March/April 2007Massachusetts Chapter JDC Vol. VII

March/April 2007Massachusetts Chapter JDC Vol. VII

March/April 2007Massachusetts Chapter JDC Vol. VII

Dear Readers of Prison Voices:

1

There have been many questions as to why I was transferred from BayStateCorrectionalCenter and I have received many letters of support and concern for my health and treatment.

Here in Concord, we can’t have any kind of publications, so I’m using this avenue to exercise my constitutional rights “Freedom of Speech” to let the people know what really happened.

The entire issue is evolving with Arabela Mutual Insurance and Attorney Bryan C. Bolden who sued me for $7,140.00 as a result of a car accident that occurred on January 9, 2006.

I responded to the small claims court indicating that I have been incarcerated since 1971 and that Attorney Bolden was negligent in his accusations, I served Mr. Bolden with the copy of the documents that were filed in court and with a cover letter indicating that I wanted $1,000 for his reckless actions. He read on the internet that I was in prison; in fact he has my I.D. number and knew that I was the wrong Luis Perez.

There have been comments and rumors made that I was set up by a third person, but this is not finger pointing or anything like that. I take full responsibility for sending the documents as part of a counter suit (or) demand letter so that I could pressure the attorney to drop this frivolous suit, otherwise the Judge could make an unfavorable decision and have my account frozen, something that could cost me 2 or 3 months to repair.

On 12/11/06, I received a D-report for extortion and was placed in the holding cell at BayState. While I was there, I suffered an anxiety attack, losing consciousness for a few minutes. I was transferred to the Norwood Hospital Emergency Room for 8 hours before I was subsequently transferred to MCI- Concord.

It is important that my friends and readers of this publication be aware that at any time, anyone can get transferred to another facility and that there are only few special circumstances for which a person can fight such a transfer:

Prisoners can challenge a transfer if they can show that the transfer decision was made in retaliation for filing a grievance or law suit (or) for exercising other constitutional tights that have been decided by Supreme Court decision on this subject.

AS for myself, I am hiring a good attorney to show cause that the transfer was just that and that I have not only a grievance filed at BayState, but I also was complaining on racial discrimination against Spanish prisoners. Even the program people don’t want us to speak Spanish to other Spanish speaking prisoners.

Another element of mistreatment was with the Deputy Superintendent and the Director of Security, who were moved to BayState from MCI Walpole. These tow individuals have a serious problem of adjustment and a complaint was mailed to the Commissioner’s Office because Bay State does not have the problems that occur in level 6 & 7 institutions. There have been no assaults on staff, no escape, no stabbings and that alone has created psychological problems for them. Where they were used to dealing with problems at higher security and without those problems, they were acting erratic. Therefore, they began to make unnecessary changes and repairing things that were not broken at the facility to harass us all who have good records of conduct.

Furthermore, they began to create rules every day to get reactions, so that they could justify their own jobs… I strongly believe that a lot of these problems are an attempt to remove lifers from that facility. The sad aspect of this entire matter is that the Superintendent was allowing all this to happen.

Additionally, the Deputy Superintendent there was a Sergeant in 1995 and left that institution with a serious conflict with many members of the staff. When he returned as Deputy on May 10, 2005, that same grudge was in place and that long lasting conflict fragmented the authority within their own chain of command and with other correctional staff.

At the end of that struggle among themselves, we have to pay for their problems. Without any question, I can prove the elements of prejudice and I have documents that substantiate my claims. Beside the legal issues with the reporting officer, who was acting outside her jurisdiction by making a judgment call on a civil matter that was under the jurisdiction of the court, pursuant to Mass. General Law governing the small claim court chapter 218, section 21-25.

Again, I want to take this opportunity to thank the publications of “Prison Voice” and thank my friends for their concern and caring.

Luis Perez

The “R” Word

Tim Muise

In prison you hear a lot about “respect”. Not always in the most positive of terms. Guys say, “He disrespected me!” and “I have no respect for him.” You may even hear someone utter, “I have mad respect for that dude.” Although it is rare. A lot of this prison respect and disrespect comes from old attitudes and belief systems. I mean like if a guy committed a particularly successful bank robbery he may get “prison respect.” Or if a guy fights with the police he may get that behind bars respect. Now on the other side of that coin, if a guy comes in with an unsavory crime he can be immediately disrespected. Guys read the Herald trash rag and believe all in print. They judge a man like the courts, like the cops. Like who they project to consider the enemy. They turn into the enemy. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not saying everyone should be crowned with glory. I’m just saying try to remember how the system has wronged you now or in the past and use that experience to help you avoid playing judge.

