Work Blog 1

THE MAN WITH TWO HATS

Have you read anything by John Irving? When someone ordered A Prayer for Owen Meany (DB 29012) last week, I flashed back. I was surprised that I had forgotten about him.

I read many of Irving’s books over ten years ago and considered him a favorite author in my late teens. I remember his characters as complicated, compelling, and full of layers.  I never knew what to expect or where the plot would go. Irving’s books took me to metropolis India, to a logging town in New Hampshire, and into the internal conflicts of a number of troubled writers and grappling adolescents.  It was all compelling fiction. I was disappointed only once, near the end of Last Night in Twisted River, when the story turned too fantastic for my taste.

Recently, I learned that when he wasn’t busy maneuvering through plot lines in his books, Irving was out maneuvering men on the mat. According to his website, John Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992. The Hall of Fame has a category for Outstanding Americans, people who came from a foundation of discipline in wrestling and went on to excel in another discipline, such as writing.  Two of his books feature wrestling coaches or enthusiasts, and one of those is The World According to Garp.

The World According to Garp 
DB 11764 
The fictional life and times of T.S. Garp, famous writer and son of Jenny, an early feminist leader. Named after a father he never sees, Garp grows up to be a fiercely independent, determined individual and his mother’s equal. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex.

The Cider House Rules 
DB 21531
Set in rural Maine at the turn of the century, this is the story of Dr. Wilbur Larch, saint, obstetrician, orphanage director, ether addict, and abortionist. His medical practices are hindered and abetted by his favorite orphan, Homer Wells. The novel is based on documents left by the author’s physician grandfather. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 1985.

Last Night in Twisted River 
DB 70798
Dominic Baciagalupo and his twelve-year-old son Danny live in a New Hampshire logging camp where Dominic cooks for the crew. When Danny accidentally kills someone, the two begin a nomadic life. Danny eventually attends college and becomes a writer, using their experiences as plots. Strong language. 2009.

Medical Neglect at SCI Muncy

The Human Rights Coalition received reports from Stacey Detwiler, a prisoner housed at SCI Muncy, who is experiencing health problems and deliberate indifference from medical staff at the prison . Two months after being admitted to SCI Muncy and prescribed 9 new medications, Detwiler lost regular leg function and has trouble walking or standing without collapsing. She suspects her medication is not correct and has tried meeting with medical staff to resolve the issue. Staff refuse to intervene, saying she must wait until she is released in two years.  Detwiler’s laundry job pays $12 a month making it impossible for her to meet the $5 charge per sick call to get appropriate care.  Staff refuse to grant Detwiler any privileges offered to prisoners with similar health problems, claiming that she is not old enough to qualify for privileges, such as obtaining a white card to move to the front of the medication line.

In December of last year, Detwiler and other women reported to prison officials, racial comments made by Guard Wolfe.  Wolfe was removed from line duty for a short time, but then came back. Shortly after, Wolfe accused Detwiler of cutting the med line and charged her with 30 days in the hole for being in an unauthorized area. Detwiler reported being freezing in the RHU in February and having trouble doing breathing treatments in the cold cell. Juan Mendez, the U.S. Special Rapporteur on torture suggests 15 days in solitary confinement as a psychological limit for punishing people, yet the DOC doles out 30 days commonly, often in retaliation for filing grievances.

Additionally, Detwiler reports being denied food by Guards McElroy and Cramer. After collapsing on the way to the chow hall because of leg problems, Detwiler was sent to the infirmary. When attempting to get her meal later, expecting a peanut butter sandwich, CO Cramer told her he would think about it. After an hour and a half she alerted Sgt McElroy who informed her that there was no food left. Detwiler reports that other women have been denied food by McElroy and Cramer.  In addition to being a human rights violation, denying a prisoner food is against DOC policy.

Detwiler was convicted of 3.5 to 7 years for witness intimidation, after stopping over a neighbor’s house to see if she was going to go court for her son’s case.  Detwiler knew the women and had helped take care of her when the neighbor was a teen, but believe the court inflated the story to get a conviction.  Detwiler fears that she will not regain regular leg function and will have become disabled due to her lengthy prison sentence and lack of medical treatment.

Evening Journal

Today I did something different. I called my friends on the phone.  I said this isn't working.

I ate junk food all day, only.

But it was good for me she said.  I cried my face off.  It has been 7 years since we spoke.

I wanted to see if you were interested, so I could tell her on Sunday and we could go from there.

This is exactly the conversation I needed to have he said.

I went home and took videos of hanging up my clothes on your hooks.  It's been _________ without you here.

I read internets and slept.

Reading and Discussion on Censorship in Prisons-March 16, 2014

From the Movement:

"Battling Censorship Behind Bars" by Andrea Jones

"Censorship on the Prison Plantation: Extinguishing Dissent" by Saleem Holbrook

"No Mis-education Behind Bars" by Linn Washington Jr.

"July 2012 Censorship Report" by the Legal Coordinator of MIM(Prisons) 

http://hrcoalition.org/sites/default/files/Movement20sept2013.pdf

pg. 15-22

From PennLive:

"PA. Department of Corrections bans some books, magazines from prisoners" by Donald Gillard

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/02/pa_department_of_corrections_b.html

From the Texas Civil Rights Project:

"Banned Books in the Texas Prison System" by Texas Civil Rights Project

http://www.texascivilrightsproject.org/docs/prisonbooks/TCRP_Prison_Books_Report.pdf

pg. 31-35

From Decarcerate PA:

"Issue 3 January 2014" by Decarcerate PA

http://www.scribd.com/doc/202740527/Decarcerate-PA-Newsletter-January-2014

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Family Members Petition DA to Drop Case Against Prisoners

Luzerne County, PA - December 2, 2013- Family members and supporters of PA state prisoners accused of riot at SCI Dallas in 2010 are calling on the District Attorney of Luzerne County to drop the case, before the trial set to begin on December 9th.  They will deliver petitions to DA Salavantis and convene at the Luzerne County Courthouse today at noon.

