Out of sight, out of mind — they think

A look inside ‘Misery Mountain’

From Pam Bailey, Rob’s editor/collaborator: In my last blog post, I reported that Rob had suddenly been moved out of his Virginia jail en route to the U.S. penitentiary in Florida where he had formerly been incarcerated. However, we’ve been rudely reminded once again of the Bureau of Prison’s arbitrary, secretive mode of operations. I check the online “inmate tracker” every day, seeking confirmation of Rob’s whereabouts. This week, he popped up in USP Hazelton — a notorious prison in West Virginia nicknamed Misery Mountain. We don’t yet know why he was moved there; he has not been allowed to call anyone. Our only communication so far is one, short, pencilled letter I received today. When we call the prison, we are told only that the institution is on lockdown — if anyone answers the phone at all.

Why is USP Hazelton called Misery Mountain? Read on.

“They are treating us badly. I have been in my cell since I got here, only out for a shower on Monday and Thursday for 10 minutes. I haven’t gotten a change of clothes, wash cloth, nothing. This place has always treated us inhumanely, but COVID has made it worse. I’ve had to put my Vietnam armor back on.”

Those were the words Rob scrawled in his first, necessarily short letter since his arrival at Hazelton — short because he…