Tallahassee Gunfire Incident

The Tallahassee Gunfire incident was not what I had planned to write about this week, but the news was so shocking that I chose to postpone what I had already written.

Sudan Hussain, nor the 6 suspected terrorists arrested in Miami this week reacted like the BOP employee Mr. Hill reacted when he was going to be arrested. I am sure our federal government is very upset and I have the feeling that this week's US Supreme court ruling in Sheila White's case in which the highest court broadened the scope of what constitutes actions of retaliation for reporting sexual harrassment at work was tainted by the emotions from the Tallahassee gunfire incident.

Now, just think for a minute, if shooting is the way that "SOME" of the BOP employee treat their superiors, I am sure you may wonder how they treat those female prisoners like me that do not participate in their sexual abuse. I ask Coleman authorities not to retaliate against me for writing about this subject, but I feel it in my burning heart's desire to speak out. Not all BOP's employees are like Mr. Hill or his co-defendants. There are a lot of caring, honest and compassionate staff inside our federal prisons. There are male and female staff members at Tallahassee that I do respect and that I will always be thankful and grateful towards them.

Last time that I was in Tallahassee in 2002, I got very sick and was rushed to the hospital, then admitted for 5 days. My Unit manager at the time, Ms. Southerland, went to visit me every day after work. She took time from her family to just sit in front of my hospital bed, assuring me that everything was going to be ok. She brought me my mail, called my family, and secured my property, etc. The warden assistant, Mr. Dowd, told the hospital authorities to take care of me, no matter how long or how expensive the cost would be. The captain and lieutenant ordered the officer not to shackle or handcuff me to bed. Also, Mr. James in the educational department, helped me and cared for my college classes and gave me a very special recognition on my college graduation day. My supervisors, Mrs. Herderson at Education and Mr. Wiggins at A.D.P., treated me with respect and valued my work ethics.

Unfortunately, there are many staff members like Mr. Hill and their group, and a very high percentage of staff members that keep a blind eye and/or cover the abuse. The sexual abuse of prisoners (female, males and juveniles) and contraband inside our (federal, state and overseas) prisons is nothing new, and indeed, part of our daily life. At the beginning of my incarceration while I was at Tallahassee, my 19 year old bunkie showed me a cigarette made of marijuana in our cubicle. I was scared to death. That was the first time in my life that I saw and was so close to a marijuana cigarette. The next day I reported her to the head of S.I.S. (Special Investigation Service). But instead of punishing her, I was the one that ended up being punished. My fellow prisoners and the unit officer found out that I had reported my bunkie and 2 of my fellow prisoners opened my locker and spread all my property around the hall. I ran to the unit officer and told him the incident and invited him to see my property scattered on the floor. He stood in front of the hall and screamed at me in front of everybody, "You will learn prison life and I am sure you will not snitch again." My 19 year old bunkie spent her 7 month sentence smoking marijuana inside prison (how sad).

Frustrated and strong enough to handle the retaliation, I reported the same abuses that all of you saw in the news this week. That 1996 report shall be somewhere in one of the Tallahassee FBI offices. Also there are hundreds of complaints/allegations of sexual abuse, retaliation and contraband filed by females prisoners at Tallahassee since 1996. Especially against Mr. Moore. I never thought that the abuse at FCI Tallahassee was going to have such of ignominious end. I am glad to know that my fellow female prisoners are finally speaking out and learning that those corrupt, unpatriotic officers are abusing them and violating the law instead of helping them to rehabilitate themselves and break the cycle of abuse and addiction that a lot of them suffered before coming to prison.

Those officers are destroying our government and placing our democracy at risk by making our society lose faith in our federal government (the most powerful government in the world). I never lost faith. I knew in my heart that there are a lot of good public servants in our government. I never gave-up and I complained for 10 years to sadly learn that an agent with guts to police the police like William Buddy Stener was killed. It is a tough job as his father said on TV. I am sure Mr. Stener (Buddy) was aware how tough his job was, but he was willing to serve our country by defending the reputation of our federal government. We lost a good public servant. My condolences to his family, especially his wife, mother and all his relatives. He was killed for defending federal female prisoners. It may take time, but justice will always prevail and it is my hope that from now on our voices will be heard. This incident opened the eyes of the bureaucracy and I believe the system will change because of it.
I love you all.
Yraida L. Guanipa

Feel free to share this article or to write me at:
Yraida L. Guanipa # 44865-004
FCC Coleman-Camp
P.O. Box 1027
Coleman, Florida 33521-1027