VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS MONOPOLY WITH KEEFE COMPANY & PRAYER OIL

For all of you out there who were under the illusion and delusion of what's the driving motive force of prison. The below should easily shake you out of it. The driving force is as everything else in life  MONEY. The state of Virginia and it's VADOC has a monopoly contract with the Keefe Company and not even the U.S. 1st amendment prohibition against state interference in religion hinders it. So you see Prison Policy Reflected.




By vapac

VIRGIN ISLAND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT COVERTLY DELVES INTO STATESIDE VIRGINIA'S RED ONION STATE PRISON REPORT OF MALFEASANCE AND ABUSE

Editors Notes: We at "Virginia Prisons Accountability Committee" would like to thank the family of Prisoner Hector Ledesma for sharing their story with us. Mr. Ledesma has expressed he is now on St.Croix V.I his hometown prison, Golden Grove Correctional Facility and is still having problems mentally and to this day he has received no help and there are still V.I prisoners in Red Onion along with Wallens Ridge prisons in Virginia (quote) getting tortured and abused.

Virgin Island Justice Department covertly delves into Account of Stateside Prison Abuse proclaimed by Prisoner Hector Ledesma relating his experience of his imprisonment in isolation subsequent to being shipped to Virginia's Red Onion State Prison. Conditions at Red Onion have been the subject of an HBO Docu titled "Solitary" a narrative based on a prison on an Appalachian strip-mined mountaintop where the sights and sounds hints of infertile destruction alone are sufficient to set your skin creeping and your brain working in unbearable and painful ways where life is obvious and desolate, particularly in supermax prison, where prisoners are isolated 23 hours daily locked down in cells with no human contact. Other articles have been written in an array of media, Variety Magazine, and the Washington Post to name a couple.

Some articles portray the supermax as "Virginia's Worst of the Worst prison," intended to oversee prisoners who are especially risky or oppose discipline.

Ledesma served a part of his 13 years, 9-month term at Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility on St. Croix and Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto, Florida.

He was sentenced for aggravated rape at the age 18, accused of engaging in sexual relations with a 12-year-old minor on St. Croix. The punishment delivered to him in 2004 was 15 years with no parole. 

Since then Ledesma has bid his case, based on changes in a witness testimony. But the appeal was rejected by the U.S. District Appellate Court in 2009 and also rejected upon review by the V.I. Superior Court in 2016. The alleged victim’s coerced testimony was apparently the only claimed evidence that was used to falsely and wrongfully convict Ledesma. We at vapac have been provided and given permission to share her recanted statements.

Another Virginia prison confining Virgin Islanders is Wallens Ridge State Prison in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. As per data shared on the web, Wallens Ridge was intentionally built to enable different states to mitigate prison overcrowding.

The Source a U.S. Virgin Island online-only newspaper since 1999 whom considers itself  A trusted independent voice of the Virgin Islands community in a recent article reported: (quote)

Several days into an investigation into the living conditions of Virgin Islands prisoners, Attorney General Claude Walker said he had little to say about it. However, he admitted the probe began with the publishing of a letter from one of those prisoners. But because Walker chose to limit remarks about the off-island prisoners, it was hard to determine if the investigation will extend to the 202 V.I. inmates now serving time in Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina and Virginia. In his letter, inmate Hector Ledesma recounted his placement in solitary confinement after being transferred to Red Onion State Prison. When asked when the inquiry began, Walker said, “a few weeks ago.”But the AG added few details after that.“I do not have anything to share with you at this time, as it in an investigation,” he said. The article went on to say the Bureau of Corrections Public Information Officer Irving Julian said there are 56 inmates in Virginia, 66 in Mississippi, 85 in Florida and one in South Carolina. The last group to leave the territory left after the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. But Julian could not say how many inmates left in the 2017 group (unquote)

Attorney General Claude Walker confirmed to Virgin Islands Consortium another online news platform that The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the treatment of Virgin Islands prisoners being held in stateside prison facilities.

