History

Danville CC History Late 2016-March 2017

Harris-vs-Calloway & Campbell 2:17-cv-02075-MMM

In this update I was wanted to let my readers, my listeners, know the history here. First, every citizen must understand, that when a person is sent to prison as punishment, he is not sent there to be further punished at the hands of sadistic staff, or abusive guards. Our forefathers drafted the First Amendment to ensure the prisoner serving time in a state, or federal prison, has a way to expose this illegal treatment. This “Whistleblower” act is protected First Amendment activity. When the prisoner feels he is being treated in a way that violates his constitutional rights he may seek redress in a Federal Court of Law. First, the prisoner must exhaust all three steps of the Illinois Department of Corrections grievance procedure. Start with the counselor. If not resolved, then appeal to the grievance officer, and chief administrative officer, the Warden. If not resolved there then the last appeal goes to the Illinois Administrative Review Board located in Springfield. Once these three steps are completed, and you did not get justice, then you can file a civil suit in the Federal District Court claiming the constitutional violation. I did this. At the Danville C.C. my medical no soy diet was cancelled. I filed a grievance on this. I exposed this to my family and friends. They took action by exposing it on their social media outlets. My daughter, Amanda Carrasco, does love her Dad. She is my bulldog. My knight who defends my rights. At the Danville prison I was forced to supplement my diet through the inmate commissary. For consuming soy exacerbates my daily hypothyroid symptoms. Making my life a living hell. Sally Morell and the Weston A. Price Foundation had my back. They worked to expose this to the world. To get the American public to understand just how detrimental, to the male body, consuming a soy based diet is. So the man did not like this. So the Warden turned his enforcers loose on me. I was written false tickets. Then found guilty by staff hearing. 5-18

I was placed in segregation. Stripped of my property and commissary food. Then given a disciplinary transfer. Why? Well this was a long standing policy in place. This to silence and deter the “Whistleblower” from exposing the truth behind these walls and fences. I was punished and transferred to silence my family and friends. To stop them from exposing my illegal treatment on the social media outlet, at Facebook, Free Larry Rocky Harris 1959.com. So I rode out the illegal punishment and filed the civil suit. I won in the Summary Judgment stage. Meaning my evidence, of First Amendment retaliatory acts to silence my family and friends, was so overwhelming, Judge Mihm ruled there was no need for a trial. I had proved up my case. Now this is not something done by a pro se prisoner very often. My case set new precedence. Judge Mihm ruled I had the right to expose the malfeasance and corruption in the Illinois Department of Corrections. That this was a protected First Amendment right. This ruling came down on September 30, 2019. Then he set it for a damages trial. A jury will be impaneled to hear what was done to me. Then set an amount of money to be awarded as damages. This is set for August 9, 2021, in the U.S.Central District Court in Peoria. I hired a couple of heavy hitters to represent me there. Mr. Louis Meyer and Mr. Dan Kiss out of their Peoria Office. These are some stone cold constitutional rights attorneys. Now a little background on housing. On December 7th, 2016, I was given a segregation to segregation transfer from the Danville prison to the Big Muddy River C.C.. My ticket and punishment was expunged on December 23rd, 2016. The Warden, Garnett, at Big Muddy River C.C. made a deal with me. I was to be shipped to the Shawnee C.C., for he did not want me out in population in his facility. I was to be given a job in the Industry. This to earn 6 months good time credits for every year I worked as a welder for the state. So I agreed I would not file suit.

So on March 8th, 2017, I was shipped to the Shawnee C.C.. Warden Dennison was the CAO there. He immediately reniged on the deal. Denied me a job in Industry based on the ticket issued by Danville. The ticket that was ordered to be expunged by the IDOC Adminstrative Review Board on December 23rd, 2016. Why? To punish me. To deny me the Industry job to earn good time. Wardern Dennison, and the Danville Defendants, Warden Calloway, and Internal Affairs Lt. Campbell, kept the ticket on my records, and used it to continue to punish me, until October 10th, 2018. On March 27th, 2019, after two years and fifteen days of dead time at the Shawnee C.C. I was transferred to the East Moline C.C.. The place was a mess. I exposed it on my two websites. The man came down hard and fast. The Wardens turned their enforcers loose on me again. This to silence my First Amendment activity there. I was placed in segregation on September 13th, a Friday, 2019. I was written a false ticket. Found guilty. Then given a disciplinary transfer from the East Moline C.C. to the Pinckneyville C.C. on November 6th, 2019. On November 7th, 2019, the IDOC Administrative Review Board dismissed all charges and punishment. But I would spend another seven days, until the 13th, before being released from segregation. Then I would spend from November 6th, 2019, to February 5th, 2020, housed at the Pinckneyville C.C. as punishment. Then IDOC Director Jeffreys agreed; that to keep me housed at the Pinckneyville facility was still imposing a disciplinary transfer that had been expunged. So it was an illegal act. He asked my family where I wanted to go. I told him Ilinois River C.C.. Now I have been here for 16 months doing dead time again. Blackballed for my lawsuit. No job in Industry. But in August we get my day of reckoning. I will get paid. Second civil suit, just like this one, filed against the East Moline retaliatory transfer. See Harris-vs-C.Brannon, et al., 4:19-cv-04235-JES So there it is. 5-18-2021

