NOVEMBER 1996

22-.ANIMAI..:: FACTDR}V
by Edward Bunker
In the third andJ inal installment of Edward .Bunker's classic San
Quentin novel, t he animal wants' out of his cage-but not as a
domesticated house pet.

26- KEVS
by Jorge Antonio
Renaud
Our 1995 Art Behind
Bars third place nonfiction winner explores
the poignant, ·sordid
reality of the repeat
offender.

COVER STORY

34-\ttt.

~~

ot t~-Q
by John Ittner
Artist, dope fiend, Riker's Island
habitue, FA-Q chronicles his life
behi11d bars in bizarre, haunting
·
images of prison life.

by Charles Huckleberry
Art Behind Bars tie for second place in the fiction category is an in-depth
look at the machinations behind a parole hearing.

52-THE POLITICS OF
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
The Prison Life interview with Harry Browne
by Richard Stratton
Prison Life talks with the Libertarian Party candidate for President, Harry
Browne, and comes away convinced Harry is the man to save us from
our headlong rush towar d a police state.

Prno, I..Jjf' l ~')~ # 1()6.).(}7(.19 OcwiX'r I!~Ki. l~o11 I.Jjr motbrazinc iii published bimo n thlr b ) J oin t Venture Media of Texas, Inc., 1436 West Gray, Suhc 531, Ho us to n, TX 77019. Prwm /Jfr '"·'bra~ine is
prir11t.•cl i11 the L"S.·\ and .til righ~ an.· rt•wncd. () 1996 b) J oint Ven ture ~lcdia of Texas, In c. No pan of t hi~ book rna)' be re produced o r t~ll31lli t tcd in an)' form or b)' any mc.tn ~ without writcc n
Jkrmi,~ion 1)1 the pubJi,h cr-,. Umo lici tccl manu'<' r ipL" :md ph o togr.tpll'~ arc the I C.'lJ>Oibibilit)' o r the senders. ,\ltlcttc ~ ~c ntto P(i.wr~ I .if~ magazine " ill be t reated ItS unconditionoally :t~igncd for the
public.umn 01 brochure. and arc subjt.'Ct to Pn ror~ l.1f~ magazine·~ unres tri cted right to edit and comment. Sin gle co pies in the U.S. S-1.95. Subscription r.nes o ne rear in U.S. 528.00 fo r 6 i~ue5; in
c~madJ. S='~: .tn additional Sl2 ci"~C\\hc:t t•; all pa,.tble in L .S. funth onl~. Plc.be maH a ll s ubsc aiption orders :md changes to Pmcm Lift ~bga7inc SubM"ription Dcp.mrncnt. 1436 \\'e!'l t Gtot)'. Suite 531.
llo u.,tcu t, rX 77019. POSTMASTER: l11t·.lw fon\;ud .t<ldrc~ c hange .. to PriJo, l .1fr ~lag:uine, 1436 West Cra)'· uhc 531, ll ouston. T X 77019. Applic;uion to mail ~~~ 2nd Class posta~:;c rate i~ pending

a t l l omwn . 1 X an d additional mailinH o ffirc.

4

PRISON liFE

1'\ovembcr 1996

46SUCK
THIS!
SEX IN
PRISON
by Sadia Zoe Ali
There is mucho
fuckin' going on in
our prisons-and
we're not talking just
consensual sex
between prisoners.
In the first of a
series of exposes on
sex in prison, Prison
Life reveals the
shocking abuse of
female prisoners .

DEPARTMENTS

*6-Voice
* *of*the*Convict
********
Free the Vote by Richard Stratton
8-Mail Call

12-Contributors
13-Biock Beat
17- Call outs
18- Guest Editorial
Seeking Reconciliation from Death Row
by M ichael B. Ross
51-In Cell Cooking
61-Books on the Block
66- ln House Counsel
Repeal the Drug Laws and Release the
Prisoners of the Drug War
by Michael Montalvo
78-Mail Order Mall
SO-Classified
81-Pen Pals
84- Resources

V I 0 TH
FREE THE VOTE
B y Richard Str a tton
h e lates t numbers are in: our constitue ncy has emerged. Th ere are young Black men in D.C. who wind u p
prison population has now to pped millio n s of peo ple in this country who in prison . H e is th e on ly pol it ic ian f
1.6 milli o n. Add th e ove r 3.5 know someon e who h as been ar rested kn ow prescient e noug h to have an exmillion who are on pa role, pro bation , a nd se nte n ced to pri so n fo r a n convict working for h im as the head of
und e r house a rrest, doing co mmunity o utrageo us le ngth of time for a non- h is ex-offenders affa irs burea u. Of
servi ce or in some way subject to control violent d rug offense. The re are millions course, Ba r r y was set up in a dt-ug bust,
o f the cri minal justice syste m. No w add to mo re people in this country who, eve r y he did tim e in prison an d h e knows
th a t numbe r (already ove r five . . - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - , what I' m ta lk ing a bo ut. And
million ) t h e million s of exJ u li e Stewan, Presid e nt of
co nvicts who have p a id their
Fam i lies Aga ins t Ma n datory
d e bt to society, survived parole
Minim ums ( FAMl\II ), h as
a nd re m a in foreve r c h a n gedpro ve d th at loved o ne s of
rad ica li zed-by th e ex pe ri e nce.
priso ners can be cou nted o n lO
Fi nally, add the fa mily me mbers,
orga n ize and lobby to ch a nge
the loved o n es a nd fr ie nds of
laws which have desu-oyecl th e ir
fami li es. Juli e's brother, J eff,
prisoners who have seen our socalled criminal justice syste m at
d id a five-yea r b it in th e feels
work up close a nd have learned
for growing pot.
to di sbe li eve eve r yth in g th ey
Those who thi nk the voice of
have been told about crime and
the convict can never be raised
punishme nt in America.
to reach a cho r us heard o utside
T hat's a lotofpeople. T hat'sa
the wal ls a r e still th in ki ng in
lo t of votes. More than e no ug h
terms o f 20 yea r s ago wh e n
to swing a n election.
there were a mere two hundred
H e re is the co mmon wisdo m
Richard Strallon with Liberta1ian Presiden tial candidate
th ousa nd so uls in prison. T he
o n th e subject: priso n e r s a re
Han ")' Browne in Los Angeles.
more people they lock up, the
powe rl ess . Wh y do yo u think
more th ey set the stage for thei r
politicians have d eclared open season on t im e th ey h ear of a n ot h e r dru g wa r own d ownfa ll. The prison indusu-y may
prisoners? It is not o nly because prisoners ca s u a lty, c ross t h e mse lves and thi nk: be o ne of the fastes t g rowing businesses
ma ke a n easy ta rget fo r the ir ge t-tough There but for the grace of Cod go f. T he re in the n a tio n to d ay, but it is a sel frhe to ric. And it is not just because many are te n s o f m ill io n s o f peo ple in this d efeating e nterprise because the product
Americ ans still be lieve th e crime a nd co untr y wh o occasionally smo ke (an d this ind ustry prod uces-prisone rs-have
pun ishment propaganda a im ed a t inhale) marijuana. In th e six years I have no stake in maintaining the status quo.
ge tt in g o ut th e fe ar vo te . Th e re is bee n o ut of prison I have met a number Prisoners are disenfra n ch ised. The mo re
anoth er reason why tough g uys like Dole of peo ple who tell me, when they learn I priso n ers we c re ate, the m o r e we
an d C lin ton and th e res t of t h e we nt to pri so n fo r sm uggling po t: You unde rm ine society as a whole .
po liticia n s b e at up on priso ners: sufferedformysins.
Wh o wou ld eve r have thought th e re
prisone rs can't voLe. It's that simp le-at
We a re talking m illions of people, way would be the n eed- the market, if yo u
least in the ir minds. Prisoners don't vote. more than e noug h to free the vote from wi ll-fo r a magazine calle d Prison L ife
Not o nly th at, in many states, ex-cons are the confi nes of a narrow two-pany system t h a t bills itse lf as th e Vo ice of th e
no t supposed to vote e ither. And why do that offe rs n o real a lte rn a ti ves. But, Convict? Yet 1ve have seen our circu latio n
you think that is? What are the lawmakers conventio na l political wisdom has it, you g row 500 percent in the past year. We
aft-aid of?
will neve r be a ble to reach these people, have seen the rest of America, fro m talk
The stra teg ists who plan ma instrea m neve r be a ble to organ ize th e m into a s how h osts to politica l act ivis ts a n d
po li tical campa ig ns have missed a very tt-u e vo tin g b loc k with th e power to organizers- eve t-yo n e but m a instr eam
importan t po int. With mo re and more influe nce e lectio ns. Mayor Mario n Barr y politicians- pay heed to the rising voice
peo ple go ing to pri son fo r longe r a nd o f Washing ton , D.C. pu t the lie to that of conce rn over what the proponents of
lo nge r pe riod s o f lime- the maj ority for th eo r y. H e was re-e lected la rge ly b y lock-'em-up-a nd-th row-away-th e-key a re
drug-re la te d c r im es-a vas t ne w appealin g to th e fam ilies of th e man y doing to o ur country.

