Letter to Judge James Hardesty and the Advisory Commission on the Administration of Justice Carson City, NV

SPARTACUS PROJECT OF NEVADA
DONALD HINTON, DIRECTOR

March 16, 2008

To: Judge James Hardesty
Advisory Commission on the Administration of Justice, Carson City, Nevada

Re: Judiciary, Prison & Parole Abuse

Judge Hardesty, Chairman:

I hope this letter holds some interest for you, because as of this writing, I think you are doing a good job of bringing forth the problems within our state for prison & parole abuse and corrections. There is a great need to have these problems resolved. This State's application for corrections & sentencing. is without conscience, as to the treatment of human beings labeled felons. Once these labeled felons are sentenced to within the walls of our prison system-a secret society takes over & places outrageous conditions on these men & women. Conditions you could not live with & neither could the masters in charge. The master's rule with complete domination with little intelligence to guide them, except that which is told tor them to do, in the treatment of the convicted persons in front of them. The idea that they should think before action is taken, in each & every case-is beyond them. As a Tax-payer, I'm offended and so should each & every tax-payer in the State of Nevada. Present company not excluded. Hopefully, this committee gets to the meat of the problem & isn't just fluff, as many committees are.

From the arrest, to the newspapers covering the incidents with one-sided coverage of guilt, to the district attorney's overcharging, to the judge's who have so little time to dispense honest justice to someone who had a public defender, to the prosecutor's bias statements of theory~ it any wonder that Nevada has so many prisoners? It appears to me, and others, that this court system in Nevada is just another joke, fabricated to keep connected persons employed. "Myself, and others, view this state's justice as shooting fish in a barrel, and then, calling themselves sportsmen." I suggest in Nevada, as well as in other state's treatment of prisoners, do not take pride in the abuse ot prisoners in this country. It is shameful and I suggest, this committee knows that to be true.

There must be change for better treatment of prisoners & shorter sentences, using intelligent ideas 10 get the proper treatment in place. Enough of Directors of Prison's, who have had inmates shove guns down their throats in other state's institutions, and then, Nevada Governor's believe they are the best qualified to warehouse men & women any place in the world, including Nevada, and knowingly allow them to state-for the newspapers to print-that they believe all inmates are RATS. This is a biased opinion given to the public for self grandizement, and wrong. Where is it written that those who live in Nevada & work the judicial system & the legislature, are so moral that we can keep-men & women in prison for long periods of time to appease the whoremasters of whorehouses & the great gambling institutions-to show the world that we are worthy of their spent dollars in the whorehouses and gambling joints in this state. For the record, damned few of us share in those profit dollars taken in by our best profit makers. How foolish is the Nevada Tax-Payer to allow an institution to tell us how much they wilt pay in taxes? To me, it just shows how easily Nevadan's can.be lead to believe anything - stated to them by those that rule and lobby this state to death. That in itself, is another story-and disgraceful. It certainly isn't fair to the hard working men & women in Nevada. Nor, are the Department of Corrections, & the judicial systems in Nevada-fair to their citizen tax-payers! ENOUGH! ENOUGH!

Let's look at Director of Prisons, Howard Skolnik's system of justice. A few now, more later:
He has not allowed the newspapers to be delivered to High Desert State Prison at $12.00 a month. In favor of mailed into the prison at $40.00 a month. Were the guards stealing inmate's newspapers?
He has allowed his warden at High Desert State Prison to deny shaving equipment to all in Administrative Segregation. Why, because one person may have made a crude, and ineffectual, weapon? If that is the case, get rid of all the weapon-rocks on the HDSP yard. Is this reasonable or punitive or stupid? The inmates have been shaving with throw-away razors for years. Why now?

Why is this prison system, in all the years it has operated, not made better arrangements for protective custody inmates, other than locking them up 24 hours a day? Three showers a week? Limited reading, in fact, no library. No legal library. No schooling-for any reason! Little human contact. No television unless you can afford one or an administrator will agree to loan you a confiscated television set-taken from another inmate for some reason or other. No expense to the state. All this good treatment for cooperating with state officials or the courts! How sweet is that? You believe that is good treatment? Why don't you try it for three days, and then, tell me what you think? Surely, you wouldn't expect someone else to be a better man, or woman, than you-would you? Then, I want you to think about this-as all you will see for possibly years, is four blank walls, and a steel door. Don't ask someone else to do what you can't do. After all, we're Americans. We don't do these things to our own! Maybe in China, or Asia, or Afghanistan, but not to our own men and women of America! How proud are we now? Don't you feel safer knowing that cooperating inmates are locked down 24/7 within a padlocked cell? I certainly do!