By vapac

References:

• VI Inmate Opens Up About Unthinkable Abuse He And Others Endure At Out-Of-State Prisons
• Department Of Justice Launches Full Investigation Into Treatment Of VI Prisoners Held In Off-Island Facilities 
• Bureau Of Corrections Working Alongside D.O.J. On Investigation Into Treatment Of VI Prisoners Held In Off-Island Facilities
•  Justice Department Quietly Digs into Account of Stateside Prison Abuse | St. Thomas Source
• Virginia Prisons Accountability Committee:  VIRGIN ISLANDS CONSORTIUM CHRONICLES VI PRISONER ABUSE WHILE HELD AT VIRGINIA'S RED ONION STATE PRISON
• Virginia Prisons Accountability Committee: VIRGIN ISLANDS CONSORTIUM REPORTS V.I. BUREAU OF CORRECTIONS & DOJ EXAMINING FORMER RED ONION STATE PRISONER ABUSE

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS INNOCUOUS INSTITUTIONAL ATTORNEY REQUEST FORM

This innocuous nature of this form reveals it's insidiousness. The prison is well aware of legal confidentiality. So why is it even presenting a waiver which naturally can only harm the prisoner? This is but one aspect of Virginia's Red Onion. That's why transparency and the subsequent accountability is needed.




By vapac

THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, 28 DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS AND THE FIGHT OVER A WOMAN'S BODY

Opportunism and its exploitation by politicians is nothing new and society is equally jaded to expect and naturally accept it. Nonetheless, if governance in the Commonwealth of Virginia isn't to be reduced to a speculative exercise, then certain instances of its display have to be highlighted and for the purpose of this work scrutinized.

WHO OWNS THE VIRGINIA WOMAN'S BODY

A little over a fortnight ago Brian Moran, Secretary of Public Safety Homeland Security and executive elements of the Virginia Department of Corrections intimidated at an opening of a new collaborative front with Virginia Conservatives and the effort at controlling women's bodies. Specifically the bodies of Mothers, Wives, Daughters, Sisters, Aunts, the Women of Virginia Prisoners, under the guise of responding to illicit drugs within the state's prisons. The Department of Corrections weirdly determined that focusing on the menstrual function of Women visitors to its prisons was the correct response because it targeted bloody tampons and menstrual cups.

OPPORTUNITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Consequently, 28 Democratic lawmakers presented a letter to the elements responsible for the state's reprehensible focus on the menstrual functions of Women, stating their misgivings and in extension, their constituents. The classic definition of political opportunity is a politician's reflexive exploitation of the low hanging fruit of contradictions within the society and prison and its issues are always low hanging fruit for politicians and their pursuit of speculative power. What however is troubling in this context: The state and condition of Virginia prisons it's problems and official misconduct have been well documented by the tireless work of Virginia Reform advocacy. Despite the focus on the state's Red Onion State Prison and it's extrajudicial propensity, the Virginia prisons system is a rug well cushioned with the dirt of it's prison officials malfeasance swept under it due to the lack of accountability and political apathy.

If the standard for accountability and focus on the state of Virginia prisoners by Virginia politicians is "Drug overdose.....that are.....preventable "as stated in 9/26/18; democratic lawmakers letter to the Director of the Department of Corrections. Which implies and rightly so, that Virginia citizens are not sentenced to its prisons to die, whether by prisoner suicide or the indifference to prisoner health and nutrition. Then those 28 Democratic lawmakers who correctly reminded elements within the Virginia Department of Corrections, purveyors of the tampon and menstrual cup fight over a Woman's body and it's antebellumesque backwardsness and its Conservative myopia, of once again, another attempt at controlling a Woman's body should recognize that what the effort by those responsible for the tampon menstrual cup policy tells us in that tip of the iceberg manner is the state of the Virginia prison system. Notwithstanding Brian Moran's exhortation that Virginia Department of Corrections Director Harold Clarke has "changed" and reformed the culture. Which we are expected to accept as euphemism for its officials and rank and file guards are now following U.S. and Virginia Law and Department s own procedures and policies. Actions like the tampon and menstrual cup policy that are perverted and morally wrong, even bordering on the sadistic exposes to the Virginia taxpayer that it's prison officials lack the common decency to fundamentally respect Women and if this behavior exemplifies a cultural change, then what exactly preceded it? Case in point at the Virginia Department of Corrections, Red Onion State Prison, not a single Woman has been promoted beyond rank of Sergeant since its 1998 opening, for all practical purposes.

