Rashid Attacked – Again: Texas Prison Officials Will Not Stop Us From Exposing Them To The Media

As dirty as they are, officials here at the Clements Unit maximum security prison (mainly high ranking staff) have gone to the extreme to, what seems to be, retaliate against Kevin “Rashid” Johnson and those who are helping him organize and report staff abuse.

Most notably on March 7, 2017, I was moved from the Ad-Seg restriction pod and placed on the same pod as Rashid (5 cells down). This move stemmed from a false major disciplinary case (which was overturned) I got on January 6, 2017, for writing a witness statement about Rashid being gassed, which was posted to his website: rashidmod.com

Despite the guilty finding being upheld on appeal by Warden Damon Andrews, after PBS NewsHour Journalist Kamala Kelkar questioned TDCJ spokesman Jason Clark about Rashid’s false disciplinary case and his many lies, both of our cases and the punishment mysteriously vanished.[1]

A week or so before I was moved, Captain Patricia Flowers came to my cell door and threatened to write me up “for being stupid.” She claimed to have read an article I wrote in a newspaper. I conjectured that she was talking about the Bay View.

The day I was moved, I was told by several prisoners that the cell I was being put in had been documented by the maintenance staff as uninhabitable. The cell lights and the shower didn’t work, which in part is why the prisoner who previously occupied the cell was moved to another one.

I was forced to sit in the dark and unable to shower for eight days. My only means of bathing was using cold sink water and a cup. Rats and roaches came and left as they pleased. Due to it being dark I couldn’t effectively clean up to remove the dank smell that was near the toilet, nor combat the pests.

This was obviously nothing but a poorly disguised con job to disrupt and frustrate my legal research, filing complaints and activism; since the fear of being

written up did little to affect me. To further block me from litigating the social media rule someone intercepted a step 1 grievance complaint that I filed January 7, 2017, which prevented me from being able to file a Step 2 and fully exhaust the grievance procedure.[2] This is the only way the federal courts will let us litigate.

Now, another poorly devised plot has been revealed and this time evidence clearly suggests that ranking officials are indirectly using contraband found in other parts of the cellblock to frame Rashid – read for yourself.

Isn’t This Something

On March 26, 2017, Sergeant Arleen Waak and Officer Perez were sent to Rashid’s cell to help escort him to the recreation yard. After re-entering the cellblock, Perez was on his way out the pod door. I heard Waak tell him to help her “fuck [Rashid’s] shit up” or something to that effect.

As they were headed to Rashid’s cell, Waak pulled out a digital camera and took photos of the cell door, then had it opened. During the middle of the search she requested a metal detector.

Perez stood outside while Waak closed the cell door and searched for several minutes. At this point: Lieutenant Crystal Turner, Sergeant Preciado, Officer Andrew Leonard and others trickled in to watch the cell search.

From what I could see, the search yielded two magazines and a radio that all belonged to me. Rashid was given a case for being in possession of another offender’s property and the items were confiscated.

In contrast the TDCJ Offender handbook has a rule which allows us to use each other’s items as long as the pod officer makes the exchange. Even more so nothing thicker than a magazine can fit under the cell door. Plus Rashid is under 24 hour video watch, which makes it highly unlikely that he can receive items any other way except through the assistance of a guard. In short it was an illegal confiscation.

Once I got a chance to speak to Rashid he informed me that officials claimed to have found a weapon (shank) in his cell. Prisoners that watched the search stated that they never saw a weapon, only the items that belonged to me.

What makes this account strange is that we all have our cells searched and inspected at least every other day. What’s ironic is that these searches are done at night; when Waak, Flowers, Turner and Leonard are all at home.

Despite a video camera and ranking staff being present during each of these searches of Rashid’s cell; no weapon was ever found; nor is there ever any debate about his cell not being in compliance. Only on Turner’s watch is this bogus reality ever a concern. And when they claimed to have found a weapon.

Adding this with the fact that Waak already had a camera and took pictures of the cell door makes it plausible that she anticipated using it for something other than an improperly stored cell – which wasn’t the case this time. And the only body of evidence that could be used (the pod camera) was deliberately obstructed by the others pretending to observe, but really blocking the camera.

Is It Deja Vu?

As I watched Waak, Turner, and Leonard congregate following the search, I got the feeling as if this event had taken place before. The last time I saw these three together was in the month of December 2016 when Leonard gassed Rashid and we both were given false disciplinary cases for posting complaints about it online.

