Street Roots • August 25-31 2017
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Page 8
Street Roots • August 25-31, 2017
hane Staggs grew tip in Clearwater, Calif.,
what he describes as “a small dead-end
town” in the northern part of the state. He
has never met his biological father, and
growing up, he rarely saw his mother. She
was battling a heroin addiction.
As a kid, he lived under his stepfather’s
roof, and he was the only multi-racial person
in the household - a fact his cousins made
sure he was constantly aware of.
Staggs became so accustomed to domestic
violence and abuse from his stepfather, he
said, that eventually it was the mental anguish
that affected him more than the physical pain
he endured.
When he was 9, he began stealing his
stepdad's weed so he could share it with his
friends. He said he got higher from the feeling
of finally being accepted than from the THC.
But that changed as he got older.
He moved to Eugene as a teenager and
began to sell drugs to college students. By age
17, he said, he was pushing large quantities of
cocaine, pills and MDMA. He drank and
popped pills. Pills graduated to heroin.
“I was smart. 1 just had zero guidance," he
said. “My priorities were all wrong."
It was around this time he began to
reconnect with his mother. The two would
bond over methadone and OxyContin. He said
these were some of his happiest memories.
In his early 20s, he moved to Washougal,
Wash., where he shared a four-bedroom home
with a friend and his then-girlfriend. He said
he had a “legit" painting business and was
staying out of trouble, although he was still
■
A Solitary Mind
By Shane Staggs
This is a lonely place. As I wander in this
state of seclusion, anxiety follows. Panic
meets depression, simultaneously, colliding
with many other mental and emotional
deprivations I need most at this time in order
to feel human.
in solitary confinement, the un-requested
sounds of keys and muffled radio
correspondencehavebecome indicators g f ;
time. They mark the nameless hours by which
no clock tracks; according to our overseer the
warden, inmates deserve no sense of the
passing of time.
I shall be content with that only because all
else is silent in the sensory deprivations
forced upon me by my arrival to the Oregon
State Penitentiary's Segregation Unit.
■
My one-man cell: A bathroom with bars and a
bed is where I spend 23 hours and 20
minutes a day by myself. Forty minutes to
shower and shave before 1 must return to my
box, Lost In deep thoughts and confused over
how I’ve ended up residing in such a place,
I’m in my head a lo t Still a strong mind is the
only reason I am able to avoid suicidal
using drugs.
Then his mother died of a heroin overdose.
In quick succession, Staggs lost everything.
When he got back from his mother’s
funeral in Colorado, there was an eviction
notice on his front door. He headed back to
Eugene, where he began selling drugs, forging
checks and committing other crimes. During
that time, his girlfriend gave birth to his son.
As soon as he cut the umbilical cord at the
hospital, the state took the boy because the
mother had drugs in her system.
Shortly thereafter, his girlfriend was sent to
prison. Already spiraling out of control, he felt
he had nothing else to lose at that point.
Staggs went on a five-day crime spree, kicking
down doors and robbing people. The spree
escalated to kidnapping when he and his
accomplice forced two University of Oregon
students and another woman, on separate
occasions, to drive around town and make
ATM withdrawals.
“I finally got caught,” Staggs said. “I can
honestly say I am thankful for that."
As Staggs began to detox on the floor of
the Lane County jail, he was looking at an
indictment for 14 counts of Measure 11
crimes, which carry mandatory’ minimum
sentences. He was soon handed a 17 1/2-year
sentence, which he began to serve in 2010.
During Staggs’ incarceration, he’s been
sent to solitary confinement three times -
once for four months after a fight, and twice,
nearly a year each time, for drugs. Two of
those times, he was found guilty based on
information gleaned from confidential
informants. He maintains his innocence.
Staggs wrote about his experience in
solitary confinement for Street Roots while he
was sitting in the Disciplinary Segregation
U nit a t Oregon S ta te P e n ite n tia ry in March.
contemplation,
same inhumane conditions, tipping that
precarious balance that is their instability,
while at the same time invading my own
sanity, putting me at risk of potentially
becoming what I see, what I hear even as this
is being wrote and read - an “unstable mind"
diagnosed by forces beyond his control.
familiar surface for my wife to cry on? t
I look for answers to my many questions but
have yet to find them, I am left to guess, or
assum e.... Today one of my questiohs is why
I’ve just read in the Statesman Journal that an
ex teacher got sentenced to 1£Q days in
county jail for molesting a child for dose to a
decade; my mind is left to pray that not only
does that man meet with karma for his actions
beyond the half year sentence his judge
imposed on him, but also that the young man
he abused recovers in a way that allows him
My next question is why? Why am I serving a
full year (365) days in solitary confinement for
an unjustified allegation in prison?
I am in constant awe of the Oregon
Department of Corrections. This “organization"
has no organization. I cannot be convinced
How does being in his cage away from others
help me? How does it aid in rehabilitation?
Does it make sense to remove me from
general population when I am not threat to
others?
