Injustice Experienced By Inmates In The Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute

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Also see Adult Correctional Institute Page - The AC Eye

Complaint One

I just read your articles after being informed of them by a recently released inmate. I am out now 11 months. I spent almost 4 years then a few years later, violated & spent 3+years completing the 4 years probation I had. Some comments on my life there and complaints:

1. A lady wanted to visit me & I got a BCI form for her & submitted it. 2 months passed & I never heard of its approval. I checked & was told it was not in records & they could not find it. Submit another. I did. After 6 weeks, I again checked why I had not heard it was approved. Again, lost. Third one finally got approved, after 3 months wait for her to come see me.

2. Mail problems. In 1 year, I did not get 5 checks. How I know I did not get them, the firms wrote me asking me to cash the checks. I had to write back to 4 of them that I did not get them. The 5th was a check I get yearly and I did not get it in 2003 so wrote them. They said it was returned to them as unknown. They resubmitted it & I got it the following year. I complained to a captain & counselor, who checked out that I since had gotten all, which I could have told her. She said to file a complaint. I spoke to a Capt. who told me to speak to a Deputy Warden. I spoke to Warden Hilderman (spelling) & gave him a copy of my letters & replies. He took them, said he checked & mail room said they never got them. I said, look at the envelopes - they say return to sender, addressee unknown & address is correct. He said it wasn't important to him and he will have me put in Seg. for complaining if I continue. So I stopped complaining!

3. I know of men that had stamps sent to them in the mail. They never got them. I had same experience—stamps did not get to me although letter said X number were enclosed. I was told the mail room COs take them & put them in a drawer. When another CO wants to mail a letter, they ask the mailroom COs for a stamp & they get a stamp to mail their personal mail.

4. I personally know of the hot water situation in the Moran Bldg (Newer medium) They say it is a pipe problem, the earth shifted and damaged the pipes. This building is about 20 years old & they could not construct it properly so every summer they have to dig up the ground and have us without hot water for up to 5 months one year? They put in portable water heaters, which was enough to give the 6 shower stalls enough water for the first man in each unit. Then cold water after. And the cells are cold. I often said, I put my coat on when I come into the building in summers, take it off when I go out. Air conditioning is so high! One winter day when there was no heat for 3 days, I wore a double set of khakis & was scolded for having a double set on. ! said I was cold as there had been no heat for a few days. Luckily, the CO did nothing to me about it.

5. I was in the Slater hospital for many months. Inmates are not allowed TVs while in hospitals. A man dieing was allowed a TV by the staff doctor. Guard said no & removed it. Doctor put in written order, guard removed it. Finally ACI dr. ordered it saying he had but a few weeks to live, let him have it. Guard objected & lost. But whenever he came on the shift, he moved the TV so he could see it & loud enough so he could hear it out in hall. We could not see it, as it was facing the hall. Guards played Monopoly, cards & other war games during the entire shift. There were up to 4 guards to guard up to 4 men in our 1 room. If we needed anything, we had to wait until their game was over. Also, why do we need 4 guards at night when we sleep? We do not go out of the room for any clinics except first shift, so we do not need 4 men to guard 4 men cuffed to a bed! I got my mail from Medium only once a week while at hospital. Whenever a guard was willing to bring it over. I was supposed to have physical therapy to walk around the unit twice a day, once each shift. First shift objected to this as it interfered with their games. But it was doctor ordered & had to be done after I complained to the ACI liaison person. I went with the physical therapist, they walking for security reasons. On weekends when no therapist came, they refused to walk me, due to they felt they were not responsible if I fell. To meet doctor's orders, the nursing staff had to assign a nurse to walk with me during first shift to satisfy the COs demands. No problems 2d shift.

6. When transferred from Intake to Moran Medium, my prescription sunglasses fell out on the floor, unknown to me. The following day, I told the Lt. I lost my prescription sunglasses and asked him to check Intake. 3 days later, I again asked him if they were found. He told me Lt. Grabowski told him that he had seen me walking the yard that day with my sunglasses on. That was Lt. Kazyak. I said how could I, as I never had them here. Case closed, he said, as he would believe his Lt. over me. A month later, another inmate coming over said he saw my sunglasses in Intake property, as he worked there. I told Lt. Kayzak they were there & told him, so his Lt. made a mistake, as I previously said. He said, "My men don't make mistakes." Never got glasses! He got promoted to Deputy Warden since!

7. I worked at a law clerk in law library. CO Howe was in charge. He had a passion against sex offenders & did everything he could to go against them in their helping & doing research. As a clerk, I was allowed to type for men needing my assistance, provided they remained with me. Halfway through the morning's session, at the break time, inmate said he needed to go to the bath room. I had only the signature block to complete, so would have it ready when he returned. He never returned. At closing, I looked for him. Howe saw me looking around and asked what I was after. I told him I was looking for Inmate X as I had his material in my hand for him. He booked me for having another inmate's material in my possession, but first told me the inmate had left at crossover to go to his unit. Inmate was willing to go to the discipline board & tell them I had material and was working for him, but he had to leave and it was not my fault. I beat the booking. A few months later, on a hot summer day, many inmates, being allowed to go about in T shirts, I amongst others took my khaki shirt off in the library, as did many others. Howe booked me again, but did not book anybody else who sat in same room, including a man directly behind me. Lt. Kayzak told me I better look for a job transfer, as Howe was after me, after beating 2 bookings there. He said next time Howe may find something to make it stick. I transferred.

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