MY STORY – THE STRUGGLE TO MAKE A CHANGE

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(UPDATES ARE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST)

Hello all! My name is Bradley Colson, I’m 42 years of age, and I’m currently a student at K-State (Salina) in their “Digital Media” course. I was attending the Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s online division in their “Graphics and Web Design” program prior to transferring to K-State. It’s just a part of my story that due to certain disabilities I became unable to continue performing my usual line of work, which was working as a chain hand on oil well drilling rigs, and which I had done for various companies over the years ever since I was 18 years old.

Rather than simply trying to live off the meager monthly fixed income Disability or SSI might provide, I thought it would be best if I tried to learn something new, something where I could possibly work for myself or on a contract basis, something I both CAN do and WANT TO do. So here I am, living in Salina, KS… attending college… I certainly don’t have a comfortable life… I just barely get by on what amounts to maybe 500 or so dollars a month and some assistance from family. It’s a constant struggle, but, to me, it’s really a pretty good life in that it’s a life that’s going somewhere regardless of my current difficulties. OR AT LEAST I HOPE SO.

I can’t claim to have been a particularly good or moral person all throughout my entire life, my life sort of went in the other direction. Having grown up in a very small town, population maybe 300, it was somewhat of the norm that most of us began drinking somewhat heavily at a pretty young age. It just seemed like the thing to do when there was really little else to be done. That lead to, for me personally anyway, a long string of DUIs and violations for driving on a suspended license and the fists full of various tickets that came along with all those. Needless to say those all brought about the spending of a fairly considerable amount of time in and out of county jails and such along the way, and that’s just the direction in which my life progressed. I’ll skip all the sordid details, but you can pretty well imagine where that sort of life leads and in 2002 I was incarcerated on drug related charges for a period of 6 1/2 years. It was only then I began to really realize the changes that MUST be made in my life.

Having had a good long time to take everything under consideration I came to the conclusion that, under the totality of all circumstances, the only way I was ever going to be able to fix my life was to start back at the beginning where I’d screwed it all up… back in school… I’d go back to college. I mean, that’s when you’re making all those decisions as to who and what you want to be. I had various forms of assistance lined up (which is no easy task, in itself) before I was even released because I knew I would be starting out with absolutely nothing at all. I had tried completing college courses 3 times in the past and always ended up having to drop out for financial reasons, so I knew what a rough road lie ahead, but I didn’t really expect what became my primary obstacle… THE STATE OF KANSAS. And this is the part of the story I really want people to know.

In today’s world, when incarcerated for an offense, you don’t get just one sentence… you get a full period of incarceration as well as an additional term of post release supervision which is considered parole. So of course, I had a parole officer to dictate every detail of what I could and could not do. When I first saw my parole officer and told him about my wonderful plan he had said, “No, what you really need to do is go get you some dish washing job or something like that.” My PO would not allow me the time necessary to make all the preparations for attending college. My plan was basically destroyed for the moment but I wasn’t giving up there. Since I wasn’t going to be allowed to attend college where I was currently under supervision. I tried to make a move.

Having no resources for moving anywhere I came up with the idea that I could go to a chemical dependency treatment and reintegration program and after doing some looking around I chose PARALLAX INC which was then (but has since closed down due to highly unethical and illegal practices) located in Wichita, KS. New town with plenty of educational and other resources and a different PO which might actually let me go to college and get my life together. Sounded like a good idea and I didn’t see any other way, so, that’s where I went. No one could have foreseen what happened next.

At Parallax I was assigned this counselor, Donita Trukken, whom I immediately took a dislike to for her UNPROFESSIONAL PRACTICES in generalizing everyone into a single stereotypical class. She responded to my dislike for her by objecting to some of the medications I had been prescribed due to depression and depression related conditions. Having absolutely no medical background and being entirely unfamiliar with my medical history or why I was even on the medications I was on, she chose to instigate the alteration and eventual discontinuation of the medications which I had been on for quite some time. To do this she had to employ the assistance of Quack psychologist R. LANCE PARKER who simply backed anything she had to say regardless of the truth and in the end, yes, my medications were altered which caused me to become entirely listless and unable carry on day to day activities. After some time of this I had informed Donita’s assistant that if they did not do something to correct the problem… I would sue Parallax and their doctors. Shortly thereafter Donita Trukken, backed by other officials there called my PO Dawn Shepler (whom I had never even met since coming there) and produced this fictitious report stating I had been abusing my medications (which in actuality were dispensed to me at Parallax so I obviously could not have been abusing them) and that I was a highly unstable, potentially violent, paranoid schizophrenic who had been disruptive at their Christmas Gift Wrapping Event (which I never even attended), among other things, so I needed to be removed.

