“This is a real nightmare and I am living in it.”
— Raymond Warren
Victim of Negligence
After being told (falsely) that he was eligible for a program that would grant him parole, Raymond was transferred across the country to a North Carolina facility. He was kept there for a full year under the pretense of COVID-19. For several months, his family could not reach him. Instead, he was placed under the prisoner number of another offender. His father could not locate him, and passed away before finding him. Raymond was informed of his father’s death weeks later.
Targeted by Guards
As a black man, Raymond has been subject to racially-motivated maltreatment by correctional officers. He has been put in the hole (solitary confinement) for weeks at a time, and prevented from seeing his mother. His personal belongings have also been seized as a result of incidents he did not cause.
Assaulted by Gang Members
Throughout his 27 years of incarceration, Raymond and his family have repeatedly been threatened and extorted for money. On numerous occasions, Raymond has been physically assaulted. He has spent several days in the infirmary and had multiple surgical operations for facial injuries sustained during these assaults.
Exposed to COVID-19
After spending a year 500 miles away from home, Raymond was finally transferred back to Ohio. However, he was placed into “quarantine” with an inmate who had tested positive for COVID-19. Raymond caught the virus while recovering from nasal surgery and was ill for several weeks.
Despite this unfathomable injustice, Raymond maintains his humanity.
“I only exist here to prove my innocence”