shan1978
09-22-2006, 01:01 PM
Hi everyone! The Maximum Security Unit is having problems with inmates being stabbed by "shanks" and I see there is a even a recent news article posted above in the news forum. My dad is 50 and partially handicapped and was attacked out of nowhere and he was severly injured. Some of the other inmates believe he was attacked because he and several other inmates were watching a tv show and the man that stabbed him wanted to change the show. I was also informed by several inmates in the area that no officer was nearby to help because she was visiting on a different tier and when she finally saw what was happening, she ran away leaving my father to fend for his own life. This is absolutely insane! I am writing to all of the ADC officials, such as Larry Norris and those below him. I was wondering if anyone had a list of email addresses for the ADC officials? The ones I have (such as larry.norris@state.ar.us) were returned to me as a delivery failure. Any help would be appreciated. I am including my rather long letter at the end of this post in case anyone would like more info about it. Thanks in advance!
I send you this communication in regards to a September 6, 2006, incident at the ADC’s Maximum Security Unit (MSU) where my father, (Name removed to protect privacyby Moderator) was brutally and viciously attacked by a knife wielding inmate, resulting in my father being stabbed in the neck, forehead and body as well as having his nose broken. This life threatening assault, which should be termed an attempted homicide and aggravated battery, occurred in the open “dayroom” of MSU’s barracks No.3, and resulted in my father being rushed to a hospital in Pine Bluff (JRMC) due to a loss of blood with head and neck trauma. My father received 5 stitches in the neck, 4 stitches in the forehead, a blood transfusion, CAT scan and numerous x-rays.
My understandings of the incident and subsequent events are that my father was attacked by inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) without provocation, during which time the correctional officer assigned to the 3 barracks post was “preoccupied” on the 2nd or 3rd tier, fraternizing with an inmate who was on lockdown status at the time. This officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) who has the duty of conducting direct visual supervision of the inmates out of the cells as part of their daily dayroom/exercise period, was grossly negligent in the performance of her duties in that she failed to maintain direct and attentive visual supervision on those inmates, which included my father. It was during Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) inattentiveness and shirking of duties that inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) retrieved a homemade metal knife (a/k/a shank) and proceeded to stab my father numerous times. It wasn’t until my father and other inmates in the area began yelling for help that Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) pried herself from socializing in order to see what all the yelling was about. Once downstairs, Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) observed inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) attacking my father with the knife, my father desperately trying to defend his life, and a large amount of blood, at which time Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) RAN AWAY FROM the inmates toward the control room. It took numerous minutes after this for other security staff to respond to the barracks. Numerous minutes wherein my father, a partially handicapped man, was forced to fend off the knife that was stabbing and slicing him.
Inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) was finally restrained by arriving security staff (not including Officer R. Harris) and my father was taken to the infirmary where he was required to take a shower with HOT WATER in order to wash away some of the blood which covered his body. As a result, my father’s bleeding increased dramatically causing him to lose consciousness. It was at this point that my father was rushed to the Pine Bluff hospital by ambulance in critical condition. After receiving the previously mentioned medical care at JRMC, my father was transported to the ADC diagnostic center before being returned to the Maximum Security Unit.
Upon arrival at the MSU, my father was placed in segregation and served a major disciplinary report charging HIM with assault, battery, refusal of orders, aggravated battery and felonious conduct. The discipline report, authored by Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator), alleged simply that the officer had “observed inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator)…and inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator)…fighting.” And claiming that the officer was “completing [her] count walking down the second tier” when the incident occurred. (Name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) further claims she “gave them a verbal warning to stop,” and “after refusal to stop, [she] immediately…called for backup.”
At the time my father was “served” notice of this disciplinary action he specifically stated that he wanted the security camera tapes to be viewed as they would prove his innocence. The “serving” staff member, however, advised my father that security tapes “could not be called as witnesses or used in disciplinary hearings.”
On September 11, 2006, a “hearing” was conducted wherein the discipline report was read to my father (the only document or evidence he was permitted to have knowledge of) and was simply asked “Do you have a statement?” My father attempted to explain how he was attacked, how he thought he was going to be killed and how he tried to defend his own life; however the hearing officer didn’t even seem to be paying attention.
My father was found guilty of refusing orders, battery and assault, and issued a punishment of 30 days punitive isolation and reduction from Class 1C to Class IV.
I have NUMEROUS concerns and objections to the way this entire situation took place and the culminating results.
First, it seems incomprehensible that a unit which claims to be “maximum security” could be so lax in security. It is my understanding that this unit is notorious for attacks on inmates involving homemade metal knives. Keeping this serious and known risk in mind, I ask myself how it is that a Maximum Security Unit officer could possibly be so inept as to be fraternizing with inmates on a different floor where the inmates are NOT out of their cells, when the direct visual supervision of those inmates who are OUT OF THEIR CELLS for exercise is so critical.