Then, I want you to think about the men, or women, that are thrown into Administration Segregation, for an infraction of some prison rule. Many, for long periods of time-or even years. Do you think they had some type of court hearing? Of course, they did. It is called a Kangaroo Court. They are going to the hole because the budget has set aside 25% for such administrative action. And, you bet, NDOC is never going to let the budget fall. Next year, they can hire more guards, & administrators, to see them through the hard times. And, let us not forget the $$ raises & benefits for this dangerous job. NDOC must be rewarded for keeping their meticulous records on these dangerous inmates. And, of course, to ask tor a larger budget tor the coming years. TAX-PAYERS EAT IT AGAIN!

Let's speak to the dental & medical needs of inmates. Does non-existent have any meaning to you? That is pretty much the extent of medical and dental. Teeth needing fillings-are pulled. Almost unheard of to get a filling. Ad Seg inmates have no way of getting to the doctor-if the prison has a doctor. Many times they do not. After the "KlTE" has been sent to the doctor, it is unknown how many days they will wait for the nurse to determine your need to see the doctor, or if, indeed, you do ever get to see the doctor. Most times it is a wait of about a week. Most illness has passed-by that time. Thank God, for the body to heal itself. Dental is another story. Ever have a tooth ache? Not pleasant-is it. Happens every day in prison, but no relief will ever come. Most times, because there is no dentist, or he is so overcome with patients that even asking is a joke. A very painful joke! As a convicted felon-the State of Nevada is obligated to keep this man, or woman, not only safe from harm, but to provide him, or her, with the necessities of food, cleanliness, and good health. NOT IN NEVADA. WHY IS THAT? Is medical & dental monies needed for overtime or bonus pay?

It isn't being property used in Nevada's prisons for inmate care. If any committee member thinks this is a ''too bad" scenario-exchange your insurance. Please, exchange your insurance for you, and your family, to the Nevada Prison Care Plan. Laugh all the way to the cemetery. See Exibit No. 1. Ask to interview Robin Jones. #93575. Ask to interview Robert Rieger, #96299. On health & death.

Let's talk about the cemetery. Let's talk about John Leone. John Leone died at HDSP. He died in July or August of 2007. He reported to his cell as sick, and asked the officer to let him to see the nurse, and ultimately to see the doctor. Mr. Leone went into his cell and waited until he felt he could no longer wait for the guard to call tor medical help. With the entire unit witnessing the seeking of help by Mr. Leone-he continued to be ignored. The unit became involved and started calling the guard, listed as Officer Kennedy, who was on duty and continued to ignore Mr. Leone's call tor help. The official cause of death was suicide. To the inmates that witnessed the entire scene-it was institutional, negligent homicide. See exhibit No. 2.

Good medical help with the aid of a trained correctional officer-an inmate's state prison protector. (Yeah, sure!) Now, that I know-you are informed, I'm waiting to hear the spin the NDOC will come up with to be found blameless. Oh, yeah, just like the policemen that kill citizens-they are always found to be blameless by the coroner's juries-until the federal courts find them monetarily guilty, but not state murderers. Sweet! Tax-payers bite it again! Let's try to interview all parties to this incident, instead of just correctional officers, protecting each other. Further spin on this incident is just too revolting. As committee members-try to get this one right. You are at HDSP your next meeting. Ask to interview Robin Jones. #93575 about his health and the death of Mr. Leone. You might learn something. Just don't let NDOC punish this man for speaking out to you committee members. Because, they can & will…

Let's talk about prison mail delivery. Sometimes two or three weeks late, or never delivered, or mark "return to sender". Nah, let's not, l've previously given you that information and exhibits. Do you remember which trash can you committee members threw the information?

