Some of the officers here, primarily the younger ones, take bullying inmates to higher levels and hold grudges. I am experiencing this very issue with one such trio of young officers. My father paid me a surprise visit on Saturday, November 26, 2011. Because I was unaware of his coming, when the unit officer informed me that I had a visit, I wasn't even sure that he was talking to me. Once that was established, I then had to change my clothes as I was in casual wear; permitted in our cells and out at gym and recreation yard but not in visiting room. I did so in a huge hurry, forgetting to remove my watch, which an inmate is not permitted to wear in the visiting room. So, when I got to the entrance to the visiting room, Correctional officer J. Volden noticed that I was still wearing my watch and sent me back to my housing unit to leave it in my cell. When I finally got into the visiting room, watch free, I handed my prison identification card to the officer at the visiting room desk, who was Correctional Officer Mendez at that time. As Mendez took my identification, he asked me what took me so long and without waiting for a response, threatened me with cancellation of a future visit if I took so long again. Well that just pissed me off because I had hurried as fast as I could once I found out I had a visit and because my dad is 88 years old and doesn't have too many visits or years left to him. So I somewhat vehemently explained to Mendez that I got there as fast as I could and then began to walk away from the desk. My mistake was that I said the F-word somewhat loudly as I was walking away.
A few minutes later Mendez came over to our table and asked to speak with me, so politely, in front of my father, a member of the public. We went into the adjoining room where Mendez was joined by Volden and Correctional officer J. Hill. Mendez proceeded to ask me what my problem with him was, to which I immediately responded that my problem was that he threatened me. The conversation got a little animated but it ended with Mendez telling me that I should have been thanking him instead of cussing at him (which I'm not actually sure but don't believe I did) and to go enjoy my visit. I said forcefully "thank you" and returned to my father's table. The rest of the visit went without event and I considered the matter done. I discovered how far from done it was on Monday November 28, a mere two days later. Hill was filling in for the education officer that day and as a participant in the Braille program here, I report to the education building every weekday. That afternoon Hill recognized the inmate in line in front of me waiting to go into the education building, said the name of the inmate as Hill checked him off the list and then looked at me without saying a word. Figuring that he couldn't possibly recognize me, I waited. But after quite a few seconds of awkward silence, I finally volunteered my last name. Well Hill apparently took issue with the way I said my name because he said so and then told me to go to the end of the building and "hold up the wall". In all of my time in the Nevada penal system, I had never heard that phrase before, but rather than asking him what he meant for fear that he would escalate the situation, I went to the end of the building and stood against the wall with my back to it, hands in my pockets. Apparently that wasn't what Hill had in mind because he came over to me, put his mouth really close to my ear and told me to face the wall and put my hands on the wall, which I did, palms down at waist level. Hill still unsatisfied, came over to me, grabbed each of my forearms in turn, forcibly moved each of my hands high above my head, kicked my legs apart and angrily explained that I now was indeed "holding up the wall". By this time other security and escort officers had gathered around, Volden among them. One officer whom I did not know asked Hill what was going on and Hill snottily replied that I had attitude because of my (64 back number", the implication being that I wasn't respecting him due to the length of time I'd been in prison, or so I supposed, and that I had gotten "shitty with Mendez" in the same fashion. This other officer who was talking to Hill then tried to ask me what was going on but I clammed up and refused to answer, assuming at that point no matter what I said, I was going to face disciplinary charges and a trip to the hole.
Eventually the shift commander, Lt. Filson arrived. He asked Hill what was going on and Hill replied that he had asked for my name (a lie, as he did no such thing) and that I had gotten attitude with him and refused a direct order (which I didn't refuse because I didn't understand the order). Filson then sought my side of the story to which I responded that I had no attitude, that Hill never asked for my name and that I was not trying to be disobedient. Volden asked if I was calling Hill a liar and I responded in the negative; I did so because I didn't think it prudent to challenge Hill surrounded by nothing but cops. Filson asked me what my exit strategy was and I told Filson that I didn't have one because I didn't plan on being in this situation. Filson then asked me if apologizing to Hill would be a suitable resolution to the matter because, Filson said, an inmate always loses to cops. I said "whatever". Filson turned to Hill and asked if that was okay with him and Hill replied "yes". Filson finished by asking Hill if he ever had a problem with me before to which Hill replied "no" and then ordering me to report to the education building. I once again considered the matter done because of the lieutenant's involvement.
