May 24, 2019

Daily Journal, 5/16 to 5/23

by Ronald W. Clark, Jr (author's profile)

Transcription

Date: 5/16/2019 8:50:59 AM

Just an update

Today is May 16, 2019 as usual I've been trying to bring about changes to the conditions back here, which if you're familiar with the Florida prison system, it's highly resistant to change. I've been attempting to get more out of cell time, for it's a fact that these cells that we are warehoused in, are both mentally and physically harmful to the human being. These cells, you can only take two maybe three steps, before you've got to turn, and go back the other way.

When I see animals in a cage, I can relate, and I feel sorry for that poor animal. We're not designed for warehousing, not man nor beast! This is inhumane!

I've also been battling medical. As most guys are having to do right now. This medical corporation that has contracted with the Florida Dept of Corrections, is cutting every corner possible to save money. Which I understand. They're in this to make a profit. So if you can deny inmates treatment, then your profits soar! So yes I understand these techniques. Wear the inmate down to where he or she gives up. Cut your overhead and maximize your profits. Can't blame them for trying.

These tablets have become a blessing, and a curse. Jpay is making really good money as is their stock holders and the Florida Dept of Correction. But they're selling us inferior products, at inflated prices. Price gouging at its best. You've got a captive audience which the state provides. Maximize it! But a lot of these $140.00 tablets are defective. Batteries not holding charges, WiFi going out, email system going out. Oh it's not internet accessible. So don't get excited. :-) No this is a secure WiFi system that only connects to the kiosk. So everything is ran through a security program. Actually this is more secure than the regular mail. There's pros and cons to these emails. Faster turn around, these e-stamps are cheaper. No paper, envelopes or pens required. But these are highly monitored!! You can learn more about them by going to www.jpay.com and looking into the secure email program.

Well I just wanted to update everyone on what's been going on. I'll be writing more in the coming days. I've got some stuff on my case that I want to share. As well as address this medical and solitary confinement. Until next time. God bless.

In peace and love Ronnie

Ronald W Clark Jr #812874
Union Correctional Institution
PO Box 1000
Raiford, Florida 32083

Date: 5/17/2019 7:53:21 PM

"DAILY JOURNAL"
Friday May 17, 2019

Woke up at 4:00 am. I'm dealing with a lot of pain in my right hip and knee. So I'm not sleeping good. And this medical company who's got a contract with the Florida Dept of Corrections, is trying to cut every corner they can to cut cost and put more earnings into their pocket.

Breakfast arrived at about 5:30, the inmates who feed us guys on death row, spilled the milk in the hallway, the keg they put it in, fell off the cart and went everywhere! It even went into one of the guys' cells down the hall. The sausage on the tray was raw. You couldn't eat it. :-(

Just wrote up a petition to amend and change the recreation rules. It'll be posted on my blog. Was talking with my neighbor who said I screamed out last night and scared him. It's the pain in this hip and knee. Was also talking to my classification officer Mrs Mahoney, who said the Warden has suspended all special visits. They didn't do make up recs down here on the south end this morning. I really wanted to go out. Oh well!

Bobby Long has less than a week to live. I'm hoping Governor DeSantis has a change of heart, and issues a stay. I know Bobby has a really bad case, but killing to prove killing is wrong, is not a good point to try to make. Vengeance is not Justice. And there's plenty of men and women in population doing life sentences with crimes that are just as bad, if not worse. Which proves these killings are in fact arbitrary and capricious.

Canteen just showed up at 10:22 am. Most of this stuff is overpriced. We only get canteen once a week. And we have to rely on financial assistance from either family or friends. They won't let us earn money with our art. Yet they've got all these companies that supplies goods and services. Just like this tablet. So we should be able to earn a living. So we can afford this stuff.

