IAma former employee of a jail where I watched inmates be beat senseless on an almost daily basis for 3 years. I reported the beatings and was fired for it, I have spent the last few years testifying for former inmates and families of inmates who ...

Not really a question for you but more a question for reddit. Put it this way: guys we're reddit we have over 1 million active users what can we do to spread the word about what happens in Oklahoma County Jail how can we spread the word and get the media involved?

I don't know how many of you have a deep interest, and yes these people may be criminals but they are human too and from what i understand county jail is small time jail.

I can see you tried to go to the media but they didn't want to get involved. What can reddit do as a community? I'm not from the US myself but I've seen reddit do some insane things.

edit: woah, top comment. + to add to the edit. I'm a student who has done a lot of research into the power of social media, and that is the biggest chance there is to get the word out. What we really want to hope for is that another media site picks up on this post and writes their own article on it and from there on out the ball might roll.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated! I feel like I've been going at this alone for a long long time, and any ideas or support would be awesome! I have literally THOUSANDS of pages of evidence against them, and no one has been interested in doing anything about it.

The sad truth is that nobody in a position to do something about crooked cops has any incentive to do so and they, like you, know they risk being murdered.

You are a true hero.

They really don't. When you get into that field, there's a "family" mentality. I heard that all the time. I was told "We're a family, we watch each others back around here" at least once a week. If you betray them, who are you going to call when there's been a white van parked across the street for the last 5 days? You're not going to call the cops, that's for sure.

I hope that being loud about what I've seen will keep me alive.

I live in Oklahoma County and have heard more than a few horror stories come out of there. You did and are continuing to do the right thing.

You have no idea what that means to me. Thank you.

I agree. I live in the Mid-Del area and my friend had a run-in with Whetsel in court recently. When I heard about the atrocities that happened in that place, I couldn't help but weep because I know people who have messed up (but are genuinely good people who get back on track - or just the usual slip) and ended up there. I can't imagine anyone - even a hardened criminal -receiving that kind of treatment.

The sad thing is though: nobody talks about it. I would have never known if I didn't know someone involved in the case. I'm sharing your AMA on all my FB pages hoping to get your story out there and for people to listen. Thank you so much for bringing your story to light.

You're right, absolutely no one will talk about it, and it's a shame.

Holy shit I don't even know what to ask or say after reading all your wrote. I am immensely glad that you did what you did and I hope that it serves to help inmates from being brutalized like animals from those assholes.

Thanks!

1. have you received threats from these people? have you recorded them and turned them over?
2. you said you turned over 'all evidence', how many minutes of video were you able to get out?
3. do they know where you live, are you in witness protection? If not, was it ever offered?
4. on what grounds were you officially fired?

edit: added question 4

1.Yes and whenever I recieve one, it is handled accordingly. 2.I got 45 mins of video, only about 15 of it is what happened to the inmate, and yes, it's that bad. 3.They know what state I live in, but that's it. 4. They said that I somehow was stealing money orders out of the mail room, but here's the problem with their story... I hadn't worked in the mailroom for literally MONTHS before the incident, and my keybadge had been changed so I didn't even have access to the mailroom... Oh, and they had already caught the woman stealing them and she gave them a full confession, and she gave them her bank statements that showed that she depositied the stolen money orders into her own account. It was OBVIOUS that I wasn't involved, but that was their "reason"

edit I accidentally my brain.

my little brother was in an institution up here and he said a few times some of the rougher guards pulled him aside and threatened him, telling him they knew area's that weren't covered by the camera... Thank you for coming forward. Sounds like it cost you a lot to do it, but you're a good guy for doing it.

There are always spots that aren't covered by the cameras, and the shitbags always know where they are.

Officers like them are what is wrong with the correctional system in this country.

It has cost me almost everything, and I feel like no one gives a shit about it. :/

Holy hell! You are as brave as i've ever heard. Stand tall and stay safe. Tell the goddam world.

Thanks!

When witnessing the beatings, did you try and stop them? Or would that only get you beat as well?