From Danville to Big Muddy, Big Muddy to Shawnee Dec 2016-Sep 2019

Big Muddy and Shawnee

I drafted a letter to Warden Garnet from seg. about ticket. I ask if he was riding with it and condoning with the punishment. He sent the kite back marked “ticket is bullshit”. Two days later he pulled me from segregation. Told me he was letting me out. On December 17, 2016, Warden Garnet called me to office. Told me he was letting me out of segregation on this Saturday. I would remain in receiving building. Then get my property back on Monday. On December 23, 2016, Administrative Review Board expunged Danville ticket. But was not returned to A-Grade until 1-4-2017. Warden Garnet told me I would remain in receiving. He did not want me out in population at his joint. Stated he had talked to several Wardens about me. Told me Shawnee was a better placement. If I did not sue I would get job in Industry as welder at Shawnee. Earn 6 months for each year I make their stuff. Go home early. I agreed. On March 8th, 2017, I was transferred to Shawnee. Placed on Industry wing in 4-House. Dennison refused to follow deal after talking to Warden Calloway and I.A. Lt. Campbell. Acting with Warden Calloway and I.A. Campbell, Warden Dennison did not follow Director Baldwin’s order to expunge ticket. Only when I took them back to court in October of 2018, did it get exposed to Springfield Office. Judge ordered it corrected. Retaliation to stop. So Dennison went to work getting me shipped to East Moline on March 27, 2019. I did two years and fifteen days of dead time at Shawnee. This when Calloway, Campbell, and Dennison said fuck the rules. Punish him anyway on the ticket that was expunged. Ex- punged on December 23, 2016. With the ticket not removed from my file it was used to deny me job in Industry. Rule states no ticket for at least a year before job in Industry. On March 27, 2019, I was transferred to East Moline. Illegal punishment. So I filed the civil suit when Dennison reniged in 2017. I won at Summary Judgment Stage on September 3O, 2019. Was at East Moline when Judge Mihm

From Shawnee to East Moline

Shawnee to East Moline

It was March of 2019. My Dad was in the Shawnee C.C.. The Administration had just added two more satellite dishes and bought a new package for the television. At Shawnee you were locked in the cell most of the day. The prisoner would receive an hour on the day shift, 7-3 p.m, to exercise, use the phone, and shower. On the 3-11 p.m. shift the prisoner would get one hour and fifteen minutes to shower and use the phone. This time out of the cell was called, “Dayroom Time.” It was at this time at night my Dad would call.

My Dad was excited about the new stations on the boob tube. Interesting stuff like the Science Channel and National Geo Wild was there now. The package before had been minimal viewing. A very basic set up. With my Dad doing dead time in the cell all day it was not much. So we were talking about these new stations when I receive an e-mail telling me my Dad was being transferred to the East Moline C.C..

My Dad was not happy about this. He was not crazy about the dorm unit housing. My Dad liked the two man cell situation where there was a solid door on the cell. There he only had to deal with one guy all day long. Now he would be in a building with communal sinks and toilets. No privacy. No way to lock out the riff raff and get a little peace and quite. Housed with sixty to seventy guys at a time.

On March 26th, 2019, my Dad was told to pack up his property and head over to the Property Office. He was being transferred. My Dad was not happy about this. He had not requested this transfer. But we talked it over. It might be a good thing. Out of lock down all day long. A chance at a job in the Industry. A new start at a shot of earning good time to cut his sentence down. Dad was ready to see what was to come.

On March 27th, 2019, at 6 a.m. Dad rolled out of the Shawnee C.C.. He would hit the East Moline joint at around six that night. Dad would get his property the next day. He would look around the East Moline Receiving Building. End of 1

East Moline History- Note the change from first person to third person!

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On March 28th, my Dad got a good look at the East Moline “County Building” B-Wing Receiving Unit. It was a nasty mess. The screens on the windows were filled with dust and dirt. The place was a wreck when it came to maintenance upkeep. The deck had a set of washer and drier on the bottom and one on the top floors. The drier vents were clogged. The exhaust came straight into the dayroom area. But on the flip side it was warm there. This wing in the County Building had two man cells. But the locks on the doors were bypassed. A button was wired outside the door frame. Anyone could push that button and walk in to your cell at any time. But you had a sink and toliet in the cell.

My Dad did not like the fact the door was not shut and locked when he was to sleep.

The first night in East Moline was rough. It was still March. The cell my Dad was in had no heat. My Dad had a set of sheets and a light State Blanket given to him upon arrival. He used his coat as a pillow, but did not sleep much. For it was cold. The dining hall was a long walk out into the cold. There he was paired up Military style and forced to stand in the cold waiting to be shuffled into the chow hall.

The dining hall was a thing of puzzlement. The East Moline C.C. was a mental institution until the mid 1980’s. Then it was turned over to the Department of Corrections. The chow hall design was right out of the “Twilight Zone.” There was no walls on three sides. It was plate glass from floor to ceiling. The dining hall sat up on pillars. It was cut into the cliff rising up from the mighty Mississippi River on the Illinois side. So as you ate you looked out upon the lower town of East Moline, or over to the clifts of the river on the Iowa side.

