 |
 |
 |
Hon. Mike Huckabee
Office of the Governor
State Capital Rm. 250
Little Rock, AR 72201
August 22, 2005
Dear Governor Huckabee,
I have recently become aware of some of the problems and ignored injustices occurring within the Arkansas correctional facilities, namely the East Arkansas Regional Unit. I believe the general public and our officials are not fully aware of the treatment and every day conditions many inmates endure. These men and women are convicted of a variety of crimes, taken away, placed in a cell for society to forget about while they serve their time to pay for the crime of which they are convicted of.
First and foremost, it must be a scary thought for inmates to know there is no separation of violent and non-violent offenders. This just increases the possibility of violence and endangers the lives of individuals convicted of non violent crimes. Just this month an inmate was brutally stabbed to death at the East Arkansas Regional Unit by a fellow inmate while distributing toiletry items to cells. The weapon was a broken piece of metal from an air conditioner. A young man was unjustly murdered by a violent offender.
As a family member of an inmate at this facility I worry knowing the same could happen to my brother or anyone else. Therefore, I would like to ask for you help in protecting our non violent offenders from potentially dangerous prisoners.
Regarding the conditions I mentioned, currently inmates are forced to work in extreme heat on hoe squads where they endure mental abuse from prison guards supervising and timing their work, counting how many times an inmates dull hoe hit’s the ground (atleast 60 times a minute). If an inmate fails to perform fast enough or, is for some reason unable to perform to the guards satisfaction, the inmate is subject to disciplinary write ups that can lead to solitary confinement and/ or additional 30 to 120 days on the hoe squad. Inmates are also passing out while on the hoe squad due to the heat exhaustion, they are then picked up by the collar or dragged up to continue working. If an inmate is too sick to work he is again, written up. Recently an inmate on the #4 hoe squad had a gun pulled on him by the guard and was forced down on his knees forced to face the sun. This incident was due to the fact the guard was mentally degrading him to his breaking point, where he then dropped his hoe and attempted to confront the guard.
This type of mistreatment by prison guards only weakens a person mentally and physically, causing them to make slow progress as they try to work towards rehabilitation. With the current prison overcrowding I can’t help but believe that we can help reverse this problem if proper counseling and rehabilitation is given, rather than abuse.
Also, the East Ar. Regional Unit recently had overwhelming cases of staph infections due to unsanitary water. The water at this facility is still brown and a number of inmates have incurred boils on their body that go untreated. One inmate was still forced to work outside on the hoe squad after a boil burst on his backside.
It is an outrage to so many families that our prison system is such a barbaric place where inmates are verbally or physically abused, treated like society’s rejects. The majority of our non violent offenders are drug offenders who are there because of an addiction. Treating the addiction and what caused the person to become addicted with counseling would reduce the chances of their return to that lifestyle and to prison. Allowing these things to continue to occur and ignoring the problems that are facing the prisons, inmates and inmates families will only make their futures worse. Furthermore, ignoring the problems will not help the overcrowding it will ensure it. The ADC claims to offer a variety of classes and rehab programs, however; they are only offered to a select few.
I am asking for your help regarding the East Arkansas Regional Unit and the ADC, because the ADC is failing to do what is stated in their mission statement, that is to “provide a safe and humane place for staff and inmates” and to “provide the opportunity for spiritual, mental and physical growth“.
I will also be sending this letter to the ACLU, Lt. Gov., Senator and the ADC. I look forward to your response and sincerely hope you see the seriousness of these issues that I have mentioned and make point to do something to see that this is addressed.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Attached is the weather report for the week of 8/18/05 - 8/25/05 from KTHV weather forcast
8/19/15: Heat index: 104 degrees
8/20/05: High Temp: 100 degrees
8/21/05: High Temp: 100 degrees
Warning Issue Date: 331 AM CDT FRI AUG 19 2005
Warning Expiration: 400 PM CDT FRI AUG 19 2005
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT SATURDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK AR HAS ISSUED A HEAT
ADVISORY.
A HEAT ADVISORY CONTINUES TO BE IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS THROUGH 6 PM SATURDAY. THIS ADVISORY INCLUDES AREAS
ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM BATESVILLE...TO CLINTON...TO
CLARKSVILLE. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL REACH NEAR
100 DEGREES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS. THE HOT TEMPERATURES...
WHEN COMBINED WITH HIGH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL ALLOW HEAT
INDEX VALUES TO RANGE FROM 105 TO 110 DEGREES.
CHILDREN...THE ELDERLY AND PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC AILMENTS ARE USUALLY
THE FIRST TO SUFFER FROM THE HEAT. HEAT EXHAUSTION...HEAT CRAMPS...OR
IN EXTREME CASES HEAT STROKE CAN RESULT FROM PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO
THESE CONDITIONS. FRIENDS...RELATIVES...OR NEIGHBORS SHOULD CHECK ON
PEOPLE WHO MAY BE AT RISK.
STOP OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. DRINK LOTS OF WATER OR OTHER NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES...WEAR LIGHT COLORED/LIGHT WEIGHT CLOTHES...AND IF
POSSIBLE...SPEND MORE TIME IN AIR CONDITIONED OR WELL VENTILATED
PLACES. |
 |
|
(fields marked with * are required)
|
|
|
|
Families and friends of inmates in the ADC facilities |
|
The views expressed in this petition are solely those of the petition's
sponsor and do not in any way reflect the views of iPetitions.
iPetitions is solely a provider of technical services to the petition
sponsor and cannot be held liable for any damages or injury or other
harm arising from this petition. In the event no adequate sponsor is
named, iPetitions will consider the individual account holder with which
the petition was created as the lawful sponsor.
|
|
|
