Prisoners killed by guards in Florida prisons

Discussion in 'Law & Justice' started by JoakimFlorence, Apr 1, 2016.

  1. JoakimFlorence

    JoakimFlorence Banned

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    Warning: the following story is a little perturbing, you might not want to read it if you have trouble dealing with sickening or upsetting subjects

    The Miami Herald featured a story about a Florida prisoner who was scalded to death in boiling water in a shower closet in a confinement unit at Dade Correctional Institution. Darren Rainey, 50 years of age, was serving a two-year sentence for drug possession, and was killed in the prison on June 23, 2012.

    Rainey suffered from mental illness and had defecated in his cell. When he refused to clean up the mess, he was placed in a small shower for almost two hours under scalding hot water. According to other prisoners in the unit, the shower was used as punishment for prisoners who angered the guards; in the 30 minutes before Rainey collapsed he reportedly screamed and pleaded for help.

    "How do you like your shower?" one guard taunted him, said prisoner Mark Joiner. "He was crying, please stop," but the guards said "Enjoy your shower" and left.

    The 180-degree water left Rainey's skin peeling from his body. When an infirmary nurse took his temperature, it registered 102 degrees. He died shortly afterwards.

    Joiner was ordered by guards to clean up the scene afterwards; he was provided with bleach and gloves, and found one blue canvas shoe in the shower plus large pieces of skin that had boiled off Rainey's body. "I just kept shoving it in the shoe," he said. "And then I asked, 'what do you want me to do with it?' And [the guard] said just throw it in the trash. So I did."

    The Metro-Dade police department was called to the prison but did little investigating, failing to even keep the 911 tape. Two years later an autopsy report had not been issued; Rainey's death seemed to have been forgotten, just like other abuses in Florida Department of Corrections facilities. Then the Miami-Herald began to investigate after learning of efforts by prisoners such as Joiner and Harold Hampstead to bring Rainey's death to light.

    Following the Herald's report nearly two years after Rainey's scalding death, several Florida Department of Corrections investigators filed a whistleblower suit claiming they faced retaliation when they tried to expose corruption, brutality and officially sanctioned gang violence within the prison system.

    Their complaint revealed details surrounding the September 2010 death of Randall Jordan-Aparo, who was serving an 18-month sentence fr credit card fraud and drug charges, in a confinement unit at the Franklin Correctional Institution. Florida Department of Corrections investigator Aubrey P. Land had been dispatched to FCI in early 2013 to look into problems at the facility. "We got inmates down there that are getting their throats slashed on a regular basis," he said in an interview with Melinda Miguel, Governor Rick Scott's Inspector General. "Their faces slashed, beat down with locks and socks; tremendous amount of contraband allegations that staff is ordering this and bringing in contraband and being paid and everyone we're talking to is saying, 'You know they killed that kid.'"

    Unlike many prison employees, Land not only listened but investigated. "So finally, I had enough, and I said go back and start looking at all the deaths," he stated. "Nobody would give me a name, an I find Randall Jordan-Aparo and immediately bells and whistles start going off. This thing ain't pretty."

    (story continued in next post)
     
  2. JoakimFlorence

    JoakimFlorence Banned

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    Gassed to Death

    On September 15, 2010, Jordan-Aparo, 27, complained of back pain after falling while playing basketball. He collapsed several times over the next few days, and was taken to the infirmary three times with a 102-degree temperature. Nurse Martha Greene performed an electrocardiogram but admitted she was not proficient at reading the results. Nonetheless, she concluded his heart was working properly.

    The on-call prison physicial, Dr. Mohammad Choudhary, instruced Greene to begin an IV and keep Jordan-Aparo in the infirmary. The nurses were unable to insert the IV after several attempts, so they gave up and left him in the infirmary.

    At about 4 a.m. on September 18, Jordan-Aparo complained to LPN Lucy Franklin about pain and requested to be sent to a hospital. After his request was denied, Jordan-Aparo said, "I'm going to sue your (*)(*)(*)(*)ing ass. I need to go to the hospital."

    Greene called security, and without consulting a doctor Captain Mitchell Brown ordered that Jordan-Aparo be placed in an isolation cell for causing a "disturbance". A pre-confinement physical alleged he "had no known medical conditions that would be exacerbated by the use of chemical agents", despite his medical records indicating he had a disease that could cause respiratory difficulties.

    According to prisoner witinesses, Sgt. Kevin Hampton told Jordan-Aparo, "Ain't nobody comin' to help you." He then ordered him to "man up" and be quiet.

