I wish to express my appreciation for those of you who take the time to read my story. Anyone wishing to become involved, to get to know me better or help me through this injustice: I'm looking forward to hearing from you via daryl.wheatfall@hotmail.com or Polunsky #999020/Mr.Daryl Wheatfall/3872 FM 350 South/Livingston TX 77351/USA.
16-02-2010
Gassed
February 8 was not a good day for me. I was taken down to level three. They used force on me and gassed me for over thirty minutes. I'll tell you more about it later...
On December 13 the medication I was taking to prevent my knee from swelling up, Meloxicam, ran out. Before running out I sent in a request informing a Dr. Zond to renew this medication, this was in November on the 16th & 28th. The first one ignored, I was forced to write another one: "Dr. Zond, again I'm writing to inform you that the Meloxicam order has run out. The amount given wasn't enough, I sent you an I/60 informing you of this matter, explaining that the pain I was experiencing with my knees caused me to take 1 tablet twice a day & that the tablets would not last for 30 days. Without the medication my knees swell up, I'm in constant pain, I'm requesting the tablets to be increased to 15mg, that the order be refilled before 12/13/09 as of today 11/28/09 I'm out. Would appreciate you for addressing this matter. Thank you." Here's the reply: "Meloxicam is current until 12/13/09, you may also take Tylenal from pod boss to polentiate the pain." As of today I still haven't seen this Dr. Zond nor has my request sent to the medical department been acknowledged. Yes! as I sit here typing I'm in pain, stress I'm made to endure. It affects my attitude, how I think & feel - this is translated onto the pages of my letters, it's this part of the struggle that is difficult to grasp for those on the outside staring in... On Christmas Day nothing seemed special - not to me. I see it as just another day, I don't expect anything from my family. I don't feel a part of any family. I feel dead. I don't expect anything from the people living in Houston claiming to be my family, to letter to wish me "Happy Birthday", "Merry Christmas" or just to say "Hi, how are you doing?". Each day a part of me dies & at times life just doesn't feel worth fighting for. If only you knew the madness of this hell I'm living in...
Two prisoners escaped from prison in the past weeks in Texas. Every time something like this happens, security gets tighter on death row, which is seen as the worst of the worst, Anything & everything is used as an excuse to justify their scrutiny over inmates' mail. Hate is the real reason, so this problem isn't going to go away. It's Christmas time, a time when family members get together & enjoy one another's company & remember the birth of the baby Jesus. It's not something my family do - so I don't expect anything to change just because I'm on death row. So I'm not in the Christmas spirit. I wish I was... Prison officials are deliberately going out of their way to create problems. They're going into everyone's cages searching through them when rec is run. One round is run from 7 to 9, then everyone is placed back into their cages to feed lunch, which takes 3 hours. The officials are being forced to do it this way, now because of this prisoners are placed into the dayroom to rec at 10:30 at night, placed into the shower at 11:30-12:00 at night. All of this is disrupting prisoners' lives. These people are going door to door searching for any little problem they see wrong inside a prisoner's cage. If he has a photo on the wall or his light covered, he's written a case. The light is too bright! And a family photo on the wall isn't a major problem, yet this is what is trying to be enforced. Why? Surely for some political ambition by one of these ranking officials - this is what these acts are all about...
My lawyer says a brain scan is necessary. Yet, he should be pushing the prosecutor to address my Habeas Corpus Writ. This writ is to release from unlawful imprisonment. The office of the writ is not to determine a person's guilt or innocence - only issue which is restrained of his liberty by due process. The writ only permits a prisoner to challenge a state conviction on constitutional grounds that is related to the jurisdiction of the state court. If I have the same constitutional errors in my case, errors that have already been overturned in other inmates' cases & these inmates were given new trials - this brain scan information can only be used during the punishment stage. Any information discovered by this brain scan cannot be used during a new trial - unless it's for the punishment stage only. My lawyer is only focusing on overturning my case during the punishment stage only. He wants to use this brain scan to present it to the court & say something is wrong with my brain & that my first lawyer should have discovered this doing my trial. This means if I get a new trial this information can be used during the punishment stage & nothing else so his intention is very clear - he isn't trying to help me! I do not enjoy having to sit here without an attorney, who isn't working with me keeping me updated with what's going on with my case. Someone who isn't concerned with protecting my rights, who refuses to answer my letters, who isn't involved in my life whatsoever. This doesn't make me happy...
