Sexual Harassment by COs Goes Unpunished
On 20 and 22 January 2016 I was sexually harassed by a male correctional officer. On the 20th we were on lockdown because of a fight. Right before the correctional officer was to go home for the night he came over my intercom and clowning my celly, but while laughing said “don’t let me catch [X] with his boxers on backwards and [X] laying on his belly while you’re (my celly) on top of him.” After he went home I told my celly I felt uncomfortable as did he. After we came off of lockdown the same correctional officer called me to the bubble twice. First time he said [X] (me) that he was going to dog my celly (clown him), I told him no and walked away. The second time he called me to the bubble yet again saying “[X] ya should take your celly down through there sexually show him what it’s like.” I told the Correctional Officer he should not talk to me like that I’m not here to catch a PREA case. This officer knows that I’m a homosexual because it’s in the computer my alternative lifestyle. My celly is Black, the officer is Black and I’m white.
On January 23rd I talked to Sargent Thompson and told her everything that happened and that I was afraid for my safety for telling on an officer, because he’s going to find out if not through staff through prisoners. I also see Lieutenant McKeean told him the same thing. He asked my celly why he didn’t write a grievance on him, my celly said he didn’t want any problems. Come to find out my celly’s uncle used to work here and his uncle is good friends with the officer. The correctional officer is Guice.
On January 29 I refused to lockdown for fear of my safety. Correctional officer Houck said Lieutenant McKeean said I wasn’t going to get a bed move. So I told officer Houck I refused to lock down for my safety, as caseworker Faliszek told me I had a right to do. So Officer Houck handcuffed me and put me in the shower and locked the shower. Sargent Thompson came to the unit told me I’m not getting a bed move and told officer Houck to put me back in my cell. I told her this is bullshit, I’m afraid for my safety with everything going on with retaliation and all the sexual crap he’s saying. She wouldn’t hear any of it. Office Houck took me out of the shower while handcuffed with the gun drawn on me took me back to my cell, while telling me no one’s going to believe you because you’re a prisoner no one believes an inmate because you’re all liars. Officer Houck said he doesn’t believe me because he knows Officer Guice personally and knows he will never sexually harass anyone.
On 12 February 2016 my celly put his shoes on after the health and welfare count and then told me I had two options: 1. come down push the button tell the officer you’re going to commit suicide, or 2. he’s going to kick my ass. I told him why I had to do that he said which one was I going to pick. So I came down off my bed and pushed the button and told the officer that I was in fear of my life because I wanted to commit suicide, the officer in the bubble told me no and to wait til morning to talk to the nurse. This pissed off my celly so he tackled me like a football player. I fell and hit my head on the door he began to slap me several times in the face and then he stomped me with his feet in the face and neck. After he was done I kept hitting the call button, but the officer never answered the button. In the morning I went to chow I stepped out of line and told the officer I was in fear of my safety. He seen my face and asked what happened. I didn’t say anything. The Officer Turner said me and my celly were having problems last night, Lieutenant Potter asked if my celly did that to my face and neck. I didn’t answer and looked away. They knew it happened so they took me to medical then to the hole with a notice of charges for assault.
Most of the grievances I filed on sexual harassment and retaliation were locked by Associate Wardens. I then refiled in February 2016, they finally went through and went to the I.G. office and PREA. I finally saw the PREA investigator Steve LeMara on 9 June 2016 he said he believed me on everything.
I’m still missing grievances that are in the last level sent kites to the Associate Warden, Caseworker Elmor and Berrett, and to head Caseworker Russell. Still have heard nothing.
