On May 11, 2008 I came forward to prison officials about something illegal going on. At first I did not tell them the truth because I feared for my safety! The Office of the Inspector General came the same day and talked to me. When they started talking to me I asked them if I told the truth could they protect me. They said yes so I proceeded to tell them that gang members were trying to extort me into doing something illegal. They brought the Major of the unit in and I talked to him. I asked if he could keep me in segregation till I was shipped off the Unit. He agreed. The Major also wrote me a major disciplinary case for the illegal activity. I went to disciplinary court and was found guilty. I pleaded not guilty. I then asked the Disciplinary Captain if I could be kept in segregation until I left the Unit because I feared for my life. He agreed. I then went in front of the Warden for classification. I asked him if I could stay in segregation until I left the Unit. He also agreed because I feared for my life.
Almost two weeks later a fight broke out in the chow hall. The next day I was moved into a transit cell because they claimed they needed the Segregation Cells. I was put in a cell with an offender that was under investigation for having a relationship with a female officer. She was bringing him tobacco and drugs. He would not tell the officials anything so they stuck him in transit.
A few weeks went by and everything seemed all right. This offender I later found out was a gang member. Then late one night this offender starts telling me that his home boys told him I was a snitch and that I told on myself and another guy. He then said how do I know the warden didn’t put you in the cell with me to find out information about him and the officer. He started yelling and cussing. See in transit we are confined to our cells. We come out for showers and that’s it and we are both supposed to be handcuffed for that. Anyways he’s yelling and cussing calling me the law. He then sticks a razor blade to my throat and tells me he is going to fuck him a law. He then said if I was the law then they would come running in and save me. I begged and pleaded with him not to rape me. He then says okay I’ll make the law suck my dick. He still has the razor to my throat he pulls out his penis and makes me give him oral sex. When we are done he makes me brush my teeth. He then tells me I guess you ain’t the law because they didn’t run in and save me. He then says that if I tried to get help anytime he would cut me and kill me.
So the next morning I am waiting for showers. The officers working our building that day were lazy! They called showers from the P.A. system and when we answered they then rolled our doors. I was looking for an officer so I could get help. There were none. The offender followed me all the way to the shower with a razor blade in this hand and all the way back. The officers are supposed to handcuff us both and escort us to the showers but they didn’t. So I waited and waited. That night while the other offender that raped me slept, I called over to the next cell to a guy we called Smokey. I asked him if I could borrow a magazine. He shot me a line over with it on it. I had a note already wrote that read, “My cellie is trying to rape me, please help.” Later that night two officers came to my door and told me to get dressed. I did they pulled me out. I was then taken to a sergeant and I told her all that happened.
I am currently at a prison mental hospital getting treatment for what happened to me. I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression. I have nightmares. I wonder a lot if it was my fault. I wonder what I could have done to prevent it. I also feel like I am not a full man anymore because of what happened to me. I stay depressed. I am constantly trying to get put somewhere safe such as Safe Keeping because not only was I sexually assaulted I have gang members after me too!
The prison officials won’t do anything to keep me safe. I am still in population even after all the letters I wrote to prison officials. I believe it is the prison officials’ fault I was sexually assaulted because they put me in a cell with someone who they wanted information from and I was considered a sSnitch. So I am going to do my best to survive in here so I can go home to my wife and kids.
– Christopher, Texas