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PUNISHED FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING (please forward)
We and other media and human rights groups continue to receive letters from EXgang-members in protective
custody units at Washington State Penitentiary and other facilities asking for changes in the perverse policies that punish
them for doing the right thing. They are asking for conferences with prison officials and with legislators leading to remedies
to this unjust and dangerous situation.
To forward this to the Washington state senator who is responsible for Department of Corrections investigations:
Senator Jim Hargrove
411 Legislative Building
PO Box 40424
Olympia, WA 98504-0424
(360) 786-7646
[[[[[ You may want to forward this to your list and Facebook,
and media, and churches, etc.
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EXgang-members' Messages to You: Department of Corrections, Legislators and Voters
From Prisoner #A:
A CAREER CRIMINAL IN SEARCH OF A NEW PATH
I am 33 years old and for most of my life I
have been in and out of juvenile facilities, jails and prisons. As an adult I've been to county jail between 70 to 80 times,
all for different incidents. This is my seventh and final time in prison. As an adult all of my crimes have been drug related
in one way or another. Up until this last time I have never wanted to do anything but get high, but somewhere along the way
this last time I got out I wanted something more than the same old mistakes and incarcerations, so I started turning my life
around and doing better.
The only problem
is when you live your life the way I did you cause a lot of chaos, and unfinished business has a way of catching up with you.
Now I'm sitting in prison for possibly the next 34 years. When I got to Washington State Penitentiary in 2008 Iwas still commited
to making a better life for myself. Unfortunately not everybody got the memo that I was done with "the life," so when I got
into the unit I was assigned to, I ran into some people who knew me from my previous sentence and they thought that it was
my "duty" to "put in work" for their "cause" (gang). I said no, that I was trying to do my time and that I wanted no part
of the gang rules and violence any more.
That
got me into several fights, and then finally I got stabbed. After getting out of the hospital and recuperating in IMU (segregation),
I was given a choice: remain in segregation till I served mandatory four years of closed custody; or I could go to protective
custody. About 6 mmonths after I was given that choice I finally got tired of constant lockdown and chose to go to protective
custody. I was told that I would have job and education opportunities there; but when I got out here I found out the truth.
As far as education goes the only options are "adult basic education" which is pretty much 9th grade math, and because I've
graduated from high school that is not an option. And then the only other choice is graphic design and ITC classes.
The only job opportunities available to protective custody inmates are the night kitchen
and a handful of unit jobs. In total there are about 90 job positions and 330 inmates, so on average one in every four inmates
will get a job. Now factor that in with the fact that a lot of people that have those inmate jobs aren't ever leaving protective
custody. Now subtract about 30 of those 90 jobs and that leaves 60 jobs between 300 inmates: so one in every five inmates
has an opportunity for work. Here in protective custody we get about two hours a day out of our cells. That's only one more
than in segregation.
So that's what you get
for trying to better yourself. On the other hand on the mainline -- where most of them are gang members who are stabbing each
other, fighting, assaulting officers, etc -- they have almost four times as many job oppotunities, plus they have the AA degree
program, and get movie nights every week along with other incentives and privileges. And what do we protective custody inmates
get for following the rules? Nothing. Not even a "way to go!" What most make of this is that when you are trying to better
yourself and fix your life so you don't come back when you get out, you get ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. But when you continue in your
negative behavior they will give you anything you want!
If
the Department were truly about rehabilitation and reducing recidivism wouldn't they be more invested in making change possible
for inmates who truly want to do better? But instead the officers treat us like dirt and could care less about anything but
their paychecks.
We need change, and the
only way that will happen is if somebody stands up and says something and holds the Department accountable. However, if we
inmates stand up and try to make change happen we get sent to the hole -- or worse.
So if anybody is listening: SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP US!
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From Prisoner #B
I want to inform the voters of Washington state
on the injustice going on with people who get labeled as "EXgang-members" by your Department of Corrections. Regular mainline
prisoners have MANY more options than the people who are NOT gang members, abiding by the rules and regulations. I was at
a medium facility when a certain gang recognized me from the past and they gave me no choice but to be with them. I was never
a gang member, and I really didn't see any harm in working out with them. One day one of my friends came to where I was with
them and told them I'm done working out with them. Well, they did not like that and they sent someone later who beat me up.
They later attacked me a second time. So I had no choice but to come here to protective custody.
I'm not a gang member and never was. It's pretty sad to say that when you ARE an active
gang member you get MORE PRIVILEGES. We who are not gang members and who do what we are asked and who abide by all of the
rules get NOTHING!
