Harassment by Miami Correctional Facility Staff
Long term political prisoner and IDOC Watch leader Bro. Khalfani Malik Khaldun helped comrade Charles A. Rogers file a lawsuit against Justin McCrae, who at one point in time was a K-9 dog handler at the prison. McCrae unleashed a dog on Rogers, who bit him on his buttocks and calf, damaging the latter for the rest of his life. You can read Rogers’ account of the incident here.
Seven days later, Khalfani experienced the wrath of the K-9 shakedown squad when they tore up his cell and singled him out for two pat searches. The second was a targeted strip-search in the bathroom of the gym.
Khalfani was given bogus conduct report as a result of these retaliatory shakedowns and searches. He filed an appeal immediately after being found guilty on the false charge. Now, however, MCF officials are claiming that they never received an appeal, and the time period in which an appeal can be filed has now elapsed.
Khalfani is in the process of pursuing a sentence modification after over 30 years of incarceration, including 20 years in which he was illegally held in solitary confinement. This bogus charge and official misconduct could jeopardize the possibility of winning a sentence modification, because it will raise his security level. He had been clear of any conduct reports for years prior to this situation. One more disgusting example of prison officials using their arbitrary power and impunity to extend incarceration!
Khalfani needs us to put pressure on MCF officials to acknowledge that they received the appeal he filed over a month and a half ago and allow him to re-file, so that he can fight this bogus charge and continue with his sentence modification. Please call and email the following officials to get them to acknowledge receipt of his appeal and allow him to re-file!
Call IDOC HQ: (317) 232-5711 ext: 2, ext. 3, ext. 1
Call & Email IDOC Chief Legal Officer Jon Ferguson:
317-233-8861
Script:
“On or around 8/21/2021, Leonard McQuay #874304, who is in IDOC custody at Miami Correctional Facility, filed an appeal of conduct report #MCF 21-07-0352, for which he had been wrongfully found guilty. Mr. McQuay gave his appeal to Unit Team Manager Barkus to be turned in. At that time, Barkus informed Mr. McQuay that she placed his appeal in the mailbox of Deputy Warden Scaife, who has since retired. Now, as of 11/12/2021, DHB appeals director Amy Heishman has informed Mr. McQuay that her office never received his appeal. This official negligence amounts to a violation of Mr. McQuay’s Constitutional right to due process. I am requesting that Mr. McQuay be provided the opportunity to re-file his appeal on this wrongful conduct report.”