I did. I was ALWAYS in trouble for speaking out against what I saw. I always knew that I'd be fired from there for speaking up. I just kept documenting everything I could... I hope that one day it'll be useful.

I hope you inspire others who have witnessed blatant abuse of power but have been too afraid to say something. What kind of serious threats or outright violence against you and your family have you witnessed, other than the typical empty cowardish death threats?

I've had people look me straight in the eye and say "You're gonna die for what you're doing"

I've been followed, harassed, stalked... you name it.

I stay clear of OK, so hopefully they'll leave my family alone. Since I've moved, I've only noticed being followed a few times, so I'll just chalk that up to being a bit over observant.

[deleted]

I've heard that Canada is cold.

Come to Vancouver, it doesn't get below freezing much. I had a hummingbird at my feeder today.

Oh Canada! I'd love some Poutine right about now!

I'm confused why the Sheriff is so hard to prosecute. Is the DA also corrupt?

In my opinion.. yes

Does your attorney believe you have a lack sufficient evidence to prosecute and actually get a conviction?

I can't prosecute. I don't have that kind of authority.

Unfortunately, anyone in OK with that authority has been bought, and the feds aren't terribly interested in what happens in an overcrowded jail in OK. They pretend to be, but they're not.

What makes you think they have been bought? I understand you wouldn't want to say too much, but can you offer some anonymous details?

No one from the SO is ever prosecuted by the state. EVER.

The two men who killed Christopher Beckman were prosecuted by the federal government, and only one of them got time, (1 year) the other walked free.

It doesn't matter what kind of evidence is given to the DA's office.... they refuse to prosecute.

Other than moving to a new state and not going back to OK, what other things do you do for your own safety?

I moved 4000 miles from OK, to a place that is not easily accessible and where no one cares about what happens in Oklahoma...

I don't have much in my name and what is in my name goes to a PO box on the other side of town.

I carry pepper spray and a taser EVERYWHERE I go.

I have made a point to say very loudly that if something happens to me, the Sheriff's office and any of their employees or former employees are the first place to look.

I have multiple copies of EVERYTHING and they are in places all over the planet.

There are a few more, but a girl can't reveal all of her secrets on reddit. :D

my calling you a 'good guy' up above was ov course gender neutral. How has this affected romance?

It's fine... my name is asexual as well, so I'm not bothered by it at all.

Romance? LOL Condsidering what i have spent the last 8 and 1/2 years dealing with, it has proven to be a bit much for some guys... When I was still in OK, I had absolutely no decent relationships at all, because as soon as I told them about either fighting county, or what I saw, or I was going to and from attorney's offices and being deposed they were gone. Everyone in OK either loves the sheriff or knows what he is capable of, and will not say an ill word against him... even though they KNOW what is going on... or at least they've heard.

Also, it has changed my personality quite a bit. I've spent a long time in therapy because of what I saw and how I was treated in Ok. I was (and still am, but not as much) very upset about what happened to me and what continues to happen to inmates. I want to turn that anger into productive energy, and do good with it, I just don't know what to do.

I do have a boyfriend now, we've been together for almost 2 years. He puts up with my crazy.

Is he there with you now doing the AMA? Glad for my gender that not everyone picked their tail up and ran when they first heard of this great thing you did... Although I imagine the stats suck :(

No, he's at work. I'll tell him about me doing this when he gets home this afternoon.

Most guys did run in the opposite direction, but I got me a winner now!

I love you from the bottom of my heart. THANK YOU SO MUCH, thank you, thank you.

You're welcome. :)

I am guessing that you may have some knowledge of other prisons just through talking about that one.

Do you think this kind of violence is wide spread, or can we hope that that this is pretty rare?

I've heard of others, but I don't know for sure.... All I know is that the jail I worked in is absolutely atrocious.... I saw people get beat in there, and no one cares, no one will listen, no one will help me stop it...

I certainly hope this isn't widespread.

It is so confusing for me to try to understand that there would be enough guards willing/wanting to do this.

How the prisoners and their families don't manage to get attention either seems crazy. I was much happier pretending this only exists in movies

Its the culture there...... It sounds absolutely insane for one human being to treat another one like that, but that's not how the jail works.

