Sir, I am Paul Bradford, 268-348, 56 years old, and an inmate in your housing unit. I think you deserve a sincere thank you and a vote of confidence from all the men here in Six House Unit. I believe you are sincere in your concerns for having each of the men to learn to take care of their business in the right or appropriate way. I have been locked-up since January 16, 1975, and had a cumulative eleven years incarceration (county jails and old Mansfield Reformatory) beginning August 15, 1958 when I was 18 years old. I served 18 calendar years in Kansas Corrections and was paroled to my detainer here in Ohio on February 11, 1993, where I am currently serving a 15 to Life sentence for murder. I was a jerk back then and I was guilty of my crimes and owned up to them.

I’ve done a lot of changing in over two decades now. Most of my changes do not matter to anyone but me and that small number of family and friends who care about me. And that’s okay; I can live with that fact. Most of my time in the prison setting has been lived in an exemplary and non-problematic manner, as my record will document. In May of 1994, I was given ten more years to serve with credit for 1993 while seeing the parole board seven different times in that period. I am eligible for parole in June of 2003.

Now there seems to be a push in Corrections to demean all inmates through more and more depersonalizing and dehumanizing them by reducing each of them to types and numbers. I have crimes of violence and there is no concern for treatment or change. There is no such thing as an "old" murder; just old murderers.

My point is, so far, here in the Ohio system, I feel like I’m sinking into a bottomless pit with no hope of ever living to get out of prison. I have medical problems; Angina, Emphysema, High blood pressure, and am Diabetic and morbidly obese to make sure it’s a terminal combination.

I have no real bitches or gripes about these facts, because this kind of shit happens in life and I’ve lived long enough to stop trying to place blame or fault for the shit that does happen. Where I do find myself beginning to have a problem is that I’m trying to find a meaningful place to live until I die. Your "orientation" statement about your dorm being a place to do your time in peace (and possibly with a small amount of dignity) sounded almost too good to be true. But the more I listen to you talk, the more I’m inclined to believe you. I get the gut feeling that you are a decent man.

I’ve heard that you yourself are suffering from terminal cancer, so perhaps you may understand my concerns better than most administrators. I can see that the system no longer can entice you away from a true sense of right and decency which usually sways people who might be overcome with ambition for career interests. I heard that in you when you mentioned that you had your ass chewed for "questioning" staff about what happened when your dorm was "vandalized" rather than "shook-down," by the S.S.; excuse me! I mean the S.R.T.! My bag!

Terror tactics are being implemented for management and control measures, but must be done in a law and order methodology. Prisons will become concentration camps or simply "death camps." I foresee particularly a three-pronged attack, and that being primarily the encouragement of the transmission of H.I.V., of the new drug-resistant TB, and death penalties through law and Special React Teams firearms in "quelling" inevitable prison uprisings that will be defined by politically-correct authorities.

We are seeing the SRT monster in it’s infantile stages. This is not intended to convey a "sky is falling" scenario with this depiction, but rather pointing out example of historical trend. History does not repeat itself, but it certainly follows trends. Adolph Hitler gained power in Germany on a "Law and Order" platform. His Gestapo and S.S. Troops were welcomed and even revered by the German citizens. Heil, America! At any rate, Sir, I respect you for not bowing down to the "big boys" in your quest to be fair and just. I’m sure it will be expensive in some fashion or another, but I’ll bet you sleep better at night in the true light of your God.

I am between a rock and a hard spot in trying to make a sane decision. I really have no administrative friends here, and I am desperate for someone trustworthy to make a few reality checks about my thinking. My changes are real, and I can’t go back to being the "surviving, predatory criminal" that I had been in the past. I don’t know where to turn in this system; I don’t know what institution I could go to where I could live a significant and meaningful existence for the short time I have left to live. I’m ashamed to say that a cell at Lucasville doesn’t sound too bad at all right now, because I could join the ranks of other hopeless prisoners who have been convicted of crimes of violence.

I hate living in a place where I am despised more and more each day for being a convicted murderer. I haven’t killed anyone in well over twenty years. Is there a place for people like me? Can I make it in a place like this? Are there any administration here who have your competence and caring in dealing with inmates, or is everything becoming geared to the "Politically correct?" Should I try for the Old Man’s Dorm? Should I try for a transfer?

* This is a copy of a letter that I wrote to my Unit Manager about an abusive shakedown by the "SWAT group called SRT. I’ll let you know his response in my next letter to you.