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URGENT ACTION from Nancy Bailey, TX
Today is Day 26 of Roy
Pippin's Hunger Strike. Not much has changed. There is still
resistance on the part of the guards to documenting his refusal of his
meals. He is being monitored by the medical division at this point
daily. He is receiving support mail and want's me to tell
everyone who has written
how much the support means to him. Please understand that in his
situation he cannot acknowlege every card and letter. I hope concerned
people are also contacting authorities (such as the recommended intities)
voicing their concern about the conditions which have led to this very
sad situation. Please do not be silent and let Roy wreck his health
in vain. It is time for change.
Some excerpts from his most recent letters:
(Hank)
Skinner got gassed today. There must be some new rule of using
pepper spray. It use to be that the camera had to be on with a run-in
squad standing by. Lil Jack (cell 20) said they did the same thing
to him. Walked up - said to come out for a shake down. He walked
up to
protest harrassment,
and they sprayed him in the face. Skinner said to "suit up" if they
wanted him to come out. They harrass him daily. Sometimes several
times in a day. He is on food loaf, container restriction, and anything
they can throw at him. I'm starting to believe he has actually been
targeted due to his lawsuit. They refuse to leave him alone.
Paul
Colella had been forced to stay in outside recreation in the cold and
rain. He asked to be brought in when the rain started, and the guards
refused. Then he refused to come in because of the way they treated
him. He made them come get him out of the rain. The other
prisoners flooded the
area in protest of the treatment of Paul.
Another prisoner, Daryl Wheatfall was in B section rec area (indoor). When the area flooded, Lt. Bolton refused to open Daryl's cell door and lift his legal work off the floor to keep it from being damaged. He told Daryl it wasn't his fault the run was flooded in a nasty way. This sparked another incident which could have be avoided if Lt. Bolton had taken one minute to lift Daryl's legal papers off the floor.
- Day 20 is underway. I'm making a list of each guard at chow time. Putting my hands out the bean slot with pen and paper saying I need their names because they are not putting down that I refused by meals. So far, it's working.
- It's
Sunday 4 AMish. One guard just got something thrown on him or some
kind of disturbance. Then they bring in a total ____ to replace him
with the sit and fetch stuff for the first time in about a month. You would
not believe the noise in here. When they got to me, Mrs
Johnson asked why I was
on a hunger strike. She had been here 3 times in the last 2 weeks
and didn't know she said. She also said "I smell alcohol on you!!"
The explanation that the nurse gave about "knowing by my breath didn't
register with her. Watch - they will be shaking me down in the morning
looking for booze.
- I have to use a blue pen now when writing letters. I'm down to 1/2 a black pen, and they deny your commissary list if it isn't in black ink. But they have been out of pens for over a month. No 4 cent stamps in forever.
- Guard
Reins just tried his best to incite me into violence. The _____.
I politely asked for him to make sure to note I VRed, and he sad "You've
been eating - Dont give me that b*llshit!. Nancy, Im very happy I'm
weak and tired. It worked. My I 60 to Lester is on the back
of
page one. "Note"
not one I 60 to rank has ever been answered!! Only Miss Howe answered.
- They had to suit up, hose down, gas, and run in on Wheatfall in C rec room already today. The gas didn't reach over here too bad. Poor Alvin Kelly was not ready for it. It's a different world down here.
- I will be filing another grievance tonight on ranking officers for not insisting the guards note my strike and for putting prisoners in 19 and 20 cells where water comes in and leaves mold and mildew to breathe in. You will get a copy of it on back of one of these pages.
- Even the guards taking me to the nurse said they thought it was ridiculous how they aren't writing down my VRs. They said it isn't surprising - that a lot of guards just run down the sheet at the end of the shift and mark everyone ate, showered, and recreated. They figure that is how it's happening. You know rank won't bust the guards for unkept records or doing it that way.
- What a zoo! At 5 I went to rec in our section. They tried to get DW out to search his cell and had to run in, gas, suit up, etc..... again. That gas is a tough one even out in the open. I don't know how he keeps handling it. Two times in 3 hours time.
- The psychiatrist (Smith) came to see me. Seems they believe I'm not eating now. Duh! Reins was escorting her and refused to admit what he said last night. Said he didn't remember. The psychiatrist asked if I knew I could die from not eating. I said "You call this living"? She asked how long since I had eaten and was surprised at it being 21 days.
- I said I would tell you how it's going. I guess it catches up quickly once you hit a certain point. I get dizzy just standing up now. Walking an hour wears me completely out. I've had 2 black out spells when I got up too quickly. If I pass out somewhere, they will move me. I will keep you informed. I just hope it's not to the clinic already.
- Well, letters from 6 people wishing me well on my hunger strike. Cool!
- Eventful
day believe it or not. I was supposed to see the nurse M, W, and
F, but now it's every day. Seems Warden Zellar Called Major Lester
to check up on me. I went to the nurse and did the urine test, vitals,
etc. Only lost 1/2 pound becuase I doubled up on water, I guess.
I was back in my cell 10 minutes and Lt Roach came to take me to see Major
Lester. Now I know where all the problems lie. He is the Antichrist
reincarnated. He had the sheets that said I had been eating.
