66 California Inmate Deaths Preventable According to Prison Receiver Robert Sillen

Mr. Sillen:

You missed a good rally on September 7 where the families of murdered prisoners had a UNION Pow Wow and shared their stories of neglect. Some of these stories included efforts to get help from you and your staff which were ignored. Maybe we are doing something wrong, but there appears to be no place to go for actual help, even in life and death emergencies, either at the State or Federal level.

Given that our families who are doctors, teachers, nurses, social workers, journalists, many with loved ones in prison spent a decade working to get you your job, it certainly is disappointing that there aren't any inmate patient advocates really working to prevent some of these deaths.

The prisoners don't have any anti-bacterial cleaner besides two teaspoons of Ajax. With an MRSA outbreak in full swing, which intensified in April but was covered up until late August, and has likely spread everywhere by now, one would think that good cleaners would be basic.

Now we have 60 Minutes and other national level journalists reviewing various cases of needless death ad suffering that are taking place on your watch.
I can't get a returned call or email from you, even though you know that hundreds of prisoners contact me for help in a system that just doesn't want to be bothered with individual cases.

Maybe if I post here you will see that nobody at the State or Federal level is taking care of life and death emergencies that any of us can see. We are documenting everything and keeping very good records for the media people.

The links to some of the remarks made by desperate parents and people involved in the crisis are here. They have found it impossible to get any real help from you or anyone on your staff. I wonder if Judges Henderson and Karlton realize that many of the deaths could be prevented if only some bureaucrat at any level would intervene and make sure that the medical care is provided or to put them somewhere else.

http://www.1union1.com/Sept7_rally_photos.html

Perhaps there is some procedure that we're not following, some person in the bureaucracy that is in charge of taking care of individual inmate complaints that we haven't tried hundreds of times.

Maybe more effort in answering these pleas, and less in just watching people die and recording them as a statistic could reduce the number of deaths.

The world is waiting for you to actually do something to get them help. Are we not begging hard enough? Loudly enough? What does it take in the name of God and all this is moral and decent to get help for these people?

How about taking the mentally ill out of the system altogether as they are becoming much worse off and dying needlessly because prison is not the right place for sick people.

The nurses at RJ Donovan have been trying to speak to you about suspicious deaths of patients with dementia and problems with unskilled nurses working in the emergency rooms. No wonder the medical workers won't stay, even with pay raises, there is only so far you can expect ethical people to go. I hope that you will listen to them as well, or instead of hiring so many expensive PR people, find someone who will listen and ACT on these emergencies.

How about putting video cameras in all the administrative segregation areas which is working to cut preventable deaths of the mentally ill in Michigan.

As a nurse who worked in the prison system, it took me 3 months to get my two buildings back on track with medical follow ups to their chronic medical issues. The guards didn't like me because I was DOING MY JOB. They made my life hell and I had to leave for my own health sake and sanity. I felt so guilty leaving those men behind....they are not all animals (as portrayed on TV),but believe me, they do live in hell. ANY sane man would go insane in that environment. The guards and wardens don't want medical people around. I have no idea how this will EVER be corrected. We treat our animals better. I can only imagine the anquish of the parents of these men. Money offers wouldn't keep me in the environment I had to work in created by the guards. My prisoners always treated me respectfully. The guards RARELY did.

EVERYONE needs to pay attention. Not all people in prison belong there. Some
have no business being there, others should have been released a very long time
ago as they have paid their debt to society. The 3 strike law needs to be revised.
Inmates need to be near their home for family support! Our system is so broken & these issues need IMMEDIATE attention. Some people do say the "stupidest"
things only because they are ignorant to the system. Politicians talk. Each
Judge, prosecuting attorney and defense attorney needs to go under cover to a
prison so they can see first hand that we can not wait any longer to make changes. ACTION needs to start today. Maybe they should hire some of us that
are not involved in the politics of it all to make sense of this. I know I could do it.

As a mental health professional and family member of an inmate I am very much disturbed and sickened with the California Prison System. As the Frontline story highlights, prisons are becoming the "New Asylums" for mentally ill patients. As Penny mentioned above, one does not have to be mentally or physically ill before entering prison-this can happen as a result of confinement.

Some of the few causes of prison illness being; guard fear, ignorance and abusive behavior, physician/psychiatrist apathy, poor sanitary conditions. A system that is run by fear and degradation will only churn out more violence and death. It's discouraging to hear that people resent working as helping professionals in the prison, and it is disheartening to find out that the Receiver's Office has not been responsive to the community outcry.

I run into the same brick wall as mentioned by B.Cayenne Bird: there is no organized third party system to listen/mediate between the public, corrections staff and the inmates. A type of monitoring system, that is sensitive to the health needs of inmates and concerns of family, while respecting the establishment. This is where the Office of the Receiver could help, and it is my hope that open and productive communication can begin now Mr. Sillen.

Thank you.

The fact is who is it we incarcerate? What was their crime? Why is there so many? Tough on crime laws such as three strikes ARE responsible for prison overcrowding.Don't be fooled by DA's or law enforcement that have much to gain, by the present prison population. 26% of the prison population are strikers, second and third.65% for petty crimes or victim less crimes such as drug possession!That deserves the same sentence as 1st degree murder? We have become the incarceration nation, no longer the land of the free. For crimes, that were not crimes not to long ago, or simple misdemeanors that are now enhanced to felonies. Let reason prevail!

