For
those in segregation throughout the prison system, please know that awareness of
your plight grows daily. FFUP has been
working with a law firm for several months and the first stages of passing
information, gathering documents and looking at the awesome breadth of the
problems is done. Now the firm is researching the law to find the cases etc, that
will allow a class action to win- a class action that has many subclasses and
includes all the maximum seg units. What they are attempting has not been done
before and I ask for your patience. We
are grateful and hopeful and have been impressed with this firm’s seriousness
and level of awareness. What they come up with, FFUP will support and I have
asked repeatedly, and they consented, that prisoner litigators who have been
involved in seg suits, be consulted. Besides the class action lawsuit, there is
a continuing preliminary US DOJ investigation of WCI segregation going on. Note
this is only preliminary. The situation in Wisconsin is mirrored in many other
states and as entrenched systems go, the healing push must come from the
outside. We hope to help with that push.
Finally,
we are well aware of the new 303 rules and the stopping of the indigent stamps
in two prisons. All complaints and letters are thoroughly reviewed and
information passed to many parties, whether you hear from me or not. We are all
also interested in changes you see.
Letters are coming in from prisoners stuck in the segregation units after exposure of abuse by Bill Lueders of the Center for Investigative Journalism.
See articles links on sidebar or read in pdf word formats here:
Center for Investigative Journalism articles on alleged guard on prisoner abuse at WCI
or copy an paste
http://ffupstuff.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/ww-wci-all.pdf
Data on 40 allegations-DOC versions next to Prisoners allegations
or copy an paste
https://ffupstuff.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/wci-data.pdf
Since then the guards are supposed to wear cameras and that stopped the physical abuse but the harassment verbal, tampering of food and other techniques to make life miserable for all are still ongoing. Our attempts to get the most vulnerable prisoners out of there have failed and the same guards who are accused of the abuse still rule the roost. Warden William Pollard maintains all the prisoners are lying and he has well trained professional staff. We get the full view of the seeming unlimited power of each warden. The DOC plan is simply to weather the storm and then go on as usual.
The US DOJ launched a preliminary investigation to see if further action is necessary but this will take months and we are working with them. In the meantime 2 of the most vulnerable mentally ill have been cutting themselves, losing much blood> they are put in what is called "observation" which is naked in a cell until they calm down -then they are put back in the same conditions and the cycle starts again. I am told that there is tremendous relief of tension when they cut themselves. they try not to .They also say the guards encourage the self harm. In a rare phone call with Warden Pollard , he said the programming in seg is excellent and better than most places in the country. We hear there is virtually nothing- a few papers to fill out- and are waiting for the documents he promises to send. WE are also in touch with parents on this, the AFSC Prison Watch Project, WISDOM, Disability Rights Wisconsin, Senator Lena Taylor and others.
below are some of the letters FFUP has received/ will comment later, advocacy ongoing.
Below that are some of the letters FFUP wrote to authorities.
If you want more information or want to help email: pgswan3@aol.com:
Here are DOC photos of some of the most vulnerable WCI seg. Conditions are dire and we are trying to either get the accused abusers off he unit or remove these inmates to other prisoners but so are unsuccessful. In conversation with the warden , he said he would send FUFP documents attesting to the wonderful treatment programs at WCI, that they are some of the best in the nation>
we are still waiting for those documents-essays and writings something- I am encouraging it as a way to help them cope with the disaster there.
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| Andre Williams 177354 on hunger strike, alleges food is tampered with, was assaulted |
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| Justin Welch 579750, WCI at risk for suicide, harassment Justin Welch 6 24 14 8-12-14Justin Gets out of OBS, Glenn still in |
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| Glenn E Conroy 447096 NOW OUT |
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| Patrick Weeks 581595, WCI, diabetic mismanagement, harassment/ |
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| william counts william Counts Overview |
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| Raymond Bergeron-Davilla R Bergeron-Davila 8 11 14 talks of Guards bribing prisoners to act out in front of head camera |
Some letters of advocacy
to Ed Wall et all
To DOC on the most vulnerable 7 28 14
to DOC 6 14 to DOC on diabetic mismanagement etc
