Why Allow It To Continue?

Since my arrival at Wakefields Close Supervision Centre (CSC), I have experienced something unlike any other prison in the pure extent of the blatant racism which is encouraged by prison officers. Benefits and bonuses are given to racist prisoners, whilst others are kept in total isolation from each other and there is little action which can be taken against the culprits.

For several weeks now the racist Islamaphobic prisoner Nathan Livesy from Manchester has been the main perpetrator of these attacks. Currently undergoing an assessment for his suitability for selection onto the CSC system following slashing another prisoners face at HMP Manchester, and expulsion from Ashworth High security hospital due to his predatory behaviour, Livesy is looking for any way possible to please his captors. He has taken to squirting urine and spitting out of the window onto the ethnic minorities which the officers deliberately place in the exercise cage directly adjacent to his cell, as well as continuously abusing them whilst the officers stand by laughing. Having made open threats to "kill the first Muslim" he sees, Livesy believes he will be returned to normal location in order to carry out his plan.

Supporting Livesy in all these actions is the uncle Tom suffering from a serious identity crisis, Clifton 'Yankee' Jeter. As reported in the news last month, Jeter is "terrified" of Muslim prisoners and so he deliberately acts to avoid ever having to mix with any. However this does not excuse his racist abuse which is so frequent he has been rewarded with a Playstation 2, DVD player and extra gym sessions by the oppressors managing the unit. Having obviously lost much through the self imposed isolation he has been in since 2011, Jeter has been just as easy as Livesy to manipulate into doing the screws bidding.

Other prisoners engaging in this discriminatory behaviour include Nathan Mann from Leicester and Simon Meyer from Manchester. Both of these suffer from serious mental illness, Mann having been repeatedly referred to Brampton Hospital and Meyer having been expelled from Ashworth hospital, making them vulnerable to the poison spread by the officers racist views. They have been told they have earned progressive moves to HMP Woodhill CSC where they intend to continue in the same fashion. Considering Mann is in prison for breaking into an old peoples home, touching up an old woman as she slept then killing her before repeating the actions against her neighbour, you would expect him to keep quiet and avoid becoming involved in conflict, but with the encouragement of his fellow racists he seems to have nothing to fear.

Imagine all this on a daily basis taking place, yet reportedly in the Guardian was the so called Mindfulness being offered here. In an environment which is structurally oppressive coupled with the extreme discrimination present and brutal regime, any claim of a meditation class is totally ridiculous. Meditation is not the cure to being tortured, especially when it is being offered by those conducting the torture. Close the unit down and ban solitary confinement which has been proven to cause serious harm, then maybe the victims of Wakefield's CSC will not need to meditate! The most expensive unit in the prison system is also the worst, why allow it to continue?

Tuesday 3rd November 2015

Kevan Thakrar A4907AE
Close Supervision Centre
HMP Wakefield
5 Love Lane
Wakefield
WF2 9AG