Seven Days in Solitary [6/29/14]
The following roundup features noteworthy news, reports and opinions on solitary confinement from the past week that have not been covered in other Solitary Watch posts.
• On the Pacifica Evening News, religious leaders, families of people in prison, and state prison officials went on air to discuss the issue of solitary confinement.
• Writing for Pacific Standard Magazine, Jessica Pishko asks, “Are we approaching the end of solitary confinement?”
• Solitary Watch contributor Aviva Stahl covered a recent demonstration by the New-York based Jails Action Coalition, calling for justice for a man who died after spending seven days in isolation at Rikers without access to life-saving medication. Bradley Ballard’s death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, but thus far correction officers have been fired or indicted.
• About a dozen members of a Unitarian Universalist Congregation held a protest against solitary confinement outside of the Nassau County Correctional Facility. Since 2010, five prisoners have committed suicide at the jail.
• According to the NY Daily News, of the “11 suicides in New York City jails over the past five years show that in at least nine cases, safeguards designed to prevent inmates from harming themselves weren’t followed.” One of the inmates hung himself in solitary confinement after telling correctional officers he was suicidal. The documents were uncovered by the AP.
• The NY Daily News reports that people with mental illness at Rikers Island often face long-delays in accessing psychiatric treatment, which may lead to increased violence at the jail. In May, one inmate was attacked by rival gang members, both of whom owed time in “the box” but were deemed mentally ill and awaiting treatment.
• Two writers posted commentaries about solitary confinement on The Huffington Post, each beginning with the portrayal of isolation on the hit-television show Orange is the New Black (here and here).
• The Center for Investigative Reporting published a new documentary, “Alone,” about teens held in solitary confinement.
• Jane Doe, the 16-year-old transgender girl who was held in solitary confinement in both men and women’s adult facilities despite not facing any criminal charges, has been moved to a psychiatric center for children.
• A friend of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects is being held in solitary confinement in a Plymouth County jail. Khairullozhon Matanov is being charged with interfering into the ongoing investigation into the attack.
COMMENTS POLICY
Solitary Watch encourages comments and welcomes a range of ideas, opinions, debates, and respectful disagreement. We do not allow name-calling, bullying, cursing, or personal attacks of any kind. Any embedded links should be to information relevant to the conversation. Comments that violate these guidelines will be removed, and repeat offenders will be blocked. Thank you for your cooperation.
Let’s discuss Federal Mandated Consent Decree Agreement Settlement, in NYS that aer bogus, ineffective, and not worth the time invested or the papers their written on! Both NCCC & Rikers Island jails has been sued by the DOJ for Patterns & Practices that violate the terms Rights of inmates. Each Consent Decree called for the implementation & installation of video cameras throughout the faciities with 100% coverage, new use of force policies & medical upgrades for treating prisoners. And for years_after the Consent Decrees had been implemented, nothing has changed in Nassau County Jail or Rikers Island jails because NCCC Sheriff’s Officer’s Association correctional union jail guards & COBA union guards failure to comply with the Federal Mandated Consent Decree Agreement Settlement terms that were signed to end Federal Civil Rights Abuse Violations Lawsuits filed by the (complict) DOJ. What is the purpose of suing a police department of correctional facility if the DOJ turns a blind eye to these offenders once the lawsuits are settled? Video is Cameras in police lock-ups, jails, jail medical wards, prisons, & police car/body-cam recordings don’t lie! So, how did five vulnerable women behind bars, in NCCC/NUMC get Raped & Sexually Abused by the president of the Sheriff’s Officer’s Association correctional union, a k own repeat offender, Mark-“Institutional-Tree-Jumper”-Barber, the Fox Guarding the Hen House, who was promoted to head the Women’s Grievance Unit, in 2005, when Federal Monitor, Steve J. Martin ended “partial-oversight” in NCCC/NUMC the same year Kathleen Rice was ele ted District Attorney of Nassau County? Baber was