Mr. Sillen I do hope you are listening and reading, hear is where you will learn what you need to pay attention to. You can hire all the good people you want but if they are treated with disrespect, contempt, and the guards actions of intimidation and disrespect no one good will stay and put up with type of treatment. In order to do your job you need to listen to the ones that need the help and the people that work for you.

I find it hard to describe the anguish brought on by this broken prison system. When first hearing that a federal receiver would be appointed, all families of neglected inmates had hope. Hope that soon some of the suffering might end. That has not been the case so far.
The receiver's office is unresponsive to the outcry of inmates families, loved ones, community and medical personel.

I find it hard to simply carry on a daily routine knowing that as I write, there are people suffering, dying and begging for mercy.

How did we, the people, and you, Mr. Sillen, let it go this far without some sort of intervention for these families?
How can we as a society simply allow this to happen?
Who is going to speak for them? Certainly not the politicians, not the people who make their living off the suffering of others, and not the people who beleive that this only happens to bad people.

I know that you, Mr. Sillen, are but one man trying to fix a system that has spiraled out of control for years.
A task that many could not even comprehend. But, please, you must design a program to handle these life and death emergencies for the families. Give them some hope and understanding. For if you don't, it is their lives that will be on your hands and conscience.

Mr. Silen,
I implore you to take notice of letters and phone calls you receive from desperate families who cannot get proper health care for their sick and dying loved ones. The case of Mark Grangetto comes to mind. How did you and staff not intervene in this case? I appreciate all you that you and your team are doing, but the desperate calls you have gotten and will get from the families are much more telling of the gravity of the health care situation than any studies you can possibly engage. PLEASE take these calls seriously and deal with them quickly. Thank you.

Mr Sillen I know you're facing an immense task brought on by the years and years of neglect in California's prisons and I'm grateful you've written the Governor to inform him of your concerns, but I would like to urge you to work towards radical changes that can be implemented now, not in 10 years' time. People's lives are at stake. People who have loved ones who are worried sick about them, as you can read in several of the reactions above.

Also, if changes don't happen quickly, all good personnel there still is left in the health care staff in the prisons will leave because as things are now it's impossible for them to do their job properly, which frustrates them to no end (as you can also read in some of the reactions above).

I hope everybody in the legislation and the Governor's Office is reading this, because this situation can't continue any longer. Action is needed NOW.

Mr. Sillen I understand you are determined to take on the treatment of Asthma first. Why don't you take on the treatment of paralyzed prisoners who are wheelchair bound, blind, in horrible pain from Diabetes and Hepatitis C.
(all fatal conditions)

Why aren't these human beings who are suffering beyond anyone's imigination taken out of the prison system and placed in nursing homes "right now".

Why does it take ten years to rebuild a broken prison system when there are private long tern skilled nursing facilities all over the State of California.

At least give these humans some quality of life during the remining days of their life with proper medical care and pain management control. While you are building a prison system from the top down, human beings are dying at the foundation of your fix-it plan.

Either do this or release these people through the three Judge panel When you start pulling people out of these torture chambers the Governor and all the Legislators will get the message of the gross violations of the 8th. amendment to the Constitution.

I was there.You have know idea how helpless you feel when you have contracted a serious infection and you know that the chances of getting ANY medical attention or medication for your condition will ALLWAYS be too LITTLE, THE WRONG PRESCRIPTION, OR WAY TO LATE or turned into something worse, like pnemonia or flesh eating staph. Only inmates with money on the books to buy canteed are fotunate enough to buy other inmates medicines to self medicate themseves and then pray it works. I often wonder how I got out alive.

Father, please touch the heart and lives of each of these people. Please put someone in their path to help them and their loved one in prison. Clarify a path for Mr Sillen, help him to assign someone to respond to the need of individuals while he and his team tackle the overall problem of this system. We need Your help. In Jesus' name.

It is absolutely astonishing,that emergencies are not being handled first !!!!!!
The sick and dying cannot wait,ten years for your reform to actually manifest.The sick and dying need help now,not ten years from now,the bodies are piling up now !!
What is stopping you from,seeking a remedy for these very ill prisoners ?The families are informing you,yet you choose to ignore them,you are treating them,no better than the department of corruptions,and our callous governor !!
Just what are the families suppose to do,sit back and just wait for them to die,like all of you are doing ?????
If they get removed to healing facilities,outside of the department of corruptions,then you can focus on the preventable cases,that are needing your attention.You will have made room,for the others,and also,eased some of the overcrowding as well.
Whats the matter with you ?
Have you even visited any of the sick and dying prisoners,looked up in the Shu holes ?
You know that the terminally ill inmates in the medical facility in Vacaville,are being cared for by other inmates,rather,than by nurses,because they are short of staff there ?
This is a disgrace for the human race,these men should be in real hospitals.
What ever their crime was,they still should not be treated,so horridly !!
These sick and dying inmates should be sent home to their families,to care for them,at lest die,with some dignity,at home with their families,and those who have no one,can at least dye,peacefully with a real nurse at their side.
There will be more and more sick inmates,until the "Shu" hell holes are banned~these death chambers are creating mental and physical illnesses.Shut down those "Shu" holes now !! These ignorant guards use these crypt's to lock up the mentally ill,out of sight out of mind~these human beings are are put to suffer endlessly,as those demon high paying guards have their laughs~~~this is totally demonic and disgusting,for this abuse to continue on your watch~~you need to hire some of the families,to help you out and kick those devil guards to the ground,where they belong !!!