T

6

PRISON Llff

Novembc•· 1996

The tim e h as come to free the vote.
Pri o ne rs must he lp o rganize Lhe voting
powe r of those who would li te n to th e
voice of the convict. 1 ovc mbc r, l 996 is
upo n us; ano th er nation al e lection is at
ha nd. Prisoners n eed to reach o u t to
fa mil y me mbers, fri e nds, loved ones,
p eo ple who unders ta nd what is
happening to o ur counu·y as a result of
sh o rt-s ig hted, ge t-to u g h p o li c ies
espoused by cynical poli ticia ns willing to
trade our future for votes. Reach out to
fi ve people-more if you can-and make
you r vo ice heard by urg ing your people
to vo te for your freedom. Free the vole.
Who, I ask m yse lf as th e person wh o
wo uld articula te this d iscord ant, urgent
voice, who are we going to e ndorse? I
never voted before I we nt to priso n . I
did no t recognize th e a utho rity of my
governme nt fo r o n e c ru cial reaso n: I
smo ked ma rij uana a nd th e refore I was
a n o utlaw. Whe n people ask why I a m so
obsessed with t h e subj ec t o f il le ga l
drugs, I te ll th e m it is because I see in
this issue a metaphor fo r who we are as
Am e ri ca n s. When I was a tee n age r
growing up in the suburb of Boston, a
favo rite weeke nd pastime was to c ruise
a r o und dri n ki n g b ee r, ge tti n g
"shi tfaced ," as we called it, a nd getti ng
into stree t fights. Seve ral frie nds of mine
we re k ille d in car c r as h es wh ile ou t
dri ving a round drunk , bu t tha t didn ' t
d e t e r th e rest o f us. It was n ' t until a
fri e nd gave m e a shrive led up , h a ndrolled cigare tte, kn own in those days as
a "reefer," a nd told me to u·y it whe n I
go t tired o f what alco hol was doing to
me, th at I became awa re o f a differe nt
reality. I' ll n eve r forge t th a t first toke;
nothing has bee n th e sa me sin ce.
Mariju a na taug h t m e to qu es t ion
authority. As an Am e r ica n , I grew up
b e lievin g I h a d ce rtain in a li e n a b le
rig h ts. I have never unde rstood how, in
a free society, gove rnm e nt is accorded
th e autho rity to te ll me wha t substances
I can ingest, what books I am allowed to
read , what ideas I a m free to embrace.
So lo ng as 1 am not hur ting o thers by
my ac tio ns, what I do in the privacy of
my o wn ho me, or on my own pro perty,
is Ill)' b u s iness and s h o u ld n o t b e
s ubj ect to go ve rnm e nt o r po li ce
r eg ul at io n . Don ' I trnul on mr is th e
po li tical sloga n I live by. I we nt to prison
fo r m y be liefs- n o t fo r th e mo n ey I
mad e, n o t fo1· th e to n s o f wee d I
broug ht in-but b eca use I r efused to
de noun ce my brothers and siste rs in tl1e
marUuana underground.
Bill Cli n ton and I are th e sam e age,
we lived through th e same times-the
' 60s. But Bill didn't inhale . And if you
be lieve th at, you might as well vote fo r
Bo b Do le b e ca u se it makes n o
d iffe re nce which one wins a nd at least

Dole is a better liar. Bill didn ' t in h ale,
huh . An yo n e wh o can te ll a li e th a t
wea k needs to get hig h a nd con fro nt
the phony he thinks h e is.
Dole is old e noug h to be Bill 's and my
fa l11 e r. I do n ' t hold that against him, but
it is a gen e rational thi ng. Some people
g r ow wiser, mor e to le r a nt, mor e
concerned witl1 u·uth as they grow o lde r.
ot so with the gene ra tion o f ric h white
m e n wh o run this country a nd la rge
pa rts o f th e wo r ld. They so ld out th e

STOP
the
WAR
very ideals o ur fou nd e rs che rished and
mad e fundam e n ta l to o ur syste m o f
governme nt. The Co n stitutio n and Bill
of Ri g hts a re not to b e tread on by a
bunc h o f b lack-robed e ld e rs who will
not live to see the harm tl1 eir trashing of
tl1ese principles h as wro ught. Dole wa nts
to milita rize th e bo rde rs, call o ut th e
Nation a l Gu a rd to fight th e dom estic
war on dr ugs. Se nd in the Ma rin es. It
wo rke d in WW II. So wh a t if it is in
violatio n of the Constitu tio n.
T ha t's their answer to cverytl1ing: more
laws, mo re police, more weapons, more
fo rce-mo re gove rnme nt. Even as they
mo ul11 empty promises to ste m the power
or th e fed e ral g ove rnm e n t, bo th the
De mocrats and the Re publicans seck to
legislate mora lity by invading tl1e private
lives of Americans. And if you don ' t agree
wi th th e ir h yp ocritical, o utda ted vie ws,
watch o ut, they have a j ail cell wailing for
you. 0111' nation, behind bars.
Enough. The time has come for Lh c o ld
guard to ste p aside, give up the helm. It's
a s h a m e Cl inton doe s n ' t have t h e
integrity to live up to the ideals of our
gen e ra tion : freedo m a nd j ustice fo r all ,
th ose quintesse nti a l Am e ri ca n rig hts
Clinto n and his Republican cronies have
tra m p led in th e n a m e of th e wa r o n
d ru gs, t h e wa r on c rim e: t h e wa r o n
freedom.
Those of us who have e ndured a prison
te rm kn ow wh at it is like to live in a
p o li ce state; I fee l th e e n c roac hin g
security crackdown acutely. Wha t they are
do ing in ou1· pl'iso ns is a g ross m irro r
image of what is happening in American

society at large. The government is using
th e drug wa r a nd tl1e war on crime to tax
Americans into poverl)' and to devastate
the civil libe rties no t only o f drug users
and scrcallcd criminals, but of innocent,
law-abiding Ame ricans.
I was introduced to th e Libe rtari a n
Party while locked up in a federal prison
in upstate Ne w York. The priso ne r who
tOld m e a bo ut t h e Liberta ri a n s a n d
sh owed me th e ir lite rature was se rving
time for rc f~u sin g to pay taxes. I became a
ca rd-carryi ng Libe rtarian some years ago.
T his is the only party tJ1at has as pan of
its platform ending the war on drugs and
granti ng am nesty to all those convicted of
non-violent drug crimes. ot even Ralph
1 ade r will go tha t far.
So when I heard the Libe rtarians had
n o min a t ed H ar r y Bro wn e as t h e ir
candidate, I decided to con tact Brown e 's
people to see if I could get an interview. I
had no inte rest in talking to any o f the
o th e r ca ndida tes, a nd I'm sure th e last
thing they want is an e ndorsement from
a convic t magazine. The next d ay, before
I got to the pho ne, I got a fax fro m Jack
D ea n , o n e o f Brown e 's ca mp a ig n
ma nagers, saying the ca ndida te wo uld
like to do a n inter view with m e. I was
slll nned. Talk abo ut synergy.
Anyone wh o be lieves in th e idea ls of
li berty and justice for a ll needs to liste n
to wh a t H a rr y Brown e h as to say:
"Cli nto n has go tte n into a bidding war
with t h e Re publi can s to see wh o ca n
re peal your rig hts fastest. 1 either or the
two o ld er pa rties will defe nd the Bill of
Rights. Only a Libertarian will speak out
aga inst this h eadlo ng rush to wa rd s a
po li ce sta te." And h e b ac ks up th ese
stateme nts with radical yet rational plans
to halt th e rush towa rd to talitarian ism .
Abo lish th e IRS. Eliminate income ta.xcs.
Do away with the FBI a nd th e DEA. Get
th e fed e r a l gove rnm e n t o uL o f o u r
bedrooms and our bank accounts.
Anyone who cares a bout tl1e future of
o ur counu·y n eeds to free th e vo te from
tJ1e clutches of a two-pa rt)' system mi red
in bullshit and corrup tio n. They te ll us
we n eed gove rn m e nt to provid e m o ral
lead e rship as th ough we we re igno ran t,
wi llful ch ildre n . Po li ticia n s providin g
mo ra l lead e rship? Do le 's ge n e ra ti on
ha mm e rs bac k m a rtin is a nd uc ks up
c iga r eues a nd ye t th e y wa nt to lock
people up fo r life for po t? Some thing is
wrong with this picture.
Free the Vote. Vote for freedo m. Vo te
for H a r ry Browne. Just say no to One
nation, behind bars. End the insa ne war on
drugs. Bring tl1e drug PO\I\1s home. Vo te
fo r Harry Browne. Vote Libertarian. And
if you a re sla mmed clown and can 't vote,
reach o ut to at least five of your people
and tell the m to elect Ha rry Browne. Our
freedom is a t stake.

