Larson, William
Transcript
Praetorian Correctional Warehouse Money Pits: Pol Potism or Helotism?
By: William A. Larson, MDOC #[ID]
Some would say I am fortunate to be 77 years young, after being under the quixotic loving care of the Missouri Department of Corrections (MDOC), for 37+ of those years. My last days enjoying the free world, was in 1981. I sincerely doubt if I could exist in the enigmatic politically-correct world of 2017.
My primary contact with the outside world, today, is when I force myself to watch the evening lame-stream-news. I do this, for some unknown sadomasochistic purpose, known only to my deepest sacrilegious unconsciousness, in order to keep up with the confused, current events. At times, I have to ask myself who is the freest? Those on the outside of these electrified fences; or those of us on the inside, looking out at the despiteous chaos.
Politicians and prisoners seem to have something in common, in this confusing era. We are neck and neck, where it comes to who is hated the worst. Recently, since the Plutocratic-Absolutist election, I do believe the politicians are surging in the lead. Albeit, police gunslingers are coming in a close third.
I was watching Jeopardy, while waiting for my evening news-torture to come on. They had an answer/question concerning a newly coined word, that means someone who just goes along with everyone else. The word was Sheople.
Over the years, we have been labeled: prisoners, inmates, convicts, residents, clients and now offenders, leaving out the obvious profanities. Regardless of the terminology, we still remain predators, in most people's eyes.
Personally, it doesn't make any difference what staff refers to us as; we are still incarcerated state property, to be used and abused for the sadistic amusement of some staff.
Within the penal system, there are individuals who do their time, similar to genuflecting lap-dogs. They make it more difficult for those who diligently attempt to improve the degenerate system, of mass incarceration. Quisling Sheople (QS), would be an excellent descriptive title for them.
During my early years of incarceration, while I was still at the antiquated Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP), family members and friends, have occasionally asked me what prison life is truthfully like. All they had to draw their opinions on, was my infrequent correspondence, and Hollywood's exaggerated fictional accounts of prison events.
I usually tried to explain prison to them by suggesting they imagine removing their tub/shower from their bathroom. Then replace them with a double-bunk bed. Move in a couple foot-lockers and a small desk. Add sundry items, like clothing, cosmetics and such. Take a boom-box radio, tune it to something they hate, set it outside the bathroom, facing in. Then turn it up full volume.
To finish it off, move into the bathroom with another person, who they really do not know, or particularly trust. Stay in the bathroom, except for meals and work. See how long they will survive without resorting to violence, or total insanity.
In the alternative, I advise them to get a copy of the 1972 TV Movie, "The Glass House", by Truman Capote, starring Alan Alda. In my tendetious opinion, it is the most accurate motion picture enactment of prison life. You do have to ignore the typical Hollywood fictional exaggerations. Such as when Clu Galager ran through a group of prisoners, carrying a loaded shotgun. No experienced prison guard would ever place himself at risk of prisoners over-powering him, and gain access to a loaded weapon, that they could turn on him, or other staff. [1]
On June 30, 2017, Missouri's newly elected Governor, Eric R. Greitens, signed an Executive Order, creating another political appointee task force, to re-study what is now officially referred to as the "Department of Corruptions".
The Order starts off with: "Our prison system wastes your money and it wastes people's lives. We have to fix it."
The Governor goes further to lament how our newly appointed Director, "Anne Precythe, is on the front lines of this problem. She inherited a mess: morale was low, officers mistreated, not all inmates had a plan for their release."
The insidious last part concerning inmates' release, got my dander up (as we used to say in days gone by); when I considered a recent article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The article, authored by reporter Jesse Bogan, publicly exposed rampant corruption within the Missouri Parole Board. Some members were callously playing "word" games with the prisoners, during their parole hearings: "trying to get them to say a chosen word or song title of the day, such as "platypus" and Hound Dog"." Like in a game show, they were earning points, "while interviewing an offender."
