At approximately 8:45 this morning, while I was doing my janitorial duties...
The cell block officer informed me that I had to report to the Disciplinary Office immediately. So I left what I was doing and promptly went my way to report to the lieutenant on duty at Disciplinary. I knew it was time to answer the "ticket" I received on November 12th for an alleged violation of Rule 113.15, "Unauthorized Exchange."
The prison's administration has up to two weeks to call an inmate to answer to charges on a "Tier 11 level Misbehavior report. Thus, my being summoned today was within the allowable time limit, according to the State of New York Department of Correctional Services "Standards of Inmate Behavior for all Institutions" manual.
Here at Sullivan Correctional Facility, the Disciplinary Office is located near the front portion of the prison in close proximity to the package room, visiting room, and a short distance from the Infirmary.
To get there, I had to walk down three long corridors, passing through a metal detector at a checkpoint that is located at one of the central corridors. Then, once through the metal door at the entrance to the
Disciplinary Office, I handed my pass to the officer on duty at the main desk. He in turn directed me to a waiting room where I had to sit until I would be called into the lieutenant's office to answer the charge.
The waiting room is a 15x15 windowless square with wooden benches placed against the side walls. Each bench is bolted to the floor.
This morning, the otherwise barren room had sitting on its benches several gloomy faced men who were, like me, awaiting their turn to defend themselves against the various rule infractions each was charged with.
At approximately 9:25 my name was called. I entered the lieutenant's office and my hearing officially commenced at 9:27. It was also recorded on tape. A small tape recorder sat on the desk positioned between the lieutenant and myself, as is the standard procedure for Tier 11 hearings. The charge was then read to me. Next, the hearing officer asked me how I was going to plead, and if I had an explanation for my actions.
I also discovered that it was not a book about prayer that I was accused of giving to the other inmate, as the Misbehavior Report stated. The lieutenant showed me the evidence. It was a little Gideon Pocket Testament, the same kind that God used to touch my heart about seventeen years ago.
So I humbly told the hearing officer that, yes, I probably gave the Bible to the man mentioned in the report. I explained to him that it was my job, as a "Program Aide," to go from cell to cell while I was working at the Intermediate Care Program, to minister to the residents.
It was my responsibility, I told the lieutenant, to look for signs of depression in each man. That I was there to help them write letters home, pray for them when asked to do so, and give assistance to every man in any way that I could. And of course, this included giving a prisoner a Bible when he asked for one.
The lieutenant, after listening to my explanation, acknowledged that he knew I was a Christian and that I have concern for the men. But he also admonished me because the rule says I am not allowed to give anything to another man, not even a Bible or a religious book, without first obtaining permission.
He also acknowledged my good institutional record, that I had not received a misbehavior "write-up" since 1989. Some prisoners log a dozen or more Misbehavior reports against them in a year's time.
Nevertheless, I was found guilty of breaking rule 113.15, making an "unauthorized exchange." I was to be automatically fined five dollars, which is the required penalty for all Tier 11 misbehavior infractions. Fortunately, however, I was given no other penalties, such as confinement to my cell.
Finally, the lieutenant counseled me not to do this again. And when the hearing was officially completed at 9:39, I was then free to go back to my cell block and return to work.
Overall, the hearing itself went well. I spoke respectfully to the lieutenant. I only gave a Bible to another prisoner. Other guys who are found guilty of making an "Unauthorized Exchange" usually get such a charge for passing weapons or drugs, or for trying to pass other forms of contraband.
Later, I told another officer, a man whom I've known for many years, that if the inmates only handed books and Bibles to one another, he wouldn't have anything to worry about. He laughed and admitted that it was probably true.
Yet while I was not upset about getting a ticket for giving another inmate a Bible, I did feel foolish. I'm 51 years old. So having to report to the Disciplinary Office, then being required to sit on a chair with my hands folded meekly in my lap, while a sharply dressed lieutenant sat behind a big wooden desk as he eyeballed me suspiciously, reminded me of being an adolescent in junior high school getting summoned to the Dean's Office for a scolding.