No\'cm bcr 1996

PRISON LifE7

~end them alove letter they
can hug~

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CHARLYNN DISTRIBUTORS
Box 13003
Tucson, Arizona 85732

Contributors - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - •
Sadia Zoe Ali, who wo n first place
in no nfictio n in the 1995 An Be hind
Bars con test, was recently re leased
fro m Flo rence Crane Wo me n's Facility
in Michigan . She is curre ntly enrolled
in the ho no rs program at Kellog
Communi ty College and at wo rk o n
an autobiogra phy titled Bu ttetjly. Suck
This! marks he r writing debut as a free
woma n.

Edward Bunker is the autl1or o f

o

BPasl So Fierce and Lillie 80)' Blue. His
latest book, Dog Eal Dog, in just o u t
from St. Martin 's Press.

Charles Huckleberry is a prisone r
in ew H ampshire State Prsio n . His
sho rt sto r y, H ow M uch? tied fo r second
place in the 1995 Art Behind Bars
contest.

John Ittner is a n ar tist and writer
who works at th e New Yorh Posl. l-I e
reporL~ tha t th e latest sig hting of
elusive j a ilho use a rtist FA-Q had him
back in fa miliar surrou ndings o n
Riker' Island .

Sadia Zoe Ali

Jorge Antonio Renaud's Keys too k
third place in the no nfictio n catego ry
of the 1995 Art Behind Bars contest.
He is currently in prison in Abilene,
Texas.

Michael B. Ross has lived o n Deatl1
Row in the Connecticu t sy te m fo r the
past eight years.

James Moretti, Esq.
600 Reservoir Ave.
Cranston, Rl 02910
(401) 946-7979
RESEARCH AND W RITING
A PPELLATE REPRESENTATION
STATE

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12 PRISON

lllf

November 1996

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"All the News
You Can't
Confine."

Block Beat

America's National Prison Newspaper

November 1996

GLADIATOR DAYS
The L.A. Times reported recently that five
officers at Ca lifo rn ia's hig h tech
maximum security Corcoran State Prison
have come forth with stories of torture,
killing and cover up by guards. T h e ir
accounts were backed up by internal
memos and co nfide ntia l prison
docume nts. It was common practice, the
officers said, fo r g u a rd s to put rival

prisoners have been shot d ead by guards
an d more than 50 have been wounded ,
making Corcoran the prison with the
most ki llings of prisone rs in the Un ited
States exce pt for killings taking place in
prisone r uprisings such as Attica. Guards
claim th at they resorted to dead ly force
in eac h ki ll in g because they were
atte mpting to stop prisone r fig hts fro m

prisoner was s h o t. "T h e on ly grea t
bodily injury inflicted a lot of Limes was
with o ur guns," a captain who re mains a t
Corcoran , Tom Simpso n , to ld the L.A.
Times. Gua rd s cla i med th ey were
confused by conflicting instructions and
policies regarding how a nd when to stop
p ri so n e rs from fig hting , but by J 989
som e office rs suspected that th ere was
more to th e shootings tha n confusio n.
Officers say tha t "Gladia tor Days" were
he ld, ritu als where SHU supervisors and
officers staged fig hts between prisoners,
sending known e n e mies into the yard
toget h e r. Officers from other units
so m etim es came to watc h and
occas io n all y supervisors wo uld delay
fig hts un til a female offi cer or secretary
could a rrive.
The FBI's civil rights investigatio n keys
on t h e 1994 s h oo tin g of prisoner
Preston Tate, an incide m Rigg referred
to as "a bad shoot." T h e in vestigation
b ega n after Officer Richard Caruso
slipped o u t of the prison ca rr yin g
documents tha t backed up his assertions
tl1at the Tate slaying was being covered

H.R. COX
Retired, BOP
corrections consultant
817·596·8457
Corcoran State Prison, California
priso n e rs to ge th er for prizefights,
complete with spectators and bettin g, and
when a prisoner wou ldn ' t stop fighti ng,
guards would sometimes shoot him.
Another commo n occurance was an
initiation rite call "Greet the Bus," where
arrivin g prisoners, hand c uffed a nd
shackled, were beaten by co rrec ti ons
officers and at times forced to stand
barefoot on scalding hot asphalt under
the California sunshine. Guards said tl1e
severe burns on prisoners' feet were due
to the priso n e r s p laying "bar efoot
handball."
Corcoran was built in 1988 and billed
as California's most maximum securi ty
priso n and hou ses 5,500 priso n e r s
including Charles Manson a nd Sirhan
Sirhan. Since the prison opened, seven

Photo by Bobby Adams

ending in murde r.
DOC r eview boards co n s is ta nt ly
cleared officers of wrongdoing, but now
tl1 e FBI and th e Depa rtm ent o f Justice
are investigating t11e killings.
Steve Ri gg, a lieutenant at Corcoran
from 1988 to 1994, is coope rating with
th e FBI a nd says the "g unfir e was
ringing out nea rly eve ry day a nd man y
of these sh ootings were not justified.
The fig hters posed no immin em a nd
se rious h arm to each o tl1er." Rigg stated
tlnt sometimes "the wrong inma te was
kill ed by mistake."
Incident rep orts in the SHU shootings
indicate that most of the tim e th e
prisoners wh o we r e fighting did not
carry weapons or face immine nt bodily
harm . In five in c id e n ts, th e wrong

. al p..ssistance irr.
rrofesslon
.
for
· nations
• Initial oesl9
rre-lrial offenders
nsfers
• Ira
& oetainers
• INS Issues
I rlacement
r:edera
• state or
r~earin9s

• rarole
. Remedies
• p..drninistratNe

PO Box 1551

weatherford, TX 76086

November 1996 PRISON

llff

13

up by his supe rio rs and gave them to the
FBI. Caruso has transferred to another
institutio n afte r h e and the severa l
officers who are cooperating with the
feds were vinually exiled by the other
900 guards who work at Corcoran.
Abuses a t Co rco ran 's SHU (Special
Housing Un it} are lege ndar y. I n
Nove mber 1989 officers call ed for a
SORT team to extract prisoner Reginald
Cooke from his cell after Cooke allegedly
spit o n a male officer and exposed
himse lf to a female officer. The team
removed Cooke to th e unit's rotu n da,
where more th an twenty officers looked
on as a lieutenan t ordered Cooke's pa nts
lowered and j olted the prisoner's testicles

wid1 a Tase r.
The worst vio lence seems to have taken
place on the second watch (6 a. m.-2 p.m.)
in an eig h t month period in 1994, after
deputy warden George Sm ith became
warde n. Sm it h retired lastJuly, citing
poor health. ''I'll adm it d1at some of my
staff have gone crazy," he told the L.A.
Tim£S, "but it was only a few who screwed
up. We've got I ,700 good employees."
Smith called the e mployees who had
gone to d1e feels "disgrunded. "
Th e cooperating office rs and
investigators on the case say that Smith's
n ickna me among staff m e mbe rs was
"Mushro o m Geo rge" b eca use "mushrooms like to be kept in tJ1e d ark."

DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR
Washington, (AP) - A new report paints
a dark picture of capi tal punishment trials
that featu red drunks, drug addicts and
charactet·s wh o could not stay awake in
th e co urtro o m. They we r e the defense
lawyers.
The legal he l p avai lab l e to some
charged wid1 murder is a far cry from the
"dream team" th at helped OJ. Simpson,
who did not face the d eath penalty, win
acq uitta l, says Rich a rd Die te r of th e
Dead1 Penalty Information Center.
"Too man y states e n co urage thi s
m a lprac ti ce b y offerin g tota lly
inadequate pay and resources, for death
p e nal ty d e fe n se," De iter's re port
contends. "States allow elected judges to
pi ck a ttorn eys n ot o n th e b as is of
experie nce or me1it but because they wiU
cause the least ' trouble' in trying a case."
Most court-appointed lawyers, d10ugh
underpaid a nd often inexperienced in
death-penalty cases, are conscie ntious.
But Die te r's report focused on some of
the worst.
• John Young stood trial in Georgia while
represented by a lawye r add icted to
dru gs. Shortly after Young was
sente nced to death, h is lawyer was jailed
o n drug charges. The courts rejected
Young's conten tio n that his legal help
at tr ia l was in e ffec tiv e and h e was
executed in 1985.
• J esus Ro mero's lawyer presented a 29
word argument to the jury at the trial's
sentencing phase. "You are an exo·emely
intelligent jury. You 've got tha t man 's
life in your hands. You can take it or
not. That's all I have to say," the lawyer
said. The jury vo ted for death and
Rome ro was executed in 1992.
• Larry H ead1 's lawyer failed to appear
whe n the capital case was argued before
the Alabama Supreme Court. Hea th
was executed in 1992.
• WiJiiam Garrison 's lawyer was arrested
for dri ving to Garri so n's California
14 PRISIN

LifE

No\'ember 1996

murde r trial whi le legally intoxicated.
Ga rriso n' s mu rder co nvi c tion was
upheld despite his claim that his lawyer
provid ed in effec tive ass istan ce. Hi s
d eath senten ce was ove rturn ed o n
oilier grounds, however.
• Texas d eath row inmate Calvin Burdine
was represented by an a ttorn ey who,
according to a n affidavit submitted by
the jury foreman , repeatedly fell asleep
in court.