This is a real mental ward! This wing in particularly! The conversations, the arguments, they're idiotic! No beyond idiotic! And I'm stuck here around these guys, who I'd never live around otherwise. These cages have drove a lot of these guys over the edge. I don't even know if they realize how bad they are. I stay out of these conversations, cause most turn into arguments, and I don't argue. On top of that, a lot of guys talk about stuff, that they don't know about. Me, if I don't know, then I'll say, I don't know. There's nothing I hate more than getting bad information! And bad rumors spread a lot around here. I've got to start exercising. This has just gotten out of hand. But I'm really restricted due to this hip and knee. It's a beautiful day out. I was standing up at the cell bars awhile ago looking out the window located on the other side of the hall. And there's no recreation. I'd love to be on a motorcycle or be out on the beach. I'm just sitting here listening to music, blocking out the madness around here, as I wait on lunch. We've got cold cuts for lunch. Which is a bologna and cheese sandwich, pasta and canned fruit. It's the best lunch we've got. Here comes the food cart now, at 11:41 am. It's a bit late. Most of the time it's closer to 11:00 am.

Well I just typed up a post called "Just Thinking". Didn't have a law library call out today. They didn't do any make up recs. Which they still owe me from two weeks ago. My knee is throbbing in pain! My new tablet arrived, I hope it fixes the issue with these emails. I won't get the tablet until next week sometime. Hopefully before the second yard. We need this to change, and I'm going to work on that. Population has access to their kiosk seven days a week. Whereas we've only got access twice a week. So that's my project for tomorrow. Dinner just came. Chicken bits, really gristle bits. It's 4:28 pm. Only thing left is showers, and bed. I was up late last night watching The Big Bang Theory. I liked that show. 7:52 PM Just got back from the shower. I'm about to call it a day and lay down. Probably won't get to sleep for awhile. But I'll lay there until I drift off. Just another day on death row. What an existence.

Date: 5/18/2019 7:59:19 PM

"DAILY JOURNAL"
Saturday May 18, 2019

Got up at 4:27am, washed up and cleaned the cell made the bunk and now waiting on breakfast. We've got coffee cakes and oatmeal. I'll eat the oatmeal. I gave up coffee cakes a month ago to get my weight down.

When you're sitting here like this, you're looking around, everything is right here in your face. Walls, bars I mean everything all the time is right here in your face just feet away. I don't know... it's just on my mind, trying to figure out what I'm going to do. See if you're in population, you get up, wash up clean your cell go to the chow hall, go to rec yard, day room. But in here, it's just closed in all day!! It's a rough existence!

Well 5:29 am breakfast is here. I put my oatmeal in a bowl. I'll eat it a little later. These officers are coming on the wing and screaming at the top of their lungs, "CHOW TIME!!!!" There's no sense in that. Guess I'll write a blog piece on this Pro life bull! These right wing conservatives aren't pro life, they're anti-abortion. Got to find something to do to pass the day.

Well I ate a little bit of oatmeal. Did some pushups, and then made some snack bars. Which is crushed cornflakes, trail mix, coffee jelly peanut butter mixed together and molded into a bar. I then put peanut butter over the top of it. And then salted peanuts on that. And they're really good! I'm going to make some burritos for lunch. I need to do some more pushups throughout the day. I can't let this pain keep me down. That's easier said than done. I'm in constant pain! And it affects my sleep.

I'm playing a game called Tap Tap Builder, which you can find online. It does help pass the time. But I'll have to reset it when I get my new tablet. So I'm not really messing with it right now. They do have some really cute games for sale. Well guess I'll mess with my burritos and then more pushups.

Well I did a few more pushups. Got the burritos going. Went through some paperwork and found this document on Rule Development for 33-602.900, Kiosk and tablets. Which has been in the development process since November 15, 2017. Over a year and a half. It's time to get this rule going. So that's going to be one of my projects. Two guys went out for visits this morning. See if I wasn't in solitary confinement, I could go do stuff to keep my mind occupied. It's hard to do in here. Some guys like it back here. Cause they're protected. Other inmates can't get to them. We've got guys that will not go to rec under no circumstance. Which is why if you give a lot of these guys life sentences, they would be mad. A lot of guys don't want life sentences because they would lose their attorneys. So they wouldn't have representation to challenge their case. A lot of these guys don't want the death penalty to be abolished for those two reasons. Back here they're in a single man cell which they wouldn't have out there, and they have a state paid lawyer, which they wouldn't have out there.

11:08 am Lunch just came, BBQ, but not good! Some processed ground up mystery meat, with sauce that stinks, and taste as bad as it smells. My next door neighbor will eat almost anything. But not that! I'll have a burrito in an hour or so.

