Faheem Shabazz was incarcerated at age 14 in adult prisons in Indiana, where he remains to this day. He’s now 33, and is up for parole in March 2020. While incarcerated as an adolescent, he was brutalized and violated by guards and other inmates. Below is Faheem’s written testimony on that experience, and an interview with him and Landis Reynolds, who was also incarcerated in Indiana adult prisons as a juvenile.
They both wanted to speak in opposition to SB 449, a bill currently being considered by the Indiana legislature, which would waive children to adult courts and prisons at even younger ages than had previously been allowed.
I was 14 years old when I was waived to adult prison. They didn’t have me in a juvenile block. I was with the adults at ISR [Indiana State Reformatory, now Pendleton CF]. I ate, went to rec, and I was in population with them at 15 or 16. I went thru several situations where i had to fight for my life because i was only 129 lbs and these men was very big. It was when they had free weights in prison in 2001- 2019 – this is how long i was in prison.
People tried to take my food. I remember i was in the chow hall one day and this one convict wanted my tacos and this guy was 240 lbs 6’2 in height. i told him NO i’m eating my tacos and he told me he’ll make me defecate them out when we got to rec, because right after chow we went to rec. i was scared to death, but the only thing was in my mind was as long as i fight back and don’t snitch they have to respect. so when we went to rec, he didn’t make me defecate but he did embarrass me and beat me like a rag doll. i had [been sentenced to] 32 yrs so i’ll be there awhile so telling wasn’t a thought at all, cuz that would have made things a lot worse! so the end result was yes i got beat up several times by convicts and correctional officers for several years!!! Until i started to eat and work out with the muslim brothers, cause its ethier religion or organizations – you will never survive alone.
The police told me in exchange for sexual favors they would protect me. when i refused they put me in the worst places and situations! I remember this one dude – when i first came down put food, hygiene [supplies], and rollies on my bed, for a month straight. my mother told me, if they bigger then me pick something up and knock em out. i was still a juvenile at the time. he wanted me to be his woman so at rec i had to do something i didn’t really want to do! Which was protect myself. so i pick up a dime weight and hit him in the head while he was sitting down.
Then when i was 23 we was on lockdown these dudes was arguing. One thought it was me that called him a bitch, which is death when all these dudes got life and football numbers they serving. So i wrote my mama, told her i love her and what happen and locked it in my box, because i truly believed i was going to get killed like i seen so many people die in prison. So i put on my hard back books – tape em around my chest and stomach from vital organs that could be punctured. i was so scared i had 2 locks inside of gloves, one wrapped on a belt, and one in my hand. God was watching over me cuz he had a knife, and i just knew he’ll kill me but when i swung the lock i stunned him cuz and he staggered. i hit him again and he dropped the knife. i kicked the knife in a locked cell cuz i didn’t want to kill no one. i overcame that battle with God’s help.
So many people took advantage of me as a juvenile, they never paid what they owed until i started to cause physical pain to people. it was crazy cuz the more bad stuff you did to people the more the police, inmates and convicts and comrades start to respect and leave you to do your time. but they call this rehabilitation? It’s only up to the person for [rehabilitation] to take place. this is all about money to be made – modern day slavery. Me as a boy, 14 yrs old, shouldn’t have had to experience those situations . . . I made decisions that led me there, but my brain wasn’t fully developed at the time of my crime.
I was put in a situation where crime was done to me that no one was sentenced for, government workers included! So I am really stressing for them not to pass that bill [SB449] so no boys, teens, or juveniles have to endure the pain, or hard choices i had to make. I still have bad dreams and go through PTSD because of the things i seen and was forced to do to survive in a grown man prison. When they have juvenile prisons where you stay until you are 21 yrs old then you get another chance! There are other alternatives.
Let’s come together. My mother lost her son, my brother lost his little brother, my sister lost her little brother, my father lost his baby boy. It affected everyone. So think if that’s your son or your daughter or family. Let’s stop SB449!
– Faheem Shabazz (Jerry Smith #129911)
You can contact and support Faheem & Landis by writing to them, sending them money, or getting on their phone list via web.connectnetwork,com.com, or by writing to them at Westville Correctional Facility, 5501 S 1100 W, Westville, IN 46391. Include their DOC number when you address letters to either of them.
To support Faheem specifically, you can attend his parole hearing on March 26 at 8:30am at the Indiana Parole Board, Indiana Government Center South, Room W466, 402 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. The hearing will last all morning. You won’t be able to speak, just show up and inform them you are there on his behalf.