From day ONE you're told that inmates are not people, do not look at them as such, do not treat them as such. Why? because if you do, they'll take advantage of you. *This was one thing I was particularly bad at. I was always the nice one... I'd treat them humanely, and they remembered it.

The officers have a gang mentality. It's never one one one for altercations, its 10 on 1 and that 1 was usually a poor old man, or some drunk kid who really didn't know what was going on.

They dont' get attention because the Sheriff pays off the news, it's well known in Oklahoma, and until the right people start caring, people are going to continue to die in there.

It doesn't matter to most people until it directly affects them. When I saw people get beat the thing that always bothered me was that I'd think (or say out loud and get written up for it) "That's someone's friend or sister or brother or grandma or grandpa"

Or it could just as easily be you. You could get a parking ticket and it blow off of your windshied and you get a FTA warrant for traffic court. 5 years later you get pulled over and you have a warrant, so you go to jail..... Then you smart off to the wrong officer, and the next thing you know, you're being beat senseless, or killed.... That's what happens all the time.

You have bigger balls then me (and I realize you're a female).

A few questions:

1. Right after you were terminated, what emotion did you have that you lost your job, was it, "I'm glad I'm gone, so these animals can be punished" or was it "I'm sad I'm gone, time for revenge", and I realize neither of these may express how you felt at that time, so please feel free to use your own words.

2. What do you do now? Were there any interviews in job interviews after the fact, where you had to recount some of the issues that happened?

3. About what percent of victims that you witnessed (or their families) will you help via court?

4. Finally, how are you doing mentally? What is the hardest part to deal with?

Thank you very much for doing what you did, it takes a lot of guts to talk, just look at all your colleagues who stayed silent.

1. My first reaction was absolute shock. I remember screaming at the Undersheriff "You're going to pay for this, motherfucker, I'll see your fucking ass in court!!" as I was walking out of the building. After I calmed down I realized what I had against them and hired the biggest, meanest lawyers I could find. I was so hurt and I felt horribly betrayed. I didn't really put all of the pieces of the puzzle together for a few weeks. I was in a bad bad place.

2. I work for the government. I did make the mistake of discussing it in interviews, and quickly learned that even putting the Sheriff's office on my resume was a quick way to guarantee I wouldn't get a job.

3. I have no idea what percentage of inmates I have helped. Attorneys have been the ones to call me, or they contact my lawyers and they relay the messages. I have sought out a few specific cases, but that's it.

4. I really don't know how I am mentally. I was in therapy for while, but what happened at the jail was only a small portion of that. I'm not actively thinking about harming myself or others, so I'm pretty sure I'm ok. I'm not sure I get the full question... can you rephrase?

I submitted this story to the NPR Show "This American Life." Who knows what they'll do with it.

let's see!

This is so fucked up. Makes me sad.

There's a guy who writes books about criminal (in)justice stuff. He wrote a book about a guy that got railroaded onto death row in New Orleans. You should contact him and have him write a book about what the stuff that you can talk about. I think his name is Hollaway or something like that.

I'll look him up! thanks!

brave dude. makes you wonder why telling the truth makes you a brave guy in this world, ya know?

why do you think they did the things they did? and why are we as taxpayers willing to pay it? because the millions does not come from the sheriff, it comes from us, the people footing the bill.

I've been told many times that I'm either the stupidest woman alive or the bravest... if the truth were told to everyone, then the sheriff would be looking at a federal indictment for abuse, mistreatment, negligence and murder, and he'd go away (along with his cronies) for a long long time.

They do it because they think they can continue to get away with it. No one will stop them, they just pay off their enemies (except for me!) and keep up the charade. If the taxpayers knew what they just paid for Dionne McKinney's punitive damages, they'd be storming the jail right now.

how did you cost the sheriff's office millions? they really had to pay millions just in legal fees? Or did they lose sources of funding or something?

