LaKeith Amir-Sharif
"On May 8, 1997 at the Charlotte Correctional Institution 33123 Oil Well Road, Punta Gorda, Florida 33955, Correctional Officer William Savage kicked the cell door in and he and Correctional Officer Edwin Cardenas came into my cell and began to stomp and punch me violently because I couldn’t find my medical pass that permits me to wear a 1/4" beard and moustache. They made me lay on the cell’s floor, handcuffed me behind my back and continued to stomp, kick and slug me with their clenched fists as I lay there in my own blood. Then these officers took me downstairs to the shower. On the way downstairs they hit me several times in my head (the back portion) with handcuffs being used like brass knuckles. Once in the shower stall these officers repeatedly smashed my head into the wall and hit on me. The guys in the unit dorm I was living in just started going crazy, banging and yelling for the officers to stop beating me. Finally the officers stopped beating on me, left me in the shower stall still handcuffed behind my back as I’d been since being brought downstairs from my cell. The beating I endured left me confined to a hospital bed for 22 days. Vision in my left eye is permanently impaired."
DATE ABUSE OCCURRED:
May 8, 1997 at Charlotte Correctional Institution of Florida
WHAT I ATTEMPTED TO DO:
"After being taken to the medical hospital at the prison I told Captain Neads, Officer Brown, and Sgt. Hall that I had been beaten by C.O.s Savage and Cardenas. At first I wouldn’t say anything because I was afraid and the officers that had beaten me were right there with us. At first the officers claimed I had a seizure and came out of it combative. Then once they learned medical staff and my medical records showed I am not combative when I have a seizure they changed their story and said I “faked” like I was having a seizure. (See Disciplinary report). Twenty-eight days or so later I wrote letters to the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, State Attorney’s Office in Charlotte County, Florida and wrote the Florida Justice Institute, Inc., (a DOC funded legal group who is supposed to help us prisoners). I had to wait to write to someone after my emergency transfer to Martin Correctional Institution because I was denied all my property, writing materials, etc., at Charlotte Correctional Institution after the beating occurred."
WHAT THE FDOC DID:
"They conducted an investigation (#97-51292) but failed to interview at least 16 people who had critical information about the May 8, 1997 beating. They attempted to project me as some mentally disturbed person and basically whitewashed the entire incident. The officials waited (in violation of DOC policy and procedure) for a day before taking photos of my face. Also withheld sworn statements of certain inmates."
WHAT THE FDOC SHOULD HAVE DONE:
Had the Department used video cameras as per their FDOC Rules and policy, both prior to and while inside Sharif's cell, then there would be an accurate record of what occurred.
1 Should have taken photos of Sharif's face and body where he had been beaten.
2. Should have taken photos of the cell and shower stall where he had been beaten. Both 1 and 2 should have been done the same night of the incident per DOC policy and procedure.
3. Should have taken Sharif to the outside hospital the night of the beating instead of allowing his face and left eye to bleed almost 24 hours before he was taken to the hospital. (Charlotte Memorial/Charlotte Memorial Plaza).
4. Should have interviewed the 16 other people he told Inspector Charlwood about.
5. Sharif should have been interviewed by the Regional Inspector, Gary York, as Inspector Charlwood said would happen, but never occurred.
6. The officers should not have been allowed to return to work because Sharif was already on Protective Management and the prison was obligated to protect him against those officers and the ones he initially sought protection from. Some of the officers he initially sought protection from were some of the same officers indicted for the beating death of John Edwards at Charlotte Correctional Institution.
7. They should have administered polygraph tests to Sharif and the officers involved in his beating, including the Housing Unit Supervisor that lied for the two officers who beat Sharif.
8. They should have expunged the false disciplinary report from Sharif's records and restored his 180-200 days gain time.
9. They should have continued Sharif's medical care for his eye.
10. The FDOC/prison should have never processed the disciplinary report written by the officers who beat Sharif. This is especially true when these same officers were being investigated by the Charlotte County State Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution for abuse and assault on a prisoner.
11. The Disciplinary Report hearing should have been overturned because it was not held in accordance with the FDOC rules and time frame in effect at the time.
12. Also the Disciplinary Report should have been expunged because FDOC officials intentionally failed to provide Sharif the Disciplinary Report Worksheet (DC4-804E) until nearly 10 months after the Disciplinary Report hearing and sanctions were imposed. They intentionally failed to give him a copy of the Disciplinary Report Work Sheet that states their basis for their actions because they wanted to impede and deny him a chance to successfully appeal their actions and put the matter in court after exhausting DOC remedies provided. His Disciplinary Report hearing just so happened to take place a few days after John Edwards was murdered at the prison.
Before all these acts Sharif had filed several lawsuits against prison officials at Charlotte Correctional Institution about the conditions there. So he was not liked by officials there and had received several false disciplinary reports prior to and after the beating.
The vision in his left eye is permanently impaired as a result of the beating."
According to Sharif the investigation report makes him appear to be mentally unstable. Also several inmates living in the same dorm as Sharif at the time of the beating were less than honest concerning some (not all) of the things they heard or saw. He states that they were desperate in fear because threats and beatings occurred daily and they knew that next time it could be them.
He states that his case rests on the officers own contradictory testimony, the cover-up of the captain, prison and regional inspector and the failure to interview other people with knowledge of the incident. At the time the beating occurred Sharif had already signed Protective Management papers against certain staff members who were threatening his life. He had sued top officials in some civil case about mismangament of the Inmate Bank Accounts, inmate mail and the property room and about violations of DOC and Constitutional Rights at disciplinary hearings. So a lot of animosity was felt toward Sharif.
