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Introduction by Editor Nube Brown
Here we are in Black History month 2022 (en)during a concerted, violent effort to continually criminalize the teaching of our history. Even as I write, numerous California elder political prisoners languish behind prison walls, having spent multiple torturous decades in solitary confinement because they dared to teach themselves, and each other, their stolen history, language and cultural identity – modern-day slavery codified by the 13th Amendment. Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa is one of them and his article is below.
Now with the banning and vilifying of the teaching of critical race theory comes Senate Bill 148 (Individual Freedom bill, Florida), which would ban any teaching “making white people feel ‘discomfort’ about our racist history.” Well, that’s a snowball headed downhill, and should be OUR bill! The legislation would prohibit individuals from making people “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin.”
Still, it’s also the month of collective love energy – collective revolutionary love energy – the main ingredient necessary to dismantle and abolish this rotten system. As we continue to receive your love and support regarding overcoming the rock star informant, we will post your unceasing expression of humanity in return:
“Now I am so sorry about what I read about Malik. I couldn’t believe it. I hope you are doing okay. I was going to work with him when I came home; now, I told Mrs. Ratcliff to tell you that I want to work with you. I have been with Mrs. Ratcliff to see three editors come through and I hope you’ll be around for a while.” Corcoran, California
“I have just been informed about Malik and I can’t tell you enough how sorry I am to hear about your situation. The situation of such unthinkable betrayal … an outright disappointment to the Bay View followers who believed in the tag team couple …” San Francisco, California
“It’s sad to read about the rat that tried to do other inmates and the BV harm by working for the FBI etc. We applaud you for exposing him. Now maybe others in Texas will follow suit and will get the help they need with their cases. There are writ writers that are 100 percent real to the cause; then there are the snakes who bite anyone who comes into contact with them. We all learn from hard lessons in life. You take care and hang in there.” Iowa Park, Texas
“It was indeed disheartening to know that ‘our former comrade,’ the rock star, had been working undercover for the government all this time in exchange for earning parole from Texas authorities. The extent of his damage to the prison movement in Texas and beyond is unknown at this time, other than his evil doings in the Bradley Barton case.” Beeville, Texas
“With love, respect and condolences I make this correspondence. The latter being due to having known and making brief acquaintances with a snake named Malik! I have also come across K.B. a time or two – good man!” Beeville, Texas
“The COINTELPRO program is used in prison systems to retaliate, discriminate and incarcerate African Americans by corrupt officials.”
“What up, my sister, Queen, Mother. I just read this month’s newspaper and I am sorry you were played by an impersonator. From what I read he is the type of Brotha that takes down organizations single-handedly. I’m sorry for all the real righteous Brothas that weren’t there to protect and defend you.” Tabor City, North Carolina
“I’ve written to you all before, but I am so saddened by the news of Keith Washington. He has hurt a lot of people. And in all honesty, he is only human; we all fall short. But I do pray that he feels remorse for all that he has done.” Huntsville, Texas
“I recently received the November 2021 edition of the Bay View and the article of the rock star informant. To say I was hurt due to you having to endure pain and betrayal, there’s not enough minutes in the day to express my feelings.” Pine Knot, Kentucky
“In closing: Where there’s rain, there’s also sunshine; sometimes accompanied by a rainbow.” Livingston, Texas
“When I read that article, I was hurt and outraged at the action of this individual’s conduct. How could he help the oppressor with their agenda in illegally locking up Black, Brown and indigent people – especially those of us who have been wrongfully convicted of a crime that we are innocent of?” Represa, California
“I’m a Texas prisoner and wanted to comment on your article in November on Keith Washington. It is sad and a terrible misfortune, but it magnifies what I’ve experienced in very similar fashion. There is a trickle down of the COINTELPRO program used in prison systems – the infiltration, false statements and rumors made by the prisoners for favors from OIG, Safe Prison etc. It is used to retaliate, discriminate and incarcerate African Americans by corrupt officials.” Huntsville, Texas
“First of all, I’m sorry you have to be put through this shit after you rode that time out with Keith – I have life without parole for a snitch. Keep running this newspaper, Ms. Nube. Don’t let this situation knock you down; and I understand Mr. Bradley’s situation.” Livingston, Texas
“I noted the rock star article regarding a former member of your staff writing from Texas to be very disturbing. That person is in dire need of some serious talking to because if I understand this individual correctly, he has sold his soul to the devil and has no place in our midst. I wish to salute whoever had the courage to do the right thing to expose this agent for what he is. I think you did the correct thing to publish those letters to give our community a heads up on this person! There is an old saying that goes: ‘Dirt can’t hide from intensified Tide, ‘cause it all comes out in a wash!’” Ione, California
The nuanced dehumanizing and genocidal consequences of the Prison Industrial Slave Complex (PISC), Part One
by Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa
Jan. 12, 2022
Several years ago, CDCR entered into a contractual agreement with various convalescent homes throughout the state in a last-ditch effort to retain their old, sick and dying population in violation of a federal court order to “reduce” the number of inmates that California holds behind walls.
