The Perspective of a Woman of Color- Removing the Black Veil
by Lakesha Norington
Due to unfair and unsafe classification practices the Indiana Department of Corrections has, and is pulling the black veil over the eyes of the public locally, and nationally, and as a result internationally, by, when and where the Indiana Department of Corrections (“IDOC”) in its official capacity-(“working and business related dealings”) and its staff in their individual capacity-(“dealings in the workplace done but not permitted by or as a result of ‘working and business related dealings'”) subject women, men and children therein confined that identify as, has been, and is identified as, and is commonly known to be and present as Transgender, Intersex, Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and any variation thereof to: (1). Unfair and unsafe housing practices-though telling members of the free roaming public society that unfair and unsafe housing practices has no place in the operation and organization of the IDOC pursuant to state approved policy mandates such as, but far from limited to, Policy 00-00-101, The Use and Operation of the Department of Corrections.
Whoa! Free roaming public, who is unaware, the IDOC is subjecting confined minorities to the hardships of unfair and unsafe housing practices. The account of one woman, Lakesha L. Norington, brings sight, light and truth to the perspective of a woman of color that the IDOC is, and has, subjected her, as others, to unfair and unsafe housing practices.
Though the accounts attested to are not limited to those provided, it is for the free roaming public society to make inquiries into the truth of the said attestments by contacting the state public agency, IDOC, requesting, even demanding, to see related records, policies etc., of which the free roaming public society is entitled to, by mandatory legal due processes, and is as follows: (A). Lakesha L. Norington, age 36, height 6’3″, weight 159 lbs has been in the Indiana Department of Correction since 2003 and the Miami Correctional Facility since May of 2019. June 20th, 2019 Lakesha was sent to MCF A unit, then known as the “terror dome”, of which she was told by a staff person to stay clear of- it was a foreboding warning for Ms. Norington that she noted.
While in A unit, due to staff harassment and lies, three men- No! Not men, men don’t do what these people did to Lakesha and probably countless others. We will refer to them in their true light- boys, perps, misfits, and offenders why? Because boys do childish things, perps and offenders do criminal unprogressive things, NOT MEN! At least not the men that Lakesha knows to be R-E-A-L M-E-N! Few of them now-a-days eh?!, entered into Lakeshas cell, A-405, as she sat doing her legal work, telling her she had to go-had to leave the unit- because she made them feel “uncomfortable”-though she’d only been on the unit an approximately 4 days. For the love of love it is perplexing, free roaming society members as to how Lakesha doing her legal work, trying to stay out of prison while building upon her dreams and her planned dreams makes anyone not in her dreams or plans uncomfortable. Can anyone that’s somebody untangle this? The boys pulled a knife on Lakesha, robbed her of her prayer rug and all of her clothes, cosmetics, shoes-everything but the legal work she had-at knife point and told her she had two minutes to leave the unit or they were going to come back and kill her. The three boys hurriedly left her cell with her belongings while an officer and the unit’s security surveillance system looked on. Lakesha immediately left the room and sought staff help! She was taken off the range.
She reported the matter. Though reported the staff did not secure the dorm to retrieve the weapon or Lakeshas’ property, nor did they secure the crime scene, her cell which resulted in the perps’ destroying her IPAD, to date staff want her to pay for though Global Tel Link Corporation End User Agreement section 22 B. 2 states [Intentional Damage] “YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE RENTED DEVICE HAS A MATERIAL VALUE AND ANY INTENTIONAL DAMAGE TO A RENTED DEVICE MAY CONSTITUTE CRIMINAL VANDALISM THAT CAN BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW”. I did not intentionally or otherwise damage anything so why am I being punished by the INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION staff by being kept away from my family and friends the avenues of GTL services otherwise provided to all confined persons? Who’s got the answers to the questions? Nor did they review cameras to hold the perps accountable for their criminal acts against Lakesha and her property though asked to do so.
