Visitation ended at 3:00. It was overwhelming to tell Gary goodbye and leave him in such a horrible place of abuse and inhumanity. I assured him I would see him the next day, as we shared a brief hug and a single kiss.
Alone in a hotel room in a strange city, Saturday evening I e-mailed complaints, some to various BOP contacts, including the regional and Washington, DC offices.
Gary and Judy in happier times
JB: What a saga. Tell us, Judy, what kind of footwear was allowed on Sunday?
JW: Ms. Isom had come back and told me that I had been approved to wear open-toe shoes on Sunday, but warned that if I didn't want to have any trouble, I would wear closed-toe shoes anyway. Of course, I did not want any trouble, so I wore the same shoes, to no avail.
Before driving back to the prison Sunday morning, I called to wish my son a happy birthday, as we would not be able to see him on his birthday. The van transporting prison employees again sped past. As I parked, I noticed the frayed and tattered American flag flying at the top of the pole, symbolic and perfectly representative of our nation's shattered ideals and constitution. The state flag was similarly worn, while the framed and mounted 8 x 10 glossy photographs of the president, attorney general, BOP director and warden were all in perfect condition. Priorities, I suppose.
Like Saturday, prison employees getting off work from the overnight shift revved their engines and sped away, with only one I saw bothering to so much as slow down at the STOP sign. Once I stepped out of the car into the heat, the strong and distinctive odor of skunks greeted me and hung in the humid air like a wet blanket. Gary had written to me about the skunks the prison is infested with, referring to them as the prison's "mascots." He later told me the smell had gotten so bad during the night Saturday, it had awakened him and he had been unable to sleep. Just imagine trying to sleep with "eau de skunks" aromatherapy.
The same standing and waiting in line, being yelled at, then given a form, entry procedure as Saturday, and the same fishing hat, but this day, not with his prison uniform, as Bradshaw was participating in "casual" day, wearing a t-shirt advertising "Heritage Cycles" in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida with jeans. Quite a sight....
Again, visitors' last names were called in groups of three, until, again, my first and last name was called with no others. As I was signing in, a female prison employee -- Barnes -- told me to step aside. She took me to their ion drug-testing machine, but obviously did not know how to use it, indicating she had not previously done so -- I was her first victim, and there was nothing random about it. Seeing that she did not know how to use it, Bradshaw came over and directed her. She ran the swap all over me, then inserted it into the machine, which indicated NOTHING DETECTED. Bradshaw, obviously unhappy with this outcome, told her to do it again. Still NOTHING DETECTED.
Back at the desk, I removed my closed-toe shoes, watch and bracelet and went through the metal detector, with no alarm going off. Barnes and Bradshaw were again not pleased, as Barnes told me to "get dressed" and come with her. She took me into a conference room and told me she was going to "pat search and wand" me, then asked if I had ever been pat searched before.
I declined to answer, then stated that I do not consent to unreasonable searches, that what she was doing was a violation of my civil rights to be free from unreasonable searches and the constitutional guarantee of equal protection, stated that I objected to violations of my civil rights, that I had been singled out and targeted, that her actions were retaliatory and unlawful, and that Gary and I have a lawsuit pending against prison employees for such violations and others. I told her that I was requesting a witness, that she should not touch me without a witness present.
In came Bradshaw, and the two of them began to say that I had "refused" to be searched and could not visit. In fact, I had not "refused" anything at all. They called in a third prison employee. Barnes falsely told him that she was explaining to me her intended pat search procedure -- she had not done so -- and I refused, going on to say, "she said"." I interrupted and said I did not do or say what she is saying. Barnes stated that what she was saying was different from what I said -- TRUE! I repeated that I objected to being singled out and subjected to unreasonable searches, that no other visitor had been treated as I had, that what they were doing was illegal, and that I requested a witness.
I also disclosed that I had previously been sexually assaulted by a prison employee during a "pat search" and wanted a witness for that reason. Throughout my statement, Bradshaw had been repeating -- almost chanting -- "it's random " it's random." He was obviously running the show and directed the third prison employee, "Get the operations lieutenant."
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