Bryan H.'s Page

“Being Lynched by the ADOC” or “Arizona Burning”

By The Right Reverend Joseph B. Howard, Sr. Th.D.




My father was raised in Mount Bayou, Mississippi in the thirties and forties. He saw his fair share of lynching as a youth and even saw his aunt taken away by nightriders, never to be seen again. I remember our family being pulled over by Mississippi State Troopers because they wanted to see why a family of Negros could afford a brand new Buick and they could not on their salaries. I remember the look of anger and disdain on the face of my father and bewilderment on the face of my northern born mother. Being told these stories as a youth during the sixties, civil rights movement piqued my curiosity even more. I read books about Fredrick Douglas, Malcom X, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, and others. I even remember sitting in a school assembly during “Negro History Week” and listening to professional African-American Educators and I was proud. James Brown, the Godfather of Soul echoed my sentiments a few years later when he penned and sang, “Say it Loud, I’m Black, and I’m Proud!” Forty years later, I’m still proud to be a man of honor, a man of integrity, and a man of purpose. I thought I was being honored for that by the Department of Corrections in February during an awards luncheon in Phoenix, AZ.




I found out however a few months later that racism has not left the building in this country, but only changed their job titles. After Protestant services I conducted on 7-15-08, I noticed my password no longer worked and somebody had been on my computer. The next day after the Supervisor took us to lunch (the staff chaplains) to set-up my lynching; He then called me ten minutes after I got back to my office. On or about 1330 on 7-16-08 I was called by my supervisor, and told to check out of my computer and come to his office. I called back about five minutes later to get full clarity from his comment. I asked him, “Check out for the day or check out of the office completely?” he then replied, “the latter.” I removed all personal items from the office but my cd player, which I chose to donate to the chaplaincy department (I was later returned the CD player and personal items in humiliating fashion to please those concerned.) I arrived at his office around 1400 and I was informed due to my pre-press release of my new book, which he sent to the State Central Office, I was no longer a chaplain. I asked him why since my book had little to do with the prison itself but more of my personal life and how prison ministry had played a large part to my ministerial regeneration. Instead of joy of my accomplishment I was now dangling by my neck with the noose tightening around my windpipe and crushing and severing all airways until I released the bowels of my spirit and integrity and hung helplessly jerking slowly until ceased completely by death (termination of job).

This is how we are lynched in 2008 Black America!



The Supervisor replied that I had compromised the unit deputy warden, and others administrators on the unit where I had worked. I replied, “They had nothing to do with my book and the book has not even been printed yet.” He said I would no longer be allowed inmate contact because of my book. He said I would be re-assigned somewhere in the admin building. I walked out of the office and asked security as ASPC –Yuma to stand with me so a third party would hear my statements.) I told him I would fight this seeing I put this book together for ministry, my personal healing and nothing more. I told him as a disabled veteran I deserved better treatment and professional courtesy having fought and been injured serving my country and I would fight this harassment as well. I also informed him it clearly stated I was a published author on my resume so why was this book getting administrators so paranoid. Security told me to come back tomorrow and handed me my badge, which the supervisor wanted, and I had given him what he asked for. Supervisor said I would be reassigned at complex on the next day while being placed under state investigation. I told him I would not go out without legal action.



The next day, I was assigned to work in the mailroom during the morning hours and during the afternoon; I was assigned to the file room. The next two days were uneventful. Senior Chaplain come over to my workstation to harass me and tell me to not show up at the chaplains meeting the next day (why would I if I was no longer a chaplain?) The next day I was called in to the security office and informed by the Deputy Warden that I was no longer allowed to work in the mailroom and file room because of some regulation. I was embarrassed by being pulled out of the mailroom in the middle of the duties I was trying to perform. The employees looked at me as if I was an inmate. The Major called around the complex trying to find a place where I was allowed to work and not be a threat to the Department of Corrections. I asked if I could take the next couple of days off because I was being stressed by the harassment. I am a disabled veteran battling depression and PTSD. I have an exemplary military record and deserve better treatment than this. I was a published author before they hired me and they were made aware of this fact in my resume. A half-hour before the end of my shift the Chaplain supervisor called me over to the Major’s office and handed me a letter stating I had one week to turn in all my church credentials and degrees or face further punitive actions. I again, count this as harassment. I was given an award by the Arizona Department of Corrections in February for an African-American Employee of Distinction in February 2008 at the First Institutional Baptist Church in Phoenix, AZ based on my accomplishments. Why now those accomplishments are in question after my pre-press release of my book was made public? I find it ironic my credentials were now being challenged as I was introduced as “The Negro Doctor who writes books….” at the funeral of a fellow ADOC employee by my supervisor.



I came to Arizona to preach a word of hope to men with none. I came to teach a victorious way to the young and old alike. I came to reduce recidivism. I came to increase the Arizona population with good and kind men in society. I feel as if the Department of Corrections (especially my chain of command) has other agendas. I came to preach a word of victory and love. I thought the department wanted to truly change and touch the lives of these men. I thought we shared the commonality of wanting to change the unbalance shown in the prison statistics on the states website. I believe the ministry should transcend racial barriers and treat men as human beings not slaves. I have preached this gospel for twenty-nine years and have not suffered this type of humiliation and harassment in some time. I believe my ministry made a difference at ASPC-Yuma, maybe it made too much of a difference.