Whoa! Free roaming public society members, can you shed light on what our state Agency, I.D.O.C., and its staff do in such a circumstance? What were the employment authorities that required the I.D.O.C. staff to take certain actions and what employment action(s) were those staff to take pursuant to said employment authorities of the State of Indiana? Did they comply? Who is entitled to the answers to these questions? Can you see? Hmmm! Still removing the black veil. Lakesha filed a request for protection asking to be kept away from the perps she did not know but the surveillance did. Rather than keep Lakesha away the MCF staff 6/28/2019 put her back on the range, same cell, with the three perps though she expressed fear of them and even though staff did not retrieve the weapon the offenders robbed her with. The offenders again tried to harm her, on camera, when staff put her back in an unsafe housing condition she reported thus staff was aware of. Had Lakesha not busted out of her cell door onto the open range the misfits would have entered her room and harmed her as was the visible intentions.
Lakesha was then moved back to the other side of the unit pending a repeated protection request against and from the same criminals that initially attempted to harm her from where she witnessed days later a man get stabbed real bad on the side of the dorm she’d been robbed at knifepoint on. Was it by the same knife the 3 misfits robbed her with? Had the Indiana Department of Correction not engaged in unsafe and unfair housing practices the guy that got stabbed would reasonably have not been stabbed .What do you think? What does the I.D.O.C. think?
Lakesha contacted verbally and in writing just about every Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Counselor, Case Worker, Case Work Manager, Unit Team Manager, Superintendent, Internal Affairs personnel reporting the matter asking for help but was provided none. She asked for criminal charges to be filed but was denied. Rather than help, staff continued to lie to conceal: the reported criminal acts and the unsafe and unfair housing conditions Ms.Norington was subjected to. Lakesha even reported this unfair and unsafe housing condition to the State of Indiana Department of Corrections Central Headquarters from whom no help was given.
Whoa! Free roaming public society! How many times did Lakesha seek help by written communication? Verbal communications? to the I.D.O.C. and it’s M.C.F. staff whom upon such verbal and written communications was made aware of the unsafe and unfair housing conditions to which nothing was done to remediate? How many of those written communications did I.D.O.C. file? Discard? Reply to? Not reply to? Was required to file?
Whoa! Free roaming public, why would the I.D.O.C. lie about reported and known victimizations against confined State of Indiana Americans resultant from unsafe and unfair housing conditions and practices within the I.D.O.C.? Can you
see through the black veil? Speculations can here be made while facts can be ascertained by diligent, relentless, thorough inquiries and follow-ups from and by the free roaming public society members that are concerned. Free roaming AND confined public society members have a societal duty to hold OUR State, Local, National, and International agencies and the staff WE allow to operate them, to standards of what? Transparency? Accountability? Professionalism? Progressive Evolution? Tyranny? Prejudice? Discrimination? Progressive Digression?
If we had or have no type of societal duties we would not need the phrases: Election(s) or Voter Right(s); Legislatures; Aldermen/Women; County, City, State Representatives and there would then definitely be no need for what WE call OUR United States and State of Indiana Constitution in our lexicons or American vocabulary.; (B) Tyler Day, an openly gay white male age 37, height 5’2″, and approximate weight 120 lbs, whom can do the best Brittany Spears anything at the drop of feathered eyelash, and recall just about all of Brittanys’ songs, in and out of his sleep, has been in the I.D.O.C. 13 years and at the M.C.F. 3 years has provided the following account of his experience of unfair and unsafe housing practices by the Indiana Department of Correction:
In March of 2020 while confined at the M.C.F. Tyler was classified to be bunked with a gang member. Once the gang member saw a gay white man was assigned to be his cellmate the gangbanger, in the presence of staff, threatened all types of harms to Tyler if he went in or was put in the cell with him. Tyler told the staff he did not want to go into harm’s room out of fear for his safety the staff had just witnessed was jeopardized. Tyler attempted to walk away from harm’s room rather than willingly and knowingly walk into it. Staff rather than protecting Tyler put Tyler in mechanical restraints, of which there should be a mandatorily documented record for the use of mechanical restraints in Tylers I.D.O.C. files, that shows why mechanical restraints were placed on Tyler at what time, date and location, and for what reason(s) thereon stating who authorized the use of mechanical restraints on what date, and at what time, and for what reason(s), behind his back and carried him manually up a flight of stairs- which the use of both mechanical and manual force is mandated to be documented on The Use of Physical Force Report- to force him in harm’s room. The gangbanger all the while still making threats toward Tylers’ safety. Staff opened harm’s door, put Tyler therein at which point harm, the gangbanger, jumped from his bed trying to batter Tyler who was cuffed behind his back, harm being way bigger than Tyler, swinging at him within his lunge toward Tyler. Then staff barely snatched Tyler back in the spring of time, then restraining harm, the gangbanger.