Now the bodies had to be packed into this chow hall. For it was not built for a prisoner population. There was long rows of tables running the length of the dining hall. The seats were 18 inches apart. You sat and ate elbow to elbow. Shoulder to shoulder. End of 2.

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My Dad did not eat much of the State Diet tray. Pritzker was Governor now. He had went right back to doing business with the Archer Daniel Midland Soy Bean company. The meals were poultry scraps mixed with soy bean sludge. A budget cut to the IDOC dietary department. For my Dad was viewed as an animal again, and fed animal fodder to save money on dietary cost. So my father ate most of his meals from the prisoner commissary.

On March 28th, his second day in East Mo., he got the run down on the commissary. My Dad had been looking foward to this commissary. But there was a monkey wrench in the works now. Warden Brannon had been brought in from the Hill C.C., a severe medium/max. facility in Galesburg. She had stripped the once a week shop, with no limit on amount of purchase, the A-Grade shop. To a twice a month shop with a, one-hundred dollar limit in place. Never had this been policy at any Minimum Security prison in Illinois.

My Dad went straight to filing a grievance on this. On March 29th, just two days in the joint, he went to war with Warden Brannon over this bogus commissary policy. For he was being stripped of his A-Grade Commissary right without due process of the law. A restrictive commissary policy was being enforced. Only the prison adjustment committee could strip the prisoner of his weekly A-Grade shop. A right given for keeping out of trouble. Only a ticket for a rule violation, and a finding of guilty, could allow a commissary sanction to be imposed. Equal treatment under the law was required here. No other mininum classified, and housed, Illinois prisoner was being subjected to this punishment.

So the first joust had been made by my father. The paper trail was started. Now at the East Moline C.C. the staff had a different view on things. The prisoner was to remain quite and appreciate being housed here. At no time was any prisoner to challenge the Warden’s policy.

My Dad was able to pick up his property on Friday, March 29th. End of 3

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Dad had his typewriter, he sat down and typed out the grievance. Then typed out a copy for his record. Then wrote me about this bogus policy in place. For my Dad could not eat the soy meals without getting sick. The soy based diet had put a pacemaker in his chest, and gave him Hashimoto’s thyroiditis disease. A very nasty little thing to deal with daily. Exacerbated by eating the wrong stuff.

My Dad does not ask for anything he does no having coming by law. Being incarcerated for crimes he did not do made him learn the laws that govern his new environment. His first lawyer, Mr. Cooper, God Watch over him, told my Dad this. “Rocky, you now reside in a house of law, the man works in a house of law, but neither side is above the law.” The cops had beat the hell out of my Dad at the Stateville C.C. in 1994. Mr. Cooper helped my Dad sue and get paid. For my Dad was cuffed and shackled when the beating was given to him.

So my Dad was awarded three thousand dollars in damages. Five hundred from each man that had struck him will evil intent. My Dad invested the money in a typewriter and law books. He learned the rules of the house he found himself confined in. Mr. Cooper was a point, a milestoine, in my Dad’s life. Mr. Cooper taught my Dad the facts. “To beat the man at his own game required learning the law. Then winning in the man’s arena. A court of law.”

Dad found himself in the East Moline minimum camp being treated. So he knew the game. The Warden is the top dog in any prison. The Warden has “Enforcers” to impose her will. To silence the fool that dares to challenge her reign. WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY defines Enforcer as 1. a person or thing that enforces. 2. the member of a group, esp. a gang, charged with keeping dissident members obedient. 3. a person, esp. a public official who enforces laws, regulations, rules, or the like.

By filing that grievance. By exercising his First Amendment right to complain about conditions of confinement, Dad kicked it off.

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The grievances my Dad files have merit. They quote the law, and the facts. My Dad always sites case law that supports his position. Once the Counselor got his grievance, the Wardens’ Enforcers were notified, to check out my Dad. So my Dad was now on their radar. His prison master file spoke volumes on his legal history. The Danville C.C. First Amendment case was a thorn in the Illinois Attorney General’s backside. Dad was winning the case on the retaliatory acts. Punishment imposed to silence him at the Danville C.C..

Now a man must eat to survive. My Dad was caught between a rock and a hard place. He could not eat the State tray without getting sick daily. The commissary restrictions by Warden Brannon had him unable to supplement his diet from the commissary. So Dad wrote the grievance. We wrote letters to Governor Pritzker asking him to look into the illegal commissary restriction in place. We wrote letters to the IDOC Director.

Governor Pritzker sent a copy of my Dads’ letter back to Warden Brannon telling her to address it. The limit was raised from 100 dollars per shop to 150 dollars in food, and the rest of the stuff after that. A Pyrrhic Victory.

So Dad started to document the numerous constitutional violations in place at the East Moline prison. My Dad has two strong ladies behind him. Myself, as his daughter I got his back always. Then his friend, Sally Morell, runs his other website. WWW.Freelarryrockyharrisx2. This for citizens without Facebook access. She also works as his Editor for his books. A fantastic lady, and a great friend.

Now we are posting the housing issues. Water leaking in the windows and flooding the living units every time it rains. Trouble with the water tower pump that left the prisoners without toliets, showers, a place to wash, for several weekends in a row. Three to four days straight again and again.

