After a certain amount of time inside, an inmate might be given the “opportunity” to work in the kitchen or cleaning, not for a wage but for an extra tray of food. Aramark benefits from the use of this “free” labor at almost no cost to them.

Hello,

How are you. I’ve written to let you know what’s been going on in this Plantation of today:Do you know that they are working these black brothers for a tray of food that consists of beans and rice and bread? Aramark has contracted the whole jail out, and instead of them hiring someone to work they have the black men in here working for an extra tray of food, beans, rice, bread almost every day–two shifts, kitchen, laundry, sanitation, stripping and waxing of floors, painting and cleaning up sewage water that is backing up into the jail. And the food is cold and half-cooked. I have been trying to get the Department of Labor, federal and state. This has been going on six months now. I have asked for and not received the address, I told them that I was going to file a lawsuit on them for slavery, inhumane treatment, violation of my rights, but I can’t seem to get these addresses for the law suit forms from Raleigh.

I have been here for six or seven months now. Because I won’t plead guilty to something I did not do. My co-defendant explained to my lawyer, his lawyer and the D.A. that he asked me to help hold a ________ inside a van…He even wrote a statement and I mailed it to my lawyer: he will not present this to the court. Instead he tried to get me to sign a plea for 18 months probation. I went to court ____, because I would not take a plea. He put my court date off until Oct. 14 or 28: How in the Hell can some one have two trial dates? They (originally) said they had this woman _____ to testify against me, but when they found out she was a heroin addict they took her name off of the witness paper and put a police officer’s name. They said the one who broke in the old house had water and mud on them, but I had on ______, with no water or mud anywhere. But I am still in jail for nothing.

My lawyer is working with this black D.A. woman, and they know that I did not do anything, but as a black man I am guilty anyway because of the color of my skin. What is wrong with the black women and black men? The white officers are jumping out of cars grabbing black men and women and asking them what they have in their pockets. If you snatch your arm and hand from them they will take you downtown and charge you with assault on a government officer. And this black mass women and black men go along with them, just smiling, laughing and they treating me, you and and anyone of color like shit. I know now that I am not going to get any help from anyone that includes my people, brother and sister, because they think just like these people.

I don’t know how long I am going to be here, but I can’t plead guilty for something I did not do. I even lost my job over this. I am still going to file this law suit on this company. They pay the inmates in Wake County that works in the jail, the same company that is in this jail.

Thank you,

C.T.