Questions for Prison Activists
Scenario #2
So, a queer friend here has a bad gambling habit. He gets into debt and into trouble with the people he owes. He moved onto my block, and a guy who is known for targeting white and biracial, smaller prisoners for sex reeled him in. This guy would loan my friend jailhouse currency and offer to cover debts he owed other prisoners. Then, this guy pressures my friend to have sex to resolve the debt. He has done this to him a number of times.
Today, after unsuccessfully searching for over a week for ways to pay off the debt he owes this guy, my friend went inside the guy’s cell and had sex with him. Afterwards, the guy leaves the cell and goes to the yard. My friend was stuck in the cell due to traffic on the block. If he snuck out everyone would see him. Eventually, an officer doing rounds saw him in the cell and confronted him. He was escorted to his cell and locked in. When the other guy returned to the block, he feigned ignorance. Now, guys are talking on the block. They know what happened because the guy has a reputation as a predator.
My friend wants out of the situation. He is still in debt and doesn’t know what to do. He even contemplated physically assaulting the guy. It’s a bad situation. The guy is the type of person who sees nothing wrong with anything he does. We all live on the same block. The officers enable this guy’s behavior. Now, they know what’s up, they are covering their asses. If it is reported, the first question will be how was he able to do this. It falls back on the officers. I don’t know what to do. My first priority is Jerry’s safety. I also want to prevent this from happening again. Reporting it will not really resolve the issue. It would make things worse in some ways.
We definitely need some advice and guidance about this one.
Always,
Stevie
Dreaming Freedom, Practicing Abolition 