Prisoners Starving in Wisconsin
Every night we go to sleep feeling hungry and wake every morning disappointed because the breakfast is so minute; still feeling hungry after breakfast.
To all concerned, we submit this Human Rights (HR) call of investigation of abuse and possible embezzlement by Columbia Correctional Institution (CCI) and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC). Sometime back in 2010 or 2011 Wisconsin law makers planned, with serious malice, of reducing meals to twice daily or even once a day. These ideas were scrapped, due in significant a way, because even jail and prison officials felt it will cause unrest. So what they have done and are doing is slowly, and not so subtly any more, reducing and cutting the portions down on all three meals to where it has the same or even more quantitative effect as if they took one to two meals depending on the weeks in play.
We are calling upon Human Rights and journalistic investigators to study these allegations. We call upon the collective community of concerned citizens to be alarmed at the allegations and tactics. We believe but cannot prove. But confirmed by DOC line staff who will not go on record that this is true and part of policy now. We know that here at CCI they are doing tactics such as measuring the portions like this: One measurement portion is scooped or ladled out, weighed on a scale or eyeballed, then multiplied times the number of prisoners on the unit. While this seems like ALL business/hotels etc measure and cook food. But the portions are designed to say eight oz., yet the actual amount is four or five oz. Not only is you skimming, but, as shown everyday, food is skimmed down more by the server as they try to extend those four oz. Stuff like juice, soup, oatmeal is watered down or substitute additives incorporated so that the quality of the oatmeal is damaged and it becomes merely fiber powder with hot water with no taste. But they may be writing the expenditure off as real oatmeal.
The sadists among those permitting this, like CCI Warden Michael Dittman, will say, well, this is prison. You get what you get. This is not the Hilton or Marriot etc (not actual quote, but analogizing his and others state of mind). These reductions, additives, and cuts are not only barbarous, but violations of human rights, cruel and inhuman treatment and malicious punishment (CIDTS). It causes daily discomforts, anxiety, frustrations, stress, anger and hatred of those administering it all. And all of these are counterintuitive to what corrections goals and aims claim to be.
Still more, it’s being done secretively (well started off that way). Not as a public policy, but skullduggery to embezzle more funds for stuff that benefits Wardens/guards etc. For overtime more “workdays”, pensions, sick days, vacation days etc. Hiring family members, etc.
This is not an issue of prisoners whining about mere discomfort. We are losing weight. We are not exercising normally and regularly due to lack of energy and for some, the brain registering hunger creates lethargic states so that very little exercise can be done. You no longer have the drive that one needs to exercise properly and consistently and regularly. And your metabolism go into a stop-loss mode to save fats and energy because the quantity of food is so small.
Add more to this two additional facts that innocuously contribute – the hard mats we are forced to sleep on don’t let you sleep at all. Another design to punish and cultivate dependency on sleep/drugs/meds so they can control. A very large percentage of prisoners who have been held in long-term segregation start taking sleep meds for various reasons. The hard mat is one. People like me who have convictions against meds/sleeping drugs must suffer with the lack of energy and sleep until the body gets so tired it shuts down and collects its overdue.