I have testified in court for either inmates or families of dead inmates who are suing the sheriff's office. As soon as my name is brought up, county wants to settle, quickly and for a lot of money, especially if I am about to be deposed to subpoena'ed to testify. I have always found out afterwards how much they got after the case was settled.

It's not legal fees that they're having to pay, it's settlement money so they don't have to go to trial. They just jack up the taxes for the citizens of the county, and keep writing checks to people or the families of people that they beat or killed.

They can't help themselves, can they?

Christopher Beckman, 34, of Choctaw, died of head injuries in 2007 after a struggle with Oklahoma County jail guards.

They have to try and make it sound like he was fighting, don't they? Can't let anyone think he was basically murdered. Oh no, he died after a struggle. His own fault, really. Sickening.

Christopher Beckman was having a SEIZURE. He wasn't fighting.

My heart breaks for his family.

What are your family's opinions on the matter? It would be hard to see them, but are they proud of you for coming out on the matter?

My grandmothers' dying words to me were to "give them hell" and I'd like to think I'm doing her proud.

My own parents didn't support me when I was going through my case, and they really don't care one way or the other, but I'm not close to them. The night before I testified in December, my mother told me for the 2nd time in my entire life that she was proud of me. That's a lot for her, so I guess she's supportive. I had a horrible, abusive childhood, but that's another AMA.

My brothers and sisters are supportive, especially my brothers. One of them even showed up to court for me!

Well, these comments are mildly depressing. What did you like about your job?

I had a few favorite inmates. One of them was Floyd Crawford. He was a little old man who was homeless. He had a wild beard and wild hair, and he was one of our "regulars." Floyd would always come in drunk as hell, but when he sobered up, he'd sing to me and the other girls. He always sang old Conway Twitty songs. Floyd was always in and out of the jail at least 5 times a week. I heard that he held some kind of record for the most mugshots taken in a year or something, but his charge was always trespassing or public drunk or something dumb. Every year when it would start getting cold, one of the arresting officers would make sure Floyd got a State trespassing charge, so he could be in jail during the winter. I still wonder about Floyd.

Every year when it would start getting cold, one of the arresting officers would make sure Floyd got a State trespassing charge, so he could be in jail during the winter.

This is kind of heartwarming, in an "everyone's a criminal, but this is the best help we have" kind of way.

I miss old Floyd. I hope he is ok.

Cameras are so cheap, if they'd just put them throughout the prisons and let them be accessed by the public, I think that'd solve most problems.

It would! Unfortunately, they'll never allow that.

did you witness sexual abuse as well as physical? are you alone in this battle? do you not have any former colleagues who witnessed the same horrible things? and are they not willing to loose their job etc for justice? what is your end goal? to get the sheriff fired? thanks fr doing this ama :)

I didn't really see a lot of sexual assaults.

There are some people who really support me, but I'm the only former employee of the sheriff's office (to my knowledge) that has got on the stand against the sheriff since the 1970's.

Anyone that I approached to speak out gave me the same excuses They say one of the following "I'll lose my job. I'd love to help you, but I've got bills to pay." OR "If I help you they'll blackmail me to death." or "They'll do to me what they've done to you."

I just want to see the abuse end. That's all.

What do you think was the main motivation for these officers to treat inmates so poorly?

I don't know. I wish I did.

Do you think, like rapists, it is stemming from wanting to degrade and humiliate somebody?

I could definitely see that being a reason for the behavior. There was definitely a lot of laughing and degrading inmates all while they were having the worst day of their lives...

I think you may have something, good sir....

A few questions:

• After you left, have conditions gotten better at the prison?
• You said you are afraid to go to OK. Have you received direct threats, or do you just expect that they'll skip the step of "formal notice?" :P
• Don't prisons have some check against routine abuse? How did they avoid scrutiny?

No. I was fired in 2004, and the Beckman case was in 08 I believe.. there are many more cases and 99% of them are from after I was fired.

It has gotten worse.

What is the craziest thing that you have caught an inmate doing?

Excellent question!

