Category Archives: Misdemeanor Confinement Program

‘This is state-sponsored or funded madmen’

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The following letter is from a state inmate who was serving time in Durham jail until he suffered a major hip injury in an altercation with other inmates.

Hey —,

Got your letter, thanks. I also got a letter from — that’s part of IOA. He liked something I said. It made me happy. It is a true blessing to have found like-minded folks out there. It was strange for years, I was like, “Are y’all reading this shit?” All my friends like to drink. It has destroyed my life. They maintain. They agree, but it is hard when you are fear stricken. Where I lived with my buddy for years in Durham on Vickers Ave, walking distance to the jail in 10 min. Anyway, we got tickets for having a beer on the sidewalk while we were working on a broken truck. Continue reading →

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‘They say ‘sir’ while kicking the shit out of us’

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Sorry it’s taken so long to get back to you. I’ve been busy!

They are continually housing state inmates with county detainees and it is causing problems…I myself have been constantly double bunked with county detainees and am told they can bunk me with whoever they want. We state inmates are regarded as regular detainees, when we are not. I work 35 to 40 hours a week for Aramark without pay, however I eat well, better than the others. I have not seen any caseworker, and they fucked up my release date to keep me here longer. My lawyer…is working to help me get it fixed, but it’s slow going.  Continue reading →

‘Am I a commodity to Durham County?’

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Hello,

My name is Jason. I am a North Carolina State inmate serving my sentence in the Durham County Jail. I want to start by saying I am NOT trying in any way to justify my wrong actions. However, the system in place here is taking FULL advantage of people’s misfortune, for whatever reason that may be. I myself am serving a 2-year sentence for DWI. Which was cut in half under the “Fairness Sentencing Act.” It seems public officials don’t “sell drugs,” although they more than likely have a hand in it! They don’t “rob” people (not blatantly). They don’t beat their wives or spouses (or get caught doing it), but one way they are common with “us” is that they do drink and often “drive” and are subsequently subject to their own laws. Continue reading →

‘Years without sun can wreak havoc on your insides and mind’

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10/8/15

I am serving a D.U.I. sentence here in D.C.J. For those who do not know about the Misdemeanor Confinement Program, it is the newest torture device used in the criminal justice courts. It essentially means that misdemeanants serve their time in jail. The interesting part is that in A Citizen’s Guide to Structured Sentencing (Revised 2012), prepared by the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission, it shows two punishment charts—one for felonies and one for misdemeanors. The maximum active punishment for a misdemeanor A1 level III is 1-150 days. It goes on to say verbatim, “a misdemeanant who receives an active punishment of 90 days or less serves the sentence in the local confinement facility. A misdemeanant who receives an active punishment of more than 90 days and up to 180 days is committed to the statewide misdemeanant confinement program and serves the sentence in a local confinement facility designated by the program.” I say all that to say this: Durham County Jail is one of these facilities that houses MCPs. D.U.I. sentences are or can be up to 3 years under misdemeanor guidelines. That chart exists in thin air I guess. I have never seen and don’t understand. I received 3 years though. Some say that is cut in half. My paid lawyer doesn’t know shit about all these changes, and neither did several Orange County judges. Continue reading →