My experience in MSDF was hell. I’ve been denied medical attention in segregation. I had to sleep on the floor for days. Staff assaulted me, cussed me out and denied me my medication and high blood pressure check. I was ignored while nauseous and vomiting. I was in a bus and car accident and MSDF didn’t give me proper care and no rehabilitation. I was denied an extra mattress, which I asked for because of pain. The room was cold, and my back, shoulder, hand, wrist, elbow, side head, head, and neck have suffered pain and damage. I’ve been treated inhumanely by MSDF.
Another time, the staff stood by and let assault happen to me. I was always hungry. The food’s bad, the trays are small and the canteen isn’t good. And there were three of us in one cell that’s super small.
Barriers to reintegrating into society
Coming out of prison was hell. … I couldn’t go to parks, malls, schools, daycares. That was tough for me because me and my sons wanted to go to the park and play basketball, and my sons wanted to show me how they developed their basketball skills since I’ve been gone. My sons were mad and hurt about that.
It was very hard to reintegrate into society. It was hard making it on time to Thinking for Change class, doctor appointments, and SOT classes. Very hard.
My experiences since release: Sleeping in abandoned houses on the floor; having people donate money to get a hotel for me; having panic attacks; having high blood pressure. Having a hard time with transportation and getting to my P.O. office on time. I had to find help for someone to drive me to food store to buy food. I had to shower at a friend, uncle, aunt’s house.
I had to call the Milwaukee Police Department to give prospect addresses I was trying to rent but kept getting denied. I was stressing, depressed and hopeless because I was homeless with nowhere to go. I had to do a lot of walking, long distances to the locations I was going to, while injured and non-injured. I only had a short period of time out of the day to take care of my business because my P.O. only gave me permission (no or yes) if I can attend job fairs or she didn’t want me in a certain area.
Life on a bracelet
My family relatives and friends didn’t feel comfortable with me at their house because I’m wearing that GPS bracelet. My P.O. put me in MSDF because she thought my GPS bracelet was being tampered with, but come to find out it wasn’t tampered with at all. I lost out on two new jobs because of this. My GPS bracelet acted up or I had five issues with my bracelet in one month.
Rule violations that can get you sent back to MSDF
- Problems with GPS bracelet
- Being 15 minutes late for a PO appointment
- Asking a girl how to get out of a maze parking plaza lot in an area I was unfamiliar with
- Allegations
Losses while in MSDF on allegations
Being put back in MSDF on allegations meant I lost my freedom, my relationship with my girlfriend, progress I made in rebuilding my relationship with my kids, my car, all my clothes, Foodstamp share. I’m missing out on:
- my uncle and brother giving me a chance to help me to get on my feet
- earning money to get an apartment, to pay my car insurance, my student load debt, child support
- going to doctor appointments and physical therapy
- contact with my social network
- the ability to talk to my mother in Jamaica
- spending time with my kids
- establishing credit
- spending time with my community and helping
- working my way off paper
- helping my elders with cleaning
- speaking to people who want to do crime and preventing them, based on my experience
I’ve lost hope, confidence, self-esteem, and faith.
MSDF, WI – DOC, parole officers and politicians have been destroying the souls, lives and civil rights of the people of Wisconsin like myself. Everything I’m telling you is the truth and took place 2002 to now, 2017.
closemsdf.org 