Uncensored From Death Row # 10

[nighthawk_75253]

UNCENSORED FROM TEXAS DEATH ROW
by Paul Colella
March 01 - 04, 2002
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March 1
6:53 pm ? I?ve been mad as hell all day and have really had to restrain myself from just going all the way off of the deep end.

Here is the situation. You be the judge:
On Feb. 21 Warden Zeller made me, Rick, Chi Town, T and SoulJA week 2. Since then only Chi Town has caused a disturbance. Rick hasn?t had any trouble since Feb. 9, SoulJA had 1 disciplinary case for contraband. Me nor T has had any trouble this last week.

Today Warden Zeller puts me, Chi, DW and Rick back to week 1. He makes us week 2 last week so my good behaviour and Ricks good behaviour is rewarded by being put all the way back to week 1. Me nor Rick done anything wrong since being put on week 2. The only thing I can think of is they are punishing me and Rick because of Chi Town lighting a fire but now they put DW on our schedule also. So something is funny. DW had a refusing order case but that isn?t disruptive behaviour which is supposed to be the only reason to be sent back to week 1.

Go figure it out cause I sure cant. I?m confused. Be good go back to week 1. Does that make sense?

March 2
8:51 ? Okay we have tossed it around all night and have come to the conclusion Warden Chance is behind screwing us over. It?s the only thing that makes any sense at all. He knows Chi Town and Rick are my friends so he gets us all. DW has shit down several officers in the past so he makes him pay also.

But you know what. They can fabricate disciplinary cases and disruptions all they want. They are telling us it does no good to stay out of trouble. So we can be as bad as we want to be because we?re going to pay for it regardless of our behaviour.

Keep calling showing support because without it they would have already resorted to more brutality than has been shown.

See what today holds in store. The levy is about to break (frown). Again, why can?t they leave us alone. I?ll never understand it.

March 3
10:17 am ? Well the rumor about Officer Peirce being gone IS NOT TRUE. He is working the pod today. This officer is caught ON TAPE punching Rick FOURTEEN times and he is STILL HERE. 14 times. Most of which came after Rick was handcuffed.

I will never understand the logic of this hell hole. This weeks uncensored has a letter at the end that I wrote to Warden Zeller. Yes it?s a bit abrasive but damn it. We have tried the nice and pleasant with no responses. I don?t know why I even try but I don?t want everyone thinking we aint at least making an attempt to do it the calm way.

We talked to Lt. Price and he said their justification is our refusing to be woke up to call out our number to the officer counting at night and that Chi Town was caught with a craft blade, which is contraband that we were allowed to have at no time. They called it a weapon. Hell, we used to be able to order 100 at a time but now one is considered justification to keep him locked down. No disruptive behaviour at all.

Peirce is serving lunch starting shit by not giving us juice. He is suppose to wait for a Sgt. to feed but in his arrogance he goes ahead. I?m gonna jack the slot about the heat.

Okay I jacked the slot. Sgt. Griffin came. All the officers and Sgt. Griffin have winter coats on telling us the heat is working and it?s not cold. He checks 77 and 75 cell, tells me heat is coming out. I agree. But it?s not adequate. He and Lt. Price go check the rest of the pod and finally agree there is a problem.

Anytime now something is going to happen, it?s hard telling what it will be, but it?s like the quiet before the storm. You can cut the tension and stress with a knife. They want disruptive behaviour. I?m sure we can give it to them. I?ll let you all know what happens.

March 4
4:54 pm ? Again it?s been a quiet day. Both me and Rick have been trying to find out why we were put back on week 1. No one will give us a straight answer.

They just fed supper Johnnies. Salami, peanut butter and raisins. Same as everyday. Being that T and SoulJA are on week 3 they are supposed to get a hot meal for lunch and dinner Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Today they got a hot lunch but at dinner Sgt. Hotea said give them Johnnies. Trying to make them go off. It?s not his call to make policy is clear on this matter. Sgt. Hotea seems to be a real smart ass. Since this lockdown has started provocation, needless provocation.

I just read in the code of criminal procedures it?s state law our families be allowed to visit ? article 43.17. So I?m going to try and push this issue because clearly we do not present a threat to the security of the institution. They cannot justify this lockdown period. If every will please put the pressure to them. The most that has happened since the 21st Feb. is I refused to wake up and give my name and in the middle of the night (that?s very disruptive, huh ?) Not!!!

Word for word from administrative directive 03.31
Lockdown procedures policy
- The imposition of a lockdown is a serious management initiative in response to an immediate or imminent threat to the safety, security and order of a unit/faculty. ?

f. any continued or intermediate displays of DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR (e.g. threat to staff/offenders, flooding of cells, burning of materials or other similar actions) may cause offenders to revert back to an earlier week in the release program. IF ONLY A PORTION of the offenders involved in DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR, those offenders may revert to an earlier weeks schedule OR continues on the current week .-

G III Ensuring Lockdown procedures are being applied correctly is the responsibility of the appropriate warden, regional director, director for operations, deputy director of support services or designee.