So if those 28 Democrat lawmakers are not petty machiavellian exploiters of the #MeToo political emergence, then concerns about the Virginia prison condition isn't limited to drug overdoses.

THE HYPOCRISY OF DUE DILIGENCE

Have any of the 28 Democratic lawmakers went into, Red Onion, Wallens Ridge, Sussex I, and Sussex II State Prison and spoken to prisoners, actually paid attention to what Virginia Department of Correction proclaims in its press releases with what it does?

By William Thorpe who is held in Solitary Confinement at Red Onions State Prison.

References

Virginia Prisons Ban Visitors From Wearing Tampons, Citing Contraband Concern 

8 Investigates Virginia halts tampon ban for state prison visitors

Lawmakers to Virginia prison chief: Tampon ban is an invasion of visitor privacy

IF EDUCATING PRISONERS & JOB TRAINING WERE REALLY GENUINE EFFORTS BY WILLIAM THORPE

There are some (advocates) who assume the system has the best interest of Prisoners at heart and is acting in good faith when in actuality of the reality says otherwise. Because for example if educating Prisoners and job training were really genuine efforts      The system i.e., Virginia Government would make it easy for released Prisoners to then get jobs and reintegrate into society but on the contrary, we don't see Virginia Government changing laws and its perception of released Prisoners meaning the system talks of rehabilitation, education e.c.t. are only window dressing, a deflection from the push to reform Prisoners and hold Prison Officials accountable.

We don't expect those who assume the system has the best interest of Prisoners at heart to instinctively understand this but what "vapac does demand of them if they claim to speak for Prisoners then they should listen to Prisoners. Now it isn't that all Prisoners per virtue of being Prisoners have some special insight. But what Prisoners do have is an intimate view of the system, Prisoners, have a cynical view of anything the system claims it's doing in good faith and those who profess to speak for Prisoners can then add on the cynicism of Prisoners with their (advocates) instincts to then develop a practical approach to hold the system accountable.



BY WILLIAM THORPE

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OPERATING PROCEDURE "INCOMING PUBLICATIONS" CONCERNING FOREIGN LANGUAGE

When prisoners and families are faced with questions as it concerns the Virginia Department of Corrections [VADOC] the only approach is to refer to the VADOC Operating Procedures first, secondly visiting the relevant policy, from there this is the guidelines for which prisoners will follow to file his/her complaints and grievances. We at vapac [Virginia Prisons Accountability Committee] will be periodically sharing policy and procedure on our site.

Correctional agencies must deliver clear and brief composed mandates for staff, prisoners, and the community. Given the issues of authoritative risk, accreditation benchmarks, case law, and the need to help proficient conduct, written policy and procedure is a requisite.

Prisoner family and friends should go on the VADOC website and familiarize yourselves with the policy and procedure so you can understand what prison guards are SUPPOSE to do.

Recently vapac received a concern from a prisoner family member pertaining to "incoming mail and publications as it pertains to foreign language" sharing their concern stating "just because somethings in a different language and they can't read it, doesn't mean that the inmate shouldn't get it! What do they do for the non-English speakers?" Unfortunately, as it pertains to "publications" policy considers and states "Publications that are written or communicated in languages other than English or Spanish that cannot be readily translated and reviewed for content pose an overriding security concern for the DOC." (note~see page 8 of 10).

We are highlighting this issue in hopes it will be of some help to other prisoners and their loved ones. Again every one familiarize yourself with VADOC policy and procedure as this is ammo to battle a war we more often than not find ourselves in the middle of.




By  Dee
vapac

Reference

Virginia Department of Corrections Procedures

803.2

Incoming Publications

VIRGIN ISLANDS CONSORTIUM CHRONICLES VI PRISONER ABUSE WHILE HELD AT VIRGINIA'S RED ONION STATE PRISON

This week we learned from Editor-In-Cheif and journalist Ernice Gilbert of The Virgin Islands Consortium who first reported an astounding account of Virgin Island detainee Hector Ledesma recount of prisoner abuse while he was imprisoned at Virginia's Red Onion State Prison by Guards.

