In a series of letters obtained exclusively by The Guardian, prisoners at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary have exposed the harsh realities of life in the underground H Unit, known as the 'tombs'. The letters describe a subterranean dungeon where natural light never reaches, and inmates endure beatings, vermin infestations, degrading punishments, and extreme isolation.
'Down here in the tombs, there aren't any windows,' writes Tremane Wood, a 46-year-old inmate who spent 17 years in H Unit. 'It's really like living in a cave. It's dark and damp. Sometimes this place drives people mad. The hardest part is the isolation.' Wood notes that the lack of sunlight causes inmates to lose track of days and nights, describing it as 'a real form of psychological torture that some people never come back from.'
Conditions in H Unit
H Unit, completed in 1991 after a redesign following riots in 1973, consists of windowless cells built into the earth. The letters detail infestations of mice, snakes, and bugs, unsanitary conditions, and frequent physical and sexual violence. Prisoners are locked in concrete cells for up to 23 hours a day, with some reporting weeks or months without leaving their cells.
Edward Sparks III, who has been in H Unit for most of the last four years, describes the showers between two doors where 'anything from snakes to mice and bugs will be at your feet.' He notes that mice are so numerous they hang around on food trays. Another prisoner, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he went 50 days without a shower and that guards spray mace and pepper ball guns at inmates without provocation.
Expert Condemnation
Dr. Sondra Crosby, an expert in torture survivors and a public health professor at Boston University, compares the lack of sunlight to techniques used in CIA black sites after 9/11. 'It causes disorientation and you just lose sense of yourself,' she says. 'We know that exposure to light is critical to wellbeing and is necessary to maintain a sense of self.'
Randy Bauman of the ACLU of Oklahoma notes that the lack of sunlight exacerbates the mental health harms of solitary confinement. 'Studies have demonstrated how long-term isolation makes mental illness worse or even causes it in those who were healthy when they entered this type of space,' he says.
Prisoner Accounts
Prisoners describe regular cells of roughly 8 by 16 feet and maximum-security cells that are even smaller, known as 'the hole within the hole.' Sparks writes that he prefers the high-security cells because he doesn't have to worry about being killed in his sleep or assaulted. He reports hearing men scream and seeing them pulled out of cells with blood and waste from sexual assault, with guards often ignoring the violence.
Joshua Dawkins, a mentally ill prisoner, writes that the prison fails to provide adequate mental health care or medication, punishing him for having mental breakdowns. The north-west quad of H Unit, where mentally ill inmates are confined, stinks of human feces thrown by prisoners demanding mats, soap, or care.
Official Response
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections called the allegations 'inaccurate,' stating that it follows all state and federal laws and takes conditions seriously. 'Staff are expected to follow standards at all times. Any unapproved deviations from policy are promptly addressed,' the department said in a statement.
The Death Penalty Information Center said the allegations 'raise new and serious concerns about whether the constitutional obligations of prison officials are being met, and they deserve close scrutiny.'
A Glimmer of Hope
Tremane Wood was recently transferred to another facility where he finally has a window in his cell. 'It really feels like getting out of war,' he writes. 'I do have a window now though and the sun is shining so that's a good day in my book. I won't ever get over the impact of being there in the tombs or going through what I went through. I won't ever be the same but imma try my best.'
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. International helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