There is something rotten
in the state of Washington.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{
From
Prisoner #C
I'm
an EX norteno gang member who is leaving prison in five months. I'm writing this for the lost souls who are stuffed away in
a black hole called maximum security lockdown. Us EXgang-members have nowhere to go because the Department of Corrections
fails to give us equal opportunity that we have earned and DESERVE -- especially for being violence free and following the
Department's own rules. Almost every day in protective custody we suffer from 24 hour lock downs. Yet the correctional officers
insist it is a privilege for us to be here!
We
call protective custody the black nightmare that doesn't sleep. Being an EXgang-member in the Department of Corrections has
an extremely negative impact on anyone trying to seek education or to obtain a job. Also they won't allow us to have our extended
family visits. That is not PRIVILEGE. That is DISCRIMINATION, a violation of our civil rights as US citizens.
So why are we EXgang-members not given equal oportunity when it comes to promotion in
custody levels? Why are we being discriminated against?
We
are asking please will the Department of Corrections, legislators and the community get involved and fix this glaring injustice.
Please stop punishing us for choosing the right path!
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From Prisoner #D
I'm an EXgang-member. I'm writing this because
I would like to see equal opportunity for us EXgang-members. As of right now at Washington State Peniteniary protective custody
unit we certainly don't have that. We don't get positive programs or jobs. We are being punished for doing right and defying
the gangs!
When I was out on mainline I
told my gang that I wanted to do my own time and to step back from all gang activity. Do you know how they responded? I got
beaten down by three gang members out on the yard. I got it pretty bad before it got broke up. I'm asking for equal opportunity
for all us EXgang-members who have the courage to stand against the gangs, so we can have a fighting chance in society when
we get released.
Thank you all for reading,
and hopefully our voices will be taken into consideration. Thank you very much and God bless you.
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From Prisoner #E
Why are we still in "protective custody" (solitary confinement). We are EXgang-members because we
have seen gangs for what they are: an extremely negative tyrant that ruled us for many years. But fortunately we've grown
up and left ALL gang ties behind forever.
The purpose of this letter is to let you know about the terrible situation this leaves us in here
inside your institutions.
When we EXgang-members have our Custody Reviews we are being shot down and left with no hope of ever
improving our situations. Instead of rewarding us for good behavior and leaving gangs behind, we're being PUNISHED!
Why not give EXgang-members EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to achieve lower custody levels? When you keep a person
LOCKED DOWN when he is trying to prove to everyone that he is changed, it has an extremely negative effect on his belief that
the Department of Corrections is really on his side in his efforts to do right by your system.
Meanwhile, the majority of offenders who are ACTIVE gang-members have the opportunity for better custody
levels! Why are EXgang-members not given the same opportunity for better custody levels?
Giving a majority of offenders custody level opportunities, while not giving EXgang-members the same
opportunities is DISCRIMINATION.
[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]
From Prisoner #F
Why is the Washington Department of Corrections punishing us for making the RIGHT choices by dropping out
of our gangs and turning our lives around?
I am writing this letter in regard to the treatment us EX-gang-members must endure in Protective Custody
(PC) for making the right coice of DROPPING OUT of our gangs or groups we were involved in for years.
For 23 years I was an active member of a very large Skinhead group (gang). I am known throughout this state.
A year and some months ago I had made the decision to finally GROW UP and get out of the group. I have realized the extremely
negative activities that had a stranglehold on my life for those years. I have opened my eyes and decided to leave that life
behind me for good! Now I am in Protective Custody.
The Department of Corrections is punishing us for being EX-gang members. We are on lock-down for the majority
of our days. We are treated like dirt by most of the correctional officers. There are NO personal growth (betterment)
groups or classes, no jobs, no vocational classes -- nothing to help us EX-gang-members improve ourselves. Why can't
we have equal opportunity to receive lower custody levels? This is making it extremely hard to prove to the Department of
Corrections that we are done with the negative lifestyles we've lived in the past.
Meanwhile the ACTIVE gang members are given all the positive incentives; i.e., decent paying jobs,
vocational classes, schooling, lower custody levels, etc. -- while we remain in lockdown and receive NOTHING!
Because we are EX-gang-members, returning us back into general population will only result in violence.
We are all marked for violent attacks by the gangs or groups that we were formerly involved in.
The Dpartment is well aware of this, but they don't seem to care. We are told that if we want all these
things that the active gang members are receiving in the general population, we must request to return back to general poplulation
and get them there!!!
We are asking for conferences with Washington state legislators and Department officials in order to remedy
this situation, preferably through creation of a SENSITIVE NEEDS YARD.
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