    With the approval of Col. Timothy Copeland at 11:25 a.m., Lt. Rollin "Suttie" Austin ordered Jordan-Aparo to be gassed. Over the next 40 minutes he was sprayed three times with three bursts per application of pepper spray; the third was three bursts of tear gas, which causes severe burning in the lungs.

    Just 10 minutes of exposure to tear gas in such a confined space could be lethal, said Sven-Eric Jordt, an associate professor in anesthesiology at Duke University. "Obviously, the agent was sprayed directly on to the inmate and may have deposited on his skin, clothing, eyes, and mouth at much higher concentration, with less of it airborne, making the concentrations that much higher."

    Guards said they then "escorted" Jordan-Aparo to a shower closet for decontamination. According to other prisoners he was dragged. Photographs and additional evidence put the guard's claim of decontamination efforts in question, the Miami-Herald reported.

    "He was orange," one prisoner told investigators. The photos they viewed in 2013 showed Jordan-Aparo's body still coated with orange tear gas residue. They also found the cell had residue everywhere; the floor was smeared with orange, which also covered the the sink and toilet, and there was a dense orange cloud above the top bunk. Although guards said they had provided Jordan-Aparo with fresh clothes, he was in dirty orange-stained boxers when later found dead in his cell.

    "I can't take it, I can't take the gas, I can't breathe," he cried out while being tear gassed, according to a prisoner witnesses. Jordan-Aparo was seen at 12:30 p.m. by prison nurses Franklin and Riley. Because he was allegedly uncooperative, despite video showing he was so weak coming out of the shower that a wheelchair was required, Riley was unable to obtain a blood pressure reading. Dr. Choudhary ordered over the phone that his blood pressure be taken, but the nurses instead allowed guards to take him back to his isolation cell. Two hours later, the nurses made another attempt to take Jordan-Aparo's blood pressure. He was unable to move, refused to cooperate and would not sign a release form, according to prison records.

    At 4:30 p.m., Sgt. Hampton found Jordan-Aparo sprawled on the floor of his cell when serving the dinner meal. He allegedly refused to eat but gave a "thumbs up" sign. Jordan-Aparo was not checked on again until 6:08 p.m. At that time his lifeless body was discovered with "his mouth and nose [...] pressed to the bottom of the door, as if trying to gulp fresh air through the thin crack," the Herald reported. A paperback bible was lying under his shoulder.

    "I've done this for 30 years. My skin doesn't crawl very often," said Land, the Florida Department of Corrections investigator. "They killed that damn kid. He laid there for five days begging for help." An autopsy found Jordan-Aparo's death was caused by a rare blood disorder that was treatable.

    Previously another prisoner had died after being gassed by guards—Rommell Johnson, 44, who died at the Northwest Florida Receptin Center in June 2010. Although he had chronic asthma, his death was found to be accidental by a medical examiner and the Florida Department of Corrections inspector general. His mother received a $175,000 settlement after filing a lawsuit. Howeverm Johnson's death was opened for reexaination in March 2015 following widespread publicity related to other prisoner's deaths.
     
  3. Hotdogr

    Hotdogr Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Harsh. I will hence-forth double my efforts to stay the hell out of prison.
     
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  4. JoakimFlorence

    JoakimFlorence Banned

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    It's not always a choice, despite what people commonly think.
     
  5. JakeJ

    JakeJ Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    If accurate it is 1st degree premeditated murder.
     
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  6. JakeJ

    JakeJ Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Yes and some Germans likely cheered holocaust death camps too. You view is not unique in human history nor is sadism a rare human psychology.

    The struggle for human rights across history was most of all a struggle against torture chambers. That included fighting people with the view of such as your
    s in your message.
     
  7. JoakimFlorence

    JoakimFlorence Banned

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    Unfortunately, the reason why these types of things are allowed to go on is the widespread prevalent view in society that these people basically "deserve whatever they get", so there is a great degree of indifference among the leaders and officials who should be protecting this vulnerable population.
     
  8. Hotdogr

    Hotdogr Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    You have apparently read something into my message that is not there.
     
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  9. Hotdogr

    Hotdogr Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Apparently, what I said came across as overly callous. Let me try again:

    It is my opinion that people who are stripped of their liberty should have done something so egregious, so violent, that they cannot be trusted with their freedom. Else, they should not be incarcerated. Those who are, must still be treated according to our law. And our constitution protects them from cruel and unusual punishment. Those who committed these acts should, themselves, be incarcerated, because ones who would do such terrible things to another cannot be trusted. And the families of those who suffered should be entitled to everything the PERPETRATORS of this violence own. Faced with loss of ALL liberty and property, perhaps other prison guards will reconsider inflicting cruel and unusual punishments.

