I was given a misconduct charge. It was apparently retaliation by a correctional officer, Budgeon. He's a guard who has close to 20 grievances lodged against him, yet Frackville state prison officials don't view his behavior as a problem. The guard's misconduct charge alleged that I'd made threats of bodily harm against him and his family. 1 I was immediately slapped into the hole. 2 When I appeared before hearing examiner Kevin Kane3 I pled not guilty of the allegation of threatening the guard. Kane stated, "I believe the officer's report over the inmate's not guilty plea." The Inmate Handbook at DC-ADM 801 says that there must be substantial evidence to support a misconduct conviction. 4 I feel that Kane's guilty verdict was biased and racially5 tainted. That's no surprise, racism is a daily occurrence at Frackville. Before I even appeared before the hearing examiner, a captain Terra (who's now retired, perhaps to escape charges of racial discrimination) stated that an "investigation" warranted that I should be put into the hole on pre-hearing confinement. The only "investigation" was the captain's reading of the misconduct report submitted by guard Budgeon, believing the "officer" over the "inmate" without even questioning it. What kind of investigation is that? Are we still stuck in 1960s Mississippi? My appeals to Superintendent Robert Shannon, to both deputy superintendents, Shutt and Karestes and to Major Miller were to no avail. My complaints were dismissed as frivolous. I even contacted the office of professional responsibility. 6 They simply sent the complaint back to Superintendent Shannon, basically supporting the inappropriate behavior that occurs within the Frackville prison. The same persons that I complaint against are given the complaint to answer. Is that justice? Editor's Footnotes 1As we've reported numerous times, the guards at the Frackville prison are even bigger pussies than the staff at other Pennsylvania state prisons. Many of these guys are so extremely insecure and such patent bullies that one wonders why they're not employed as hankie-folders. One pathetic Irish sergeant must add a threat to everything he says. That's insecurity! 2The prison hole is called the "RHU" for Restrictive Housing Unit. It's used to torture, abuse and torment disfavored prisoners. 3We've written about Kevin Kane before. On one occasion, he announced to our cofounder that he didn't have to obey the Constitution of the United states. We wonder how he got his job and how he keeps it. 4Actually, under Pennsylvania law, guilt must be shown by a "preponderance of the evidence." Like so much of the law, the imprisonment industry simply violates it. 5From all reports, discrimination against minorities is even greater at the Frackville prison than at SCI-Greene and at other state prisons. The guards openly talk down to the Hispanic prisoners and are hostile and frightened of the Blacks. 6 The Department of Imprisonment's Office of Professional Responsibility is a complete farce. It exists in order to cover up as many as possible of the staff's crimes, especially beatings. "Who is this young sinner with handcuffs on his wrists?" AE Housman, 1939 You are welcome to use or republish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the Frackville Prison Menu Return to the Main Menu Go to our site's Search Engine Send us Your Comments or Input.