I sent out a couple of emails. Ate burritos, washed dishes. Now just passing time. Need to go read over this contract. Been thinking a lot about Bobby Long, and Jose Jimenez. Jose I knew really well, and I liked him. He used to live right here on this floor in cell 5124. I lived in 5126, so we would talk a lot. I think about those guys a lot.

4:38 PM Dinner just came, spaghetti. And again not like your mom would make. These guys in the kitchen can't cook! I'm watching Lebron James, More than an Athlete.

Well today is almost over. I just hope I can get a good night's sleep. Wish they would fix these lights. They are a safety issue, these fluorescent lights don't have covers on them. Which I believe is required. I need someone to look into that for me. If it's not a health issue with our eyes, it could be a security issue. Which I think I'm going to address. There's got to be some way to get covers back on these. It's getting warm in here, and next week it's going to be in the mid 90s and it's miserable in here in the summer.

It's 8:00 pm and I'm going to bed. Still need to work on these fluorescent lights. Wonder about the electric bill? These things are on all the time. Well they cut them off at 11:30 pm, until 5:00 am. But that's a lot of wasted electricity!

Date: 5/20/2019 7:04:59 AM

"DAILY JOURNAL"
SUNDAY
MAY 19, 2019

Woke up at 4:39 am. I was up a lot last night with this hip pain. When I was laying there trying to go to sleep, I kept thinking, wish I'd just die in my sleep. Haven't had that pop up like that in awhile. Not sure why my mind goes there. And breakfast is now here, at 5:28 am. I'm really tired. Woke up thinking about Bobby Long. It's his last Sunday morning alive. I've got to get up make my bunk and clean my cell.

Well it's 7:30 am I'm getting ready to bathe and get ready for my visit. I know a lot of guys don't like visiting, cause they then have to come back in here and deal with this place. I was like that for about a year or so back in 2008-2009. I didn't even come out for rec for a year or more. The yard officers were denying us rec not putting us on the list, just being vindictive and I stopped going so they couldn't control my emotions. But one of the inmates said something that made me mad, so I went outside and confronted him. He said, I don't want to fight, but I'm not scared of you. He apologized and that was the end of it. When I stood out there in that sun and fresh air after being inside for over a year, it made me want it. And since then I've been on this kick to get recreation any time I can. This cell beats you down mentally! It really takes a toll on you!

8:30 am, I'm done bathing, got everything cleaned up just waiting on the officers to come get me. This hip caught a while ago. Shot pain all through there! That's excruciating pain when it catches like that! And can't put any weight on it when that happens.

It's gotten so crazy out there in society! :-) The violence has just gotten out of hand. Maybe it's the video games and movies, or the drugs. But that's all that's on the news these days. Violence breeds violence, and that's all you see on these video games, TV and movies. As well as the news with one after another tragic event. What's the answer... no one knows. But this country has gotten out of hand with incarceration. And that needs to stop. Nonviolent crimes, should "NEVER" result in prison time!! Community services should be their punishment. Like all these people involved in the college scam paying to get their kids in school. That should result in a fine, and several years of community service. It benefits the public in several ways. Number one the tax payers aren't paying for the incarceration. And the tax payers get services out of the individuals. This lock them up first mentality, needs to stop. And it's your politicians hard on crime political stance that feeds into this lock 'em up first mentality. The voters need to say enough is enough. Now violent crime, that's a whole different ball game.

Back from the visit, no matter how hard I try to leave certain people alone, they don't want me to. And I'm really debating on putting some information out here, that will be a real eye opener to the public. I'm trying to get a rule changed about being in this cell all the time, that petition for more rec. And because of that staff keeps messing with me, I know rules, I know a lot of the rules that... Let me stop. I do hate this place, and I hate everything about it! It's the bane of my existence!

It's almost 8:00pm I'm going to lay down and call it a day. I'm sleepy, but I'm also hurting.