Second, according to the ADC’s website, inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) is serving a sentence of 46 years for various crimes including 2nd DEGREE MURDER, 2nd DEGREE BATTERY, ARSON and ROBBERY. It is blatantly obvious that he has a history of violence towards others. Am I to believe that the Maximum Security Unit freely houses inmates of known violent crimes and histories with inmates who are not violent offenders? Am I also to believe that a violent person such as this does not require direct visual supervision AT ALL TIMES?
Third, with the unit’s high rate of metal knife attacks (I understood there were three (3) different knife attacks just in the week surrounding the attack on my father) I would think that the unit would be more “preventive” than it is “reactive”. It seems odd to me that 15-20 officers are able to “respond” when an inmate is stabbed, but only one (1) officer (and in this case, an inattentive one) is assigned to a barracks during dayroom periods. I am confused as to why only one (1) officer is sufficient to supervise 25 inmates out of their cells during dayroom period, but ten times that many officers are needed to supervise those very same inmates while they eat. (I would think that a plastic spoon, cup and tray are far less menacing than the metal “shanks” which are apparently easily available in the dayrooms)
Fourth, it seems utterly obscene to any rational mind that a person being brutally and viciously attacked by a knife wielding maniac could be found guilty of refusing an alleged order to STOP defending himself, or guilty of assault and battery for being compelled to defend against a serious and real attack on his life. This would be analogous to charging a person with cruelty to animals because he kicked a vicious dog as it was mauling him. I don’t care what “words” Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) claims to have said in her “verbal warning to stop” because any such order directed towards a victim during an attack amounts to ordering that victim (in this case my father) to stop defending himself so that his assailant could “finish him off” by dealing the fatal stab.
I am personally offended and appalled by the “process” that was used to find my father guilty and punish him in this instance. The report charging him didn’t even attempt to describe the incident, and in fact was so lacking that no mention of Mr. (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) weapon or the multiple stab wounds received by my father was made. Surely, these points would have been of utmost importance! Although there are apparently reports authored by other staff members concerning the attack on my father, he was not permitted to review them even though the hearing officer claims to have relied upon them. Although there was a security camera recording of the attack on my father, he was not permitted to use it in his defense. Then, in finding my father guilty and issuing the maximum punishment, the hearing officer employed the generic “rubber stamp” wording that is mechanistically used to substantiate or rationalize his findings: “staff report accepted”; in one section “Inmate…must learn that fighting will not be tolerated”; in another section, “Inmate…was observed by staff fighting and refusing to stop as ordered by staff.” It would be very interesting to read the disciplinary report and hearing results of inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator).
I believe my father submitted his disciplinary appeal to Warden David White on September 13, 2006. I will not reiterate the points rose on that appeal here. I will, however, state that it is truly my hopes that this communication will strongly encourage those in authority in this matter to swiftly correct the serious injustice that has been done to my father by reversing his discipline and sanctions and removing him from punitive isolation. I also strongly urge the ADC administrative offices to conduct a serious review of the security procedures and practices at the Maximum Security Unit, especially concerning the apparent high number of homemade metal knives at that unit.
I send you this communication in regards to a September 6, 2006, incident at the ADC’s Maximum Security Unit (MSU) where my father, (Name removed to protect privacyby Moderator) was brutally and viciously attacked by a knife wielding inmate, resulting in my father being stabbed in the neck, forehead and body as well as having his nose broken. This life threatening assault, which should be termed an attempted homicide and aggravated battery, occurred in the open “dayroom” of MSU’s barracks No.3, and resulted in my father being rushed to a hospital in Pine Bluff (JRMC) due to a loss of blood with head and neck trauma. My father received 5 stitches in the neck, 4 stitches in the forehead, a blood transfusion, CAT scan and numerous x-rays.
My understandings of the incident and subsequent events are that my father was attacked by inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) without provocation, during which time the correctional officer assigned to the 3 barracks post was “preoccupied” on the 2nd or 3rd tier, fraternizing with an inmate who was on lockdown status at the time. This officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) who has the duty of conducting direct visual supervision of the inmates out of the cells as part of their daily dayroom/exercise period, was grossly negligent in the performance of her duties in that she failed to maintain direct and attentive visual supervision on those inmates, which included my father. It was during Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) inattentiveness and shirking of duties that inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) retrieved a homemade metal knife (a/k/a shank) and proceeded to stab my father numerous times. It wasn’t until my father and other inmates in the area began yelling for help that Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) pried herself from socializing in order to see what all the yelling was about. Once downstairs, Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) observed inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) attacking my father with the knife, my father desperately trying to defend his life, and a large amount of blood, at which time Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) RAN AWAY FROM the inmates toward the control room. It took numerous minutes after this for other security staff to respond to the barracks. Numerous minutes wherein my father, a partially handicapped man, was forced to fend off the knife that was stabbing and slicing him.
Inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) was finally restrained by arriving security staff (not including Officer R. Harris) and my father was taken to the infirmary where he was required to take a shower with HOT WATER in order to wash away some of the blood which covered his body. As a result, my father’s bleeding increased dramatically causing him to lose consciousness. It was at this point that my father was rushed to the Pine Bluff hospital by ambulance in critical condition. After receiving the previously mentioned medical care at JRMC, my father was transported to the ADC diagnostic center before being returned to the Maximum Security Unit.
