cannot be trusted to investigate and prosecute cases like these. But Obama left the sole responsibility for this in the hands of the state in the Zimmerman case. Then he asked us to respect the law and accept the verdict.

Why are African Americans who are constantly the victims of this kind of racist oppression always the only ones who should feel that the violence by other African-Americans is wrong? Especially when a lot of white people don’t even feel that cops, and wanna-be cops, ever do anything wrong when they shoot people like Brown and Martin. This is true even in cases where it is obvious that there was not even the slightest justification for the killing of people like Mike Brown.

If a Black man had shot a White kid with his hands in the air yelling “I don’t have a gun, don’t shoot me, ” that Black man would probably already be dead, at the hands of the police or in jail and on his way to death row.

Therefore, when Zimmerman was acquitted by the state he should have been immediately arrested, charged and tried by the Feds. But Obama stood by, sent his spin doctors out to make excuses and did nothing. THAT’S WHEN I KNEW THAT A DAY LIKE THE ONE WE ARE NOW HAVING IN FERGUSON WAS SURELY COMING.

It is ironic that Obama has not hesitated to show his willingness to use unrelenting violence against other groups like Al Qaeda, the Taliban, Syria, ISIS and etc. But when Black people are confronted by murder and other forms of terrorism from elements within their own government, he thinks our only recourse should be resorting to protest rallies and peaceful marches–which we’ve already been doing for well over a hundred years now and still hasn’t put an end our being victimized by racial violence!

There is a simple and easy solution to end the violence in Ferguson: Arrest Darren Wilson and charge him with the murder of Michael Brown. But Wilson is still not in jail. Instead officials would rather see the streets of St. Louis torn apart , business being looted and burned, curfews imposed, national guards, highway patrolmen and riot police, even federal attorney general’s, governors and Presidents called in to try and otherwise fix the problem– anything except arresting and prosecuting a racist cop who murdered an innocent Black man!

This shows how committed some people are to preserving the institution of white racism in this country. It also shows you how easy it is for Barack Obama and other Black people to be tricked into being an advocate for the white supremist causes in cases where resistance necessitates violence being involved.

~Keith Brown El, KCMO