ON MAY 14, 1999, WHILE JOSEPH WAS IN THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS CUSTODY AT CEDAR JUNCTION, SEGREGATION UNIT (10 BLOCK), HE WAS TAKEN FROM HIS CELL DURING NON-MOVEMENT TIME.  HIS HANDS WERE CUFFED BEHIND HIS BACK AND HIS LEGS WERE SHACKLED.  HE WAS THEN BROUGHT TO A LIEUTENANT’S OFFICE WHERE HE WAS MET BY A CAPTAIN.  THIS CAPTAIN “SNAPPED” AND PROCEEDED TO BEAT AND STOMP ON HIM UNMERCIFULLY FOR SEVERAL MINUTES.

 

AFTER THE BEATING, THEY PUT JOSEPH ON A MENTAL HEALTH WATCH.  THIS IS A STANDARD PRACTICE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS; IT IS A PLOY TO “HIDE BEATINGS GONE WRONG”.  WHEN AN INMATE IS ON A MENTAL HEALTH WATCH, NO ONE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO HIM.  HE WAS TO BE KEPT ON THIS STATUS UNTIL HIS WOUNDS HEALED. 

 

LUCKILY, JOSEPH HAS FRIENDS WITHIN THE SYSTEM AND WORD OF THE VICIOUS BEATING WAS SENT TO SOMEONE ON THE OUTSIDE.  THIS PERSON CONTACTED THE MASSACHUSETTS CORRECTIONAL LEGAL SERVICES OFFICE AND ALERTED THEM TO THE SITUATION. 

 

MCLS DISPATCHED ONE OF THEIR ATTORNEYS, ARMED WITH A CAMERA, TO MCI CEDAR JUNCTION.  HIS MISSION WAS TO ‘SEE’ JOSEPH AND ASSESS HIS CONDITION.  AND, IF THE ALLEGATIONS WERE TRUE, THE ATTORNEY WOULD TAKE A STATEMENT FROM JOSEPH AND DOCUMENT HIS INJURIES WITH PICTURES.

 

THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS REFUSED THE MCLS ATTORNEY ADMITTANCE.  AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS CORRECTIONAL LEGAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION PREPARING DOCUMENTS TO GET A COURT ORDER TO BE ALLOWED TO INTERVIEW JOSEPH, THE DOC RELENTED.  ON MAY 19, 1999, JOSEPH WAS MOVED FROM MENTAL HEALTH TO THE DEPARTMENT’S DISCIPLINARY UNIT (DDU).  AFTER WHICH, THE MCLS ATTORNEY WAS ALLOWED TO SEE JOSEPH.

 

HIS BEATING WAS SO SEVERE THAT AFTER FIVE DAYS, THE BRUISES ARE ONLY BEGINNING TO ‘YELLOW’.  

 

IF INMATES HAVE TO WEAR SNEAKERS AND ONLY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS STAFF ARE ALLOWED TO WEAR BOOTS – HOW DID JOSEPH GET BOOT IMPRINTS ON HIS BODY?

 

WHY WAS JOSEPH OUT OF HIS CELL DURING NON-MOVEMENT TIME?

 

HOW COULD THIS BEATING HAVE HAPPENED WHEN THEIR WERE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY?

 

WHY WAS THE INVESTIGATION REOPENED WITH THE INQUIRY INTO THE DELANEY PROBE? 

 

THE REPORT FOUND SERIOUS ‘FLAWS’ IN THE ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION.  WHEN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS RE-EXAMINED THE INCIDENT, THEY CLAIMED ‘INCONCLUSIVE FACTS’.

 

THIS BEATING IS BUT ONE OF DOZENS THAT OCCUR EACH YEAR AT THE HANDS OF – NOW, LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR – NOT ALL, BUT, A FEW CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND ADMINISTRATORS.  AND, IF YOU WERE ABLE TO TAKE A POLL, MOST INMATES WOULD AGREE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS 80% WORSE THAN THE OFFICERS.

 

BEATINGS ARE NOT THE ONLY WAY FOR INMATES TO BE TORTURED.  MANY, JOSEPH INCLUDED, HAVE HAD DOCUMENTS, LETTERS, AND PICTURES, LOST/DESTROYED AT THE HANDS OF THE ADMINISTRATION.  THEN, OF COURSE, THERE IS ALWAYS AN ADMINISTRATION COVER-UP.  AND THEY ARE LEFT AT THE ADMINISTRATION’S MERCY FOR YET ANOTHER ROUND OF TERROR.

 

IT IS THE ADMINISTRATION THAT EITHER DOES ITS OWN DIRTY WORK OR ORDERS ITS UNDERLINGS TO PERFORM ILLEGAL, ABUSIVE, DESTRUCTIVE, AND CORRUPT TASKS.

 

THIS ABUSE AND CORRUPTION STARTS AT THE ‘VERY TOP’ OF THE HIERARCHY AND WORKS IT’S WAY DOWN. 

 

TO SEE AND READ MORE ON EXTREME PRISON ABUSE – PLEASE GO TO WWW.SHUTDOWNDDU.ORG/WALPOLE.HTM