The following article is about the ongoing reports of unimaginable mistreatment prisoners persistently endure at the hands of corrupt prison guards in Virginia Penitentiaries written by Virgin Island Hector Ledesma. 

My name is Hector Ledesma.  I have been incarceration for the past 13 years and 9 months.  I was recently doing time in Virginia Red Onion Super-Max State Prison.  I was sent there from Citrus Count detention center. Upon arrival to Red Onion, I was placed in a locked down cell with stool all over the walls.  I was told to remove my clothes and give it to the officers, so I did. I was then locked in that cell with no clothes. The officers refused to give me showers for three months, they refuse to give me any soap, toothpaste and other hygiene.  The first time I brushed my mouth my gums was so tender that they started to bleed. I was given no toilet paper and the toilet and sink in the cell was not working either. The officers refused to give me a bed mattress so I had to try to sit and lay o the cold iron for months.  I was being STARVED FOR THREE DAYS of EVERY SINGLE WEEK. So, for three days straight per week I would receive no breakfast, lunch or dinner. I had to DRINK MY OWN URINE TO SURVIVE. I was BEATEN/ABUSED by the officers all BECAUSE I was from the Virgin Islands. I thought I was going to die, I felt like dying.  I tried sending some type of letter to my mother over on St. Croix but one day SGT. Flemming came to the cell door with something in his hands, he looked at me and said ‘what is this boy, you trying to snitch on us? Nobody could help you, don’t you see that your own Government don’t care about you, that’s why they sent you up here.’  I just ignored him. Next thing I knew my door was being buzz opened and in comes the officers, I moved back up on the wall and they kept coming after me calling me “Island Monkey.” They said where you gonna run to, and started beating me up, they left me on the floor bleeding through my mouth.

On another occasion I was sitting with my head between my legs while I sat on the cold floor, and the officer said stand up you piece of shit before I come in there and F*** you up.  So I took a little time to stand up and he called back up. When they came in my room, I said what was the problem, they said get on the floor now mother f***er, so I did as I was told.  They then had the dog breathing and dribbling over me while they laughed. Sgt. Flemming then took his foot and put it on top on my buttocks and said don’t f***ing move. Then he started to rub his foot on my butt and said nice ass, then he started rubbing harder, my penis and testicles started to hurt cause it was rubbing on the cold floor, so I tried to move and he punched me behind my head and said I told you not to move you piece of shit.  When they left, again I was coughing out blood. Even writing this right now is killing me inside, having to relive those moments. I thought I was gonna die. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like giving up. I drew a face with my blood on the wall. I used to speak to the face on the wall to try to give myself some type of hope some type of comfort, some type of energy so I wouldn’t give up. I was so tired and beaten down. I didn’t know how much more I could have taken.  I spent nights crying inside. I prayed so hard. Just when I was thinking of a way to give up on life, I started thinking about my family and friends and I kept telling myself to be strong for them. I heard my Sister Demaris voice in my head telling me to keep fighting. Don’t give up the family needs you.

I started thinking about a few people and the good they have done for me, and I told myself I have to find a way to stay strong, don’t give up, don’t surrender, keep pushing through, you have love ones waiting for you to be free.  So I refuse to die, I refuse to give into the pressure. One day I took a chance and sent a letter to my mother and from what I was told, she received it, she cried out for me when she read it. I was telling her they trying to kill me and to get help asap and so on. I’m pretty sure she still has that letter. So my Mother went to B.O.C Golden Grove crying and spoke to Officer Morris among others and showed him the letter. They assured her that they was gonna help me but they did nothing. I kept getting TORTURED DAY IN AND DAY OUT with NO HELP.

