Terri Been, Sister of Death Row Inmate Alleges "The Guards Sold Cell Phones to Death Row Inmates"

When a death row inmate in Texas was caught speaking with a news reporter from his death row cell, the entire Texas prison system went on full lockdown. All inmates, cells and facilities were on a state wide "shakedown". This lockdown meant inmates would be without visitation rights, hot meals, limited showers, and no recreation time. Cell pnones, chargers weapons and drugs were confiscated from this state lockdown.

Most of the units were locked down for a month, and some more than that. Visitation has been resumed, and the inmates are back to what is as normal as can be, but there are now problems as a result with this statewide lockdown. I intervied Terri Been, sister to a death row inmate, Jeff Wood, whose execution date was stayed after much protesting on behalf of his family, friends, and supporters.

Read what Terri had to say and the real truth about the Texas Prison Lockdown, and who is to blame.

Terri, please give us a bio about yourself.

I am 36 years old and currently reside in Lampasas, Texas. I am a certified teacher, and have a Maters Degree in Education.

I understand your brother Jeff Wood is an inmate on the Polunsky Unit, death row in Texas, how often do you visit him?

I am very ashamed to say that I normally visit my brother only 3 or 4 times a year. The unit my brother is on is approximately 5 hours from my home, and it takes major funding to make the journey.

Since the lockdown and cell phone scandal, what precautions are the guards at that unit using?

The Polunsky unit is on what I call "full alert". Extensive property searches are being conducted on all visitors and their property once they enter the compound. In addition, to the property searches performed on their vehicles, and their belongings, all individuals are to succumb to extensive personal body searches as well.

Do you feel this is necessary?

These searches are absolutely uncalled for and are a violation of my body and personal space.

Is this treatment humiliating and degrading to visitors?

This treatment is absolutely a humiliating experience to the visitors, but what makes it worse is that is preformed in front of others, which completely adds to the degradation.

When you visit your brother, is there any physical contact at all?

No. Death Row visitors in Texas are never allowed contact visits...no exceptions. This rule applies even when it is the "last visit" right before their execution. Once they are on the row, they NEVER are allowed physical contact with their loved ones ever again. (Now to be quite honest, this is what irritates me more than anything, we (the visitors) are being subjected to what I would call sexual harassment just to get in the building, but we NEVER are able to touch them or come in contact with them at all. Everybody knows that it is the guards sneaking the contraband into the facility, but we are the ones to pay the price for it.)

How is the visiting room set up?

In order to enter the visitation room, one must pass through a total of 4 steel doors; 2 at check in, and 2 once you enter the main building. The visitation room is actually quite large, but Death row visitors are confined to the back corner of the visitation room. There are approximately 20 seats in front of booths (caged cells) with a double pane of unbreakable Plexiglas between you and your loved one. Inmates are shackled at their hands, (and sometimes their feet) when they get to you. They are forced to contort their bodies just to be able to fit their hands through a slot so their cuffs can be taken off. Watching their faces while they go through this sometimes painful ordeal is absolutely heartbreaking, but that is getting off the subject. Sorry. All communication is done through telephones, and there are guards walking up and down the entire time, "keeping an eye" on you.

Is there any possible way a visitor could smuggle in any contraband at all, and give it to an inmate? (broken glass, spaces, cracks etc.)

Not to a death row inmate. No it is quite impossible unless you are a guard and have personal contact with the inmate. I could see how this might be a problem for general population who are allowed contact visits, but again it is not possible for Death Row inmates.

The lockdown lasted for over a month, how did this affect the inmates?

Inmates are locked in their cells 23 hours a day, and usually have no verbal contact with anybody until they are approached by guards who are doing checks, or when they are lucky enough to get a visit. Visitations are all the "hope" and "happiness" that some of these guys have, and that was taken from them for an extended period of time. In addition to the overall sense of dread and depression, they were pretty much starved to death. I do not care what the officers say, those guys were starved, and deprived basic staples they were entitled to. My brother for instance lost between 25 and 30 pounds while on lockdown. These guys already receive substandard food, but Johnny bags three times a day is ridiculous! In addition, property was taken from a majority of these guys, and most of them are without a fan, a hot plate to heat their food, a radio, typewriters etc. As a family member, I cannot afford to keep replacing these items for my brother, but on the other hand; I feel that I must because they are already without so much...how much more should they endure? Basic human contact is one of seven things a human is in need of, and a radio might seem like a simple thing to you and me, but is their link to the outside world; and keeps many not only informed, but sane.

Please also let us not forget that these guys were technically on lockdown for over a month due to the hurricane that had hit weeks before.

What changes have you noticed in your brother Jeff because of this lockdown?

He is more worried and depressed than normal. He feels absolutely cut off from the world not only because of the visits, but because they also apparently withheld his mail as well, (so he went weeks without a letter from anyone). This was honestly the worst I have seen my brother in a while. He cried a lot, and even spoke of suicide; something that has not been discussed for years. I felt hatred for the staff when I left that place (even more than I did when I entered the place), and I am sorry to say that I was a little more disrespectful than I should have been, but I will not tolerate the abuse my brother has to face; and I spoke my mind about it.

The inmates on death row are not allowed to make phone calls are they?

Well the answer might as well be no! Death Row inmates are allowed one 5 minute phone call every six months, BUT paperwork has to be filled out in advance (an I-60 form), and has to be approved. Many calls are not approved. In the 12 years my brother has been on death row, I have received 1 phone call.

If phones were installed and inmates were allowed to phone their loved ones and friends do you feel the inmates would be less desperate for a cell phone?

Absolutely!!! Most of the guys who have phones just use them to call their moms, and girlfriends/wives. More often than not they use the phone because they need to feel loved. But I want to make one thing VERY clear; 9 times out of 10 it is the guards who approach these inmates with these kinds of propositions. I know for a FACT, that the guards get $5000 per cell phone! I also know that a $40 refill card goes for $500. Guards approach these guys, with ideas and schemes such as the cell phone, when they need money. (I'll not mention the other things that are offered.)

Do you feel this cell phone scandal and lockdown was actually the result of a corrupt Texas prison system?

The system as a whole in Texas is corrupt, not just the prison system itself; but to answer your question...yes this was absolutely a result of corruption, and once again it is the inmates and their family members who are made to suffer. Punishment or not, inmates deserve to be treated as human beings, and there will always be corruption as long as basic human rights are being violated! Desperate situations lead to desperate acts!

Terri has shed some light to the truth of the corruption of Texas prison guards. It may only be a handful, but that handful put the Texas prison system on lockdown for at least a month. It was the inmates, and now the family and friends of inmates who in the longrun are suffering because of it. I myself have not heard of any Correction officers who have been charged with bringing contraband into the prisons. I have not seen one Correction officers name in print, although several inmates and family members have been mentioned in articles. Even when the Correction officers are the gulty ones, it's still the inmates who pay the price.

Source:

Interview with Terri Been