He Needs To Come Home!!

The prison Drew is in has been on lockdown for over a week. That means I can’t visit him and he can’t call me. When this happens I worry even more than usual. He is able to send letters and I believe he can receive them. He is literally locked down in his cell 24/7. Quotes from Drew’s most recent letter are below. The frown “emote” is in his letter to us.  “I currently have my earplugs in and headphones on over them, but it barely takes the edge off. Sadly, no music yet. My books are probably here by now, but they have not been delivered to me. My left thigh is twitching right now. My stomach is beginning to churn. We are short-staffed and our pod has three inmates on suicide watch. So, due to protocol, lights are on 24/7. They look like spotlights and sound like tinnitus. Since they refuse to ever turn them off, I took some extra 9”x14” manila envelopes and stuck them to the lights with putty. Within an hour a C.O. told me to take them down. Bringing up my autism and photosensitivity would have been absolutely futile. I complied. My eyes are tired and hurt. Another inmate’s door-banging and yelling is ignored by staff because he is handicapped, but my handicap is ignored by staff and so frequently met by a flavor of unwanted disbelief. I have absolutely had it with this injustice and cruelty. My arms are cramping and pulsing from the anguish. :-( Please make sure that Governor McAuliffe knows that I passed 100% on my polygraph including being asked if I have ever sexually assaulted anyone. I love you guys and I desperately need to come home and snuggle Libbie. (Libbie is our dog) I hope to see you in a week and please have some encouraging news.”   I know this is hard to read, especially for other autism parents. But, we must read it and feel it if we are going to do anything to create changes within a criminal justice system that allows an innocent young man, with autism no less, to go through this torture.  I’m sure the prison staff follows protocol and does what they are trained to do. However, my impression is that an understanding of autism is not a part of their training. Bright lights and loud noises are likely uncomfortable for many but they are excruciating for those on the autism spectrum. I can’t tell you the number of phone calls I’ve made since March 2nd trying to explain ASD to staff and even the mental health personnel.  My son has asked me so many times “How can I be in here when it’s obvious that I’m innocent…and that I have autism?” I ask a similar question. How, in the United States of America, where reasonable doubt is the standard…and the goal is true justice...how and why is my innocent son with autism suffering in prison? Thank you all for your support. Please feel free to leave a comment, even if you’ve left one before. And please share this post. Judy and John Harrison