Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 7:34 PM
Subject: Crosby at ACI today

"Sec. Crosby was on the grounds of ACI today. First he was on the east unit, then he went over to west unit. Were these courtesy calls during such a trying time? Perhaps it was damage control? Or maybe he was expediting paperwork. It's anybody's guess

It could be a show of force, making sure everyone knows Clark may be gone but Crosby is still in charge. I suspect he was getting everyone's stories straight. The man doesn't want to go down with his protege'

"Many at the top of DC really do care about those in the trenches. I don’t think the present secretary does….he claims to have come from the trenches and initially tried to lead the media to believe he had been a correctional officer at one time…..Not a chance…he never worked a prison floor and was never a correctional officer. In fact, as a warden Crosby would not enter the compound of any prison (according to sources that served under him) without a body guard. I know for a fact that he did not come inside FSP without a body guard when I was the warden.  If he didn’t support the continuing personnel cuts he should be quoted as feeling this way... but he doesn’t and isn't." Ex-Warden

A lesson in Prison Management
Saturday, September 11, 2004

Due to the destruction caused by hurricane Charlie, a team of correctional officers from FSP, UCI and NFRC came to Hardee Correctional Institution at Bowling Green, Florida, to help out in recovering from the storm.

These guest officers went nuts, locking prisoners down and writing false disciplinary reports as they are accustomed to doing in their home prison facilities. Over 80 prisoners were placed on confinement by these foreign officers.

Hardee is a well managed prison facility with no discipline problems. The staff officers and administrators at Hardee began to realize what was causing this outbreak of problems and reviewed the DRs, resulting in dismissing all of them. Then they rapidly got rid of the visiting officers in order to return to their normal, trouble-free routine.

At Hardee, inmates do not show disrespect toward officers or disobey orders. There is a prevailing atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation between guards and prisoners.  The population of 1300 prisoners get along with very few difficulties.

Most of the prisoners cited with DRs had spotless, trouble-free records for many years, so the local staff officers would not believe the charges against them made by the visitors. The sudden, violent change in the normally peaceful atmosphere was readily traced to the interfering newcomers and once they were dispatched, things returned to normal.

The contrast between the administration of different prisons should teach the FDOC authorities a lesson about proper penology policies. That will probably not happen, however, because the FDOC secretary, James Crosby, was the instigator of the draconian policies which dominate those prisons in Sector II, at FSP, UCI and NFRC. He has the full support of governor Jeb Bush in his incompetent and cruel administration policies.

John Albert
contact at:    jalbert13@juno.com
My web site is:  www.crimeandpunishment.org

A DOCTOR COMMENTS

As warden, he is "captain of the ship" and he should be aware of rogue Goons-- the very fact that these goons used pepper spray and cellular extractions in excess speaks of one of two things: either the death row inmates in Florida are a different breed than those in Georgia or North Carolina, where far fewer use of pepper spray is used each year, or the guards -- er Goons-- are too free to use it.  I do not think that the former is true.

Some of the men on death row are desperate, and need close control; most are the humblest men in the joint, doing their remaining time as best as they can under horrible living conditions. It is surprising that there have been no riots from death row, given the bleak conditions and utter cruelty by the Goons, coupled with the frustration of not getting a fair chance in the appellate courts in spite of the 75% reversal rate for those on death row.

Why was Frank's fall-partner, Van Poyk quietly shipped to Virginia? As a killer of one of the Griffis, he was in danger too, but since when is the DOC so eager to protect him until he gets the needle?

Don't let the state bamboozle you by saying that they cannot convict or hold liable any one Goon because they do not know who delivered a fatal blow; they were all involved in a conspiracy, which is in itself a felony, making the murder a felony murder, and ALL conspirators are equally guilty if they took a major role in the planning or actual execution of the crime. The jury did not understand that at the previous circus held in Starke.  In a civil trial, the Goons cannot plead 5th amendment if promised immunity--total or partial.

Good luck!
G M Larkin MD

Murder By Correctional Officers
State corrections chief focus of civil trial in prison death*
"Indifference to widespread abuse is alleged in the 1999 death of inmate Frank Valdes." November 15, 2004