THREE STRIKES LAws
RARELY UsED;
CAliFORNIA MAjOR
ExCEPTION
Washingto n, D.C.-Th e first national
survey of "Tiu-ee Strikes and You 're Out"
laws reveals m at with the exception of
California, these laws a re rarely used by
me States and m e fede ral government.
The survey was released by d1e Campaign
for an Effective Crime Policy, a na tional
coaljtion of criminal justice officials.
D espite the wides pread po litical
promotion of "thre e str ikes" during
passage of the 1994 crime bill, me law has
only resulted in 9 fede ral convictions to
date, with an a ddition a l 24 cases
p e n ding. In seve ra l states whi c h have
p assed suc h laws, including Tennessee,
New Mexico,
orth Carolina , a nd
Colorad o, not a single conviction has yet
been obtained. The report attributes this
limited use to the fact tJ1a t the laws in
mese states apply to only d1e most serious
offe n ders and that prosec uto r s a nd
judges already use ex isting sta tutes to
secure le ngthy prison terms for sed ous
violent offenders.
ln dra ma tic contrast, d1e California law

Office rs say the clan of guards who
con trol an individual prison is known as
a "car," and the car d1a t took power after
Smith became warden was a n especially
brutal o n e. New guards had to pass a
loyalty test before they were allowed to
climb in th e ca r. One su ch test was
particpation in "Greet the Bus." The car
at Corcoran was na med "the Sharks,"
du e to t h ei r will ingn ess to attack
suddenly a nd without provocation.
Though the matter is currently before
a grand jury in Fres n o, coo pera ting
officers and attorneys believe it wi ll be
difficu lt to prove th at pri so n officials
conspired to put priso ners in to dead ly
situations.
includes any of the state's 500 felonies as
a third strike and, alo ng with its second
strike provisions, h as resul ted in the
incarce ratio n of more t h an 15,000
offenders, creating a need for $4.5 billion
in prison construction over the next five
years. The Campaign report finds tha t
d espi te ongo i ng claims, t h e c rime
reducing impact of d1e law is unproven
a nd that 85% o f th e seco nd a nd third
strike convictions have bee n for nonviolent offenses.
Walter Dickey, Un ive rsity of Wisconsin
law professor a nd autJ10r of d1e re port,
stated that, "Before policy makers jump
o n the thre e strikes bandwago n, th ey
should consider whe ther th ese policies
are being adopted because they represent
good crime control or good po litics."
The r e port a lso found that th e
California law is having a sig nificant
im pact on court backlogs for both civil
a nd c riminal cases, since m an y three
strikes d efe ndants choose to go to u·ial.
In Los Angeles, the three strikes cases
acco unt for 3% of th e criminal court
filings but 24% of jury trials. Beca use
d1ree strikes defendants arc often unable
to post bail, tJ1e law has also been found
to crowd local j ails as well as state prisons.
The Cali fornia la w h as bee n app lied
uneven ly ac ro ss th e s tate as well,
de pe nding o n prosecutorial discretion ,
and t hree str ikes d e fe nd a n ts are
di sproportionately Africa n-American ,
raising concerns of racial bias.
The report calls o n policy makers to
assess the pote ntial effects of three strikes
laws b e fore e n ac tin g them a nd to
conside r mo re cost-e ffective mea ns of
having a n impact o n crime.
T he Campaign for a n Effective Crime
Po licy is a coali tion of 1,100 c rimina l
justice a nd elected officials in all fifty
states tJ1at was formed in 1992. Campaign
sp onsors h ave issu e d a "Ca ll for a
Rational Deba te on C rim e and
Punishm e nt," a nd wo rk to d eve lop
criminal justice policy based on research
and effectiveness.

THE PRisoN CENsus
"If I win," Bob Dole vowed last week, "the lives of violent criminals are going to
be he ll. " But nearly 1. 6 mi llion Americans already are behind bars: 1 millio n in
state prisons, 500,000 in local j ails and I 00,000 in fede ral lockups. A new Justice
Department repo rt shows the prison count grew 6.8 percent last year. Here's how
states rank acco rding to incarceratio n rate (n u mbe r of in mates per 100,000
population):

STATE

TOTAL RATE

Virginia
Dela ware

District of Columbia
Texas
Lo uisiana
Okla homa
South Caro lina
Nevada
Arizona
Alabama
Georgia
Mississippi
Florida
Michiga n
Californ ia

9,800
127,766
25,427
18 ,151
19,6 11
7,826
21 ,341
20,7 18
34,266
13,008
63,879
41 ,112
135,646

U.S.Average

1,650
653
568
552
515
482
473
471
470
464
447
429
416

Maryland
Ohio
No rth Carolina
New York
Arkansas
Missouri
New J ersey
Alaska
Connecticut
Illinois
Kentucky
Colorado

27,710
4,802
1,127,132
21,453
44,677
29,374
68,484
9,40 1
19,139
27,066
3,505
14,801
37,658
12,060
11,063

4 14
4 13

409
404
400
382
378
360
358
340
339
318
3 17
3 11
292

INMEMORIUM
CLAIRE CUUIANE
Humanitarian, 1918-1996
"She has a damn good head on her shoulders, and her representations on
behalf of individual prisoners have had 11terit. But the tmuble is Claire
will not see the other point of view. "
- Ro be rt Kaplan, forme r Can ad ian So licitor Gene ral
laire Culh ane, lo ngtime matriarch
of Canadian Prisoner Righ ts and
Canada's most pro min en t Vie tnam
War protester, d ied on April 28, 1996.
Clai re Culhane unselfis hly ded icated
most of her life to social change and
was a dear fr ie n d to ma ny. H er
co urage, strength of conviction,
e nergy, and determi nation earned her
not always appreciation , but cer tainly
the highest respect fro m all, including
he r adve r sa ri es. Sh e worke d fo r
reform in areas such as th e righ ts of

C

th e in carce r ated, wo ma n 's iss u es,
labor, freedom of speech.
Although best known for her prison
reform a n d Vietnam Wa r protests,
Claire was a dedicated social activist all
of her life. Raised in post-WWI Montreal,
she worked in the local gar ment
indusn·y. Here she suppo rted early labor
reforms against explo itative sweatshops.
He r next cause was the controversial
Women's Rights Movement which was in
its in fa n cy in the rigidl y tradi tio nal
Quebec culture. She trained as a nurse

Wyoming
Tennessee
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Penns ylvania
South Dakota
New Mexico
Hawaii
Washington
Iowa
O regon
Mo ntana
Wisconsin
Rhode Is la nd
Nebraska
Massachusetts
New Ha mpshi re
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Maine
Minnesota
North Dakota

1,405
15,206
3,328
16,125
7,054
32,41 0
1,871
4,195
3,560
11 ,608
5,906
7,886
1,788
11 ,199
2,902
3,113
11 ,619
2,01 4
3,448
1,072
2,511
1,447
4,863
608

291
287
283
275
274
268
256
231
21 7
212
207
206
204
201
186
185
175
174
173
143
136
111
105
85

at Ottawa's Civic Hospital wh ile
p rotesti ng against Fascism in Spa in
d wing the late 1930's. This lead to some
of her earliest clashes with government
officials as she was rounded up dozens of
times fo r he r participa ti on in
demonstrations. At this time she met her
husband Gary, who was an early un io n
o rgan izer.
Toge ther they were
instrumental in d1e establishment of the
Maritime Labor Movement on the docks
of Vancouve1~ in the 1940's.
The 1950 's fo un d Claire, a si ngleparent, worki ng to support her fam ily
as a medical records clerk. Meanwhi le
she devoted as much time as possible to
opposing the n uclear arms race as
tens ions grew between the Un ited
States and the USSR. Claire became a
promi n e n t Canadia n vo ice of
opposition to the death sentence of
Ju lius and Ethel Rosenberg.
I n 1967, Cla ire wor ked with a
Canadian Medical Aid Team in Q uang
Ngai, South Vietnam, com bati ng a
tu berculosis epidem ic. T hen 49, she
volunteered fo r th e proj ect se nsing it