Whoa! Free roaming public society members, is it fair or safe for OUR Public Safety Servants and Officials to put US in situations that are sure to cause US harm? Is it fair or safe for US to ask for protection from OUR Public Safety Servants and be denied-whether within the I.D.O.C. or community streets? Is it fair or safe for US to express concern and/or fear for OUR safety to OUR Public Safety Servants just to be overlooked, shunned or laughed at and regarded as a nuisance? Tyler does not think so. Lakesha does not think so. The Perspective of a Woman of Color does not think so. What does the free roaming public society think? Come from up under that black veil so all can see, hear and feel what you think…full force, no bars hold.
It is the Perspective of a Woman of Color that it is not fair to classify Americans to, in, and under any unsafe housing condition(s) within not only North Americas State if Indiana Department of Corrections but within all American places of confinement especially in what should be, and we would love to be, today’s modern and progressively humane civilized societies. The only way that the American State of Indiana citizens confined to State of Indiana Penal systems can be housed in any condition is through and as a result of procedural due processes established by the State of Indiana Department of Correction Classification Policy for adult and juvenile confined citizens-as such applies to the I.D.O.C..
The State of Indiana Department of Correction, whose animus, of whatever sort, over the black veil, wants the free and confined roaming public, whom is unawares, and under the black veil, being suffocated and blinded, to believe that they wholeheartedly, and bare facidly, and thoroughly uphold and honor the purposes and policy statements of both the Adult and Juvenile classification policies and their related procedures.
Whoa! free roaming public society members, if the Indiana Department of Correction did in fact honor, wholeheartedly and bare facidly, both the Adult and Juvenile Classification policies, thus the Adult and Juvenile Classifications systems, are there, and would there be, any Adult and Juvenile informal and formal classification grievance complaints, tort claims complaints, civil or criminal complaints and/or classification appeals filed by or on behalf of any confined Adult or Juvenile citizen against the I.D.O.C. and its’ staff for not upholding and honoring Adult and Juvenile Classification RIGHTS , due processes and procedures? Hark! Removing the black veil now.
Are you able to see yet? If not, change is gonna come! Help is here! The Perspective of a Woman of Color brings forth a pew of light that the black veil attempts to assimilate and decimate. Though the asserted purpose and policy statement of the State of Indiana Department of Corrections is promoted to be what it/they want OUR citizens to believe it is, it is not fair nor safe to house and classify women, men , and children to statutes and environments that only cause detriment to OUR well beings. Ask yourself and seek the answers to the following questions: How many men, women, and children whether they do or do not identify as Gay, Straight, Transgender, Lesbian, Two-Sprit or any variation(s) thereof, lost their lives, by self or others, due to the unfair and unsafe State of Indiana Department of Correction Classification practices? How many of these society members have tried seeking help to be fairly and safely classified in accordance with the promoted State of Indiana Department of Correction policies and procedures prior to their lives being taken from US way too soon only to be denied? How many of US are scarred, for life or otherwise, due to the unfair and unsafe Classification Practices of the State of Indiana Department of Correction? How many of OUR loved ones are scarred? How many stabbings? Rapes? Extortions? Assaults? Batteries? Hunger Strikes? Suicides and Suicide attempts? Loss of meaningful relationships? Extended sentences has the State of Indiana Department of Correction caused as a result of subjecting OUR confined American Citizens to unsafe and unfair Classification practices?
Whoa! Free roaming public society members, the States’ Indiana Department of Correction would, of course, want US to collectively and individually believe they are not the cause or effect of their unsafe and unfair classification practices against OUR confined American Citizens. What are OUR American Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary definitions of unfair and unsafe? Unfair: “adj. not fair:dishonest:unequal.-V.T.(Shak.)to deprive of beauty-adv. unfairly,-n.unfairness, the state of being unfair, dishonest, or unjust”; Unsafe:”adj. not safe.-adv. unsafely.-NS. unsafeness, unsafety.”
