On Assignment

Since arriving at the Ellis Unit a few months ago, Senior Warden Newton has authorized a policy and practice of unofficial disciplinary actions by utilizing what’s referred to as Security Observation (S.O.) as a pretext to punish and retaliate against prisoners for various things from small to large. Prisoners have been placed on S.O. for ‘looking depressed’, losing a parent, being intoxicated, disputing verbally with officers, protesting lack of recreation, requesting one’s own property, and a host of others arbitrary minor actions.

Prisoners put on S.O., under Newton’s authorization, aren’t allowed water, toilets, toilet paper, soap, clothes, personal or state property, no light, and other restrictions that make this an obvious punishment. People have been made to remain on this status for weeks at a time, not even allowed to receive their own mail or hot food.

On May 17, 2023, Mariano Cevantez #1666863 had suicidal thoughts and, after a minor use of force with officers, reported to them his thoughts. He was subsequently placed on Close Direct Observation (CDO) status, which is suicide watch.

On the 18th, he was being observed by C.O. White who despite being unprovoked arose from his sit and without warning utilized chemical agents on Cervantez. Cervantez was nude, behind a secured and fenced off door, and thus posed no serious threat to the officer.

Once they were notified other officers and rank came to the scene and escorted Cervantez to medical. There he spoke to medical personnel via video, complained of an injury to his eye, and inquired as to if he would receive a chance to decontaminate himself. He was assured by medical that he would. However, upon leaving medical and being escorted to the wing, he was told by Sargent Cody Conn that he would not in fact be allowed to decontaminate. He refused to walk further without being allowed decontamination. He was eventually allowed to take a shower before, contrary to policy and procedure laid out in the Behavioral Intervention Plan, being placed back into the same contaminated cell.

Days later, the cell was still contaminated when Davonte Johnson #1931932 was forced into the same cell, despite repeatedly telling officers Captain Bowers, Kori Beckham, Sargent Cody Conn, Karisa Hernandez, Nicholas Zamipira, that he wasn’t suicidal or homicidal. He was informed that he was being punished for making officers work, the consequences for requesting his property be returned to him after is was taken as a result of a peaceful protest concerning a lack of recreation for G5 prisoners.

Johnson, like Cervantez, was gassed without provocation while naked, his back turned and unsuspecting. Captain Logan Bowers gassed Johnson, while the others conspired with him. Johnson was slammed on the concrete floor and suffered injuries, one of which to his groin where he was swollen and bleeding profusely for days. Johnson was made to stay on S.O. status for four days, naked, no water, no light, no food, no decontamination from chemical agents, no shower, no soap, no mattress. He was refused toilet paper, even when he informed staff of his need to use the bathroom. He was subsequently made to defecate on himself and lay in his own waste for days. He was refused medical treatment for over 72 hours despite his injuries. The named ranking officers refused to allow him or other inmate witnesses to write a statement and Unit grievance investigator Joseph Meador conspired with these inmate assaults by not allowing any other inmate to file a grievance on these issues.

These incidents are only a couple, which are examples of the culture here at TDCJ’s Ellis Unit.

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TX T.E.A.M.O.N.E