November 1996 PRISON

llff

15

wou ld offer adventure, social purpose, Vietnam. From th ere s h e we n t to
Saigon just before it fell to Comm un ist
and a chance to serve the needy.
She recogn ized the deceit, forces. She re-visited Quang Ngai a nd
corruption, political manipulation, and toured Ca n adi a n Medical Facilities
conu·adictio ns of not only the Canad ian which were still receiving funding, yet
con tribution to the war effort, but the administering little or n o aid. She sent
g reater senselessness o f the conflict seeth ing repo n s to t h e Canadian
itself. She witnessed human carnage of gover nm e nt de scribing the coreve ry imaginable form from torture, ru pti on. The government's goa ls,
ma iming, a nd slaughter as well as a though, appeared not to have changed.
widespread disregard for the lives of the They we re still strictly political and
local pop ul ation. She reali zed the economic rather than humanitarian.
Canadian government had no concern
Claire wo uld never forget Vietnam,
for th e Vietnamese people and were a nd h er ex p os ur e to government
reveling in the profi t they were deriving deceit a nd ma ni p ulation allowed h er
from the war e ffort in retur n for to be effec tive in h er la ter battle for
maintaining a token ro le as an humanitarian treatment for Canadia n
inte rnational ally of the United States. p1;soners.
Sh e fought cou rageous ly for th ose
Claire denounced Canada's role in the
conflict as "the butcher's helper."
who society ofte n despises, dismisses,
After a year o f se rvice in Vietnam, o r d iscards. On Capital Hill , inside
Claire returned home determined to Ca n ada's Parliament, and in the
comm unicate to North Americans the Warden 's office of British Colum b ia
real ities of Vietnam, not the edi ted Penitentiary, Claire chained herself to
propaganda
released
by
the structures, refusing to move or eat
gove rn ment. She wrote an honest, unti l sh e was heard. She was at th e
h ard-h illin g repo rt criticizi n g t h e fo refront of demonstrations protesting
Canadian ro le in Vietnam and prisoner co ncerns su ch as solitary
submitted it, along with her resignation, confinement, capi ta l punishment and
to h e r supe riors. The resignation was prison conditio ns.
C la ire witn essed mistreatment,
relu cta ntly accepted, bu t h e r report
never acknowledged. It was suppressed deceit, and brutality first-hand during
aBC Pen riot in the mid-1970's, wh ere
by the Trudeau governme nt.
The govern m e nt 's fa ilure to sh e vo lunteered to spend three days
communicate th e truth to its citizenry and nights behind the walls with th e
infu riated Clai re and encouraged her rioting cons. From that point onward
to publish much of h e r report in a sh e was a true friend and ally to the
book. In laLC 1968, she held a te n day Priso ner Rights Cause. In priso ns
hu nger st r ik e whil e c h a in ed in a fro m th e Atla nti c to Pacific coas ts,
replica of the type of so litar y C laire Culhane supported, protested
confine ment cel l used by Sou th and m ade demands for th e
Vietnamese forces to incarcera te over inca rcerated. She was no stranger to
ar r ests,
lockups, a n d
200,000 a lleged Communist political police
prisone rs.
courtrooms as a result of he r efforts.
Claire criss-crossed North America She d esp ised the b ureauc r atic
do ze ns of times, s peaking as "Th e manipulations so we ll kn own to a ll
Voice of Women," with a mandate to who have bee n incarcerated and for
incite orth Americans to de mand a many years was banned from visiting
stop to th e Vietnam War. Sh e often all British Columbia prisons because
visited cap ita l citi es Ottawa a nd of the effect sh e was deemed to have
Washington, wh e r e sh e missed n o o n prisoners. It is safe to say prison
officials fea red Claire's con viction to
opportunity to challenge politicians.
Claire provided the public with in fo rm th e public of th e inhumane
valuable info r mation regarding th e misu·eatment Canada's prisoners we re
horrific My Lai Massac re, whic h subjected to.
Claire treated all prisoners equally,
occurred just a few kilometers from her
Vietnam p os ting. The publ ic was regardl ess of their crime. S h e
shocked when Claire informed them the correspo nded with h u ndreds of male
My Lai massacre was an example of a and female prisone rs offering words of
common occurrence in Vietnam.
encouragement and su pport. She
She became a popular guest speaker attended the parole hearings of many
for the North American media, and was who had no ot h er support. If a
close::ly scrutin ized by RCMP.
prisoner or Inmate Committee
After t h e Pari s Peace Accords of reported wrongdoing by officials, th ey
1973, Claire was one of few Westerners knew she wo uld besiege officials witl1
im~ted to visit the City of Hanoi in the
faxes, phone calls, a nd letters. She
newly-recog nized Republic of North would muster rallies of s uppo rt
16 PRISON

llff

ovcmbcr 1996

whe never sh e felt it necessary in a ny
province. She was without a doubt the
most respected "ci ti zen" eve r to b e
involved with Canada's incarcerated.
Few believed the atrocities occurring
in Canadian priso ns until Claire too k
up the cause. Most didn't want to
li sten about co ncerns of
th e
incarcerated unti l Claire made them.
She wrote three books denounc ing
Canada's approach to corrections.
In 1995 C laire was awarded "The
Order of Can ada" as recogniti on fo r
he r ou tsta nding contributions to the
country.
The work sh e started in Canada's
prisons must be co n tinue d wit h her
memory in mind. She didn't work for
fi nancia l gain o r glory. She labo red
re le n tlessly because sh e cared. She
p roved that an individual can make a
difference in a complex world. She
h ad faith that man y who are
incarcerated can change if society a nd
the system give them tl1 e opportunity.
She had the insight to realize the
system and society perpetuate and
often cause crime. She had the guts to
te ll it like it is and not believe the
bureaucrats. She wi ll be loved, missed,
respected, an d never forgotten.
Rest in Peace Claire.
- Tom Mann

FEDERAL
SENTENCING
EXPERTS
*Plea agreements
*PSI review
* Guideline analysis
*Appeals
RONALD E. SCHWARTZ
Attorney At Law
8060 Montgomery Road,
Suite 202
Cincinnati, OH 45236
(513) 792-0606
Fax 792-0606

POST-CONVICTION RELIEF
IN ALL CIRCUITS

Call Outs
Sisters in Struggle is a newsle tte r
produ ced as a collective effort of
fede ral wome n prisoners committed to
educa ting communities a bo ut th e
injustices a nd a bsolute failure of
"America's War on Drugs. " Con tact
Ms. H a med ah A Hasan , #13847-047,
Unit A, 5701 8th St. , Camp Parks,
Dublin, CA 94568.
Murder Victims' Families for
Reconciliation, Pa t Bane, Directo r,
P.O. Box 208, Atla nti c, VA 23303-0208.
Pho n e: 804/ 824-0948. The na me says
it all. If yo u ge t in to uch, please te ll he r
that Michael Ross sent you (see Guest
Ed itorial, this issue).
The Native American Brotherhood
Church, Inc. is a re lig ious support
o rga niza tion striving to address th e
needs of inc:ou·cerated prisone r
practiti one rs of the Native Am e ri ca n
Re ligion . The NABC is lo oking to form
chapters in o the r state prisons and
ou tside prison walls to be tte r educate,
promo te and assist in legal action for
Native American practitio ne rs who are
be ing de n ied the God-give n right to
practice their re ligio n. We seek to
educate prison officials, prison ers and
prospec tive o utside su pporte rs, a nd to
provide practitio ners wi th re ligio us
ite ms. Fo r mo re informa tio n con tact:
Native American Bro th erhood Church ,
Inc., c/ o J ohnny J arre ll, #538412, Rt.
1, Box 150, Cof(ie ld Uni t, Tennessee
Colony, TX 75884.
Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA)
is a natio nal jury-educa tion
o rganization wh ich bo th educates
juries a nd pro mo tes laws to require
th atjudges resume telli ng trial jurors
"the who le truth" about the ir rights, or
a t least to allow lawyers to te ll the m. If
you wish to suppo rt FIJA, ma ke checks
payable to Dave icho lson c/ o FIJA
Fund 96, PO Box 184, Fo rt Edward , NY
12828.
Re taliatory Transfers. Any fed eral
inmate litigators wh o have a credible
story of a retalia tory tra nsfe r fo r the ir
having exercised the ir constitutio nal
rig hts, a nd a ny a tto rneys who would be
in terested in represe nting such
acti ons, eith e r as a class acti on or as a
Civil RICO ma tte r, con tact Be n Kalka
through his atto rn ey Christo phe r
Can non, Esq., 600 Harrison St., Suite
535, San Francisco, CA 94107.

