Abuse and Neglect Inside the Arkansas Department of Corrections

Deontae Fulton explains how abuse within the Arkansas Department of Corrections has become a daily reality, stripping prisoners of dignity, safety, and basic human care.

The Arkansas Department of Corrections isn’t a system built to rehabilitate those who are inscribed into their system, but to reduce a prisoner’s masculinity, force a human to be submissive, and become a slave.

I came to prison in 2015, and over the course of time I have seen more bad than good. The worst prison I’ve been to is this one, Varner Unit. The staff (correctional officers) are taught to see us as inhuman, junkies, no good, manipulators, having no soul, and deserving to be overlooked and not heard. This is also true for the people they set in place as mental health counselors. Do all staff and mental health personnel treat us in this manner? No, but the majority have and still do.

Living Conditions and Daily Neglect

The Varner Unit kitchen is infested with roaches, and we are still subject to eat from it. We have to argue about getting another tray when roaches and flies are on them. The food slots hardly have food in them, and most of the time we are served cold trays. Nothing is being done about it. There are days where we are only served fruit once a day, when both lunch and dinner should provide them. Certain allergy trays aren’t served because medical stopped providing prescriptions.

I’m allergic to eggs in solid form and lactose, but I can’t go to breakfast because they won’t give me a tray without eggs. On holidays, when they put eggs in dressing, I can’t go to chow.

We prisoners are forced to sit at tables with prisoners who won’t take care of their personal hygiene, and staff take this as a joke, creating an unsafe environment.

Medical Abuse and Indifference

Medical issues are the worst thing to have while in prison. One time I was running a fever, throwing up nonstop, and at one point throwing up blood. For a day I was refused help by staff and nurses, informing me that it wasn’t a life-threatening situation and therefore I wouldn’t be sent to the infirmary. I was also advised to place a sick call, which would have to wait till a weekday to be seen.

That night, pill call was called, and nurse Raglin was the pill call nurse for 7–14 barracks. Walking up to the bullpen, nurse Raglin noticed that I was looking unhealthy and asked me what was wrong. After an inspection, she advised staff I needed to go to the infirmary—which still took an additional hour.

I had a fever of 100+ and couldn’t hold down fluids. I stayed in the infirmary for two and a half hours, then was sent back with a prescription for a liquid diet. But it was useless, because the chow hall doesn’t have the proper liquids. Also, my fingernails were dark, so I was informed by nurse Raglin to put in a sick call to have tests run. But after several sick calls, doctors at Varner Unit refused me further treatment.

Abuse by Correctional Officers

Abuse by staff has continuously been justified and something that takes place every day. Just last week, an officer was horse-playing with a prisoner, which ended with the prisoner being locked up and the officer free of any violations.

One time, I was struck by an officer with a deadly weapon because I had my hand on the trap, talking in a nonaggressive manner to him about a broken state phone that was brought to my cell. He struck me once with a metal bar that’s only used to lock traps, so I dashed him with water. Afterwards, he left my cell, came back with mace, sprayed in my cell, closed the trap, and left. He was supposed to get a camera and record as he gave me a direct order to catch the cuffs. But he followed his emotions and became unprofessional. In the end, I was charged with assault on a correctional officer and served a year charge. He had no violations of professional conduct and was justified in his wrongdoing.

Want to read more? Check out Abuse By Prison Guards Is Covered Up

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