Fletchette
Member
It only happens to terrorists, right?
Check out this smuggled letter from a guy accused (not proven) of tax fraud (not "terrorism"):
So much for ‘Rights of the Accussed’.
http://www.justiceforwalt.com/public/fromwalt_11_05.html
Check out this smuggled letter from a guy accused (not proven) of tax fraud (not "terrorism"):
So much for ‘Rights of the Accussed’.
http://www.justiceforwalt.com/public/fromwalt_11_05.html
(This is the text of a letter received from Walt in the DC jail in late November. it was handwritten in pencil on the back of recycled legal documents, transcribed by his assistant, Donna. Some minor edits have been made for legal and space considerations.)
I am a United States citizen, but I find myself in what could be described as a third world prison. I have been incarcerated since February 28, 2005, prior to my trial on a financial/tax matter related to my job of the last twelve years managing the endowment of a not-for-profit organization. I am 52 years old and have never been involved in any serious criminal matters or even a minor financial scandal.
The prison is near the edge of the Capitol City of the country. I moved into this city 21 years ago thinking it would be a comfortable place to work and live. I travel a lot for my work but was always happy to return to my home here. I never believed that the government...in this country would turn its attention against me.
The city is reasonably prosperous but, unfortunately, the political climate which is nominally “free” and “democratic” has been edging into a more polarized and "security-conscious" attitude.
Nevertheless, I remained here because I was comfortable. My home is on the top floor of a building with a view of the river which passes from the mountains down through the city. Having lived here so long I know the territory: which restaurants are good, which shops have the things I need and, of course, I have developed many personal connections over a long period of time. When I learned about the IRS and Justice Department's investigations, I could have easily remained overseas, but I chose not to. I did so because I am certain of my innocence, and naively believed that would actually make a difference once the authorities invested sufficient time into their “investigation” to want a result.
Perhaps I was an easy target. I lived in this capitol city but never sought to 'buy" any political influence, unlike many corporate leaders and financiers. Many of my business activities are outside the country and my goal has always been to achieve on merit and hard work, not through politics, favors or corrupt dealings like, unfortunately, much of the business in this city. Some of the causes I have supported were not politically popular.
The jail in which I have been placed is one of two facilities in the city. One is the older jail which is falling apart but still overflowing with inmates. The other, newer facility, of which the government is very proud, is next door to the old facility, yet is also overcrowded.
When I was charged my lawyers tried to convince the judge to release me. However, the prosecutor convinced him that so much of my life was outside the country there was nothing here to hold me. Very senior government officials had made public comments about this case and the judge, perhaps out of caution, decided to play it safe and incarcerate me.
I am housed in a unit in “Building D”. This building holds around 350 persons. I have now been here for eight months or so trying to prepare for my trial. I had a top law firm working on the case during the investigation. This firm had worked with me for many years on other matters. I believe the government has intimidated this firm into dropping out of the case. They will not even return my phone calls.
I was able to hire one of the most prestigious law firms in the city. They were very costly. This firm has won some major cases against the government. A few months after I hired this firm the government helped to block the funds which were paying for my defense. This firm no longer wants to hear from me either.
A few months after my incarceration, possibly due to the poor air quality in the prison, I came down with a very serious respiratory infection. I repeatedly asked to see a doctor but had to wait four weeks while the infection worsened. Finally, I saw a person claiming to be a doctor. I was not given the antibiotics needed to cure the infection. I waited another four weeks and was having some very serious breathing problems. From outside the facility my family and friends began calling. To avoid bad publicity, the senior doctor finally saw me and provided the correct medication.
Building D is fully enclosed with tiny windows which can not be opened. During the hottest part of the year, the air conditioning failed in the building. The inside temperature during the day was like an oven, often reaching above 130 degrees F and never going below 100 degrees for weeks at a time. This continued for six weeks. The local newspaper finally wrote an article about the conditions and the air conditioning was repaired within a few days.
The warden was clearly not focused on medical care or infrastructure of his facility. He spent some of his time visiting the individual rooms of the inmates to make sure that no personal pictures were taped on the wall. He would tear them down personally or have his assistant do it.
Lawyers visiting their clients in the facility often wait an hour or more for their clients to walk the five minutes to the visiting halls. The staff required to “escort” prisoners was often busy with private matters and could not be bothered.
The prisoners are allowed to receive paperback books sent by family and friends. The books are to be sent by book dealers or publishers directly. Most of the books sent to me were returned. This happened over thirty times. I did receive books a few times. Perhaps the person in charge of "returning books" was off duty those days.
My legal and personal mail is often lost or delayed. Outgoing mail sometimes never arrives. The commissary sells stamps but for five weeks my orders were blocked so I had no stamps. One of my friends tried to send me some in a personal letter. The stamps were “seized” and I was told that this "contraband" (stamps) could be considered to be part of an “escape attempt” (!).
The first draft of this story was taken from among my personal and legal documents during a search of my room. Some other documents were also taken. This is supposed to be illegal under this country’s Constitution. That did not seem to concern the official much.
Now my lawyers are not allowed to see me in person. My case involves a lot of documents but we must work with thick glass separating us. We can not talk to each other because the electronic “phone” does not work. We must try to shout through the glass.
On November 29, 2005, I was moved into “total segregation”. I did not get to keep any of my things. I was placed in a dirty room. I do not have soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, towels, pillows, clean sheets, toilet paper, brush or a comb. I have no legal tablets. I managed to hold onto one pen. I am writing this on the back of another document. Five days ago most of my legal documents have been taken away from me and put into storage. When I asked for toilet paper one of the guards jokingly suggested I prepare a “shopping list”. I have not been allowed to use the phone here.
My remaining hope is that my lawyers can make sense of the documents they have and present a convincing case in my trial. I still have hopes for justice as my third world prison is in the city of Washington, DC and only a few miles from my home in Georgetown. I have lived in the Washington area all my life and still have some faith and hope that the truth and an impartial jury will win my freedom.
Walt Anderson
November 30th, 2005
Control Detention Facility
Washington, DC
