Contact Us:
Missouri CURE
P.O. Box 28931
St. Louis MO 63132
816-377-CURE (2873)
No one is free while
others are oppressed.
An Introduction by Hedy Harden, Chair of Missouri CURE.
An in-depth look at abuses suffered by Missouri prisoners in segregation/solitary confinement. Individual stories of prisoners who live for weeks, months, years, and some even decades in tiny cells for 23 hours a day. As an example of the size of the problem, one maximum security prison in Missouri with a capacity of 1600 has more than 400 segregation cells, most of them housing two prisoners each.
Note: We have changed the names of the prisoners who wrote these narratives to discourage retaliation by prison authorities. Prison is a closed system with virtually no outside monitoring. Authorities present to the public their side of whatever issues arise and no alternate side of the story is permitted. Hence, this prisoner narrative project is intended to expose the perspective of the prisoners who live their lives under such extreme conditions.
Prisoner Narratives
Desparately Seeking Help
Wardens are onboard with Rasheem's abuse
Political Assassination
"You can't imagine what I've endured."
Transgender Justice
The prison environment is an especially dangerous and traumatizing place for those in th LGBTQ community
Disabled Justice at SCCC
Disabled and in adseg, suffering the consequences of being falsely accused of a drug delivery.
Obstruction of Justice
Confined to a wheelchair, Anthony has experienced a disturbing and wide-ranging pattern of abuse
I Just Need Help
Years of medical neglect and obstruction of justice at Southeast Correctional Cente
Begging for Stability
“It’s in my best interest as well as the best interest of the prison, my family, and the community, that I stay on my meds.”
Correcting without Connecting
Her sad story gives testimony of the importance and necessity of a trauma informed approach within the Missouri state prisons.
Running in Circles for Justice
Rasheem's case, represents a perfect example of the tactics prison staff use in order to circumvent standing operating procedures, avoid accountability, and retaliate against prisoners.
Fredrico
“Anyone with any type of education knew this person was sick.”
No Way Out
A personal account of a relative's experience in solitary confinement.
Missouri Adseg Control Units are Modern-Day Torture Houses
Solitary confinement is torture. The scales of justice seem to be tipped to pulverize, not assist or rehabilitate. One prisoner's desperate plea for help.
AdSeg: A Refuge for Sexual Harassment and Abuse
Extreme mistreatment of a prisoner with medical and emotional needs leads to hunger strike and petition that calls for more humane treatment in AdSeg.
Dying with My Eyes Open
A model prisoner spends over 20 hours a day in adseg.
How to Correct a Caveman
A description of the unjust conditions and inhuman treatement endured by prisoners in adseg.
Five Squares of Toilet Paper
Despite Stage 3 colon cancer and wearing a colostomy bag, Elvin is living a nightmare of abuse and neglect.
Mental illness Leads to Imprisonment
Non-treatment and further punishment is the norm.
Living in Filth
A first-person account of daily life in adseg.
Racism in Lockdown
A first-person account of blatant racism.
Daily Oppression
Bringing awareness to injustices taking place every day.
Torture Starting at Age 15
A young man's account of living in adseg for years.