Visit the Prison Life website at:
hHp:/ /www.prisonlifemag.com/
Novembe r 1996

PRISON Ulf t 7

Guest Editorial

SEEKING RECONCILIATION
FROM DEATH ROW
by Michael 8 . Ross

M}.

n a m e is Mic h ae l Ross. I am a
condemned man on Con necticut's
d eath row. \1\l he n most people Lhink of
d eath row priso ne rs, I' m th e one they
th in k o f. I'm th e worst o r the worst, a
man who h as raped and murdered eight
wo m en, assa ulted seve ra l others, a nd
stalked and frightened many more. And
wh en I am fin a lly exec ute d , th e vas t
majority of the people of this state will
celebrate my death.
Sometimes, wh en I close m)' eyes, I
can see th e h undre ds of people who will
gath er outside the priso n ga tes o n the
n ig ht o f my executio n . I can see th e m
waving p lacard s, drinking and rejoic ing,
a nd l can h ear the ir c heers as my death
is o ffic ia lly an no un ccd.
1 h ave li ved here on Con n ec ticut's
death row fo r over e ig h t a nd a h alf years
now. J li ve in a n e ig ht-b y- ten-foot
unpainted concre te cell for 23 ho urs a
day-24 hours a day o n wee ke nd s. I
come o u t fo r a n ho ur of "recreation "
five days a wee k. T he only othe r times I
come out arc for a 15-minutc sh owe r
five days a wee k, and for the occasio n al
visit (one-half-hour, through glass, on a
teleph one). I ea t a ll o f my m ea ls,
brought to m e in a styrofoam box three
times a day, in my cell. I live in a single
cell so I live a lo ne, a nd because I can
on ly ta lk to the two people o n e ithe r
side of me, I ofte n feel quite alo ne.
One of the results of th is almost total
isolation is tha t, afte r a while, a pe rso n is
forced to look at himself. I' m not ta lking
about the cursory, su pe rficia l mann er in
whi ch many people look at the mselves,
bu t rather a q ui te painful, unre lenting
search of one's very soul.
Many prisoners, a nd many of those on
death row, a rc able to lie convincingly to
the mselves, to see them elves as basically
good peop le who a r c th e innocent
victims of a corrupt judicial system or of
an unfair a n d uncaring soc iety i n
general. Sometimes it is ver y d iffic ult to
h ones tly see ou rselves as we truly a re,
and much easier to blam e oth e rs in an
atte mpt to justify our actio ns. I know this
18 PRISON

LifE November 1996

--

drug
e l imin ates
th e
previously un con tro llab le
urges th a t drove me to
commit the crimes tha t put
me he re o n death row. T ha t
monster still lives in 111 )'
h ead, b ut th e m e d ica tion
has c hained him and h as
banished him to the back of
my mind. And wh ile he is
sLill able to mock me, he can
no longe r co ntr o l m e - l
control him ; I a m human
agai n .
You ca nn ot b eg in t o
imag in e wha t a mi lesto n e
th is was in my life. Try to
im ag in e a time that a
me lody o r some catchy LUn e
go t stuck i n yo ur mind ,
playi ng over and over an d

n , driving
T h e agai
ha rder
yo u tryyou
to crazy.
push
:~~~~~~5i~~==~;;~~~~~~~~;-over
that lllne out of your mind,
to be true because for years this is exactly
wh a t I did. Duri ng thi s p e ri o d I was
a ngry-so very angry-at ever yone and
everything except fo r the one person I
should have been angry with-myself. It
took a very lo ng time-years in fact-for
this a nger to subside and for me to begin
to accep t who I was and wh a t I h ad
becom e, a nd even lo nge r before I was
ready an d will ing to accept responsibility
for my acti ons.
Two thin gs primaril y led to thi s
tra n sfo rm ation . Muc h o f th e cre d it fo r
th e first goes to Dr. Freel Berl in, a
psychi a trist fro m th e Sex ua l Diso rd e rs
Clinic a t the j o hn Hopkins H ospi tal in
Ba ltimore, Maryla nd. He diagnosed me
as suffe ring from a paraphiliac men tal
disorder a n d was indispensable in my
fi g ht to ge t t he De partmen t of
Corrections to ackn owledge my d isorder
and to treat it wi th the med icatio n tl1at I
now receive. The drug, Depo-Lupron ,
clears my mind of the vile and noxious
t h o u g hts of r ape and m u r der th at
p lague d my m ind for so long, a nd th e

the louder a nd more
pers isten t it becomes. Now try to
imag ine that instead o f a harmless ye t
a nn oyi ng tun e, yo u expe ri e nc e filth y
a nd d esp ica ble u r ges, de sires a n d
fa ntasies of the degradation , ra pe a nd
murder of innocent women . Day in and
day ou t. They fill yo ur thoug hts a nd
fa ntasies wh en you arc awa ke. They are
in yo ur dreams when you slee p. Imagine
trying to con trol the u rges, day by day,
h o u r by h o ur. And try to imagine the
self-hatre d , loathin g a nd ab h orrence
that you deve lop toward you rse lf when
you fail. If you can imagine this then you
will have only begun to understand what
I have experie nced, what I had to live
with, what ! had become. And only th en
will yo u begin to unde rsta nd th e tru e
blessing that th is medication was to me.
Bu t th e m ed icatio n was o n ly part of
the tory of my personal transfon11ation.
It gave me back my mind-a clear m ind
free o f th e ma levolent tho ug hts a nd
urges. And it allowed my hum a nity to
awake n-giving me back some thing th at
I thought I had lost forever. Bm th is was

'

The drug clears my mind of the
vile and noxiuos thoughts of rape
and murder that plagued me.
j u s t t h e firs t ste p , a n d p e r h a p s th e
e as ies t , f o r I d id n 't h ave to d o
anyth ing- the medication did it for me.
ow began th e mo re d ifficult part o f
my tra nsformatio n , a n exa min a tio n o f
myse lf- a very p ro found , ver y pa infu l,
a nd ongo ing examin ation.
ow that my mind wa clear, for th e
first time, I bega n to see- really see. It
was li ke a spotl ight shi n ing down o n me,
burn ing away th e m ist , exp osing every
s ha do w of my b e in g. I b e g a n to see
th ings as th ey rea lly were.
I saw h ow wea k a nd afra id I r eally
was- I h a d a lways th o ugh t th a t I was
stro ng a nd co nfid e n t. I saw h ow I had
a llO\ved the monster in my mind to take
con tro l o f me. I saw wh at ! had become.
An d worst of al l, fo r th e fi rst time, I saw
th e p a in t h a t I h a d bro u g h t t o so
many- su ch great a nd un ceasing pain.
Afte r my eyes were fi nally o pe ne d and
I saw the truth of what I had become and
wha t I had don e, I began to feel th ingsun pleasan t, disturbing feeli ngs. I bega n

A

to feel th e te rrible ago ny a n d d istress

t h a t I h a d b r o u g h t to so m a n y: m y
victims, th e fam ilies a nd frie nds of my
victims, my own fa mily. An d I also began
to fe e l t h e a weso m e we ig ht o f m y
resp onsib ility fo r my actions a nd o f my
responsib ility to th e people th a t I h ave
h arme d . And fina lly, I fe lt a profo und
sense of gu ilt. An inte nse, overwhe lm ing
and pervas ive g u il t tha t su r ro und s my
ver y sou l with d a rk, to r me n ted clo uds
f ill e d wit h a mix tur e o f se lf-h at re d ,
re mo rse, regrets a nd sorrow. All of wh ich
leaves m e with a d ee p d esire to ma ke
am e nd s a nd ac hi eve recon c ilia ti o nso m e t h in g wh ic h , u nd e r t h e c ircumstances, seems impossible.
Ye t it is t his se n se o f reco n c ilia ti o n
tha t I yearn fo r th e most. Reconcilia tion
\Vi t h t h e s p iri t o f m y vic t im s .
R eco n c il ia t io n with t h e fa mili es a nd
fri e nd s o f m y victi m s . And fin a ll y,
reconciliatio n with myself a n d my God .
Thi s will b e th e fin a l p a rt of m y
tra nsforma t io n-a n d un d o ub tedly the

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If you have ever tried to find