I was working in Central Control (camera room) and one of the notifications went off for a door in the basement (where the kitchen is). I clicked on the camera and there was something blocking it, this happens sometimes, as all of the cameras aren't always operational, and so I asked who was there. I heard someone say "This is Lt herpyderpy, let me out." I personally knew Lt. Herpyderpy and knew that wasn't his voice, so I acted like the door was jammed and immediately called the Lt. He wasn't in the basement, he was on the 8th floor in his office. They called a few officers down and caught 3 inmates attempting to escape.

The OP SPEAKS TRUTH. I live in OK. The police here are dirty. Plain and simple. It's easy to say. And some would question the motive for saying it. I say it because it simply is true. Pick a town or city of any size, pick any agency. The police are dirty. They are bullies, predators. And they are revered as heros by the toothless rednecks that make up this state's population. OK County is bad. The OK Highway Patrol is worse. The OHP is scary, man. Don't fuck up in OK. The man will put you down. One thing OP didn't mention was the track record of a former DA and one specific ME. These 2 collaborated to convict who knows how many men. Some even sentenced to death. Wetzel was sheriff during that reign of terror too. This state has a filth ridden, disgusting legal system.

I know what you're talking about. I know which DA and ME you're referencing..... It's a Damn shame.

There's a lot of hate for private prisons/jails - was this a state-run facility or was it operated by a private, for-profit corporation?

Also, you mentioned 'gag orders' and not being able to talk about a case. But you are only a witness in these cases, not a principle, so in theory it should not be legal to prevent you from talking about anything you want. That would be a violation of your First Amendment rights. Just a thought and IANAL.

Ran and owned by the county.

A few of the cases have been "sealed" or there is some kind of gag order on them and under the advice of my attorneys I can't discuss them. I gotta protect myself, yo. :)

Welcome to America. Unfortunately your experiences are the rule rather then the exception.

and that breaks my heart. :(

So am I correct to assume that some of the abuse is actually recorded on video? You posted a still of someone cowering in the corner. And if that's true it doesn't seem to deter this behavior, I guess. Do you think "the blue wall of silence" or whatever its called is the main reason? Or could it be that some law enforcement officers think they are above the law?

Did you struggle long to decide to go to a lawyer or was it more of a reaction that didn't involve much thought? I could understand if you reached a point where you were fed up. It sounds like you felt strongly about the abuse from the beginning and made that known to your coworkers and superiors. I'm glad nothing happened to make you not come forward.

Good luck in your exile from hell.

I have the video, yes.

He wasn't cowering, he was a triple amputee who was being beat after being beat with a mop handle and stripped naked. The video shows the officer dumping him out of his wheelchair, and the officers crowded around are laughing and joking about it. They always laughed while they beat people. I still find that to be one of the most disturbing parts of that place. They laughed while they beat people... I mean, who does that?

One of the reasons my life has been threatened was because I opened my mouth not about that jail, but about inmate abuse in general. I certainly hope that no other jails are like that. I hope that no other inmates have to be tortured and beat and neglected by officers with no one to stand up for them. If that is the case, then that makes me very very sad.

I started calling attorneys within a few days, and immediately found out the size of the fight I had in front of me. I cannot count the number of lawyers that I spoke to about representing me. Most of them shut me down as soon as I said "Sheriff's Office." I had a few agree to represent me, but within a week or two, they'd call and tell me that they just didn't have the resources to take on the sheriff, or some bullshit like that. I finally found my attorneys and stuck with them.

I tried to stop it when I was there, I really did. I wrote reports and verbally was very loud about my disapproval of their actions. I didn't know what to do with what I had. I even tried to call the OSBI once about a particularly nasty incident and they gave me the run around.

I'm glad I've survived this long too! Hooray!

Were you scared of being attacked or intimidated in some way when coming back to Oklahoma, so that you wouldn't testify.

I was. I barricaded myself in my friends' house for the vast majority of the time I was there.

I have never, ever felt more relieved when I felt the plane take off on my way back here.

Does the things that you saw make you see our government differently?

Not the government, but the cops.. YES

Where you ever threatened while at work to never tell anybody (before you finally did)?

