toi_ama
08-30-2003, 11:13 AM
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DEER LODGE, Mont. – Manuel Redwoman, Lakota, is in administrative segregation in the state penitentiary of the Montana Department of Corrections, at Deer Lodge, Montana.
He has gone 37 months without any “write-ups” or even minor incidents. He was denied a due process hearing before he was moved to the high control unit.
Redwoman contends that his restricted incarceration was the result of retribution for speaking out against a counselor at the facility and for advocating for the religious and cultural rights of Indians incarcerated in the state of Montana.
Earlier this year, Amnesty International called for a full investigation into the Montana Department of Corrections treatment of Indian juveniles confined at Pine Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility in Miles City. Officials from the State of Montana denied there was any racial component to pepper sprayings in which 40 of 41 incidents targeted Indian youth. Documents of discovery revealed that according to Department of Corrections records, Native American youth were repeatedly targeted by pepper spray. According to information from youth who had been incarcerated in the system, and corroborated by documentation, Indian juveniles were subjected to racial slurs, excessive time in solitary confinement and humiliating and dangerous treatment, including being pepper sprayed while stripped and in handcuffs and shackles.
The population of Montana is 6.2% Native American. The rate of confinement of Indians in Montana includes 18.8% of incarcerated men and 29.6% of incarcerated women. There are seven reservations located in Montana, including the Blackfeet, Crow, Flathead, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Northern Cheyenne and Rocky Boy. Montana counties include Miles, Forsythe and Custer counties, named after US military officials who were proponents of the extermination of Indians and whose gruesome deeds included the massacres at Sand Creek and Wounded Knee.
According to the Department of Justice Statistics, Indians have a rate of incarceration that is about 38% higher than the overall national rate. Yet, Department of Justice statistics also reveal that the per capita rate of Indians on parole is similar to that of the overall national rate.
Manuel Redwoman is among a growing number of Indian prisoners who contend that the treatment of Indians within prison systems, especially regarding access to traditional cultural activities, accounts for a significant part of the disparity between the high rate of incarceration and the respectively very low rate of parole.
Redwoman was transferred to the Administrative Segregation Unit of Montana State Prison immediately after making a complaint against Unit Counselor, Deb Hust. Redwoman contends that he complained after treatment program groups that Hust was supposed to run were never scheduled.
Successful completion of the entire the treatment program is vital to completing requirements for parole. Redwoman and others had purchased books in order to begin the programs. He complained to the Unit Manager concerning Hust’s failure to run the groups and still no action was taken.
On February 22, Redwoman sent a letter to Deputy Warden Myron Beeson. While Beeson did address the issue with Hust, and returned the money that Redwoman had paid for the textbook to the treatment program, that afternoon Deb Hust had Redwoman locked up for “bulldogging” (strong arming), promoting white hatred and chasing child molesters away from the sweat lodge.
According to Hust, many of the incidents had taken place within or around the sweat lodge, yet there were no write-ups by prison personnel who supposedly had overheard the comments. Indeed, for all of the allegations used by Hust to have Redwoman moved to Administrative Segregation, there had never been any write-ups for any of the alleged incidents. Had these incidents occurred, they would have been considered quite serious.
Redwoman was transferred to the administrative segregation for a period of one year. After 27 days, he had not received a copy of his reclassification, a decision that must be appealed within 30 days of the transfer. The Unit Counselor in the maximum security unit responsible for Redwoman getting a copy of that documentation was Bob Hust, the husband of Deb Hust.
With Hust ultimately telling Redwoman to get his paperwork and get out of his office, Redwoman contends that harassment continued and it extended to other Native American and minority prisoners as well. According to an inmate grievance furnished to Lakota Journal, Robert Hust told an African American inmate, “I’m in redneck country and in the back of the woods and we do things differently here.”
