TWO SIDES TO A COIN

"CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND THEIR PROPAGANDA"

Marteze Harris #1615143
Waupun Correctional Institution
Post Office Box 351
Waupun, Wisconsin 53963

Saturday, May 19, 2012

NOTE: Before I begin this blog FYI, my typewriter is acting up so if you see a couple of rough spots...now you know.............

Tonight I watched a segment of "HERE and NOW" on PBS. The segment was expressing the views of Wisconsin of Department of Corrections, correctional officers; concerning Governor Scott Walker's collective bargaining ban.

There is no doubt that what has been transpiring in this state the past year plus, was easily avoidable. HOW? In the midterm elections of 2010, you had the chance to exercise your inalienable right to vote. You didn't! Scott Walker is the result of you sitting on your butts. Scott Walker is a thug and crook, and as corruptible as ever. However, the changes that he has put in place concerning prison staff have been a long time coming, and on this issue I agree with him. This is a scathing indictment on the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, correctional officers' union!!!!!

There were several misrepresentations, made by the correctional officers' union spokesman, in that segment of "HERE and NOW", concerning guard safety, overtime pay, and the mental stability of prison staff, due to Scott Walker's collective bargaining ban. That is the beauty of having a blog, I am not a silenced voice anymore, and I can set the record straight when I hear lies, misrepresentations and deceitfulness. I may be the lone voice in prisoner opposition to those out-right "LIES" and "MISREPRESENTATIONS" that I heard tonight. Nevertheless, they had their say, now it is only fair that we as prisoners have our say. RIGHT?

The machinations are not those of Scott Walker so much, because he's been an idiot the whole time. You knew what he would do once he got the governorship and he has not disappointed you. However, it is the prescind of the correctional officers' union that is the true machination of these issues.

So, hear the lone voice of opposition to their arguments and complaints. I will probably catch hell for this blog but it is what it is.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "If a man is not willing to die for a cause, he's not fit to live". In this case figuratively speaking....hopefully. But with the DOC, you never know.

So in order for you "The public" to comprehend, to some degree the true magnitude of the situation I have to take you back a few years. Because the nexus that is connecting the tissues, to this whole mess is yours truly, and the other 22,000 plus prisoners housed in the state of Wisconsin prison system. Without us this conversation would not be taking place.

April 28, 1994, then Governor Tommy Thompson, sent a memo to then Secretary of the Department of Corrections, Michael Sullivan. I will only quote, the memo in its relevant, parts, due to the length of the memo:

"In order to implement this policy as fully as possible, I hereby direct the Department of Corrections to pursue any and all available legal avenues to block the release of violent offenders who have reached their mandatory release date".

Again, in part:

"The policy of this Administration is to keep violent offenders in prison as long as possible under the law."

This secret memo is still in practice to this day. It has brought the release of prisoners almost to a stand still in this state. The parole board uses these unfair, unjustifiable tactics to block parole to prisoners that have served their time, did everything that the DOC asked of them, yet , are still being held due to political plots. Was this-is this issue really about wanting to keep Wisconsinites safe from violent offenders, or something else all together?...We shall see!

I mean it sounds good, on the surface you're like, hey, keep violent offenders down as long as possible.

What's wrong with that!?! Believe half of that you see, and none of what you hear. The truth is never that simple. I think you need to understand that this policy should have been challenged in the courts, because in its birth it was flawed. Mandatory Release, is when a prisoner has served at lest two thirds of their time, and under the old law they were to be released into parole status. However, this memo is directing the Secretary to circumvent the system and hold prisoners with whom their time has been served, and their debt to society has been paid, as far as incarceration is concerned.

IS THIS ABOUT PROTECTING THE CITIZENS OF THIS STATE? WHAT DO YOU THINK? LET'S SEE.............

Michael Sullivan, the Secretary of the Department of Corrections, was featured in an article in Time Magazine, in or around 1998-99, with other Secretaries from around the country. In his (Michael Sullivan) statement(s) he made two (2) relevant points, that are pertinent to my blog and this situation:

I am paraphrasing here:

"A prison can not run without the cooperation of the prisoners doing time there."

He further states:

"Prisons are a big growth, big business industry."

So do you still think that it's about protecting the citizens?

the latter statement is the true crux of it all. "Money"...Big business industry. They talk about the military industrial complex, but what about the Prison Industrial Complex? Follow the dollars, it's all about the money. The Department of Corrections annual budget is around $1.6 billion dollars. Between $37,000-$40,000 a far per prisoner. It is not about stopping crime, or protecting the citizens of Wisconsin. It is about pure greed!

Crime is easy to stop, with basic, common sense steps:
1) Educate all of for citizens.
2) Give term limits to all state and federal legislatures.
3) Use those satellites in space to track the flow of illegal drugs and guns into the United States.
4) America needs to stop trying to police the world and take care of its own people.

I could go on, but you get the point. Will these steps end crime in America completely? No, but it is the foundation from which you can start to build from. If you truly care about protecting your citizens. You must understand that to end crime and stop the flow of drugs and guns into the United States, would bankrupt this country quicker than Wall Street ever could. Criminal behavior and enterprise is the true backbone of the American lifestyle. All these entities of criminal behavior are so entrained to the core of everything American it's not funny. You work all your life and think that very dime you've ever made is clean...It is not! All money is blood money. Whether it's blood from you, me, here or overseas. There is too much corruption for it to ever be different.

