GETTING VISITATION AND VISITING MONTELL TODAY

11/12/07 – Warden Chandler told me last Thursday that she needed 24-hour notice of my visits with Montell. I called Dixon Correctional Facility at 8:30 a.m. and dialed “7” nad then "5" for Clinical Services but their voice-mail came on and I hung up. I then called back to the facility and this time I dialed “5” for the Warden’s office, however, they also had voice-mail on so I left a message that I would be coming tomorrow 11/13/07. When I didn’t hear from the Warden’s office by 2:45 p.m. I called Dixon again and asked for whoever was in charge. Officer Taylor from the armory answered the phone but some how we got disconnected, so I called back again and this time Counselor Levy answered the phone and told me that there was nobody there to give me clearance for visiting Montell tomorrow. I hung up, called back again, this time I got Ms. Murphy told me that she did not have the authority to authorize my visit. However, she stated that she would take my name and number and e-mail the Warden as well as call her in the morning regarding my visit tomorrow.
11/13/07 – I called Dixon at 8:15 a.m. and asked to speak to the Warden. Diane answered the phone and told me that Warden Chandler was not in today however, I could come out to see Montell. I told her that I needed to bring some paperwork out for Montell to sign. She stated that she would have to have Mr. Callahan get back to me regarding me bringing out something for Montell to sign and that he was in a meeting. I told her that I was getting ready to leave for Dixon and to have him call me on my cell phone and I gave her my number.

I arrived at Dixon at 12:45 p.m. and was told by Officer C. Dunn that I had to leave the documents at the front desk. I told her “no” I needed to call my attorney who had told me that I had clearance to bring in the paperwork. She told me that I was always creating some sort of problem, then she stated that she had to call the assistant warden. I told her that their legal department had cleared the matter with my attorney. She made a telephone call. When she came back she told me that she needed to see the documents. Then she told me that I could take them in and I told her that my attorney said that someone from their staff would witness and notarized the document for me. She said she would call and let them know that. We went into the room for her to search me. While we were there I told her that I have never came out there and tried to break any of their rules, I believe in following rules, not breaking them. However, before they start jumping to conclusions they should find out what they are talking about before they confront a person in the matter that they do

Officer Newstrand came and escorted me over to the infirmary we got at around 1:25 p.m. and Montell was lying in a fetal position on his left side watching TV. I asked him how he felt and and through the ABCs spelled out “Ok” however his right hand and forehead felt warm to me. He kept looking at the Wound vacuum machine and frowning. I asked if the noise was bothering him and he nodded “yes”. I told him that if he got some earplugs he wouldn’t be able to hear the radio or TV. I also noticed that the “call button" was dangling on the right side of his bed where he couldn’t reach it if he needed to, so I moved it to his left side and pinned it with the clip to the pillow where he would be able to reach it. I asked if he had eaten anything by mouth today and he nodded his head up and down. He kept looking at a plastic cup in the window sill so I started saying the ABCs. He let me know that he wanted some water. I tried to get him to sipp through the straw but he got strangled so I put the cup back in the window sill.

Ms. Mary Woodard came in for us to try and get Montell to sign the paperwork. It took quite a while and he seemed to get frustrated. He wanted me to hold his hand so he would press harder on the paper with the pen but I was told that I couldn’t. Ms. Woodard went out to find out what could be done.

Meanwhile Montell told me that his right foot was hurting so I rang for the nurse to come in to help him. When she came in she immediately told me that I had to leave the room and go down the hall and through the double doors. She had blonde hair with a handkerchief tied around her head (and of course no name tag on) and she was dressed in a floral pink top with white sleeves, and black pants. As I was writing down a description of her Officer Newstrand informed me that I couldn’t take notes. I told him that this was the way that I communicated with my son. When I went back into the room I asked Montell her name and he told me through the ABCs that it was Nina.

Ms. Woodard came back in and hand me a black marker, I placed it in Montell’s right hand and he was able to make a mark on the paper that I had bought out there for him to sign. Montell wanted me to turn his radio on, I did. I noticed that Montell was having quite a few spasms and whenever they occurred he would start frowning as if he wanted to cry I placed my hand on his right leg and told him to let mommy take the pain away from him. Montell closed his eyes and rested for awhile. He woke up and wanted his right hand covered up I did but he put it back out through a hole that was in the blanket, He then wanted me to help him reach the left railing with his right hand, it seems as if he was trying to take the pressure off of his left hip. I helped him put his hand on the railing but he was only able to hold on for a little while. At 2:50 p.m. Officer Newstrand told me that my visit was up, I kissed Montell and told him that I would see him on Friday. I also told him to close his eyes and he could always see me and I left.


.