In the complaint dated April 18 the prisoner wrote, “I am an African American and this was clearly and plainly meant as a threat to myself and other minorities in max unit.” The written response to that grievance was that the administration had been advised of the complaint, “The matter has already been addressed. Your grievance is considered resolved and is not being processed any further.” The signature is by staff person, K. Cozly.
Once in administrative segregation, Redwoman discovered that unit was mainly housing Native American prisoners. He also said that while white prisoners may have accumulated over 25 points before being sent there, Indian prisoners are often sent there with few points (points are accumulated for infractions while incarcerated). In Redwoman’s case, there are six points.
Ron Chen of Montana Department of Corrections Legal Services, spoke with Lakota Journal as a spokesperson for the Montana DOC. No person directly connected to any of the allegations within this story spoke with the author. Mr. Chen acknowledged receiving a large amount of communication regarding the case of Redwoman, and he returned the press call regarding Redwoman. However, he said that he was unfamiliar with any information regarding the particular allegations by Redwoman. Chen said that prisoners may go to Administrative Segregation following one major incident and may have less overall points than other prisoners. He said that there may be circumstances in which a prisoner would have committed offenses that are not included in any write-ups, and that he would look into the claims concerning disparate use of Administrative Segregation for Indian prisoners.”
Redwoman alleged that staff person Sergeant Stacklin watched as a guard named Mark Lockerly jerked on his medicine bag while his hands were handcuffed behind his back. Redwoman has endured other insults aimed at his heritage and explained that at this time Indian prisoners in Montana are engaged in a struggle to keep their cedar, sage and sweetgrass.
Redwoman explained that Sergeant Stacklin told him it was not allowed in until Redwoman referred to institutional policy. Redwoman alleged that then Prison Chaplain, Father Pinns, has undertaken a campaign to have access to the traditional items removed from prisoners. Redwoman explained that while there is an effort to remove traditional items from Native American prisoners, no similar effort is underway to remove Bibles from Christian prisoners.
In fact, while prisoners can have four books on spirituality if those books are the Bible or the Koran, Father Pinns has only OK’d one book at a time to come in for Indian prisoners referencing their spirituality. Redwoman also said that while a choir has come into the prison and were not searched personally, the medicine man who came in was strip searched.
Redwoman serves on the council of the traditional Native American spirituality group at the prison, the Prayer Warriors. When Redwoman was locked up, two other council members were also locked up and like Redwoman, neither one of them had write-ups for the move to the higher control unit. In Administrative Segregation, Redwoman found himself next door to an Indian whose eagle feather had been taken from him and destroyed along with his possessions.
Chen told Lakota Journal, that he will look into the circumstances alleged by Redwoman and will contact Lakota Journal with his findings. He said that some of items and ceremonies may present an issue because there is no sponsor for the activities. Chen said that due to a recent budget cut it is highly unlikely that the state will pay travel expenses for a medicine man to come in from the reservations.
Redwoman contends that a recent interview by prisoners claiming to represent Native American prisoners at Montana State Prison deliberately misled viewers to believe that there were regularly scheduled cultural events for Indian prisoners in Maximum/ Segregation and that these issues no longer existed. Allegedly, Father Pinns claimed to have been able to conduct traditional ceremonies. Chen did not know if Father Pinns would be willing to speak with Lakota Journal concerning the allegations of disparity toward the Native American prisoners.
Scott Crichton is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Montana. Commenting on the situation facing Indian prisoners in the state of Montana, Crichton told the Lakota Journal, “People like our former governor who claim that racism is not an issue in Montana, have their heads in the clouds. Racism here is real and it is profound, it’s demonstrated in the prison system at each stage of processing, from profiling and arrests and public defense to probation.”
With Redwoman having no infractions even as minor as an unmade bed, activists throughout the world are hoping that a full investigation into the use of Administrative Segregation to punish Indian prisoners for advocating for their needs will be undertaken. Concerned individuals are encouraged to call the Civil Rights Commission of the Department of Justice.