So the first Enforcer was sent to feel out my Dad. The Lt. that ran the East Moline prison adjustment committee. End of 5

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My Dad had been in contact with the head of the maintenance department. He was trying to get the Welder/Metal Fabricator job. The first step in placement in the Industry. The screening and assessment of job skills.

Now my Dad was called out to the dayroom. The cell house officer came to my Dad, in his cubicle. He stated to get dressed and come out. To talk to the Lt.. My Dad thought this was the interview for the maintenance job.

But he was wrong. The Lt. stated, ” Mr. Harris, you need to remember your place in life. You want to stop posting your complaints about this prison, and the great staff who run it. We can make your life a living hell if we want too.”

So I ask the Lt., “Lt.., are you threatening me for exercising my First Amendment Right to be a whistle blower? To compIain about my conditions of confinement?”

The Lt. looked surprised. Regrouped, and said, “No, you misunderstood me.” Then disappeared out the front door without saying another word.

The first volley of punches had just been thrown. I was immediately informed I had been removed from the waiting list, called a vote sheet, for the Welder/Metal Fabricator job. This was the first week of June in 2019.

I had been called to I.A. already in May. There was a problem of theft at East Moline. I had been questioned on it. This when the white guys raised hell about being robbed. Nothing was being done to stop it by staff. When the white guys were robbed, the non gang member prisoners, a blind eye was turned to it. So for the second time I had been told to shut up and get over it.

The plastic property box had a small combination lock that went on the front. This to lock all the commissary items in the box when you were not in your Dorm Unit cubicle.

But this did not stop anything. The thief just ripped the box lid off from the back and stole everything. When we complained we were told, ” This ain’t sweet Moline anymore. This will happen. Get over it.” A hard pill to swallow. End of 6

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I wrote to placement. I requested a reason as to why I had been removed from the Maintenance spot. I was the best canidate for the job. I was told, “The Warden denied you for your past and present litigation history.”

So I wrote to the Governor explaining this error. For to deny me the job because of my First Amendment activity was an illegal act. See case law here. Seventh Circuit precedence. Bridges-vs-Gilbert, 557 F.3d 541 (7th Cir. 2009) & Gomez-vs-Randle, 680 F.3d 859 (2012 7th Cir.)

I wrote to the Maintenance Supervisor telling him I had been blackballed for my First Amendment activity. This struck a cord somewhere. For on June 25th, 2019, I was moved from the Three House Dorm Unit to the County Building Worker deck. I was housed in 2-D-23 cell. Amanda had been writing tall letters and posting on Facebook about these issues. So on June 26th, 2019, I went to work in the Maintenance Department.

They immediately threw all kinds of broken items at me. I fixed them all, or built replacement parts. But I was not happy with the fact that every day I left the cell at seven a.m. with all my property being there to be robbed. For there was no way to lock the cell.

My celly was a black guy named Ike. He was old school and did not play that theft game. After a few days he told me that several guys had approached him wanting to rob me while I was at work. He had told them no. Ike was a guy with tall juice in the street gangs.

But Ike was short. He would go home on August 27th, 2019. So his watching my stuff while I was at work would end. But I went to work each day. It was plain to see the staff did not like me. But they could not deny my work skills. I continued to expose the extreme heat in the chow hall of 115-20°. The air conditioner parts were robbed off the prisoner dining room to keep the staff dining room cool. The cell houses were designed to be operated with air conditioning. But again parts were robbed to keep the Administration Building air cooled. End of 7

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My Dad was working. So he was able to see and hear the mental outlook of the East Moline C. C. Staff. Before he received the job, and was moved to the County Building, my Dad had a run in with a Lt. and an Officer. My Dad has always bought a Playboy calendar. It was just his generation thing I think. Growing up he had one in his bedroom, and his work truck.

My Dad owned one when he was shipped to the East Moline C.C. One evening the Cellhouse Lt. had walked into the cubicle, where my father lived, and just took the calendar off his desk. He walked out into the hallway and gave it to the officer. He stated to the officer, “Destroy this.” He refused to respond to, or address my father. As he walked out of the building my father watched the Wing Officer try to tear the calendar in half. He could not do it. So he folded it into four folds and threw it in the trash.

When dayroom was ran my father approached the Wing Officer. He requested a shake down slip to verify this Lt. and Wing Officer had taken his property and destroyed it.

The Wing Officer stated the calendar was contraband. If my father wanted a shake down slip he would call the Lt.. My father said, “Make the call. That was strong arm theft of my property acting under the color of law. Just because you have a badge does not mean you can steal from me.”

The Wing Officer made the call while my father stood there. He told the Lt. what my father had said. He told him that my father wanted a shake down slip to verify it happened.

When the Officer got off the phone he stated, “The Lt. said I had the right to take it. You are not allowed to have it. So if you want a shake down slip you will get a ticket. Or you can shut up and get over it.”

My father stood his ground and requested the shake down slip. So now the act would be on the record. So the ticket was written in retaliation. At East Moline the staff work under this mind set that you are to be subservient. To not question their actions, or policy. End 8

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To question the reign there was not looked upon with anything but contempt. My Dad had been told by the Adjustment Committee Lt. that he needed to remember his place in society. Now we had another incident where my Dad had refused to bow down. So he was getting real popular among the staff.

