Interview with Bro. Khalfani M. Khaldun: Transfer from WVCF to Miami, Repression, and Freedom Campaign

Local Group IDOC-Watch Interviews:

(Indiana Political Prisoner Bro. Khalfani Malik Khaldun aka Leonard McQuay #874304) (2021)

This interview is being conducted by IDOC-Watch to get the exclusive word from our comrade Bro. Khalfani Makil Khaldun on his transfer from Wabash Valley Correctional Facility to Miami Correctional facility, and to expose recent events that happened in his prison life.  We ask that readers/supporters help us expose the widespread unprofessionalism being carried out by staff, ranking officials, and the internal affairs department.

IDOC-Watch: Khalfani Malik Khaldun, please let us know the date you were transferred to Miami Correctional Facility.

K.M.K.: Three days after filing by e-file my civil rights lawsuit through the Law Library at (WVCP) on April 17, 2021.  They packed me up on April 19, 2021, and I was transferred on April 20, 2021 early in the morning.

IDOC-Watch: Explain what your transition into this new environment was like.  Was it hard adjusting?

K.M.K.: I arrived at Miami with 4 other prisoners, one of whom I’ve known for over 20 years.  We were all put on COVID-19 watch for 7 days.  The second day at Miami maybe 10 officers one by one came up to my cell to introduce themselves to me, advising me that a huge staff meeting was held educating staff to prepare for my arrival.  Once off COVID-19 watch, I immediately began to create an environment that's opened to my study group.  Two weeks after my arrival, I organized classes.

IDOC-Watch: Khalfani, how many prisoners attended each class at a time?

K.M.K.: I only wanted 10-12 students per class.  Would add more as they expressed a willingness to participate in the classes.  Anyone could participate.  The classes created solidarity in my unit.

IDOC-Watch: Khalfani Malik Khaldun, please tell us what the overall conditions are like at Miami compared to all the other prisons you’ve been to.

K.M.K.:  Since my arrival at Miami there have been like 2-3 murders and over 10 stabbings.  This is a very unpredictable and violent prison in the state of Indiana.  The first thing that stood out to me was the amount of time we get out of the cell.  Then, I noticed the lack of concern for the safety and security of the prisoners' lives.  Prisoners can slide into any unit and kill someone.  Then get back but without being detected.  Every aspect of this plantation is thoroughly and completely disorganized.  Nothing happens here when it’s supposed to.  Everything from meals being served, to passes to appear at medical, or a serious deadline for court to the prison’s Law Library.  They will turn a passive prisoner into a hate-filled monster.  This is real shit.

IDOC-Watch:  Khalfani Malik Khaldun, Kenneth J. Falk has filed a class action civil case against Miami, exposing deplorable conditions in segregation there, is that correct?

K.M.K.: You are correct.  A-unit here violates the condition of cruel and unusual punishment supported by the 8th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  Six prisoners at one time or another were confined to this unit.  Housed in cells that the Department of Justice, federal courts, or the United Nations, if seen, would declare the cells as condemned.  These 6 men had to live in cells with no lights, sheets of metal for windows denying them all natural sunlight, making the cells pitch black.  These cells also didn’t have the emergency call buttons all Miami cells should have.  To allow such conditions to exist says a whole lot about how Warden Hyatte and Deputy Warden George Payne Jr. feel about human beings in their care.

IDOC-Watch: Khalfani Malik Khaldun, please explain to us the circumstance behind you being removed from your job working at recreation.

