Friends,
Stop Prison Abuse Now (SPAN) would like to ask you to make appeals for the health of Kristopher Rodriguez, a severely mentally ill prisoner now at Lake Correctional Institution near Orlando. SPAN has tried for some time to help him, and have always been inspired by his mother, Gemma Pena, who has tried singlehanded for over a decade to save her son.
Kris was a high-achieving youth until becoming schizophrenic and suffering not only from his illness, but from the lack of compassion of our society. Like so many others in this situation, he lost medical insurance, self-medicated with drugs, committed a crime and eventually went to prison, where he has been appallingly neglected.
He will be released in ten months, but has not been psychologically stable over the ten years he has spent in jail. Ms. Pena, again alone, is going to have to care for him after his release.
Can you please contact any of the officials listed below, by phone, email or post as you please. We have included below a letter you can use if you wish.
Warden Michael Mashburn
or Asst. Warden for Mental Health Mrs. Frizell
Lake Correctional Institution
19225 U.S. Highway 27
Clermont, Florida 34715-9025 (352) 394-6146 E-Mail: lakeci@mail.dc.state.fl.us
Kathryn Cook, Psy.D., CCHP Regional Mental Health Director – Region 3 Centurion, LLC
kcook@CenturionofFL.com Cell: 850-228-7095
Pamela Murphy, Senior Inspector
Office of the Inspector General
Florida
Department of Corrections
501 South Calhoun Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-717-3358
murphy.pamela@mail.dc.state.fl.us
Dear
I am writing to urgently appeal to you for your help in protecting the mental and physical well-being of Kristopher Rodriguez (FDC# C07499), now in close custody at Lake C.I. He is, and has been for years, in a terrible state of mental health, hallucinating, hearing voices and at times not even recognizing his mother, Gemma Pena, who is doing all in her power to help him.
During Ms. Pena’s most recent visit to Kristopher, on February 9, his ankles were both cut and bleeding as he did not put socks on before the visit, but was shackled at the ankles anyway. When Ms. Pena told Major Lee about this and asked why he hadn’t been told to put socks on, Major Lee said he would not let his men do that. Both the law and common decency demand that prisoners be treated humanely.
Beyond that, Mr. Rodriguez needs to be transferred to a forensic hospital that will properly care for his needs. Before trial, he spent four years at Treasure Coast Forensic Treatment Center, where he was eventually stabilized. It is of the most urgent importance that he be stable before his release from prison in December.
Please let me know what measures you will take to help Mr. Rodriguez. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,