How long have you been inside?

I have been inside 11.5 months.

How many court appearances have you had?

I have only had my probable cause hearing and my probation violation court date.

How many times have you talked to your lawyer?

I would have to say I seen my lawyer 13-15 times–at least once a month.

What is the situation regarding your charge? (Awaiting sentencing, awaiting trial, awaiting appearance, etc.?)

Awaiting sentence. They are talking they bringin Nick Yates of the District Attorney’s office about giving me a plea for 23 + 40 months.

Have you been ever been ‘disciplined’ in your time at DCDC, either individually or as part of a group? Tell about it.

Yes, several times by the detention officers for proving them wrong on something or generally just cussing them out telling them how sorry they are and caught up on their powertrip. I also had a very serious incident with medical where I called on a emergency for my blood sugar and or my blood pressure and they made me wait 2 hours before a nurse came up and took no vital signs, no blood sugar, no blood pressure, no blood oxygen level and no heart rate.

What in your opinion are the biggest problems with the DCDC? The lack of respect that the C.O.’s give inmates, especially the younger female officers who are more interested in the attention…if other male c.o.’s or inmates crowd and play to their egos. 

If you could express one largest grievance, what would it be? Lack of movement and mixing of ages of inmates. No time to see the sun.

Does anyone visit you at DCDC? What are their biggest problems with the DCDC? Yes, my sons. The time frames in which they have to visit with school and work. It proves to be difficult. 

We have heard many complaints about medical services at the jail. What is your opinion of health services? Shitty, plain and simple. The nurses only want to chat it up with each other and eat and not be bothered but the Doctor Harrell is a bumbling fool that is only trying to get the max dollars out of it so they can give kick backs to the county for their contracts. 

We have heard numerous complaints about food. What is your opinion about the nutritional value and taste of the food? Truly think it is lacking in vitamins and also lacks the standards of state regulations. Tastes like cardboard. 

What is your opinion of library / educational services to prisoners at the jail? My opinion of the library is it is greatly disorganized. And your pushed through it in 10 minutes when you get a chance to go. Educational services are non-existent except for the STARR/GRAD program which is a great program with great people who need to be told about the good job they do and the people they help. 

What do you think of the c.o.’s? My opinion of the c.o.’s/d.o.’s are that some are here to do their jobs, others to bully and abuse their power that is given to them. Most  of them are or seem to be idiots. 

How do you get along with other prisoners? Mostly good…

How do jail staff affect your ability to get along with fellow prisoners? They do not affect my ability.

What, if any, are some of the good experiences you have had at DCDC? The STARR/GRAD programs and the books that you have sent me (Thanks again!)

Have you ever made a complaint or filed a grievance with jail authorities? If so, what happened? Many with medical and c.o’s and nothing happens.

Have you ever started a petition or signed a petition regarding things happening at DCDC? Yes, several and would sign more!!

Some DCDC prisoners have suggested the idea of a prisoners council that would participate in making decisions about things at the jail. What do you think of such an idea? It would be a good idea but the jail would never let it happen. Their favorite saying is this is our house, meaning the sheriff’s office and fuck what we think or want. Now, that being said there are a few exceptions to that rule. Mrs. Kim Evans, who is a c.o and officer Richmond and Sgt. Weaver and Sgt. Hodder. They generally care about the inmates and what they can do for them within their power. 

How could it work? What would it look like? Full page needed for this one. You would have to have elected 2 inmates per pod by the inmates in that pod who they would want to represent them. On issues such as supplies: toilet paper, envelopes, such and so forth and any additional problems each pod is having. As well, I would think that us inmates should vote on the detention officers that should be on the panel as well so we would have a better chance of constituting change in the jail. As far as pay for inmates and hygiene for inmates and quality of things in the jail. 

What circumstances on the outside led to you being locked up? How common do you think those kind of circumstances are? Economy. Social status, profiling and discrimination of the lower class harder for them to fight back against the system so they are more apt to take pleas to get moving than to go to trial and win a case. By the targeting of more lower class and drug addicts they get more convictions which looks better on their resumes. 

What have you noticed about being inside (who is here? Why are they here?) See above answer for this…

In your opinion is there a relationship between race and incarceration? What is it? Same as above. 

What does social class or economics have to do with getting locked up? Same as above.

What do you think is the point of jail? Prison? The justice system? What do you think people on the outside think about people who are locked up? Supposedly a detention facility is supposed to house suspected criminals that are awaiting trial, But in this state is is merely a multi billion dollar business.

What do you think are the possibilities for living in a different kind of world, and how do we get there? Be more open minded and forgive people. “One apology often prevents a hundred wrong deeds.”