01.08.23 Spotlight Letter Sunday

“The Nevada Department of Corrections does what it wants, answers to nobody and ignores anybody who complains” - VW Incarcerated person at High Desert State Prison

Happy Holidays Return Strong!

As we come to the end of 2022, I want to wish all of you a happy and joyful holiday season with you and your families. For those of you with loved ones incarcerated, know that you're in our thoughts and prayers. Because of the wonderful things you do, I know that the system is betting better. 

So, I don't want to sound passive aggressive. If I am misinformed, please ignore. I had heard in November to expect a newsletter on the first of december. As we close on this month, nothing has arrived. If nothing was scheduled and nothing was sent out-awesome. I know that putting newsletters out takes work and anything you do is a blessing.

I am writing this not because I believe you forgot me, but because I do not trust this prison or this mailroom to do their jobs. This is not the first time.  On the last one news letter, I didn't get one and didn't know there even was one until I crossed paths with an inmate in a completely different unit who reported having received it weeks earlier. 

I wrote Return Strong requesting a copy and you generously complied. About the same time this new copy arrived, so did the original. The original had a postmark of more than 30 days, clearly telling me that (not only was RS not at fault) either the US post office withheld the letter, or the prison mailroom withheld it. While plausible deniability is endless, my bet is on the prison mailroom. 

We can easily debate whether this was mere incompetence or a targeted action. However, my point is that HDSPs mailroom needs more oversight. If you have published a December newsletter, can you please send me another. If you didn't; Nevermind :) 

I did want to write about some miscellaneous topics in this letter. They all bug me, some more than others, but none of them should be considered poster children of prison reform. 

In February 2022, the state published an audit on a variety of prison issues. My initial takeaway from the report was that the Nevada Department of Corrections does what it wants, answers to nobody and ignores anyone who complains. A previous audit (2010, according to this one) reported the same problems and nothing was ever done. 12 years from now, will history repeat itself?

One of the issues of this report was the outrageous charges for canteen items.  After an independent contractor makes its own profit from inmates and their families, the NDOC takes an extra 40%. So, the contractor makes a profit stealing from families and then the prison makes profit stealing from families. 

As it is, the contractor has no competition, and has virtually no incentive to be responsive to the wants or needs of the inmates. Local staff order what they want, when they want it. Inmates here will tell you that "out of stock" problems are very frequent. Most people consider it a successful week if they get 50% of what they've ordered. Some things are never there, with no explanation why.

I think a reasonable argument exists that commissary is a privilege, not a federally demanded right. Sure this is valid if considered by itself and not a symptom of overall prison conditions. However, if you (NDOC) can't get your contractor to merely professionally perform the duties you promised, shouldn't you (NDOC) expect more?? 

However, this is not even my point. According to the audit, NDOC is mandated that revenue from inmate services is to be directed towards "the welfare and benefit of the inmates". Okay. NDOC defines this very broadly, and different than most (all?) states. Even California has passed a law restricting all (city and county jails too) detention centers from explicitly doing what Nevada does. NDOC defines its use of "welfare and benefit of the inmates" as salaries for visitation, prison gyms, law library, and coffee shops. 

I believe that these functions are defined by most state and federal prisons (as now mandated in California) as not separate from standard necessary operations of any detention center , state or federal, in the United States in 2022. If for example, we are being told that NDOC recognizes the importance of visitation for the welfare and mental health of our inmates, as well as the importance of visitation to serving the inmates rehabilitation and return to society, then it should not have a secret catch, e.g."If the inmates pay for it themselves." It should not cost inmates money to get visitors. 

Still. Still. That's not my point.

If you accept that it is legal, moral, ethical for the prisons to crank up the prices of canteen on everyone to pay the salaries, shouldn't you expect that the inmates should receive these services. NOT HERE. 

I've been in NDOCs system since 2019, and have never been given the option to visit a gym, law library, or coffee shop(????). I had two sisters come from out of state to visit me, and one of them was sent away for wearing denim pants. Regulations are vague about what restrictions exist for clothing. The fact that she came from Indiana means nothing. The other sister came in and was promised an extended visit for out-of-state visitors. Because of prison incompetence, I didn't even get a standard visit. 90 minutes after my arrival in the visitors center, I had to go. Times up. Thankfully ( sarcasm) she only had to travel 300 miles from California. 

STILL. 

Still, that's not my point. 

My point is that in the past couple of months, visits have been canceled, These canceleations have happened several times on our visitor days (Sundays and Mondays). At least these are the ones that affected our yard. Who knows how many other yards have had their visits canceled. 

NOBODY GETS ANY ADVANCED NOTICE

Loved ones often have to take time off from work, make special arrangements for childcare, or travel from long distances at significant costs. Nobody in the prison cares.

If they are going to rob us of our money to pay for these salaries don't we have some expectation of a guarantee of services?

It is intellectually dishonest to tell people that inmates are being charged for services when they never actually can expect to receive those services. Intellectual honesty would tell you that the canteen up lift is not for inmate welfare and benefit but solely to supplement the prison budget. 

So I guess brevity is not my forte. I try to limit my letters to 10 pages, and I had three other things to bring up. Everything will have to wait for another letter. 

Please keep my mom, REDACTED NAME, on facebook, in your thoughts and prayers. She just got out of the hospital after a 4 week stay. She's 83 and I worry about her. She's my hero and I thank god everyday. 

As always, please feel free to use my text, full or part in any portion of Return Strong's work. Facebook. Blog. Newsletter. Anything.

I encourage you to use my name and location. 

Some of us have hunger strikes to make the world a better place, and some of us write. 

Sincerely,

REDACTED NAME

HDSP