Let's talk about inmate-paid-for-magazines-subscriptions being delivered late, and read, by officers before the delivery to the inmate-that paid for the subscription. I know, it sounds petty, but the institutional guards thrive on pettiness, except when it relates to them. Isn't it interesting that the guards demand perfection in the worst of situations? Maybe, as a tax-payer, I should demand of the guards to set an example. Better yet, what do you commissioners think? As a tax- payer, and a member of the public, I only get to watch the proceedings of this commission-l have no voice, even though I am allowed to give my comments at the end of your meetings for three to five minutes. Surely, I'm not expected to believe my input is ever going to be considered by any committee member, especially law enforcement members. Ladies & Gentlemen, I'm not that naive. But, come voter time - I'm not forgetting the results of this committee. I want reasonable change & not the same crap I've been fed by the NDOC & Parole Commissioners. Additionally, I'm not forgetting legislators & judges. If this committee, and state, cannot become aware of human and civil rights-just like in poker, it is time to fold your hand and get out. The cry for further oppression of Law & Order is over. The appointed prison & parole directors have made a fool out of this governor. Why the governor hasn't seen through this huge tax guzzling farce is disgusting & disheartening. I expected better. The Governor, if his enemies have their way-may be sitting in a prison cell some day himself. His problems are not over. Yeah; I know, it is not nice to tell the truth-and the obvious in this state-because that isn't the way this state operates. Oh-my! l never should have left the farm.

I think, I could point out many other things that are wrong with this State's policies in judicial, but you know most of them already. Why beat the bush to death for things so obvious. There is maltreatment in our courts, prisons and with the parole board. It is a disgrace to the world. It can't continue to be ignored. We, the United States, have lost face with so many other countries--it is no longer something that can be ignored.

This committee has the perfect opportunity to make changes to correct years of wrong doing by Nevada and its henchmen. Will remind you in the late 192O's, a man claiming in the name of Law & Order-that he had the way to provide the world with perfect harmony. His name, oh, yes, Adolph Hitler. I'm convinced the Law & Order slogan has frightened the citizens of Nevada sufficiently to keep Law & Order around spending foolishly my tax-dollars, but for how much longer? Sleeping giants do awaken-occasionally. We all know the saying: "You can't fool me all the time ... I think, it would be a good time to tell the truth that keeping men locked away in a cell without human contact for long periods of time-has serious consequences, upon release to the general public. You best hope they don't. change direction and go after the ones suppressing them, and have suppressed them for years. It is not a pleasant thought, but a true possibility. One I'd never like to see.

And, it is a consequence that does not need to happen-if intelligence comes to the tore, instead of forceful brutality, or business as usual. Committee members, you have a perfect chance to bring Nevada out of every No. 1 bad category that I can think of. For example: Education, home foreclosures, prison population and etc., and make it No.1 in criminal behavioral change, & rehabilitation, for the best example the world can see. It is time to take the leadership in this continuing, ruinous, criminal behavior, and show the world that Nevada can think our-selves out of this horrendous climate of bad behavior. If this committee thinks of itself as an intelligent body of men & women-and can get serious & solve this problem & not continue business as usual, & continually hoping to fill the unnecessary beds now being built at Nevada's High Desert State Prison. This committee, can and will, do it. The High Desert State Prison building project is a fool's ego.

Which brings me to AB510. That bill addresses C, D. & E felonies only. Sentences of 1 to 4 years and 1 to 5 years. Certainly, no more than 400 state inmates would qualify tor this program of release. Would you be so good as to ask the director of prisons, and the parole board chairperson, to show you, and me, where they have come up with the number of 1600 inmates that possibly could be released by this bill's passage, and the possible release of violent criminals? As they have told this committee so many times. To me, this is blantant crap, being passed along to this committee as true, but in reality is just another fear factor-these two agencies have used over the years to keep their jobs-at the expense of a Nevada tax-payer's purse. Don't let me be right, and this committee not recommend to the Governor-that these two persons be relieved of their state positions as inept & incapable.

Lastly-for this letter, interview inmates within the HDSP prison-in April, that are not plants tor your fact finding meeting. Do not let yourselves be set up as patsies, and greet good cheer inmates-that are just wonderful with the prison system. It has been done before and will be tried again-if left unchecked. Don't fallfor the old saying: "Fool me once etc…, because you have been fooled before."