DEER LODGE, Mont. – Manuel Redwoman, Lakota, is in administrative segregation in the state penitentiary of the Montana Department of Corrections, at Deer Lodge, Montana.
He has gone 37 months without any “write-ups” or even minor incidents. He was denied a due process hearing before he was moved to the high control unit.
Redwoman contends that his restricted incarceration was the result of retribution for speaking out against a counselor at the facility and for advocating for the religious and cultural rights of Indians incarcerated in the state of Montana.
Earlier this year, Amnesty International called for a full investigation into the Montana Department of Corrections treatment of Indian juveniles confined at Pine Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility in Miles City. Officials from the State of Montana denied there was any racial component to pepper sprayings in which 40 of 41 incidents targeted Indian youth. Documents of discovery revealed that according to Department of Corrections records, Native American youth were repeatedly targeted by pepper spray. According to information from youth who had been incarcerated in the system, and corroborated by documentation, Indian juveniles were subjected to racial slurs, excessive time in solitary confinement and humiliating and dangerous treatment, including being pepper sprayed while stripped and in handcuffs and shackles.
The population of Montana is 6.2% Native American. The rate of confinement of Indians in Montana includes 18.8% of incarcerated men and 29.6% of incarcerated women. There are seven reservations located in Montana, including the Blackfeet, Crow, Flathead, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Northern Cheyenne and Rocky Boy. Montana counties include Miles, Forsythe and Custer counties, named after US military officials who were proponents of the extermination of Indians and whose gruesome deeds included the massacres at Sand Creek and Wounded Knee.
According to the Department of Justice Statistics, Indians have a rate of incarceration that is about 38% higher than the overall national rate. Yet, Department of Justice statistics also reveal that the per capita rate of Indians on parole is similar to that of the overall national rate.
Manuel Redwoman is among a growing number of Indian prisoners who contend that the treatment of Indians within prison systems, especially regarding access to traditional cultural activities, accounts for a significant part of the disparity between the high rate of incarceration and the respectively very low rate of parole.
Redwoman was transferred to the Administrative Segregation Unit of Montana State Prison immediately after making a complaint against Unit Counselor, Deb Hust. Redwoman contends that he complained after treatment program groups that Hust was supposed to run were never scheduled.
Successful completion of the entire the treatment program is vital to completing requirements for parole. Redwoman and others had purchased books in order to begin the programs. He complained to the Unit Manager concerning Hust’s failure to run the groups and still no action was taken.
On February 22, Redwoman sent a letter to Deputy Warden Myron Beeson. While Beeson did address the issue with Hust, and returned the money that Redwoman had paid for the textbook to the treatment program, that afternoon Deb Hust had Redwoman locked up for “bulldogging” (strong arming), promoting white hatred and chasing child molesters away from the sweat lodge.
According to Hust, many of the incidents had taken place within or around the sweat lodge, yet there were no write-ups by prison personnel who supposedly had overheard the comments. Indeed, for all of the allegations used by Hust to have Redwoman moved to Administrative Segregation, there had never been any write-ups for any of the alleged incidents. Had these incidents occurred, they would have been considered quite serious.
Redwoman was transferred to the administrative segregation for a period of one year. After 27 days, he had not received a copy of his reclassification, a decision that must be appealed within 30 days of the transfer. The Unit Counselor in the maximum security unit responsible for Redwoman getting a copy of that documentation was Bob Hust, the husband of Deb Hust.
With Hust ultimately telling Redwoman to get his paperwork and get out of his office, Redwoman contends that harassment continued and it extended to other Native American and minority prisoners as well. According to an inmate grievance furnished to Lakota Journal, Robert Hust told an African American inmate, “I’m in redneck country and in the back of the woods and we do things differently here.”