One day B.O.C. Officials to include Director Mulgrav, Officer Morris, Classification Leader Ms. Dewese, Head of Medical Linda Caldwell came to Red Onion to visit us and see how The V.I inmates were doing.  All of US told them about the abuse and mistreatment we are receiving. I even told them about the officers beating my mentally ill cousin Michael Ledesma unconscious. They bust his head open and let the dog bit him up, all because they was telling him to come off the bunk and he took too long to respond. Of course, he would. He is MENTALLY ILL, but they don’t know how to deal with mentally ill inmates so they think beating the crap out of them is the right way.  B.O.C officials saw him for themselves and still did nothing about it. They claimed said they would look into it because that’s not the first time that they are hearing complains like this. They assured us that they were going to move us from that particular prison because of the abuse of not only Virgin Island inmates but reports of excessive force and abuse of other out of state inmates. I told them, by us coming to them about the treatment that the officers will retaliate and I was told not to worry because B.O.C will continue a check on us to make sure that we are okay. On my way back to my cell the two officers who were escorting me said to me, You rat mother***er, we told you that nobody gonna help you.  You thought we were joking. We got something for you later. I said nothing. I just felt like BREAKING DOWN.

So later that night around 9pm I heard my door popped open and saw the same two officers standing there with an African American inmate.  They said you bitch mother f***er, here’s a present for you. So they locked us in and walked away, I knew what time it was, because they don’t move anyone so late at night and they also do not mix race in the same cell unless you request it on paper.  It’s VI with VI, Spanish with Spanish and so forth. So I already knew I was about to get stabbed maybe to death. I jumped off the bed, there was inmate AJ with a shank in his hand, so I stood there with a wire in my hand and my shoes ready to fight for my life.  But then one guy yelled out to me through the AC vent. He said VI what’s going on down there. I told him nothing I’m good. When inmate AJ heard my accent he said oh shit you from the islands. I said yeah and what. He said what the f*** did I get myself into and told me the cops lied to him.  They told him that they gonna put him in a cell with A White Snitch, deal with him and they gonna look out for him, they gonna send him to a lower land prison. Inmate AJ then said dude I don’t want no problems with no VI people. I got love for you guys. I love the VI so I told him what are we gonna do about this then cause you can’t stay in this cell with me when I already know your motives.  AJ then gave me the shank/knife and said dude that’s proof that I don’t want no problems with the VI. So three days after the officers realize nothing was done to me and they ask him why the f*** is He still breathing. AJ then told them he is from the VI he ain’t no white dude like you told me. I sent word to my mother to alert B.O.C officials about this retaliation on my life. My mother emailed Director Mulgrav, Linda Caldwell and Ms. Dewese about the latest incident and the only reply my mother got was from Director Mulgrav asking who she was.  And once again they did nothing to help. That’s when I was convinced that B.O.C. left me there to die.

The following day the same officers brought a charge against AJ.  The charge was that he disrespected them which was a lie. They wanted him out of my cell to try put someone else, but the same day AJ had to go to what we call Kangaroo Court for the write up, that same exact day I was So Blessed that some Marshals came to get  me for another case back in the VI. My life was spared because of my accent and also because the Marshals came for me for another case. I tried seeking help and was unsuccessful. Last December I spent about three weeks on St. Croix in Golden Grove, my first night sleeping up by booking control, at night two officers opened my door to check on me and saw me lying down under the bed under the iron and asked me what was wrong with me and why I was sleeping under the bed on the cold floor, and for a moment I realized I was back in the VI.  I slept under the bed because I figure whenever the door open the officers coming in to beat me so I felt safe under the bed. While I was in Puerto Rico Federal Prison I did the samething as well. I had 15 different roommates because nobody lasted there with me. I was losing it. I was losing my mind. And still my torture and abuse is still going unnoticed.

As I write this, I am on St. Thomas prison, the Annex and I’m still having problems mentally and to this day I have received no help and there are still V.I inmates in Red Onion along with Wallens Ridge prisons in Virginia getting tortured and abused. One of the sad things is that we’re just up there filling slots for other inmates who left.  It’s a vicious cycle. Those two prisons are max prisons for high risk deadly inmates. If you ask BOC’s Director to contact BOC’s classification for the prison records of any VI inmate housed in those prisons, you would be shocked to learn most of these inmates are inmates with good behavior. I know of VI inmates sent to these supermax prisons without a single write up while incarcerated in the Virgin Islands, but they are in a super max prison.  It’s a cycle that needs to end. They rotate us and sell us like slaves. They sell us off to the lowest bidder. I believe, if the contract for, lets say Red Onion, states that 15 VI inmates will be housed there, then what happens is everytime an inmate gets release or moved from Red Onion State Prison, BOC just sends another body to fill that vacancy.

