Mercy please, Percy.

INCITE—A true story of two men betrayed by their adopted children and tortured for a crime they did not commit.

The following is an excerpt from the Introduction:
 
 
Not all of the correctional officers were berating, obnoxious swine. Out of hundreds, there were a handful of civilized, conscientious staff members. I could count them on two hands, with two fingers to spare. Those five men and three women represented respectability. An emotional conversation with one heroic officer revealed his relentless disapproval of the inexcusable, intolerant conduct that permeated the penal complex. Hostile colleagues routinely harassed him. They went so far as to send threatening Christmas mail to his family. With tears in his eyes, he stated that not a night passed when he did not cry himself to sleep. I know of other novice employees who quit after their exposure to the horrid reality of inner prison dictatorial insanity.

During my eight and one-half month interval at the ACI, I was transferred to eight different modules (mods). Only once did an officer offer a “care package” and towel. By that gesture, I felt I could trust him to help resolve an issue which had arisen with one of his belligerent coworkers, but he was not willing to get involved. I quickly learned that his opposing someone on the prison staff was not prudent, even among his peers. Nevertheless, this persevering soul had a tremendous positive impact on the behavior of inmates in his mod. Respect breeds respect.

The Green Mile, starring Tom Hanks in a brilliant performance as a sane and compassionate prison guard, depicts the attitude of the miniscule minority whom I had the honor of associating with at the ACI, as well as the antagonism of the majority. Percy, a guard, is portrayed in the movie as a mean and rotten psychopath. He exults in inflicting misery at every opportunity. He squashes the life from a circus mouse that belongs to inmate Eduard Delacroix, who is slated for capital punishment. Eduard’s only earthly friend is the furry little rodent. Percy later assists in Eduard’s electric chair execution. He deliberately does not soak water into the sponge, which is to be placed between the skullcap conductor and the victim’s cranium. Percy relishes the thought of watching his prey crisp like blackened catfish at a Cajun cookout.

For the better part of a year, I endured and witnessed similar cruelty. I was haunted by the sight of “Percy.” Even though he assumed many different shapes and sizes. As it is with sand in a dessert windstorm, I was continually accosted by a familiar, unrelenting malice.

That was not as much the case with the RI state marshals. Many of them appeared to be diligent, respectful people. They generally operated in the public view, which may have been a factor contributing toward their acceptable behavior. A select few were fascist monsters, an absolute embarrassment to humankind. We had trouble in a series of incidents involving three different sheriffs. Each occurred in areas where the only witnesses were prisoners. When the prison staff were in public view, as in the visitors’ area of the Intake Service Center, the general level of their conduct was more restrained than when behind barriers.