The city of Waupun and the county of Dodge, has 4 prisons. Without these prisons Waupun and Dodge county would be a ghost area. Prisons are the lifeline of several communities in Wisconsin, without these prisons these communities would be as poor as other parts of Wisconsin. Follow the Prison money. $1.6 billion dollars; $37,000-$40,000 per prisoner. What Governor in their right mind is trying to stop crime?

So the delusion that you as regular citizens are the reason for all these prisons, to keep you safe from so-called bad people like me is a myth. That politicians actually care about you, your well being, your kids, jobs, health and life, is not true. All politicians care about is themselves.

Since the 1960's, on up, prisons have taken on a different meaning, Prisons have replaced southern plantations and Jim Crow laws. African Americans make up about 16% of the American population, we're 56%-62% of the prison population around this country. It is not that "WE" commit more crimes than whites. Law and Justice isn't always synonymous to one another.

I will say this, there are some good, hard working and decent staff within the DOC. I believe (Hope) that the bad apples are in the minority, but after 16 years incarcerated sometimes it's hard to tell. I don't knock anyone for wanting needing and desiring to work. Working for the prison systems is a excellent state job, I don't begrudge anyone that, my problem is with this few staff that abuse their authority.

Do I agree with everything Scott Walker is doing? ABSOLUTELY NOT! But to see someone finally stick it to these correctional officers is a beautiful thing. I know that other state workers are affected by Scott Walker's law, and my prayers go out to them. What he has done to this state is wrong. But again, if you didn't - if you don't vote you can not complain.

There need to be comprehensive prison reform, like 11x15. The campaign to cut the prison population in half by 2015 is an excellent idea. Will it happen, probably not, there's too much money involved. $1.6 billion dollars, $37,000-$40,000 per prisoner, communities depend on the prison industrial complex to survive. The only way I believe that the 11x15 campaign would have had a chance is if Kathleen Falk had won the primary. Without her, I don't think we have a shot.

There's much to be said about this situation, but I would be writing forever trying to hit every point and every sub-point. But my main point is don't buy that mess the correctional officers' spokesman stated, on "HERE and NOW". Prison staff are not in danger, nor is their mental stability in jeopardy. It is all about them actually having to work for their money now. You must see the true and genuine intentions behind what is being said and done, by state employee, especially prison staff.

I should have wrote this nom de plume, but I am willing to stand by my words and my principles:

Watch your thoughts, they become words
Watch your words, they become actions
Watch your actions, they become habits
Watch your habits, they become your character
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny

Even in 2012, with President Barack Obama in the White House, race is still the biggest issue that divides this country. The prison system in this country is like a tree with bad roots. If the root is bad the tree is bad, it will only produce bad fruit, so it should be cut down and replanted.

Anyway, the misrepresentation and misinformation is this, correctional officers are pissed about the collective bargaining law. Not because their safety is in jeopardy, or their mental health is at risk. That is an outright "LIE". Scott Walker put a stop to all that overtime "MONEY". That is it, that is all. The gravy train is over. People need to understand that prison guards are some of the best paid state employees. They do nothing and get outrageous pay and benefits.

Wisconsin has the safest prison system in the country, if not the world. Correctional Officers here rarely get assaulted, and when was the last time a Wisconsin correctional officer was killed in this state by a prisoner?

Their mental stability is fine! They come in here, lying, harassing us, trying to intimidate and manipulate us every day. They come to work with their churlish, draconian tactics and downright sick behavior, abusing their authority in all manners. They have picnic type lunches, sit around playing games on the computers and doing crossword puzzles. Coming in our rooms destroying our property, writing frivolous conduct reports to hurt us. Because with each conduct report it affects us in several ways: At our PRC hearing, Parole Board hearings; we lose what little privileges we do have, i.e., recreation, library, work, school and single rooms.

So no, their safety and mental stability is not in danger here. Wisconsin correctional officers are spoiled, selfish and rotten individuals. This is all about money. Correctional Officers in this state can have a base income of $50,000 a year, however, with overtime, they can make low to mid six figures. I've heard correctional officers brag about how they work all that overtime and buy extravagant luxuries. It's like Scott Walker took the baby's favorite toy, now they're throwing a big tantrum. Whenever we complain about injustices done to us, they say "we're crying", our rights and privileges don't matter. So why should theirs? They do all manner of foolishness to us, to make our time extremely hard, now it's the chicken coming home to roost!

Maybe these words will mean nothing or maybe these words will manifest themselves into my destiny, or at least change. I am willing to die for a cause but this is a discussion-debate that needs to be had by all: conservatives, progressives, open minded people. Everybody that truly cares about not just this state, but this country as a whole.

I hope some of what I've said here makes some kind of sense in all this madness and chaos, but please save your sympathy for people that truly deserve it. Not correctional officers, believe me they are fine, happy and well paid.

Respectfully Submitted,

Marteze