Mr. Sillen, there are many things besides death that could have been prevented in the first place if the officers and some medical staff had done their jobs properly.

My friends brother did some time at Centinela State Prison in Imperial Valley California and he told us that one inmate kept trying to see a doctor about a chronic cough and kept getting turned away by the MTA. Turns out the inmate had full blown tuberculosis and he had been working in the main kitchen on A-Yard. They locked down the facility for three months because of this. How could they have let this happen?

Unfortunately it happens more often than we know and you and your staff need to put an end to the medical neglect at all prisons.

I was there.You have know idea how helpless you feel when you have contracted a serious infection and you know that the chances of getting ANY medical attention or medication for your condition will ALLWAYS be too LITTLE, THE WRONG PRESCRIPTION, OR WAY TO LATE or turned into something worse, like pnemonia or flesh eating staph. Only inmates with money on the books to buy canteed are fotunate enough to buy other inmates medicines to self medicate themseves and then pray it works. I often wonder how I got out alive.

There are very good studies in Behavioral Science that proves incarceration and punishment NEVER changes behaivor. There are also very successful alternatives to incarceration that are already being incorporated in other countries. But it seems that nothing will sway Americans from just being cruel. The closest we get to any change in our adicctive knee-jerk behaivor concerning crime and punishment is when we follow the bottom line and underline that change will save money. For anyone wanting to see how ridiculously barbaric our country is concerning prisoners, I would suggest reading Kind and Usual Punishment- the first expose on the prison business.

Mr. Sillen
First let me say I do appreciate your efforts. I agree with the above comments, there is just nobody to help when medical care is needed. I for one was very excited when you were appointed as so many others were too.

Revisions need to be made immediately to rush "emergency" care staff to help those so ill and with nowhere to turn. In fact many are afraid to even ask for help because of retailiation. Isn't that something?? AFRAID to ask for medical help!!!

Is it not possible to establish a staff of certified EMT's to be first responders as soon as a call is received? They should respond immediately like our calls for 911. EMT's should be given the power to seek whatever further treatment is needed at hospitals immediately and transport them immediately.

Why not set up portable clinics at each hospital to immunize all prisoners against preventable diseases...before they get sick? This could also be done at the receptions centers.
My loved one was in horrible pain for 6 months with an abcessed tooth that nearly killed him from the infection. Two teeth were broken when he was attacked in a county jail. Nobody cared. No help and after 5 years infection set in and he nearly died and the guards made comments like you just want drugs,- He never had a drug problem in his life! He was so swollen he could hardly talk and grotesques with the infection and swelling yet the guards continued to ignore his desparate pleas to see the doctor. Dentist?? Forget it.. He couldn't sleep or eat for a long time and lost so much weight yet begging and nobody would listen. It was very obvious he was very ill and the guards totally ignored his condition- many of the guards are cruel and abusive. I was worried sick he was going to have a heart attack from the infection and so was he.

Not long after an inmate did die from the very same thing. An abcessed tooth and no medical care; he died on the way to a hospital after many months of suffering. Anyone that has ever had an abcess can only guess at all suffering from this neglect.It was in the newspapers.
Society is outraged if an animal is abused but could care less about the human suffering of those imprisoned. Please do something they need immediate help - they don't choose to be sick. This is outrageous to think we live in America and treat our prisoners like this. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter.

Why does Arnold says no to Sunshine Bill and Three Judge Panel? Why is there only death and medical neglect? Why no media? Why no relief from over-crowding? Why is there no accountability,and transparency....Why?

I tell you I'm fed up with Arnolds no action stance on over crowded prisons,medical neglect of inmates that are packed like sardines in prison. Honorable Judge Thelton Hedenrson has
stated:"One inmate dies every six days in these California hell hole prisons. I'm fed up with the many officials who do nothing stop CDC death and abuse.

Why?.... with Sillen taking over the medical receivership the inmate death toll still stands the same today?
Crisis after crisis!......and still Arnold says no to any accountability in this heinous CDC crisis.
Arnold thinks everything is just fine,while family members of loved ones incarcerated are disenfranchised and have no one to turn to in these life and death circumstances.What the hell is going on?

The mentally ill are locked in maximum confinement continually and treated like trash. One mentally ill inmate is called names by guards,"Shitty, Shitty, Bang,Bang" and another mentally ill inmate has a Gatorade bottle thrown at her to shut her up back in maximum confinement.These girls are helpless,they are mentally-ill for cry'in out loud....they cry and get hit in the head. I tell you I'm angry for more justifiable words that would describe these kinds of abuses.Does any government official care? We the countless family members ..... call our officials who do nothing! Oh and yes....do we sleep at night?....hell no! We are the disenfranchised of your apathy and outright total disregard for this holocaust perpetuated on our loved ones.We will unite and vote you out,there's no place in society for your insolence and deprivation.

Will there be no end to the suffering,neglect and death? Officials sit around and talk about prison reform,and then plan to build more prisons...while these godless human-rights violations continue!

We the people who have no representation demand a Office of Accountability be established. Set forth to take immediate action on our behalf,and a end of the suffering inflicted on our loved ones be addressed...which we also suffer continually. 7.4 Billion dollars to build more prisons? Give us the people a place to voice our petitions to the government for a redress of grievances.We want a end to these sufferings we and and loved ones are enduring.

