Hello. My name is brother Khalfani Malik Khaldun, and I am calling in from Miami Correctional Facility.
I’m considered an Indiana political prisoner. I’ve been here for close to a year now, and I’ve tried to be a positive influence in my environment, but that’s not always possible because you have reactionaries all around the place.
But I would like to say: here recently, an incident occurred on December 23rd where I was singled out and had to defend myself from an approaching individual running my way. I felt that I had to defend myself. If not, I wouldn’t have never lifted a hand or finger in this situation. I swung at the guy, and I missed with the swing, but his body impacted on me, so I pushed him away. And then I secured in my cell.
On February 16th, I was served a conduct infraction by the title of a Class A 102 Battery with a serious bodily injury. Of course, one punch could not have initiated any type of serious violent injury. So I would like to make that clear that they are personalizing this situation.
Anyway, on the 17th of February, I was placed into a situation where the disciplinary hearing board hearing officer conducted a hearing, and she found me guilty for a serious bodily injury battery of Class A 102, one of the highest charges that you could have in the Indiana Department of Corrections. Her name is sergeant T. Carter.
She sanctioned me to 180 days in solitary confinement. She also placed me under what they call restitution of a hundred thousand dollars. I don’t know where this came from. Also, she demoted me down from an earning credit class from one to three. She gave me 155 day commissary restrictions. And she also took away 180 good days that she could have left alone, but they were earning credit days, so she took 180 days from me. I have served in total 120 years from December 13th of 1994 to 2014 when I was released the general population after 20 years, and she did not consider the fact that I’m also diagnosed with suffering from severe depression and chronic anxiety. She continued to make this situation worse by bombarding me with this $100,000 restitution when knowing I could not pay $100,000 restitution, but that within itself speaks to her and her colleagues and the unit wanted to make my life a living hell for the rest of my prison bid so that I would not be comfortable while prison here in the Indiana Department of Correction.
I still have remaining on my time maybe close to seven to 10 years left, but due to this conduct report, my release date went from 2034 to 2049, and that is a tragedy within itself. But within time, you know, maybe one year or six months, I would probably get close to having that out date return, but they always take 30 to 60 days away from me, so I don’t think I’m going to get all that time back.
But for now, I would like to say that as a result of this conduct of report, I am currently sitting in solitary confinement without a TV, without my personal food. I was given some hygiene maybe two weeks ago and I was denied a shower for at least five days until, you know, it came time when they were allowed, the unit that I’m on to using showers.
This is a serious matter, because you know, I am 53 years old, and I’m suffering from some chronic illnesses, and they have went out of their way to prevent me from having outside phone calls with my lawyers. I haven’t- every time my lawyer calling in to check on me, they’re telling them that they have to wait for someone who’s on maternity leave to return to arrange a phone call which I think is very crazy, because in the end when a lawyer is calling in to meet with a client, it is mandatory that they approve a phone call or a visit for attorney-client privilege. But this has been denied to me.
I am also being denied access to my mental health reports, and I am hoping that the outside will do me a favor and reach out to the Indiana governor’s office and demand that I be seen by mental health and that my medical attention is paid attention to, as well as today, I declared myself on a hunger strike. I don’t know how long I would have to go on this hunger strike, but I can go on and stand firm as long as I have to until some of my immediate needs are tended to.
It appears that the Indiana Department of Corrections are going out of their way to blackball me at this moment, so I’m calling on all the supporters that I have, the revolutionary community, the political community, and the activist community to step up on my behalf and call the governor’s office and demand that an investigation be launched into why they’re holding me back here, and the treatment that they’re subjected me to.
Power to the people. And this ends my interview. Brother Khalfani Malik Khaldun, and I am currently housed at the Miami Correctional Facility. You may Google this address if you want to get in touch with me at any time, or you may go to www.gtl.com and set up an account where you can write me and send me emails and things of that nature.
Okay, take care of yourself, and God bless everyone.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.