Guest post by Condemned USA
January 6TH, Prisoner Dominic Pezzola’s life within the Federal Bureau of Prisons has been anything but ‘rehabilitative.’ Each passing day of his ten-year sentence reveals a system marred by injustice and riddled with apparent apathy from those tasked with his care while in custody. Lisa, his wife, remains resolute in her role on the outside, relaying the brutal realities of Dominic’s ordeal to those willing to listen.
Earlier this year, Dominic was thrust into the cruel isolation of the Special Housing Unit (SHU) for an inexplicable 45 days. Dom told Lisa that prison authorities offered no explanation, leaving him in the dark about his alleged transgressions. After his release from the SHU, it was just two weeks later that the entire prison was placed under lockdown for more than two weeks due to a stabbing incident in a separate unit, no amount of explanation in the aftermath could undo the damage of what amounts to collective punishment. The prison walls seem impervious to reason, punishing every inmate indiscriminately, regardless of their involvement in the incident.
Dom’s confusion over the sudden confinement was compounded by the fact that he never received a formal write-up, a violation notice that typically accompanies punitive measures. For all he knew, the authorities had deemed him guilty without affording him the right to understand his supposed crimes.
Dominic’s release from the SHU was as abrupt as his initial confinement. No explanation was immediately given, and the slate was wiped clean as if the ordeal had never occurred. Through the proverbial grapevine, he learned that the prison authorities swiftly concluded the investigation of the stabbing within 48 hours. Without further explanation from BOP officials, to either Dom or his wife Lisa, motives behind the extended lockdown and solitary confinement remain unclear.
Many inmates believe that what happens with frequent and extended periods of lockdown are more than just arbitrary measures. In fact, many allege they are but one component of a systemic strategy rooted in corruption.
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Dom, and others familiar with BOP policy, say the frequency of lockdowns contributes to the prison’s designation on an official danger scale, an insidious cycle that ensures hazard pay for the staff while leaving inmates in a perpetual state of uncertainty.
The deplorable conditions Dom continues to experience within the prison walls illustrate a harsh reality that extends far beyond the general understanding of the public. Five-minute showers during lockdowns are the norm, disregarding basic human dignity. The Bureau of Prisons, it seems, is more concerned with external image and financial gains than the well-being of those it confines.
Whether or not this is objectively true, it cannot be denied that a financial incentive exists.
So, while lockdown conditions have been detrimental to Dominic’s mental well-being, his physical well-being has also suffered – even though he is housed in the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina. His medical condition, a genuine gastrointestinal issue, led him there. However, the promised GI scope, crucial for his health, remains elusive despite four months of desperate need.
In what can only be described as further disappointment, the prison has yet to make good on the many promises of programs and jobs for Dom. While officials tout these opportunities as readily available, the reality has been in stark contrast – revealing a lack of actual programs that would allow inmates the chance to earn early release days, despite qualifying under the First Step Act.
***Please help Dominic here***
Weekends remain a bleak period for communication, with the prison instituting a lockdown every Friday to Monday, citing a staff shortage. Abrupt cancellations often make family plans to visit in vain, further underscoring the prison’s apparent lack of consideration for the emotional toll on both inmates and their loved ones.
As Lisa and Dom continue to grapple with the horrors of their situation, their hope is that their story can serve as a beacon amid the shadows – informing all who would listen about the injustice of a system that seems designed to crush the spirit and dignity of those it confines.
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