My life has been threatened more times than i care to count, so yes. It got really bad the night of the Oldcrow beating (the incident that I have the video stills)

I, like you, find it hard to understand why humans would treat other people like that. There are so many social experiments and theories explaining it. How people who are put into a position of authority will eventually abuse it. Implying that we've all got it in us, we just haven't been in that position and wouldn't know.

You are the proof that not all people are the same. You are the proof that there is some kind of incorruptible kindness in some of us. I thank you for that.

I realize that I'm pretty late to the party, but if you would read this, I have one question. Do you believe in punishment? As far as my understanding go, punishment is a pretty important part of crime prevention in the US. I live in Sweden, and I personally believe that proper treatment and help is the best way to reduce crime.

I can answer more later, but I will say this: I believe that some people can be helped and can become good citizens again.... Some.... Not so much.

Yes, I agree, not everyone can change. But everyone should be given the chance, in my opinion.

I can agree with that, in most cases. I do believe that most people in prison wound up there on accident. They're not career criminals, they just messed up, and they just want to do their time and get out of there.

Then there's the career criminals, and those are the ones that are scary. I think we should give inmates the chance to change, and whether or not they take that chance and use it to their advantage is their responsibility.

There are some inmates that are so far gone, I don't believe they can or want to change, but you're right, they should at least be given the opportunity.

[deleted]

Thank you!

Also, to those of you threatening me and calling me a rat and whatnot... I find it very sad that you feel the need to protect the people who would kick your teeth out in a heartbeat.

What the fuck is wrong with you people? Is this acceptable behavior?

They think so...

Is it true that an inmate can get just about anything they want in jail? If so, what is the craziest thing that an inmate has acquired?

Well, that's a pretty loaded question... I'm sure that inmates can get just about whatever they want, but in my facility it wasn't easy. They get very creative.

I did see some pretty interesting shanks after shakedowns and I did see a giant sex toy made out of melted jolly ranchers.

Is this a big problem? I know that prison officers are corrupted sometimes, but I've never heard of anything like this

It is a big problem at that particular jail, absolutely. I've heard about other jails with problems similar to this, but not to this extent.

This may get buried, but it is rather important to me and I feel this thread shines light on brutality that occurs at the hands of local sheriff departments. My father was a victim of this and it has ruined his life. He has an Ivy League degree that he can no longer use because he is a convicted felon due to the city's sheriffs department trying to cover up their acts of brutality. The story is that after an episode in family court (my dad has a history of mental illness), he was taken into custody and put in a holding cell where the two sheriffs took him and beat him while he was handcuffed. Now I know my father very well and he would never hurt a fly even if he was having one of his episodes. During this beating he was kneed in his ribs which caused him to fracture several ribs and gave him a large gash on his side. After this they left him knocked out in a pool of blood on the ground for an unknown amount of time. For this incident my dad was convicted of aggregated assault against an officer of the law and is now a convicted felon. Now he is struggling to get by and trying to get his life back together 9 years after the incident.

TL;DR my dad is a victim of brutality by correctional officers and it has ruined his life.

I know how your dad feels, and I just want to give him a hug. :(

If everything this guy says is true, this needs to be spread around A LOT more.

If you question anything, please question me. I'd love to show you how true it all really is.

relavent: http://newsok.com/article/3704648

Upvote!!!

Do you see this as a problem endemic to OK county, or just part of the system at large? What's your take on the prison industry, as a former insider?

I never directly saw any abuse at any jail other than the one I worked at. I certainly hope that it is not widespread. I really really do.

My opinion on the prison system is this: It's there to make money, and it is doing so. They are not rehabilitating people, they're putting them in a revolving door on the way out, and before you know it, they're right back in the system.

This is pretty much the same observation (of your system) we make in Europe. The root of the problem obviously lie with the higher-ups that stand to lose a boatload of money if the prison system were ever deprivatized. It should never have been privatized in the first place.

If I may ask; how far up the ranks of your previous employer did this problem go; did the prison warden (the guy with the biggest office) know about the goings-on?

Outside of the people actually committing these transgressions, who knew what was going on? Did "everyone" that worked there know, or just that "core" group?