Respectfully submitted.

Addendum to letter of March 16, 2008:

There are excessive charges for phone use. The new phone company, I'm told, will not honor the past purchases of phone cards of the inmates. No refunds, therefore, must use or lose. That's great, but some inmates cannot use the phone at their leisure. It is appointment only, and then, it is not a certainty. Who profits when the inmates lose? Not the inmates, nor their families and loved ones.

There are NRS listings tor 209.243, 209.246, 209.247, 209.2475-that permit the prison director to confiscate money sent to inmates by family, friends & loved ones, for any and all decisions brought forth by institutions, but there is no due process. Doesn't the Constitution of the United States guarantee me that right? Why is my money, sent to an inmate, confiscated but inmate's earned monies are not? I do not feel I should be paying tor this institutional rip-off. My money is for the exclusive use of the inmate I sent it to for necessities-not a prison without due process in place. The NRS also calls for a set amount to be determined by the NDOC Director to be safe from prison confiscation. Can this committee tell me what that amount has been determined to be?

Can this committee tell me why it takes four to six months for a prison to accept, or deny, a request tor visiting? Please, don't tell me the sad story about needing more help. Lets just ask some public prison employees to do their job, completely and quickly. This delay is ridiculous, and childish!

The allotment of $ 0.77 given tor each meal served by the Department of Corrections is completely without conscience or morality. I challenge this committee to try living on such a pitiful amount, and I ask that all committee members share an inmate meal at the prison-the day your committee meets at HDSP. Then, ask the inmates: "If this is a typical meal, or one made for your arrival?" Might learn something about deceitful departments within the State of Nevada! Maybe…

Electronic purchases are outrageous for price. I understand the 19 inch television set has gone by the way side at the women's prison. They now offer a 9" television for $200.00 No warranty after 30 days. Why, the manufacturer's warranty is one year? Music discs for CD Players are extremely high priced. The profit to the institution is over 200% to 300%. Is this rip-off really necessary? Most earned income from canteen purchases are to go to activities that all inmates can use and / or enjoy. Not to the NDOC's pocket, or their employees personal accounts. Audit this one! Possible suspected fraud here.

Case worker's mistakes are extremely callous. No error can be verified between the parole board and the prison. There is no creditability between these two agencies of the State of Nevada. Why? Both are inscripted for the protections of the state! Do Nevadans really need this pettiness with such serious concerns? Put the Parole Board and the NDOC under one control, and let’s get some integrity back into this correctional fairy tale.

STOP! The parole board's arrogance & stupidity, for reading into an inmates sentencing-charges that have been dropped or never pursued by the courts. Has this board's commissioners taken to reading crystal balls? That is not their job. The Courts, in theory, has given the correct punishment to the intended person. The parole board, with their self-righteous sword of justice, has no authority to enhance any convicted felon's charges, to meet their expectations, or second guess what the court has deemed proper. Why has the State of Nevada taken so long to recognize this outrageous behavior? Who died and made the Parole Board Commissioners GOD? They go to the bathroom with their pants down, just like every member on this commission, and myself! Why are they so special to the state of Nevada? Isn't it time Nevada woke up, and look charge of their mistakes? This behavior is disgusting!

When are NDOC, and the Parole Board's personnel & computers, ever going to get the days for credits to the inmates correct? This behavior borders on egrecious stupidity and / or complete disregard for this committee's questions. Are you certain this committee has the power to make change? So far, your questions are proper-it is the obvious circumventing of answers that baffle me. What answers? There are many more egrecious points to bring to this committee as bad behavior and disrespect to the inmates, inmates families, loved ones and tax-payers of this state. The legislature will be meeting soon for bills to be drafted for the 2009 session. Hopefully, your recommendations will be supportive of the Nevada citizen and Tax-payer to stop the abuse and the bleeding of tax-payers dollars to support this Prison Industrial Complex Disaster. Your intelligent report is important Please, do the right thing!

Lastly, where are the schools & trade information-skills the inmates can take home with them & use tor a better life tor themselves & their families-never again to return to prison, because they have a life? A prison is more than just a one way street.Tax-payers’ lives could possibly depend on your decisions. Nevada needs to wake up & smell the roses. They grow for everyone! Even me…