FW: THE DEATH OF MENARD PRISONER WILLIAM L. BUHRMESTER B67426

[Terry Buhrmester]

 I called the - IDOC parole #  (800) 666-6744. They took my phone numbers and said they would pass it on to his PO.  We'll wait and see.  I have no idea what town he went to, and he is possibly living with relatives. That's why the PO may work best here.    Thanks T.

[MercedesMom]

Ok!  I have been reading this forum from the beginning but really I was in shock. I did not know what to say something out of anger.  I love William Buhrmester and always will!! So I did not want to write an angry post because I want my post to be meaning full and loving.  Yes I am very angry, upset, hurt and most of all disgusted!  How can anyone let my friend or any human suffer the way they WATCHED him do.  That is murder or torture. Very inhuman!

I would like to thank all of you who are helping Terry on this forum.  You have gave him great advice and also helped him find a some peace.  Do not get me wrong he will never let this lye until he finds the justice Billy deserves.

I called the Springfield office and the Chicago office on the day you guys did.  They took my name and number and email address said they would look into it.  I have not received anything back from them.  I am willing to give them any information they needed to get ahold of myself or anyone because we want to hear their reasoning behind this hate crime toward an inmate. Yes it is a hate crime because once a person goes in IDOC they get labeled.  To the IDOC, they see inmates as a number.  That is where I feel it all goes down hill. 

They give them a number so they do not have to associate themselves personally to the inmate.  Well I am here to say B67426 will never be a number to anyone anymore.  But B67426 is a name they all will remember WILLIAM BUHRMESTER.  He is was a son, brother, father and soon to grandfather.  To me he was one of my closest friends.  I have been writing Billy since he went in.  We grew very close and yes I knew him on the outside.  But the true Billy came out when he realized he messed up and accepted the punishment.  He was looking forward to coming out a new man with new way of thinking.

I am sorry but, everyone who has every been in Billy's life was blessed by him.  He was just a happy go lucky guy who made everyone smile.  Even if he was having a bad day he could always make me and others laugh.  Yes  Billy had a side called William.  He struggled all the time with him.  He knew right from wrong but fell into hard times and hard ways.  But I am here to tell you Billy was finally able to put William behind him.  If you knew him, you know exactly what I am saying.  Billy was an awesome person.

So yes I am excited that Terry and Kellie have finally gotten some where.  They have a good attorney on there side and the support of all of you.  I have to go for now but,


Thank you everyone who has supported my friends family and who has helped them in this time of need.

[Dazzler]

Okay Folks, the hearing before the Prison Reform Committee will be Tuesday, May 19th in Springfield.  We need everyone who has complaints about the medical abuse and stories to tell the committee to get them written up and submitted....and then you may either read it to the committee or we'll turn them in for reading.  We'd like as many people as possible to come and testify before the legislators.  This is the opportunity we've been waiting for.  No more excuses people...you all talk about what can we do to stop this abuse and help our inmates....you say you'll participate in anything that will prevent this malpractice...so now's the time.  We may never get another shot at the Prison Reform Committee. 

We are also urging everyone to call their own representatives and invite and urge them to come to this meeting.  IDOC and the Governor's office will also be asked to attend.  It'll be interesting to see who will show up.  If I were the DOC administrators and Quinn I'd be hiding my face in shame....especially after Gary Marx's well-timed story in the Tribune today.

There was a meeting last night of representatives from various advocacy groups about the hearing.  This is a coordinated effort and we'll be notifying all our members by email this week.  Here is the email from Ted about the actions that need to be pursued by everyone before this hearing date.  If you have questions put them in the Inmate Medical forum.

The Illinois House Prison Reform Committee on Tuesday, May 19th at 4:00 pm will hear testimony about the crisis in medical care in Illinois prisons.  First on the agenda will be hearing from the family of William Buhrmester, who died a terrible death at Menard Correctional Center on April 2 while guards and medical staff refused to give him the medications that had saved his life only a few months earlier when he had been at Robinson Correctional Center.  We also propose that Gloria Johnson-Ester speak about her son, Montell Johnson. 

 

May 19th is the regularly scheduled date for the hearing.  The date gives us time to prepare and organize.  We had been oriented toward an earlier date, but the meeting of the core group last night was not well attended.  People need to step up to the plate and work to get folks to this hearing.  A packed hearing room with news media attention is critical to make progress on this issue.  We need to motivate the committee members to demand answers from the IDOC and the Governor's Office about what is clearly a mounting crisis in Illinois prisons.

 

These are the things that need to be done.  Please let us know what you will do.  Don't worry about doing something that someone else may be doing - it won't hurt. 

 

1. Laurie Jo and Ted will talk to people who can testify and help them organize their testimony. We should try to have statements by them copied for the media, although they may also speak extemporaneously. I spoke this morning with Kellie Buhrmester, and her family will be there and ready.  There will be others prepared to speak, and we'll squeeze in as many as possible, but we want the committee members to ask questions and go in deeply on these first two families.

 

2. I will prepare a short summary of the medical project of the NAARPR-Chicago, including several deaths through neglect that we know about.  If there isn’t time to present it verbally we’ll distribute it to the Committee and the news media.

 

3. We need to work with Committee Chairman, Rep. Eddie Washington, and Committee Staff Jeff Houch, to make sure key Legislators are invited.   We need all the legislators’ phone numbers, email addresses.  They need to be called and their secretaries need to put it on their schedules.  This will be a lot of work.

 

4. Rep. Washington can use talking points, and the legislators could use an outline to help them to ask good questions.

 

5. We need to get a copy of the letter by Rep. Washington announcing the hearing and inviting legislators to it, along with representatives of the IDOC and the Governor's Office.  There needs to be a news media release ASAP announcing the hearing and giving a heads up about who will be there to testify. 

