On February 18, 2005, this site's creator filed a Freedom of Information Act ("FOIA") Request with the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons ("BOP"). That FOIA Request, Number 2005-03244, asked for a number of records kept by Federal Correctional Complex ("FCC") Victorville, California, with regard to inmate violence and a new prison opening in January 2005. The BOP's West Regional Counsel withheld these records on April 12, 2005, subject to a down payment of $10,000 and a promise to pay at least another $7,000 (this was just to find, not reproduce, the records). A Revised Request dated May 9, 2005, limited the records requested to Victorville's United States Penitentiary ("USP") and Federal Correctional Complex (FCI) Medium II. The renewed request for Fee Waiver was denied in a letter dated (Saturday) May 28, 2005.
Access to these public records was denied because, in the BOP's view, they (1) do not serve a significant public interest; (2) cannot reach a suitable number of persons to qualify for fee waiver; and (3) are primarily in the Requestor's commercial interest. This website intends to test parts of the BOP's position, and ask U.S. citizens whether they wish to see these records. Each visit to this site is counted, and a Guestbook gives visitors an opportunity to sign their names to a list that will be reproduced in an appeal to the Central Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and then to an appropriate Federal district court. The Requestor must show public interest, and this site gives the public -- you -- a chance to personally express interest in reviewing how a Federal prison operates, and even what prison forms look like. I ask you: how many U.S. citizens does it take to make a "public interest" under the Freedom of Information Act?
This site's creator keeps no knowing records of who visits, and does not intend any visitor to be tagged in any way -- just getting the website running was an achievement. As always, though, the user is reminded the internet is a dangerous place, and this site is no more or less safe than any other tract of cyberspace. Likewise, any Guestbook signer named "Homer Simpson" or the like must prove identity to my satisfaction before inclusion in administrative and court filings.
Anyone may sign the Guestbook, in fact the Requestor needs as many serious signatures as possible to show "public interest" in self-governance. Persons of all persuasions are welcome in this serious public forum. The Guestbook means especially to count interested U.S. citizens for Federal law filings, though, and the Requestor reserves the right to edit the Guestbook for these purposes. Also, this site hopes to stay apolitical and about self-governance, so here is notice that no private person, legal or real, may post organizational links on this site. Anyone wishing to link this site to his/her/its own, for legitimate purposes, is hereby so authorized. Thank you for understanding.
Enjoy reading what is already here, and come back again to check for updates. If you wish to see the records requested from Federal Correctional Complex ("FCC") Victorville, California, for whatever reason, please remember to sign the Guestbook.
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