Dawn Shepler (again, who I had never even met) sent 6 police officers dressed in protective gear to arrest me and transport me to the Wichita Jail on that day, Christmas Eve, 2009. Having never even met me her recommendation was that I “be returned to prison so that a complete psychological assessment be completed so that I may begin a medication treatment to carry on while in the community.” Funny, but that’s exactly what had already been accomplished prior to coming to Parallax. Anyway… her recommendation was followed and regardless of the fact I was minimum custody I was sent to the Maximum Security Prison at Hutchinson, KS. The standard amount of time one generally does on these types of violations is 90 days, however, since I refused to sign the papers admitting everything they claim is true I ended up doing over 9 months during which time I was ultimately deprived of any medications at all for my depression and related symptoms. But here’s the “kicker…”

While incarcerated I was forced to bunk down on the concrete floor of a cell due to not being physically able to climb up into an upper bunk due to disabilities relating to a previous back injury. When I began complaining and preparing an action for violations of Civil Rights as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act the administration, led by Warden Sam Cline, took an intense dislike to me. When self-proclaimed gang member CLEVE WOOLEY #79066 (who in actuality is a child molester) began trying to extort me, ultimately threatening to “get his boys together and kill me in the showers” Sam Cline (who previously attended Seminary school and now issues administrative orders allowing food to be used as punishment for inmates) and his administration refused to do anything about it. Being an older, disabled person… naturally, there’s no way I could fend off such an attack. I see now how it obviously wasn’t very clear thinking but all I could think to do was to start carrying a knife and make it well known to other inmates that I had it in hopes that would keep these others from being so eager to attack me. That didn’t work out so well.

When these others felt they could no longer easily get at me, instead, this wanna be gangster (whom none of his gangster buddies realized was actually a child molester) and his group began writing anonymous request forms, informing that I had the knife. Where Sam Cline and his administration would refuse to do anything about a situation where several gang related youths were attempting to extort and plotting to kill an older, disabled person… they were all over the situation where the older, disabled person preparing Civil Rights and ADA actions against them has to carry a knife to keep from being killed. There way of dealing with such a situation? To file criminal charges against me for “Introducing Contraband into a Correctional Facility.”

Allegedly, according to Kansas law, a person is to be free from prosecution for acts committed in the preservation of one’s own life (See KSA 21-3219), but that defense has been codified pretty much into non-existence here in Kansas. You have to wait until you are actually in the process of being killed before you’re excused for taking any forceful measures, real or implied, due to highly technical, legal interpretations of words like IMMINENT and REASONABLE used in the afore statute. And quite frankly, if you’re an inmate in Hutchinson Correctional Facility who is not well liked by the administration all that administration has to do is to call up their henchman, STEVEN MAXWELL, Assistant Reno County Attorney, and you’re goose is pretty much cooked regardless of any exculpatory or mitigating circumstances.

However… I was able to make bond regardless of the intentional misrepresentations Steven Maxwell made in open court to get my bond increased. I came to Salina, KS and starting out in a homeless shelter I’ve finally been able to put my little plan together. Although charges are still pending in Reno County District Court, I now live in a perfectly normal home in a good neighborhood here in Salina, KS and am a “Digital Media” student at K-State here… I live a perfectly normal life which would finally seem to be headed in a  productive, and positive direction. I’m just hoping I will be allowed to continue. I have a court date in the Reno County District Court before Judge Timothy J. Chambers on December 15-th so we shall see.

It was suggested to me by Attorneys with the Reno County Public Defender’s Office that I should just plead guilty to the charges because given the overall circumstances and the fact that I’ve made the changes in my life that I have… it would be most likely (a 98% chance, I was told) that I could get a non-prison sentence. So I’m thinking that may just be the best thing to do. It sure would be a shame to have what I’ve battled so hard just to be allowed to do completely destroyed.