And because of the extremely large amount of money included into the quarterly state budget and annual state and federal budget, this contractual agreement was good for both CDCR and the convalescent homes involved – as sick and dying prisoners are worth three times that of a healthy, young set of prisoners.
Suffice it to say, at a more than a million dollars a year for each facility – contract beds units – plus the SSI, general relief and Medicare/Medi-Cal, the homes and care facilities involved could tax the federal government and never raise suspicion.
I myself ended up at a hole-in-the-wall called Ashbury Park Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center that provided the bare minimum care, abused its inmate-patients and falsified reports. Their staff also threatened, assaulted and acted in collusion with parole agents out of the (office) to violate inmate-patients unwilling to accept the abuse of power and submit to the massive level of financial fraud taking place under the guise of …
In other words, Ashbury Park Healthcare Center was getting paid $1 million plus from CDCR for beds at their facility; they were getting paid by the state welfare system for each patient they housed – $100,000 per patient in SSI alone. Then the federal government was, and is, given the taxpayer money, and because they’re a public entity, they have tax exempt status.
So, they annually clear upwards of $3 to $5 million for providing care that falls so far below the recognized standard that they’d be shot down if an investigation was ever conducted.
I was sent here from California Health Care Facility, Stockton, on July 26, 2020. I lay there without a bath, exercise and outside air nor family contact for almost eight months.
When I demanded these things or palliative care, I was threatened by both staff there and the parole agent.
I also experienced discriminatory treatment and retaliation from this parole agent and various staff members because of my history of litigating my conditions and my continuous challenge to administrative staff for the mistreatment of prisoners.
This parole agent, acting in collusion with Certified Nursing Assistant Clarence Pearson, attempted to start conflicts and elicit responses that could be construed as threat to staff. At one point, CNA C. Pearson went so far as to make a verbal threat towards my family and me.
This contractual agreement was good for both CDCR and the convalescent homes involved – as sick and dying prisoners are worth three times that of a healthy, young set of prisoners.
After this incident, CNA C. Pearson began to show blatant discrimination and patient abuse by intentionally failing to clean me up after bowel movement, turn me every two hours, transfer me to my wheelchair and allow me equal access to the yard or assist me with eating.
Even after I had reported Mr. Pearson to Ms. Maxima Leavitt, the case manager, the discrimination and patient abuse continued as did the repeated threats to return me to prison, made by parole agent Martin Kis.
Doug Hawkins, Ashbury Park’s administrator, was also made aware of the actions of Mr. C Pearson as well as other cases of patient abuse. However, he chose to disregard inmate-patient complaints and to minimize the Resident Abuse Investigation reports in an effort to retain the large sums of money that derived from Ashbury Park’s contractual agreement with CDCR.
In fact, Mr. Hawkins fully supported Mr. Pearson’s actions and would falsify reports to indicate that this particular CNA was providing excellent care. Even after an investigation by the California Department of Public Health proved all cases of patient abuse by CNA Pearson, Mr. Hawkins continued to hold a position that was rooted in discrimination.
The investigation also found that Mr. Hawkins and Ashbury Park Nursing and Rehab Center weren’t following proper protocol for not responding to staff misconduct and incidents of resident abuse. How much more then could Mr. Hawkins and his staff be expected to be truthful in the reports given to parole agent Martin Kis?
Dec. 3, 2021
Directed to the law office of Uncommon Law:
I send this letter to make you aware of some of the problems that I’m experiencing as an inmate-patient at the California Health Care Facility.
As you know, I was returned to custody by a cantankerous parole agent who abused his power and authority by violating me for a verbal altercation.
Agent M. Kis could have used the activity report to simply document the unsubstantiated allegations of the other patient and the conclusions of his cursory review of the matter – as there was no law enforcement arrest report, no investigation and incident report by the rehab center and the two statements that he relied on as a basis upon which to violate me were fabricated by him.