Wake up and smell the coffee,we are organizing.

The important thing here is that the prisoners need to receive medical treatment at all cost to the State or the Federal Government. Under Human Rights Law and many treaties which have been rarified by our Government; the State of California is in violation of most of the Federal and even the State Laws (right along with the treaties), which were set into place for the protection of the prisoner population. The Institutionalized Persons Act and The Covenant on Civil and Political Rights protects them from abuse. This outrageous situation here in California regarding medical neglect has been going on for many years. I believe it will not stop until family members and the American public stand up against the machinery that places our families in prisons

Today the courts allowed a lawsuit brought on by Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety that calls into question the legality of using lease bonds to build new prisons without voter approval. The Governors 8 Billion dollar AB900 bill to finance building more prisons that will not help the immediate overcrowding problems and medical malpractice going on in our prisons may lose it's funding. The people of this state don't want more prisons, they want to reform the system. Put in place a sentencing commission to clean up the sentencing nightmare legislators have created. Reform parole, get our mentally ill out of the prisons into the correct environmnent. Rehabilitate and Educate and Job skills. It will save us billions in tax dollars and possibly save the lives of many of our children and change the destinies of many.

Please don't listen to one word the state has to say anymore. They have no intention of fixing the system. The federal government needs to take it over completely and reform the system. It is the only hope we have.

This state has ignored 77 court orders over the last decade and nothing changed and the courts did nothing to hold them accountable. You and I would be enjoying a nice long prison stay if we ignored court orders.

Morris 1, you must be lost on this topic. Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety was not at the rally to support the families whose loved ones have died. In fact Matthew Gray, one of the people who has been sued for his role in inmate medical neglect and abuse when he worked in the Senate, was urging people not to attend it.

Everyone posting on this thread is a UNION member, we're the ones who have carried this battle for a decade, Matthew Gray of TIPS was and still is one of the big blocks to achieving reform. No one with a serious medical problem would ever consider coming to him for help.

He scored one lawsuit, we have 28 wrongful death lawsuits in progress which he actively encourages people not to support.

The attorney who has filed this lawsuit on AB 900 deserves support, Matthew Gray, the paid porn lobbyist deserves to face most of the posters on this list in court for what he didn't do as he kept lying to the media about what was being done to help prisoners in an emergency.

Morris1, anyone who would follow Matthew Gray after all the people who ended up dead and with permanent injury, all the lies he told to thwart our efforts as the parents of prisoners in desperate need of help, deserves to be sued and that is exactly what has happened.

The case has a court date of April 4, 2008 in Sacramento Federal Court and is posted on Pacer. The facts are out there. Matthew Gray and TIPS had nothing to do with achieving the Federal Receivership, the Prison Cap at all, which is well documented. The Porn Lobbyist can't come in and take claim this one, which is his style

Cayenne Bird, Westmoreland whoever you are this week. You do so much more harm than good when you attack those who are all fighting for the same things you are fighting for. What a shame.

Morris 1, We are the teachers, nurses, and parents of California inmates.
We are not posters who pretend to be a parent, when they are actually prison guards, and their cronies.

This is about medical neglect, this is about our children's lives. This is about unconstitutional suffering.
What are you doing about it?

Do you write letters to editors on a daily basis? Do you attend rallies in the name of our suffering and dead children, some of which was featured on 60 minutes, at a expense that none of us can afford.

Were you there to hear the cries of the parents who have lost their children to this system?
What are you doing to help our children? Posting information to a few, isn't going to help our situation, or yours. Shame on you!

Morris 1 was helping Matthew Gray tell people not to attend the Capitol Rally on Sept 7 to appeal to the legislators to pass the sentencing bills and AB 1539. Morris 1 stood against the families of dead prisoners who work so hard in the UNION. This is what the guards do, send in divide-and-conquer agents to destroy efforts to speak out or to organize. Most of the time these agents are lifer families who must get something special for their loved ones if they will stop the UNION from growing.

Thank God that doesn't work and that people can see right through it. In spite of Morris 1 and Matt Gray's effort to keep people from coming to the rally, it was a big success.

Just so anyone reading the article above is new to the prison issues, please understand that several of the posters above are all the same person. B. Cayenne Bird.

While she has many good points she always resorts to accusations and insinuations when anyone outside of her "UNION" tries to exercise freedom of speech or have an oppinion in a public forum. I was unaware that this was a "UNION" website, I thought this was the "California Progress Report" regarding a letter from the Prison Medical Receiver Mr. Sillen. My mistake.

According to Ms. Bird anyone that has an oppinion or observation different than hers must be a prison guard or have some affiliation with the prison system conspiracy. I have never hidden that I have a son doing 10 years in prison and am very concerned about what is happening to our children in these prisons. My eyes were opened when my family experienced the legal and prison systems. That is how people learn about the terrible conditions and corruptions that are rampant through California.

Getting the message out to the public is all any of us can really do. I have written to the Governor several times, every California Senator and California's US Senator, every California Assemblymen about the horrid conditions of our prisons pleading with them to change things. I will continue to do so for many different topics in California.

Ms. Bird, you may continue your rant and personal attack on Mr. Gray if you like however in my comment above I did not mention anyones name. I will support any organization that challenges the prison system and our legislators to get things fixed. Any progress by any group is a positive for reform.

