By Toby Michael
My name is Toby Michael. I was sentenced to “death by incarceration” for a murder and two attempted murders I committed in July of 1997. I was 21, and this occurred in Des Moines, Iowa. I’ve been sent out of state on an Interstate Compact since 2011.
The reason I am writing to you isn’t about me though. I simply wanted to explain what it’s like being exiled in the Oregon Department of Collections (O.D.O.C.). How the 
dehumanization and commodification of our captivity is “incentivized policing” rather than treating, helping, or correcting us. I call this “Economic Injustice on a Pendleton Plantation.”
I included a copy of our Major Violation Grid so that you can see for yourself how everything is a rule violation that generates revenue. I’m currently in Disciplinary Segregation serving 90 days then I will go to the Intensive Management Unit (IMU) because confidential informants claimed that my celly and I threw away state property. By definition, we were found guilty of Unauthorized organization and disturbance even though no CO or video surveillance captured any evidence.
The toxic culture of the O.D.O.C. creates a toxic environment of repression to breed our failure. Our incarceration is their childrens’ tuition and first car. Not only that but look at the price tag on each mistake we make. Every day there’s a Major Violation report and they deduct up to $200 from our account. Also a finding of guilt is a loss of job and that month’s paycheck. Then we go back to the work pool but once we get a job we have to work for 30 days free. A $200 a fine, like mine, means I serve 90 days solitary then go to the IMU program for 6 months then get to a yard and get a job where I work 30 days without pay. Then I can earn a $40 check that they claim 50% of. That’ll take me 10 months of work after 10 months of segregation just to even get.
How’s that for doing L.W.O.P outta state?