Anyway… I think my story is one a lot of people might want to keep in mind, and certainly one that ought to be known. I’m going to keep this blog updated as long as I am able and try to include some information which may be of use to others in similar or just difficult circumstances. Try to provide information about the resources I’ve used so maybe some out there who may want to (or need to) “START OVER” might find their way a little easier than I have. So keep checking back.

Incredible as it may seem, this is just an abbreviated version of everything, and I’ll be editing it to try to clear up some portions which might be a little vague, try to include links to some documents and such relating to these experiences, but for now… I just wanted my story out there for others to know. And if you’re someone out there procrastinating on making the changes you need to due to whatever difficulties, I just want  to say to you, no matter how hard it may be, no matter what obstacles stand in your way… don’t put off making the changes in your life that you need to. More often than not for many… life is NOT fair and anything worth doing IS difficult. But I haven’t let the things I’ve mentioned in my story stop me, so whatever the circumstances you happen to be facing… don’t let those things stop you from making a better life for yourself.

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If anyone might want to contact me for any reason you can email me at: <bradley.colson@yahoo.com>

You may also write to the address <ME>, c/o V. Morrison, 1821 VanBuren, Great Bend, KS 67530

If you wish you can follow me on Twitter at: @BradleyC4U – I tweet whatever’s of interest at the moment.

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UPDATE (01-04-12):

Well… Today am officially a “normal” citizen once again… I am officially released from post release supervision with all rights restored, including but not limited to, the right to vote, the right to hold public ofice, and the right to serve on a jury… so the paper says anyway; As of the 8-th that is, I am officially released from being property of the state. I can’t believe I have the right to vote again, not that I ever did in the 1-st place, but, this year WILL be the first time. Honestly, I never cared to vote in any presidential elections before because there simply wasn’t anybody out there who would, or could make a difference; But this year… I’m for Ron Paul ALL THE WAY! He’s the one I believe can make the changes that need be made in this country… maybe with a man like him in office eventually this will be a country where the little people can have a better chance at getting ahead in life instead of being stomped on every time they start to come up a little bit.

I’m sure all the injustices out in the world and in US society couldn’t possibly be fixed even if Paul were given two terms to do it in, but, I believe he can bring about enough change to cause a paradigm shift in the way things operate, and in turn, in the way we all operate. As for my socioeconomic class I’m pretty sure we’ve all been beat down and conditioned to prepare for, and almost always expect the worst, which tends to make for an extremely selfish population. I mean, with the way pretty much everything has progressed one can really only look out for one’s self and their own, or at least try to, if they want to keep their head above water. For many of us, especially those out there all on their own with little or no support… that can often lead to somewhat desperate measures just to get by; Constantly having to bend the rules or ones morals or adjust one’s boundaries and such, just  a little more and a little more and a little more until everything becomes unclear and you don’t really know exactly where you stand.

Maybe I’m relating more to my own personal situation, but, it seems I’ve read somewhere, “In a society where the rules are not clearly defined… the right rules become wrong and the wrong rules become right… and then what you have is a criminal.” Well… maybe not always a criminal by the literal definition of the word, but surely you can see the underling principal… things just aren’t clear in today’s world… the lines are all blurred; And we need an entirely new kind of leadership that can give us an entirely new outlook.

I guess I kind of got off on a rant there. All I really meant to say is I’m completely thrilled with my new status as a “normal” (or maybe “average” is a better word) citizen and for what’s really the first time ever… I think I’m going to start taking advantage of that status. I’m going to take advantage of being a part of normal society because for the first time ever… it means something to me. I sure hope things go well for me in my court situation I’m in here because right now I’m pretty hopeful about EVERYTHING… EVERYWHERE.

As for Ron Paul… check out these videos, and yes… VOTE RON PAUL! ! !

On a more comical note… here’s one I really loved noting “Draft Ron Paul,” I don’t know who made this thing, but I love it.

UPDATE (12-25-11):

I haven’t got around to updating this, but obviously, I survived my last court date (at least for the time being). To keep this as short as possible, well, I just entered a plea of “No Contest” on December 15-th and my sentencing hearing is on February 3-rd, 2012 when the judge will decide if I deserve to go back to prison for having to take measures to preserve my own life or whether I can be placed on some form of probation allowing for me to continue with college and the life I’ve built here.

