Federal prosecutors are pushing back against Pooh Shiesty’s requests for better treatment behind bars.
As previously reported, Shiesty (whose legal name is Lontrell Williams, Jr.) is being held at Rolling Plains Regional Jail in Haskell, Texas, where he is reportedly kept alone in his cell for 23 hours a day and allowed only two hours of visits each month.
According to court documents reviewed by Complex, federal prosecutors want the judge to deny the request entirely, arguing that the restrictions are necessary to protect Williams and maintain order at the facility.
They point to several safety concerns, including allegations that Williams corrupted monitors at a previous halfway house, an incident in which three inmates tried to break into his location apparently to get his autograph, and his own admission during a court hearing that he recently took fentanyl.
The government also disputes claims that his confinement is inhumane, pointing to his access to a tablet that allows him to make video calls, send emails, play games, and stream content. According to the filing, Shiesty has made 231 video calls totaling more than 45 hours and has access to thousands of emails.
Prosecutors also cite previous court rulings that give prison officials broad authority to manage their facilities. One states that “prison officials have broad administrative and discretionary authority over the institutions they manage.” Another says that “administrative segregation is the sort of confinement that inmates should reasonably anticipate receiving at some point in their incarceration.”
Shiesty’s attorney, Kent Schaffer, told Complex via email that he was “surprised” at the allegations about his client’s behavior.
“He is locked down 23 hours per day and has no contact with anyone other than staff,” Schaffer wrote. “If by some stretch of the imagination it’s true, then they need to take a close look at their staff and their ability to run a jail.”
“If he was in a federal facility then it wouldn’t be a problem,” Schaffer continued, referring to the fact that Rolling Plains is run by the United States Marshal Service, rather than the Bureau of Prisons, which runs federal jails and prisons.
Schaffer maintained when filing his initial request for better treatment that his client’s restrictions are too harsh for someone who has not yet been convicted in the case and wants the court to intervene.
The attorney previously explained to Complex via email why he filed the motion that seeks “humane treatment” for his client while he is incarcerated. Schaeffer noted that a lack of human contact “can wear anyone down physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
“Pre-trial incarceration is not supposed to be punitive so we are trying to get the court to step in and put an end to it,” Schaeffer wrote.
The defense also claims that jail officials have not explained what specific threat Williams poses or why keeping him locked in his cell for nearly the entire day is necessary. His aunt has raised concerns about his condition, saying she has "seen Lontrell decline mentally and emotionally" while he has been behind bars.
After a delay from July 6, Pooh Shiesty’s trial for his alleged robbery and kidnapping of Gucci Mane is scheduled for Feb. 2027.