    Let me ask you: Would you be OK with this abusive prison guard being turned out amongst the general inmate population that he once guarded?
     
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  10. JoakimFlorence

    JoakimFlorence Banned

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    Sometimes guards kill prisoners by placing them in the same cell with another dangerous prisoner.

    An elderly handicapped prisoner was killed by his psychotic cellmate at State Correctional Institution Forest, in Pennsylvania. Evidence suggests the guards may have intentionally placed him in the same cell as the other prisoner, who was known to be dangerous, to try to get rid of him.

    Elwood Brasswell, 28, had a violent history attributed to his "accute psychotic behavior." A diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia plus a charge of aggravated assault while he was incarcerated led to Brasswell being placed in a Restricted Housing Unit (RHU) with a Z-Code status, meaning he was not to be housed with another prisoner.

    Fredrick Kirkland, 63, suffered from physical disabilities that required him to use a wheelchair and wear adult diapers. He was also afflicted with mental disabilities that affected his short-term memory, which resulted in frequent rule violations because he was unable to remember and comply with prison policies.

    The complaint alleged that Special Needs Unit Manager Erin Wallace disliked Kirland and instructed guards to issue misconduct violations against him with the goal of placing him in RHU. That goal was accomplished on August 21,2012.

    At around 1:30 a.m. the next day, Brasswell awoke to have a drink of water and eat two apples. He also decided to kill Kirkland. Brasswell later explained that he thought Kirkland was God and wanted his powers.

    Brasswell lured Kirkland from his bed by explaining that a nurse wanted him. As Kirkland approached the cell door, Brasswell repeatedly punched hum in the back of the head until he dropped to the ground. He then repeatedly punched him in the back of the head until he dropped to the ground. He then repeatedly stepped on Kirkland's head and placed a pillow over his face for about 20 minutes.

    Once Kirkland was no longer moving, Brasswell tried to use his hands to break Kirland's neck. He then used torn bed sheet strips to hang Kirkland from the top bunk. Next, Kirkland's body was placed on the bottom bunk and beaten with a sock full of soap.

    Brasswell urinated and defecated on Kirkland's body and rubbed feces on Kirkland's face and mouth. Finally he attempted to bite off Kirkland's penis, later explaining that was the source of his power. Brasswell was subsequently found guilty but mentally ill of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.

    Surveillance video evidence established that guards made no rounds between 1:40 and 5:40 a.m., when a nurse arriving with medication discovered Kirkland's body.

    The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections ended up paying $250,000 to settle a lawsuit on behalf of the deceased's estate, represented by attorney Susan N. Williams.
     
  11. Eleuthera

    Eleuthera Well-Known Member Donor

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    This sad story reminds me of the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted back in the 70's. Philip Zimbardo ran the experiment, and wrote a book about it, The Lucifer Effect. Very informative, very depressing. The dark side of the human condition.
     
  12. Greataxe

    Greataxe Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    (Holding back tears)---Well---Boo Hoo for the bad guys who were acting up and got killed as a consequence.

    A real gem, a true pearl of wisdom is: Don't be an ***hole and harm others and end up in jail.

    A much better solution for most repeat violent felons is of course to have them hanged. Otherwise, having all prisoners that can work placed on chain gangs working outside would be a superior punishment and treatment option.
     
  13. JakeJ

    JakeJ Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Sadists united?
     
  14. Greataxe

    Greataxe Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The real sadists are the Progressives who created this sprawling mess that is the current criminal justice system. They allowed unlimited appeals, they allowed super-criminals to revolve in and out of prison, they have obstructed real justice and the death penalty. They have allowed brutal prison gangs to develop strictly along racial lines---making them racists.

    A good look in the mirror---and there is another part of the problem.

    Thank yourself.
     
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  15. CRUE CAB

    CRUE CAB New Member

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    No, the choice was taken away by the ACLU when they sued to have all mentally ill people released from asylums.
     
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  16. JoakimFlorence

    JoakimFlorence Banned

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    Guard may have forced prisoner to overdose on medication

    Maybe the title of this post should have been “Female prisoner dies under suspicious circumstances”.

    Latandra Ellington was a prisoner at Lowell Correctional Institution. She was 36 and a mother of four serving a 22 month sentence for grand theft. Just 10 days before her death she had sent a letter to her aunt saying she was in fear for her life.

