The cancer treatment is going well. On the 28th of September I was given a complete cat scan of my body. The good news finally came. I caught a break. The cancer has not spread to any other part of me.
Soon I will go out to get the two spots on my liver removed. Then I will finally be cancer free. A long three years of real hell-on-earth there. I beat the colon cancer. My body is finally healing up and starting to work right again. So at sixty-three years of age I am a lean and mean, ready to go another round with the Grim Reaper, not ready just yet to go quietly into that dark night.
So now I can focus again on my prison reform efforts. The website freerockynation.org is a prison platform for all U.S. Citizens, and our foreign neighbors.
So here is an example of the types of things I work to expose. The Illinois Department of Corrections has not been in compliance with the Federal and State court orders.
Ex-Director, Donald Snyder, implemented a prison level system that allowed him to twice punish the prisoner, by having several levels of medium security prisons, some of which had harsher conditions of confinement than others. This was ruled illegal. The court stated the prisoner was sent to prison as punishment but not to be further punished at the hands of sadistic guards and staff.
So, the illegal Level System was disbanded on November 1, 2011. But here we are at eleven years later. I am housed at the Illinois River Medium Security Multi-Level prison, with operating capacity of 1,970. A total of 60 Maximum Security Rated prisoners can be housed in a totally isolated building. They never interact with the Medium Security prisoner population. But the strict Level 2 Regime is still imposed upon my person each day. So I write these letters.
Letter One
RE: Keys to Cell & Out-of-Cell Time
Under the Administrative Directive 05.06.110 the Level System was disbanded on 11/01/2011.
Now it is 9-27-2022, and I was wondering why as a Medium Classified and Housed IDOC Prisoner, I do not have back the key to my cell? The Level System that Ex-Director Snyder put into place was ruled illegal. The Medium Security Prisons classified as Level Two, Level Three and Level Four were to return to the previous status (of no levels) before the Level System was invoked.
Now it is 9-27-2022, and I am still locked in the cell most of the day. Why were we not returned to the same out-of-cell time that is in place at the Graham and Centralia Medium Security Prisons?
So I ask why am I treated more harshly, discriminated against, now? What is the difference between myself and the same Medium Classified and Housed prisoner at Graham and Centralia?
I await your response to my questions posed here.
Now I thought I had made the questions asked pretty simple. To the point. Here is the response received:
Response: IRCC is a multi-level facility: Individuals in custody can request a transfer to another adult facility through their assigned correctional counselor after they have remained in general population for 6 months at their current facility. Individuals in custody will discuss with their counselor the rationale and eligibility for transfer. Individual in custody transfer request are then initiated by the assigned correctional counselor and subsequently reviewed by the facility administration with a final recommendation by the warden of the facility. If recommended for approval, the transfer request is forwarded to the Transfer Coordinator’s Office (TCO). The TCO will make the final determination on the transfer upon review of all information, including the eligibility of the individual in custody, facility adjustment and the bed space needs of the IDOC. Copy of the summary and original request sent to individual in custody.
Now this was quite the spin move here. I never requested a transfer, nor did my letter state any reference to a transfer. Executive Secretary Martin spun me so hard in her response, to my question, I am still dizzy.
Ice Policy
I had written another letter to the Warden on the Level Two Ice Distribution Policy in place. The Level Two Regime of only one scoop of ice per man, per shift, is still being imposed. But this is an illegal, discriminatory, policy. The one scoop of ice per man is Maximum Security prison policy. When you advance to the Medium Security prison you are to get access to ice daily. A little perk. This is the response I received.
10/03/2o22
Response: your correspondence has been reviewed, IRCC is following all policies and procedures related to ice distribution (COVID procedures) and IRCC is listed as a Multi-security level facility; copy of this summary and original request returned to individual in custody.
Now there is no covid lockdown in place anymore. The ice bucket is filled one time with about 25 to 30 scoops of ice. This is placed on the wing deck. The men who want ice make a mad dash to get it at the start of dayroom. The one bucket of ice is to meet the needs of the 52 men out for dayroom. So, by simple math their own Maximum Security-Level Two-Regime policy of one scoop per man does not get met here. So I sent this response back to Chief Administrative Officer, Warden Clark.
Letter Two
10-03-2022
CAO Warden Clark
Illinois River C.C.
Hello CAO Warden Clark,
RE: Response To My 9-27-2022 Letter Attached
Your Executive Secretary Holly N. Martin responded to the attached letters. The spin move she gave me still has my head dizzy. So I write again asking you to simply answer the question I have posed.
- Let us address the Multi-Level Facility label your Secretary Martin seems to write as an excuse. There is a total of 60 priso-ers housed in the Maximum Security 6 House. They are isolated and do not interact with the Operating Capacity of Medium Security Prisoners. At the 2/1/2021, Illinois River C.C., IDOC Website print out, it states “Operating Capacity at 1,970 men.” These are the same Medium Security Classified and Housed men I refer too.
- I never stated anything about a transfer. But this is all Secretary Martin referred to in her answer. I am still dizzy from that spin move. 10/03/22 10:57:07:817
Now I simply ask again, “Why am I, as a Medium Classified and Housed IDOC Prisoner, subjected to harsher conditions of confinement? Why do I not, have a key to my cell, more out-of-cell day-room and movement, access to clean ice each day, programs and opportunities to earn good time, and to shop once a week, like the same Medium Classified Prisoners at the Graham and Centralia Prisons?
At Administrative Directive 05.06.110 the Level System was disbanded on 11/01/2011. So please explain why the Level Two Administrative Regime is still enforced upon myself daily?
“I await your response to these two simple questions. No more spin moves Please, Warden Clark.
Respectfully,
Larry G. Harris N57672
C.C. CAO Warden Clark
Harris File
Amanda Carrasco freerockynation.org
Now these are the types of issues I raise on the freerocky-nation.org websites. For if you place a man, or a woman, in a penal system where the law is only applied to the prisoner, then treat them illegally, you do not rehabilitate the prisoner. For the prisoner sees the whole penal system as a joke. For their keeper can violate the rules, and the law, daily with impunity.
So the prisoner housed in the IDOC, still ran under the illegal level system, is still treated more harshly. Why???
I still await an answer.
Larry Harris
October 3, 2022
