Like many ISP residents, Montford has had his share of shakedowns, some maybe even warranted; but not this one! 18+ years without even a single dirty urine test! Even for prison that is unusual. Yet 18+ days following a targeted shakedown and on the word and report of a single overzealous Officer, and the “iron fist” of ISP’s notorious single-man Disciplinary Hearing Board, Montford was guilty! Didn’t matter that the only evidence was a an unreliable Narcotics Identification Field Test known as Nark II, Sold by Sirchie. Nor did it matter that Sirchie Acquisition Company, LLC, makes a distinct disclaimer, “Our Nark presumptive Drug test are presumptive only. All samples should be sent to a crime lab for confirmation.” [follow this link for more info on the faulty drug test] Yet despite the apparent questionability he was soon to become an initiated member of an Elite Class of Prisoners known as “Drug Overdose Offenders”; or at least according to “Facility Directive ISP 19-02”.
In addition to now being reclassified out of his job as a PEER Representative, he would be forced by security escort in hand cuffs to move to the “Drug Range,” in B Cellhouse to be ridiculed and demeaned, by Facility Staff and fellow prisoner alike. A day later, Montford learns that not only has he been set up as another pawn in this never ending game of human chess, he was now subject to “Administrative Restrictions.” Non-Contact Visitation, for the duration of his stay on the unit, overlapped with Non-Contact visitation for 6 months on the basis of the conduct report itself, just to name a few.
Following at least 6 different attempts to get the Italian Seasoning supposedly tested as Synthetic Positive as Synthetic Marijuana, sent to an outside facility for Qualitative testing Montford now appeals to IDOC’s Central Office. Montford maintains not only his innocence but goes on to say…”This unit is a fraud on both the system and prisoners alike. We are being ostracized and look upon as vulnerable by our peers, medical staff force NARCAN on some guys just to make it look like there was a legit medical emergency to justify untrained custody staff suspicions that guys are high, staff use the presumption to justify destroying a mans reputation or confiscating the few possessions we have; then the Administration takes those false pretenses and justifies keeping us from having normal interactions with our families and adding injury to insult… If we are seeking some type of review or consideration with the Courts, the accusations alone are enough to remove any favorable consideration”
