A Petition to End the Horrific Conditions in the Coffield Unit!
IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL WE ARE HUMAN TOO!
Please accept this as a call to all GOD-FEARING PEOPLE to call on the Texas Legislature to convene a Special Session to correct a potentially vital situation here on the Coffield Unity.
The following is a brief narrative of what is taking place. The Coffield Unity was initially designed to house 2,000 men, however, at last count there was 4,300. Consequently, staff is daily operating at 31% to 21% capacity. This creates an environment of absolute chaos. Prisoners are crowded into dayrooms for hours at a time (after meals and showers) without adequate access to toilet facilities. The dayrooms are equipped with only urinals. This has resulted in men defecating on themselves, or defecating in sacks or on paper or other items of discarded clothing etc., then throwing it out the window.
Another issue is sleep deprivation. Due to the constant slamming of doors, count times, showers, and other penal activities it is impossible to get a decent nights rest. Also the dining hall is a powder keg. It is often filled to max capacity (without any observable security), with men jumping line, purchasing contraband food, and conducting all types of side deals. Outside recreation is nearly non-existent. The overcrowded showers, dayrooms, and dining hall would be unbelievable to the average observer. Whenever there are important visitors to the unit it is guaranteed the unit will be placed on limited movement, suspended activity, or full lockdown in order to conceal the chaotic nature of daily operations. There is a sophisticated camera system installed in the unit that would verify the truth of all of these claims.
Another extreme situation is the heart, which is exacerbated by the unjust section lockdowns. To explain, due to the age of Coffield and the fact that it is in disrepair, prisoners have figured out how to manipulate the locking mechanisms on the cell doors. Because security staff cannot stop this from happening, they will retaliate by placing those sections on lockdown for several days and subjecting them to the extreme heat, sack-meals, and extreme cell searches.
This is an extreme security risk, which could easily lead to a massive riot, which the “shortage of staff” will not be able to maintain. This is not to mention the extreme and oppressive conditions the men in Ad Seg, or “Restricted Housing”, experience on a daily basis. It is common for these prisoners to go days on end without showers or recreation. They are frequently denied drinks with their meals. Their manner of being fed is totally against policy and food service standards. For example the SSI’s (i.e. the janitor prisoners) are allowed to feed them without security staff present. This means that those prisoners whose food tray slots are not open or rigged must receive their food trays underneath the rusted and corroded cell doors. It is common for fires to burn and smolder on the run for hours at a time without any attempt at putting them out, and still yet unsuccessful at gaining the attention of the security staff. The manipulating the locking mechanisms are also a phenomenon in Restricted Housing. There have been recent incidents of prisoners popping out of their cells stabbing prisoners, dashing other prisoners with feces & urine. There was recently a prisoner who got out of his cell and hit an officer in the head with a fan motor, causing him to be sent out in an ambulance.
As a propose solution, we duly implore you to convene a Special Session to reduce the Coffield population by releasing those prisoners with 20-years or more completed on their sentence (who have received more than one parole set off). This will aid in making the unit in a Single-cell unit as it is being reported to be. The living conditions here on the Coffield unit is unconstitutional and in total violation of the 8th Amendment. The SPCA would not allow dogs to be housed as we are here on the Coffield Unit. We implore you to come and see for yourselves!