It is unfair to respect, honor, and acknowledge the needs of one class or category of confined citizen while not respecting,
honoring, and acknowledging the needs of all classes and categories of confined citizens in the same environment, situation or circumstances. For instance, the American laws say that female gendered staff persons are not permitted to strip or pat search male gendered confined citizens under non-emergent non-documented circumstances. This law is established by OUR American (“PREA”)-Prison Rape Elimination Act and State of Indiana Executive Policy 02-01-115 section 14. Being this the law the unfairness arises when and where male gendered staff in predominately male institutional environments force female gendered confined citizens, as I, to illegal cross-gendered strip searches though prohibiting-through great measures- female gendered staff from forcefully strip searching male gendered confined citizens to the same illicit acts forced upon we females housed in male institutional environments.
It is the same unfairness for the men at predominately female institutions. I can assume it is the same unfairness OUR kids are facing. It’s hard for us adults, so I can only imagine how hard it is for OUR kids! These criminal offenses thrusted upon we confined citizens is unsafe for obvious reasons-it perpetuates criminal enterprise against men, children, and women, as I, Transgender, and promotes such to other officials and confined citizens by sending the message that it is A’Ok to mistreat men, kids, and WE women that are gendered differently than our environmental counterparts.
Though the American mental and medical health societies acknowledge as truth women, men, and children that are Transgender the classification system of the State of Indiana Department of Correction does not. This perspective is shown by the misdeeds of the State of Indiana Department of Correction.
The following is an account subjected me by Indiana Department of Correction Correctional Officer M. Benjamin in a report of Conduct he filed under case number MCF 21-04-0472 on April 29th, 2021 for “Disorderly Conduct”:”On 4-29-2021 at approximately 11:30 AM, I, Officer M. Benjamin, was working the phase 2 yard. I escorted Offender Norington, Shawntrell #138726 to phase one holding cells due to him being disruptive on phase 2. Once we arrived at the holding cells, I instructed Offender Norington #138726 to submit to a strip search. Offender #138726 refused, stating that a female staff member must be the one to conduct a strip search on him. At this time, I again instructed Offender Norington #138726 to submit to a strip search, and he again refused. I then called for assistance from Sergeant L. Cunningham, he came into the holding cell area. Sergeant L. Cunningham then ordered Offender Norington #138726 to submit to a strip search, which Offender Norington #138726 refused. At this time, I deployed a one second burst of OC on the target area.” A female supervisor, Lieutenant D. Sowards on “4-29-21” at “4:51 PM” reviewed and signed off on the report.
The perpetuation of criminal enterprise continues. On April 29th, 2021 Correctional Officer-Sergeant Larry Cunningham provides the following witness statement account: “On 4-29-2021 at approximately 11:30 AM I, Sergeant Larry Cunningham was working phase 1 yard when I was asked to signal 8 OSB1 holding cells. When I arrived at the holding cell Officer Benjamin was asking offender Norington, Shawntrell #138726 out of cell J-341 to strip out since when offenders are placed in the holding cells they have to be searched for safety concerns. Offender Norington refused to be searched after he refused several times Officer Benjamin sprayed a 1 second burst of CO mk-4. Offender Norington got sprayed, he still refused and at that time I had to leave the area for a signal”.
Does anyone see anything wrong with the attestments of Correctional Officers M. Benjamin, and Sergeant Larry Cunningham, and the act(s) of Correctional Officer-Lieutenant D. Sowards? (1) Due to unfair classification practices of the States’ Indiana Department of Correction the officers feel it ok to misidentify thus misclassify Women as I? Due to unfair classification practices of the State of Indiana Department of Correction male staff are permitted and feel it ok to subject women as I to unsafe conditions of being battered and abused for asking for a properly gendered staff to conduct strip searches if needed as PREA laws and courts state men, OUR kids, and women as I are permitted to ask for as does State of Indiana Department of Correction policies and ruled themselves?
