[Text of Grievance] "On or about [date], while searching a prisoner's cell, Officer Eriksen1 apparently engaged in a lengthy harangue2 with the prisoner about me [the grievant]. I’ve been told that the guard criticized me for using the grievance system,3 objected to my wife’s request to the visiting room vending machine contractor4 that his food be labeled according to law, lamented the contents of a website5 and otherwise discussed me with the prisoner.6 I am told that at one point, Mister Eriksen asked the prisoner if he knew what I was in prison for.
It is inappropriate for a guard to criticize me to a prisoner. It’s inappropriate for the guard to object to me using the grievance system which the DOC has created. It’s inappropriate for the guard to seek to abridge my First Amendment rights of speech and press. It is certainly unwise and unprofessional for a guard to discuss anything about my criminal charges with another prisoner.
1 Eriksen was the guard who whined about our possession of guards’ identities. It was his suggestion which prompted us to undertake to publish the entire employee list. We are grateful to him for all the publicity his suggestion has generated for our website, presently averaging over 3000 hits per day mostly officials, legislators and educators.
2 Of course, Eriksen denied having the conversation when a Lt. Heaster "interviewed" him. The prisoner who related the gossip swears to the accuracy of his account. Unlike Eriksen, he has no reason to lie.
3 As we’ve explained before, the Grievance System, "DC-ADM 804," is an official scheme of the Department of Corrections ("DOC"). It’s a blatant farce, but the DOC pretends that it exists to solve problems. In reality it exists so that the staff can lie and settle on a cover story/excuse. While the scheme operates to frustrate orderly resolution of legitimate complaints, we’ve undertaken to publish a few of the grievances in order to give the public and the legislators a factual idea of the operation of the system.
4 Christopher Davis of an operation calling itself Chilly Willee Cool Treats, obtained a sweetheart contract from the local prison Business Manager to install and operate vending machines in the prison visiting room. It appears from the familiarity with which the vendor fraternizes with the prison staff, that he has a personal or familial relationship with some of them. Nepotism is rampant at the rural prisons. A visitor wrote directly to the contractor complaining that his foods were not properly labeled with contents or sell-by date, that the wares were rather costly for a family trying to visit a prisoner and that some vended products were watered—down.
5 Many guards object to this website. They don’t like being exposed or criticized.
6 This was the second time that reports were received that Eriksen presumed to engage in personal criticism of the writer with other prisoners.