Transcript
[letterhead: image of prison bars with the text "Those of us who are in prison have been convicted. Everyone else is still on trial."] "CRUEL & UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT" THAT WAS INFLUCTED UPON MISSOURI'S LESS PROTECTED PRISONERS AS GUARANTEED BY THE EIGHT AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, DUE TO MEDICAL STAFF TESTING ALL PRISONERS WITHOUT CHANGING THEIR GLOVES WHILE PERFORMING SUCH DUTIES" By: SHEIKH FREDRICO LOWE BEY, G.S. On June 16, 2020, all prisoners whom had been incarcerated at the Eastern Reception Diagnostic & Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri, having been forced to take the COVID-19 test or be placed in the prison administrative segregation unit [HOLE]. The COVID-19 virus, which staff subjected me to, by not forcing medical staff to change their gloves, as they continued to test many prisoners one after another, without taking into account that they had been "deliberately and intentionally" disregarding our protected rights. When staff had been confronted in the grievances filed by many prisoners, the entire prison staff involved with the constant punishment we received herein, denied any of above mentioned claims had taken place, and [y]et, continued subjecting the entire prisoner population to such actions. On several occasions then as well as now, staff repeatedly refuse to wear masks when it was directed by Deputy Warden Julie Bell, in her August 7, 2020, Email put out to the entire prison population that both staff and prisoners must wear masks to help prevent such spreading of this virus, that has killed off several prisoners. This is an absolute fact, in that, the prison administration completely stopped all visitors from coming into the prison in March, but continued to allow staff to come into the prison, bringing the virus in right along with them. They forced to all of our dismay, prisoners to work around staff who possibly delivered the virus into the prison compound, because prisoners had direct connections with staff and continued being forced to work around these possible virus carriers, that had "magically disappeared" after being diagnosed with COVID-19. These are the kitchen workers (staff), Maintainance workers, etc. [N]ow, the COVID-19 virus has caused the prison staff to place prisoners in isolation with those that had the COVID- 19 virus and those who did not have it, simply because an individual was also housed with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. It was a well known fact, Warden Stan Payne, Assistant Warden Matthew Pultz, and Deputy Warden Julie Bell, all in agreement with one another, had devised a plan and had knowingly knew that in many cases whereas prisoners tested negative for COVID- 19 virus, had been also placed on complete "Quarantine," regardless if they did not test positive for the virus. This act denied and deprived me as well others in H.U.#1A, whom had a pending court date, to be denied court proceedings and have the courts rule against us for failure to respond. Here, prison staff had taken away any and all recreation, fed us cold food and locked us down for several days. The above mentioned wardens had, in fact, caused many guards to either quit or refuse to show up for work due to other staff members failure to comply with the necessary requirements to keep the virus from spreading. When head administrative staff had been informed that they had been violating our rights and their own staff was not in full compliance with protecting our rights, they ignored it and said nothing to our prison population to assure us of our safety & security guaranteed by the U.S. Constitutional protections. Herein, both medical staff [CORIZON] and security have been placing individuals in the Administrative Segregation Unit that they have "falsely" claims as "Isolation" with another individual, to gain Federal Funding for COVID-19 virus cases, knowing absolutely well everyone has not even tested positive for COVID-19, [b]ut when the prisoners request that they show these testing positive results be produced, staff will release the prisoners back to General Population. These procedures had to be false! This has been an ongoing process with the prison staff and the Missouri Department of Corrections denying grievances and claims. The treatment we have received by the prison staff shows that they're willing to allow the prisoners to die and accept no responsibility. If the visiting room was shut down and not one prisoner ever tested positive for COVID-19, and staff was the only outside source, who brought it into the prison? Why aren't criminal charges brought against the prison administration? They've completely dropped the ball. Moreover, Warden Stan Payne was forced to resign, Asst. Warden Matthew Pultz was demoted to FUM [FUNCTION UNIT MANAGER] and sent away from the ERDCC prison to Potosi Correctional Center, where he's known to lie and deceive on a regular basis, and Deputy Warden Julie Bell was forced to step down and now works as a Probation & Parole Officer. If we had not be subjected to the Eighth Amendments prohibition, why was these actions taken against these individuals? Since they did no wrong! Each prisoner had become sick and was afraid to go to the medical unit to complain of the loss for smell & taste, we suffered headaches severely etc., for fear that we'd be punished by ERDCC staff, placing us in Ad Seg, whereas they only showered once or twice weekly, allowed one 20 minute phone call to family, and be subjected to complete reckless disregards for any of the rights or protections of due process rights we are entitled. Moreover, prisoners have nobody we can turn to because many lawyers we've contacted, refused our calls and denied or assistance. I had one who said send him all the documents I have and he'd be contacting me soon. I've written him several times, not an answer to anything I turned over to him. The "Cruel & Unusual Punishment" we've suffered by the prison administration, cause a many of the young prisoners with short time, during the treatment herein, have either returned to society and committed more crimes, been killed and simply began using drugs at an alarming rate! This is because they've been subjected to this madness by prison staff, and full of bitterness & anger from it, so the first persons they feel to take it out on, catch the madness of their desires! Why? All because of the way prison administration fails us on a full time basis! Who should take the blame? Respectfully submitted, By: SHEIKH FREDRICO LOWE BEY, G.S.
