~*~ DAY THREE ~*~
July 3, 2004
"On July 1, 2004, I, Ronald W. Clark, Jr. #812974, will have begun a hunger strike in a redress of grievances of the abusive inhumane treatment of the inmates in the F.D.O.C. This hunger strike is in no way a suicide attempt, but rather an attempt to bring human decency to the F.D.O.C." ~Ronald Wayne Clark Jr.
FULL TEXT
THIS STRIKE IS NOT A SUICIDE ATTEMPT
Today is the 3rd day of Ronald Wayne Clark's hunger strike. Direct reports as to Ronald's physical condition continue to be blocked from us. Therefore today we will take a look at the Strikes' Issue Number Two: The undocumented unnecessary abuse of chemical agents.
"I am an ex FSP officer. There were times that I went to work and would be given an inmate's name and told that he would be gassed. These orders come from higher ups. If a inmate wrote a letter to someone complaining, he would get gassed, not fed, no shower or yard."
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. "Before the use of any chemical agent of an inmate confined in a secure cell, a video camera is to be used to document the application of the chemical agent. The video will then be reviewed by a committee outside of the F.D.O.C. The committee will send its finding to the Attorney General for a final analysis."
~Ronald Clark Jr.There is an additional possible problem with chemical agents that has not yet been addressed. I, Kay Lee, have reason to believe that some errant prison workers at some of the prisons, particularly FSP, instead of using what we are told is "department issued pepper spray", are using their own combination of chemical agents reported to be so strong that "it strips the skin right off."
To clarify, I received several reports that officers were told in a meeting held by Captain Dean Ellis that the OC Pepper Spray that is currently being used at FSP is a special blend that is extra hot, mixed possibly in the Armory, under the authority of the upper administration but Ellis did not mention any names However, A. C. Clark was still Colonel at the time, not yet indicted for the $4.5 million he is suspected of stealing, and it has often been rumored that the directive on the hotter chemicals came through him. James Crosby Jr. either has to be in on it, or he just doesn't know what his left hand is doing.
I agree with Mr. Ronald Clark about the solutions, but feel the problem of excessive and unnecessary spraying and the use of unapproved or unauthorized chemical agents will need more safeguards to insure improvements. 1. Mandate filming and review of every incident; 2. set up outside committee to include private citizens; 3. update grievance procedures so that complaints reach the right people; 4. obtain portable video cameras for officer use, perhaps using money saved by the reported but as yet unverified Federal Injunction against A. C. Clark for the $4 pilfered from the Recycle Program; 5. seriously investigate possibility of chemical agent mixture and abuse of same at all prisons; and 6. Change the wording in newest proposal. All this rule as written would accomplish is to make sure more spraying is done within the cells.
7/3, 7:55 a.m. "Well I'm the only one left on this strike and I've got a long hard ride ahead of me. This will probably be the last letter I get out to you. I am feeling a total loss of energy and I've got to write the attorney about this fan issue. I filed a grievance this morning that's going to Tallahassee as an emergency grievance over these people putting my life in danger by causing all this friction on this wing. I need you to help put pressure on them for doing that. Please take care of yourself and give'm hell!!"
More to come...You won't believe who's at the MIDDLE of this dissention with the fans, pitting inmates against each other, staging all out retaliation on the inmates for starting this hunger strike, that the department deemed was never an official hunger strike...
Give up?...Colonel Griffis...surprise.
DOC PROPOSED RULE FOR CHEMICAL AGENTS SOLVES NOTHING
If all chemical use is warranted as is claimed by the department, the officers and administration should have no problem instigating and adhering to such a policy.
Department Rule on Chemical Agents
and
FROM TOOLS OF 'CORRECTIONS'
Use of ForceEND OF DAY 3 REPORT.
HUNGER STRIKE - PROCEED TO
DAY 4
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