“NON-OPERATIONAL”
by Anonymous Inmate, Northwest Correctional Complex (NWCX)
(May 26, 2016) — [Editor’s Note: On Thursday, the following letter was received from an inmate at the Northwest Correctional Complex (NWCX) in Tiptonville, TN, a facility about which The Post & Email has reported extensively beginning last year when Walter Francis Fitzpatrick, III reported a “prisoners-for-profit” scheme involving enrollment in educational courses to garner federal taxpayer dollars.
The violations described in the inmate’s letter have not been related to this publication previously, nor have we heard from this particular individual before. His name and the latter portion of page 2 have been withheld so as to avoid retaliation.
Since reading the letter, The Post & Email has sought a copy of the American Correctional Association (ACA) “Standards” manual to learn more about the policies invoked by the inmate.
Regarding “Standards,” the ACA’s website states:
Secure facilities such as jails and prisons must operate effectively as self-contained communities in which all necessary goods and services are provided in a safe, secure, and controlled manner. ACA standards relating to safety require adherence to all federal, state, and local fire and safety codes; emergency planning and preparation; and the provision of related training and materials for staff and inmates. Security standards mandate inspections and training of all firearms and armed officers; visitor and staff searches and tracking procedures; and inmate counting and tracking procedures. Other sections throughout each manual regulate policy, procedure, and practice at a similar level for other institutional or facility activities.
The Post & Email was told that the ACA was scheduled to conduct a routine inspection of NWCX in mid-March; however, The Post & Email has not been able to obtain a copy of the report.]
A larger version of the letter follows.