There is a request for administrative remedy concerning the Disciplinary Report hearing violations which took place by the DOC. It was denied as being filed after time limits had expired. The appeal Sharif made was that those time limits expired because prison officials did not give him the necessary paper work he needed to file in a timely manner. There is a copy of the appeal arguments Sharif made to administration. These were denied.
U. S. Assistant Attorney Douglas Malloy has been contacted. He had stated that his office with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Corrections are carrying out an investigation into the beating of Sharif. Finally on September 8, 1999 U.S.A.A. Malloy wrote to Sharif and stated that the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has decided not to pursue the matter of the beating of Sharif at Charlotte Correctional Institution which occurred in May 1997.
Sharif has been moved continuously from one institution to another since May 18, 1999. He has been in 7 different prisons across the state since then. He is presently at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.
Previously Sharif was at Washington Correctional Institution, then Zephyrills. Correctional Institution.
On June 10, 1999 Dr. Shams of Washington Corr. Inst. and the Mental Health Staff threatened Sharif in an attempt to force him to take psych meds which he felt he did not need. Dr. Shams and his supervisor had Sharif stripped naked and thrown in a confinement cell. On June 15, 1999 at 2:30 AM he was transferred to Union Correctional Institution after he agreed under duress to sign a form for psychological evaluation.
The HOS housing unit at Washington Corr. Inst. does not have any type of fans and the windows are covered with steel and partitions so no one can see out the windows and adequate ventilation is impossible. It gets so hot that the officers and prisoners look like they have been sprayed with a water hose. A few of the officers do open the back door to the unit so some air can blow through. Inside the unit it was 107 degrees. Warden Germany tells them if it is to hot to go outside to the recreation yard which has no shade trees but does have a small pavillion that is too small for everyone to fit under.
Information regarding Sharif's stay at Washington Correctional Institution
Cap. Bozeman stopped Sharif on Aug. 12, 1999 while Sharif was exiting the dining hall. The office accused Sharif of a rules violation about getting a drink of water after he dumped his food. The rule is non-existant. Sharif did not react and Capt. Bozman had Sharif stand on the sidewalk alone while he cleared the yard and locked down the prison. Then he ordered Sgt. Gaskin to handcuff Sharif behind the back at which time Cap. Bozman and C/O Thomson hit Sharif with their clenched fists several times in his mid-section while Sgt. Gaskins jerked Sharif's arms towards the sky.
Sharif was then ordered placed in confinement by Capt. Bozeman on August 12, 1999. To this date, Capt. Bozeman, Col. Watson nor Warden Charles Germany has explained or justified why Sharif was placed in confinement.
Once placed in confinement Sharif requested to see his counselor, Ms. Lewis. When Ms. Lewis came Sharif told her he'd been placed in confinement despite violtating no rule. He told her that Capt. Bozeman, Sgt. Gaskins and C/O Thompson had physically abused him.
Instead of filing an incident report in accordance with Florida Statute 944.35(4)(a) and FDOC policy, Ms. Lewis reported Sharif's accusation to Capt. Bozeman and Capt. Riggins.
In response Capt. Riggins and Lt. Hodge along with other officers converged on Sharif. Capt. Riggins while using racial slurs told the officers present that Sharif had accused officers of assaulting him so the officers should find any and all reasons to give him disciplinay reports. As a result Sharif received 4 such reports. Capt. Riggins approved each of these reports.
On 12-30-99 Sharif was found guilty of all four Disciplinary reports and given 120 days in AdSeg ( the hole). He also suffered a loss of gaintime of 270 days as well as being place on CM1 status. Sharif never received his copy of any of these reports which is in violation of F.A.C. 33-601.305(2)(A)
How You Can Help
1.Tell others about the case of Sharif and ask them to become involved in his plight for freedom.
2. Contact Lee E-mail: Timeforjustice@hotmail.com with questions, comments, suggestions.
3. Send Sharif letters, postcards of solidarity and encouragement and put the prison officials on notice that he is not alone and without outside support.
4. Send a letter to the following people in support of Sharif.
1. Rep. Allen Trovillion
Chairman Florida Corrections Committee
308 House Office Bldg.
402 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Or:
1360 Palmetto Ave.
Winton Park, FL 32789-4916
Telephone: (407)623-1355
2.Sheila McAllister, Grievance Administrator
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2500
3. Fred Schuknecht, Prison Inspector General
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2500
4. Toni Jennings, Senate President
Office of Senate President
The Capitol
Suite 409
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
Or:
1032 Wilfred Dr.
Orlando, FL 32803-2571
CC: all letters via e-mail to:
1. Adam C. Smith, St. Petersburg Times local@sptimes.com
2. Phil Long, Miami Herald phong@herald.com
A Sample Letter to Send:
Dear Mr. Trovillion:
I'm writng on behalf of Florida inmate LaKeith Amir-Sharif #235565 regarding four disciplinary reports written against him after he reported being assaulted by Captain Bozeman, Sgt. Gaskins and Officer Thompson. These men were on duty at Washington Correctional Institution on August 12, 1999. Amir-Sharif had filed several informal grievances against these officers to Col. Watson prior to August 12, 1999. Sharif had also been disciplinary free for 21 months before that August date.
All things considered, the four Discipinary Reports and subsequent finding of guilty plus the loss of gaintime continues to cast a dubious light over your disciplinary process and the "behind the scenes" operation and administration of the entire Florida Department of Corrections.
I ask that the March 3, 2000 grievance appeals to Secretary Mike Moore be approved and the disciplinary reports be expunged from Amir-Sharif's record and his 270 days of gaintime be restored.
Very Truly Yours,
Signed
To Contact Sharif:
LaKeith Amir-Sharif 235565
B2101
Santa Rosa Correctional Institution
5850 East Milton Road
Milton, Florida 32583-7914
Visit Sharif's Pen Pal Page.
Time For Justice