Date: 5/20/2019 8:01:04 PM

"DAILY JOURNAL"
MONDAY
MAY 20, 2019

Woke up at 4:00 am washed up made the bunk, cleaned the cell. Then got right into a rule procedure that everyone is complaining about. Breakfast showed up at around 5:30, but it's pancakes which I don't eat. So I kept working on that rule change. My tablet may be brought down at any time this week. If so I'll have to send whatever I've written, and post it, cause it will not transfer to the new tablet. I've got a law library call out today. Then again they may call recreation then I'll go to rec instead. Law library you're still in a really small cage, where you request legal material.

7:41 am They called us for rec, so I'll be going out. Wish I had my new tablet. Maybe by next yard.

11:05 am Just got back from rec, two other guys are having the same issue with emails that I'm having. One just bought a brand new tablet, and his emails aren't working. So the new tablet may not even fix this issue. Property room Sgt was out there, but didn't bring my new tablet. I need to send out a couple of emails. I did some pull ups and dips on the yard. Shared some of my emails that I wrote up dealing with the yard and photos. Seen several guys from FSP, that I hadn't seen in two years. Was good to see them. We will be moving over there to six wing probably the end of this week, so we will be going out with them all the time.

Lunch wasn't good. Some processed chicken over pasta. Some mixed veges. Showed up around 11:30. I've got to work on this memorandum.

3:52 PM, dinner showed up. Meat loaf, which isn't too bad. I like that meal more than others. I finished that memorandum. Wasn't bad, I'll be posting it on the blog. Tonight is shower night. That'll be around 7:00 pm. Need to write an email.

7:28 PM Just got back from the shower. Feel better, but that is a nasty shower. Them inmates from population don't do a good job at cleaning it. Wish they would let me do it. They could lock me in there with cleaning supplies and I'd do the job right.

See Missouri, Alabama and now Louisiana is putting in anti-abortion laws. Not pro life. They are not pro life, just anti-abortion. I was talking with my mom Sunday about her drinking during pregnancy, as she said, back in the 60s they didn't realize the damage alcohol did to the baby. Which is probably one of the reasons why I've struggled with learning. I don't blame her, if she had known, she wouldn't have drank.

Well that's another day on the row, and Bobby Long has three days left to live before being put down like a useless animal. I guess the one good thing is he won't have to suffer any more. This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we're going to have temperatures in the high 90s. It's brutal back here in this heat.

Date: 5/21/2019 9:08:19 AM

"DAILY JOURNAL"
TUESDAY
MAY 21, 2019

Got up at 4:34 am. Again I didn't sleep good due to the pain in the hip and knee. Breakfast showed up at 5:26, I saved the sausage which was actually cooked this time, and the grits. I'll eat around 7:00, I was reading over this section 18, i of the jpay contract which says they're not supposed to charge special housing inmates for print outs of emails, although they are doing so. I'll file a grievance on that today. It's humid in here already and it's just after 6:00 am, so it's going to be hot today.

I just wrote this grievance up which I'm filing this morning.

The issue for which I'm grieving is the noncompliance of contract #C2885 section (18) i. Which unequivocally states, "that special housing unit inmates Death row, will not be charged for black and white print outs of their emails. Please see section (18), (i), last three lines in that section". Additionally, the contractor will provide black and white printing of secure mail for all inmates in special housing (not including attachments) at no cost to the inmate or the department" In Quote! It's unequivocal that I'm entitled to free copies of my emails, and I'm only using this service printing, because my Inbox is down. Wherefore I'm calling for a full refund on all black and white printed emails since April 22, 2019. Thank you.

It makes it quite clear. Now I've got to look at this other grievance. Well I wrote a request to the Major, instead of filing a grievance. They pulled rec on the north side of the building. So they'll probably come over here this afternoon. I just sent a request to the property room Sgt to put my tablet on the gate, so he may call me down shortly to switch out tablets. If so I'll send this and be offline until I can get the new tablet synced.

Date: 5/23/2019

"DAILY JOURNAL"
WEDNESDAY
MAY 22, 2019

It's been a long day. I got my new tablet yesterday, but it's still not working. I can send emails out, just can't get them in. I've got to read them off the kiosk. I just wrote a memo.

Memorandum

To: Cynthia Strickland, jpay
Email:
Phone:

From: Ronald W. Clark Jr # 812974
Union Correctional Institution
PO Box 1000
Raiford, Fl. 32083

Subject: Emails inbox will not come in, or re-sync to kiosk, and jpay is not responding to trouble ticket, which is overdue.