K.M.K.: While housed in (JHU) here at Miami, I was engaged in my work out.  A prisoner was just fired.  So then a spot opened up at the gym.  I requested to be interviewed for the job.  After my interview, I was hired because at that time I had no bad conduct.  I asked my counselor, Mrs. Shannon Stall to help process the reclass papers.  To get me on the count letter for the following weekend.  So I can go to work at my new job.  Within 2 weeks I was being told I was one of their best workers.  I was called in from work to let me know I was being assigned a new cellie.  Who was a hippy white guy not knowing at the time that I was actually being exposed to an excessive drug addict.  They set me up putting this guy in my cell.  On 7-26-21, I got pulled over going to work, not knowing that I grabbed my cellie’s sweatpants by mistake.  The search team found two packets in the pocket.  I had no clue it was on me. I was served a B-202 Possession of a controlled substance.  My cellie wrote a statement that took claim for it.  So the day the hearing was held, he spoke to her and she found me not guilty.  On 8-3-21 while returning to my job after helping (IHU) case worker Kieffer take 6 decks of playing cards to her office, I was once again confronted by the K-9 search crew.  They made me strip in the gym bathroom.  My cellie had a pair of black shorts on my clothes line.  I grabbed them in the dark, put them on.  My cellie had hid his contraband in the waistband.  The search squad discovered it, and filed a second B-202 Possession of a controlled substance charge.  On 8-20-21, the same person that found me not guilty found me guilty this time, even after my cellie provided a statement saying it was his and the black shorts they found it in.

IDOC-Watch: Please explain to us if you challenged the guilty outcome for the 2nd B-202 Possession charge.

K.M.K.:  I immediately filed my disciplinary appeal after being found guilty.  On August 21-2021, I gave the complete appeal to Phase 2 (UTM) Mrs. Barkus.  Who gave me her word that she would place it in the mailbox of deputy warden Mrs. Scaife.  She also advised me that Mrs. Scaife was on vacation at the time.  I have been waiting in limbo for the results of my appeal.  To find out on 11-2-21 by A Heishman (MCF) appeal person that as of 11-2-21 my appeal has never reached her office.  Leaving me at a loss wondering what did UTM Barkus do with my appeal.  I gave her my appeal way back in August.  I have been waiting for it to be returned to me.  Seems like Miami staff didn’t want me winning another conduct report.  Somebody will have to answer for this intentional action or simply just tell the truth and produce the appeal.  If they lost my appeal, I should be granted additional time to refile it again.  It was filed before the 15 day timeline to submit these types of (DHB) appeals.  I will not stop until this shit is exposed.  They are on so much unprofessional behavior here at this plantation. 

IDOC-Watch: Being found guilty of that charge cost you, didn’t it?

K.M.K.:  That is right, comrade.  Prior to this charge, I had no negative or major conduct.  I was at least 5 years conduct free.  I was deprived of 90 days of earned credit time.  They demoted me from credit class (1) down to (2).  In 6 months I will go back to (1).  In 6 months, I will be restored the 90 days credit time.  My release date was 2034, now it's set at 2038.  In 6 months clean conduct my release will go back to 2034.  Also, a B-202 charge pushed deputy warden Mrs. Scaife to take my contact visits from me permanently.  To get that appeal processed and granted is extremely important to me and my family.  They also placed me on a 30 days commissary restriction.  My appeal was based on the hearing officer finding me not guilty on the 1st B202  She had no other choice than to find me not guilty all over again.  The higher-ups told her to find me guilty even if it violates my due process.

IDOC-Watch: What’s up with the Friends and Family Campaign to Free Khalfani Malik Khaldun?

