I knew I would be released following the appeal.
In my opinion, the RDC facility was the initial wasting place of the state’s budget, because the state captured young restless people, put them behind bars and tried to domesticate them by their interpretations and judgments. Most of all, they never diagnosed prisoners’ criminal diseases.
Correctional Officers
One thing that clearly drew my attention when I first got in was that almost every one of the correctional officers within RDC was over 250 pounds. I realized the prison needed heavyset officers to control bad guys, but surprisingly, most predators were as heavy as the officers. I noticed these prisoners were well fed even outside. I presumed that in order for the DOC to control and handle heavy merchandise, they hired heavyweight workers.
The random distribution center, RDC, was as jammed as its look and name. I never dreamed America had this many of viable and profitable merchandise under the name of the law. Whenever I watched the auctioned offenders I was shocked, because I never knew these kinds of human trades were available in this democratic and civilized country, Indiana. I began to learn the value of the prison and the price of the commodity that was the prisoner. I remembered America had the most human rights and constitutional rights, but now I realized that all rights prevailing under the law were just for the manipulators.
First Day at RDC
I could not sleep well. I was thinking and imagining too much. The officer informed us that we would be made to take the admission tests to determine whether we were qualified as Indiana prisoners. They gave the GD tests like questions and answers in order for them to be entertained by prisoner’s mistakes. It did not make any sense why the DOC had to spend money and time in the first place, but I complied. These were all formalities and they knew these were not practical and helpful ideas to correct prisoners’ problems, but since the DOC collected bad boys at one place they knew they had to show something to taxpayers before distributing the merchandise to the local stores, and so they were running the IQ tests.
Second Day at RDC
From early morning, they started to feed us in sequence by the floor, and when we came back from the chow hall, an officer walked into our cell and took my cellmate to move him to another retail store as his new home for the next so many years, where he would be getting free checking-up, feeding, and housing.
The advantage of being incarcerated was that prisoners did not have to worry about their living expenses — housing, food and clothing — for the next many years. I lay down and was thinking unthinkable things including the reason for the existence of the DOC.
Soon, they called me for the medical checkup. They gave me the HIV test, followed by the dental checkup and complete physical, and then took my chest X-ray.
After lunch, my new cellmate, Glen Harry, moved in. As soon as he walked in, he started to smoke continuously. Quickly my nose started to pick up his smoke and it made me cough.
Letter from Mr. Van Bokkelen
During the first week of September, while I was at Lake County jail, I wrote letters to my new appeal counsel, Mr. Van Bokkelen, pertaining to the charge itself and with information on how my trial attorney, John Breclaw, had represented me during the trial and also why Mr. Breclaw did not object to the admission of the evidence presented by the state and never discussed the defense strategies with me.
I told him that the alleged offense occurred on March 30, 1989 but only two years later did the state make a charge, and in the meantime, the police did not investigate and nothing was done to ensure the allegation was looked into by the police or the prosecuting office.
I also emphasized that the State suddenly filed charges and brought the case to the court without interrogating, investigating, or obtaining any evidence from me for them to present to the court. In addition, I indicated the temporary Judge Edward Page’s personal interests in my case and asked why Page took my passport during the trial.
I could not comprehend why Page confiscated my passport before the jury decision, but the trial attorney, John Breclaw, ordered me to comply, so I did. The order was not from the prosecuting office, but it was interestingly by Page for himself. I was confused when I knew of Page’s interest but had to be patient.
Somehow, it made me believe Judge Page knew I was going to be convicted in accordance with his prejudiced calculations and discretions. It was not what I had anticipated from the beginning of the trial even as an alien, so I asked Mr. Van Bokkelen why this kind of law was prevailing in this democratic country, particularly in Lake County, Indiana. Mr. Van Bokkelen answered my letter.
October 7, 1992
Dear Dr. Koo:
I have reviewed the five letters which you sent to me. As we prepare the appeal, your comments will be reviewed along with the transcript of the evidence and other matters.
In the passport matter, I cannot speak for the routine practice in State criminal cases concerning passport, as I have indicated, it is a routine practice in Federal Court to take the passport until the conclusion of the trial.
With regard to the conduct of Magistrate Page, as I have indicated to you on a number of occasions, I would have strongly objected to his hearing the trial, in that he is neither a constitutionally or statutorily appointed Judge.
We are concerned about the grave injustice that was exemplified by the state of Indiana’s court system in the case of Dr. Young S. Koo. After accusation, the prosecutor and the judge seemed to have leaped at this opportunity to convict a doctor for rape, which would be the first time of such an occurrence in the state’s history. Their determination to convict Dr. Koo was successful. But the drawback was that the whole process was accomplished politically and at the price of Dr. Koo’s right to a fair trial.
There were many circumstances during and after the trial which leads us to believe that there was something strange going on internally. For example, the judge’s keen interest in matters after trial, such as his presence in the appellate court hearing and the prosecutor’s announcement on running for public office immediately following the trial. There are other such matters as well.
Unfortunately, we have no bureaucratic muscle to investigate such matters, but we do feel that such occurrence does give rise to suspicious activity within the system. It could be as simple as racial discrimination, or something more complex. Nonetheless, we feel there was injustice done, and the injustice should be corrected.
We hope that you will consider this situation worthy of further review. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Truly yours,
Joseph S. Van Bokkelen.
Third Day, Saturday
After the 7:30 count, they let us watch TV, but newcomers were not allowed, so we skipped.
For the first three days there was nothing going on except keeping us in cells for teaching and brainwashing about the meanings of reception by the DOC. My cellmate, Gary, was taken away one morning. It was a quick auction procedure. He did not know who bought him.
New Bunkie Robert Perry
In the afternoon I got a new cellmate, Robert Perry. He was thirty-five years old, white and medium built, and smoked too much. He said he married at eighteen, got involved in a robbery and was imprisoned for four years. While he was in prison, his