The judge in my case has already done the
ultimate punishment if I cannot be involved in
a program, or a dub, or many other pro-social
activities due to non-punitive segregation, how
can I succeed? If the testimony of a desperate
inmate with a drug problem is all
administration needs to put me in a box for a
schizophrenic?
year at a time, despite my achievements in
self-help classes, gainful employment and
mentorship, you may as well label me a
“target.” I do. A target not only to the
“desperate,” but also to the pathological
failure who is most envious of my success.
This cruet and unusual punishment on t ie
other inmates and I is inhumane; worse is that
the mentally vulnerable are subject to the
is it fair to force me to cut ties from my life, to
remove a son from his father’s reach? Is it
healthy to force my shoulder, away leaving no
otherwise.
Furthermore, is it necessary that every night I
am forced to fry and fall asleep to the off-beat
drumming produced by a mentally unstable
(Editor’s note: This letter has been edited for
clarity. The underlines are Staggs’.)
Depriving me of life and liberty?
I would like to know why ODOC thinks ftiis
kind of treatment is necessary in the slightest
fashion.
I feel it is very important to have
communication from loved ones while in
prison; it is evident that such connections aid
in fostering healthy relationships and therefore
reduce the risk of recidivism upon a prisoner's
transition into society.
This form of "non-punitive” solitude does the
exact opposite; indeed, it presents the
alternative: Immersement into the deviant
lifestyle to which a previous offender is most
accustomed.
To be alone is a scary feeling. In a place like
this, trusting is hard, and knowing who to trust
is even harder.
I chose the former, it is easier to trust no one.
Cold, dingy, d a rk ... I feel what I witness. As I
get minimal sleep tonight, I’ll prepare for
tomorrow.
if 1 can overanalyze just enough to make
logical exceptions for my conspiring thoughts
... It just might be a good day.
Page 9
general who is charged with investigating staff
misconduct, he said.
Now image that you are confined to a hotel
But it was the lieutenant who answered the
bathroom for any period of time, IPs not a
complaint
condition that supports human life.”
Inmate Roderick Griggs also told Vega that
Even though he’s six hours away from
the lieutenant had threatened him.
family and friends, Staggs and his fiancée are
; “If you don’t cooperate with them,” Griggs
relieved that it appears he will remain in
said, “especially (the lieutenant), they will
Eastern Oregon. They figure the farther away
threaten you and let you know that things can
from the lieutenant he is, the better.
happen to you. Never physically, but they
Another inmate’s story bears striking
have threatened me verbally.”
similarity to Staggs. Like Staggs, Rafael Mora-
Griggs was transferred in September from .
Contreras was a model inmate before he > -
the prison in Salem to Two Rivers
began to have problems with the lieutenant
Correctional Institution in Umatilla - 230
He was president of the Latino Chib at
miles away. He told Vega he believed it was
Oregon State Penitentiary for nine years, and
retaliation for not cooperating with the
staying out of trouble was a requirement for
lieutenant’s investigations.
that position. He created his own niche at the
“Now I’m so far away, ! can’t even see my
prison, photographing inmate weddings and
son now,” h e said;
fundraisers and advocating for Hispanic
Snake River inmate
inmates.
Frederick Myles said h e
When there was a large-scale investigation
spent two years and six
"The funny part abont ii is
into drugs, Mora-Contreras was placed, into .
months in Snake River’s
all they have to do is listen
solitary confinement for more than two
IMU.
months. Documents indicate there were
“The funny part about it to ns and try to help us," he
reports that he was involved in bringing drugs
is all they have to do is
told Vega. "Yon go to them
into the prison, but Mora-Contreras indicated
listen to us and try to help for help, and they send yon
in a letter to an attorney that he believed
us,” he told Vega. “You go
to segregation."
prison staff was targeting him because he
to them for help, and they
advocates for the rights of Hispanic inmates.
send you to segregation.”
FREDERICK MYLES,
“If you go into a disciplinary segregation
INM ATE A X SN AKE RÌVÈR
He said investigators
CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
unit,” Mora-Contreras told Street Roots,
sometimes give
“most of the population there is of minority -
confidential informants
blacks, Hispanics.”
items they’ve collected
The Vera Institute ofjustice study found
during shakedowns.
black and Hispanic inmates were
He said that with the lieutenant, “it’s his
overrepresented in segregated populations.
way or th e highway, basically. You’ve got one
A fter review ing th e evid en ce, th e ch a rg e s
Whileblaek inmates jnake up. 10 percent of ,
against Ramirez were affYfisfhissed. The video of two options: You-can do what h e say oryou
the total prison population, they made up 17
can just get ready to get put under
evidence appeared to match Ramirez’s
percent of the IMU population. And while
investigation and shipped to other
version of events.
Hispanic inmates represent 13 percent of
institutions.... They can do whatever they
But then in October, he was fried again for
prisoners, they account for 18 percent of both
want to you. You’re at the mercy of them.”
the same altercation based on a new memo
IMU and administrative segregation
In a letter to Street Roots, another inmate,
added by the lieutenant He now said Ramirez
populations.
Arturo Ruiz, stated that he’s been in prison
had confessed to him shortly after the fight.
