The Epidemic of Control Units
An up close and personal look
into the addiction to control and terror
Contents:
1. The state of Indiana's Administrative Segregation Controlled Movement
Units.
2. The State's criteria for who's placed on Administrative Segregation.
3. Who are the considered high risk prisoners and those who define the
term.
4. How long is too long - and do prisoners ever see general population
again.
5. Direct action and resolutions towards undeterminate Administrative
Segregation.
6. A moment with the author.
"People are always speculating -why i am as i am? To understand
that of any person, his whole life, from birth, must be reviewed. All our
experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us
is an ingredient i think that an objective reader may see how in the society
to which i was exposed as a (New Afrikan) black youth here in Amerika, for
me to wind up in a prison was really just about inevitable." -Malcolm X.
1965
The State of Indiana's Administrative Segregation Controlled
Movement Units - Part One
All across the State of Indiana exist a prison institution. These many
institutions have a time or another been developing new alternatives of control.
Once the state of political awareness began to sweep throughout these prisons,
prison administrations across the State had to seek new ways to control a
prisoner's movements. While there is a distinct difference in their application
of (Indiana Prison Policy), where it concerns segregation, both measures
constitute stricter confinement and isolation. .
Disciplinary segregation is a form of isolation warranted by a violation
of their codes of prisoner conduct. While Administrative Segregation
is a discretionary application and use of a specific unit, by prisoncrats
of prisoners considered to be potentially
violent or have been violent, also these such units are used as warehouses
where prison organizers, agitators, or so-called street
organizational leaders are kept away from the prison general population.
All access to a prisoner's comrades, or associates are reduced to brief moments,
on occasions in passing during a visit.
Currently, Indiana has (2) control unit prisons, according to the legal
term of control units. The Maximum Control Facility in
Westville, Indiana, which opened up in 1991, the sight of much sanctioned
brutality, resulting in countless lawsuits, which lead to a investigation
by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The results of which a publication
called "Cold Storage" was produced, exposinq many forms of abuse. The
second unit is the (S.H.U.), a Secured Housing Unit in Carlisle, Indiana.
The siqht of many investiqations launched into the inherent abuse of prisoners
by staff running it. A institution run by a Southern 95% white administrative
body, which speaks to the abuses of mentally ill and functionally illiterate
prisoners also. The State of Indiana is so bent on curtailing any or all
potential violence that the existing Administrative Segregation units are
now operating from the same (hand book) these (Supermax) and (SHU) units
are.
The Indiana state Prison infamously known as (The city within a city)
now operates a Administrative Segregation unit called (East D-Cell House
Administrative segregation .) This unit came into existence shortly after
a prison guard was stabbed and later died inside D-Cell House on its Westside.
This entire area was called a preditor unit. Now one entire side of a 300
to
400 man cell block houses A/S prisoners, fully observed by electronically
controlled cameras for (10 floors), (5) floors on the west side and (5) on
its east side. A/S prisoners only receive (1) hour out of 23 hours a day
for recreation.
The Pendleton Correctional Facility in Pendleton, Indiana also maintains
a Administrative Segregation unit. This unit has been in existence now for
nearly 15-16 years. Its existence is rooted in the history the facility has
had in the past with prison uprisings. The sight of (2) prisoner lead prison
takeovers and guards being stabbed caused the birth of a unit called (G-Cell-House
Administrative Segregation (G.A.S.). This unit also is connected to a "Preditor
Unit" as termed by its staff, where the worst of
the worst are housed. Kept and warehoused, away from the general population,
by way of interacting with them, but not restricted from certain recreational
outlets like general population prisoners. This A/S ..." unit houses up to
(78) prisoners with (3) floors.
In 2001 (all) prisoners were transferred out to various prisons, so that
construction to renew (G.A.S.) and (G-Cell-House) could begin. The prison
grapevine reveals that the unit will be designed to promote further controlled
movements. The operation is going to be functioning like a (mini Supermax)
control unit. Like the California and Texas styled units that have individual
cement recreational runs. Something like "Dog Runs," isolated spaces that
separates one prisoner from another. Most new units bring with them disrespectful
prisoncrats looking to make names for themselves, which will no doubt result
in civil and Human Rights violations. All prisoners under such forms of abuse
must establish a link to outside representatives of groups who will
help them challenge the abused head on. Without collective representation
from real good freedom loving people, these institutions will continue to
get away with victimizing prisoners. The focus is the best interest of prisoners.
