This is the opinion of the editor, and no one else on staff.

“I have witnessed untold amounts of cruelty and abuse, of Correctional Officers, toward inmates in 11 years spent in Perryville. There was the murder (my opinion) of a woman named Marsha, who was left out in the July sun without shade or water. I have seen verbal abuse directed toward women, who are already traumatized by men, by male officers. I know one woman who had been beaten and left for dead (she flatlined 4 times) on the outside. She was shaking with fear, while a male officer yelled at her for some minor infraction (her shirt wasn’t tucked in).

These guards are not trained in skills to deescalate a situation. They want to bully their way to compliance. There are some seriously twisted people in the Correctional system.

I have attributed 7 deaths of women that died by direct indifference of staff. You have read some of those stories on this blog. I have watched over and over, as 5 beefy guys descend physically on a 100lb woman, and put handcuffs on her. Does it take that many? Really? If we had cellphone videos on the inside, as they do on the outside, the DOC would go bankrupt from lawsuits. But you see, the public doesn’t’ know, and the DOC wants to keep it that way.”

UPDATE: After the above Op-Ed was filed, we came across this tidbit that pertains to the story. 6-17-20 AM. “Reportedly, an officer was escorted off the yard for an alleged racial slur. Witnesses say the officer came to work with an American flag mask. An African-American lady asked about his mask, and he allegedly replied, “We need to make America white again.” Yep, cops are the same inside as outside prison walls.”