Another death in Beaumont

[JEG]

Breaking News: Federal Inmate's Death Under Investigation | bureau, inmate, prisons - kfdm.com


The Federal Bureau of Prisons has ordered an investigation into the death of an inmate at the penitentiary in Beaumont.

According to a news release from the Bureau of Prisons, an inmate was found unresponsive in his cell at about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday. The staff provided medical attention and the inmate was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 7:30 a.m.

An autopsy has been ordered. The Bureau of Prisons isn't releasing the inmate's name until it notifies relatives.

The Bureau says the penitentiary is on lockdown because of a previous, unrelated incident.

According to the Bureau, the institution is secure, all inmates have been accounted for and there is no threat to public safety.

[DA BULL]

Another Beaumont inmate killed
By FRED DAVIS, The Enterprise
02/15/2008
Updated 02/14/2008 11:57:05 PM CST
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The FBI is investigating the second homicide in three months at the maximum security U.S. Penitentiary in Beaumont, but the dead inmate's family is frustrated with the lack of information they're receiving.

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Ronald Joseph, 29, was found unresponsive in his cell Wednesday morning and pronounced dead 45 minutes later, prison officials said.

The prison remained on lockdown - during which inmates are restricted to their cells - Thursday evening according to a prison dispatcher.

Justice of the Peace Tom Gilliam III said he received preliminary autopsy results Wednesday evening and early indications were the Richmond, Va., native was murdered.

"Several things were wrong with the body," Gillam said.

Gillam said he could not disclose how Joseph died but confirmed there is a "precise cause of death." Complete autopsy results are two to three weeks away.

Prison officials at Beaumont's Federal Correctional Complex would only confirm that an investigation was underway and that information would be released at some point.

Bureau of Prisons spokeswoman Traci Billingsley, who is located in Washington D.C., said records indicated Joseph was almost four years into a 10-year prison sentence on drug and gun charges.

Joseph's family said they've tried in vain to get information from Beaumont prison officials about Joseph.

"I think it's sad that I lost my son and I can't get answers from nobody," said Leah Crutchfield, Joseph's mother, who was calling from Richmond, Virginia.

"It's probably over something they did," Crutchfield said of the prison's role in her son's death.

Joseph's sister, Erika Joseph, is baffled as to how her brother died when the prison was supposed to be on lockdown.

"This never should've happened," Joseph said. "The system failed."

A press release issued Wednesday by the prison's public information office regarding Joseph's death stated "the institution is on lockdown status due to a previous unrelated incident."

That response was nothing new to Crutchfield.

"That prison is always on lockdown. They need to do something," she said.

Both women said they hadn't spoken with Joseph in three weeks, which was highly unusual. They put money in Joseph's prison account last week and he didn't call back, which he always does after receiving money from them.

And Erika Joseph said the last conversation she had with her younger sibling was cryptically prophetic.

"My brother told me if he didn't get out of there soon he was coming home in a pine box," the 31-year-old said.

The family had been working on an early release with Joseph's attorney in Virginia.

Jennifer Robinson, his attorney, said she was going to look into filing motions for an early release in March. Robinson said the U.S. Sentencing Commission passed guidelines in December that would reduce sentences for federal inmates with crack cocaine convictions and she was going to see if Joseph qualified.

Erika Joseph said her brother, who had been transferred from federal prisons in Atlanta and Terre Haute, Ind., before winding up in Texas, said the Beaumont prison was especially dangerous compared to the others.

"He said people were getting stabbed every day," his mother said.

In fact, on Nov. 28, 2007, Gabriel Rhone, 31, was stabbed to death by two other inmates. On May 7, 2005, Keith Barnes was stabbed by three other inmates.

Joseph's death is the sixth homicide at the complex since 1999, according to The Enterprise archives.

Joseph had been locked up in Beaumont since September 2006, according to jail records.

Erika said her brother was responsible for the crimes he committed but should not have paid the price he did.

"We knew he had to do his time, but you're not supposed to die in there."

[Movementarian]

"It's probably over something they did," Crutchfield said of the prison's role in her son's death.

You gotta love quotes like this. It isn't her crack dealer son's fault that he was in prison, pissed off the wrong people and got killed.

Joseph's sister, Erika Joseph, is baffled as to how her brother died when the prison was supposed to be on lockdown.

"This never should've happened," Joseph said. "The system failed."

Again. It is the system that failed. Come on...

"My brother told me if he didn't get out of there soon he was coming home in a pine box," the 31-year-old said.

Did she contact anyone at FCC Beaumont to inform them that she was worried her brother may be harmed? Did he request PC? Probably a "no" in both cases.

[KBCraig]

You should read this knucklehead's PD15. Page after page of 104 (possessing a weapon) and 203 (threatening bodily harm), with a good smattering of insolence, refusing orders, conduct which disrupts, etc. He started out at Gilmer, worked himself up to Terre Haute, and then got a disciplinary to Beaumont.

Being found "unresponsive in his cell" during lockdown does narrow the list of suspects just a bit.

[GUNNER]

Just another Thug off the count the way I see it.

[meeko]

Well thats the 2nd one that did time at Terre Haute that died at Beaumont!!! Rhone was a piece of *&^%.

The funny thing is "EVERYONE IS FOR CRIME CONTROL UNTIL A FAMILY MEMBER GETS ARESSTED/INCARCERATED, THEN THEY BECOME AN ACTIVIST FOR PRISON/POLICE REFORM" He probably didn't call home because he was in the SHU or he had to use family money to pay of debts.

[USPBOB]

Originally Posted by KBCraig

Being found "unresponsive in his cell" during lockdown does narrow the list of suspects just a bit.

If thier SIS is like ours, thats still a Challenge for them!

[Thorn]

We just had one hang himself in his cell the other day at our institution. The FBI came, there was an investigation, and the inmates were locked down for a few hours. By dinner time we were backed to normal ops and life goes on for everyone else who didn't hang themselves.

[Crosstimbers Okie]

Originally Posted by USPBOB

If thier SIS is like ours, thats still a Challenge for them!

Yeah, rumor is we've got some real quality investigative techniques being used to identify dirty staff. If they pan out they are guaranteed to get an SIS LT ran out of town on a rail.

[ATW-Hack]

I love how the families just blame the Jail and don't say a single word about how he chose his own path and broke the law (probably multiple times to be at a USP) and landed his own ass in prison!! This guy probably just got tired of giving up the BOOTY to his celly and got hammered for it!!