I was sent to the SHU for 66 days from August until the end of October 2025 for possession of medication that wasn’t mine. I was placed in the orderly cell, which is across from the CO’s office. I saw and heard a lot of what happened to Inmate [Tezmonta] Evans. I witnessed his first suicide attempt and then, a few days later, his suicide. I believe what happened could have been avoided if he had been able to talk to the psychologist again. The psychologist had come to see Evans when he stopped taking his meds. He was trying to talk him into starting them again.
Plus, Evans was placed on paper restrictions by the psychologist and was supposed to stay that way for five days. But two days later, staff moved him to a holding cell with Inmate Lee, who was being transferred and was NOT on paper. That gave Evans the chance to commit suicide. I overheard everything the staff said to him, egging him on and making other indecent remarks. I heard them say things like, “You don’t have the balls to kill yourself” and “I didn’t know she was 15.”
Inmate Evans killed himself when Lee was taken to the shower. When they take you to shower in the SHU, they usually leave you there for 30 minutes so they can make their rounds and get you back in your cell when they are done. I’m not saying the staff meant for Evans to die, but they should not have given him the opportunity to try again.
I have been in federal custody since 2003: USP Florence, USP Hazelton, USP Big Sandy and a couple more. I even spent years in the SMU program. I have never seen three suicides in less than six months anywhere. The abuse in this SHU is worse than any that I have ever been in…And if someone goes to suicide watch, they are treated worse than being in the SHU for disciplinary reasons! I was in the SHU 66 days and i watched them abuse a lot of inmates both verbally and physically.