The State's Criteria for who's placed on Administrative
Segregation - Part Two
Over a period of years, the State of Indiana has used a discretionary
set of rules alien to prisoners, as to how they come up with these criteria's
to continue to justify placing prisoners on A/S, especially when prisoners
on A/S normally haven't committed no prison infraction. Only having been
alleged to have or had the intentions do a violation to prison rules can land
a prisoner on A/S. Also it's been thoroughly recorded that many prisoners
after having "informants" turn their parnes in on (Snitch notes) for whatever
reason, convincing the prisoncrats to place a prisoner on A/S. i'm aware of
the Indiana law codes on crimes. When i looked last being a leader or educator
isn't a crime. Organizing study groups, religious studies, or teaching law
isn't a crime either. But for some reason these are actions prisoncrats are
now using such units for.
While high profile prisoners who oppose the sanctioned abuse overstand
they'll always be targets, there still is a need to confront and expose the
unfair application of Indiana's A/S criteria, because it is rooted in discrimination
and subjectivity. Due to prisoncrats unchecked bias, or outright dislike,
of or toward "revolutionary militant prisoners" all determinations made
by those prisoncrats on selective groups of prisoners are 100% subjectively
done. Based on their personal belief and not objectively reviewing the person's
adjustments. This is a attitude inherently woven into the prison system here
inside Indiana. New challenges to this control unit epidemic must be the
focus of any argument on the control unit criteria's. If they don't exist,
then it's
incumbent on all A/S prisoners to draw-up blue prints which would be suggestive
of a (agreeable resolution.) If this process doen't begin to occur, (Indiana
Dept. of Correction officials) will continue to assume prisoners agree with
these bogus criteria's. silence in this instance isn't beneficial for A/S
prisoners hoping to not spend their entire prison terms confined on Administrative
Segregation. This has been the case for a majority of the lot of A/S prisoners.
Administrative Segregation here in Indiana has ultimately been reduced
to warehouses, ("Hideaways") for prisoners the prisoncrats simply refuse
to deal with. With enough attention to the illegal selective practice of A/S
units, things can slowly begin to change. currently prisoners , have failed
to effectively bring forth a challenge to Indiana's bogus A/S criteria's.
Hopefully prisoners here in the State of Indiana will put their heads
together. This sometimes isn't easy, when prisoncrats behind the scenes
are (manipulating the environments) which creates unnecessary hostle relations
between the prisoners. Gradually prison relations between conscious New Afrikan
prisoners and conscious white prisoners will change. When this occurs, our
captors are angered because prisoncrats over the years, have benefited off
prisoner conflicts. Unity is really despised by prisoncrats for its potential
to create a force from within the prisoners as a whole collective unity on
the part of prisoners, when attempting to change their environment should
be wanted by everyone. Stand up in defense of your right to be treated fair
according to the Human Rights guaranteed you in this country. So many
violations have occurred and never exposed.
The Criteria and Assignment to G-Cell-House A/S
This application is so overly broad and it doesn't state when they'll
let a prisoner out.
1. Past Conduct History:
An offender who has past histories of serious or continuing
patterns of violation which seriously disrupts the orderly running
of the facility and the facility deems it necessary to control and/or restrict
their movement.
2. Gang Affiliations:
If a gang affiliation exists, the following may be
considered:
(A) Gang leadership position;
(B) Intensive involvement in gangs or gang activities.
3. Incidents which indicates a prisoner is unable to adjust to a normal
population setting:
(A) The orderly running of the facility is effected
by the incidents.
(B) continued presence of the prisoner in the population
presents substantial risk to the safety and security of staff and other
prisoners.
4. Confidential Information:
This is information gathered or received by the investigative
department or from informants considered reliable sources, which
indicates the prisoner's continued presence in the population would be detrimental
to the facility and/or prisoner population.
5. History of escapes and/or attempted escapes:
(A) Incidents involving possession of weapons;
(B) Incidents to where injury occurs as a result of
the action of the escapee or attempted escapee;
(C) continuing pattern of escapes or attempts to escapes;
(D) Incidents involving the actual breaching of the
fence or wall of a secured facility.
Those things outlined above is the criteria of their placing prisoners
on A/S. But are also what's looked at when issues are discussed about a prisoner
being released back to the prison's General Population. There is (no) set
time frame that allows all A/A prisoners to work themselves off these types
of units. This is truly the problem all A/S prisoner elements must focus
in on if there is ever to be any effective changes to occur in the application
of this criteria.
