the matter addressed below was one of the grievances addressed in an inmate petition from September 2012, referenced in the first very post on this site

To whom it may concern,

My name is D. L. I have been incarcerated at the Durham County Jail since June — 2015. I’m writing to inform you of an inhuman situation I and other inmates have been subjected to over our time incarcerated at this establishment. The issue at hand has been brought to the attention of the detention officers, sergeants, and grievance officers with no response or change. The issue at hand is trays that our food is being served to us inmates on. These trays are “Water Logged,” meaning water and soap is being trapped in the inside of the trays and the tops to those trays. From the cracks in the trays the “stagnated soap water” leaks out onto our food. The trays themselves are washed daily, but the water which is trapped on the inside of the trays could be from days, weeks, months, even years ago.

I personally have becoming ill from the consumption of my food daily. Since then over the time I’ve been here, I’ve noticed blood in my stool. On August 15, 2015 at 4:43 p.m. I took the top off of my tray and sat it beside my chair upright while I attempted to eat my dinner. Afterward I picked the top up to put it back on top of my then-empty tray. After doing this I noticed something. The top had cracks in it, and it was leaking “stagnated soap water” onto the floor. In this puddle of “stagnated soap water” I made an even more gruesome discovery. The puddle left by the tray top had specks of “black mold” floating all around in it. After telling (D.O. —) she told me to write a grievance to Major Couch on the inmate kiosk. After doing so, needless to say there has been no response or change to our situation. I have also been notified by Durham County Jail staff that the trays we eat off of every day are over ten years old. With that said, the “stagnated soap water trays” could have mold on the inside that has been there since the late 90s.

The reason I’m writing you is because I need your help. I understand you may be affiliated with the NAACP (note: we are not) and also know other individuals who can help bring an end to this inhuman way of living. I personally have hired —- to represent me in all these matters against Durham County jail and Aramark Food Services. I want these inhuman living standards addressed and brought to the public’s attention. There is no reason we should be subjected to these living conditions at all. Thank you for you time and God Bless.

Sincerely,

Chuk Manning, Sr.