Here are the pictures of some of the parents of dead prisoners at the Capitol Rally on Sept 7, many of whom have posted on this thread.

http://www.1union1.com/Sept7_rally_photos.html

These are all UNION subscribers and include a number of groups. Morris 1 childish claims is why Matt Gray has no credibility amongst the mature, thinking people who have fought these life and death battles while she and Matt Gray work for CDCR against the families with the lawsuits.

Morris 1 is possibly Matt Gray and is at the very least controlled by him. We all came out to publicly stand up for prisoners, have done so for many years and everybody knows us.

My picture was on the national news wires recently. Did anyone ever see a photo of Morris 1. This is probably Matthew Gray skulking in the shadows, attacking people who sued him for his role in a number of prisoner deaths and permanent disabilities while he claimed to be taking care of complaints.

If you want to see my photo, just go to www.google.com and enter Michael Westmoreland. How childish and downright stupid to claim the UNION is one person when Judges Henderson, Karlton and even Sillen have seen us all turn out to every hearing on medical neglect and the key journalists attended our press conferences when we filed the lawsuits.

The key journalists in California interact with the UNION families each day because the media is banned and we the ones carrying these campaigns. This is why Matt Gray only has credibility with one or two journalists, they all remember when he was assuring everyone there was no crisis in the prisons.

Morris 1 is probably Matt Gray. Where is your picture and who you are really? Don't knock the desperate struggle of the families of dead prisoners in the UNION

The publisher of the California Progress Report Frank Russo met most of the people posting on this thread in person at several UNION events and public hearings. He knows the size of the UNION

Morris1 (aka Matthew Gray) was not present as usual so once again, Gray proves he is an enemy to prison reform telling lies wherever he goes, lies that a provably wrong, to undermine our efforts to be heard.

Ask Frank Russo if the posters here are "real" people, he has seen them all several times, like most people who are doing more than sitting behind a computer screen. How ridiculous to make such a claim.

Folks: Please stop attacking each other--it does not advance the cause or illuminate the issues. If you want to attack each other, please do it elsewhere.

I know that these are highly charged emotional issues and that many of you are already involved in organizing and speaking to others in the public. I have met some of you at different events and if I can attend Monday's three judge panel I will undoubtedly see you there. I have met or talked to folks in different organizations here that others have questioned the identity of--and I can attest that you exist.

I can track the IP address where comments come from and they are from a variety of people no doubt, although a couple of you have used the same address and presumably are two individuals who share a computer. But I know that many come from different sources.

Please advance ideaa and ways to move forward. Let's not personalize this.

Thanks in advance.

We are not attacking "each other", we are defending ourselves against Matthew Gray aka Morris 1 who is one of the people who were callous when he worked in the legislature. He not one of us, he only pretends to be an advocate for prisoners, but he is in bed with the enemy and tries to destroy our lawsuits and organizing work. The guards and people who work with them go onto the threads and try to bust up the UNION members' telling their stories.

Thank you for verifying that you know us Mr. Russo, the Capitol Press Corps covered many of our press conferences for the lawsuits that were filed and the newspaper archives are full of these stories as well.

Efforts to discredit and minimalize the UNION families speaking out is not coming "from us" - it is coming from those who are are against us.

Morris1...in bed with the enemy...you make me laugh Stephanie Gooding/Westmoreland/Big Bird. Morris1 is not "in bed" with any enemy I can assure you. You on the other hand create such a waste of space with your rantings and ravings. It is a total turn off and counter-productive to the issues at hand.

Stephanie: I also know Morris 1 and she is a woman.

Let's not minizmize what anyone is doing in this area.

JH is some kind of correctional person, Morris 1 may not be Matthew Gray but she should know better than to come in where all UNION members are posting about a decade of their work, many having lost a prisoner and start talking about TIPS. She wasn't involved in this ten year campaign, but she was telling people not to come to our rally at the Capitol when a crowd was needed to show that not all families of prisoners are too stupid to organize and support bills. Talk about minimizing people's work and being hooked up with the enemy, that's what Morris 1 did by even mentioning that name in our presence.

We sued Gray as a part of the problem which he continues to be. You cannot claim to be for the welfare of prisoners and be against the UNION families who are fighting lawsuits and need support and attendance at their own trials.

Nobody in the UNION wants anything to do with Gray after he ignored us when he could have helped, and pretended to help and then didn't.

He and his cronies can't just come into our midst, try to minimalize us by saying we don't exist and not expect a strong response.

Morris 1 doesn't show up, like Matt Gray never did one thing to help us, doesn't help us now and probably won't in the future. She tried to minimalize us and our work a great deal but luckily too many people know about it for her and that fraud porn lobbyist she's in league with to fall for it.

Some people think they know everything when they had nothing to do with any of it and have no clue.

Does anyone know when the three-panel of Judges will meet again?

Sept. 24th, 2007.

Thank you,Morris 1

California progress report has offered us the pubic this link to talk. So lets talk and discuss and not fight among each other. We all have a lot of work to do to help improve all of our systems in California.

Thank you

I can not believe what I just read!!!!!
Morris1 is a wonderful woman with a son in prison. She looks at both sides of an issue and then makes her choices as we all do, but to tell her or anyone else not to post on a site where union members are posting...
NO one had that right and it makes you all look pretty bad especially when others are reading this, and everyone talks about becomming a large enough group to be heard....please this will never happen when things like this happen, it makes each and everyone of us look very petty!!!!
I will tell you ALL one thing what ever good might have come out of this it has been tainted because of the infighting and accusations. I'm sure the guards that do come on here are laughing like crazy at the spectacle that was just made....