ALL RESPECT is about SELF-RESPECT! Do you notice how the cops smile when they see one respected convict picking on a less respected one? They eat it up. We often play right into the divide and conquer attitude. We have no unity because we separate ourselves. We separate by race, by crime, by hometown, and by beliefs. We all wear the same forced clothing, live in the same cages, are subjected to the same treatment, but make it all worse by dividing ourselves. By conquering ourselves. If we respected ourselves, we could respect each other. Living a life of crime, drugs, poverty. or other social disadvantage strips men and women of self-respect. We need to build it back slowly. It starts with not urinating in the shower or leaving your empty wrappers there. It starts with not making excessive noise in your cell when you know your neighbor can hear it. It begins when you start to put your selfish needs aside for the betterment of the whole. When you spit on the rec deck, full well knowing someone else has to clean it up, you hurt YOU! When you urinate in the shower it reflects upon you and ALL prisoners. The cops smell the piss and view us as animals. You scream out your cage door like this is DSS and we are all viewed as weak. If and when you begin to respect yourself you learn that we must display strength. Through that strength comes true respect. SELF-RESPECT!

Abusive treatment of prisoners by their captors has a lot to do with the prisoners being viewed as less than human. We MUSTbuild our humanity. We are each individually responsible for breaking prisoner stereotypes and building the humanity of the masses. Sound utopian? Maybe so, but what is the only alternative? It is further loss of freedoms. More suicides, more race wars and class separation. It is more guards breaking your headphones, talking shit to you when they pat you down, and ultimately just throwing the key away on many of us.

Let’s build that self-respect folks. Get a clear focus of what team you are on. WE can display strength. WE can overcome this unresponsive system. The older guys need to be strong leaders to the young guys coming in.

If you do what you did you’ll get what you got. It takes change. Change almost always starts small. It CAN start with you. It is time for us to start seeing the big picture here. Our captors are in turmoil most of the time, wheels spinning on greased rails, and we don’t seize the day. Time to get our shit together folks and display our value. We are men and women of worth. The term “prisoner” cannot define us and we WILL NOT let it. Fight the power with dignity, strength, character, and SELF-RESPECT.

Seasons of Reflection

Daniel Tavares

I’d like to take a long walk outside and try to loose myself in the treetops, where inside my mind I’ll find a place to hide

And let my eyes lick the foliage like lollipops. Surely I shall be reminded by the radiant color of the trees of my youth and sin of existence and a decade shall be reflected on the scent of a cool breeze as my age wears down my resistance.

The Autumn chill wraps tighter around the bones of time and wrinkles those faces of familiar expressions. Those colorful leaves of yesterday shall be long left behind as their purpose leaves illus ional impressions. As the memories fade and go back to where they stay and the trees are left standing naked and

bare, and we are forced into another season where age and time reason and our dreams become dust in the air. and we shall be reminded by all our

reflections during seasonal inspections on how quickly time

steals away all our graces. As our chances grow slim and our

senses become dim and one day we’ll be gone without traces. Everything we’ve ever done will turn into particles in the sun; even our gravestones will turn to dust; just like these words, butterflies, birds and bees. Even iron and steel turn to rust……

“On That Day”

Angel Diaz

January 1st with my family and friends, we party till the break of dawn:

February 14th I got the girl of my dreams, right there on my arm:

March 17th I’m taking my kids and we will watch the parade:

April 16th I’m off to church, to honor the day Christ raised:

May 11th with the MOM of all Moms, we’ll be doing something cool:

June 18th not the biggest of days, but I love it none the less:

July 4th I’ll be at the beach, where the fireworks are the best:

August 8th is my daughter’s day, who can ask for more:

October 31st I’m trick or treating, not missing a single door:

November 23rd I’ll eat like a pig and give thanks for all I got:

December 25th is my favorite day, it’s when giving means a lot:

December 29th I’ll give love to the woman who gave me life:

December 31st I’m all dressed up and ready for a long night.

MPV Updates

Tod Walsh

Here we are going into March 2007 and the suicides continue. Mark Cunningham, 37 years young, ended his life at SBCC. Mark ended his life for unknown reason known to me or our “People” out there trying to be our “Voices” from the outside. I had not known Mark Cunningham or what sort of person he was or did to land inside prison. But I am sure he had a family out there somewhere. Mark C’s death is the first this year. The fourth since 12/20/2006, or the fifth since 10/12/2006, or the eleventh since 2005. I am in isolation here at OCCC. There are 15 cells and human beings in each one. I’ve been here and on suicide watch since 9/28/06. Most on the tier here, I know pretty well and I think to myself, “I knew Edward Pacman Soto pretty well, what if I am to wake up here tomorrow morning and 11 of the 15 here are found DEAD. Would it be just another mass suicide or just more suicides in the prisons of Mass.?” I spent a day on the HSU once again over a medical issue over night, forced over and forced back actually.

