In one of my posts, I discussed the issue with the inmate rules of conduct procedures. Well, that is not the only problem with how inmates are treated in these institutions. The inmate grievance procedure is every bit as corrupt and dysfunctional.
Inmates utilize the grievance procedure to address serious issues such as staff harassment, biased policies and procedures, and living conditions. Sounds good, right? Not so quickly.
It does not matter what the inmates say, the staff will never disagree with their co-workers, and they always say inmates lie. So, whatever we have to complain about, the staff do not care, and will ignore our pleas. This is yet another example of just how sadistic most of these people really are. Notions like right, wrong, truth, and justice are not within their limited intellect.
In August, I was moved from my cell (I had been living in for over a year, and through the staff attempting to kill us with covid). The reasoning was that our unit sergeant wanted two inmates, who are cockatiels handlers, on the top range in case the birds got out. I have nothing against the birds. Nevertheless, I have not received a conduct report in over 18 months, and I have not been bothering any one. It would be different if I had done something wrong, but I have not.
I began talking about speaking to the unit manager chief. A couple of days later, this infantile sergeant came in, had a corrections officer shake my cell down, and stood at the front of the lock screaming to everyone this was happening because I “went over her head”. At that point, I had not, but she just made sure I was going to. This is what we call retaliation. I spoke to my unit manager, who told me, “you can write her up, but nothing will happen because I will hear the complaint and it would be your word against hers”. So what good is this unit manager? Truth is, this happens all the time to inmates.
This is a type of oppression that no one else would ever tolerate. Contrary to popular opinion, inmates still have rights. Freedom of speech is one of them. Ask Georgetown University. What do you think will happen if inmates no longer have a way to address their greivances? If inmates continue to be treated in such ways, what do you think they will be like when they get out of prison? What do you think this would do to you psychologically?
If these staff do not want to do their job for any reason, then they should not be allowed to keep a job. What good are they doing just sitting behind a desk, and not giving inmates the benefit of doubt? They will readily admit just how screwed up their co-workers are, but refuse to do the right thing when it comes to disagreeing with them. That unit manager, for that matter most of the staff here, never have anything good to say about this intellectually challenged sergeant. This woman has such nicknames as,” ghetto barbie”, “ghetto chicken”, and “soul train dancer” among staff and inmates because of how ignorant she acts. This woman does not have any social skills, is incapable of interacting with humans, and has a bad habit of screaming in your face just because you have asked a simple question. I am left wondering. The administration here know what problem she is, and knew it before they gave her a position of authority. So, how did she get the job, and better yet, why does she still have it?
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Prisons need an Ombudsman position which would be independent of the chain of command and appointed by the legislature, a committee of Federal or State Judges, or a committee of ex=prisoners and the foregoing.