These unqualified/amateurish political appointees were earning $85,000 a year, of taxpayers hard earned money, and were playing juvenile "games with people's lives and liberty."
The Internal MDOC Investigation Report also admitted "several employees were aware of the games being played by the duo and did not report it."
This same Parole Board incongruously asks prisoners if they have committed any other uncharged crimes. This gives the prisoner the Hobson's Choice of confessing to other crimes and subjecting him/herself to further prosecutions; or being denied parole.
They also demand that the prisoner admit the convicted offense, even while the prisoner is still appealing his/her conviction. Which is tantamount to coercing a prisoner to confess to a crime the prisoner did. not commit; or giving up the right to appeal his/her conviction.
Former Governor Nixon appointed the identical type of "task force", six years ago. The MDOC recalcitrantly refused to adopt ANY of its recommendations.
In Missouri, or as I prefer to call Mizzery, as elsewhere, political grandstanding and real prison reform, rarely go hand in hand and converge. Political rhetoric will never resolve problems, in a corrupt penal system.
Just this week (July 2-8), the MDOC lost two more major lawsuits. A wrongful death of a short-term prisoner, who was placed in a suicide cell and ignored. The jury awarded $1,256,793.29, plus attorney fees and court costs, which the taxpayers will. have to pay. [2] 2M1 asthmatic prisoner, who was licentiously forced to cell with heavy smokers, was awarded $111,000, by the jury of Missouri Citizens. [3]
The juries, obviously were sending a message to the MDOC, to get their act together. The message, will of course, fall on deaf ears. The MDOC will continue to flagiticously allow prisoners to needlessly die. They will hellaciously continue to force asthmatic prisoners, such as myself, to cell with smokers; as part of their invidious retaliatory punishment.
Missouri is facing other major litigation. The deliberate underfunding of the Public Defender's System, which ranks 49th in the nation. [4] MDOC/Corizon's refusal to provide the necessary new "direct-acting, anti-viral" (DAA) drugs, for those prisoners who have chronic Hepatitis C (HCU) viral infections. [5] DAA is now a common treatment, outside of prison. This seems to be a pertinacious problem throughout the U.S. Penal Systems.
If Governor Greitens truly wants to correct the problems with the Parole Board, maybe he needs to get rid of the inept political appointees, and hire professionals, who don't have a personal lock-them-up-and-throw-away-the-key agenda. He then neeos to remove the Parole Board from under the direct authority of the MDOC, and place it back into the Department of Social Services. Where it was before, when it actually worked.
I have to admit that I am extremely biased about this subject matter. To be as fair as I can, without throwing up, you simply can not compare the old penitentiary system, to the newer Correctional regime. The overt fatal violence, alone, has dissipated, in these newer level 5 institutions.
You still have violence. If you force any aggressive/angry alpha/male into a confined group, you have to expect some disputes. To believe otherwise is insane.
Just a decade or so ago, prisoner on prisoner murders were as normal as a common cold. The reason is simple, but the MDOC will never admit it. When they built and moved us to these new institutions, they disarmed us. MSP was nothing more than an antiquated weapon manufacturing plant. No well-made weapons, no fatal injuries.
Years ago, the staff consisted mainly of over-sized, semi-literate, farmboys, or ex-military. They would go toe to toe with anyone, and smile while they were doing it. They enforced the rules with a frightening vigor. They didn't choose favorites. The worst thing you could do is try to suck up to them.
In this present day penal environment, most rules just get lip-service. Staff just enforces the rules they feel like enforcing, or when they want to retaliate. Modern-era staff seems to have forgotten that rules, especially in a prison environment, have a purpose. Without enforced rules, you have uncontrolled chaos.
Prisoners now take advantage of the smaller staff, both male and female. Male staff's greatest worry seems to be if anything major occurs, how would they protect the female staff. A serious problem that did not exist in earlier years.
