Lost Time Report #1
Lost time is an irregular column IDOC Watch publishes exposing corruption and mistreatment by Disciplinary Hearing Boards, Conduct Adjustment Boards, and parole/probation officers in the Indiana prison system, which often results in incarcerated peoples’ sentences being unfairly extended.
Good time; the correct term for this is earned credit time. Prisoners have earned it, so you would think taking it away would be the last resort! But so many times not only is it the first course of action, but the entire disciplinary process is set into motion by vengeful, unqualified correction officers. Let me offer a couple recent examples.
Just a few weeks ago an officer spoke to me over my cage intercom. Her younger brother was a mule and she thought she could use my relationship with him to forge a relationship with me. She wanted me to keep her safe, help maintain order in the cell house and probably give her information.(I told her to get lost!) In return she had an officer set me up on a bogus threatening charge but he accidentally got my celly instead. Today he went in front of the DHB and on a fake write up that made no sense they took 90 days good time, a credit class and his commissary when they just gave someone else a written reprimand for the same offense! The sad part is my celly has done 18 years and only had 14 left. Freedom delayed for misplaced revenge!
Secondly, on July 16 2020, I hadn’t had a write up in 5 years. On this day my last celly got caught trafficking with a pretty CO that the male officers liked. Out of anger they tore up our cage finding 3 gallons of wine. They wrote us both up for possessing intoxicants. To my cellys honor he took the write up saying it was his and I knew nothing about it. This wasn’t enough to absolve me though. I went to DHB and they changed my charge to aiding and abetting in possessing intoxicants. I was found guilty and in this case they took no time. This was so I couldn’t appeal to the central office, no grievous loss! But because of the class B I lost my slave job, my visits for two years, my ability to modify my sentence, and got kicked out of school! (Sounds grievous to me).
So in conclusion I say yes! These disciplinary boards are taking time and punishing us in unjust ways. But my larger point is the DHB is just one part of a vengeful, reactionary process initially flawed by the low professional standards that the correctional officer hiring process entails. If you find yourself a victim of this process, never waive your 24 hour notice, and ask for as much evidence as you can to assist you with the appeal process. Thanks for your time, and stay busy!
LB
LB is incarcerated at Wabash Valley CF. You can support him by setting up an account at web.connectnetwork.com and looking him up, or writing to him at Brandon Lewis #114683, WVCF, PO Box 1111, Carlisle, IN 47838.