Matthew Gray of TIPS is in bed with the guards and is one of the people we've sued for his role in prisoner deaths and preventable disabilities. He had has done everything in his power to work against the UNION families posting here and our lawsuits and continues to do so today. Morris1 promoting TIPS and one of the arch enemies to prison reform here with all these grieving families, minimalizing our existence, insulting our director will cause a strong reaction every time. What do you think the rally was about? Medical neglect and the people who are dying. TIPS is in bed with the guard's union, not a one of "us" but one of "them" who works against us

Can I get some names of attorneys for a possible lawsuit. I have lost a grandson and a nephew to Valley Fever.

Thank you,
Lupe

Stephanie, I understand what you are saying....however this should not be discussed on any form we are all posting on, I do not believe Morris1 ment any disrespect by telling people that they are fighting the building of new prisons, that is something we all want, she also stated she agreeded with each and every other poster, that no one should listen to the politicans becaue they LIE!
All I'm saying is try speaking with Morris1 and discussing in a reasonable mannor how and what you feel I'm sure you will find a very intelligant person.
My opinion is that when something like this happens it makes all look as though we cannot get it together.
I do not have a loved one with medical needs in prison, my fight is totally different from yours, however that does not stop me from trying to do what I can to help this terrible situation in anyway that I can. I post as much as possible, write letters to editors and pass as much into as I can. But I cannot make it to ralleys, so does that make me not want to fight all the less? NO...I will not stop until my loved one is home....I'm just saying attacking someone you do not know is not the way to get things done.....my opinion.....

This is tragic news Lupe, you need to contact our director that is getting knocked around here when she is the main person in California helping UNION members find attorneys and go to one another's hearing when they come to court. email her at rightor1@yahoo.com.

Here are some of the UNION family lawsuits

http://www.1union1.com/about_UNION.html

Nobody can win these because the system is totally corrupt but filing them is some form of accountability of all who are responsible, or were callous when you tried to get help.

thousands of people have died since the UNION started working to expose intentional medical neglect in 1998.Thank God for Prison Law Office, Judges Henderson and Karlton who know us well but they can only focus on two or three lawsuits and make all the reform from those.

Attorneys aren't free

thank you,

I am fairly new to this arena, but what about county legislative hearings regarding prison reform and our loved ones dying. We can all organize a group in our own counties. I don't want to sue I want the state to use the money to reform. I have no problem with building new prisons just make sure they are not in the central valley so that the Valley Fever won't spread. Breaking of the land is what causes the disease to become airbourne. I don't understand what is taking the 3-panel Judges so long to step in. What is the magic number for the judges to say enough dead now lets go in. I believe that the two Judges are responsible for any deaths of inmates after they sent Robert Sillen in and received their first report from him. They have been playing around with CDCR for years.

Today I read in the newspaper that Bush is recommending that bus transportation for youth with disabilities should not receive continued funding. Youth with disabilities can not get to school alone. But Bush wants an addition ?illion dollars for the war. I say this to say that things will not change until we hold our legislators responsible in California and not to look to the Feds for help.

Why are we not asking for criminal charges to be brought against the wardens and administration of CDCR for the deaths of our inmates/loved ones. If a hospital allows a patient to die someone would go to jail for some type of homocide charge. The Attorney General for the State of California should be charging someone with 66 counts of murder.

Thanks for letting me vent.

The law enforcement labor unions and attorney general are all in league together, which is why initiative campaigns on a statewide level is the only way we are going to ever get reform.

There is only sheriffs at the county level,the prisons are state run. To change one law requires 660,000 signatures of registered voters gathered in 150 days on a petition approved by the Secretary of State. This means that 6500 must come together and get trained so we can do initiative campaigns. The legislators are part of the problem, law enforcement put most of them into power by giving them millions of dollars and bringing people out to vote for them.

There are things that you can do. The UNION is a communication system that will train you and put you into an action mode, it's a newsletter, teaches people how to fight back for themselves and others.

Gentle Warrior

Everyone thinks that their loved one is safe and that the medical crisis doesn't apply to them until something unexpected happens and then it is too late

Nobody whose loved one died thought they were in any danger. People who knock our work with a loved one in prison when we are the only ones fighting these battles need a wake up call and a reality check.

These emergencies affect every prisoner whose day is coming and people had better start helping the UNION instead of knocking us. The guards aren't afraid of these other useless groups, only those in the UNION Coalition are standing up to these bullies.

I have no forgiveness for anyone who undermines the grieving families and our attempts to be heard at the rallies, when a person slaps one UNION member with an insult, that's a slap to us all as we are galvanized and well acquainted, not some ridiculous email group not showing up to anything or putting up any money to fight battles.