There is a myth about prisons that has mostly been created by Hollywood. It sort of amuses me when I hear new prisoners talking about it, as if it was real. That is the myth about prisoners not informing on each other. If James Cagney was still alive today, and out walking in the prison yard screaming: "YOU DIRTY RAT", most, if not all, of the prisoners, out in the yard, would look to see if he was calling them out.
In a recent U.S. Supreme Court case, the Court documented that 97% of federal prisoners, and 94% of state prisoners, plead guilty, in order to receive a lighter sentence. [12] Common reasoning would weigh in the favor of the argument: if a prisoner would "snitch" on himself, for a shorter sentence; what would it take for the same prisoner to "snitch" on you?
In the mid-90's, Deputy Superintendent Donald Cline, at MSP/JCCC, instituted a new program entitled: "Intensive Therapeutic Community" (ITC). Most prisoners opprobriously referred to it as: "I Tell Cline". One of the rules, of the program, was that you were required to inform on your fellow ITC members, if they broke any of the rules. No-one seemed to be bothered by it, and soon-to-be Sheople signed up. I imagine Pol Pot was laughing in his grave, that what he started, has now reached the western world.
ITC is designed like a military-style boot-camp, with drug, alcohol and criminal behavior lectures. It is heuristically designed to change despicable criminals into Quisling Sheople. Some courts make the program mandatory, in order to receive probation/parole.
When I attended boot-camp, at Fort Leonard Wood, which is only a short distance from this institution (SCCC); the main purpose was to turn a civilian into a team or unit member, and to overcome the natural reluctance to harm another person. Which is necessary in a military unit. But as usual, the MDOC turned the ITC program into another, look and feel good, money pit.
There are prisoners, who I am incarcerated with, that I would never want to see living anywhere near my family and friends. On the other hand, there are far too many who are warehoused, by the State, solely due to the circumstances of their birth.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out, that some people are victims of the environment, they were raised in. The most glaring commonality within a prison population, is the lack of a formal education, a lack of a stable family (most have family members doing time), and mental health/drug problems.
Adolf Hitler once said that if he was given the chance to educate children, at an early enough age, he would rule the world. Our prison system is the new Adolf Hitler, as once it gets its hands on you, the MDOC will never let go. Due to this, most prisoners, who are just children trapped in adult bodies, do not live in the real world.
When I was first incarcerated, in 1963, most of the prisoners were either career criminals, or wannabe future criminals.
Today, there are very few individuals who I would classify as a career criminal. The problem is edacious, and society can not cure it by just warehousing those who don't fit the proper, society mold.
The anomalistic use of mass warehousing, to cure society's ills, in and of itself, is exacerbating the problem. In place of wasting billions of taxpayer dollars, incarcerating under-educated children, or fighting other country's internal wars. We should be using our hard earned tax dollars to create an atmosphere, within the public and private school system, that encourages students to want to learn and inspires them to succeed, in whatever endeavor that student pursues.
How can this country pretend to LEAD all other countries, when we can not even secure a stable environment for our own children? Common decency demands we help our children first, then assist others in the world. Once these children enter the penal system, they are forgotten people.
The corrupt school systems of today, seem to ignore the real needs of those who require encouragement and personal assistance. They act as if playing football, or basketball, will cure all of society's ills, and ignore the fundamental side of a structured education.
The plain truth is that every student IS NOT capable of becoming a scientist, engineer, doctor or lawyer. Our educational system should join the rest of the world, and start educating children for occupations they are qualified for.
This self-destructive attitude seems to affect our minority and poor population the worst. Why aren't businesses required to help pay for their future employee's educations? Why aren't immensely rich sports teams required to reimburse colleges and high schools, when an athlete is successful?
To allegedly combat this educational gap, the MDOC belatedly, has what they transpicuously refer to as their Basic Education Program (GED). State Statute makes it mandatory for parole consideration. The aleatory problem with this, is exposed by the old truism that: "you can lead a horse to water; but you can not make him drink".