K.M.K: Comrade, I am approaching 52 years old, with close to 35 years confined to the Ind. Dept. of Corrections.  My commitment is to serving the oppressed people inside these modern day slave plantations and those in minimum security i.e. society at large.  Lately, I have been engrossed in my civil lawsuits against Wabash Valley Corr. Facility defendants in the United States District Court that are finally coming to a close.  The Family and Friends Campaign to Free Bro. Khalfani Malik Khaldun just promoted my cousin James “Boe” Johnson as our new campaign coordinator and spokesman.  He just set up a campaign fundraiser (Gofundme) account as we move to retain a progressive/activist attorney who will pursue a well-researched sentence modification.  Having already completed 20 years on a 60 year murder charge, with over 100 certificates for engaging in rehabilitation programs.  Only one major conduct report in 5-6 years,  The campaign believes filing the sentence modification, attaching all of the certificates to the motion, will establish a strong foundation of rehabilitation credibility so that the St. Joseph county sentence modification Judge can seriously consider a court order releasing me to the streets.  Plus, the Judge will see that I have spent my entire life in prison.  The time has come for them to do what is fair, right, and just.  Release me so that I may be reunited with the people that have loved and supported and stood by and with me.  You all got me through the storms of agony and pain.  Peace and love to all my comrades.  FYI, my old attorney, John L. Tompkins promised to file the modification for me for 2,500 with hopes of bringing me home.  We spoke like maybe 6  months ago, claiming to be pushing to set up an attorney call for me/him through his secretary.  This never happened.  He was due to visit a client at Miami, then see me once he was done.  This never happened either.

IDOC-Watch: What is your take on our two newsletter projects?

K.M.K: I have enjoyed reading both Prison Lives Matter and Time Cut.  The most recent two contain some great content, well articulated writings exposing the prison industrial complex and its civil and human rights violations.  These two platforms allow the voices silenced by the Prison officials to now be released from these cages free to be heard.  I honor, love, and respect our comrades at IDOC-Watch for all of your good work and for hanging in there with us.  I look forward to the next issues of the newsletters.  I am once again finishing new books in 3 days and I am enjoying how it takes me out of prison.

IDOC-Watch: Will you be releasing any new poetry or political writings for your readers soon?

K.M.K.: Yes, there will most definitely be a lot of my new writings released on prison radio, IDOC-Watch’s blog, various publications, and on Facebook, i.e. Meta.  I have been experiencing some minor stages of writer’s block.  I was working on a personal book that I started in 2013.  When I experienced a long bout with severe depression.  When I picked it up again in 2014, I was released to general population, from New Castle Correctional Facility after being held in solitary confinement from December 13, 1994 through November 21, 2014.  To Wabash Valley Correctional Facility that release to general population was the best day of my prison life.  It felt like I was finally being sent home.  My only son was killed in 2014.  That shock, hurt, disappointment, and unshakeable pain caused me to drop the book again.  I have finally completed it.  My book, Like Father Like Son: A Father’s Devotion and Love for His Son, will go to the publishers real soon.  All the proceeds generated from this project will be divided up between my six grandchildren.  Being locked up their whole lives, I haven’t personally met any of my son’s children.

IDOC-Watch: Is there anything else you would like to share in this political prisoner interview?

K.M.K.:  The struggle for those of us inside and outside of prison continues to become vast and our responsibilities are becoming greater and greater.  Comrade Che Guevara once said to be a genuine revolutionary, we must have love for the oppressed people everywhere.  Today, I affirm my commitment to always stand up in the face of colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism.  I will be a voice for those men and women silenced by the imprisonment by this government.  I will always encourage and teach these men that want genuine knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.  After the murdering of George Floyd and Queen Breonna Taylor, we saw oppressed people and poor Afrikan men and women rise up organizing groups that would oppose the pigs killing innocent people in the streets.  I send salutations to all Black Lives Matter organizations, to our New Afrikan organizations, our white activist groups supporting us, and all left-wing organizations exposing police and governmental corruption on all levels.  A message to revolutionary journalists, I am extremely proud of all of you for your heart and courage confronting white supremacy and exposing truths unseen by our society at large.  You are doing our ancestors proud. Continue to write, let your pens slay the dragons who seek to destroy our movements.  Power to the people, as we move toward freedom.  It’s time for us to win.

This concludes the interview.  In solidarity, Comrades of IDOC-Watch.

Bro. Khalfani Malik Khaldun

(Leonard McQuay #874304)

Miami Correctional Facility

3038 W. 850 South

Bunker Hill, IN 46914-9810

You can contact & support Khalfani by writing to him at this address or by setting up an account at web.connectnetwork.com and sending him messages and money.