I am writing in hope of shedding some light on and taking a step toward lessening the tension and violence between officers/staff and inmate/detainees in jails and prisons.

I was assaulted on 9/30/15 by officer Perry at the Durham County jail. The video of the incident was reviewed and it was determined that Perry did not follow procedure and assaulted me. Perry was written up by Sergeant Mims, and not allowed to work in the pod by himself for a month. Had that happened on the street he would be facing criminal charges. Still I was told by Staff Sgt. Taylor that I could not press charges until I am released. Also, Lt. Perkins lied over the phone to my family and my attorney saying that Perry did nothing wrong, yet there was documentation proving otherwise which I was promised by Staff Sgt. Taylor would be made available along with the video to my attorney when I get out. Now Perry was allowed to return last week to the pod without a sitter, and almost immediately began trying to provoke me into a confrontation. Officer Perry’s actions display prejudice and an inability to control his emotions. Most of the d.o.’s that work in the jail, in my opinion, are acceptably fair and professional, but a handful like Perry are a direct threat and impediment to the safety and security of both staff and inmates, as well as the orderly functioning of the facility. Also, I feel it necessary to point out that officer Perry as an employee of the county of Durham, North Carolina, and Sheriff Mike Andrews, has had other documented problems while working at the jail. And it is a fact that it’s things like Perry’s petty, and not so petty, inmate abuses in jails and prisons that are responsible for an avoidable number of assaults on corrections staff, including maintenance and medical (doctors, nurses) who are innocently doing their jobs, making people like officer Perry an indirect danger to the safety and even lives of their co-workers.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Collins