I need answers and suggestions for I fear for James' life

JamesGirl · #1 02-20-2004, 09:00 PM

I talked to James on the phone this evening and he is desperate to get out of the dorm or even the facility he is in due to having problems with other inmates. He told me that a inmate in his dorm somehow got a computer printout of James' picture,dc number,and charges and is passing it around the dorm. My concern is how in the heck did this inmate get by with having this computer printout in his dirty hands. I know for a fact that someone like you or me from the outside cannot just mail him a copy as I tried to send prison info about my ex-hubby to James and it was sent back to me. I asked James if he knew this inmates name and he only knows his nickname. Also James let me know he can get out of the dorm he is currently in if he has some money in his account. I asked him if this is DOC rules or the facility rules. he never answered me he just kept telling me he wants to get transferred. I am so scared for him and worried about him!!! What can I do to help him? I read hear on PTO depending on the situation to call the warden , classification officer, or just leave it alone and pray for the best. I try hard not to cry when I hear him crying on the phone and give him advice that I think is ok but is it really ok? I am in tears now as I write this and am lost as what to do?! Help!!! Please!!! Yvonne

**MoMo** · #2 02-20-2004, 09:29 PM

is his life being threatened or just his pride? its a tough call on what to do. is it just that he doesnt want anyone to know his business? or is this information that is out could cause problems. like what are his charges? with a little more info i may be able to help

ldysirois · #3 02-20-2004, 10:01 PM

Like mlk said a little more info andmaybe we can come up with some ideas.Can he go PC? I know it sucks but he said the right thing he'll get a transfer.I don't umdrstand the money on books thing unless he is buying his way to peace which in that case thats wrong. Some guys have no money and will try to stong hand inmates who do.

JamesGirl · #4 02-20-2004, 11:31 PM

He was charged with a sex crime. He was/is falsely accused but of course other inmates or gaurds do not care. He says he has been threatened a few times but with words only. As far as the money thing goes, he was told this by a staff member. He has been telling me that there has been alot of corruption going on in his facility but he said he could not go into specifics as of course the phone conversation could be taped at times and he has not said specific things in letters for the fear of mailroom staff reading it. He has mentioned there has been alot of female guards filing sexual harrassment suits against male guards lately. He also said there is something going on with someone of a higher rank that is a bad situation but did not want to say what. As far as the inmate obtaining a computer printout of James' pic, dc #, and charges it should never have gotten into his hands. I think maybe this inmate is paying a guard or somebody of rank to get these printouts. Otherwise, there is no other way he can obtain such things. Yvonne

**LORNA** · #5 02-20-2004, 11:57 PM

JamesGirl-
Believe me I do not wish to alarm you, but it is commom for those who are convicted of such crimes to be threatend and assaulted. A family friend had been denied his medication for a pre-existing condition because of the way the officers viewed him. It didn't make matters better that his case was publicized in the newspapers. I suggest you speak to someone ASAP and keep excellent records. I'm not sure if it can be accomodated, but in my friends case he has been segregated because of the nature of his crime. Be mindful, the inmate may not have paid for these listings, someone may have provided him this info. In any event, I wish you'll the best.

JamesGirl · #6 02-21-2004, 12:19 AM

Lorna, I know it is common unfortunately that inmates with a sex charge get threatened more often than other charges. But the fact that this inmate obtained a computer printout,illegally no question about it, is causing James more harm by passing it around to other inmates. It needs to be put to a stop!!! If I can't send a computer printout to James of another inmate and his/her charges then how else did this inmate get a hold of this printout? I shouldn't have to just sit back and wait for James to call me and tell me he has been badly hurt or even worse someone else call and tell me he's dead. I also realize there is prison corruption worldwide but thats no excuse for an inmate to be severely hurt or dead. Maybe I worry too much but when I hear the fear and desperation in his voice I get scared and worry about him. I just need to go to bed and wake up to another new day. Maybe it will just go away. Yvonne

ldysirois · #7 02-21-2004, 05:56 PM

Like Lorna said keep records make notes send him a letter and tell him to refer. to the problem as if it is someone else< in other words get some type of code going so you can write and or talk about it. Exmaple: My son had a cellie who had a wepon hidein in the cell,when he told me about it he refer to what his uncle gave him before he died,and as far as where the wapoen was he asked me OH SO you got a new front door. what he was telling me was the guy had a knife hiding in the cell door.Then he would say something like Brown's a good color like the doors here did you paint over the old color" in other words he was telling me they repainted the slot in the door to match. Think about something in commom and use that to say whats going on. Do they have a certian yard for guys in this area if so tell him to go pc and get moved asap. As far as proving how they got the info on your friend that will be hard and I don't think there will much you can do about it as for the would only LIE anyway Worry about your self and help him forget the rest Do all you can to get him in a safe area. Call your Sen. if you need to tell him and I bet they move him.

