********  DEATH ROW POET STRIKES AGAIN  *********

Death row prisoner, Ronald Wayne Clark Jr., DoC #812974, is a beleaguered whistle-blower who has presented three urgent complaints to Secretary James V. Crosby Jr. without even the courtesy of a reply.  

THEREFORE, Mr. Clark, aka The Death Row Poet,  feels the only choice left to him is to launch a Hunger Strike on Thursday, July 1, 2004, tomorrow,  to focus attention and gain resolution to the three (3) following major issues in the Florida Department of Correction's prisons; conditions that are endangering nearly all 77,000 Florida prisoners and most of Florida's 25,126 prison workers.

1. FLORIDA HEAT:  The yearly pattern inside most Florida prisons is intense heat in the summer and cold in the winter.  The temperature inside cells in summer and winter has been an ongoing problem.  The Hunger Strike asks for relief in the form of fans to be available in the canteens.  DoC says no. 

Immediate Problem:  As we enter the hottest part of the year, under washed bodies in overcrowded, airless areas without ventilation and circulation increase potential for violence and illness, a costly situation for the public and a dangerous situation for officers and prisoners alike.

Suggested Solutions:  Daily showers for all prisoners; swamp coolers in hallways; fans mounted to cross-ventilate; plenty of fresh water.

2.  CHEMICAL AGENTS:  A good number of officers continue to abuse chemical agents without punishment due to lack of filmed documentation.  The Hunger Strike asks that there be a mandate that cameras film every incident, each film required to be reviewed by an outside committee. 

Immediate Problem:  I, Kay Lee, have reason to believe that some errant prison workers at some of the prisons, instead of using department issued pepper spray, are using their own combination of chemical agents reported to be so strong that "it strips the skin right off."

Suggested Solutions:  Mandate filming and review of every incident; set up outside committee to include private citizens; obtain portable video cameras for officer use, seriously investigate possibility of chemical agent mixture and abuse of same.

3.  DOCUMENTED ASSAULTS: Many assaults by prison workers are reported, few are investigated, and almost none are ever ruled in favor of the prisoner. All inmates are not liars.  All prison workers are not professional, yet this time officers do not have to prove that the prisoner is lying for the guilty verdict to result in discipline.  The Strike asks for polygraph examination on both inmates and officers.

Immediate Problem:   Unnecessary and Excessive Use of Force continues, injuring inmates and raising risks to officers should rebellion occur.

Suggested Solutions:  Require methods such as polygraph, lie detector and stress tests be administered to prisoner and prison worker to determine the truth of every incidence and every DR before punishing the prisoner. 

Ronald Clark requests that one more issue be added to the list: The Lack Death Row's participation in any kind of Educational Programs. We will discuss this issue later in the strike.

"The relief sought is quite reasonable and will start guiding the F.D.O.C. in the direction of human decency, which is surely lacking throughout the F.D.O.C."

"This Hunger Strike is apparently the only way to bring attention and a resolution to these problems.  These are problems that I have brought to the attention of James V. Crosby, Jr.  It is quite obvious Crosby has no compassion or regard for the lives of the 77,000 inmates in the F.D.O.C. We are pleading for your support in this matter in order to bring humanitarianism and human decency back to the F.D.O.C.  Thank You."

~Ronald Clark Jr

RONALD CLARK JR.'S
FULL STATEMENT
and
HUNGER STRIKE MEMO

Ronald W. Clark, Jr. #812974
Florida State Prison
7819 N.W. 228
Raiford, FL  32026-1160