Everyone Around You Are Killers

by Jay Goodman

As I was fixing to leave the United States Penitentiary in Hazelton, West Virginia, I must admit that I was very happy to get out of there. Everything about that place felt evil. When you walked inside the prison no one had to tell you it was evil, because you could feel it. Every person you came into contact with was a murderer. That may sound crazy to everybody reading this, but it’s truth. I want everyone to think about that statement. Imagine going to a place and there’s thousands of people there. But no matter where you go in this town whether it’s the store, the local laundry, a place to eat, the part, or your neighbors. Imagine if every single one of these places there were stone cold killers. No matter where you went, you had to deal with a person that you know would kill you. Most people don’t get what living under these conditions will do to a human being. When our American soldiers came home from war after only a year tour, look at how it’s affected them. They have trouble sleeping, eating, working, truthfully, it’s hard for them to fit back into society. And just think, that’s only after one year of duty. A prisoner is subjected to seeing people killed for years, if not decades. Imagine what happens to a person mentally after 10, 20 or in some cases like KY, 30 years of seeing or participating in murders.

I look at these men from my cell door and it’s like watching a bunch of robots that do the same thing every single day. Nothing really changes. There is not one minute of rest. Everything they do is focused on survival in control. Everyone has to be up at five in the morning and looking at their fellow gang members through the cell window, asking if anything went down with one of their crew members. Let’s say someone in their crew had a problem with someone, and the shot caller felt the need to retaliate. Soon as the cell door opens at 6 AM, all of their crew throughout the prison had to come out and start stabbing everyone who run with the other gang. Even if nothing happened the day before, everyone has to come out at 6 AM and huddle up in their own packs. Every single crew has their own table, T.V., workout area. All their time is spent watching everything going on around them. They even have to stand guard for each other just to take showers. Every single man has a shank on them because they have to be ready for war at any minute. Failure to do this could very easily cost them or someone in their crew their lives. They even have to be careful amongst themselves, because if every order they receive from the shot caller isn’t followed out to the letter, even their own crew members might kill them. It’s no wonder they start acting crazy, because after decades living like an animal that’s exactly what they become. It doesn’t even seem strange to them. When I watch how they operate each day it’s like another day at the office. And even though a lot of these men are never getting out, what about the ones that are getting out one day? It seems like no one ever asked this question. I am assuming the people who work here don’t really care. And why should they? I believe in my heart that the people work here look at it in several ways. One, we have job security. Second, they are hoping that the ones who come back, will end up right back here. That way they can be put back to work selling their drugs, phones and killing anyone who they feel may be a threat to their business. And these prisoners are way beyond PTSD, the majority of them have made murder a part of who they are. I am assuming the reason for this is, is that they have killed so many people that they have become desensitized to any kind of feeling or remorse to seeing another human being suffer or being murdered. Two then it’s just another day at the job. The sad thing is that the majority of these men didn’t come to prison with this mentality. It was breaded into them by the very same people who they were sent to, to be rehabilitated by.

And like in KY’s case, he wasn’t a killer but between the administration and the shot caller, it was slowly put in his mind that it’s either you go along with the program or you will be the one who gets killed. Not much of a choice for a person, is it? And prove my point, it’s not like this just started out at this place. This has gone on at all of the United States penitentiaries for a very long time. And what’s been done to stop this? Absolutely nothing. There is no reason for the administration to stop this, they get paid to come here by the federal government to sell drugs and phones. They are making millions of dollars on the side. And I’m sure They’re thinking is this. If a few prisoners get killed along the way, oh well.

Another reason they like the prison system so violent is for one it helps keep the focus off them. Plus, the prisoners are always divided, since every group is always fighting and killing each other. They don’t have to worry about the prisoners uniting against them. There is an old thing from the Roman days. “Divide and conquer.” If the prisoners are always divided, it’s very easy for the administration to manipulate everyone. I witnessed this for years while I was in a Texas prison system. In fact, I even wrote about this a lot.

Another factor is, if the administration keeps this place divided, and keep murder the number one tool for fear. And the majority of the shot callers have life, the staff really don’t have to worry about controlling anyone, because they are being controlled by the shot callers. Who naturally have surround themselves with cold-blooded killers, so they have everyone around them constantly in fear for their lives.

Also, another important note, is the people that work here don’t have to worry if someone will tell on them for bringing in drugs or phones. Everyone has a very good understanding of what’s going to happen if they ever speak out. They will be slaughtered! Remember not just killed, but slaughtered like a pig. Every time anyone is even suspected of telling, or they think there might be a chance he will tell, the shot callers will kill them in such a brutal way, as a statement to everyone what happens to everyone that decides to tell. KY told me he heard the shot caller tell someone that the captain told him things have been way too quiet around here lately, it’s time to kill someone. When I asked KY what the captain meant? He said, “the captain believes that when things got too quiet, people got comfortable.” Meaning they would forget about the violence. Now I understood. You see, “if people seeing people being stabbed and killed on a regular basis, it would stay fresh in their memory. Plus, there is a constant fear. Murder is a constant reminder to everyone, if you step out of line and anyway, this is what happens.”

The more I’m learning about these prisons, the more surprise I am. It’s hard for me to believe that the federal government would allow their prison system to be controlled by criminals. Yes, criminals are sent here because they broke the law. We have to answer for our crimes, I get that. But one would think that prison would be set up to rehabilitate the men who come here. Not turn them into cold blooded killers. Oh, and have them sell drugs for the people who work here. These United States penitentiaries are nothing more than a place where criminal activity is legalized and sanctioned by our own government. As crazy as this sounds, if anyone wants to take a serious look at all of the United States federal prisons, they would learn quickly that either administration are idiots and have no idea how to run a prison. Or, they have it set up this way because they are running a criminal organization.

In my next few chapters I will show how out of control this prison system is. The structure of how it’s run, an act of violence that is committed by a group of individuals just so they could get high and instill fear in everyone.