The calendar incident made waves through the staff. My father went to the Adjustment Committee hearing. He produced the IDOC Administrative Directive stating the prisoner could order and own the Playboy calendar. He produced the Trust Fund Account print out from the Shawnee C.C.. This to show where my Dad had ordered the calendar.

My Dad had shown he had the right to possess that calendar. That it was his property lawfully. The ticket had to be expunged. The calendar was returned to my father still folded and pressed into a quarter of the viewing area.

My father filed the grievance seeking reimbursement for the cost of the calendar. It was destroyed. My father could not open it back to the original shape, or use it. It was denied by the IDOC staff at all three levels of the grievance procedure. Counselor, Grievance Officer and Warden. Then the Springfield Administrative Review Board. So my father filed a claim in the Illinois Court of Claims in Springfield. A place where the prisoner is suppose to find justice for property taken, lost, or destroyed, by a State Employee unlawfully.

The court of claims stated that the calendar was returned to my father so he had no claim. Stating a Correctional Officer could take any property from the prisoner. Break it, or destroy it, but as long as the Officer gave it back it was no harm, no foul. So you get an inside look into how things really work in here. The prisoner is shown every day that the law is only applied to him. That the staff are protected by the courts in Illinois.

So now my father is working in the maintenance department in July. Everything is going smooth. Dad gets approved for the Industry job. He is on waiting list. End 9

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Now my Dad had the calendar incident where he had taken the Lt. and Officer to court. He had made the Warden change the commissary policy. He reported the lack of maintenance and the living conditions that violated the law. So my Dad was writing to me about these issues. Calling me on the phone. Sending me messages over the e-mail system on his tablet. All legal acts protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. My Dad had documented the fact the Chicago and East St. Louis street gangs were being allowed to run the cellhouse. To steal the, non gang member, property with impunity. To run the phones and deny the white prisoner a phone to use. To extort the white prisoner for time on the phone. To steal the white prisoners Pin Number issued for the phone. These facts were being posted on social media outlets by Sally Morell, and myself. My father, and I, had talked to the East Moline staff. Had tried to get these issues addessed and corrected. For the IDOC staff is required by law, to provide the prisoner with a safe and secure environment to do their time in. When the issue is brought to their attention it is to be investigated and stopped. But not at the East Moline facility.

So my Dad had to go. The Warden turned loose her Enforcers. My Dad started to get called to the Internal Affairs Department. Questioned about his internet contacts. The postings. He started to get threats. Told he would not be here long if he continued to exercise his First Amendment Right. Continued to expose the East Moline prison conditions.

Other prisoners that were robbed of their property and phone pin numbers started telling my father about it. My father told Sally and myself. We wrote letters to the Governor and prison oversight organizations. We posted it.

The Internal Affairs Lt. and his henchman went after my Dad. He had to go. But they could not legally transfer him, or retaliate against him for exercising his “Whistle Blower” right under the law.End 10

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The first week of August rolled around. My Dad tried to call me on the phone one night. He had paid a guy to get his thirty minute slot on the phone. When he dialed my number a voice came on the phone and stated, Call cannot be made. This pin number is currently in use.”

Someone has stolen my Dad’s phone pin number. So my Dad set about getting the evidence to catch the perpretrator. To stop the theft of his money on his phone account. For these guys were calling their friends and family on my fathers’ pin number, and on his dime too. Why? Because the phone had a system in place to limit the call by one prisoner to thirty minutes. Then you had to wait an hour before you could use the phone again. But if a prisoner had some other convicts’ pin number he could stay on the phone continuously daily. After thirty minutes he just used another pin number assigned to somebody. So the gangs could run and stay on the phone all day. The East Moline staff turned a blind eye to this daily.

So the white prisoner had a double whammy here. The gangs were getting their pin numbers. When they did get a chance to get on the phone they could not use it because someone else already had. My Dad said this was the straw that broke the camels back. He requested a phone call print out from the telephone coordinator at the East Moline C.C.. When he received it there was thirteen calls to Chicago. Macomb, and East St. Louis my Dad had not made.

So my father paid a guy to get time on the phone. He stayed in from yard and gym at night. Anything to get on the phone and call these numbers. In most calls as soon the person, who had answered, heard my Father they hung up. So he could not find out who was using it. So he changed the game afoot. He placed a call to a new number on the list. When they answered he said this.

“Hey don’t hang up. Your boy just went to segregation for fighting. I owe him two hundred from gambling. He said to call here and get his info and address to send the money too.”

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It worked well. The lady gave up her connect in East Moline. Discribed him. Told my Dad his real name and ID identity number. So Dad approached the guy. He explained the situation. He told him he would not prosecute him if he gave up who had sold him the number. He flipped on the guy so fast my Dad could not believe it was that easy. He told him that the white boy latin folks had swore the number was good. There would be no problem. So now my Dad had the players. He typed a kite to the I.A. Lt.. Giving him the numbers called. Dates, and times to pull them up. He wanted each guy charged with Identity Theft.

