Michael Edwards was one of our important sources of
information about the torture at the
"Special Management Unit," ("SMU") at Camp Hill. His information greatly helped us effect some changes in that dungeon.
Mr. Edwards had been sent to the SMU to intimidate him and punish him for submitting grievances and petitioning the courts. Pennsylvania prison staffs want to keep the prisoners and prison abuses quiet.
Previously, Mr. Edwards was at Fayette state prison. There he'd been bullied and tormented, if not actually tortured, by a guard named Collings, a real piece of garbage! Among other things, Collings is alleged to have put pictures of Afro-Americans being Lynched; clearly an extremely racist and abusive incident and hate-crime.
Collings, one of twin brother thugs, finally manipulated his position to have Mr. Edwards sent to the worst torture chamber in Pennsylvania, the Camp Hill state prison SMU. Camp Hill is in Southcentral Pennsylvania across the river from Harrisburg, "The Unfriendly City."
After being imprisoned in the SMU for years and helping to expose some of the worst savagery, Secretary of Imprisonment Jeffrey Beard and the prison's Superintendent, Palakovich, (men who should be prosecuted for their crimes) got tired of all the adverse publicity and exposure. They had Mr. Edwards transferred out of the SMU.
Instead of sending him to a new prison, vindictive DOC slugs had Edwards sent back to the Fayette prison. There the same staff which had tormented him in the first place would have a second chance to harm him.
Who should come to the SMU to pickup Mr. Edwards for the trip back to Fayette, but the foul Collings!. He was the only one of the escorts to be carrying a gun!
So, to the point of the story. When Collings saw Mr. Edwards, he smugly taunted him by saying in effect "see how easy it would be to kill you! Just stop the complaints."
This death-threat from a cowardly bully was against a helpless man locked in a cage.
We were horrified by the threat. Terroristic threats are a crime in Pennsylvania. Using intimidation to obstruct access to the courts is both a state and federal crime. That didn't stop the uncivilized Collings.
We wrote to the prison Superintendent, a failure flotsam named Brian V. Coleman. We asked him a few questions which, of course, he was afraid to answer.
- Is it still against Pennsylvania law to threaten another person's life?
- Has Collings been charged with terroristic threats?
- Who trains your guards to threaten, terrorize and badger prisoners?
- Is that your doing?
- Is it still against state and federal law for you or your guards to obstruct access to the courts with intimidation?
- Why would one of your staff do such a thing?
- Are any of your guards given proper instruction?
We asked other questions, but it's beating a dead horse. Many if not most Pennsylvania prison staff are evil human beings. Who else would take such employment. Those at Fayette aren't the worst by any means. Just visit Frackville or Camp Hill!
