Transferred, Beaten and Abused: The Ongoing Persecution of Kevin “Rashid” Johnson by the u.s. Penal State

The following is from a letter just received from Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party Prison Chapter. As previously reported here, Rashid was recently transferred from Oregon to Texas, likely in retaliation for his ongoing work reporting on and challenging abuses by the prisoncrats.

As can be seen here, Rashid is once again being targeted for physical and psychological abuse, with the goal of “breaking him”, i.e. destroying who he is and reducing him to a compliant inmate of their torture system. Rashid explains:

I was flown here to Texas on Jun 14. The day after I’d talked to [my lawyer] and wasn’t set for another call for several weeks. It was all timed and premeditated to carry out foul designs.

First I was sent to a prison called Byrd Unit, where, as soon as I showed up they put me in shackles, and cuffed me at the waist so my arms were immobile. Then a goon squad in waiting (hiding) forcibly cut all my hair off. Then they use the fact that I quite predictably resisted to speciously justify sending me to their long term solitary confinement prison called the Estelle Unit, where I remain.

Soon as I got here I’m met by another goon squad, then cuffed behind and leg shackled after a strip search. They then took me into an office where the Assistant Warden Wayne Brewer, Major David Forrest and Captain James A. McKee were. When I properly asked Brewer who he was, he barked “shut up motherfucker. I’m doing the talking!” I was then immediately attacked by Forrest and McKee who repeatedly choked and hit me in the face and head, while Brewer went into a tirade of curses and threats to “break” me, “kill” me, etc. When I could breathe I just talked shit back. When they got tired, I was kicked out of the office and taken to a cell by the goon squad, when an injured throat and swollen left jaw. All requests for medical care have been ignored.

I have since been subjected to cell and strip searches at least every 30 minutes to 2 hours around the clock, every day. When I questioned this on Jun 19, I was promptly met by another goon squad. I came out for the search without issue. Then I was ‘escorted’ back into the cell, laid on the floor in back of the cell out of view of a present portable audio-video camera and punched and kicked several times in the head and face.

The cells are full of mildew, black mold and roach infested. Prisoners are routinely beaten and abused back here. In fact the one housed in the cell directly in front of me, Edward Long #579657, was beaten while handcuffed behind. His right face if bruised and he has a laceration on the left side held shut with sutures tape. His left eye is surrounded by a black ring and his back is badly bruised.

They stole and trashed my address book which had all my contacts’ addresses and #’s.

I protested the haircut on spiritual grounds and was told Texas allows no exceptions. VA and OR blatantly violated my rights by sending me to a system where they knew I’d be shaved by force when they could have compacted me to a system that has no such requirements. See, Gortrell v. Ashcroft, 191 F. Supp 2d 23, 38-40 (2002). Also frequent searches even one a day are illegal. Blanks v. Smith, 790 F. Supp. 192, 194 (1992).

Also they gave me several bogus charges from the Byrd Unit, which McKee, who assaulted me, presided as hearings officer over, refused to let me appear and found me guilty.

Now is a particularly important time to reach out and let this comrade know that he is in our thoughts – even a postcard with a simple message saying hello would be welcome at a time like this – and in doing so, you also let his current captors know that he is not alone, and that despite their efforts he is not isolated from us.

Write to Rashid at:

Kevin Johnson
TDCJ # 01859887
Estelle 2 Unit
264 FM Road 3478
Huntsville, TX 77320

Make sure a first and last name are clearly printed in the return address section of the envelope or your mail will be returned. Also, remember not to say anything that would give the guards an excuse to mess with Rashid more than they already are.

To learn more about Rashid, check out his website at rashidmod.com