Families of Prisoners Support Group
This community is dedicated to families that have been disrupted by prison. Having a loved one incarcerated or having been incarcerated comes with its own unique challenges that require support and understanding. Join the group to find others who know what you're going through, and to seek advice or share your experience.
My story...My boyfriend & I have known each other for almost 30 years. We met as kids. Anyways, he has a record of being in & out of prison, so this is not my first rodeo. Although this is his longest bit. In the past I've always there for him, but never like this. It was more of letters and going to see him when I could, and he'd call me once a week. Now for the last year, I go see him at least once a week and he calls me every day. I always miss him, regardless of our relationship status, but lately I have been noticing that when I have a rough day and miss him beyond words, I get SO mad. Mad that there isn't a damn thing I can do to fix it, I just want to cry, yet the tears won’t come. I've talked to him about it, and that kind of helps. Sometimes when I get like that I wonder if this is worth the hurt. But deep inside, I know it's the right thing. It's hard to explain, but when you know you're with the "right" person, you just know you can't give up no matter the hurt. That is my short version of my story...
But my real concern is where he's incarcerated. The prison that he's in has posted signs for the inmates that the water there has lead in it. Yet states that it's safe for them to drink. My boyfriend hasn't been there long, about 6/7 months and is already reporting these blackhead type pimples all over his legs and back. He had one not that long ago on one of his fingers, and it looks horrible. He tells me that it’s from the water. There are guys that have been there for years that have these all over their bodies and they are painful. He says that the guards never drink the water at the prison, and that the facility supplies water for them or they bring in their own water bottles. I have looked up the issue and it is public that the DOC is aware of the problem, and that it's being monitored. What has me question it, is that shortly after my boyfriend got there, they turned on all the fire hydrants on the grounds at full blast, and all the faucets on all the units. And just before the guy was to come in to test the water, everything was shut off. He told me that everything was flushed for at least 12 hours before they guy showed up. SO on that note, what I'm looking for is guidance to find a group or whatever that can help resolve this issue, not only for my boyfriend, but for all the guys at this prison. Regardless of why they are there, they don't deserve to have tainted water supply. The only way I know they would be safe from the water is to buy bottled water off canteen, and for most of them that just isn't something they can do.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Be aware - if the prison figures out it’s you as the whistleblower, your guy’s life can be made miserable. Good luck!
Thank you for your advice I will be checking it out.
One person told me about a group called CURE. Do you know anything about that or what it stands for? When I looked it up, I got everything but what I was looking for.
I always advise families to never get involved in “prison politics.” Prison politics is complaining about the food, the mail service, the visitation, the water temperature, etc. Granted, a dangerous level of lead in the water is much more critical than water temperature, but please allow me to give you an example of how things can go wrong and there are “unintended consequences” at times.
When I was in prison, the showers were not nearly as hot as they should have been, but it was not unbearable or uncomfortable. One inmate in particular---I’ll call him Jess--- was always griping about the water temperature in the showers. Everyone knew it was one of his pet peeves, as he complained constantly to the COs and prison staff.
Jess alerted his family to the fact that the showers were very cool at times, and the family in turn called the prison to complain.
In retaliation, they completely shut down the showers and turned the water off----no ice for the ice machines, no showers, no drinking water, and no water to wash your face or brush your teeth.
The inmates are now angry since they cannot shower or brush their teeth. The COs---Correctional Officers---are livid b/c the large ice machine in the dayroom no longer has any ice being made; they used the ice for their soft drinks they brought to work.
Somehow the COs found out who called to complain about the water. As you will learn, there are no secrets in prison. A team of six COs began a mass shakedown of all the cells. In the process, they “accidentally” dropped several TVs and radios, destroying them. They also wrote inmates up for very trivial matters such as having a packet of salt in their locker, which they would have never normally done.
At some point in the shakedowns, one of the inmates asked the COs what was going on--- why all the shakedowns and why the water was shut off. The CO pointed toward cell #115 and said, “Ask Mr. Hot Water Complainer over there in cell #115.” Jess lived in #115.
So now the inmates know who was responsible for the shakedowns, the TVs being destroyed, and the water being cut off.
I was incarcerated in a rather violent medium security prison. A few hours later, the inmate in question was attacked with locks in socks, homemade knives, and those industrial sized mop wringers. He was beaten to within an inch of his life and I never saw him again. He was taken to the hospital and shipped to another facility.
As I said, you cannot do things in prison that you could do on the outside. The prison staff and especially the COs are very petty and vengeful.
Water does have an acceptable level of lead, so it is possible that the lead in the prison water is within the acceptable range. If this is true, there is nothing you can do.
As far as the manner in which the prison fixed the water just before inspection, that is an old trick the DOC uses. Where I was at, they had an ACA---American Correctional Association---inspection every year in order to get accredited. About a week before the ACA inspectors came, the place was painted, the floors were waxed, everything was fixed, and the CMs---case managers---started wearing sport coats and ties to work. It is all part of the prison game, and make no mistake about it----prison is a game. The people that do best in prison are those that learn early on “how to play the game.”
I admire you for standing with your man b/c working in prison reform and for inmates, I think supporting an inmate is one of the noblest thing a person can do.
If the lead levels are not acceptable levels and you want to file a complaint, do NOT allow the prison to tie you to the complaint. Unless the lead level is exceedingly high, a complaint will probably not be effective. The only people who care about inmates are people like me or their loved ones.
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