The next day he was called to I.A. by the investigator who was assigned to build a case against him. To get him transferred out of the prison. He was not hearing anything. Said it was very hard to prove these things up. My Dad then pointed out that most of these calls were made while he was in the maintenance shop working. All he had to do was listen to the call to identify who called on my fathers’ number. He told him who was selling his number. He again got the, “This is not Sweet Moline anymore. Get over it.” So my Dad turned me loose on this. I called the prison and talked to the I.A. Lt.. He refused to get involved and hung up on me. So I went to work drafting letters and calling people. Telling them how my Dad was being treated.

Only then was my father taken seriously. They turned off his pin number. For a couple weeks he could not call. So I called again. Was given the run around. That night my Dad received a new pin number.

Now it was August 27. My Dad was in a bad spot. Ike, his celly, was going home. Dad knew he was being targeted for theft of his property. Dad shopped on August 27th. Ike went home. Dad came in from work to find a new guy in his cell. A black guy with an attitude. So Dad came in with a large bag of commissary. He stored it in his box. Then he typed out a letter to his boss, Pete, asking him to get him moved to another cell, or wing.

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The next morning at six-thirty my Dad placed his property in his large box. He locked it and went to work. He located Pete, his boss, and explained the situation. Gave him the kite. Pete went to Placement. But they would not move him. Pete went to Internal Affairs trying to get my Dad moved to a safe cell. But they refused to do it.

When my Dad returned to his cell at 2p.m, after work, on August 28th, one day after Ike went home, he found the lid ripped off his property box. All his commissary and electronic devices was gone. Just as he had told Pete it would be.

The gallery officer was aware of the game afoot here. So he covered his ass. He called Internal Affairs and told them about the theft. Told them that Dad wanted it documented and investigated. The Lt. and his crony refused the request. But the deck officer drafted an incident report to cover his ass and document it.

So my Dad, and I, put pen to paper. Finger to keyboard. We exposed this. My Dad drafted a blog to be mailed to me. It explained how the white, non gang member, prisoner was served up to be robbed and extorted. How the East Moline Staff refused to do anything about it. That the only recourse was for the white prisoner to defend himself. To take matters in to his own hands. He mailed it to me on the 28th of August.

The I.A. crony and Lt. confiscated it from the outgoing mail. This to cover their ass. My father was sent in from work on the 29th, and moved from 2-D-23 cell to 2-D-55 cell. A cell right in front of the deck officer and his desk. No ticket was written for the blog my father drafted.

On the date of August 30th, 2029, my father was sent in from work at noon. He was told to pack his property and move back to the 3 House Dorm Unit. I.A. stated they destroyed the blog he had sent to me. Even gave him a shake down slip stating this.

September 2nd, a Monday, was a holiday. On September 3rd my father went to work from 3 House Dorm Unit. Warden Hamilton came into the maintenance shop.

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My Dad was coming out of the front door to the welding booth. He ran into the Operation Warden coming into the shop. The look on his face, when he saw him, told the whole story. Dad placed the repaired dumbbell in the pick up area and went back in the booth. The Warden went into the tool cage. Dad heard him jump on the officer. He ask, “What the hell is Harris still doing here.” Then he left. Dad was given a ride up the hill and over to Three Dorm. Once inside the Unit he was informed by the control booth officer he had been fired by the Warden. His property was being collected. It would be brought to him before shift change. His lower hill clearance had been revoked.

So Dad e-mailed me with the bad news. I sent it on to Sally. On September 13th, 2019, my father was placed in segregation under investigation. The Wardens had turned their Enforcers loose. Told them to get rid of my Dad any way they could. The Wardens wanted my Dad on a bus and gone. His social media post; exposing the truth in matters, had them under the spot light. My Dad was written one ticket for myself buying another prisoner a legal book and mailing it to him. They stole the book. We never got it back. Then the big lie came down. The false ticket charging my Dad with soliciting an assault on the warden and the prisoners who had robbed him.

The ticket was third party, confidential informants, stating they heard my father offering other prisoners money to beat people up. But these informants could not state who the prisoner was my Dad allegedly offered this money too. How much money was offered, or how it was to be paid by my father.

The Adjustment Committee was so rushed to find guilt. To transfer my Dad out of East Moline. That they entered a guilty finding in the computer on September 29th 2019. Disciplinary transfer imposed with six months segregation placement.

But there was a fly in the ointment here.The Sargent on the Adjustment Committee was not even at work on September 29th.

East Moline 15

My Dad is nobody’s fool. The phony Adjustment Committee Hearing was held on October 2nd. This on the East Moline Segregation yard. Here Dad had several witnesses to this fact. The Adjustment Committee Lt. had kicked the pooch here. She sent my father a copy of the September 29th Adjustment Committee Hearing Summary finding guilt.

So my Dad gathered his evidence of this conspiracy and sent it to the Administrative Review Board. They could not deny the frame job. So they dismissed on the fact the Sgt. was not at work on the day he signed off on the phony hearing.

On November 6th my Dad was given the disciplinary transfer from East Moline to the Pinckneyville Medium Max. Punishment joint. On November 7th, 2019, the Administrative Review Board expunged the ticket used here. COINCIDENT??? But my Dad would remain in segregation for another week before being cleared and released.

Retaliation for First Amendment activity is not allowed by law. The act of ” Whistle Blower” reporting the malfeasance and corruption is a protected First Amendment right.