There were several other “control methods” available to agent M. Kis, who should have considered the application of less progressive sanctions to resolve this “she said, he said” matter.
I was returned to custody by a cantankerous parole agent who abused his power and authority by violating me for a verbal altercation.
However, agent M. Kis chose to falsify documents, to do a partial review – not an investigation – and to exacerbate the situation as if there is a threat to public safety or I was a threat to his quasi review and could not be managed safely at the facility. What gets me is the fact that there is no “charge code,” as I did not violate the terms of my parole.
In other words, I did not violate the conditions of my placement at the healthcare and rehab center, and I did not violate special conditions of parole as stated in the CDCR Form 1515.
Hence, agent M. Kis misused his authority when he wrote the violation, signed the violation report for the regional supervisor, determined that my verbal altercation violated the conditions of my placement and ordered flash incarceration.
Of course, this complaint has already been made on a CDCR 602 HCA form, and I await a response from agent Kis’ direct supervisor. What follows is a performance related to and constitutes serious violations that warrant a Category II investigation by the state and a lawsuit by your office.
Dec. 3, 2021
Anecdotal report also forwarded to the San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper:
I arrived back at California Health Care Facility on Aug. 8, 2021. Since that time, I have been housed in a high acuity medical unit that deals with high-risk medical patients.
My problems during this time have been three-fold:
1) On or about Sept. 21, 2021, and again on Sept. 30, 2021, at approximately 12:45 p.m., I was placed on the mini yard for max programming.
During that time, I informed correctional officer Hinohosa that I had an active bowel movement and needed a diaper change. The officer left me there, on the yard, and promptly informed CNA Theresa Umeugolti that I needed to be changed – to no avail. I stayed on the yard in my own feces until the next watch.
2) On or around Sept.16, 2021, and again soon thereafter, I was placed in the shower by CNA Fatima Adebayo and CNA Theresa Umeugolti at 11:15 a.m. and as reprisal for reporting the yard incident, left there in the cold shower until 2:07 p.m. or thereafter. At which time CNA Rosemarie Lucea and CNA Dolorosa Acosta – all third-watch staff – came to the shower and helped me dry off, dress and get situated in my wheelchair via the Hoyya-Lift machine.
3) Upon investigating or inquiring into these and other glitches in the ebb and flow of proper care, I discovered that second-watch CNAs – specifically Adebayo, Umeugolti et al – were leaving the DIA [acronym unknown] housing unit and going to relax in the staff break room with their home-girls working over in DIB [same] housing unit and not returning until their shift was over at 2:00 p.m.
They had even gone so far as to establish an unofficial rule: “No one needing a Hoyya-Lift machine for transfer to the bed or wheelchair is moved before 8:00 a.m. or after 11:30 a.m.” Note: Dayroom, mental health groups and other activities begin at 8:00 a.m. So, by stalling, inmate-patients don’t have time to wash up, dress or make preparations for program.
Their other rule is: “They change our diapers twice on their shift: once in the morning and once at night or in the afternoon before they go home.”
CNA regulars Adebayo, Umeugolti and Sadiq Hussain enforce these unofficial rules with impunity and with the blessings of both their shift lead nurse Eniola Oguntuase and the SRN II, Mr. Manuwa Lawrence. Understand that the refusal of CNA staff to perform their duties up to the defined expectations is rooted in the knowledge that they’re “covered.”
As I pointed out before, the unit that I live in is a high acuity unit filled with inmate-patients who have multiple assisted daily living (ADL) needs. Most of the reasonably necessary accommodations are basic and allow inmate-patients equal access to services, such as dayroom, showers, yard, Enhanced Outpatient Programs (EOP) and groups.
When I confronted her, she said, “I’ll beat your crippled ass.”
More advanced ADLs include turning patients in their beds every two hours, changing diapers, changing bedding, feeding and other aspects of complex clinical care. And it’s this set of ADLs that senior CNA staff don’t want to do! In fact, if inmate-patients push their call-lights, they wait from 3-5 minutes to an hour to be answered.
CNA staff come to work in these high acuity units fully aware of the requirements of the job and of the fact that every high-risk medical unit palliative care is the least of the needs for terminally ill patients.
So, they have devised a two-fold system to lessen the assistance activities to a minimum:
1) They assist as they see fit and leave patients to suffer;
2) They choose which doctor’s orders they will assist with and ignore the others;
3) They falsify medical documents to indicate that a patient is “independent” based solely on the length of time that CNA staff have failed to obey the doctor’s order;
4) If the patient is “too needy,” medical staff get with custody staff and have them moved. If they can’t accomplish the move in this way, the shift lead, Oguntuase, will manipulate the doctor and SRNII Manuwa Lawrence.