Retired-101 · #8 02-23-2004, 09:11 AM

First off, do NOT pray and hope for the best, There is a verse that goes, "faith without works is dead". You have to do something, and in the most basic of terms, prisons must acknowledge the safety of inmates, and if in question, must transfer them either to another camp,or at least another dorm. However, if your loved one has this rep on the dorm, moving to another dorm won't help either. Word spreads quick in prison. I agree with what someone else said, that sex offenders do get a more difficult time, but that is not everyone. I would have a few questions to how someone got interested in what crime he did, as opposed to everyone else? When I was in, the number 1 question on inmate's minds was not what you were in for, but where you come from. Guys are always interested in finding others from their hometown. But this is a serious situation, you need to act now and get your loved one out of the camp. It may be that someone is just trying to blackmale him, and it might be that the rest of the camp could care less about his charges, but if your loved one truly believes that his immediate health is in question, I would make every attempt to get shipped.

JamesGirl · #9 02-24-2004, 06:06 PM

Mason, Thank you for that info. But who do I start with as far as doing the complaining/concern for James. He has said there are "things' going on with the warden but did not go into specfics. So, I would not be comfortable starting with him. And my problem/dilemma is how to address the issue. Any suggestions? Yvonne

Retired-101 · #10 02-25-2004, 08:29 AM

I can sympatize with your situation, especially if you don't trust the prison officials. If it were me, and I must stress that it will be different with every person, but if it were me, I think it has to start with the inmate. He has to initialize the move. An outside source will not be successful because prisons always get calls from loved ones outside the wall wanting their loved ones moved to another camp for many reasons. There has to be a valid reason to move an inmate, and prisons don't believe that loved ones outside the walls understand the difference between "need to move" and "want to move". A parent might call the prisons and complain that their son is too far away, and they think he might be in trouble, and should be moved. The prison cannot validate the parent's claim, especially if the inmate himself has said nothing.
The inmate, consequently, has to start the process. He has to either file a grievance, or talk to his case manager, or some officer, and tell them exactly what is going on. That probably means he has to name the inmate that is giving him problems. This however could be a double-edged sword. If the prison acts against the inmate causing the problems, they must eliminate the problem from the prison, or it will most likely cause more trouble for your loved one. If this is the case, it could go two ways: either your loved one will be shipped, or the inmate who caused the problem. It is a form of intimidation, and I do know that intimidation is a violation under NC prison rules; it may well be the same throughout the country in prisons. But if the prison ships the person who started the trouble, it may not solve the problem. What if that guy told 10 people, or even 2. I grant you that many inmates don't really care about what a guy did, it's what he does while in prison. But some guys are hypocritical; a guy that sold drugs or killed someone seems to think that a child molester is worse, as if the loss of life isn't that important. Some inmates think that way, not all though. But in a complicated way, you see what your loved one may be going through, and what he may continue to go though if he is not shipped. And even if he is, camps spread words quickly. A guy you did time with in January in camp A might be the same one you see again in camp F in September. But if more than one guy is giving him trouble, he needs to take steps to be shipped. Again, it is unfortunate that he is in such a situation, but not all inmates are so inconsiderate; some still look at what a man does, not what he did.

maribam61 · #11 02-25-2004, 11:17 PM

i know for a fact that these printouts
can actually be sent to the inmate i sent my husband is own along time ago and he got itsome mail do get to your prisoner (S) hands why i dont know i sent it cause i usually send him com prinouts of diffrent things like family pictures jlos pic and so on if he feels hes has to get out call is conselor and let them know you fear for his life and if anything happens to him you will take legal actions

Luv2Luv · #12 02-28-2004, 02:07 AM

JamesGirl can he write to someone above the warden, or can you?

JamesGirl · #13 02-29-2004, 07:02 PM

The update on James is that he has stated he is in fear for his life but he is being stubborn about filing any kind of grievence for now. He has been working hard on his case to put in for his appeal(s). He has been having another individual help him with his case and he has a month to file this appeal(s) or the time to file will expire. He has said to me he is willing to take the risk of being badly beaten or even stabbed to get this appeal(s) filed. I am so scared and worried for him and have stated that to him but he keeps saying he wants to get home to me. He just had an incident with an inmate putting a pencil to his back and pressing it hard and telling him if he found out that the charges he is charged with are true that James will be obligated to give him things from canteen. But then the inmate said he was just playing around! Yeah Right?! Nothing I say to James will convince him so I am back to praying that God will keep him safe! Yvonne

ldysirois · #14 02-29-2004, 08:02 PM

I'd at least call the case manager, make them aware of what may be going on and tell them James don't want to talk right now because of the appeal and wants to get it in.

Blue Fish · #15 03-01-2004, 03:33 PM

It's common for info to get passed around. Usually when an inmate first gets to a yard, someone will approach them and want to see their papers. If the inmate is not showing the papers, there are ways to get them. The reason for all this, is because the other inmates want to see if the person was charged with a sex crime, either against women or a child.
You do have a right to worry, as people charged with sex crimes do get a lot of negitive attention ie, harassment and threats.
The best bet is to be transferred to adseg for his own safety. I don't say any of this to alarm you, but I've always felt that the best way to deal with any situation is to be as informed about things as possible. Good luck to both of you.