In addition, black and Hispanic inmates f
since 1984 “and I never met an officer like
B Ramirez questioned why this evidence
often received longer segregation sanctions
(the lieutenant).”
wasn’t
mentioned
at
th
e
first
hearing
when
per incident than white inmates.
He said that after he was caught with
Another inmate, Jose Maciel, was placed hi the lieutenant was present
drugs, the lieutenant told him that he could
-n “Not for one second did I say to him that I
solitary confinement for two weeks following
cooperate and his disciplinary report would
fought That is untrue,” he pleaded. “If you
a fight He has since been released from
disappear, or if he refused, then he would use
think
about
i
t
during
the
first
hearing,
my
prison, but he wrote a notarized statement on
everything in his power to make sure that
case
was
investigated
for
30
days.
How
come
Mora-Contreras’ behalf.
I Ruiz stayed locked up in IMU.
just
now
(the
lieutenant)
decides
to
come
up
Maciel said that before he was moved out
During an interview, Prins, the inspector
with a memo saying this? It doesn’t make a
of solitary, the lieutenant pulled him into his
- general, refused to disclose whether the
whole lot of sense, and it’s really, really
office and told him that if he would submit
lieutenant is under any internal investigation
testimony saying Mora-Contreras had been an unnerving to tell you the truth. I’ve been
jfor misconduct
incarcerated
13
years.
!
have
never
had
this
enabler o fth e fight, he would give him soda
Of 17 official grievances inmates filed
kind of experience before, and far as the
and popcorn tickets along with other
against the lieutenant over the past four
system
goes,
I
mean
it’s
never
done
me
privileges, and he said he would make
years, 10 were denied outright, mainly
wrong.”
Maciel’s disciplinary report disappear.
because inmates failed to correctly follow the
Ramirez
received
three
months
in
solitary
He said that because it wasn’t true, he
complicated set of rules for filling out such
confinement,
with
the
cost
of
restitution
to
be
refused.
complaints.
determined at a later date.
, “Refusing to blame Rafael for the fight,
In cases where a grievance against the
Another
inmate,
Arturo
Mora,
told
(the lieutenant) became upset, called me
lieutenant had been accepted, the subsequent
Pendleton-based
private
investigator
Carlos
degrading and racist names, and insulted me.
investigation appeared to consist of little ,
Vega that he spent six months in IMU after
He took me back to my cell, in the hole. He
more than asking the lieutenant for his
he
refused
to
tell
the
lieutenant
where
he
got
took away my blanket, pillow and toilet paper
version of events and taking him at his Word.
the
drugs
found
in
his
possession.
He
was
for 5 days and on August 24 sent me to Snake
Prins also declined to comment on whether
charged with disobedience, uprising and
River Correctional (Institution),” he wrote.
bribery and threats are appropriate tools for
disturbance as a result, he said.
Ultimately, Mora-Contreras was cleared of
gathering information from informants,
“I’ve only been in one fight since I was
all charges but was also transferred to Snake
stating that he was unprepared to answer
locked up, and that was 20 years ago,” Mora
River, far away from his family. In July, after
those questions.
said.
“Been
here
since
1984.1
am
a
55-year-
months of advocacy from his friends and
Prins’ office is responsible for investigating
old
man.”
<
family, he was transferred back to Salem and
the misconduct of inspectors, including the
He went on to say that the lieutenant has
is now at Oregon State Correctional
lieutenant
verbally threatened him and is known to
Institution.
According to a spokesperson for the
regularly abuse his power. “(The lieutenant)
corrections department, the lieutenant was
has always accused you of things with no
unavailable for an interview.
Due process?
facts.”
emily@streetroots.org
He said he tried to complain about the
A review of disciplinary hearing audio
Twitter @GreenWrites
lieutenant by writing to the DOC’s inspector
recordings involving another inmate, Jaime
SOLITARY, from page 7
Shane’s story
News
Ramirez, showed just how little defense an
inmate has when facing charges.
In May 2016, after guards found Suboxone,
commonly used to treat opioid addiction, in
Ramirez’s socks, he had a disciplinary hearing
in which he pleaded guilty.
“It’s a shameful thing, having a drug
addiction, obviously, but it’s something that I
won’t deny,” he said at the hearing.
He was sentenced to two months in
solitary confinement, two weeks’ loss of
privileges and a $100 fine.
He took issue with the fine.
“I don’t have a Social Security number or
IT number,” Ramirez said. “Therefore when I
work, I don’t qualify for an industries job, for
one, and any other job that I get, I am not
allowed to make anywhere above $49, so
that’s my max, and my income is really low.” -
Undocumented immigrants housed in
Oregon’s prisons cannot obtain employment <
witfr the higher-paying Oregon Corrections
Enterprises operations without a tax
identification (IT) number, which can be
difficult to obtain while in prison.
“You have a current balance of $321,”
Hearings Officer Jeremy Nofziger said.
“I’ve saved th a t That’s taken me years to
save,” he said.
The fine was not dropped.
Three months later, Ramirez had another
hearing, this time for his involvement in a
large-scale fight. It began Aug. 5 and lasted
three days, involving 200 inmates. Many
inmates were swiftly investigated for their
involvement
,
-v
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