In the IDOC most prisoners will not stand up to the man. But my father stands on his rights. He may be subjected to remaining in the IDOC until he proves his innocence. But he learned the rules of the long house he wakes in every day. He does not ask for anything he does not having coming by law. But he just can not bow down and become subserviant for crimes he did not do. So the IDOC needs the guy with backbone to keep the playing field fair. My father tells it like it is. So let the chips fall where they may. My father filed a civil suit. The First Amendment retaliatory acts, that got my father shipped to the Pinckneyville C.C., will be heard in a court of law. U S. Central District, Peoria at Harris-vs-C. Brannon et al., 4:19-cv-04235-JES. You can review it on the Federal website. Same suit, same circumstances as the case he won in Summary Judgment in the Danville C.C. case of Harris-v-Calloway, 2:17-cv-2075-MMM.

From East Moline to Pinckneyville History

Pinckneyville Transfer

My Dad told me about the transfer. That he was going to be transferred out of East Moline C.C. on a disciplinary transfer. But my Dad had the goods on the people at the East Moline Prison. They had violated the law. In order to silence my father, and his “Whistle Blower” activity at the East Moline prison, they had falsified the proceedings. The Lt. And Sgt. who ran the Prison Adjustment Committee, had enter a guilty finding into the computer system on September 29, 2019. Requesting a disciplinary transfer to harsher conditions as punishment. This was three days before my Dad was given his Adjustment Committee Hearing. Hearing was October 2, 2019, on the segregatioin yard. So his hearing was a sham. They had acted with the Warden to get rid of my Dad. To silence his reporting the truth about the East Moline prison. But my Dad had the proof that the Sgt. was not even at work on September 29, 2019. So he raised this in his grievance sent to the Administrative Review Board in October 2019. The powers that be could not get around this one. So on November 6th, 2019, my Dad was placed a bus and transferred from the East Moline C.C.. But before he left a worker told my Dad that the Sgt. had smashed his television on the corner of his desk. An act of rage when he learned my Dad had beat the ticket. That the Administration Review Board was expunging everything they had done to frame my Dad. So on November 6, 2019, my Dad arrived at the Pinckneyville prison. Chained on the seg. to seg. transfer. On November 7th, 2019, the Administrative Review Board expunged the ticket. All charges and punishment was wiped clean, as if it had never happened. But my Dad was not to be released from the Pinckneyville C.C. segregation unit until November 13, 2019. He was kept there an extra week. For the man was not happy my Dad had beat their false ticket. For now their acts was biting them in the back side. On a cold November morning my Dad was sprung from the jail within the prison.

Pinckneyville 2

My Dad told me that November 7th morning was like any other in the hole. He had got up and ate breakfast at 3 a.m.. At 6 a.m. he had started to work out. Sit ups, push ups, back arm presses off the bunk edge. At seven a.m. the shift had changed. Count was taken. Around seven-fifty a.m. count had checked. The officer working the deck had came to the cell door my Dad was in. “Harris, pack it up. You are out of here.” So my Dad threw his legal work, change of clothing, and cosmetics in his pillow case. About an half hour later that officer came to the door. “Harris, you ready to go. We are going to the front of the deck. Your property will be there. Change clothes and throw your seg. stuff in the laundry bin. When you get to the property desk the Lt. is going to be there. Keep your mouth shut or you will be right back in this cell.” My Dad had no idea what had happened. But he was playing it close to his chest and on the down low. For he was out of segregation. Things had changed in his favor.

When my Dad reached the property desk his large property box was on the floor. He opened it to find his two sets of state blues. The shirt and pants worn by population prisoners. He peeled off the jumpsuit, and was getting dressed, when a very large, white, Lt. came in the wing door. The Lt. posted up in front of my father and said,” Hey boy, I want to know how a tough guy punk like you got this ticket thrown out. You put out a hit on the Warden. We do not take that type of crap lightly here. Why was your ticket expunged inmate?”

My Dad responded, “I am just as surprised as you, Sir. I do not know. I was just told to pack it up a few minutes ago, Sir.”

This took the wind out of the Lt.. He grumbled, “Get your shit together and get the fuck out of my building.”

My Dad was sent out to population. He was sent to the Two House building. He would only be there for a few weeks. From November 13th to December 11th my Dad was out in population.

Pinckneyville 3

On the morning of December 11th, 2019, my father was told to pack his property. That he was being returned to the Five House Segregation building. He was being placed in Administrative Seg. Housing. He was moved to 5-B-22 cell. A segregation cell with men housed there in limited privileges. Totally secluded from population. The trouble makers were housed here.

My Dad was moved into a cell with a latin prisoner who had a murder conviction. He was not to be celled with another prisoner. This guy was hiding out in the administrative seg. wing because he had turned rat on his latin buddies. In population he would have been hit by the gang. This guy was stepping and fetching for the man. He had a history of picking a fight with his cellies. Then his celly would be charged with assault and placed in Max. Seg. Housing. But he would not be charged with a rule violation. The guys on the wing schooled my Dad on this dude. It was a set up to get a charge on my Dad. To make him fight. So my Dad told me the situation. I called the prison and let them know we was aware of their game. I talked to a woman Lt. in Internal Affairs. She told me she would correct this. On December 28, 2019, she had my Dad moved to the receiving building. He was placed in a cell alone. Cell 6-A-18. On January second, 2020, my Dad was to be transferred to the Illinois River C.C. on “Court Writ” status. Before the transfer my Dad was taken to the property building. There he was told to pack up his property. To be stored while on the Court Writ transfer. The property officer did not like my father. Did not like the fact he won previous lawsuits. So he tried to break my father,’s typewriter by packing it in his large property box. This was not policy. An electronic typewriter went in a seperate box. The Swintec Typewriter factory in China had burnt down. So the typewriter was like gold. They could not be replaced at this time. Bailey knew there was no better way to mess with the prisoner.