For anyone to gain a meaningful education, you are required to have the desire to learn. Forcing someone to sit in a seat for a couple hours a day, accomplishes nothing.
In 2016, I celled with a youngster who was being forced to attend the SCCC GED program. For the 9 months I celled with him, he probably physically attended school 40 hours. His teacher was always taking days off, or he was given what they call "free days". They go to school, sign in, then leave.
Rehabilitative programs, within the Missouri penal system, are nothing more than code words to burn up funding and rip off the taxpayers. In the 70's and early 80's, we had all sorts of self-rehabilitative programs; such as provided by Lifer's Inc., DEPART, Toastmasters, Jaycees and such. These programs and activities, were effective. They were attended by those who wanted to be involved, and they cost the taxpayers nothing. [7]
These viable self-help programs were discontinued after some of the outside volunteers, facilitators, and caseworkers, testified for the prisoners, in a class action, on conditions at MSP. [8] At the time, the MDOC was still a small division within the Department of Social Services (DSS).
The caseworkers, at the time, were actual trained caseworkers from the DSS. They assisted us in the day to day problems of adapting to prison life. If we would receive a violation, the caseworkers would appear with us at the hearing. They would argue any mitigating circumstances. [9]
Today, our caseworkers are mostly untrained, retread security staff, who act as our prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner, when we receive, what is facetiously labeled a "due process" hearing.
Prisoners are now forced to attend and participate, in these new Pol Potic programs. While the old self-help programs were strictly voluntary.
The prison powers-that-be deliberately ignore the well-known incontrovertible fact, that the prisoners who benefit from these programs, choose to benefit. Those who are forced, just give the programs lip-service compliance, and go on with their lives. Wasting everyone's time and state/federal resources.
Even our new Governor agrees that the MDOC is very adept at wasting monetary resources. The MDOC is the proverbial money pit.
A dichotomic phenomenon that I find quite difficult to understand, is that in 1963, the overall racial make-up of the Missouri Penal System, was approximately 60% albescent, and 40% people of color, from my personal observations, at the time.
When I was reaccepted back into the loving care of the MDOC, in 1981, through some mysterious circumstance, the racial balance had reversed, in the level 5 institutions, that I have been in.
The MDOC officially states the system is approximately 47% people of color. They fail to add that this includes all convictees who are on probation/parole, and are civilly committed, as sexual predators. To give the MDOC the benefit of the doubt, it is true that the protective custody units are 90 to 95% albescent.
This perplexing problem is illuminated when you compare Missouri to Mississippi, a state half the size of Missouri. According to our library encyclopedia, Mississippi has about the same 60% people of color, and 40% albescent, within its penal system. The problem lies, in the fact, Mississippi has a 37% state-wide citizen of color population, according to the last census. While Missouri's 60% person of color, in the level 5 institutions, comes from only a 13% state-wide citizens of color, population.
Simple math shows the glaring problem. Mississippi's 60% is approximately 1 ⅔'s times the State's 37%. While Missouri's, alleged, 47% overall, is approximately 3 ⅔'s times Missouri's 13%. Not. even. considering the 60% in the level 5 institutions. Even prison GED math does not lie!
I have lived most of my life as an oblivious racist. I simply had never thought much about the subject. When you are born an Aspie, living in a world of Mundanes. You learn, in a hurry, how to deal with discriminatory isolation. When you are different, society tends to exclude you; especially if they don't need you. I can partially understand how some people of color feel, living in an albescent world, with Plutocratic-Absolutists running everything.
The Missouri Penal System was brought kicking and screaming out of Jim Crow Land, when riots broke out during their first Court Ordered attempt at desegregation of the housing units, on June 25, 1969. [10]
Double-celling, of different races, did not start, in earnest, until 2005, in level 5 institutions; after they opened SCCC.
I was assigned my first celly of color, in 2008; which did not end well. After we both got out of Sad. Seg., in order to keep the gladiator-like scenario going, we were both placed into the same housing unit wing. This is common practice at SCCC.
