Philip Miller was midway through a twenty-year sentence for robbery at Sing Sing Prison in New York, with an almost spotless prison record, when he was caught with a mobile phone in his cell in April 2010. He was charged with two disciplinary violations: "possession of contraband" and also "altering state property," since he had hidden the cell phone and charger in "a compartment carved out of the windowsill."
Miller was brought before an internal prison disciplinary hearing and pled guilty to the two charges. But he sought to call various inmates who could attest to his good behavior and to describe what actually had happened. The hearing officer denied him his request, claiming that he, the prison officer, knew all about Miller and it wasn't necessary to call the witnesses. Miller was found guilty of both charges and sentenced to 60 months—five years—in solitary, with a proviso that 24 months might be suspended if he incurred no further disciplinary charges. Despite the nonviolent nature of his offenses, Miller was shipped off to serve his time at Southport, the all-solitary supermax facility south of Elmira.
FIVE YEARS IN SOLITARY??! for a cell phone? That was PROVIDED by a guard?! And they were kind enough to offer to suspend two years (oh, God! Thank you!) if he was free from further disciplinary actions. You mean as long as he doesn't interact with the guards? It seems that the prison guards have adopted the police philosophy --- the laws and rules are made for YOU, the serfs, and NOT for us. You actually thought the law applied to US??? You think we answer to you? Now, sit down and shut up. Or we kill you. Because we can.
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