Mr. Dawitt is a loving father who endures his silent suffering in prison with thoughts of his daughter and wife as his constant companions. He longs to return to his family and reclaim his role as a father, husband, and human being. One mistake does not strip a person of their humanity, yet the prison system often dehumanizes those within it. Mr. Dawitt is a victim of such injustice, suffering at the hands of the correctional facility staff at FCI Williamsburg and the biases of the Discipline Hearing Office (DHO), which unfairly portrays incarcerated individuals as violent villains.
On the morning of February 6, 2024, an unimaginable event occurred at FCI Williamsburg. At approximately 7:15 a.m., staff announced a fight in unit 2B Lower. The 2B Lower Unit Officer witnessed a person, who we will call Mr. Lock, emerging from cell 116, the cell occupied by Dawitt.
The officer rushed to the scene and found Dawitt lying injured on the floor. CCTV footage revealed a harrowing sequence of events: Dawitt and Mr. Lock stood in the doorway of cell 116, engaged in what appeared to be a conversation. Suddenly, Mr. Lock grabbed the cell door, prompting Dawitt to shove him in the chest with his elbow, sensing danger. Dawitt then entered the cell, followed closely by Mr. Lock.
What ensued was a brutal and one-sided assault. Another incarcerated individual intervened and pulled Mr. Lock out of the cell. As Mr. Lock exited, he was covered in Dawitt's blood and holding a lock, evidence of the savage beating he had inflicted.
The incident began when Mr. Dawitt accused Mr. Lock of stealing something from his locker. Instead of retrieving his stolen property, Mr. Dawitt became a victim multiple times over. The conflict, which began with a simple accusation, escalated into violence. Instead of aiding the victim, the authorities punished Dawitt and painted him as the perpetrator.
Mr. Dawitt was punched with a lock hitting him below his right eye. The impact broke Mr. Dawitt's facial bones and eye socket, necessitating the insertion of a titanium plate—a procedure recommended for severe fractures, skull injuries, or bone degeneration. This underscores the severity of the injury. However, instead of receiving justice, Mr. Dawitt was summoned for a disciplinary hearing and was charged with FIGHTING WITH ANOTHER PERSON. The decision was based on his past drug charges and Mr. Locks' admission to being in a physical altercation with him. Despite the clear evidence of Mr. Dawitt's injuries, the authorities believed Mr. Locks' testimony over Mr. Dawitt's claim that he was attacked and that it was a one-sided fight.
DHO's ruling resulted in the loss of 27 days of Dawitt's good conduct time and loss of emailing privileges, further punishing the victim and jeopardizing his chances of an early release. This blatant disregard for justice and the dehumanization of Mr. Dawitt is a stain on the system that claims to uphold fairness and rehabilitation. His only form of communication with the outside world and his loving family was email which has been cut off. The reasoning given was that "Privileges are meant for those who follow rules and regulations and do not present a management problem for the staff or pose a threat to the security of the institution, self, or others." This portrayal of Dawitt as a violent threat is a stark contradiction to the evidence showing he was the one assaulted.
Despite clear evidence of Dawitt's victimization, the prison's DHO made a grossly biased decision. Dawitt received an incident report for a high-level offense. The DHO's reasoning was deeply flawed. They ignored the clear motive Mr. Lock had—his ego bruised by Dawitt's accusation of theft—and failed to recognize the severity of Dawitt's injuries. Instead, they focused on Dawitt's past drug-related issues, using them to label him as the aggressor. This negligence showed the DHO’s incompetence in handling the situation.
Dawitt's story is a harrowing example of how the prison system can fail those it is meant to serve. The lack of impartiality and the biases exhibited by the DHO highlight the urgent need for collective oversight and action to ensure individuals like Dawitt are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, even while serving their sentences. Therefore, the Remedy Project has filed multiple administrative remedies to help Mr. Dawitt reverse the DHO’s decisions, get Incident Report #3903456 expunged from his record, and lift any sanctions immediately. The record must be updated to reflect that on the day in question, Mr. Dawitt was not fighting but was instead assaulted.
Take action here to demand that our administrative remedies be properly addressed and that Dawitt gets the justice he deserves, allowing him to reconnect with his family.