You have good posts Gentle Warrior, I look forward to meeting you at one of the rallies in the future.

please stop being so heart less cap calif prisons it is all about the money !!! they do not want to lose the money out of there pockets for the stocks they buy in the prisons!!! help them pl cap calif prisons

the family of dieing inmate should sueeeee calif for all they got this is heart less

you people encourage and inspire me, but most of you
are very naive. The system is the way it is because
those in charge are sadistic and evil people, by means
of systemic indoctrination to being bullies, to demonizing the inmates, and to egotism and pack psychology. People are dying or getting diseases not because the care isn't there, but because the guards
and medical staff intentionally withold it as part of
the torture. Yes, also, this is all about making 3000
dollars a head per month. Replacements are as easy to
find as the next fishing session of the homeless. Evil
PIGS are trained to think and act as predators, and
to percieve any extra suffering they can heap upon
their victims as an extra boon to their process. I know all of this because i have lived through it.
I was fished, put in jail, put in a two person isolation cell with a person who obviously had serious
staph infections, repeatedly asked for treatment, had it repeatedly denied on absolutely orwellian grounds,
and eventually developed my own staph infection which
they also refused to treat, also on orwellian grounds.
The guards and the police are truly EVIL people.
Until you understand this, and confront them on those
terms, nothing will change. Everything allegedly being
done to change the system is a farce. It does no good
to have better equipment, better medicines, better
theoretical process when medical care is denied specifically as yet another form of torture. These deaths and injuries and diseases are not accidents; they are intentional aspects of a system modeled on
hell.Medical deprivation is just one more pitchfork
for the demons to use.

Those prisons are to full theres people in there that dont belong in there right now, like alot of the nonviolent three strikers there just sitting in there I dont know why, that law needs to be address how are the health care workers suppose to do their jobs with a way over crowded prison

Mr. Sillen needs to talk to the people giving the medical care in the trenches. I am not sure who he's talking to, but either he really doesn't care anymore because he's so busy doing the politics, or his people are lying to him. Because I can tell you for a fact its alot worse off then it was even three months ago. It unbelievable what I see everyday with little support. If I say anything then Im disgruntle.In fact nothing has changed same old song and dance. Only someone else in charge making a whole lot of money.I am sure he does not even read anyone comments anymore. Wake up Sillen.

Why is there so much fighting between these two groups when our families members who are in prison are dying. I wish a savvy attorney would sue the CDRC and the State of California for violating the Convention Against Torture. Stand up and call the Director of the FBI. Write him letters and tell him about the medical neglect and murder of our family members. Bravo! E.Stevenson! You tell em! If you want that phone number for Robert Mueller 111 let me know. E-mail me. I have written him, and believe me he responded, my husband got medical treatment with a quickness. We need the Federal Government to take over the California State Prison system. STRUGGLE ON!!!!!. PS. Who wants to join my group? I want to change the system for the prisoners. I don't care about the politics or the arguments that others think are so important. I am more into getting the prisoners their needs met and creating a better world for everyone. Feel free to e-mail me . love@prisonedufound.org

Squabbling amongst groups is one of the main reasons that reform processes are usually so slow. No matter what organization or party says it, the situation is still the same, and if we really want a string solution we must work together on one. My fiance is currently serving time at High Desert in Susanville, helping other inmates who are in wheelchairs. He currently sleeps on the top of a three tiered bunk in the gymnasium. We cannot stand by and allow legislators and greedy, apathetic politicians to industrialize our families.

I am the widow of Manuel Trillo whom was an inmate of Avenal State Prison. My husband passed away October 10,2006 while in the care of Avenal State Prison. He was neglected and not given the proper medical treatment that he was in need of at the moment of his death. He was sent back to his cell several times within the 2 weeks of his passing and was never given the proper care that he so desparately needed.In August of this year the Sacramento Bee published a front page article of the neglience of my husband's death. From that article I was informed by a reader that I needed to file a claim for my husband,again this was something that Avenal needed to inform me of in the beginning and I had to get the information 11 months later.I am still seeking legal help from a lawyer so my children and I can get closure and my husband can rest in peace. I will be eternal grateful if anyone has any help or knowledge of help that I am able to seek to help my husband get the justice that he deserves. My husband was in prison but he was loved by me and my children and we need to know that even though the prison didn't care for him properly we are willing to go all the way for him.

Here is the URL for my space! Please join. Ask as many questions as you need to. And please do not get offended by the questions of others. I love to answer them and folks have a right to ask. I am sorry that your loved ones are dying. My husband is very ill as well. We all need a savvy attorney to do a class action on the behalf of our families who are in prison. Blessings and Satchidananda to you all. Roxanne Davenport Greschner M.A.

http://groups.myspace.com/prisonreformallofus

Just in case all of you did not understand how to access the cite. I have had some very scary people try to spot my prison reform efforts. As some of you know the death of a loved one is very heart breaking when they are in prison, the powers that be do not think about the heart break of the families, some of our family members need hospice and they need us to be there when they pass away. My heart has been broken many times in the past by the death of my prisoner family members. The State of California in=s in violation of the U.S Constitution as well as many of the treaty set into place by past administration of the United States Government to protect the prisoner population. Little do present administrators admit to this because if they did they would have to take responsibility for the death of your loved ones and mine. Blessings, Roxanne Davenport Greschner M. A.

