Knowledge is Armor
Everything they don’t want you to know
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On paper? Your loved one has rights. In practice? DOC treats those rights like optional chores on a lazy Sunday. Here’s what the rulebook says… and what really happens.
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Grievance Rights – They love to say “you missed the deadline” — after they sat on your paperwork for weeks. Cute.
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Communication Rights – Mail “accidentally lost,” phones “mysteriously broken,” visits “suspended for safety.” Yeah, okay.
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Health & Mental Health – Policy says care. DOC says “take two Tylenol and try not to die.”
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Constitutional Protections – The Eighth Amendment says “no cruel and unusual punishment.” DOC read it as “challenge accepted.”
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DOC has a PhD in loopholes. Here are their greatest hits:
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Approve CM but don’t transfer → cuts your grievance window. Petty and predictable.
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“NA” or “Pending” in logs → translation: we’re stalling and hoping you forget.
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“Investigative confinement” → a magic phrase that means “we don’t want paperwork.”
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Blocking kiosks or mail → if they can’t silence your voice, they’ll silence your access.
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Lost paperwork → the oldest trick in the DOC playbook. Somehow the shredder never loses their deadlines.
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DOC hates outside eyes. That’s why oversight is your best friend. They’ll gaslight you with “we’re looking into it” — so here’s how you make it impossible for them to look away.
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Oversight Contacts – IG, DOJ, watchdog groups. They hate when you cc the whole list. Do it anyway.
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Public Records Requests – Their kryptonite. Once it’s in writing, they can’t un-write it.
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Civil Rights Complaints – The fastest way to make “ignored” turn into “oh, we’re suddenly responsive.”
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