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Jamie Scott of the Scott Sisters continues to have all of the privileges
revoked that she earned over almost 15 yrs. of unjust incarceration simply
for going into the gym to use the bathroom without authorization. She
remains isolated from all activities within the prison. Despite her efforts to
seek relief, she has been unable to regain those privileges due to
harassment from Deputy Warden Winkel. Jamie has been a model inmate
in every aspect of prison life with no write-ups for all of these years. In
fact, Vocational Education Director, Pat Owen, wrote of Jamie's work as a
tutor in the literacy program: "Inmate Scott has proven herself to be
dependable, hard working, and conscientious. She has demonstrated
much patience and compassion in working with lower-level students. Her
work at the school has been exemplary."
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I have been on the grounds of CMCF for 15 years. Everyone thinks when
you come to prison, you come to be rehabilitated. Well, that's a lie. Policy
20-05 states we are not to be discriminated against. Let's be real. Policy
is a joke around here. All staff members are not low down and abusive
with their authority but many are.
Things happen here and the inmate is not always at fault, but we are the
ones who get punished for it. The reason I know this is I was locked down
on June 23 for being in an unauthorized area. Now, this area was the
gym, a place that was supposed to be locked. I was locked down for 23
days and received an RVR after 22 days. Policy 18-01-01 says that you
have 24 hours to write a rule violation report after an incident happens. On
my detention notice, it clearly states that Warden Winkel observed me in
the gym. She locked me down and served me the RVR after 22 days had
passed stating, "Upon completion of the investigation, it was determined I,
Jamie Scott, was in an unauthorized area," but this was determined on
June 23, 2009 at 5:20 p.m. Deputy Winkel used her position and authority
to pay me back for an incident that happened when she was under
investigation. She made me do 23 days in lock down, took away my
custody level and took away any job I had. Many inmates have gone to
lock down for worse offenses, came back out, and went back to the school
and to work.
Commissioner Christopher Epps has no clue what really goes on. When
he visits the prison, they cover a lot of things up so he won't find out. The
gym is supposed to be for us, the inmates, but we have not had gym call in
months. It's not because the Director, Richard Caston, won't let us, but
because some of the staff use the gym to exercise, for their personal use.
Years ago, Deputy Warden Winkel and an offender named Michelle were
under investigation. Ms. Winkel was taken off of the 1A side of the prison
due to the investigation. One day, Michelle and I were at the clinic
together. I was standing by the desk talking to the officer on duty.
Michelle whispered my name and I turned around. Ms. Winkel had slid in
through the side door and was talking to Michelle. Michelle told me to let
them know if someone came around. I said OK. What I didn't know was
they were already being watched. When I saw a group of folks coming, I
said Michelle's name but she and Ms. Winkel were so into their
conversation that they didn't hear me. They both accused me of not
warning them.
Because of that incident, Deputy Warden Winkel has had it out for me for
years. Anytime a case manager or anyone asks her about me, she snaps
at them. One staff member even asked me what I did to Ms. Winkel
because she didn't like me. I was wrong for being in the gym, I admit that.
I deserve to be treated fairly like the next offender. Policy is supposed to
apply to all inmates and staff. I did 23 days in lock down, but to take my
custody level down and then tell staff members I can't work anymore is just
too much. I have no history of disciplinary problems through all of these
years. I have even been banned from Choir practice and the Tour
Speaking Group. The Deputy Warden and Lt. Burton have ordered the
supervisor to terminate me from the church. Policy 20-05-01 states that
inmates have a right not to be discriminated against and that staff will not
subject offenders from personal abuse or harassment [4-4281].
We continue to stress the need for a pro bono attorney for the
women, legal guidance and representation is desperately needed as
none currently exists. Many organizations have been contacted multiple
times in the past and perhaps it will be YOUR letter or phone call to the
Innocence Project, the ACLU, NAACP, etc., that will garner the positive
response that we have not been able to obtain to date!