Upon arrival at the MSU, my father was placed in segregation and served a major disciplinary report charging HIM with assault, battery, refusal of orders, aggravated battery and felonious conduct. The discipline report, authored by Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator), alleged simply that the officer had “observed inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator)…and inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator)…fighting.” And claiming that the officer was “completing [her] count walking down the second tier” when the incident occurred. (Name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) further claims she “gave them a verbal warning to stop,” and “after refusal to stop, [she] immediately…called for backup.”
At the time my father was “served” notice of this disciplinary action he specifically stated that he wanted the security camera tapes to be viewed as they would prove his innocence. The “serving” staff member, however, advised my father that security tapes “could not be called as witnesses or used in disciplinary hearings.”
On September 11, 2006, a “hearing” was conducted wherein the discipline report was read to my father (the only document or evidence he was permitted to have knowledge of) and was simply asked “Do you have a statement?” My father attempted to explain how he was attacked, how he thought he was going to be killed and how he tried to defend his own life; however the hearing officer didn’t even seem to be paying attention.
My father was found guilty of refusing orders, battery and assault, and issued a punishment of 30 days punitive isolation and reduction from Class 1C to Class IV.
I have NUMEROUS concerns and objections to the way this entire situation took place and the culminating results.
First, it seems incomprehensible that a unit which claims to be “maximum security” could be so lax in security. It is my understanding that this unit is notorious for attacks on inmates involving homemade metal knives. Keeping this serious and known risk in mind, I ask myself how it is that a Maximum Security Unit officer could possibly be so inept as to be fraternizing with inmates on a different floor where the inmates are NOT out of their cells, when the direct visual supervision of those inmates who are OUT OF THEIR CELLS for exercise is so critical.
Second, according to the ADC’s website, inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) is serving a sentence of 46 years for various crimes including 2nd DEGREE MURDER, 2nd DEGREE BATTERY, ARSON and ROBBERY. It is blatantly obvious that he has a history of violence towards others. Am I to believe that the Maximum Security Unit freely houses inmates of known violent crimes and histories with inmates who are not violent offenders? Am I also to believe that a violent person such as this does not require direct visual supervision AT ALL TIMES?
Third, with the unit’s high rate of metal knife attacks (I understood there were three (3) different knife attacks just in the week surrounding the attack on my father) I would think that the unit would be more “preventive” than it is “reactive”. It seems odd to me that 15-20 officers are able to “respond” when an inmate is stabbed, but only one (1) officer (and in this case, an inattentive one) is assigned to a barracks during dayroom periods. I am confused as to why only one (1) officer is sufficient to supervise 25 inmates out of their cells during dayroom period, but ten times that many officers are needed to supervise those very same inmates while they eat. (I would think that a plastic spoon, cup and tray are far less menacing than the metal “shanks” which are apparently easily available in the dayrooms)
Fourth, it seems utterly obscene to any rational mind that a person being brutally and viciously attacked by a knife wielding maniac could be found guilty of refusing an alleged order to STOP defending himself, or guilty of assault and battery for being compelled to defend against a serious and real attack on his life. This would be analogous to charging a person with cruelty to animals because he kicked a vicious dog as it was mauling him. I don’t care what “words” Officer (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) claims to have said in her “verbal warning to stop” because any such order directed towards a victim during an attack amounts to ordering that victim (in this case my father) to stop defending himself so that his assailant could “finish him off” by dealing the fatal stab.
I am personally offended and appalled by the “process” that was used to find my father guilty and punish him in this instance. The report charging him didn’t even attempt to describe the incident, and in fact was so lacking that no mention of Mr. (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator) weapon or the multiple stab wounds received by my father was made. Surely, these points would have been of utmost importance! Although there are apparently reports authored by other staff members concerning the attack on my father, he was not permitted to review them even though the hearing officer claims to have relied upon them. Although there was a security camera recording of the attack on my father, he was not permitted to use it in his defense. Then, in finding my father guilty and issuing the maximum punishment, the hearing officer employed the generic “rubber stamp” wording that is mechanistically used to substantiate or rationalize his findings: “staff report accepted”; in one section “Inmate…must learn that fighting will not be tolerated”; in another section, “Inmate…was observed by staff fighting and refusing to stop as ordered by staff.” It would be very interesting to read the disciplinary report and hearing results of inmate (name removed to protect privacy by Moderator).
I believe my father submitted his disciplinary appeal to Warden David White on September 13, 2006. I will not reiterate the points rose on that appeal here. I will, however, state that it is truly my hopes that this communication will strongly encourage those in authority in this matter to swiftly correct the serious injustice that has been done to my father by reversing his discipline and sanctions and removing him from punitive isolation. I also strongly urge the ADC administrative offices to conduct a serious review of the security procedures and practices at the Maximum Security Unit, especially concerning the apparent high number of homemade metal knives at that unit.