Report on Conditions at Westville Control Unit: Starvation Diets, Repression, and Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill
We received this report from Tyrone Hull, #172195. You can support Tyrone by setting up an account at web.connectnetwork.com, or by writing to him at New Castle Correctional Facility, P.O. Box E. New Castle, IN 47362.
9/27/20
This is an article about my experience at Westville Control Unit (WCU). I arrived at the facility on 7/21/18 and within a week of being at this facility i noticed that the food was uncooked and under served as far as portions, so one day they served us just bread and salad when we were suppose to get chicken pattie, and me and 5 other inmates decided to cover our windows to get the higher authorities to come talk to us to fix the trays. Instead of fixing the food and sending them back to Aramark, they threatened me with the E-squad. The other inmates backed down but I stood my ground and fought for my right to an equal serving of lunch, so the squad ran on my room and roughed me up then sent me to a whole new cell with no working water or toilet for four days. When i finally got my property back, my prayer rug and shoes were missing.
At this facility mental health is not taken seriously. They torment and make them suffer and when the serious mentally ill lashes out its like they punish them by stripping them out for thirty days while talking bad to them. There are people actually cutting themselves to the bone, trying to hang themselves, setting huge fires and smearing feces all over themselves and their rooms and they just make them stay there without any reports just to keep things quiet. We have family members call up to the facility but they have a chain of command to give the family members the run around to protect their staff. I wrote the warden a few times about his staff. From medical staff to officers and the warden never writes back period. This facility is the worst facility to send anyone to, especially if they are seriously mentally ill. The air ventilation never works except for winter time. And when winter comes, they turn on the AC. In the summer we can’t breathe because there is no air blowing or circulating at all.
During my stay at WCU I had three mental health therapists. My experience with one of them was so toxic that she broke the confidentiality agreement by discussing my personal issues with another officer. That officer later pulled up to my door asking me personal questions. When I wrote to the head of mental health to report it and ask for another therapist, they tried to force me to talk to her and work it out but I didn't trust her anymore. They took my psych meds away from me for over a year without putting me in a step down program like they were supposed to do, according to their policy and procedure. The circle of corruption is so deep back there and it's like can't one do anything but try to file lawsuits on everyone back there. Even the mail situation is messed up. They are losing people mail. Stopping people from getting educational books. They just passed a policy where we can’t have our family send real pictures to us, they have to xerox copy the picture and send us a copy. But the copies be so dark that you can't even see your families face in the pictures. I think it's a tactic to have us stop sending pictures.
At the westville control unit these officers are very unprofessional. They never resolve real issues when presented to them. And they are very retaliatory of any rebellious acts ones demonstrate to fight for things we are entitled to. It's crazy at westville control unit. Even the counselor seems like she doesn't have the mental strength to deal with simple things we ask for. This place reminds me of a concentration camp. I ended my stay at this facility a week ago, after doing 7 extra months over my seg out date do to covid19. Even though I am happy to leave I still feel sorry for the seriously mentally ill because they are getting tortured up there. Seriously!
As far as new castle, i just got down here a week ago and five people have died from covid. These people are careless. I moved into a room where the inmate before me was positive and they are putting people in the same shower who are positive along with the people who don't have covid. As far as living conditions, they are ok but this covid got these officers running around on some unprofessional type stuff and the nurses are letting people die. I've been here since last wednesday and i still havent been tested. Also they are not even giving me my medication and could care less if i get it. But it's cool, i've been through worse at WCU.