The belief was bolstered when my father came to see me on Friday December 16th. Neither Hill nor Mendez were in the visiting room that day or at least that I saw. My only interactions with Volden were immediately prior to the visit when he instructed me in a neutral tone of voice to discard a piece of paper which I had brought to give to my dad. (I thought I could give him stuff but apparently not) and at the the tail end of my visit when I politely asked him if I could go to my medical appointment immediately following my visits without having to return to my unit first and he told me that I could do so. It was further reinforced by my fathers last visit on Friday December 30. Hill was not in the visiting room at all and Mendez didn't arrive until there was only an hour or so left for the visit and I didn't really see much of him at all. Volden was there all day again but we only interacted immediately prior to the visit when I neutrally told him that I had nothing but my identification card and asked him if he wanted to conduct a pat search of my person to which he replied in the negative.
So imagine my surpise when I was summoned to the sergeants office to be served with a notice of disciplinary charges, written and filed by none other than Volden who alleged that I verbally abused my dad and that he has previously warned me about such behavior (which of course he hadn't). Yes, we had and argument but that's nothing new; my father and I haven't seen eye to eye our whole lives. Certainly my voice was raised as my father is hard of hearing, not an unusual characteristic of an elderly person. And I do get animated when I engage in a heated discussion. But I didn't verbally abuse my father; I did not call him names or cuss at him in any fashion. I didn't see any of the surrounding visitors go to Volden and complain about us. Neither Volden nor any other officer came over to us and admonished us in any way. Volden certainly never warned me about my behavior on December 16th as he claimed in the notice of disciplinary charges. It turns out that Filson is the hearing officer for these charges. After I informally ran all of the foregoing down to him he was very frank and understanding. He opted to postpone the hearing to next week because he wanted to speak with Volden before rendering a decision and Volden was not on duty this week. In addition the postponement also gives me time to get my father's contact information - he recently moved to Las Vegas and I don't have his mobile phone number yet as he is going to have to be my key witness at any formal hearing. but Filson did say something which gives me cause for concern: a disciplinary hearing officer needs only the tiniest shred of evidence, such as the statement of an officer regardless of how much testimony is elicited to refute it, to find me guilty and impose disciplinary sanctions. (FYI: Lorne had his hearing and was found guilty and had his visits stopped for the next 6 months- Erika) So now I am not sure what to do. Suffice it to say that no matter how unmanly it may sound, I am scared of this trio of officers (Volden, Hill and Mendez). They or at least Volden, seem to not want to let the matter go or worse, to escalate things. That can lead to dire, abusive consequences for me. Yet my only alternative seems to be to not go to the visiting room which is entirely unfair to my father. (FYI:Lorne had said that the visiting situation is so unbearable that he doesn't want me to come and visit him while he is any facility down south.- Erika) What do I do when these officers get re-assigned, especially if they become assigned to my housing unit? Is it my lot to suffer through daily trashings of my cell and bogus disciplinary action after bogus disciplinary action? I didn't even have these fears about Lagier.
The reason for all that boils down to the difference in the behavioral outlook between staff of the northern and southern facilities. Lagier may be like Volden, Hill and Mendez but the majority of his co-workers and superiors are not. Despite her denial of my grievances I know that Lieutenant Stacy Branham gave Lagier a butt-chewing over at least some of his wrongdoings in what he did to me and my property according to two reliable sources. But down south here, I have no such confidence because nobody, not even Filson, has given me any. Everyone else, with rare exceptions, comes off just like Volden, Hill and Mendez. One can see that manifest in the tension level of the inmates. Inmates are quite a bit more laid back up north than they are down here. I earnestly believe that if the officers were to dial back their attitudes, most, if not all, inmates would too.
The attitude, ethics and professionalism of northern staff goes a long way toward explaining why I want to be transferred back up north so badly. What I don't understand is why the disparity exists, why southern staff can't be like northern staff. Perhaps the disparity lies in a cultural difference between northern and southern Nevada as my girlfriend suggests. Whatever the reason, the behavior, the ethics and professionalism staff needs to be addressed and improved and soon before things get completely out of hand and dangerous prison uprisings ensue. (FYI: I think what I said to Lorne was something along the lines of the fact that officers in the north comes from solid NV rancher/farmer stock. For them, highly ethical behavior and being professional are reflections of their upbringing whereas the officers that come from the southern part of the state come mostly out of the Vegas area and are transplants...most of whom were looking to "get rich quick" in Vegas and ended up being miserable failures and had to get a job in order to support themselves. I think that this hypothesis was anecdotally confirmed with the layoffs of the northern officers from NSP mostly due to their refusal to move south for vacant positions...something I said from the word "jump" wouldn't happen. The officers at NSP were mostly local to the Carson City area, had established deep roots in the community and with the recent recession, would be unable to sell their homes and purchase another one in an area with a much higher cost of living.)
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