This jail is owned by the county, it is not a private facility, but you are still correct.

It went all the way to the Sheriff. He knows about what happens.

Everyone knew, I've just been the only one who was crazy enough to talk about what went on in there, and trust me, I've paid for it.

1. Did any of the victims have it coming to them even remotely?
2. Have you tried bringing the Media's attention to it?

I never saw an inmate do something that deserved the ass kickings I saw being handed out daily. No one deserves to have their teeth kicked in while in handcuffs. Some inmates needed to be taken to the back to calm down, and sometimes that happened... sometimes.

The media in OK won't touch it and the National press won't touch it unless OK media covers it first. I gave up on that a long time ago.

Do you regret not doing anything? And how do the families react when you say that you watched their so get beat?

I regret not going to trial in my case. I regret not finding a way to get the press to do something about it. I regret taking blood money.

I've only testified for one inmate who I personally remember. I remember what she said to the officers and I remember hearing her scream and beg for help from women's holding.

For the others I have testified to a pattern and practice of brutality and abuse in the jail, since this has been going on for over a decade.

What do you think can be done to combat this? I will be graduating this Spring under Criminology and a minor in Poli Sci, and I went on a tour of Hazelton Federal Penitentiary. It used to be a really bad prison just in terms of inmate on inmate violence, but it has been on the mend over the past 5 years. I don't want to say it was entirely the guards doing, but the few guards who gave the guided tours were friendly (to a point) with the inmate; saying hello and asking how their day was going. I am not naive enough to think it was all genuine, but there was definitely some sincerity involved in it.

The Mexican Mafia also has a very prominent figure there, and he is basically the head of the "art department" and given free reign with his group in a room. They repaint the room with murals every season and really do some amazing work. Do you think programming like this (from inmate for inmates) is more effective than some bureaucracy on the outside telling them what is going to work for them?

I truly believe that if inmates were treated better, they would treat each other better. I noticed over the years that the "nice" officers had fewer altercations on their shifts. We could be really busy, but if the nice crew was working, it was a much more peaceful evening. Unless it was a full moon, then it didn't matter.

Have you read The Hot House (about USP Leavenworth)? Coming from that area, I figure you've probably heard a little about it. I think one of the more prominent sayings in it is that the guards never have control of the prison, but that they are really just promoting the cooperation of the inmates. I feel like it's true regardless of the hostility of the inmates; when you're outnumbered 10:1, you can only do so much. Being the aggressor in any situation only makes things that much worse down the road, and multiplying that across the inmate population I'd what creates the spark for a riot.

Also it deals a lot with the transformation if the guard style that took place in the 70's, and it seems like you are still experiencing that old-guard style of ethics.

I believe that you are 100% correct.

They should make a movie about this.

That would rock.

Good god.

dont stop fighting the good fight.

The more I read about this shit the more I want a hit list on the entire sheriffs office and any asshole taking their bribes.

I can understand your feelings of righteous anger.

On secondtought, not a hit list - death is a release, not a punishment. let them piss themselves and eat out from a straw until they die of very advanced age.

Yea, im pissed, you just dont insult the very soul of your proffession to that degree.

Thanks!!

I live in Newalla. I have a very close friend who is a Deputy Sheriff, he to told me stories about what went on in there, I'm sure you probably know him or have worked with him. He never had the pair to say anything. Continue to push back for what is right. Your a SUPER HERO!

Probably, especially if he lives out in Choctaw or Newalla.

Thanks!

I don't have a question, just want to say that I have profound respect and admiration for what you are doing. I commend you for your courage and your commitment to justice (real justice, not the shameful institution we call the criminal justice system in this country).

Thank you! Seriously.

i dont know what the time line was between you still working with the jail and whistle blowing, but did you get any respect from other inmates about standing up for their own safety?

There was no time. Everyone knew I had a problem with the way inmates were treated, though.

I know someone that works there.

Can you confirm that this manner of inmate treatment is still occurring?

I have not been in that building in nearly a decade and I won't speak on behalf of someone else, so I cannot confirm or refute your claim. Sorry.

