I have been ‘detained’ in Durham jail longer than any other current inmate. October will mark the fourth year of incarceration. The tools of injustice here in Durham County are like a hammer and an anvil. The ‘hammer’ is a totally flawed and corrupt judicial court, and the ‘anvil’ is the evil and grossly incompetent jailers.

The ‘hammer’ used a lying district attorney to load up bogus charges and falsely accuse me of being a fugitive from justice. The ‘hammer’ then insisted on a $10 million bond, which a corrupt judge was all too willing to grant. The ‘hammer’ employed a rubber-stamp grand jury to indict me. The ‘hammer’ appointed a public defender who was too lazy to share with me the evidence presented in discovery. The ‘hammer’ was judge after judge who routinely denied the motions for due process and habeas corpus that I argued in court. The ‘hammer’ denied me speedy trial because NC repealed that law in 1989!

The ‘anvil’ is composed of wicked lazy officers (with a few exceptions) who delight in making conditions in the jail as miserable as possible. This is a very effective strategy which, along with long, pretrial delays, act to coerce inmates to accept plea ‘bargains’ that would otherwise be refused. If an inmate criticizes an officer, he risks being handcuffed and beaten in an empty cell away from the cameras. In four years, no fruit has been on the trays. Garbage is served to encourage purchases from ARAMARK, a criminal corporation which conspires with the jail to extort incredible prices for their chips, candy, and ‘hot trays.’ Paytel Corp also is in collusion to rip off inmates for sky-high telephone service. These are monopolies granted by the ‘anvil.’

Inmates are ‘locked back’ in their tiny cells for more than 19 hours every day. Visitors are treated rudely, and limited to twenty minutes in loud, cramped quarters. The ‘anvil’ has not provided any sunlight for inmates. Medical service is deplorable, and mental health screening and treatment non-existent. Mail is frequently returned, or not delivered without reason. In any confrontation with a detention officer, the inmate is presumed to be wrong. The ‘anvil’ is a breeding ground in which juvenile offenders become career criminals. The ‘anvil’ is cruel housing for the homeless, for those who cannot pay child support or restitution, and for those young men caught with possession of a small amount of weed.

Thank you for your support and tireless efforts to let the public know of the police-state’s ‘hammer’ and ‘anvil.’
– V.S.