Who are the Considered High Risk Prisoners and those
who define the Term - Part Three
Indiana prisons are overwhelming crowded, to the point of having , to
send many minimum security prisoners to other states to serve out their
sentences. A private prison corporation called (CCA) Corrections corporation
of America is who runs most out of state contracts. People must overstand
that prisons are places where all sorts of behaviors go on or are born.
Such environments are abnormal, and being that it is this way, violence
or brutality seems almost normal.
No one in prison are here for being a angel, while at the same time some,
if not the most, actions taken by prisoners against a staff member or another
prisoner are sometimes justifiable. If prisoners don't defend themselves
from "preditor instincts" of another badly troubled prisoner or from a brutal
assault from guards, they will be somebody's victim. In most cases involving
prisoner violence is one of self-defense. Defending yourself will land you
on A/S units and you will be considered to be a violent
prisoner. Some prisoners who are placed on ("high risk status") almost
always are buried deep inside a control unit or A/S. Some receive this status
if they've been accused of attempting to escape from prison. Some others
may just be good thinkers or prison organizers who they feel have influence
over others. Prison counselors, internal affairs investigators, case managers
throughout the State of Indiana use (high risk status) to control a prisoners
institutional movement. On this status they can prevent you from requesting
a certain job assignment. They're using this status so biasly to undermine
many prisoners trying to integrate back into a "active" prison population.
This allows prisoncrats to keep the prison general population free of any
prisoners who possibly would harm staff members. Guilt from (all) the
wrongs they do to prisoners compels a constant sense of fear in the souls
of those responsible for applying the (high risk status) on prisoners.
Prison counselors, case mangers, unit team managers here in the Indiana
Dept. of Corrections have been known to personally tell prisoners that some
on A/s may never live down the reputations they acquired while inside their
prisons. With that said, these prisoncrats establish their reasons for denying
prisoners' request to leave the Administrative Segregation Units.
The past prevents most prisoners' files of conduct from being reviewed
objectively. Most prisoncrats, counselors, and case managers have the authority
to give a prisoner a fair shake, but it is a rareoccurrence in Indiana.
Prisoners who have been accused of assault on staff, violence against
another prisoner, or being disruptive along with being considered (a high
risk), you will be labeled (a threat to the safety and security of the institution,
staff, and other prisoners). The use of these labels benefits the prisoncrats
extremely. All prisoners who are under these labels are demonized throughout
the (IDOC) and State of Indians as a whole. Prisons also use A/S prisoners
to ask for more State funds. They focus on a heighten
sense of security and a call for more staff. A/S prisoners and things
they were accused of is blew-up by prisoncrats State wide when they say
it's important to create A/S units.
The current use of these units by prisoncrats across the country must
be contested. Instead of it being a place to deter misconduct, it has become
an "illegal warehouse" for those considered to be wayward and intent on ""
resistance. Since when did resisting being a victim become a crime. The prison
complex on a world scale, claims to be champions of
"Rehabilitation, " but they don't rehabilitate, they create hate and frustrate
prisoners. When they put labels on them like "high risk" or "security threat"
that hurts prisoners more than it helps.
Then you wonder why violence occur inside prisons on staff, counselors,
or case managers, or unit managers. They are not the solution - they are
simply the problem where it concerns A/S units. III.
How long is too long and do Prisoners ever see General
Population again - Part Four
All control units, disciplinary units, administrative segregation units
alike are supposed to function on a set time frame. This time frame would
be dependent on conduct, but you are supposed to be given the chance to
leave these places of confinement. Control units here inside Indiana must
release a prisoner after (2) years. No matter who they are or their charge.
What
changes this is the conduct of the prisoner. If prior to a prisoner's
pending (2) year release from the control unit, he receives an
infraction I that's considered major, it could alter his day to leave
for general population.
Disciplinary units operate the same way, a prisoner receives a fixed term
to complete. If it's (1) year and he does it without any new trouble, his
type of action doesn't apply for A/S unit prisoners despised by those who
run these prisons. Prisoners on A/S fall under many categories, but for all
practical purposes, in this release i am specifically focusing on prisoners
targeted by the prisoncrats and their cronies. Prisoners sanctioned to A/S
were placed there by the prisoncrats, and not for committing any rule violations.
75% of guys on A/S are considered security threats to the institution, men
who have the strength that other prisoners respect or look up to, and for
that they are hated by the prisoncrats across the State.
There exist a select class of prisoners in Indiana who are shipped from
one A/S unit to another. Arbitrary treatment such as this, seems to be "characteristically
systemic," used in a way that it seems they want revenge for some things
done in a prisoner's past, that the prisoncrats never caught a prisoner doing,
but believe he was involved in all the same. A/S units have a unit team that
conducts (90) day reviews. These reviews allows the prisoner to show his
progress in good conduct and desire to be released into general population.