    Ellington wrote that she feared “Sgt. Q.”, who was later identified as Sergeant Patrick Quercioli. “He was gone beat me to death and mess me like a dog,” she wrote. “He was all in my face. Sgt. Q then he grab his radio and said he was gone bust me in the head with it…”

    As a result of Ellington’s allegations she was placed in a confinement unit for protection, where she was found unresponsive in her cell on October 1, 2014. The medical examiner’s report determined her death was due to medical causes, though Ellington’s family suspected foul play.

    Union officials said Sgt. Quercioli was on vacation when Ellington died. Prisoners who contacted the Miami Harold claimed another guard had encouraged Ellington to complain about Quercioli’s threats, then escorted her to confinement the day she died. They urged officials to check surveillance video to see if that guard was the last one to see her alive. The prisoners also wrote that Ellington’s prior cellmate had been threatened by guards, who allegedly told her that if she talked, “The same thing that happened to [Ellington] would happen to her.”

    “Our families think we come here and we’re safe, but that’s not the case,” wrote one prisoner who had spent a decade at the prison. “I’ve seen a lot of injustices, but no one cares, and as a means of survival you learn to turn your head and stay silent in order to stay alive.”

    A second, independent autopsy arranged by Ellington’s family found she had lethal levels of blood pressure medication in her system; her family also said there were bruises on her body and a cut on her face.

    Four unexplained deaths occurred at Lowell Correctional Institution in 2014. They remain “under investigation”.

    (Sgt. Quercioli was later terminated from his job on August 4, 2015)


    Guards sought to get rid of problematic prisoner to cover up their illegal prison dealings

    There was one case where guards ordered a hit on a prisoner to have him “removed”—permanently. Florida Department of Corrections Sergeants Robert Simmons and Delrikos A. Brooks face numerous felony charges, including ordering the murder of Taylor Correctional Institution prisoner David Powell.

    Authorities allege Sgt. Brooks received up to $24,000 to make eight trips to Tampa to pick up drugs and cell phones from prisoner David Cancel’s brother. Cancel, a one-time high-ranking gang member, then sold the contraband to other prisoners. Brooks was described as an “alpha” member of the prison’s Bloods gang.

    A hit was placed on Powell after he caught Sgt. Brooks giving a cell phone to another prisoner. When he threatened to expose Brooks, Simons spread the word among prison gang members that Powell was a snitch. The next day several prisoners jumped Powell on the recreation yard and stabbed him, though he escaped serious injury.

    Brooks and Simmons then sent another prisoner to kill Powell the next day. The plot proceeded with the help of former FDOC guard Valshantaya Cook, who is accused of letting prisoner Ernest Harrington into Powell’s unit. Harrington stabbed Powell, but again he wasn’t seriously injured.

    Cook was subsequently charged with multiple felonies, including money laundering, smuggling contraband into the prison and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In addition to the charge related to ordering a hit on Powell, Brooks and Simmons face charges for money laundering and directing gang activities.
     
  17. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    exactly, then these people get out after years of abuse and they wonder why they go postal....
     
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  18. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    wow, do you seriously think that way after reading a post like that? he was murdered.....

    .
     
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  19. Greataxe

    Greataxe Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    If prisoners were not locked in small cages all day long and instead be forced to work outside during the day, there would not be even a fraction of the prisoners acting up to be placed in confinement, or be joining prison gangs, or have the energy left at the end of the day to cause as much trouble.

    chain gang 1.jpg
     
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  20. Margot2

    Margot2 Banned

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    How horrible...........
     
  21. AlifQadr

    AlifQadr Well-Known Member

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    I do agree with this type of compensation.
     
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  22. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    not true, corps would just abuse the cheap labor and then less Americans would have jobs, governments would start arresting people based on need for labor, making up dumb laws....
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2017
  23. kazenatsu

    kazenatsu Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Well I don't.
    So you have a corrupt prison system, evil guards, and a dead victim.
    And your solution is for taxpayers to give money to the family?
    How does that make any sense? Taking from one group and giving to another group is not going to bring justice when neither of those groups were actually involved in the original injustice!

    (Look, I'm not against the family getting a little money for the burial but you're not talking about that)
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2017
  24. AlifQadr

    AlifQadr Well-Known Member

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    Here is the quote in its entirety:
     
  25. Deckel

    Deckel Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Florida bankruptcy laws are too generous. It is why OJ moved all his assets there to shield them from the family of that dude he killed with his ex-wife.
     

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