I'm a 43 year-old black woman who's incarcerated in the state prison at Muncy in North-central Pennsylvania. My health hasn't been that good. Finally, 2 weeks ago, I was taken out in an ambulance.
I'd had a seizure. The examination discovered that I may have a blood clot in my brain!
A few days later a guard sergeant and other guards searched my cell. I was handcuffed and locked in the telephone room.
When I asked why my cell was being searched, I was told by the sergeant than someone had anonymously reported that I was selling my medications to other inmates.
The medication that I was accused of selling has no real likelihood for abuse. It was Volumes and my high blood pressure pills, "Catapress."
Needless to say, no drugs or contraband were found in the search. Nothing was proven of the allegations against me.
While I was locked in the phone room, I became disoriented, stressed and I blacked out. When I woke up, I found myself in the Psychiatric Observation Cell ("POC").
There are 4 POCs. I occupied one of them. Another woman occupied the one across the hall from me. She was in full view of what took place.
After regaining consciousness, I needed to know what had happened. I banged on the cell door. All of the POCs are monitored by cameras. A male guard keeps watch on the moitors.
Before a woman is put into a POC, she is stripped completely naked by male and female guards.
I was stripped naked.
I was trying to ask why I was in the POC.
Three male guards, a lieutenant and two other men, came into the cell and beat me mercilessly! They were Lieutenant Gridley and officers Hill and Charles.
In spite of the apparent clot in my brain, they beat me savagely in the head. I was further beaten on my back. My elbows were scraped up and my head had lumps.
I was repeatedly beaten by the lieutenant and guards.
When I was released from the POC all in that condition, "beaten-up" pretty bad, I was given a liquid medication called Haladol. I could not function. Everything was very fuzzy.
Joyce Cole witnessed the whole episode.
I want the entire world to realize how my life was endangered by the beating. Perhaps a lawyer or advocate will read my story. I need help!
A lot of physical and sexual abuse goes on here between the staff and the prisoners.
[The chief thug at Muncy, Marirosa Lamas, offered no explanation for this life-threatening violence.]