Clear conduct is the precondition to release out of the A/S units. However,
being good don't necessarily mean they'll grant your request. As noted "earlier,
labeled like (high risk) or (security threat) has sufficed in their circumventing
objective reviews.
The unit teams are in the business of personalizing their determinations
when it comes to those considered prone to be violent. How long is too long?
Well (5) yrs. of (23 hour) isolation is too long for anyone. Prisoners here
in Indiana on A/S status are spending up to 10-15 years isolated on A/S units,
with no designated date when they will be granted release. Some of these
men are under clear conduct, with 10 to 15 years free of major infractions.
Some of these men are elders with failing health conditions. Due to lack of
movement or exercise the human body begins a process of deterioration. But
do they care, you all know the answer to that.
When prisoners are convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison, the judge
didn't equally sentence prisoners to be forced further into isolation. They
are already in prison, now they have prisoners locked up twice. It's double
jeopardy at its best, at the hands of these prisoncrats controlling the Indiana
Dept. of Corrections. In part five of this release i hope to focus on a
more direct and much needed approach that should be taken in a challenge
to the overwhelming long term sanctions placed on A/S prisoners. If there
is no direct challenge to these actions by A/S administrators some prisoners
will die inside these units and be regarded as garbage, as nothing. No human
being should have to suffer in this way. Prisoners on A/S are restricted
from all things the general population prisoners does that entales mobility.
A/S prisoners are escorted, to the visiting room, hospital, property room,
in handcuffs and shackles. If witnessed by people in the free world, it will
look like something you see on a slave plantation.
Direct Actions and Resolutions towards undeterminate
Administrative Segregation Terms - Part Five
When the "Supermax" first opened here in Indiana prisoners were being
beat up and dehumanized. The same was the case with the second control unit
"S.H.U." here. But it's very important to remember that after a series of
hungerstrikes, demonstrations by the prisoners's families outside these
control units, as well as a series of lawsuits, these direct actions brought
enough attention to abuses occurring. The media got involved locally, prisoners
began letter campaigns to newspapers on a underground and above
ground level. Groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International
launched the most indepth investigations into abuses also. After they toured
these control units, conducting interviews with prisoners, the victims of
such abuses, slowly the atmosphere began to change on these units. Almost
10 years since the interviews and investigations it seems to be moving toward
the old patterns of abusive tendencies again.
Between the month of April, May and June of 2002 a series of abuses took
place by guards a the "Supermax" control unit in Westville, Indiana, on the
A/S wing of Supermax where many prisoners from Pendleton Correctional
Facility A/S wing prisoners are being held. History where it concerns these
types of units says, no collective response from prisoners' families, no
real change will come to stop the illegal application on who leaves A/S
units and who stays.
*Suggestion to Direct Action *
(1) Collective Unity:
A/S prisoners must begin to exchange ideas as to what
they feel should be changed about A/S units.
(2) Hungerstrikes:
A/S Prisoners know that this is a real attention grabber,
but its use in certain instances are being undermined by prison
officials. There
must be new alternatives to gain the media's attention, leaving a hungerstrike
as the possibly last resort,
because they will let prisoners die nowadays.
(3) Outside families voice:
A/S prisoners have failed in recent years to incorporate
their families into a collective voice. That could serve as a A/S
prisoners advisory group working in
conjunction with their loved ones on A/S. Their I voices will be heard loudly
if they are brought together.
(4) Attorney for A/S complaints:
The families of A/S prisoners who have spent over (5)
years on A/S could pool recourses together to represent these
prisoners in a class act
1983 lawsuit.
(5) Petitions:
A/S prisoners should create a draft petition, which
expose the use of A/S. Generate copies for every prisoner's family. Who's
responsible will be to get 1,000 signatures from where
they live. Once complete copies will be sent to Governor O'Bannon,
and (IDOC) Commissioner Evelyn Ridley-Turner. This will allow them to see
families are upset with the treatment of A/S
prisoners.
(6) Emergency response family network system:
A/S prisoners must encourage their family members to
share and compile a list of phone numbers, faxes, and e-mail
addresses, so that
when the time comes for a large response from the outside, they all can be
on point with I each other. This response has proven effective
in other areas.
(7) Prisoner letter campaign:
A/S prisoners must also be prepared to draw up their
own «1 personal complaints on their treatment on A/S units, to also
be sent to prison superintendents, DOC commissioners,
and the Governor of their respective States. This prevents these State
or Government officials from denying that they were ever
contacted by any A/S prisoners.