I felt like a naughty little boy who got caught for putting a rotten egg on a hot radiator in a classroom, causing the room to stink.
The write-up seemed pointless. Of course, I kept this thought to myself.
D.B.
The prison's administration has up to two weeks to call an inmate to answer to charges on a "Tier 11 level Misbehavior report. Thus, my being summoned today was within the allowable time limit, according to the State of New York Department of Correctional Services "Standards of Inmate Behavior for all Institutions" manual.
Here at Sullivan Correctional Facility, the Disciplinary Office is located near the front portion of the prison in close proximity to the package room, visiting room, and a short distance from the Infirmary.
To get there, I had to walk down three long corridors, passing through a metal detector at a checkpoint that is located at one of the central corridors. Then, once through the metal door at the entrance to the
Disciplinary Office, I handed my pass to the officer on duty at the main desk. He in turn directed me to a waiting room where I had to sit until I would be called into the lieutenant's office to answer the charge.
The waiting room is a 15x15 windowless square with wooden benches placed against the side walls. Each bench is bolted to the floor.
This morning, the otherwise barren room had sitting on its benches several gloomy faced men who were, like me, awaiting their turn to defend themselves against the various rule infractions each was charged with.
At approximately 9:25 my name was called. I entered the lieutenant's office and my hearing officially commenced at 9:27. It was also recorded on tape. A small tape recorder sat on the desk positioned between the lieutenant and myself, as is the standard procedure for Tier 11 hearings. The charge was then read to me. Next, the hearing officer asked me how I was going to plead, and if I had an explanation for my actions.
I also discovered that it was not a book about prayer that I was accused of giving to the other inmate, as the Misbehavior Report stated. The lieutenant showed me the evidence. It was a little Gideon Pocket Testament, the same kind that God used to touch my heart about seventeen years ago.
So I humbly told the hearing officer that, yes, I probably gave the Bible to the man mentioned in the report. I explained to him that it was my job, as a "Program Aide," to go from cell to cell while I was working at the Intermediate Care Program, to minister to the residents.
It was my responsibility, I told the lieutenant, to look for signs of depression in each man. That I was there to help them write letters home, pray for them when asked to do so, and give assistance to every man in any way that I could. And of course, this included giving a prisoner a Bible when he asked for one.
The lieutenant, after listening to my explanation, acknowledged that he knew I was a Christian and that I have concern for the men. But he also admonished me because the rule says I am not allowed to give anything to another man, not even a Bible or a religious book, without first obtaining permission.
He also acknowledged my good institutional record, that I had not received a misbehavior "write-up" since 1989. Some prisoners log a dozen or more Misbehavior reports against them in a year's time.
Nevertheless, I was found guilty of breaking rule 113.15, making an "unauthorized exchange." I was to be automatically fined five dollars, which is the required penalty for all Tier 11 misbehavior infractions. Fortunately, however, I was given no other penalties, such as confinement to my cell.
Finally, the lieutenant counseled me not to do this again. And when the hearing was officially completed at 9:39, I was then free to go back to my cell block and return to work.
Overall, the hearing itself went well. I spoke respectfully to the lieutenant. I only gave a Bible to another prisoner. Other guys who are found guilty of making an "Unauthorized Exchange" usually get such a charge for passing weapons or drugs, or for trying to pass other forms of contraband.
Later, I told another officer, a man whom I've known for many years, that if the inmates only handed books and Bibles to one another, he wouldn't have anything to worry about. He laughed and admitted that it was probably true.
Yet while I was not upset about getting a ticket for giving another inmate a Bible, I did feel foolish. I'm 51 years old. So having to report to the Disciplinary Office, then being required to sit on a chair with my hands folded meekly in my lap, while a sharply dressed lieutenant sat behind a big wooden desk as he eyeballed me suspiciously, reminded me of being an adolescent in junior high school getting summoned to the Dean's Office for a scolding.
I felt like a naughty little boy who got caught for putting a rotten egg on a hot radiator in a classroom, causing the room to stink.
The write-up seemed pointless. Of course, I kept this thought to myself.
D.B.
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