It’s sad because the Virgin Islands is such a small and beautiful place where everybody knows everybody.  How could you send away your own people to racist, homosexual, abusive, gang prisons to be hurt? There is no rehabilitation in those prisons.  Those prisons just fill you up with hate. There are no programs for us up there and by law their should be.

VI Code says “the Director of Corrections is authorized to enter into agreements to use the correctional or detention facilities of the United States Bureau of Prisons; or the correctional facilities of any state or local government or private correctional entity located in the United States, its territories, possessions, commonwealths or the District of Columbia, which are accredited by the American Correctional Association, when the Director of Corrections determines that detention and/or correctional facilities within the Virgin Islands are inadequate to serve the best interest of the inmate or the general interest or welfare of the Territory; provided that as a condition of the prior to the transfer of any inmates, the Director of Corrections shall ascertain and ensure the availability of educational and/or vocational programs at the institution they are to be transferred to for the purpose of enabling such inmate to gain marketable skills, and provided further that no inmate is to be transferred to any institution lacking any such program(s).”

Also on December 28, 1979 Ali vs. Gibson, civil number 76-535, Mr. Ali argued about his illegal transfer to an out-of-state prison was a violation of his due process because you are not allowed to send away an inmate to state prison without giving him or her an advance notice and a hearing as to why you are sending that inmate away.

Title 5 V.IC.s 4501 Through s4503 Indicates the proper procedure for sending VI inmates to out-of-state prisons.  As of currently, they are sending us away to these abusive prisons for no reason knowing fully well of the abuse we receive in those prisons. To this day, I still dream and have cold sweats whenever I think about what I went through up there and what my fellow VI inmates are still going through up there. These prisons are setting us up for failure.  It feels like we are being set up to come right back in prison, be killed, or continue a life of crime. We want none of these things for ourselves. However, we are a byproduct of what has happened to us, of what our VI government allowed these out-of-state prisons to do to us. There is no rehabilitation. In the 13 years and 8 months I have been incarcerated what I have learned more than anything else how to survive. I have gained alot of pain in my heart from being away in out-of-state prisons away from my loved ones.  There is a sincere disappointment that our VI Government has allowed state prison officials to take advantage of me and my fellow VI inmates. Please end this cycle. People keep saying stop the violence. Well you should start from in the prison system. Help us. It’s cheaper to educate than to incarcerate. Don’t wait until it’s somebody you love to want to help. Bring us home to our families or put us in better state prisons so we can get the proper care, treatment and education that we need. This will allow us a chance of being successful when we return to our community.

By Hector Ledesma Submitted by: Cydmarie Cruz, cousin of inmate Hector Ledesma.

Editors Note: Written with the permission from the family of  Hector Ledesma expressing they are trying to be heard. Stating It's sad how people could automatically think an inmate is lying when he or she reports abuse by prison officials...Mr. Ledesma's cousin Cydmarie Cruz states: They assume that prison officials are there to protect and ensure safety so they can't possibly be abusive...Who feels it knows it. My family Mr. Ledesma is not worried about the doubters..He is to focus on getting something done..The Attorney general and Prison officials are now claiming that they are investigating Prison abuse..Yesterday a Sergeant that works in the prison and for PREA met with Mr. Ledesma to discuss what happened in Red Onion...the family states Truthfully the government are full of crap. They are only trying to do something now because election time is next month. We are not concerned about them and their bs Politricks ..We just need a course of action. The abuse has to stop..

Related Article DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE LAUNCHES FULL INVESTIGATION INTO TREATMENT OF VI PRISONERS HELD IN OFF-ISLAND FACILITIES 

Reference
The VI Consortium was founded in 2014 covering U.S. Virgin Islands news, politics.