 

6. The key will be several email blasts to all of the lists of all of us.  Can IPT organize written statements from family members of prisoners who have and are suffering at the hands of the IDOC medical contractors?

 

This has huge potential to be a powerful and significant moving presentation with a whole room of people who will be silent as they listen to William Buhrmester's father. OR, it could have only 15 people and 2 legislators. It requires organizing work to pack the room.  This is an important basis for organizing family members. This type of hearing can really bring family members together to be involved--and we shouldn't do all the work. It would be a really amazing, rewarding thing for other families to work on, to share the burden of organizing others. 

 

Please let everyone know what you and/or your organization is doing to prepare and mobilize for this hearing. 

 

Thanks.

 

Ted

[mandycapp1]

Uncle Terry,

Glad to hear you found him.  I emailed a couple Buell's that were on facebook but they said it was not them.  Hope he can help.  I am making arrangements to be there on the 19th.

Love ya!

[Terry Buhrmester]

Very good Mandy, I've got some riding down with me.

[Felicity]

I will be there on the 19th, and I will be contacting my representative via phone, email and USPS. I'm VERY eager to attend this hearing. This is such an extraordinary opportunity! Not only to show support for the Buhrmester family & all of Bill's friends, but for ALL Illinois inmates. THANK YOU! Peace, Felicity

[baby girl]

living 3 hours away and having to work, I will not be there in person but I will be there in spirit.  I have no personal stories to tell but I have great interest in all of my brothers and sisters and their love ones in the IDOC.  My prayers are going before you.

[ielene]

 Springfield stress's me but I have had to drive threw it enough times I think I can do it. I need an address so I can map it out. I do not have any stories to tell except one from county and it is nothing I think they would be interested in. I will try and get a sitter for Cadence and be there for support.

[Dazzler]

That would be wonderful ielene....we need bodies in the hearing.  I'm not sure where it will be held but I'm presuming the Capitol bldg.   It's not hard to miss........we'll have more particulars closer to the date....We can all meet outside or something. 

[KSwife]

I'm sorry I can not be there, but I will definitely be thinking about you all during that time.   

[jlnjy]

Springfield stress's me but I have had to drive threw it enough times I think I can do it. I need an address so I can map it out. I do not have any stories to tell except one from county and it is nothing I think they would be interested in. I will try and get a sitter for Cadence and be there for support.

I'm driving - if you want to ride with me ...since we live in the same town. It's been some time since I've driven in that area of Springfield but I used to hit the capitol area a lot once upon a time. If you still have my number, give me a call and let me know or send me a pm and we can exchange numbers. I'm working a half day since its employee appreciation day...I want to feel half appreciated... so I'll be done by noon.

[MercedesMom]

Ok, Terry I have edited my posting.  Thank you for the info how!  Hope you are having a good day.  But once I write my letter where do I send it?

[ielene]

jlnjy, a ride would be great  I made up my mind that I was going, but the thought of merging in Springfield has been making me sick  I am such a baby at times. My phone was stolen so I do not still have your number.

[Dazzler]

Anyone that wants to contribute a letter with a story of inmate medical abuse should send it to admins@illinoisprisontalk.com.  I am collecting them in an email folder and will copy and print them next week to be given to the Prison Reform Committee.  If they are all submitted to my email it will make my job the easiest....

[jlnjy]

jlnjy, a ride would be great  I made up my mind that I was going, but the thought of merging in Springfield has been making me sick  I am such a baby at times. My phone was stolen so I do not still have your number.

I used to travel in that area of Springfield frequently but its been quite some years, however having a second pair of eyes while I drive would be helpful to me. I will pm you my number because I don't have yours any longer either because my screen went out on my old cell phone and whatever wasn't saved on the SIM card is gone, gone, gone.

I was thinking of stopping at Cracker Barrel for lunch or early dinner ...depends on our travel and meeting time - length of meeting, but I'm certainly game for something else. Will you have time for a sit down restaurant?

[HisGirl]

I am hoping to make it to Springfield if I can swing it with everything else I am doing because it a very important issue.

I also, heard back from Eddie Washing of the 60th district in regards to the letter I sent him on the death of Billy Burhmester. Here is the response I received.

I received your alarming letter concerning Mr. Burhmester. I will without delay ask that my liaison look into this matter. Thank you for apprising me of the matter and I hear your concern.

Please offer my condolences to Mr. Burhmester's family.

If I can be of further service to you please feel free to contact me.

Your Friend and Servant,

Eddie Washington

[Dazzler]

Eddie Washington is the chairperson of the Prison Reform Committee.  I believe he will be looking into a lot of medical issues following the hearing on the 19th.

[jlnjy]

Is there a possibility of having more testimonies after the 19th - I mean this in addition to what is on the 19th, not as a replacement or discouragement from the testimonies on the 19th. Will this be something addressed on the 19th - that more stories do exist and can be contributed.

[Dazzler]

The Committee will be informed that this is just a token sampling of the widespread abuse within the IDOC.  Ted Pearson is also presenting information about the approx. 140 serious medical cases he's reviewing with NAARPR.  I don't know what the Committee plans to do. I don't know if they'll ask for more hearings and more testimonies. 

[IMissMyBaby]

I can't come to springfield unfortunately because I will be out of town, but I will be there in spirit. I am so glad this important issue will finally be heard. I really do hope the best. Something needs to change here and we need to demand proper healthcare treatment for our LO's. I'm sure what happened will be posted! Keep us updated!!!!!!