My friends and death penalty opponents I?ve enclosed a letter to the executive director/regional director/ombudsman office. Please print it out, sign it and send it A.S.A.P.

I?m sending this uncensored on out. Please help us in this fight to right a wrong.

In struggle
And solidarity


TO: Executive Director Gary Johnson, Regional Directors office and Ombudsman?s office

On Feb. 9, 2002 inmates Tommie Hughes # 999273, Paul Colella # 999045, Richard Cartwright # 999224, Leon Dorsey # 999354 and Rick Rhoades were placed on progressive lockdown status as outlined in (AD) Administrative Directive 03.31.

On Feb. 22, 6 days later, they should have been advanced. All of them were placed on week 2 of the schedule.

On March 1 inmates Dorsey and Hughes were advanced to week 3, while Rhoades, Cartwright and Colella were placed back on week 1. In this week from Feb. 22 to March 1 only inmate Cartwright was involved in any type of disruptive behaviour (starting a fire). Inmates Colella and Rhoades had no disruptive behaviour.

This is a blatant abuses of authority and flagrant misuse of policy as outlined in AD 03.31. From my understanding lockdown is for DISRUPTIVE behaviour and threats to the security of the institution.

There was no justification in reverting inmates Colella and Rhoades back to week 1, neither of them had exhibited any disruptive behaviour from Feb. 22 to March 1. So why are they sent back to week 1?

According to AD 03-31 Sec G-III
Ensuring lockdown procedures are applied correctly is the responsibility of the appropriate warden (Jim Zeller), regional director, director for operations, deputy director of support services of designee.

Clearly someone is failing in their responsibility, because this procedures are being abused and used as punishment and not to suppress a major disruption as outlined in 03.31.

I am making a formal complaint about Warden Jim Zeller abuses of the lockdown procedure which is ?a serious management initiative in response to an immediate or imminent threat to the safety, security and order of the unit/faculty.

Even when these men were put on lockdown they posed no threat to the order or security of the institution. And now all this is being done is to provoke these men by abusing policy and placing them back on week 1.

We ask that you correct these wrongs.

Respectfully requested

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Ombudsman's Office 936 437-8035. Fax 936-437-6668
P.O. Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342-0099
ombudsman@tdcj.state.tx.us
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Jimmy Alford
Region I Director?s Office
1225 Ave. G Huntsville, TX 77340
Phone: (936) 437-1770 Fax: (936) 437-1988
Gary Johnson, TDCJ-ID Director
P. O. Box 99
Huntsville, Texas 77342-0099

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Warden Zeller

I do not understand your logic. I have not been involved in any DISRUPTIVE behaviour since you put me on week 2. Rick Rhoades has not been involved in any DISRUPTIVE behaviour since you put us on lockdown period.

You put us all on lockdown for DISRUPTIVE behaviour. I haven?t had a case for disruptive behaviour since Feb. 9 but was involved in an incident Feb. 13 and Feb. 21. Therefore I should be on week 2 but on Feb. 22 you put me on week 2 and I haven?t had any disruptive behaviour since, nor has the group.

You advanced Leon Dorsey and Tommie Hughes. Why didn?t you advance Rick Rhoades? He hasn?t had any trouble.

It seems what you are telling us is it doesn?t matter if our behaviour improves because your going to set us back anyway. Well, Warden Zeller. That?s cool but at least be a man and tell us that instead of twisting stuff around to try and justify the misuse of lockdown.

There is no treat to your unit. There hasn?t been any justification for the lockdown period. Yet you continue to abuse your authority.

You flout policy and procedure yet at every turn you and your subordinates abuse it, twist it to your own interpretations and apply it when it suits you, which is exactly why we protest. There is nothing to gain by good behaviour or let me say improved behaviour because we will be punished either way.

You tell me how much sense this makes. You made Paul Colella, Rick Rhoades, Leon Dorsey, Richard Cartwright, Tommie Hughes week 2 on February 22. From February 22 to March 1st only Richard Cartwright had disruptive behaviour. Yet the only 2 you made week 3 was Leon Dorsey and Tommie Hughes.
Justify that!

What you really should do instead of spending 4 hours entertaining death row rank is come and see in person when a problem arises. You accept what your officers tell you unquestionably, but you don?t realize or don?t want to believe how often these officers will exaggerate and sometimes fabricate cases. I don?t understand why it is so hard to believe. We?re not angels. That?s a given but provocation has a lot to do with what goes on and you know as well as I do. Your grievance procedure is joke. An investigation consists ?Did you do it?? what response would you give?

As I?ve stated before how can we as inmates be expected to follow rules, regulations, policy and procedure when you and your subordinates can?t? I?ll never understand your logic.

I know you let Warden Chance influence your decision about this lockdown. Just be sure to hold him accountable when the heat comes down, and trust me, the way your letting your subordinates run wild back there, the heat will come done eventually.

Paul Colella 999045
12-ff-76

Paul Colella
# 999045
Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, Texas 77351
USA

Email: paul@deathrow.at


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Paul Colella # 999045