A call for reason and fairness in the case of
U.S. vs. Walter Anderson

CONDITIONS OF INCARCERATION for WALT ANDERSON

(This is the web-enabled version of a report on Walt's treatment while in the DC facility)

SENSORY DEPRIVATION

During the time that Mr. Anderson was held at CDF solitary confinement he was kept in his small cell 24 hours per day.  This cell had 2 tiny windows, which were painted over on the outside so that it was not possible to know if it was day or night.  The lights in the central areas near his cell were kept on 24 hours per day.

The SE-2 housing area where Mr. Anderson has spent the last 10 months has no windows in the common area and no way for him to know if it is day or night, winter or summer.

The lights in SE-2 housing unit remain on in the common areas 24 hours per day.  The small cell that Mr. Anderson shares with another inmate has no windows at all.  The cell is painted white and inmates are not allowed to put any pictures or other things on the walls.

CTF and CDF official form time to time have decided to limit the number of books that Mr. Anderson is allowed to have in his cell and on a number of occasions have seized his reading materials leaving him without anything to read.  This has further aggravated the effects of sensory deprivation.

Inmates spend 20 or more hours locked into this sensory deprived environment.  This environment combined with the sleep deprivation is not conducive to mental or physical health.

STRIP SEARCHES

The American Correctional Association recommends that  “ A strip search of the general population inmates is only conducted when there is a reasonable belief that the inmate may be in possession of an item of contraband.  The least invasive form of search is conducted”. This is part of their publication titled   “PERFOMANCE BASED STANDARDS FOR ADULT LOCAL DETENTION” (fourth edition).   The CDF personnel completely ignore this standard and routinely use strip searches for no reason.

The CDF facility officers conduct strip searches in large public groups each time and time enters of leaves the facility.  This includes visits to Court or other outside visits

Strip searches are also conducted on inmates in the solitary confinement unit whenever they leave the unit for legal visits and often at time when they leave the unit for visits in other parts of the CDF facility such as medical appointments.

Strip searches are also conducted during shakedowns (searches) of the housing units which can occur multiple times each year. 

Mr. Anderson has been strip searched over 68 times at the CDF facility.  This is more than 1 time for each week he has been in the CCF facility.

The public strip searches conducted in large groups are extremely problematic and the CDF has already lost a number of class action lawsuits, which include strip searches, and an element of the case.   CDF officials have not changed their policies or practice despite the lack of support form correctional experts and the legal losses in civil actions.

None of the strip searches of Mr. Anderson have ever revealed any contraband.

SHAKEDOWNS / CELL SEARCHES

CTF and CDF officers do shakedowns of inmate cells at various times.  Mr. Anderson has been shaken down over 45 times since he has been incarcerated. 

In some of these shakedowns the officers involved have destroyed the order and arrangement of all the legal papers, which Mr. Anderson had in his cell.  This has occurred 6 times.   It is not necessary to disrupt legal papers to search for contraband and in most cases the officers were able to search with any permanent disruption or damage to the legal documents.

No inmate has any right to or expectation of privacy due to the “security” issues of the facilities

OTHER CONDITIONS AT CTF

Mr. Anderson has also suffered from:

Abusive and threatening officers and staff. 

Abusive and threatening inmates, which should not have been in the general population.

Officer and staff, which are impaired by drugs or alcohol use while on duty.

Racial discrimination

Retaliation for making legitimate complaints about conditions

This document is not a complete record of all the conditions at the CTF and CDF facilities.  Many other problems and conditions not mentions in this document exist and many of the conditions effected Mr. Anderson. [EXHIBITS in support of this document can be found on the "Records" page]

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