What Correctional Officer M. Benjamin has failed to mention in his report was/is: (A) on camera he attempted to make me submit to a strip search in the presence of another confined person though not permitted. (B) When I asked him to retrieve a female Correctional Officer or a Healthcare Official to do the strip search he replied harshly in an abusive manner in the presence of another confined citizen “You are not a woman!” WOW! Why such abuse, prejudice, and discrimination?! (C) While I was talking to his supervisor- Correctional Officer Sergeant Larry Cunningham, on camera, trying to resolve the issues while facing away from Correctional Officer M. Benjamin, and toward Correctional Officer Larry Cunningham, Correctional Officer M. Benjamin battered me by spraying me with a chemical agent from the South East of me- more south though as I did not see him in my sight’s vision. Why omit these facts that are on camera from their reports? I was not harming anyone nor was I aggressive toward anyone as I was in the right lane. All of this transpired due to The State of Indianas’ Indiana Department of Correction perpetuating unfair and unsafe housing practices that not only men, kids, and women that are of the L. B. G. T. Q diaspora face- it is against all persons there confined really.
(D) What was my alleged disruptive conduct on phase 2 yard that resulted in Correctional Officer M. Benjamin, as stated by Correctional Officer M. Benjamin,”I escorted Offender Norington, Shawntrell #138726 to phase one holding cells due to him being disruptive on Phase 2.” (E) Correctional Officer M. Benjamin failed to list and cite as witness to my being “disruptive” behavior that he states is the cause of him escorting me from phase one yard to phase one holding cell, the cause of him attempting to force me to the illegal strip search-though the clearly written instructions on the report of conduct, State Form 39590 (R5/2-19), that tells the state public servant how to complete the form states, and I quote,” Identify the conduct violation that was committed. Describe the conduct violation in detail. Be sure to identify everyone involved in the conduct violation and all witnesses to the conduct violation. Explain in detail what you observed and how the offenders conduct amounts to a conduct violation of the adult disciplinary code. Note any unusual behavior of the offender, if applicable. If the conduct violation is for a violation of a B202, B231, or C305, describe the characteristics that led you to believe the substance was a controlled substance or tobacco, or describe the characteristics/behaviors that led you to believe the offender was under the influence of intoxicants.”
So, if these are the required instructions that Correctional Officer M. Benjamin was to abide by in completing the Report of Conduct, where is the description, in detail, of the conduct violation of my being “disruptive” on phase 2 yard? In other words, what was I doing on phase 2 yard that was “disruptive”? Why was I doing what was alleged of me to have been doing that was “disruptive” on phase 2 yard? Who was present and witness to the disruptive phase 2 yard conduct of me that is to be cited in the Report-though not cited? What is the conduct violation that I committed on phase 2 yard as a
result of the not cited, and not detailed “disruptive” behavior alleged by Correctional Officer M. Benjamin?
Whoa! Free roaming public society members, can anyone shed light on why Correctional Officer M. Benjamins’ “immediate supervisor” Lieutenant “D. Sowards” signed off on a report at “4:51 PM” on”4-29-21″ that she did not question? She did not review for compliance with the written instructions thereon stating how the state form was to be completed and submitted? Did not question any gaps? Can somebody that is somebody see the answers? If so, please let us all hear what they are. Can somebody tell me why Correctional Officer-Lieutenant D. Sowards did not review the Report for violations by staff of…lets say… PREA laws? Let’s say…State policies that prohibit cited staff conduct such as, but not limited to, the States’ Use of Force policy the Indiana Department of Correction wants to keep confidential, the States’ Use of Chemical Agent policy the State of Indiana Department of Correction wants to keep confidential? Let’s say…for violation of employment standards of conduct? Let’s say…violation of any laws?; let’s say…violation of my RIGHTS!? Are you able now to see the perpetuation of criminal enterprise in the State of Indiana Department of Correction by the Indiana Department of Correction staff? If not, don’t worry the black veil is still being removed.
