In The Life Of A Connecticut Prisoner #3
By Richard Stevenson

As some of you know I was transferred to this facility last year out of retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint against a kitchen supervisor for making racist jokes and comments daily. I then filed a complaint to the Commission On Human Rights And Opportunities. I made a conscious choice to do this instead of splitting his head open. For me, this was an easy decision to make. However, for some others, the situation could have devolved into a full blown riot.

Anyway, after my complaint made it past the Merit Assessment Review the DOC was ordered into mandatory mediation. They refused so the case was moved on to a second investigator. This person decided that I didn't have a case for discrimination because I'm not gay, I'm a male and Connecticut state law doesn't cover retaliation for prisoners filing a discrimination complaint in accommodations but does cover employees (of which I'm not). So I called this investigator to find out why he made such a decision. He wasn't even familiar with my complaint. This gives me the impression that the old boy network kicked in. Previously, the Executive Director and a different investigator felt my discrimination/retaliation complaint was under their jurisdiction.

After giving investigator #2 a few days to familiarize himself with my complaint I called him back for an explanation. Once he "justified" his decision I expressed my opinion. He then quoted what he claimed was a section of the Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) that governed such a decision. I later went and looked it up. Nothing in that entire statue stated what he claimed would be there.

At this point I requested reconsideration from the Executive Director and investigator #2. I'll keep you updated.

Rich.