INEFFECTIVE
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GOOD case law to back up your
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most diffic ul t p a rt. I am fortunate to
have a good fr ie nd a nd gu ide fo r th is
pa rt of my jour n ey. A me mb er of a
group called Murde r Victims' Fam ilies
fo r R eco n c i li a t io n , R eve r e n d J o h n
Gilma rtin, ma kes a sl,x-hour ro u nd-trip
drive to see me once a mon th.
I h ave trave le d a great d ista n ce a n d
h ave gone t h r oug h qu it e a tran fo rmation since that day when I fi rst se t
foot on death row - most of it alone.
And I am very grateful an d th a nkfu l fo r
th e h e lp that Reverend Gilmartin h as
given me over the past 18 mo n tl1s. With
hi s h e lp, a n d if it is Go d 's will, I will
ac h ieve t h at reco n ci liatio n that I so
desi r e, a nd h o p efu ll y co mp le te m y
transformation in to one who is worthy o f
redem ption a nd forgiveness. My journey
is still fa r fro m over, bu t a t least now I
can see tl1at there is a ligh t at the e nd o f
t h e tun n el. May Go d g ive me t h e
strength, p e r seve ra n ce, an d m o r al
fo rtitude to co mplete my journey before
I a m fi nally executed.
If you want to know more about victim-

o ffend e r r econcilia tio n , co ntac t: P at
Bane, Director, Murder Victims' Families
fo r R e con c iliation, P. O . B o x 20 8,
A tlanti c, VA 2330 3-0 208 . Ph o n e :
8 04 / 8 24-09 48. Ple a se te ll h e r that
Michae l Ross sent you.

led to the fi nding of
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To order send your pay·
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In the first two installments of Edward Bunker's classic
prison novel [published in the Nov.-Dec .'95 and the MarchApril '96 issues of PLM) we followed Ron Decker, a young,
white middle class dope dealer who has been given an
indeterminate sentence and sent into the animal factory that
is San Quentin penitentiary. Ron is befriended by an older,
experienced convict named Earl Copan who teaches him how
to survive the brutal day-to-day tightrope walk of prison life.
When a predator-rapist attempts to turn Decker into his
punk, Decker stabs him to death with a shank. The young
man has been converted into a product of the system .
In this final installment, when Decker is taken back before
the judge for resentencing, the animal wants out of his cage,
but not as the house-broken pet His Honor envisioned.
cyond havi ng mo re graf£iti penciled and carved in to its
walls, the courtroom bullpe n hadn ' t changed, nor had
the h uman d ebris jamming it. The puffed, doughy faces
and dirty clothes were th ose o f th e helpless and poor, not of
crimin als. But wh e re Ro n 's atti tude toward the m h ad on ce
been pity necked with conte mpt, now conte mpt for weakness
was uppe rmost. Also missing was the slight sense of fear tha t
he 'd known before. He leaned against a corner, legs extended
along a bench, not le tting a tre mbling wino sit d own . When a
hus ky yo un g bl ack bega n c ursi n g th e wor ld, the r age
u·embling in hi voice, Ro n half smiled a nd fe lt be mused .
Once the sigh t of such fury would h ave caused his stomach to
knot u p; now he knew it was proba bly a d efensive bluff, noise
to hide fear, a nd even if it was real, it was n o threa t. He'd
l ea r n e d th a t ph ys ica l to u g hn ess d idn ' t m ake for real
dange rousness. Be ing a tough guy was in the mind, in being
able to steal someone's life without a qualm . He now knew he
was capable o f th at. Wha t was it Earl said: "Rattlesnakes give
off a noise, but cobras a rc silent. "
On the heels of th ese nih ilistic thoughts came realizatio n
that t h ey were a reactio n to th e d evasta tin g n e ws J acob
Ho r va th had brough t to the jail 's attorney roo m last night.
H o r vath 's drooping lower li p a nd pained eyes sign aled the
reality eve n before he spoke. H e'd gone to see the judge in
the aftern oon , to get the feel of th e situation, but ex pecting
no tro u ble. The j udge had sh own h im a n incide n t re port
about the murde r (H o r va th h adn ' t known ), a nd a le tte r
sign ed by the a sociate ward e n a nd th e warden , saying that
R on D ec ke r was a m e m be r o f the n o torious White
Brotherhood , whic h group was responsible for at least h alf a
doze n murders in Cal ifornia prisons within L11e past two years.
Al though the evidence was insufficient to prosecu te him for
this latest killi ng, a number of a no nymous but re liable inma te

II

info rma n ts had linked Decker to it. J acob Horvath 's voice had
ri sen from sad conce rn to near indig nation, a if Ro n had
some how failed him. Ron's first sense of de natio n had bee n
re p laced by cold a nger a nd con tempt. He would meet the
defeat with sco rn; it diminished pain . And that had been his
attitude a ll night long. H e d idn ' t even wan t to a ppear in court;
it was all a ritual sham. The matte r was already decided and he
wasn ' t going to give an yon e Ll1c satisfac tio n of shmving th at it
h urt. He could be precisely what th ey thought h im to be. Life
was a ll th e playing of roles anyway. All games; a ll bull hit.
Whe n the de puty she riff acting as bailiff called Ron to the
ga te and faste n ed th e bright steel brace le t over his wrists,
Ron fe lt a mi ld scorn , an d a bizarre sense of pride or power,
for if they were fe tte rs, th ey were also symbols of socie ty's fear.
T he courtroom was to ta lly witho ut spectato rs. J ust the clerk
a nd court re po rter were the re, and Hor vath be hind a sea ted
de p uty distri ct attorney. H o rvath was lean ing ove r, ta lki ng in to
the man's ear. Both of th e m la ug hed softly, but it sounded
lo ud in Ll1e e mpty stilln ess. Ro n felt a tug o f a nger. 1 ot long
ago h e wou ld h ave b ee n be n ig nl y indifferen t to suc h
fri e ndlin ess betwee n compe tin g a ttorneys, bu t now he
though t it was u·aitorous. The prosecutor was the e ne my, a nd
wa r was never friendly.
Without b e ing to ld by the accom pa n ying d e puty, R on
push ed thro ugh the low ga te a nd sa t o n a ch air in ide the
railing. The de puty hove red nex t to him. The cle rk, a pudgy
ma n in rimless glasses, saw the ar rival of the defe ndant a nd
we nt L11rough the door at th e left of the bench . This was the
only ca e being heard th is afternoon and he was no tif)~ n g L11e
judge Ll1a t a ll was ready.
Ro n was wearing khaki pa n ts and shirt a nd prison shoes, the
issue give n men going to court. Once h e wou ld have fe lt selfco n scio u s; n ow it didn ' t maue r th a t he was bra nd e d as

November 1996

PRISON LifE

23

diffe rent. H orvat h waved b u t seemed read y to conti nu e
talkin g to t h e prosecuLO r until Ron becko n e d with a
pe re mpLOr y ges LUre. Then H o r vath ca me over, p u uing his
attache case on LOp o f the coun e l table en route.
"Anything new?" Ro n asked.
" ope. 1 othing. I tried to ta lk to him in chambe rs, but his
mind is made up. I do n'L unde rstand wha t the h ell happen ed
to you up th ere. You knew-"
"Qui t it. Wha t's don e is clone."
"''m going to make a p itch , but-" He shook his head.
"Don 't waste your breath. I've got som e things to say. In fact,
you tell h im I'm making my own statement. You don't have to
do a thing."
"Instead of me?"
"l{igh t. "
"You can ' t do that. "
"Bullsh it!.Just te ll him-"
Before more could b e said, the clerk came out, banged the
gavel, and inton ed , "Please rise. Department Northeast B,
Supe rior Coun o f th e State o f Califo rnia, Cou n ty of Los
Angeles, is now in sessio n , th e H onorable Arl en Standish ,
judge presiding."
It was the same as before, the few people getti ng to th e ir
feet as the blacked-robed jurist came out and gai ned m<Uesty
as he stepped up to th e bench. That is, everyone stood except
Ron. When the deputy tugged his arm, he leaned forward a nd
raised his ass three inches from the ch air. H e wou ldn ' t have

24

PRISON lifE

November 1996

done tha t much except complete refusal migh t have broug h t
a later ass-kic king. H e managed thus to com ply whi le showing
how he felt. The judge, however, didn 't look up u n til everyone
was again seated.
"Peo p le versus Decker," th e clerk sa id. "H eari ng und e r
Eleven sixty-e igh t of the Pe nal Code."
When Ron sLOod beside H orvath , he was assailed by the
fragrance of t h e lawyer's afters ha ve; his awareness was
magnified by a year of smelli ng nothing fragra nL except fa n s.
"I suppose we h ave to ... u h ... h ave d iscuss ions on this
matter," th e judge said. As before, he sh ifted unseen pape rs.
H e p u t o n g lasses, read so m e th ing; then looked ove r t h e
glasses toward Horvath. "I imagine you have something to say,
Counselor. "
"Yes, Your Honor. "
Before Horvath could say more, Ron poked him with a n
elbow and hissed from between cle n ched teeth, "Tell him. "
"Rrr-u h ," Horvath stuttered, his articulate circui ts jammed.
"Your Ho nor," Ron said loudly, even more loudly and more
shrilly than he wanted, 'Tel like to address the Court in this
n1atte r."
"No, no, Mr. Decker. You wi ll speak through counsel. That's
what coun sel is fo r."
"In that case, Your H o n o r," Ron said slowly, "I wish to
remove Mr. Horvath as counsel of record and invoke my righ t
to proceed in propria persona."
The j ud ge hesi ta ted. "Are yo u d issa tisfied wi th Mr.