I hadn’t received a D-report in over a month, yet the RN Bitch Tammy Ralpheal Rogers, decided to boot my door and yak out snottily,”Still alive Tody?” I couldn’t resist laying into the 200 pounder just a wee bit and of course, D-reported.

The cells at the HSU here at OCCC are the same. The steel raining beds, the vents above sinks and doors, suicide accesses. The COC, Ms. KM Dennehey, Supt Bernie Brady & Bunch here, are all well aware of these avenues a mentally ill person could take if he decides to end his life over the inhumanness, of the treatments here or at the hands of a few very manipulative, indecent corrupt ional officers here at OCCC.

The Supt. Bernie Brady here at OCCC was given a letter by me on 9/25/06 over the indecent corruptible, destructible Sgt. Joseph Almeida. I complained of my 1. Broken finger and then another 2 days later. How the second one wouldn’t have happened if Sgt. A Hole Almeida hadn’t turned me away from the HU. How a person such as A. Hole Almeida or his bone breaking days inside Walpole’s 10 block, should not be allowed to work such a unit as the HSU at any prison. I also went deeper in my philo’s and predictions- how he’s gonna cause some serious situations sooner or later. Within 2 weeks of my letter to the Supt. and another to the COC, Steven Koumaris walked into the HSU for medical help. He was given a hard time and placed on the open dorm ward of the HSU, complained when he was sexually assaulted to Sgt. J. A. Hole Almeida and ended up on suicide watch

Do I need to tell any of you where Steven Koumaris is right now? He’s in the ground.

Sgt. Almeida more than contributed to Steven’s death and just over 2 months later, Edward Pacman Soto ends up on the suicide alley of OCCC’s HSU. Sgt. A. Hole Almeida gave the Pacman a hard time, entered Pacman’s cell without placing him in handcuffs, threatened and more than likely kneed him in the stomach and left. Pacman took his life that night just after midnight. The following day, I was rolled over to suicide alley after being gassed, stomped and my clothes cut off.

When I went off on whoever could hear me, I was told, “Tod, Tody, calm down, they’re gonna look into this one…” Are we dealing with paychecks here, your taxes, or human beings?

12/20/06, I expected to see Sgt. Joseph AH Almeida come trod dingaround the corner at 7:00- 7:05 AM, yet he didn’t. Fellow C/O’s hadn’t heard and got curious themselves. The Sgt. was told to take a weeks vacation. When that was over, he was told to take another week’s vacation.

Do you think they’re, the DOC’s internal affairs, the Supt.’s, Deputies, Director of Security, or the COC herself, are putting some pieces together about this bastard Almeida???? Apparently not as Sgt. Almeida continues to abuse his powers as an almighty corrupt ional officer. He has written well over 50 D-reports, placed over 50 on AA lockups, neglected dozens for medical help and let’s not forget, 2 human beings that are in the ground.

Fellow prisoners across the state of Massachusetts do not be afraid to file a grievance, write you’re Supt., even if they pass the buck. The COC or better yet, write to her boss, Mr. Kevin Burke, 1 Ashburton Place, Boston, Ma. 02108. If he doesn’t respond, you write to his boss Governor Deval Patrick at the State House. We’ve got an issue here in our hands right now. Prisoners with problems greater than our own and they’re taking their lives and this DOC is doing shit about it.

There’s also another issue in your hands right now called the Mass Prison Voice. If you’ve got no where to go with your problems, afraid to speak up, what do you have left, you’ve got Susan Huskins to write to. If she cannot help you personally, she will direct you to several others out there fighting relentlessly for better human rights and conditions of this Dept of Corruptions. My personal problems and issues ongoing since 2005, I’ve had ½ dozen Senators and State Reps attempt to get involved, yet I feel they also give up and fade off into problems of society!!! Do they realize where 97% of us end up sooner or later? I wonder, or better yet, is the grand scheme to keep these cycles of violence going, and going and going. I’ve got people fighting for me personally that I would not trade for a dozen Senators or Reps because these people do not give up and these people are the ones who truly care, not to mention elect such people that we can also trade and let fade off….

Massachusetts prisoners and citizens, I am a very angry person and I am only getting more and more fed up at this whole system. What’ll happen to me if I can’t take the B.S. of this system anymore? Will I try to retaliate, use my own life to hopefully push the people out there to keep fighting for changes? Or what’ll happen to my life if I am released, hopefully this year, will I keep the cycle of violence going over some arsehole bumping into my truck at the supermarket?