Shining the Light on BOP: Guantanamo on US Soil

At this point in time, anyone that can read is aware of how prisoners in Guantanamo Bay camps are mistreated, abused and tortured. Few have a clue that similar abuse is also occurring in U.S. prisons, specifically in the the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) system. This is not an equal opportunity system and all are not treated equally across the board in all BOP facilities as is projected to the general public.

This is not a discussion about inmates not receiving their mail or being served Monsanto poison for dinner, though both problems are prevalent as well.

What is much more shocking is how the BOP has virtually no oversight or accountability. The prison wardens are being used as pawns by the US Attorney's Office. They use an institution -- whose purpose is supposedly to securely detain, rehabilitate and to implement a predetermined punishment for a specific crime handed down by the court as permitted by the legislature -- as an alter ego. It's crazy.


What is going on at FTC Oklahoma City?

Paul Bergrin has lost 15-20 pounds since we last talked about his weight. They ignore the national menu for food and they give the inmates children portions that would not even fill the stomach of anyone over 7 years of age. There is no commissary and they give inmates one packet of coffee in the morning and one milk for the day. At least 3 packets of this so called coffee are needed to even taste the coffee in it.

So I ask my investigative readers out there: What is being done with the food budget at this institution? Who or what specific group within the facility is scamming the federal government and pocketing the major $funds intended for food for the inmates? In short, who are the thieves???

They lock the showers from 8 in the morning until 5 at night, so there are long lines and they are disgustingly filthy. They shake down inmate cells at least once a week and take any extra clothing. Paul Bergrin has gone almost 3 months with no haircut!

If inmates complain about any of this stated abuse, they retaliate against them and keep them in what is supposed to be a transfer facility under the deceptive guise that they are investigating. They refuse to send out inmate legal mail and only come around once a week on Wednesday morning to collect all mail. They do not answer any inquiries inmates make and they refuse to even provide the forms to complain to the region, which is easy to do as the inmate never sees a counselor.

Everything noted thus far is in violation of BOP rules and some of the mistreatment falls in the category of civil rights violations. While it seems that all inmates in this hellhole are suffering, Paul Bergrin has been selected for special mistreatment. They consistently pass over Paul when transports are going to his exact location (USP Tucson), so we know they are doing this intentionally and to make him suffer. It is like a concentration camp there and I am aware of many more violations and much more abuse - what is stated herein is merely the tip of the iceberg!

Paul Bergrin has been in this particular facility for over two and a half months and he is the longest detainee in transit in the unit. They are definitely doing it to torture him. The same as moving him 3000 miles and even further from his loved ones to make sure he will never see his kids or grandchildren. Of course this was done to Paul before the holidays. Clearly the Newark US Attorney's Office wanted to make sure he would not have any visitors and now with the planned move to Tucson instead of Florida, visits will be rare. They have intentionally separated Paul from his loved ones permanently, or at least as long as he is in BOP custody. That is NOT the stated goal of the BOP!

What they have done to his Paul's new cellmate is worse than situations you read about in third-world countries. His name is Ivin Wosencraft. He is from Amarillo, Texas and has less than one year remaining on his sentence. He was sent home from the hospital Friday night because they refused to admit him, with the Lt. at the institution telling the doctor that he should not admit him unless he will die, since he is leaving Monday. Well, his leg swelled even more and he is in extraordinary pain and agony and is an insulin dependent diabetic. He just finished cancer treatments also. The man is terminally ill. He developed a blood clot and the BOP just brought him into Paul's cell, despite his critical condition. The lieutenant wouldn't let the poor guy go to the ER even though the guy is dying.

NOTE to BOP Region Director: FIRE the INHUMAN lieutenant NOW!

I fear Paul Bergrin will suffer retaliation for my blog posts; however, they cannot be allowed to murder him while we all remain silent and sit in fear. So here I am. If there is any form of retaliation against Paul Bergrin for my words, I can only assure the perpetrators that I know how to get louder by the day and draw international attention to the many forms of mistreatment he is suffering in the BOP Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City.

When you click on the link for this FTC in Oklahoma City, at the bottom of the page it references a Commissary List available and Inmate Legal Activities. This is all lies - there is no commissary and the officers DO NOT send out legal mail.


ATTENTION to BOP Regional Director: Correct the lies on this institution's website page and fix the problems. How would I fix these serious problems? FIRE all employees in the facility, charge the worst abusers with civil rights violations and then replace them with human beings! This is the way this place operates - take note and FIX IT ASAP! And don't forget that there's much more than stated herein...


UPDATE EDIT on January 1, 2014 to add:

I have never heard of a BOP facility being this terrible. Is it possible that this FTC in Oklahoma City is used as a Guantanamo camp type facility by the government to make inmates appreciate regular facilities when they arrive? After all, inmates are only supposed to be in this hellhole briefly and I believe the average stay is 1-3 weeks, with 5 weeks being the longest stay I have ever heard of. Child's portion meals, officers' refusal to send out legal mail, no commissary availability, no haircuts etc... wouldn't be a major problem for a week or 2.

This is where the Newark US Attorney's Office (USAO) enters the picture. BOP originally designated Paul Bergrin to USP Coleman 1 in Florida, which I knew would not fly for the USAO. You see, William Baskerville is in USP Coleman 1, and the last thing on earth that the USAO wants is William and Paul Bergrin working on their cases together. William Baskerville filed a 2255 back in late September (2013) and is fighting for an evidentiary hearing right now.

Some discovery and testimony in Paul Bergrin's 2013 trial contradicts statements made by the same witnesses (Brokos, Anthony Young and more) in William Baskerville's 2007 trial. The USAO has a similar problem with the Hakeem Curry / Rakeem Baskerville discovery and witness testimony contradicting later testimony in Paul Bergrin's trial. It is a lot of material to read, but there are serious inconsistencies between specific testimony in the 3 trials.

Beyond all of that, the issue of the missing food at FTC Oklahoma City is a serious one. I am serious about my questions as I know for fact that these institutions have a generous food budget that covers feeding every adult inmate that arrives. So who has done what with the food and/or the money allocated for the food??? Someone is making out like a bandit while the inmates are being starved!


UPDATE on 18 January 2014 @1:25PM:

Paul Bergrin arrived in Tucson USP this morning. He's finally out of that terrible transfer facility in Oklahoma City!

On a different note, comments intended to harass and denigrate Paul Bergrin or me, the blog publisher, will not be published on this blog. Take your weird issues elsewhere.

Paul Bergrin Suffering Abuse

It looks like I will be reviving this blog in short time. Paul Bergrin was awaiting a transfer to Coleman 1 USP in Florida until he was recently informed that there was a change in plan and he'd be going to USP Tucson. He is currently suffering in the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City.

Paul Bergrin has been at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City for 10 weeks now! He is being abused by the Newark US Attorney’s Office and this abuse has continued care of BOP. He is now the longest detainee in transit in the unit. I will be reviving the blog in short time to expose the treatment he has suffered at the hands of many. Shame on all involved – from AUSA Gay to the FTC director to the low-level employees that are participating in this abuse!

What the sort of crap place is this country? What sort of excuses for human beings run this rotten, corrupt system? Well, this blog has been read by people around the world and it will soon be time to use it to bring attention to the reality of this so-called "land of the free"!

And of course Paul has been obstructed in all legal work on his case. For that matter, they won't even send out his legal mail at FTC Oklahoma City. Perhaps I will publish the 2013 trial transcripts again too. We shall see what transpires over the next few days.


Looks like we're back!