Mr. Dawitt is a loving father who endures his silent suffering in prison with thoughts of his daughter and wife as his constant companions. He longs to return to his family and reclaim his role as a father, husband, and human being. One mistake does not strip a person of their humanity, yet the prison system often dehumanizes those within it. Mr. Dawitt is a victim of such injustice, suffering at the hands of the correctional facility staff at FCI Williamsburg and the biases of the Discipline Hearing Office (DHO), which unfairly portrays incarcerated individuals as violent villains.
On the morning of February 6, 2024, an unimaginable event occurred at FCI Williamsburg. At approximately 7:15 a.m., staff announced a fight in unit 2B Lower. The 2B Lower Unit Officer witnessed a person, who we will call Mr. Lock, emerging from cell 116, the cell occupied by Dawitt.
The officer rushed to the scene and found Dawitt lying injured on the floor. CCTV footage revealed a harrowing sequence of events: Dawitt and Mr. Lock stood in the doorway of cell 116, engaged in what appeared to be a conversation. Suddenly, Mr. Lock grabbed the cell door, prompting Dawitt to shove him in the chest with his elbow, sensing danger. Dawitt then entered the cell, followed closely by Mr. Lock.
What ensued was a brutal and one-sided assault. Another incarcerated individual intervened and pulled Mr. Lock out of the cell. As Mr. Lock exited, he was covered in Dawitt's blood and holding a lock, evidence of the savage beating he had inflicted.
The incident began when Mr. Dawitt accused Mr. Lock of stealing something from his locker. Instead of retrieving his stolen property, Mr. Dawitt became a victim multiple times over. The conflict, which began with a simple accusation, escalated into violence. Instead of aiding the victim, the authorities punished Dawitt and painted him as the perpetrator.
Mr. Dawitt was punched with a lock hitting him below his right eye. The impact broke Mr. Dawitt's facial bones and eye socket, necessitating the insertion of a titanium plate—a procedure recommended for severe fractures, skull injuries, or bone degeneration. This underscores the severity of the injury. However, instead of receiving justice, Mr. Dawitt was summoned for a disciplinary hearing and was charged with FIGHTING WITH ANOTHER PERSON. The decision was based on his past drug charges and Mr. Locks' admission to being in a physical altercation with him. Despite the clear evidence of Mr. Dawitt's injuries, the authorities believed Mr. Locks' testimony over Mr. Dawitt's claim that he was attacked and that it was a one-sided fight.
DHO's ruling resulted in the loss of 27 days of Dawitt's good conduct time and loss of emailing privileges, further punishing the victim and jeopardizing his chances of an early release. This blatant disregard for justice and the dehumanization of Mr. Dawitt is a stain on the system that claims to uphold fairness and rehabilitation. His only form of communication with the outside world and his loving family was email which has been cut off. The reasoning given was that "Privileges are meant for those who follow rules and regulations and do not present a management problem for the staff or pose a threat to the security of the institution, self, or others." This portrayal of Dawitt as a violent threat is a stark contradiction to the evidence showing he was the one assaulted.
Despite clear evidence of Dawitt's victimization, the prison's DHO made a grossly biased decision. Dawitt received an incident report for a high-level offense. The DHO's reasoning was deeply flawed. They ignored the clear motive Mr. Lock had—his ego bruised by Dawitt's accusation of theft—and failed to recognize the severity of Dawitt's injuries. Instead, they focused on Dawitt's past drug-related issues, using them to label him as the aggressor. This negligence showed the DHO’s incompetence in handling the situation.
Dawitt's story is a harrowing example of how the prison system can fail those it is meant to serve. The lack of impartiality and the biases exhibited by the DHO highlight the urgent need for collective oversight and action to ensure individuals like Dawitt are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, even while serving their sentences. Therefore, the Remedy Project has filed multiple administrative remedies to help Mr. Dawitt reverse the DHO’s decisions, get Incident Report #3903456 expunged from his record, and lift any sanctions immediately. The record must be updated to reflect that on the day in question, Mr. Dawitt was not fighting but was instead assaulted.
Take action here to demand that our administrative remedies be properly addressed and that Dawitt gets the justice he deserves, allowing him to reconnect with his family.
