Transcript
Who Gives a Damn; I Do! by Wesley I. Rickey Being succinct, without quantifying it is pretty much a given that deplorable and despicable individuals do not exclusively reside behind penitentiary walls, although the intensity of scrutiny that those particular group of individuals receive gives that specious impression. Further objective scrutiny brings the true reality to bear that there are other nefarious individuals committing their 'dirty deeds - done dirt cheap' against those who lie most vulnerable to such despicable acts behind penitentiary walls who actually have absolute impunity for such sadistic violence. Some of these deplorable individuals do not reside behind penitentiary walls, but can be found in penitentiary parking lots at shift change. After spending the lion-share of my pathetic life dwelling in some of the more detestable human cesspools throughout this country I believe that I am more than qualified to make this indubitable claim which the following little story unequivocally brings to bear! Some years ago while serving time at Kansas State Penitentiary I was assigned as an orderly in Lower C-Cellhouse, which housed about a hundred mental health inmates. Buffing the main floor of Lower-C one morning I witnessed an inmate, Jake in a confrontation with a cop at the bar/box at the front of the range. Both were irate and the cop repeatedly told Jake to go lockdown and after a couple of sarcastic remarks by Jake, who was in his mid-fifties and truly not playing with a full deck he locked down. A short time later a lieutenant and three other cops showed up at Jake's cell telling him to get cuffed up. Being only a few feet from Jake's cell it was obvious he was scared and did not want to come back out of his cell. Lieutenant Lemon again told Jake to cuff-up and when he refused had his cell door open and two of the other cops' entered Jake's little 5x8 cell, handcuffed him and literally dragged him out of his cell. Jake' telling them that, "I haven't did anything why are you doing this to me," was pretty much an act in futility because his pleads fell upon deaf ears. Stepping up to Jake - Lieutenant Lemon repeatedly hit him in the face and continued to do so even after he had collapsed while the two cops continued to hold Jake up. When I hollered telling them that, "he has had enough - stop." Lemon looked at me and told me, "shut the f--- up Purkey and get the hell out of here." Jake now bleeding profusely - Lemon gets in his face and tell's him, "if you ever threaten another one of my staff I will kill you're punkass you hear me." With that said Jake was thrown back in his cell left lying on the concrete floor. Walking by me at the front of the range Lemon sternly looked at me and told me that, "you didn't see anything Purkey, just mind your own business you hear me." "You are right," I responded. Bidding my time the following day until an opportune time came about beyond prying eyes and meddlesome ears of both staff and inmates alike to talk with Jake who I ultimately found in devastating pain and despair in his cell. After asking him how he was doing he told me that, "no one will help me, I need to see medical, but they will not call them, they will not allow me out of my cell to go to the dining room or to the yard for recreation. In fact they brought me a disciplinary report last night for assault on Lemon." "What can I do," he asked me. It was heartwrenching to see the state he was in. His face was pulverized, swelled beyond recognition. His left eye swelled completely shut and he said that two of his teeth were cracked. His devastation and dire fear resonated in his voice almost begging me for help. "Tomorrow when I come to work, I told him I will bring you a grievance and I will keep a copy that you can submit to the Unit Team in redress of these issues." "I seen the assault from start to finish and we will include the fabricated disciplinary action Lemon issued you to cover up the assault, as well as the denied medical treatment and other punitive actions being taken against you," I clarified to him. "Don't worry I will not leave you hanging after witnessing the b.s. they have subject you to. I will see you tomorrow!" Walking back up the range I glanced over my shoulder and saw one of the cell-block cop's walking up to Jake's cell and start speaking with him in a low voice. I pretty much knew what time that was and knew that adversity was about to come my way. How severe that adversity would be was the pertinent question. Arriving for work the following morning I was informed by staff without reason given that I had been reassigned and no longer worked in Lower-C and clarified that I needed to return to my own cell-block. Arriving back in A-Block I found my cell had been ransacked and left in total disarray and shortly thereafter I was placed in handcuffs and escorted to the A&T building better known as the White-House! I was told that marijuana had been found during the cell shakedown and that I was being placed in prehearing detention. The real deal was palpable that I was being subject to retaliation for trying to help Jake with his issues against Lemon and this reality was soon brought to bear. A few days later I was escorted to the lieutenant's office in the A&T building where I was met by the fine Lieutenant Lemon and a couple of his cronies. "I'll make this short and sweet Purkey," Lemon told me. "You continue to help that mentally retarded inmate and cause me problems about something that is absolutely none of your business and you die down in this son-of-a-bitch, do you hear me," Lemon said. "I've been wanting to die since I was nine years old and now you are saying that you can help me with this dream - you do whatever it is that you need to do, because I am not going to be intimidated by your ass, do you hear me," I asked Lemon! With that said Lemon's cronies yanked me out of my chair where I was handcuffed behind my back and slammed me face first into the wall. Lemon grabbed me by the hair on the back of my head and slammed me face first into the wall three times and then sternly told me that, "you heard what I told you Purkey and if you keep up your defiant b.s. you are going to have a real bad day," Lemon reiterated. It was almost a month later that I was again taken to the lieutenant's office, but this time I was being seen by one of the facility's counselor's who I had a decent rapport with. With a deep sigh he told me, "We all know that this is b.s. that has you down here, and I want to try and get you out of here today, so please hear me out. "Look here," he said, "Jake has been transferred to the state hospital where he can get both medical and mental health treatment and Lemon no longer works here." "What do you mean that Lemon no longer works here," I bewilderedly asked him. "Two weeks ago Lemon went home after his shift was over and when he arrived home his fourteen year old son was waiting for him in the garage when he drove his car in the garage and shot him three times with a twelve gage shotgun killing him. His son said that his dad had been molesting him for years since he was a child. Jake is in the hospital and Lemon is no longer here, so I am letting you out of here today, dismissing these bogus charges and returning you to your job in lower C-Block. I am sorry this b.s. happen," he told me. "I am glad Jake is receiving the treatment he needs, and I do appreciate your help," I told Mr. Bolden before leaving the A&T office.
