In the year 2022 alone, the Offices of Inspectors General (OIG) reported that approximately 19 prisoners died while serving time at the Mark Stiles maximum security unit in Beaumont, Texas.
The cause of death for 5 of the deceased was listed as murder, suicides, methamphetamine overdose and unknown. The other 14 were supposed natural causes, most notably via coronary artery disease and cardiac arrest.
Nelson Adjimiro Collazo (cardiac arrest), Lewis Lyles (cardiac arrest) and Brian Gilley (accidental death) all died in a four day span ranging August 27 2022-August 30 2022, while Larry Lynn Kennamore, Roby Lee Barber and Larry Lee Barker were all listed as natural causes spanning January 16 2022-January 26 2022.
Most notably,the Stiles unit is broadly known throughout TDCJ as a perpetual hotbed for contraband, such as cellphones and methamphetamines, despite past raids by outside law enforcement agencies, current cellphone detectors and the firing of dozens of staff. And the amount of money to be made is so great that it is common for a staffer to put a hit out on a prisoner who poses a threat to their operation, as was the case with the murder of Murjan Abdi, according to a past resident.
Prisoners I spoke to that were previously housed on Stiles unit as recent as January 2023 all mention that a black female staffer known as Lieutenant Lewis was either responsible for the murder of Abdi, or known to provide oversight to the introduction of methamphetamines in the units 12 building (AdSeg).
Not only was she listed as dirty, it is said she’d have certain prisoners moved to 12 building from the general population for the purpose of being attacked by inmates living in AdSeg, who’d be illegally allowed out of their solitary cell by a guard in on the hit. To circumvent scrutiny, documentation would suggest the prisoner was moved to 12 building to await a new housing assignment or pre hearing detention (PHD) under a false disciplinary case.
As far back as 2008, the Stiles unit has been a brothel for staff misconduct ranging from prostitution to gang recruitment. From my experience investigating prisoner deaths, I’ve learned that TDCJ uses several tactics that are designed to mislead or downplay the amount of prisoners that die and their cause of death.
In 2018, Tracy Johnson, brother of murdered prisoner Kenneth W Johnson, paid me a visit while I was at the Michael unit. He mentioned that he and his family were initially told that Kenneth died of natural causes. After learning that he’d been strangled they pressed for the results of the autopsy. It was through this experience I learned that every prisoner’s death is listed as natural until the OIG concludes their investigation. And if a prisoner is pronounced dead at the hospital, instead of the prison, TDCJ doesn’t have to document the death on their annual in custody death database.
But scrutiny will show that they might have granted the prisoner a compassionate release and he died thereafter. This leaves room for errors such as a typist forgetting to update a death from natural to murder or otherwise. And liable wardens allowing a prisoner to be pronounced dead at the hospital instead of the prison. As long as life saving measures are still being instigated a paramedic could inadvertently play into the scheme.
And the word “in custody deaths” are documented to mean just that: deaths occurring in TDCJ, not at the hospital or in an ambulance.
The George Beto unit in Tennessee Colony Texas is just as bad as the Stiles unit. In the year 2022, the OIG reported that at least 8 prisoners died while living at the unit. With 4 of the deaths occurring between March 3 2022-March 23 2022 and two happening the same day.
One of the two prisoners that died March 11 2022 was Damien Bryant, who burned to death in his cell, after it somehow caught on fire.
It’s not surprising that TDCJ mentioned that his supposed suicidal tendencies may have been a contributing factor. Yet the custodial death record lists it as happening from natural causes. Two of the eight deaths were listed as suicides by hanging and a third, Charles Anthony Rider’s, was determined as “unknown”.
From my most recent overnight layover stay at Beto unit I learned that inmates run the prison. Most head counts and mail delivery is done by inmates without guard supervision. Just as feeding times in transient cellblocks and security checks. The lethal mix of staff shortages, negligence and corruption is what has drawn the long run culture of this unit. At will, cell doors can be opened by the inmate lackeys who use their broom to reach in the unoccupied door control booth and roll the desired door.
Or cells are prerigged unbeknownst to the occupant, in the event they need to be dealt with. The infestation of contraband and the amount of money being made from it has mandated silencing any naysayers and covering up dirty work if possible. Even in the event TDCJ guards are caught red handed smuggling in contraband, the reward far outweighs the punishment, prompting them to continue operating from home after losing their job.
KTBS, a Shreveport, Louisiana news station, reported that former Telford unit guards, Candra Gray and KiJona Wells were arrested December 15, 2022, following a smuggling scheme. In 2021, Gray was allowed to resign, following an investigation into her romantic involvement with an inmate. In 2022, she paid Wells to smuggle in contraband to the inmate she’d been involved with, who in turn would send money earned from the contraband back to Gray. In the midst of the arrest, Wells was found to be in possession of child pornography.
On March 2, 2022, Jolienne Salinas, a former Texas federal prison guard, received six months for her role in smuggling methamphetamines to an inmate she was having sex with. Her concern wasn’t the time she received but whether the judge would grant her request to continue communicating with the inmate.
KCBD, a Lubbock, Texas news station, reported that: On October 6, 2022, Gilma Parades, a former Smith unit guard was caught attempting to smuggle in 21 ounces of liquid fentanyl and 17.5 ounces of liquid PCP. After staff searched the guard’s car, another 30.5 ounces of PCP and 5 ounces of fentanyl was found. All it takes is 25mL (milliliters) to saturate one sheet of paper and at $1200 a sheet you can see why guards go through such measures to protect their operation at any and all costs. In total, this is enough drugs to overdose every prisoner and staff at the Smith unit several times over.
This is why it is important that the public become aware that prisoner deaths in TDCJ don’t always occur in the manner reflected by documentation; some are instigated by the side hustle. With the stakes this high, I have been experiencing a collective guard/inmate effort to silence me. Unlike most others there’s no interest to cover it up, only get the job done. Then it’s back to business as usual.
Jason Renard Walker 1532092
Powledge unit
1400 FM 3452
Palestine Tx 75803
Sources
USA v Salinas 2:21-cr 00739(S.D.TeX)
Khaled Rahman, Newsweek: Another Inmate Burns To Death In Prison Cell In Texas
KTBS, Shreveport: One more former Telford correctional officer arrested in inmate bribery scheme
KCBD, Lubbock: Prison guard arrested, caught trying to bring PCP, fentanyl into unit
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