Since the questions have been posed I’ll answer what I’m able to say about what happened that caused Correctional Officer M. Benjamin to escort me from phase two yard to phase one holding cells. I was on phase one at a medical appointment, one of three that I had to tend to the day of 4-29-2021, and the last of three. I finished. Hungry, I asked a phase one yard staff if I could get a meal to eat as I had not eaten all day. This K-9 Sergeant stated that she would inform phase two yard staff that I was coming to eat from phase one from an appointment. Did she? I don’t know. I got my meal tray as staff working in the phase two dining hall allowed me then heading back to my unit, J, with the unit that was next to mine going back to their unit, H. I was the only one out at that moment from my unit as I had been coming back from my appointments. I passed the check point Correctional Officer that was between my unit and unit H, he asked me whom I was and where I was going and coming from which I told him what I’ve told you which resulted in him letting me make it back to my unit-J. I got to my units’ door where Correctional Officer-Sergeant R. Edwards-(I believe is his name), was also going and met me at the door. I pressed the doors outer intercom so I could announce and identify myself and the Sergeant and I could be let into the unit. While we waited no one answered the intercom. As we waited we both noticed Correctional Officer M. Benjamin crossing the phase two yard toward us. I had bad past dealings with Correctional Officer M. Benjamin so I looked to Correctional Officer Sergeant R. Edwards for protection by asking him to tell Correctional Officer M. Benjamin, what he should have already known that J unit was my unit as I did not want to say anything to the officer. Why should I when a supervisor could handle the matter?
Correctional Officer M. Benjamin is known to be a shoot first and ask questions never type of Correctional Officer. Correctional Officer Sergeant R. Edwards did not intervene. Correctional officer M. Benjamin arrived and told me to throw my meal tray on the ground. I asked for what but was not told anything but because he told me so. I told the staff that I was allowed to have the tray, lunch, but that was not enough. I again looked to Correctional Officer R.Edwards asking him to intervene which he said “if that’s what he said then do it”. So, I said “Really?” then took the meal tray out of my right arm which held the one meal tray and a stack of legal case files and legal materials I had picked up on one of the three appointments I had that day and did as I was ordered by Correctional Officer M. Benjamin; I threw the tray behind me into the grass rather on the pavement where people had to walk. In the process of my trying to understand why I was being told to throw a meal tray on the ground Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas and his K-9 Correctional Officer-a dog- came up from behind me, South East, and stood in the grass behind Correctional Officer Benjamin’s line of perpendicular measurement-meaning:
Correctional Officer M. Benjamin stood about two feet to the left of my body as I was standing still facing the front of Correctional Officer Sergeant R. Edwards, now draw a line from right side of Correctional Officer M. Benjamin as you see him from where he stands, so from his right arm all the way across. Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas and his K-9 Correctional Officer stood maybe 4 feet to the left of that line measuring from my left arm.
The tray that I threw on the ground at the order of Correctional Officer M. Benjamin went behind me in my line of perpendicular measurement and close to the building as is seen on security footage that face/faced unit J the day of 4-29-2021-being so, Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas said “Why you throw your tray at me and hit me?” I said “What!? I did not throw a tray at you. That tray did not come near you.” Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas said “Yes you did, it’s food on me”. He looked downward toward his clothes as if there was food on him that he would see. I asked Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas to show me where the food was, which is when I bent toward him not moving from where I stood looking and not seeing anything on him but LIES. But whoa! This is the kicker, he was standing in front of his K-9 Correctional Officer, a dog, so, if I threw a tray at him with food in it it would have hit the dog first, not Correctional Officer Sergeant Ornelas FIRST!
Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas then told Officer Benjamin to cuff me up and take me to phase one holding cells. I said “For what?” Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas said “Because you hit me with a tray.” So I gave the legal work that I still had in my right arm to Correctional Officer Sergeant R. Edwards and turned around away from Correctional Officer M. Benjamin to let him cuff me up without any aggression or any argument.
Correctional Officer M. Benjamin then escorted me to be tortured! As we walked past Correctional Officer Sergeant M. Benjamin Orneleas I again looked closer at his clothes to see if there was any food on him which there was not telling him to make sure to write it up and to take pictures. I said nothing further. I was then taken to OSB 1 holding cells where Correctional Officers M. Benjamin, Sergeant Larry Cunningham, and Lieutenant Morgan violated me and once again traumatized me!
Whoa! Free roaming public society members, get this, on May 17th, 2021, the date I was notified of the Report of Conduct filed by Correctional Officer M. Benjamin, I requested a screening Correctional Officer, S. Melanson, to get a witness statement from Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas to state that I threw a tray on him and the K-9 Correctional Officer and hit him with it, and that he told Correctional Officer M. Benjamin to cuff me up and take me to OSB 1 holding cells as a result of him saying I threw and hit him with my meal tray, and that Correctional Officer Sergeant Edwards was present as witness to all that was going on with him, Correctional Officer M. Benjamin, Correctional Officer Sergeant Edwards, and myself, and his K-9 Correctional Officer.
