|
P.O. Box 149
Attica, NY 14011-0149
23rd August 2006
State of New York
Office of the Governor
Hon. George E. Pataki
Executive Chamber – State Capitol
Albany, New York 12224
Dear Sir:
This is not the first time I have
written to you about the murder of inmates, the sadistic and
wanton brutality, the theft of inmates’ incoming and
outgoing mail and the filing of false misbehavior reports
against inmates who file grievances and complaints. All of
this illegal behavior is being committed by your state
prison guards, especially here at Attica C.F. Inmates’
complaints have been deliberately ignored by facility and
central office personnel.
The Inspector General’s Office of the
D.O.C.S. is a fraud agency made up mostly of former prison
guards. The I.G. has done absolutely nothing to stop the
illegal actions that are brought to their attention. They
assist in covering up those illegal actions and have never
implemented any modern investigative methods, tools, and
technology to investigate complaints brought to their
attention.
This has not occurred as a mere
oversight, but as a planned and deliberate act of
indifference. In fact, inmates who have filed complaints
with the I.G. against staff are interviewed by I.G. and then
left in the same facility and subjected to retaliation by
the very staff the inmate complained about.
You have allowed thee illegal acts to
occur by not insisting that those who break the law are held
accountable, as we have been held accountable, and to
appoint professional correctional managers for the
management of the D.O.C.S. and its facilities. You have
used the D.O.C.S. as an employment agency for political
patronage, which has resulted in the prison system being in
a state of administrative and security chaos! All of my
previous correspondence to your office and the D.O.C.S. have
been photocopied and sent to legal and media organizations.
Any plans you may have for future elective office will be
met with a full exposure of your horrendous tenure as
governor!
As a 61 year old former federal
employee and a former investigator with the N.Y.C. Board of
Correction (who has refused to leave prison – even though I
could have on the 13th of May 2006 – which was my
conditional release date), I am sure the media and future
governor Spitzer will give a fair review and analysis of my
complaints. Thank God you will be out of office in four
more months. I have been assured by my democratic contacts
that after Spitzer is sworn in as governor, the Rogue
Administration of the D.O.C.S. and various facilities,
especially Great Meadow C.F. and Attica C.F. will be removed
from office. It’s unfortunate that most will be able to
quietly retire, without ever being held accountable – at
least in this lifetime – for their illegal activities and
gross misconduct. Your tenure as governor and that of Glenn
Goord, as Commissioner of the D.O.C.S., will be recorded as
the worst in the history of the State of New York.
Before you leave office, I once again
wish to bring to your attention the serious and dangerous
conditions that continue to exist at Attica C.F.:
1.
Inmates continue to be savagely attacked by guards
for no justification. Look at the number of inmates who
have been savagely attached by guards in A and C-Blocks at
Attica. Why is it that those two housing blocks and Attica
as a whole has sent more inmates to the hospital for
injuries inflicted upon them by staff and then sent to S.H.U
(punitive segregated – special housing units) on fabricated
misbehavior reports – than any other five prisons combined?
Why is it that inmates who file grievances and complaints
against staff abuse with facility personnel are soon after
those filings attacked by staff and sent to S.H.U.? Most,
if not all, of the fabricated misbehavior reports allege
that the inmate assaulted staff. However, why is it that
this alleged assault on staff occurred in front of several
guards – who always have their batons in hand eager to break
inmates heads wide open? Were all these inmates suicidal?
Inmates throughout the State Prison System know of and or
heard of the brutality by guards at Attica – yet, when they
arrive at Attica they allegedly attack staff? Why is it
that inmates have repeatedly requested that cameras with
voice recording capability be placed throughout the prison –
but because the guards oppose it, state officials have
refused to put them in? Macy’s Department Store has cameras
throughout their Manhattan store, with a command center for
monitoring all activity – but a dangerous prison like Attica
does not? Who is really benefiting from not installing
cameras?
2.
The D.O.C.S. receives thousands of complaints from
inmates each year that security staff is stealing their
incoming and outgoing mail. Yet after such a complaint is
files, the facilities refuse to monitor an inmates’ mail
sent from the facility mailroom to the Housing Unit, the
D.O.C.S. should hire civilian personnel to collect and
distribute incoming and outgoing mail. All incoming mail
should be stamped showing the date of arrival – including
packages.
3.
Attica C.F. refuses to comply with the D.O.C.S.’ own
directives, especially Dir. #4917 transferring inmate
property section III B Packing Procedures #5, 7, and 11
through 13, see attached. D.O.C.S. sequentially numbered
blue security seals are not being affixed to an inmate’s
property bags at the place of pack-up, usually at his cell,
but tied with a cord then brought down to the housing lobby
– where there are no cameras to monitor them. The bags are
then taken to the outgoing draft area, where again no
cameras exist. Inmates arrive at their next facility only
to discover their property stolen and/or deliberately
damaged. The same procedure is applied for an inmate’s
excess property sent at this expense and shipped through the
facility package room, where again no cameras exist. In
addition, form #367 listing the inmate’s name and number is
not being placed in each bag of property being transferred.
Look at the thousands of claims filed by inmates each year
for lost and/or damaged property.
4.
Why is Attica short three dentists for over three
years? Why are they short six nurses for over two years?
5.
This is my fifth time being housed in Attica and this
time I’ve seen more brutality than all previous times
combined. It appears to this writer that staff brutality is
being purposely orchestrated in the hope that a riot will
occur, so that it can be used as a bargaining chip in labor
contracts.
I am limiting this letter to the above
issues; because if I wrote every problem existing at Attica,
I would still be writing long after you leave office.
Although, unlike Governor Cuomo, you have never acknowledged
my previous letters or sent me a reply, even though I always
sent them first class certified mail return receipt
requested, as this letter has been sent.
I await a reply.
Submitted with no respect,
Samuel J. Smolen, Jr.
age 61, #85A4082
cc: Eliot Spitzer
Washington Post
N.Y. Times
P.L.S.
WBAI. FM
/ WJFF.FM
File |