I explained the way things were going and said the urine test and weight
loss proved the guards were mistaken or lying. He said all the urine
test show is that someone is on a diet. Typical bullshit. Re
refuses to put a notice on my door or the paperwork that I'm doing a hunger
strike. I told him he can try to discredit my hunger strike any way
he wants, but the God's truth is that I have only had water since 11/26.
He just smiled. I know he is trying to get me to quit. It's
just made me decide to take it all the way.
While
I was there, he pulled up my last 3 grievances, and I explained the one
about the property inventory, that not even half of my property is listed.
He said little about it. I brought up how Alvin Kelly was leveled
for a Tot stapler, and that I sent one home with a mechanical pencisl after
his sergeant and guards allowed me to keep it even on level two.
He said I was just lucky, that policy says it's a major case - end of discussion.
I even discussed how DW
tried to just get Lt. Bolton to get his legal work off the floor as water
was flooding in and that Bolton's refusal incited the incidents that happened.
Of course I brought up the punishment of lock down. He doesn't give
a ____, Nancy. He is a dark, sinister hearted ______. He runs
the death row like a Nazi SSI extermination dictator. You get the
picture. My cell flooding when it rains or the run floods, he calls
"luck of the draw". Mopping it up will stop the mold and mildew,
he said.
- We
are now on lock down again!! Maybe just F Pod. I'm not sure, but
they quit recs at
11AM or so and showed
up with table and chairs to do the same bullshit as November 15 to December
3. Paul Colella just
went smooth off becuase they took his Bible * and some
other property.
How can the head people running this prison system allow this abuse to
continue? How,
Nancy? This just epitomizes the reason I am going to take my hunger
strike all the way now.
Sorry, I know you're very worried, but something has to be done.
* [ Word has arrived from another source that
the book taken from
Paul was something so important to him that he referred to it as
his bible, but, in actuality was not The Bible. Roy does not know
that. Sorry. - Nancy Bailey
]
Trust me, the violence
and run ins will be excalating out of control now. My cell was flooded
again at 5 AM. I got a towel to mop it up at noon. It wore
me completely out. Twice as much water as last time. Cells 18, 19,
20, and 21 all flood each time it rains or the run gets
flooded. From now
on, it stays on the floor. I give. I damn near fell face first
when I was mopping it up.
- The guard working the wing just said it is not lock down. Can't tell. No rec, no showers and all A section is getting all their property shaken down one by one. Guess they don't want to call it lock down, just ___ over F Pod. Sorry, it's getting very old.
- My light's not worked all day. Usually it will blink on after a few hours. Guess I need to leave it on until they fix it. Sure, like 16 days here and it's still not fixed. It's amazing, Nancy, they are "shaking down A section and hot meals are still being served. Now why can't it be this way diring ALL shakedown?
- The guard tonight, Thomas, is trying to incite a confrontation with me. "Oh you have been sneaking commissary or getting food from some one" Stuff like that. I think it's programed in these _____ idiots.
- It just shows you it takes all kinds. Thomas left and the new guard doing showers is commending me for my stand and asked how many days I's gone and how much I lost. Even recommended exercises to firm up the loose skin. He had been heavy at one time. Thank God there's some decent ones around.
- Nothing from you, but whoosh! 15 cards and letters of encouragement. It helps more than you could ever imagine. With the shake down, I won't even try keeping all these cards and letters. Please put a general BIG THANK YOU on the internet, and let everyone know it gives me the strength to keep going.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
COPIES OF THE REPORTS
SUBMITTED BY ROY TO TDCJ STAFF:
**********************************************************************************************************
I 60 to Major Lester
I have been on a
water only hunger strike since 11/26/01 and your guards
continue to refuse to akcknowledge
or note my VR of meals - all meals!
Guard Reins just refused to call it
out and was trying to incite a confrontation
saying "You've been eating - don't
give me that Bullshit!!" This is the kind of
idiotic behavior I am witnessing from
quite a few guards. Whoever has written
down I've eaten anything since 11/26
is either lying or not doing their job.
The only other explanation is that
rank is instructing them to try to discridit my
hunger strike. Please see they
do their job properly.
**********************************************************************************************************
I 60 to Warden Zeller
I started a non violent
protest and hunger strike 11/26/01. The guards
on each shift have refused to note
my VR of my meals. I have been
weighed and given urine tests to prove
I've had nothing but water
since 11/26/01. Nurse Byron explained
how she can tell by my breath
that I had not eaten in days
since 11/26/01. She stopped by 11/30/01
explaining this and has acknowledged
it is obvious I have not eaten.
If the guards working the pod since
11/26/01 were questioned, they
should explain I did in fact VR my
meals and the picket neglected to
write it down. I will be going
to sick call daily to prove I have had only
water. Guards need to do their
job.
**********************************************************************************************************
I 60 to Captain Bacon
Real slick. Nurse Byron said the
records show I've been eating at
least one meal a day. Your guards
are not doing their job, Mr. Bacon.
I swear to God I have not eaten since
November 26th. You heard nurse
Byron explain how my breath proved
it. Urine tests have too. Is the
refusal to record my verbal refusals
at your request or direction?
No matter how the prison and staff
try to discredit my hunger strike
- it will be in front of the public.
How low will prison officials go to try
and stop a viable, necessary protest?
Mr. Bacon, the courts gave me
my punishment. I's not your job
to inflict above that degree of
punishment. Just do your job.
**********************************************************************************************************
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