Clinton Lee Young Loud & Clear
Topic: No rec. forever
Date: May 31st 2021
There has seemingly been one thing after another lately since January 1 I have been locked in the cell over 122 days. Of the available rec days which is five a week I have missed 82 due to lockdowns in short of staff. On Thursday, May 27 they had wreck, though due to officers in ability to properly operate the pod schedule. They only had two rounds of rec on the side of the pod I am on. Second shift was short of staff. Instead of doing rec day was to finish up showers. By the time was to get to me for a shower, it was already 9 PM. Which is the time the overtime officer had to leave. As a result I did not get rec or shower on the 27th. This after not being able to wreck or shower at the 25th and 26th. Since April 21 I have been able to leave the cell for rec only two days. Tdcj refuses to do anything to mitigate the staff shortage problems. These problems will not end. This unit gets more money than any other unit in Texas. CTDCJ gets over $20 more per person on death row. Yet they have not brought in any substitute to wreck, solved the staffing problems, or do anything to mitigate the problem. Today there was three officers working hard. We could have gotten wet, but they chose to not do recreation. An officer said staff shortage and then said because of it being a holiday. I am not sure if that was a joke or not I know at times they do not run wreck on Christmas and such. From now on I will file on that also, as nothing in the recreation plan says no wreck on holidays. Another interesting thing, since talking about stuff and money here. The TDCJ Counts the number of people on death row as being higher than it is. They still count men who are in the county jail for new punishment phases, as they have not officially been given a different number by TDCJ. A pod and the pod hold 84 people. C pod has two sections for death row. 84×2 = 168. Two sections is 28 cells total. 168+28 = 196. OK not every cell is full. A pod a section which is deathwatch, only has seven people eight at most. There are a few other empty cells. So on Polunsky there is maybe 186 people. 2 are housed in ten building medical. Estelle unit has one or two in medical housing. Jester 4 has maybe 4 who are so crazy they are housed at the psych unit. All those are less than TDCj’s stated men on death row population. A couple guys currently on B pod have been given new punishment phases and one has a life sentence. Why he is still housed on death row is beyond me.
The math does not add up to what the TDCj lists as men on death row. Why are they getting 80 something dollars a day for men who are not even in custody of TDCj and who are not even under death sentence? Those guys are sitting in the county jail. TDCj gets money for people not even here, so is really free money by the thousands each month. Yet we cannot even get rec.? The unit administration has no control over policy. The directors of the TDCj refuse to allow any changes. Just like video visit. We are not G5, we are unique class of prisoner. Thus there is no reason to exclude us. There is no reason for us to not have group rec and etc. Guys with capital life do not get restricted the same way. There are surely guys serving life with worse cases then most of us on death row. What guys are going to have to start doing is file in appeals about the 15+ years on death row in these conditions. As it has surely risen to the level of ill treatment which would violate article 43.24 of the Texas Code of Criminal procedure.State law prohibits ill treatment for those ‘to be executed’. This is a lower bar than cruel and unusual punishment. Which courts more and more are finding long term segregation is such a violation. Once guys start getting traction on appeals, then these people would surely change up their ways. See they thought with trump appointing justices, they would have a court their way. The powers that be in this here state that is. Well the fact the united states supreme court ruled against TDCj twice recently over law suits by prisoners. the Taylor and McCoy case. Then plus the way the USSC ruled in the Chaplain/spiritual advisor during executions. It is NOT the court they hoped it would be. Trump didn’t know a damn thing about the supreme court. Someone just told him who to pick. They damn sure did not pick justices like Bush did.
Now due to the rulings in the Taylor and McCoy case it will be easier for guys in prison to sue. The door will only continue to crack open wider. It’s a slow march but eventually we will get there. I had to take a few weeks off. As I had been holding everything in for years. Letting my frustrations pile up while fighting my case. When I had the good recommendation it was as if the flood gates blew open. All that anger that had piled up came rushing forward.
I was not any good to anyone in such a state. It had been 15 years since I took a break to relax and reflect. That is a long time of go, go, go. We all need a vacation. Even when I was not writing blogs, I was still writing letters, or working on my case, focused on problems around here. Recently for a couple weeks I done nothing but write a couple legal letters. I didn’t focus on much of anything. Just sorted through my thoughts. I reached a peak after about 10 days where I was consumed with rage. Then the clouds started to break and sunshine through. I am in a much better place mentally and emotionally now. This allows me to see things in a clearer fashion. Which will allow me to be more effective. I do thank everyone that has continued to write and support my efforts. The fight is not over, but is one step closer. Not sure if missing any jpays from last week. They had started to get to me on time and without any problems. Then last 3 days of last week I did not get any. But I did go without writing for weeks myself, so is a factor. Regular mail did seem to pick up a step. The problem is that it is not only security staff that are short, it’s the mailroom staff also. Then add in US postal service problems.
As I stated I was not writing for a spell. Though I am back at it. I am sure that people was able to pick up on my frustrations in my letters, blogs, and messages I posted on the foundation social media pages.
Long sigh. The road goes on.
I will be back soon. Until next time. Take care, smile, and strive for all that you desire.
Veni, Vidi, Vici
In solidarity,
I remain,
Clinton Lee YOUNG #999447
D.R- Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, TX 77351
U.S.A.
www.saveaninnocentlife.com
facebook.com/clintonyoungfoundation