My inbox on my tablet went out on April 20, 2019, stating "Sorry inbox unavailable", please try re-syncing your device." I tried that dozens of times, put in a trouble ticket, the response on the first trouble ticket said when you synced up it would resolve the issue. I synced up, it didn't fix the problem. I put in another trouble ticket, which is currently overdue, should have been responded to on Monday, May 20. So whoever is supposed to respond to them, is not doing so.

Thinking it was the tablet, I broke down and bought a new one. I went out today, May 22, 2019, hooked up my new tablet. And the inbox came back. I opened up a couple of emails to read, and the inbox went out again. I tried to re-sync the tablet, and it did the same thing the old tablet did, saying tablet unable to sync. It's syncing up, putting games on music etc etc, it will not sync up and resolve the problem with the inbox. This problem has been going on for over a month! And two other inmates on this side of the building are having the exact identical problem. And since they're not responding to the trouble ticket, could you please send someone out here who knows how to fix this? Please, cause this has gone on far too long. I can get emails out, but I can't get them in. Please help me out with this. Thank you.

Hopefully it'll get the issue fixed. Right now I'm waiting on the shower. Then off to bed. I'm seriously tired. I've got to do some emails in the morning. Yesterday, I went to the property room, picked up my new tablet. Got back here to have the shake down officers hit my cell. They were in here for over an hour and a half. They turned this place upside down! It was retaliation. It's part of the process for standing up. My cell was destroyed!! It is what it is! When you do what I do, writing bringing attention to yourself, then you don't mess with anything that's going to get you in trouble. Oh well.

7:38 PM, Just got back from the shower, I'm going to program my music back into this tablet.

9:33 PM They just did master count, I'm going to bed. It's been a long day.

Date: 5/24/2019 5:08:31 AM

"DAILY JOURNAL"
THURSDAY
MAY 23, 2019

Woke up at 4:30 am, first thing that crossed my mind was Bobby Long. He's got about 14 hours to live. Yes, I know what he did, but that doesn't make this right. I know that his lawyers are saying it was because of head injuries. I'm not sure I buy into that. I've had some really serious head trauma, 1980-81 I got hit by a motorcycle, while riding my bicycle, it knocked me clean out! When I woke up I was inside my friend's house, but no one was around, I went over and looked in the mirror, and passed out. The skin was gone on the whole right hand side of my face, where I was sliding on the road. My arm leg and chest all had road rash. I woke up again in my Mom's car, she was rushing me to the hospital. Second time was 1983, a bunch of rednecks jumped me in school, dude sucker punched me, my head bounced off a brick wall. I don't know how long I was out. I didn't hit the ground, I walked off, this was what people told me. When I come to, I'm walking down the street, several blocks away from the school trying to figure out where I am, and what happened. I had a knot on the right side of my forehead, the size of a golf ball. I had other concussions, but those were the two most serious. I don't think that makes you a serial killer.

Well breakfast is here at 5:24, it's gravy and potatoes. I don't eat the biscuits. I've got to do a few emails and write a grievance on this tablet.

Well it's been a hectic day! At approximately 9:00 am, officers come in, I'd say between 30 and 40, and tore this place apart!! Whole bottom floor. So when I got back in my cell, I spent several hours cleaning my cell back up, for the second time in two days. Then they called make up rec, so I went out, seen my brother who I haven't seen in a couple of years. We talked and passed time. Got on the kiosk, emails still won't sync. Trouble ticket still wasn't responded to. I'm hoping by next week, this issue will be resolved and my emails will be back to normal.

Bobby Long has a little over an hour to live. I'm watching the news, but I haven't seen anything. Hope he gets a stay, but I very seriously doubt it. I'll be watching the news to follow any updates. I've got to bathe here shortly. Also need to write a couple of emails.

6:14 PM, Seen on the news that the Supreme Court turned down Bobby. So he's probably laying on the gurney dying right now at the hands of a vengeful society, who has stooped to the level of a killer.

9:30 pm, I haven't seen anything else on Bobby. Soon as they come by for master count, I'm going to bed. I dread these days, where they kill these men. Sick society!

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