The following information was sent to Missouri Prison Reform from a current resident at Jefferson City Correctional Center.
I was in the hole just recently, from June 5th – July 1st, under investigation and these are some of the conditions I underwent in that short period all of these situations were in Housing Unit 7, C -wing:
* No shower for five days, from June 13th – June 18th. Then no shower again from June 21st – June 26th. (They usually schedule showers on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays – the midnight shift going into the next day, so technically it’s twelve or one o’clock in the morning.)
* Laundry was NEVER done for the housing unit the entire time.
* Showers were NEVER cleaned in 7-C.
* No recreation for over seven days, last days of recreation before I was discharged and released back into general population was June 21st, and my release to G.P. was July 1st. Recreation is suppose to be at least one hour every 72 hours.
* No access to the Law Library, unless you can “prove” that you have a standing case in court and then you would quality for their their QLC (qualified legal claim) by filling out their form and having everything verified. No one could ask for legal help or policies from the librarian or law clerks.
* No books were passed out by staff, so men could find a way to occupy their minds. [Only way inmates read was because books that had a some point been there were ripped in sections and passed to others under the doors.]
* Cleaning supplies to clean your cell were only passed out on one Sunday, (June 16th by Sgt. ***), and were supposed to be weekly, yet only consisted of a heavily diluted Styrofoam 8oz. cup of disinfectant, with no rag, no scrub pad, and no toilet brush.
* Some inmates in cells were prone to flood, using continuous flushing of their toilets to accomplish whatever, and although staff were adamant about cutting the water off as soon recognized, however that was usually not until the damage was done, meaning inmates had already flooded the walk and several neighboring cells and others underneath with water that has residual urine and/or fecal particulars. The issue is that during these several times, the inmate who is equipped and training as a Haz-Mat worker was only called ONCE. Other times, it was simply mopped up or sloshed around and let dry. Nothing given to inmates for their cells, period.
* I was refused a dinner tray on June 21st. Situation was, Sgt. ******** sneezed and covered his mouth was his wrist and forearm, touch a piece a bread from the lid on the tray he was trying to give to my cellmate. My cellmate said, “Man you just sneezed and touched my bread.” The sergeant said, “My gloves are clean.” My cellmate said, “But you sneezed over your whole arm, and then TOUCHED my bread, something I gotta put in my mouth!” Acknowledging this, the sergeant gave him another tray. I come to chuck hole (food port) next and Officer *****, who is helping Sgt. ********, takes that same tray and offers it to me as the sergeant smirks as I watch. I said, “That’s the same tray the sergeant just tried to give to my cellie that he touched the bread on.” CO1 ***** said, “Take this one or nothing.”, so I looked at the sergeant and said, ” If you recognize that you shouldn’t give it to my cellie, why you gone let him give it to me?” Before the sergeant could respond, ***** snatched the tray from the chuck hole, locked it back and they moved on. I asked for a lieutenant and ***** said, “Yeah, I’ll find one for you.”, despite that being a sergeant’s responsibility as we are to go up the chain of command. (These officers don’t work for J.C.C.C. normally, belief is they were from Licking or Bonne Terre.) Later I saw another sergeant passing out mail, Sgt. *****, explained the situation to her and her response to getting me a lieutenant was, ” That’s just not how it works.” Later that evening, Capt. ****** was in the bubble (main officer control station in Housing unit 7). I’d bet he was never told, because from my experience with him, he’s relatively fair. However, instead of flooding my toilet, yelling, or kicking the door, I documented it and am sending this egregious or inhumane acts to you. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO OUR COLLECTIVE OUTCRIES.
Submitted by, Mike Lester