In the complaint dated April 18 the prisoner wrote, “I am an African American and this was clearly and plainly meant as a threat to myself and other minorities in max unit.” The written response to that grievance was that the administration had been advised of the complaint, “The matter has already been addressed. Your grievance is considered resolved and is not being processed any further.” The signature is by staff person, K. Cozly.
Once in administrative segregation, Redwoman discovered that unit was mainly housing Native American prisoners. He also said that while white prisoners may have accumulated over 25 points before being sent there, Indian prisoners are often sent there with few points (points are accumulated for infractions while incarcerated). In Redwoman’s case, there are six points.
Ron Chen of Montana Department of Corrections Legal Services, spoke with Lakota Journal as a spokesperson for the Montana DOC. No person directly connected to any of the allegations within this story spoke with the author. Mr. Chen acknowledged receiving a large amount of communication regarding the case of Redwoman, and he returned the press call regarding Redwoman. However, he said that he was unfamiliar with any information regarding the particular allegations by Redwoman. Chen said that prisoners may go to Administrative Segregation following one major incident and may have less overall points than other prisoners. He said that there may be circumstances in which a prisoner would have committed offenses that are not included in any write-ups, and that he would look into the claims concerning disparate use of Administrative Segregation for Indian prisoners.”
Redwoman alleged that staff person Sergeant Stacklin watched as a guard named Mark Lockerly jerked on his medicine bag while his hands were handcuffed behind his back. Redwoman has endured other insults aimed at his heritage and explained that at this time Indian prisoners in Montana are engaged in a struggle to keep their cedar, sage and sweetgrass.
Redwoman explained that Sergeant Stacklin told him it was not allowed in until Redwoman referred to institutional policy. Redwoman alleged that then Prison Chaplain, Father Pinns, has undertaken a campaign to have access to the traditional items removed from prisoners. Redwoman explained that while there is an effort to remove traditional items from Native American prisoners, no similar effort is underway to remove Bibles from Christian prisoners.
In fact, while prisoners can have four books on spirituality if those books are the Bible or the Koran, Father Pinns has only OK’d one book at a time to come in for Indian prisoners referencing their spirituality. Redwoman also said that while a choir has come into the prison and were not searched personally, the medicine man who came in was strip searched.
Redwoman serves on the council of the traditional Native American spirituality group at the prison, the Prayer Warriors. When Redwoman was locked up, two other council members were also locked up and like Redwoman, neither one of them had write-ups for the move to the higher control unit. In Administrative Segregation, Redwoman found himself next door to an Indian whose eagle feather had been taken from him and destroyed along with his possessions.
Chen told Lakota Journal, that he will look into the circumstances alleged by Redwoman and will contact Lakota Journal with his findings. He said that some of items and ceremonies may present an issue because there is no sponsor for the activities. Chen said that due to a recent budget cut it is highly unlikely that the state will pay travel expenses for a medicine man to come in from the reservations.
Redwoman contends that a recent interview by prisoners claiming to represent Native American prisoners at Montana State Prison deliberately misled viewers to believe that there were regularly scheduled cultural events for Indian prisoners in Maximum/ Segregation and that these issues no longer existed. Allegedly, Father Pinns claimed to have been able to conduct traditional ceremonies. Chen did not know if Father Pinns would be willing to speak with Lakota Journal concerning the allegations of disparity toward the Native American prisoners.
Scott Crichton is the Executive Director of the ACLU of Montana. Commenting on the situation facing Indian prisoners in the state of Montana, Crichton told the Lakota Journal, “People like our former governor who claim that racism is not an issue in Montana, have their heads in the clouds. Racism here is real and it is profound, it’s demonstrated in the prison system at each stage of processing, from profiling and arrests and public defense to probation.”
With Redwoman having no infractions even as minor as an unmade bed, activists throughout the world are hoping that a full investigation into the use of Administrative Segregation to punish Indian prisoners for advocating for their needs will be undertaken. Concerned individuals are encouraged to call the Civil Rights Commission of the Department of Justice.