indicted on 80 counts of Sexual Deviancy & convicted for Raping & Sexually Abusing five vulnerable Women Behind Bars repeatedly. Video surveillance cameras, 🎥🕵🏻♀️ with 100% rolling coverage, that were proposed to the Nassau County MS-19 Gang (Municipal Servants-19)_complicit legislators, in 1999 by former N.C. District Attorney, Denis Dillon, Rice’s predecessor, & former N.C. Executive, Thomas Gulotta, Suozzi’s predecessor, were suppose to had been installed were suppose to protect these five (5) vulnerable women behind bars! The real question is ” what happened to the mo ey that was suppose to had been spent purchasing & installing the video on cameras, with 100% coverage, would have protected these women, & other inmates/detainees, from Abuse & neglect in NCCC/NUMC? Who reallocated the funds, who knew_when, but dud nothing to blow the whistle on firmer Nassau County Executive, Tom-“$tick’em for the CREAM”-Suozzi’s failure to comply with the Federal Mandated CRT Reform Policy Agreement Settlement; signed by Suozzinin 2002 that ended the Federal Civil Rights Abuse Violations Lawsuits by the DOJ. ThecN.C. GOP legislators voted to approve the 2005 Whistle Blower Protection Act during Suozzi’s Administration. What happened to the money ey? Google &;Read: Proposals for video cameras in Nassau County Jail. Then Google & Read: “It’s Time Nassau Takes A Hard Look!” District Attorney Kathleen Rice said “It’s Time To Put Nassau County Correctional Center Under A Microscope”🔬 🕵🏻♀️following Darryl Woody’s highly suspicious death that occurred on January 3, 2011 in NUMC/NCCC; captured on 24 hour video surveillance camera monitoring recordings at NUMC, & y a wire feed to NCCC. NUMC blamed NCCC, NCCC blamed NUMC; both County Defendants conspired & colluded with Nassau County District Attorneys Kathleen Rice, & Rice’s trusted, former, lap-dog accomplice, Deputy D.A.,Madeline Singas, who was NCCC/ NUMC’s Liasion; promoted to Chief Deputy D.A., in 2011,_after covering-up Darryl Woody’s Homicide by criminally omitting three (3) 📼📼📼 videos from NCPD, NCCC, & NUMC from Darryl Woody’s Homicide Investigation/Probe. Three damaging videos that were not disclosed during Woody’s family’s Discovery Hearings in the ongoing Matter of Darryl Woody’s $140 million Wrongful Death Civil Lawsuit Case filed against Nassau County, NCPD, NCCC, & former disgraced Gov. Cuomo’s NYS in 2011; twomweeks before NIFA. Nassau County’s Interim Financial Authority, took control of Nassau County’s crippled finances on January 26, 2011 , following Woody’s $140 million Lawsuit, to protect Nassau County from being bankrupted by Woody’s family’s ongoing Lawsuit that threatened to push Nassau (corrupt) County beyond it’s 1% budgetary threshold, set forth by NIFA, in 2000, to prevent Nassau County from insolvency! This is a cover-up; a Major Scandal that’s still being perpetrated against Darryl Woody’s family more than a decade & five (5) lawyers later of injudicious trial delays & stalling-tactics designed to frustrate Darryl’s Lawsuit. Justice Delayed is Justice Denied! We Can can handle the truth! Can Nassau ( corrupt) County & NYS? ” I Am My Brother’s Keeper!” Re,ease the three videos from NCPD, NCCC, & NUMC_now! Still active/pending $140 Illinois Wrongful Death Civil Lawsuit; case file #017721/2011. Trial Date: more than a decade later, is scheduled for Jury selection on August 18, 2011 at the Nassau County corrupt Supreme Courts in Mineola, N.Y. where a persistent, relentless Supreme Court Judge has repeatedly denied access to the three damaging videos from NCPD, NCCC, & NUMC; Acting in Concert & in Criminal Collaboration with this continuing egregious miscarriage of Justice that’s still being perpetrated against Darryl Woody’s family in their decade long pursuit for Justice. No Justice, No Peace! “What Abiut Darryl Woody!” Darryl Woody’s Homicide was captured on 24 hour video surveillance camera monitoring recordings that were not disclosed during Woody’s family’s Discovery Hearings. “I Am My Brother’s Keeper!” I Am also the Administrators of Darryl Woody’s Wrongful Death Civil Lawsuit. Darryl’s death was deemed Peventabke. Y thecNYSCIC. Darryl’s Final Report listed “Gross Negligence & Gross Incompetence” as the cause of Darryl Woody’s death. Darryl was still on 24 hour Constant Guard, Suicide Supervision (suicide-watch) at NUMC/NCCC its a NCCC Sheriff’s Officer’s Association correctional union jail guards sitting outside Darryl’s cell location (333) at NUMC, just 6ft away,(supposedly) supervising Darryl on 1to1 24 hour Constant Guard Suicide Supervision (suicide-watch). Video surveillance cameras don’t lie!