To go even further, since I’ve been on this pod, every time Turner and Leonard are together foul things are said and happen to many of us. For instance, while Turner and others watched the cell search, Leonard came to my cell and asked if I wanted my property back. I stated I did. “Nah, you don’t want your shit back,” he said, then he walked away. Whatever he told Turner, compelled her to walk past my cell stating “radio for info.” Which I drew as she inviting me to inform in exchange for my radio.

The day before, they went to Rashid’s cell and she threatened to take his property again. I couldn’t make out everything said but she made it clear that she would return with a vengeance. She then came directly to my cell and gave me the heads up that I better “tell him something”; I declined to do so. She went back to Rashid’s cell, exchanged more words, then left the pod. The following day is when the search took place. As expected she kept her word.

It’s Now Getting – ‘Strange’

Things wouldn’t be as clear as they are if it wasn’t for a white prisoner, who’s housed across from me, who everyone calls “Strange.” Once he found out that Rashid received a case for a weapon, he came forward with some valuable information. He stated that he wanted to help Rashid so he gave his written consent that this info could be used to expose the foul play at this prison. He also gave this same info to whoever wanted to listen. His only concern is helping expose what happened.

On March 25, 2017, (the same day Turner and Leonard paid us a visit) I observed Leonard talking to Strange. He opened the food tray slot, grabbed what looked like a weapon, then walked away. Strange said that after he turned over the weapon, Turner told him that he wouldn’t get a case and as far as she was concerned the incident was a dead issue and there was nothing to worry about.

Things didn’t make sense until officer John Stokes and officer Whatley worked the pod a week later.

I listened as Stokes explained to Strange and Whatley that Leonard was stupid for not reporting the weapon and would get in trouble for it, along with his supervisors. “I ain’t getting in trouble for nobody, I don’t care who it is,” he said. “How could he be so stupid, it’s all on camera,” he chided.

Stokes explained to Whatley how he was feeding lunch with Officer A. Sue and as they opened Strange’s food slot, he stabbed at the inmate worker (who wasn’t injured). He expressed having hatred towards Sue for not keeping his mouth shut but went and told Turner – which is what drew Leonard to retrieve the shank.

“They took his shank and planted it in 201 cell (Rashid’s cell) how stupid,” Stokes explained. “All I know is I’m telling the truth, I don’t care who goes down,” he said. It is still unknown what brought Stokes to this conclusion.

The entire day, Stokes ranted about “they” planting a shank in Rashid’s cell. He was obviously worried and wanted immediate closure since he’d kept quiet about the event and knew he’d be questioned. Little did he know his nightmare would soon become a reality.

On April 6, 2017, Strange was escorted to see Captain Dean. Minutes later the safe prisons officer, Dann Rivali, who absolutely has no integrity, was sent to his cell to search it for any weapons. The search yielded nothing. Strange was then put back in his cell. He explained that Dean was conducting an investigation (not on him) but on Leonard, Turner, and eventually Waak. This was in response to the missing weapon.

Strange stated that he saw Turner, Leonard and two others in the hallway wearing street clothes. The only time an officer is allowed in this part of the building ununiformed, and on their day off, is when it’s a serious investigation.

This does nothing but verify Stoke’s prediction that Leonard and his assisting supervisors would all get exposed. The only thing unverified is if he kept his word and told the truth

Conclusion

Prisoners being set up by staff is nothing new here at the Clements Unit. What is new is the fact that prisoners are starting to take part in helping destroy their prestige of power. One that has the mouthpiece and support to take any incident it wants, fabricate documents and manufacture the outcome; so that it favors their plight to carry on unscathed.

A system this unruly and corrupt needs to be exposed as much as possible and those responsible punished. Prisoners may look back and see Strange’s act to go against the grain and as something that shouldn’t have been done. But what we all must remember is that the only way we can set the platform to effectively challenge the system is by not supporting it.

One day guards are smiling in our faces the next day they are in body armor assaulting us. The fact that we are prisoners makes all of us subject to this Jekyll and Hyde experience. It has nothing to do with who they like and who they don’t like.

What draws this is their ability to selectively engage and disengage their moral standards. This is why some can be compassionate one minute and barbarically cruel the next.

A failure to want to counter this is a failure to want anything other than the inhumane treatment that we receive for supporting it.

Dare To Struggle! Dare To Win! All Power To The People!

Jason Renard Walker #1532092
Clements Unit
7601 Spur 591
Amarillo, TX 79107

Notes

[1] Kamala Kelkar; pbs.org/newshour/updates/social-media-ban-texas-prisons/

[2] Well after the grievance return deadline I wrote a request to learn its status. The grievance department replied “was closed 2-2-17. Request copy from law library.” The reply to this complaint remains unknown. See grievance #2017075029.