As for that 98% chance of getting a departure to a non-prison sentence, well, I have new counsel now who tells me he wouldn’t count on it. The entire situation seems entirely ridiculous to me. Sure, I could go serve 2 or 3 years, but what purpose would that serve… I can understand where if a crime has been comitted there has to be some form of punishment, but they say prison is to be reserves for only the most serious offenders, so is someone forced to take measures to see they are not killed really one of those most serious offenders? I guess we’ll find out February 3-rd. Guess if things go badly I can always look on the bright side… I’m needing some pretty substantial dental work, a knee replacement, and possibly back surgery so it could really save me some dough… would give me plenty of time for working on my book as well. I suppose ALL won’t be bad whichever way things go.

I suppose that’s all for now… I just wanted to get an update in here to keep those out there watching aware of what’s going on with this. I’ve added a couple pages and some more links since beginning this, one page relates to the resources I’ve used to get back into college which I hope can assist some out there which might wish to do the same. Another is on addiction so if you’re someone who’s been through that revolving door of “so called” treatment maybe you can find something of use to you there. And as always… good luck in your struggles, whatever they may be.

UPDATE (2-23-12):

As usual… I’m late in placing any updates in my little story in here. My situation has kind of drug out a little longer than expected. I had a court date a couple of weeks ago which I expected to bring an end to my legal matters one way or the other. I was in court for sentencing on the matters I’ve related in my story here. As I’ve already related, the prosecution would like to place me back in prison for having to defend my own life and we (my lawyer and I, that is) are requesting a departure to a non-prison sentence considering the circumstances under which the offense took place and the fact I’ve really got my whole life together out here since being allowed to go back to college.

At my last hearing there was the most amazing turn of events, the judge, Timothy Chambers, wanted to get the opinion of the Warden Sam Cline (mentioned above) on what he thinks about me since the crime is supposedly against the prison. I really don’t understand seeing as how it’s already pretty well known within this whole situation what the warden thinks of me and vice versa. Having filed over 42 grievances against Mr. Cline and his administration as well as a civil rights complaint and an action for violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for Sam Cline and his administration’s refusal to provide medical care and accommodations for my lower back condition and forcing me to bunk down on a concrete floor… it should be pretty obvious what his opinion of me is going to be. Sam Cline and his administration have done everything possible already to see that their records paint me as an absolute screw up who has made no attempt at all of ever changing his ways. This certainly conflicts with what I’ve done once actually given the chance to make a change, but, OK… nothing I can do about it. It’s not too terribly difficult for any reasonably prudent person to see what’s going on here.

So anyway… I have court tomorrow and we’ll see what happens. Several members of my family as well as my room mate, the person I rent a room from, that is, as well as at least one student from my class have all written letters on my behalf testifying to the facts of the changes I’ve made in my life and everything I’ve been trying to do since coming to Salina. If all that doesn’t prove my point then I guess there’s nothing that will and I’ll just go kick back in prison for however long. Like I said before… it will give me a chance to work on my book regarding my experiences with the Kansas Department of Corrections. It would be unfortunate to destroy my prospects for earning a degree and getting my little Design business off the ground and all that, but, either way it goes, at least it will be over and I won’t have to worry about it anymore. I’ve done the very best I can do throughout this entire mess… so… whatever.

If you don’t hear from me again here shortly… you know what happened. And either way it goes, let this story serve as an example for others, for whatever it’s worth. There are many truths to be realized and maybe lessons to be learned from all that has happened with me here, so, I hope these can all help someone out in some way. Goodbye for now.   -Bradley Colson

UPDATE (2-24-12):

I’M STILL HERE! In a rather amazing turn of events it seems I will be able to continue on with my life, with my education and with whatever the future holds. I’ve been trying to catch up, or at least keep current, on my assignments in class so I’ve been busy with that since returning this afternoon, but, I’ll have the “low down” on everything that happened in court posted in this update in… well… not too terribly long a time. OK… well… I’m tired… It’s been a long, LONG day… going to bed for now. Goodnight.