I wasn't making a claim. Merely noting that I'm heavily interested due to the personal effect it would have if still true.

That is a pure tragedy and some of the lowest acts a human could commit.

What do you think drove the guards to do such things? Had you not seen the beatings, would you have been friends with the guards or were they so obviously insane that most people would spot them as unpleasant individuals?

There was a report about it in the news a few months ago. Look it up.

Lol no I wouldn't threaten you that's childish. All i am saying is karma has an interesting way of getting people their dues And if it was pre-conviction then no I don't agree with it. Nor would my society condone beating people. Perhaps I misread you're document. Lemme reread.

Please do. Understand that these people hadn't even been changed out of their street clothes 99% of the time there were these altercations.

I've said this in the AMA, I am NOT talking about take downs, cell extractions, administrative segregation or anything else that is within the confines of the law. I know the difference between a little jackass that wants to be wiry and mouthy who gets taken down and gets to go back to a cell for a while to come down or sober up and a scared old man having the shit beat out of him for not listening to an order when he had just been told to take out his hearing aids. THAT is what I am talking about.

Really swine? That's cute Cause I was doing cell extractions in county and state prisons most likely before you ever set foot in one. You're a snitch and I don't condone abuse but I sure as hell would never take the side of someone who breaks the rules of my society against my brothers you can act properly and let them hang themselves out to try you self righteous rat. Remember snitches get stitches and wind up and ditches. So from one CO to another good luck sleeping at night.

Are you threatening me? I certainly hope not.

Breaks the rules of your society? Since your society condones the beating of human beings who haven't even been formally charged with their crimes then I'm glad to break your rules. I'm not talking about prisons, I'm talking about a pre-trial facility. But that's ok too, right? It's ok to beat people who have no idea what is going on, it's just fine to hold people down and spray them with pepper spray when they are NOT resisting, before they've even been charged with a crime? It's ok to humiliate and degrade inmates who are just waiting to be processed?

I have slept just fine for the last 8 and 1/2 years, your threats won't change that tonight, or ever.

If these people were murders, rapists, pedos, animal abusers, and some other bad junk, Id say these prisoners deserved it.

Here's the problem with your argument: These were pre-trial detainees, not prison inmates. These guys hadn't been convicted.

Let the legal justice be served before you serve the justice.

Most of the people I saw beat were people that were probably like you. They got drunk or high or whatever and did something stupid, like drive. They wound up in jail drunk, and we all know what happens when something bad happens when you're drunk, you try to talk your way out of it, and in this case only making the problem worse. You wind up in jail, and during the ride you've sobered up enough to realize what is going on, but still drunk enough to be pissed off about it.

Then some huge dude uncuffs you and takes you over to a wall and tells you to empty your pockets and starts yelling at you place your hands on the wall and stick your ass out, the next thing you feel is a man with his hands in the top of your pants pulling your under shirt out or checking the band of your pants for needles... How are you going to react?

Allow me to tell you, a lot of guys have something smart to say or they jump, and that's how it begins.

I have a question for you how can you live with yourself when you turned into a rat turned against you're fellow staff members and helped murders rapist child molesters hurt people who worked hard paid their bills and got one back for the good people of society .... You disgust me.

How can I live with myself?

Quite easily, see, when you are doing the right thing, it's not hard to sleep at night, and if that disgusts you, that's ok. I can live with that.

PLEASE make a tl;dr....

Sure! Just for you! :)

So if a man rapes and kills a young girl and is sent to prison, he should not be beaten and left chained up to piss himself? Please explain why it's bad to beat the fuck out of scum like this?

This isn't prison. This is a jail, a PRE Trial facility. Most of the inmates there weren't convicted.

It's bad to beat people when they don't deserve it. You're not their judge, jury or executioner.

Also, this is America, we're not supposed to treat other humans like that.

Fair enough. While I do agree that you are probably doing a good thing, I also think your giddy claims of costing them MILLIONS makes you sound like a little bitch.

And your assumptions that people who have been charged with something but not convicted deserve to have their ass kicked make you sound like a bastard.