Per the words of Correctional Officer Screening Officer S. Melanson, on May 26th, 2021 Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas “Refused @ 11:00″ on “Phase 2
yard By Admin. Doors” to give a witness statement he is mandated to give per State policies that govern his employment conduct. Can anyone that is someone tell me why the correctional officer that said I hit him with a meal tray refused to provide a witness statement saying that on 4-29-2020 I threw and hit him with a meal tray, and that being the reason that he told Correctional Officer M. Benjamin to put me in mechanical restraints and take me to OSB 1 holding cells, refused to provide to me or hearing staff, or his supervisors a statement supporting his allegations made against me, and his order to Correctional Officer M. Benjamin (who let’s not forget for some odd reason(s) refused to put these facts in his report, though as we have learned and seen he was to do) to cuff me up, failed to provide photo evidence of the battery, failed to designate security surveillance evidence of the battery on his person that supports photo evidence? Failed to list present staff as witnesses that would of course state what he said as truth as it is seen on camera? WHY SUCH REFUSAL?
After I was tortured by the Correctional Officers in OSB 1 I was let go back to my unit J. On the way back to phase 2 from phase 1 I stopped at a dining hall Correctional Officer asking if I could get me a meal tray as I was made to throw my meal tray on the ground earlier. The female staff person stated “Hold on” then got on her radio to call Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas asking him “Sergeant Orneleas are we going to let Norington have another tray?” Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas replied over the radio “No not until he says sorry for hitting me with his tray.” I said “PSSST! Fuck that tray!” and headed with fireing purpose back toward my unit. Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas seen my pain and trail of flame and called to me from across the yard yelling to me that he wanted to talk to me. I turned on a needles point a yelled at him as I pointed at him so the yard could hear “FUCK YOU! I NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU! I’VE BEEN NOTHING BUT NICE TO YOU! FUCK YOU!” and headed to my dorm tears escaping my eyes, fear moving me, pain holding me.
I get to my dorm and push the button to get in. I announced myself and asked to be let in my dorm. The guard told me that yard told him not to let me in. What?! Guess who? Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas! I was so fearful! I was there by myself, noone around. I looked for help! Protection! No one was around and here comes the devil and his k-9! I saw a female staff person coming rather than going to another unit and I did the sensible thing and started making my way toward her-sister solidarity, she disappeared into G unit! I was beyond fearful! Why?
The same misfit that lied on me earlier, the cause of Correctional Officers M. Benjamin ,Cunningham, and Morgan violating me, traumatizing me was coming to do more damage to me and now no one is around and to me all the staff are complicit in my torture and traumatizations!
Correctional Officer Sergeant Orneleas got to me as I stood in front of J unit waiting not knowing what to expect. He asked me why I threw the tray on him and as seen on camera I emphasized to him and everyone else the distance between where he stood and where the tray laid by spanning my arms to emphasize the point. Orneleas told me that he sent me to OSB 1 for a “cool down”. COOL DOWN FROM AND FOR WHAT!? I complied with staff orders and I was lied on and victimized as a result! Orneleas told me that I could go and get me a meal tray.
And no! I DID NOT APOLOGIZE for something that I DID NOT do. I just needed to get far away from him as fast as able so I went back to the chow hall where I was surrounded by a lot of people, witnesses! As I sit with tears in my eyes my body is heating up as I recount what’s now in my head knowing that the report has not been heard and evidence requested is still being retrieved and looked into. By the time this is published all that should be resolved one way or many others. Either way the public will know what’s up.
Is it hard to believe and see that I am, and have been, subjected to the hereto reported tortures for years by the I.D.O.C.? Is it hard to see how the State of Indiana Department of Corrections promotes and perpetuates unfair and unsafe classification practices, and how such perpetuates criminal enterprise against confined and unconfined Americans? This is the Perspective of a Woman of Color- Removing the Black Veil. Now, let me see and hear what you do. I’m looking and listening.