On September 28, 2009 this pod I'm living on was searched. No one knew. Guards came in a little after 6 a.m. We were allowed to leave all property inside these cages, a whole row of prisoners were placed inside different showers while the guards went through the property. While inside the shower many showered. The guards were trying to finish as quickly as possible. Nothing was removed from my cage, it took a while to organize everything back where I had it. I was pleased that it ws over & I could focus my attention on other matters. On the 29th oatmeal was placed inside everyone's breakfast bags. Once prisoners started kicking on their cage doors hollaing & demanding to spaek with some rank! The guards didn't know what to do. They couldn't believe only dry oatmeal & coffee cake was inside everyone's bags. The guards were told that brown sugar was placed inside the oatmeal, all we had to do was add water. There wasn't any sugar inside the oatmeal - they lied. Anyway, officials opened the unit October 1. We're off lockdown. For how long? Your guess is as good as mine... This is the madness going on inside my life.
The word is that video cameras are being set up to watch over the guards. Why? It's due to an inmate who used a cell phone to threaten a senator some time ago. Now this inmate has talked the prison minister into taking his mail out to his people without it going through the mailroom to be checked first. The inmate exposed this minister by having these letters mailed to the senator threatening him inside these letters. Can you believe this? Letters were also placed onto the internet farther exposing this minister, this got him fired. This is what precipitated video cameras being placed throughout the building where daeth row is being housed. Of course, the guards don't like this. This inmate has disrupted the comfort zone of everyone living & working inside this building, this act has filled many with disdain against this inmate, who's being housed on a section by himself for his protection. With cameras on the runs, inside the control pickets, in the halls, this will cause the guards to be more professional all the time since they're being watched. I was told, if a guard is caught passing something for a prisoner they'll be fired, just like the minister was. A few guards have said once cameras are put in, they'll find another job. Many believe that this inmate's informing on the corruption going on behind these walls to make some kind of deal to get his mom & sister out of prison. Both were charged with a crime for paying for his cell phone minutes. Now prison officials are reading through our mail more thoroughly. Why are they focusing on our mail when it was the minister who took the inmate's letters out?
I'm still trying to develop my projects while trying to write my second book. I want to have copies of my book made up, but haven't been able to save enough money to do this due to how these people are running commissary. The book could produce some kind of funds but isn't being given an opportunity. I'm so sick of being made to suffer, unable to fight back! Things will only get worse here & this will affect me. Polunsky Unit is now on lock down, as of September 17...
Let me tell you something about my typewriter. Prison administration officials do business with outside companies. These companies bid against each other to win a contract from TDCJ. TDCJ officials always go for the cheapest. Most of these typewriters aren't sold in the free world. Also, there is no repair department once a typewriter, radio, coffee pot or fan breaks down. If the prisoner is unable to fix it, he has to buy a new one. Most of everything sold out of commissary comes with some kind of defect. Commissary personnel are telling inmates that after 3o days if one of the typewriters breaks, they don't have to replace it. In reality, it's 60 days but most inmates arren't aware of this, trusting what commissary personnel say is the truth. So when one of these typewriters breaks down, the prisoner believes he can't get his money so he gets a new one or goes without. A lot of prisoners with outside support do a lot of writing, it's convenient for a prisoner to use a typewriter.
This place demands so much of me. I'm emotionally affected, distracted, frustrated & angry. Being robbed of my life, denied my rights, no longer able to care for myself because this right has been taken away. All of this makes me feel totally powerless & deeply lonely. No one can ever be taught to endure this kind of life. I haven't anyone to reach out to, to comfort me inside this cage. I'm made to deal with these disturbing issues as best as I'm able to. This keeps me frustrated. Recently I received a form denying me one of the two books somebody had ordered for me. Reason? Claiming the book contained explicit images. I appealed this denial because they use the rules just to deny us prisoners. 19 days later, they returned with a different form denying the same book for a different reason! The new form I was given is only used when someone has sent me something from their home. This publication is denied 'due to being altered'. So they're now saying someone personally sent me the book and they're saying the book is altered! Someone inside the mailroom department took a marker & marked out the images that were supposed to be reviewed. The book couldn't be reviewed for sexually explicit images by a department that's on another unit, so they sent the book back. The people on this unit are claiming someone at the book store altered the book. This is to protect whoever did it. It's clear these people are going out of their way to cause stress & confusion in my life. This explains why my mail is manipulated & denied any chance these people get. I'm still waiting to see if they are going to allow me to have the book. But I'm going to write them up for damaging my book! I believe these people are trying to provoke me into assaulting a guard, committing a crime that will allow the prosecutor to charge me on a crime that will keep me in prison for the rest of my life. I don't expect anything from these people because I know they only see me as an animal. This is one of the reasons why I want an attorney who'll protect me from these people's abuse...