And if that doesn’t work, the targeted patient has a sudden marked change in his medical condition that requires an extended trip to San Joaquin Hospital.
The checklist of ADLs that they as CNAs are supposed to cover is falsified daily on all watches and by their supervisors.
If there’s a doctor’s order for a patient to be turned every two hours, they’ll falsify the record and say they’ve done it. If there’s an order for two CNAs to move a patient from a bed to a wheelchair or ADA shower chair, one CNA will attempt to do it at the risk of hurting the patient and themselves.
Recently, two CNAs were changing my diaper, cleaning me up and dressing me for transfer to my bed. One CNA turned me to my side without putting up the guardrail for safety and almost rolled me off the bed. When I confronted her, she said, “I’ll beat your crippled ass,” at which point the correctional officer told her to “get out the room.”
These and other elder abuses take place regularly here in total disregard for the patient safety policy.
And this unprofessional, criminal conduct is not just practiced amongst lower-level CNA staff but ranking staff members also.
Reliable sources housed in this medical unit tell me that nine patients have died from mistakes and malpractice.
LVNs and RNs who hold the title of Advanced Practice providers are unable to provide basic health care services or issue controlled substances without guidance and direction from other staff members actually certified at the same level as themselves.
You have registered nurses who can’t perform even the basic life support techniques like cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillation, control of bleeding, treatment of shock, or use of proper sanitation and stabilization of injuries and small wounds.
This is dangerous and poses a risk to the lives of all patients under the care of these people – and to the Department of Corrections in terms of litigation.
Note: Many of the African and Indian LVNs and nurses have acquired their credentials by copying the test of a friend or sister from the same country as “registry” CNAs, nurses etc. are replacing non-registry staff on all levels. So, cheating on the online test or memorizing the answers is commonplace.
Certain staff’s access to our personal identification information and other protected health information arms these people with the necessary data required to create an identity, obtain identification, credit, tax refunds, etc. in my name. Note: There was a team of Nigerian medical staff in Maryland that hit the EDD for all those millions and deposited the money in overseas banks – impossible to recover.
In essence, medical staff here are charged with the duty of organizing our care activities and daily assisted living, which would minimize the danger or lack of quality care.
However, because their clinical practice is lacking in so many regards, we have started to question the licensed medical provider credentials and the academic development that each of them claims to have. Note: Reliable sources housed in this medical unit tell me that nine patients have died from mistakes and malpractice.
continuing efforts by the state to destroy him
In conclusion, nursing staff’s overall performance and conduct falls below the applicable standard and this brief report shows that they lack the requisite and adequate abilities to perform their medical duties up to the defined expectations.
Actions requested:
1) An FBI investigation into the credentials and the true identity of the staff assigned to this medical unit.
2) Termination of employment with CDCR and CHCF for each staff member in this medical unit who cannot perform 10 basic functions of their official position.
3) Investigation into all financial affairs, land holdings, stocks etc. Special attention should be given to Fatima Adebayo, Eniola Oguntuase, Sandeep Kaur and Manuwa Lawrence. They are key players in everything corrupt going on around here.
4) Inform Kathleen Allison and have her personally assign the investigation to Sacramento ISU and FBI because they are in full control of all the staff at this prison.
Send our brother some love and light: Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa, C-35671, CHCF D-FAC B1A-127, P.O. Box 213040, Stockton, CA 95213.
Declaration of support and solidarity from attorney Keith Wattley
I have known Sitawa since I first became an attorney 22 years ago. Since that time, I’ve been involved in litigation involving medical care, mental health care, excessive force, gang validation, ad seg and parole. All of that litigation was initiated by freedom fighters inside like Sitawa. The lawyers typically catch on long after the fight has started.
He has always been an advocate for protecting the rights of people incarcerated, even though his outspoken advocacy resulted in cruel, violent and long-term retaliation against him personally. Although a devastating stroke in November 2019 threatened to silence him, he remains a vocal protector of people who might otherwise be forgotten.
While he is no longer physically able to care for himself, his compassion and caring for his family and so many others has never diminished. His recent writings shine a light on the continuing efforts by the state to destroy him, even reversing our hard-won decision granting him parole – despite the fact that he remains medically incapacitated. I am proud to stand with so many others by his side in this fight.
Keith Wattley, UnCommon Law