This time it ended even worse. I spent the next year in Super-Max-Sad. Seg., for a #2 assault; and he ended up in the hospital. Since then, I have had several cellies of color, without any unusual problems, that wasn't handled peacefully.
Sometime in 2011-12, two prisoners of color, requested that I write a missive to, then Governor Nixon, concerning the racial disparity in the "All-Albescent" honor house (H.U.3), and M.V.E. (factory that makes and refinishes state furniture). At that time, H.U.3 was 95+% albescent, as was M.V.E.. I believe this was done more out of oblivious-indifference, than flagrant racism.
Within a few weeks of sending out the missive, SCCC staff started moving albescent prisoners out of H.U.3, to the newly declared semi-honor H.U.4. Prisoners of color, who qualified for H.U.3, were then moved in. M.V.E. started giving hiring preferences to prisoners of color.
Both prisoners, who requested that I write the missive, were moved to H.U.3, and eventually hired at M.V.E.; as was the prisoner who I had the dispute with, in 2008.
A few months after I sent the missive, I received a response from the MDOC. The respondent disobliqely informed me that I was not eligible for H.U.3, due to my #2 assault violation, in 2008. There wasn't a single word in the missive that referred to me going to H.U.3. The respondent also referred to me as being African-American.
The respondent did not address a single racial issue that was raised in the missive. Which is normal MDOC obscurant ambivalence. He obviously had not even taken the time to look at my institutional file, except to look up my conduct violations.
The two prisoners, who asked me to write the missive, did so because they knew SCCC staff, has the custom and practice of retaliating against those who file grievances and complaints; that causes staff problems.
They knew if they had sent the missive, personally, they would have been labeled "trouble-makers", and SCCC staff would have created a reason to keep them out of H.U.3 and M.V.E..
I finally did make it over to H.U.3, in June of 2013. I didn't last long. It was issued a blatantly false conduct violation, by the security staff at the SCCC infirmary, for following the written instructions of Warden Bowersox.
The very night before, Captain Edwards, and several other staff, had verbally instructed me to follow the written instructions.
Nevertheless, I was found guilty, at the pretend "due process" hearing; when the hearing caseworker/executioner, adamantly refused to even look at, much less consider, the written instructions, or the verbal instructions of Captain Edwards, who was the writing staff's shift commander.
I was then arbitrarily moved out of H.U.3; even though this was my first minor violation. H.U.3 policy requires two minor violations before you are moved out of the honor house.
As most Aspies, I am a natural born contrarian. I take such retaliation in stride; as it is just an intrinsic part of prison existence. If you can't take it, you can always turn yourself into a QS, smile, bend over, and never complain again.
Sources of and Additional Information
[1] Foster v Eberle 978 F2d 1014, 1015 (8th Cir 1992)
Vidauri v State 515 SW2d 562, 564 (SC 1972)
Hubbard v White 755 F2d 692, 694 (8th Cir 1985)
State v Robinson 710 SW2d 14, 15-16 (WD App 1986)
[2] Letterman v Does 2017 US App Lexis 11052
[3] Washington v Denny 2017 US Dist Lexis 97893
[4] Church v Missouri 2017 US Dist Lexis 82788
(2013) 78 MO. L. Rev. 1193
[5] Postawko v Mo. Dept. of Corr. 2017 US Dist Lexis 71715
[6] Missouri v Frye 566 US 134, 143; 132 SCt 1399, 1407 (2011)
[7] Burks v Walsh 461 F.Supp. 454, 473 (DC WD 1978)
[8] Burks v Teasdale 603 F2d 59 (8th Cir 1979)
[9] Sostre v McGinnis 442 F2d 178, 198 (2nd Cir 1971)
[10] Beisher v Swenson 331 F.Supp. 1227 (DC WD 1971)
Lee v Washington 390 US 333, 334; 88 SCt 994 (1968)