.
A Moment with the Author - Part Six
My name is Bro. Khalfani Malik Khaldun, a New Afrikan George Jackson Styled
Political Prisoner, who has been in prison now since 1987. i am not the Political
Prisoner in the traditional sense, as my fellow comrades, who were engaged
in the Domestic resistence with this kountries political agents prior to
their imprisonment. These comrades became targets in a war launched by J.
Edgar Hoover) which lead to "Cointelpro," the counter-intelligence program
that caused the destruction of the Black Panther Party and lead to countless
arrests.
My political consciousness came several years into the early stages of
doing time. Many forms of resistence to the brutal conditions existing inside
the many prisons I became exposed to. With the ever increasing cases of prisoners
being beaten by guards, invoked in me and other ones a desire to tempt our
fate in some challenges, which culminated into a culture of
rebellion and resistence in many of the prisons colonized inside Indiana.
Not saying that many others weren't engaged in wars with prisoncrats because
their struggles are the foundations which gave rise to our struggles. The
older comrades paved the way for the emergence of a small resistence movement.
These challenges landed many of us on lock-up (23) hours a day for many
years. We organized classes, created political study libraries, which lead
to a gradual transformation in the prison communities. As I Political !Revolutionary
consciousness grew, we became targets due to the influence we shared with
other prisoners. Placed in transit, they separated me from my " comrades.
They opened up the "Supermax" attempting to destroy the unity building, as
well as stunt our growth and development.
Personally i have been isolated from general populations across the State
since 1989, close to (14) years due to actions taken by me to help raise
the consciousness of prisoners.
We embraced the concept of the (New Afrikan Independence Movement). Thus,
acknowledging our rights as a (New Afrikan Nation) inside U.S. borders.
We educated New Afrikan prisoners on the (RNA) and when it came to be. Now,
over 90% of Black conscious prisoners see themselves as New Afrikans, as
opposed to Afrikan-Amerikans. i am a new breed of Political Prisoners, along
with the countless others, who made their transformation once inside prison.
We are the "George Jackson" Styled Political Prisoners for he too found his
humanity after coming to prison. Like George Jackson, who suffered retaliation
due to his work to transform the California prison system by (CDOC) officials.
i too have suffered the same fate. After an successful prisoner strike was
organized on a unit D/S at the Pendleton Correctional Facility, one in which
I played a instrumental role, we who launched the strike were transferred
to the Indiana state Prison. That strike consisted of New Afrikan and White
Prisoners.
We began to educate prisoners at the (ISP) in ways of challenging oppressive
conditions. On Administrative segregation we filed a class action suit that
scared State officials at the facility that prompted them to D-Cell-House,
also known as the preditor unit. i organized a political Study class, which
aided prisoners in Islam, math, G.E.D. studies, and within (6) months a fully
functional program was up running. My library consisted of (300) books on
all fields, essays were required to be completed when they returned the books.
My activities and actions during this time caused the prisoncrats to suspect
my motives, because prisoners were now challenging disrespectful guards
stopping the pattern of abuse that was a norm.
On Dec. 13, 1994 a guard was stabbed and later died from (2) stab wounds,
one in the neck, the other in the heart. Shortly after this incident they
came after me and one of my guys. After several hours of failed interrogations
i was taken to "Supermax" the control unit, where i was later told murder
charges were being filed against me. On Jan. 31, 1995 i was finger printed
by Indiana State Police and read the warrant for murder. This lead to what
culminated into a series of court appearances that lasted for (7) years
before a definite trial date was set.
The days and months, which lead up to the trial, i was forced to endure
retaliations and all kinds of harassment from the prisoncrats. i also experienced
many forms of racism. The trial set to begin March 26. 2001 lasted (6) days,
we ended up with a all white jury, who returned i a guilty verdict after
(8) hours of deliberation. They sentenced me to (60 yrs.) in prison, and
left me to fight for my life. They never presented a sinqle eyewitness saying
they saw me commit this act. Having seen firsthand the real face of those
people running these prisons i'm in a position to expose the brutality i
have seen committed against prisoners by overly aggressive guards. These people
call us criminals, but their actions and abuse also are criminal.
Bro. Khalfani Malik Khaldun #874304
(Leonard McQuay) A2-201 S.H.U. A/S
W.V.C.F. P.O. Box 1111
Carlisle, IN 47838
(www.prisonactivist.org/khalfani)
© Copyrighted 2002 K.M.K.
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