Mcconnell unit -
unit schedule

The following is a scedule of how my stay at McConnell Unit has been. My goal of doing this is to not only display how the struggle has not ceased just because I am off of death row, but to also give you all a glimpse of what doing this time is like. It's important to remember that what is going on at thei Unit is going on at many units across Texas. The truth is the Prison Industrial Complex creates a lot of its own problems. They continue to build more prisons, they refuse to parole out inmates that deserve it, they under pay their staff, so when problems occur from these ailments they simply take it out on the inmates because they deem us as sub-human and without any rights. I haven't abandoned my humanity for a long time now and don't plan to stop just because i'm not on death row. There's men here that need help, guidance and upliftment and as long as The Most High instills me with the strength and vision I will play my part. As Clarence Darrow (American Lawyer, 1930) said:

"As long as the world shall last there will be wrong, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever."

so far...

I arrive at McConnell Unit in September 2007 - Things start off fairly decent.

Lockdown comes from November 22nd - December 31st.
(Keep in mind that during lock downs there's no commissary, showers only on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday, no hot meals [only a sacked lunch containing one meat sandwich and one peanut butter sandwich] and no recreation. A month and a half of that is brutal.)

Daily activities resume. Recreation begins to start, but after a month and a half of lockdown begins to stop. On January 9th recreation was refused and as an inmate (and friend of mine, Corey Burns) refuses to go back into his cell until a supervisor explains why we're being denied recreation he is slammed on his head while handcuffed resulting in his head splitting open and bleeding. At this point I begin to help Mr. Burns file a 1983 law suit against TDC and i launch the petitions against the recreation situation (which can be found on this setion).

Recreation continues on and off for January. For January no recreation was given on: 1/19, 1/20, 1/24.

Starting February 1st things go down hill. During the ENTIRE month of February the only days we got recreation were: 2/1, 2/3, 2/9.

Another lock down starts February 27th and late until March 13th.

For March we only receive recreation for the follwing days: 3/14, 3/19, 3/21, 3/22, 3/27, 3/28, 3/29.

In April recreation was received on: 4/2, 4/4, 4/5.

Another lock down started April 12th and lasted to the 18th.

Recreation resumed from 4/19 - 4/25.

No recreation April 26th, 27th, 28th.

May 2008 days of no recreation: 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th, llth, 12th, 13th, 18th, 20th, 24th, 25th, 29th.

June 2008 days of no recreation: 3rd, 14th, 18th, 22nd, 28th, 29th, 30th

march 18, 2008

Dear Friends,

I know that many of you have been waiting for some official words from me since I’ve been at my new Unit. And I apologize for the delay. I had hoped, when I made my first journal, that I could bring some good news. Of course the good news remains that I’m here and have the chance to keep this fight going. And that will forever be. But, life goes on and so does the struggle. We look back and have inspiration, we look forward with aspirations.

 

Well, as many of you know I was waiting to see if I would be placed in a higher level as the current level I’m on is not that much different from the way I was housed on death row. The main difference is that I recreate with a group of men and we sometimes eat together in our dayroom. Other than that it remains the same that I’m confined to a cell 2 hours a day, but this time with somebody.

 

When I got here in September and was reviewed I was told that if I did 3 months with no disciplinary cases that I would be reviewed for the next level. Unfortunately we went on a lock down from November 13th – December 31st. So, that review did no happen, but I was told that it wouldn’t happen, because the “higher ups” wanted the mandatory 6 months. It was already January when I was told that, so 2 more months was no big deal. However, when you deal with this system for long enough you learn to catch vibes from those that smile in your face. You learn to read their language and delays turn into denials. I know that program well.

 

My 6 months rolled up on this day (March 18th) and I went for that review. You guessed it- DENIED! I had pretty much felt that was going to happen. One thing that you will learn about TDC (and this system, period) is that there is no TRUE protocol. As we say- “They make it up as they go.” As with the entire System it’s with TDC- every year there’s new rules and the powers that be are always above them, manipulate them and utilize them how they want.

 

I was told that they want me to do a full year on this level. Is that written in protocol? Yes! Do they bend it when they want to? Yes! Since I’ve been here I’ve seen them bring men up for their next level in 6 months. I’ve astoundingly seen them raise men up even when they had disciplinary cases. I’ve seen that happen with 3 people thus far. So, I basically see them do what they want for whatever reasons they choose.

 

I’m not going to get on my political conspiracy/political retaliation theories. I’m also not going to walk with my head down about it. Dealing with snakes in the grass is nothing new to me and fighting is nothing new to me. The only thing this Administration did was put themselves further into my scopes. I’ve already began to take action against them for what’s going on with our recreation. Those problems continue (in fact, at the time of this writing I have not had recreation for the last 4 days straight. We did another lockdown from February 27th-March 13th and during the month of February we only got a total of 4 days of recreation). The only thing they are doing is engaging me in battle with them. And I don’t mind. I was bred for that. I had hoped to be able to move forward with my life, but they’re not going to make that simple for me. It’s nothing new about knowing these people are provokers. They create problems and punish people when they stand up for themselves.

 

As of now I have dedicated my protest to the pen. IF we were getting the recreation we were due it wouldn’t be so bad. Thus far I have begun to have letters sent to politicians. I had some drawn up and I had copies made and I passed them out to the inmates in my living area. You will find a copy of that attached below. It’s only a draft. I would ask ALL OF YOU to put something together and send to Senator John Whitmire. By making TDC do the right thing this is the best way we can get back. For all those in Texas and with Texas connections I’d ask you to pass this on. People here must press this issue. If the issue doesn’t get pressed politically we, the prisoners, will be forced to press it physically. That has already happened to one young man here and he was slammed on his head while in handcuffs causing his head to bust open. I am helping him contact politicians and Civil Rights groups and he plans to file a law suit. I’ll help whoever I can.

 
I deal with these situations by staying busy. When I left death row I said that I wouldn’t stop and I meant that. I don’t want people to worry. If we can beat death row there’s nothing we can’t do. We can do a lot.

 

What my future holds I cannot say, so I seek to make each day worth living. Because of all my family went through over the past years I will stay focused and will do my best to not fall into any traps. I just ask that those of you that can….stay moving, because you are the wind in my back.

 

I close this for now, but I close with strength in my heart and vision in my eyes. We’ll talk soon.

 From the Struggle,

 Kenneth

 

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