"A CALL FOR CHANGE"

Ronald W. Clark Jr
Sept 21, 2012

Mental and physical abuse on the mentally ill. We have an inmate here, we will call him Carlton. And since I've been around him I've witnessed these people (officers) tease him, write DRs on him, and assault him where they beat him down on June 4, 2012. An assault that resulted in a trip to the outside hospital, and eventually in surgery. Which the Florida taxpayers should not be happy about.

Carlton doesn't talk, he lays around in bed all day every day. He doesn't get mail, never goes to recreation, and hasn't been to the shower in probably three weeks. I don't even think he has an ink pen or paper in his cell. I've got him to talk to me a few times, but he never says much. He's not in contact with any family. Very sad situation.

One of the officers that was involved in beating him down on June 4, was messing with him this past week. And I don't approve of it, but I've decided it's best for me to keep my mouth shut and try to protect me, and my interest and I don't like doing that. But that's the typical no good lowlife selfish human beings are. Look out for yourself, damn the next man. But that officer was bragging about how and I quote, "smoked him!" Yes, he smoked him, beat on a defenseless helpless mentally ill man who was helplessly handcuffed behind his back. If I did some _____ weak sh** like that, I wouldn't be going around bragging about it. I'd be too embarrassed to tell anyone I did something like that.

These people think it's a badge of honor, to assault a restrained prisoner, who can't protect himself. Where they get these screwed up twisted principles and morals from, I do not know. But someone needs to give them a reality check! 'Cause there's no honor and integrity in such a coward act of beating on a helpless individual.

This isn't the first time I've witnessed the abuse of the mentally ill. I've seen staff Mace helpless prisoners who weren't doing anything wrong. I think they were sitting around bored with nothing to do, and said, "Watch this." They step up to the cell front and the prisoner doesn't suspect a thing until it's too late and the chemical agent was released in his face. I seen that happen several times at Florida State Prison (FSP) in late May 2012. I seen the illegal use of chemical agents right here on this wing. The inmate was in his cell, on his knees praying when the sgt under the direction of a captain and Lt. unleashed chemical agents on this helpless inmate three times, within a 15 minute period. And it was outside of protocol of Chapter 33-Fac. and 944 Fla statutes. But hey, this is the Florida Department of CORRUPTION.

It's a shame that human rights violations are so easily accepted in U.S. prisons. And there's only one way to correct them. And that's by implementing new law, making personalized audio and video devices a mandatory part of the correctional officer uniform. This needs to happen in order to return human decency to U.S. prisons and stop the abuse and human rights violations that are taking place. We need change, and we need it now. I'm hoping others will get behind this, and push for these personalized audio and video devices, in order to stop the kind of abuse you're reading about. 'Cause the technology is available, so we have no excuses. Please help me call for change.

Sincerely

Ronald W. Clark Jr
Sept 21, 2012