Pinckneyville 4

While out in population my Dad had replaced all the property stolen on his transfer to the Pinckneyville Prison. He had replaced the broken television. The food. The clothing. The cosmetics. This property filled the large property box. The property officer made my Dad empty this property out of the large box. The typewriter took up two thirds of the space in that box. All that property my Dad was forced to mail home. The typewriter was stuffed into the large box.

Dad spent two weeks at the Illinios River C.C.. While there he went to the Peoria Federal Court Building. A settlement hearing was had. This to try to settle the Harris-vs-Calloway & Campbell case from the Danville joint. It was not settled. So a jury trial to determine the damages my father would receive was set. My Dad was transferred back to the Pinckneyville C.C. on January 15th, 2020. Luck was in his favor. The typewriter still worked. My Dad got his property back. He would remain in the receiving building in a cell by himself.

My Dad was not suppose to be in the Pinckneyville prison. So I went to work to get him transferred permanently to the Illinois River C.C.. I worked out a deal with the Deputy Director and the Director of the IDOC. On February 4th my Dad was told to pack it up. That the was being transferred. On February 5th he was in Illinois River C.C.. My Dad was again robbed of all his food, clothing, cosmetics. His television stand was broken. His property was missing for two weeks after he was shipped to the Illinois River C.C.. When my Dad finally got his property; there was only the broken t.v.. The typewriter in his big box wrapped in some large sweat pants that were garbage. My father had to again buy all his property from the commissary. He filed a grievance. He won the grievance on the theft. But was only paid pennies on the dollars worth of property stolen from him. Pinckneyville had been a nightmare where the staff retaliated for my Dad beating the East Moline ticket.

From Pinckneyville to Illinois River History 

Illinois River C.C. Update

My father arrived at the Illinois River C.C. as permanent placement of February 5th, 2020. I had negotiated a deal to get him into the Industry Job. Get his hernias fixed. Get him home in as good a shape as possible, as soon as possible. Dad was going to waive prosecution of the East Moline C.C. civil suit. This for these two simple request.

But instead he was blackballed again for his “Whistle Blower” activity. For his prior pending lawsuits and wins. He was able to take a mental health course and earn sixteen days good time. A mistake was made. He was placed on the Mental Heath call line in error. But while getting this straight he was able to get the class done. For fifteen months nothing else has being addressed. No medical. No job.

Then I got our Podcast up and running. We won back the right for A-Grade to shop once a week. It was standing policy anyway. But had gone bad as a way to punish the prisoner population without justification.

Another black mark on my Dad for this. So no good deed goes unpunished. For getting the IDOC Administrative Directive, on commissary shopping back in place, the prisoners were punished. The commissary items and selection was severely reduced as payback. One thing IDOC staff do not like is the convict being right. Winning some battle.

In fifteen months at the Illinois River C.C. my father should have earned nine months good conduct credits to reduce his sentence. But a measly 16 days was it by accident. So now my father faces another uphill battle.

For years my father had been bleeding out his bowels from being forced to eat the soy meat substitute served. Finally I posted this quest to get my father treated on my Podcast. I went to the Governor’s Office of Constituent Affairs.

Dad finally started getting this bleeding addressed. On June 21st Dad got a Colonoscopy by Dr. Erin Bailey in Canton. Bad news. My Dad has colon cancer. Hernia surgery postponed until cancer issue is addressed.

Illinois River C.C

On June 28, 2021, my Dad was taken out to the Canton Graham Medical Center. He was given a CT Scan then. This to determine if the cancer has spread to any other part in my Dads’ body. So we await the results there.

On June 29, 2021, my Dad was taken out to see an Oral Surgeon in Moline, Illinois. About a year ago a growth started on the inside of my fathers lower, left, lip. Today it was surgically removed. Dad says three stitches. He is doing fine.

Now we await the results from the CT Scan to see if the cancer has spread. Hopefully it will be good news. Then the chemo, and hernia surgeries, can get started.

*On August 9, 2012, we go to the Peoria Federal Courthouse to pick a jury to decide damages.  **This court date was postponed due to Dad’s surgery to remove his cancer.** On September 30, 2019, my Dad won the civil suit. Won the right to be free from retaliation for “Whistle Blower” activity. See Harris-vs-Calloway & Campbell, 2:17-cv-02075-MMM in the Peoria Federal Courthouse.

The prisoners need this Whistle Blower to stand up to the Administration. My Dad did it. Reported the truth. Served the punishment. Now he gets paid. A First Amendment Right.

So we won the right to a Facebook page. A website blog. To run a Podcast. So my Dad and I will keep you updated. Have a great day. 6-29-2021