YES, OUR FAMILY ALSO LOST SOMEONE IN PRISON, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEY RUN PRISON. THEY SAY SUICIDE, THEY MAKE SOME OF THEY PEOPLE IN PRISON WHO ARE ILL, GET MORE ILL, PUT THEM ON MEDS, AGAINST THEIR WISHES (THEY SAY FOR THEIR MENTAL PROBLEMS) WHICH MAKES THEM WORSE, OR THEY PUT IN A CELL (ALONE). IT IS TIME FOR PEOPLE TO RISE UPWARD NOT BACKWARD TO HELP THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING AT THE HANDS OF OUR PRISON OFFICIALS. THE ILL SHOULD BE IN HOSPITALS, NOT PRISONS. THE DIEING SHOULD GO HOME TO FAMILIES, TO DIE THERE. ALSO, SUICIDES: FIRST IF THEY KNOW THEY ARE SUICIDAL THEY SHOULD NOT BE LEFT ALONE PERIOD. I DO BELIEVE THIS IS WHY THEY STARTED THE BUDDY SYSTEM TO BE IN CELL WITH ANOTHER, SO AS TO LET THE OTHER PRISONER BE THERE FOR THAT PERSON, WHEN ILL, OR FEELING DOWN (IN FACT MOST TIMES THE CELLIE IS BETTER THEN THE PHYCOLOGISTS IN THE PRISON). LAWS NEED CHANGING, PAROLE HEARINGS HEARD ON TIME, AND THE MENTALLY ILL, OR PHYSICALLY ILL, NEED TO BE HEARD. IT IS TIME THAT THE NEWS PEOPLE GET INVOLVED AND GET TO GO INTO THE PRISONS IN CALIFORNIA TO SEE AND PUT ON TELEVISION. MAYBE, SILLION SHOULD GO IN SEE FOR SELF, ARNOLD, OTHERS. THE WARDENS NEED TO REALLY BE AHEAD OF THIS GAME. I PRAY FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE AS I HAVE, AND PRAY FOR THE ONES WHO ARE ILL NOW AND HOPE THEY SURVIVE AND GET THE REAL HELP THEY NEED. NOT PUT IN A CELL ALONE.... THANK GOD FOR PEOPLE WHO CARE, UNION PEOPLE, ANYONE WHO IS TRYING. LAWSUITS, WE NEED MORE. I KNOW OUR FAMILY NEEDS A GOOD LAWYER, WHO WILL FIGHT NOT ONLY FOR OUR LOST ONE, BUT FOR ALL WHO ARE ILL, AND LOST IN THIS MESS. WE HAVE NO MONEY, AND IF ANY LAWYERS OUT THERE WHO WANT A CASE WRITE ME BACK AT TDRAKE@LANSET.COM SINCERLY LINDA

I am all for ruling out cruel and unusual punishment but this is ridiculous! I can not believe that so much time and money has been waisted on trying to get murders, rapists, and child molesters better health care and treatment. Did they care about their victims well being when they brutally assualted them? My point is, there are many other causes that could use the time and money that is being spent on lost causes. Get a clue. This is why our society is declining.

I am all for ruling out cruel and unusual punishment but this is ridiculous! I can not believe that so much time and money has been waisted on trying to get murders, rapists, and child molesters better health care and treatment. Did they care about their victims well being when they brutally assualted them? My point is, there are many other causes that could use the time and money that is being spent on lost causes. Get a clue. This is why our society is declining.

I am all for ruling out cruel and unusual punishment but this is ridiculous! I can not believe that so much time and money has been waisted on trying to get murders, rapists, and child molesters better health care and treatment. Did they care about their victims well being when they brutally assualted them? My point is, there are many other causes that could use the time and money that is being spent on lost causes. Get a clue. This is why our society is declining.

I am all for ruling out cruel and unusual punishment but this is ridiculous! I can not believe that so much time and money has been waisted on trying to get murders, rapists, and child molesters better health care and treatment. Did they care about their victims well being when they brutally assualted them? My point is, there are many other causes that could use the time and money that is being spent on lost causes. Get a clue. This is why our society is declining.

I am all for ruling out cruel and unusual punishment but this is ridiculous! I can not believe that so much time and money has been waisted on trying to get murders, rapists, and child molesters better health care and treatment. Did they care about their victims well being when they brutally assualted them? My point is, there are many other causes that could use the time and money that is being spent on lost causes. Get a clue. This is why our society is declining.

LINDA,
YOUR POINT IS YOU MUST NEVER HAD A LOVED ONE IN PRISON. NOT ALL INMATES ARE GUILTY FOR THE CRIME THEY WERE CONVICTED OF SO YOUR POINT DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH THAT FACT. EVEN INMATES WHO ARE GUILTY THEY DO DESERVE TO HAVE BETTER HEATLTH CARE. EXAMPLE TB IS SERIOUS AND IF ITS NOT DETECTED SOON FAMILIES WHO GO VISIT LOVED ONES CAN GET INFECTED TOO. I BELIEVE THE INMATES NEED PROPER CARE.

LINDA
PEOPLE LIKE YOU MADE THE LAWS VOTER AND TAXS PAYERS DID THIS SO STOP BEING SO HEART LESS AND PAY THE MED CARE BILLS FOR THE MESS YOU ALL VOTED FOR ...THIS IS THE USA AND IF YOU WANT PEOPLE LOCKED UP IN CAGES THEN PAY FOR IT ALL AND THE MED CARE YOU HEART LESS PEOPLE

I did not write anything about the UNION. I disapprove of the UNION> May-be Alexis Duran wrote that or Cayanne herself. But you all need to know that i did not write this. I really did not. I do not think anyone should steal my identity. I have not lost someone in prison. My husband is alive. So, who ever wrote that to all of you lied about their identity. I think Cayanne should be put in jail for this. Also, i did write the one that talks about the system and CCPOA and violations of the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTIONS

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