In April of 2010, six prisoners who were incarcerated at SCI Dallas covered their cell windows with towels and barricaded their cell doors leading to cell extractions by prison guards.  The prisoners were removed from their cells, pepper sprayed and tased by correctional officers, strip searched, and moved to different cells.  The prisoners filed grievances against the prison on conditions of confinement and food deprivation leading up to the events and wrote to outside human rights agencies. The Department of Corrections filed riot charges against the prisoners in July of 2010.

Since 2010, one prisoner has been released from prison and plead out of this case, and another, Duane Peters, has been removed from the case and will be tried separately.  Court watcher, Debby Rabold,attended a preliminary hearing for 5 of the prisoners on September 19th in Judge Lisa Gelb's court, and found that one of the prisoners had not been arraigned yet and one had not been transported to the hearing.  

"If the District Attorney had any factual evidence against the inmates with which to proceed, the case would have been adjudicated long ago. Lacking evidence, the case has been continued month after month for over three years -- all at the expense of tax dollars which could have, and should have been, spent more wisely," Rabold said.

"After watching the 35 minute cell extraction video of Carrington Keys, it becomes clear that the conditions of confinement are inhumane," says Amanda Johnson of the Human Rights Coalition FedUp!  "The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture concluded that solitary confinement for over 15 days could be defined as torture. No one should have to live or work under these principles and procedures. "

Prisoners who are housed in the Restricted Housing Unit within the PA Department of Corrections are confined to their cells for 23 hours a day with little recreation or social stimulation. Prisoners can be held in the Restricted Housing Unit for years for disciplinary or administrative reasons.  The Disability Rights Network filed a lawsuit against the PA Department of Corrections last March on behalf of prisoners with serious mental illness being held in solitary confinement and not receiving treatment. The U.S. Department of Justice expanded their investigation from two to all PA prisons this past year.

Contact:

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Trial Begins for 5 Prisoners Charged with Riot

Luzerne County, PA – September 18, 2013 – The trial for 5 Pennsylvania prisoners who were charged with riot at SCI Dallas in 2010 is scheduled to begin September 30, 2013 at Luzerne County Courthouse after a pretrial hearing today.

In April of 2010, 6 prisoners who were incarcerated at SCI Dallas covered their cell windows with towels to speak to prison officials about food deprivation and conditions in solitary confinement.  The men were removed from their cells, pepper sprayed, beaten, and tased by correctional officers.  The prisoners filed grievances and wrote to outside agencies about the event.  The Department of Corrections filed riot charges against the prisoners in July of 2010.  One prisoner plead out of the case and has since been released.  The remaining 5 incarcerated men will face trial under Judge Lisa Gelb.

The details of the case are documented in two reports issued by the Human Rights Coalition, a Pennsylvania based advocacy group for human rights.  The case was highlighted at a hearing, last September, on solitary confinement that was convened by the Democratic Policy Committee in Pennsylvania.  The Human Rights Coalition is calling on the District Attorney this week to dismiss charges against the prisoners.

Contact:

Lack of Hepatitis C Treatment Brings Lawsuit Against DOC

A class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of PA prisoners in January, 2013 seeking injunctive relief for the testing and treatment of Hepatitis C (HCV) without regard to sentence length. Current DOC protocols stall and deny treatment for the deadly virus depending on sentence length, which lawyers charge is unconstitutional.

Prison Legal News reported on the case of Jason Runkle, who was sentenced in 2010 on drug offenses for 18 months to 5 years. Upon intake at Camp Hill, Runkle’s blood test showed elevated levels of AST, ALT, bilirubin and a decrease in blood platelets, which is indicative of HCV and liver disease. Runkle was transferred to SCI Mercer, received a second blood test with the same results, and sought treatment.

Typical treatment for HCV consists of a 24 or 48 week antiviral medicine, depending on the specific genotype of the disease a person tests positive for. The current DOC protocol passes off treatment and intervention of the disease if a prisoner will be released in the near future. Prisoners are denied the 24 week treatment if their sentence is less than 12 months, and denied the 48 week treatment if their sentence is less than 18 months. Prisoners who are diagnosed withHCV but are time restricted receive palliative care (taking a Tylenol) at the chronic care clinic rather than treatment to cure the disease.

Runkle’s minimum date was June 2011, 33 weeks from the start of his incarceration. He served 6 months unsentenced at York County before entering the state prison. He was denied genotype testing to see if his strain qualified him for the 24 week program. He continued to seek treatment and was denied despite his sentence being extended each time he came up for parole. Even after the parole board recommended Runkle serve his max sentence of 5 years, he continued to be denied treatment by medical staff because he was still eligible for parole and could be paroled at any of his hearings within the possible treatment period. He effectively received no treatment despite being incarcerated for well over the time constraints.

Prison Legal News quoted former Secretary Jeffrey Beard’s American Correctional Association’s conference speech in 2002 about HCV testing and treatment in prison as a smart and necessary public health investment. Beard acknowledged that early disease perception and intervention would prevent costly treatment of complications later on and prevent a significant number of deaths in the prison (17% of prisoner deaths in PA in 2001). With the DOC’s sentence protocol and the pattern and practice of denying prisoners parole despite their minimums due to incomplete or full programs, or a lack of home plans in the current political and economic climate, prisoners with HCV remain at considerable risk to die in prison.