H o r vath ?"
"That isn 'tthe questio n . I simply want to re prese m myse lf a t
this h earing .. .and according to decisio ns, I have a n absolute
right to do so if I can mak e an ime lligent waiver of my right to
counsel. I believe Lhe standard i tha t I know th e e le me n ts of
Lhe offe nse, the defe nses, a nd the penalties. It isn ' t n ecessar y
that I be a tra ine d a ttorney. The first two are m o ot a t th is
point ... and I obviously know th e p e nalties." As soon as he
b eg a n spea king , the te n sio n we nt a way, and h e kn e w he
sounded articulate. It surprised him.
"Do yo u have any comment, Mr. Horvath?"
"It's a surprise ... I.. .I've do ne my best. I have n o o bjectio n.
Mr. Decke r is far from illite ra te a nd he knows what's a t stake."
The judge lo oke d to Lh e youthful de pu ty disu·ic t a ttorn ey.
"Do Lh c People have anylhing to add?"
The prosecutor came to his fee t. "The People wou ld like to
make s ure this is an intellige nt waive r ... that the d e fe ndant
doesn ' t do uble back la ter with a pe titio n for ha beas corpus
claiming Lhe waiver was invalid."
"I d o n 'tthink Lhat the record will reflect incompetency," th e
judge said mildly. "If we we re in a critical proceeding whe re
le ga l tra ining ... ! would ce rta inly m a ke a le n g thy inquir y
be fo re a ll o win g a d efe nda nt to a ba ndon th e pro tecti o n of
counsel. But, as I recall, Lhe decisio n s indicate th e right to selfre presen tati o n is absolute if Lh e waiver is in tellige nt.. . and this
d e fe nd a nt has re cite d th e pro per sta nd a rd s." The judge
n o dde d to Ro n. "Proceed , Mr. Dec ke r. Yo u a re yo u r own
atto rney as lo ng as you ma in tain decorum."
Con fro nted with pe rmissio n to speak, Ron was te mpora rily
un able to . He'd in tended to express disda in fo r the sham , but
tl1e avunc ular judiciousness o f the judge had ignite d a flicke r
of ho pe . Pe rha ps it wasn ' t already d ecided. Yet he didn' t want
to show wea kness, didn't want to snive l. H e wo uld take th e
m idd le course and play it according to the response e licited.
"Yo ur H o n o r, th e r e 's n o qu es tion th a t I so ld a lo t o f
ma rijua na a nd co ca ine, but th a t mean s the re we re a lot of
peop le buying it. In fact, millio ns of people d o n ' t see anylhing
wrong with it. It's pre tty well established that it isn ' t a ny wo rse
tl1a n ciga re ttes, and less h armful Lha n alco ho l. I d o n 't feel a ny
g uilt about doing it. I didn't hurt a nyon e. Ge tting ca ug ht
was ... like ge tting hit with lig htning. Not just or re tribution.
Just an act o f God.
"Whe n you sent me to prison, I was afraid of it. But I didn't
expect prison to cha nge me ... no t for good, not for bad. But
afte r a yea r I have ch a n ge d , a nd th e c hange is for th e
wo r e ... at least by society's sta ndards. Trying to ma ke a decent
huma n be ing o ut of some one by sending the m to prison is
like tr yin g t o m a ke a Mosle m b y putting someo n e in a
Tra ppist mo n aste r y. A year ago tl1 e idea of hurting some one
physically, hurting some one serio usly, was abhorrent to mebut afte r a year in a world wh e re nobody eve r says it's wrong to
kill, wh e re Lhe law of the jungle prevails, I find myse lf able to
contemp la te doing violence with equanimity. People h ave
bee n killing each othe r fo r eons. whe n I was selling marijuana,
I pre tty much had the values of society, right and wrong, good
and evil. 1 o w, afte r a year-I'm be ing ho n est-whe n I re ad
about a po liceman being killed I'm o n the sid e of the outlaw.
That 's whe re my sympathies a re turning. o t comple tely ye t,
but with see ming inevitability.
"What I'm trying to say is simply tha t sending me ba ck isn 't
going to do a nything . Prison is a factor y tl1at turns o ut human
animals. T he chances are Lha t whateve r you ge t out of prison
will be wo rse than what you send in. I'll have to ser ve at least
Hve mo re years before I'm e ligible for pa role. What will tl1at
d o? It wo n ' t he lp me. It won't de te r a nyone e lse. Look around.
No body will even know .. .so h ow can it d e ter?
"I d o n ' t kno w wha t I ' II be afte r a h alf a d ozen years in a
madho use. And I' ve alread y lost ever ythin g o utside. I tJ1ink

I've a lread y suffe red en o ug h punishme nt-" His voice tra iled
o ff. His mind sea rche d fo r mo re wo rds, but h e could find
none. "Tha t's all," he said finally.
Wh e n h e sat d o wn , b rea thl ess a nd flu s h ed fr om hi
loquac ity, the judge nodd ed to th e de puty distric t a tto rney.
"Do th e Pe ople h a ve a n y co mm e nt?" As h e fi n ish e d th e
questio n , the judge 's eyes swive led almost pointe d ly to look a t
a clock on th e opposite wall. The prosecutor, wh o was pushing
back hi s ch air to rise, le t his eyes follow those o r the judge.
"Uh ... th e Pe ople ... uh ... co ncur wi th the le tte rs fro m th e
prison officials and submit the ma tter."
The judge fa ced Ro n aga in , a nd th e visage of kindly
pa tie nce seem ed to h arde n , o r maybe it was the timbe r of his
voice that made his face seem like gra nite. "Mr. Decker, you
o rigin a ll y cam e b e fore thi s co urt and we re co nvicted of a
se ri o us offe n se . Becau se o f your youth and b ac kground , I
tried to leave a n ope ning to avo id se nding yo u to prison fo r a
long te rm. I wa nted to give you a ch ance bo th to sec wha t th e
future could hold a nd to h elp yourself. From Lhe informa tio n
se n t m e by th e prison o ffi cia ls, you a re a d a n ge ro us man .
Wh e th e r you we re a lre a dy that or became so in pri son is
immate ri al. The ultima te facto r is not wh ethe r prison will he lp
you , no r whe th er your imprisonme nt will deter a nyone e lse.
Th e ma in thing is to protcCL soc ie ty. Anyo ne who ca n kill
a notJ1e r pe rson in cold blood-and you n early admitted that
you ca n-i sn ' t fit to live in socie ty. I know socie ty will be
pro tected fo r a t least fi ve years. After that the parole board , if
th ey wi sh , ca n le t yo u o ut. I' m n o t go ing to m o dify th e
sente nce. Mo tio n d e nie d ."
'The n fu ck you! " Ro n said lo ud ly, un exp ec tedly, sca rcely
be lieving it himself. "Rig ht in your o ld wr inkle d ass! "
The de puty's finge rs digging into h is arm and tugging him
stoppe d Lhe words. "Wa tc h yourself, " the de puty said, his voice
quiet but taut. "Tha t's a judge."
"Yeah , o kay." Ron was up, his eyes flicking over Ho r vath 's
asto n ish ed face. Then he was going up the aisle, the d e pu ty
reaching fo r th e handc uffs. He sto pped at th e d oors a nd put
o ut his wrists. By h ead gesture a nd a hand o n his sho ulder, the
d eputy told him to turn. The o utbu rst caused the ha ndcu ffs to
be pu t o n be hind him, ma king him more he lpless. He turn ed
a nd co mp lied , th e sh ad o w o f a sn eer on his face. He was
wo nd e ring how long it would be before h e go t bac k to San
Que ntin.

'J, he sanctuar y of Lh e psyc h wa rd was also a gilded cage. Earl

lu xuri a t e d in th e solitud e, but he a lso fre tted a t th e
inactiVl ty. ow th at tl1e mu rde r cha rge was n o threat he was
ready to go bac k to "B" Sectio n and do wh atever punishme nt
the o ffi c ia ls wante d . It was a ga untl e t th at ha d to b e run
befo re he could get back o n th e big yard. The psyc h ward Lime
didn 't count toward the segregation term. And if he stayed too
long in his "nervous breakdo wn," they would u·ansfer him to
the Medi c al Fac i lity, wh e r e h e might b e g ive n s h oc k
treatme nts- and r umo rs o f lo bo tomies we re sifting back. T he
o ld-fas hi one d bruta lity o f "B " Sec ti o n was p r efe ra bl e .
Mo reover, o nly two su ccessfu l escapes had bee n mad e fro m
withi n Lhe Medical Facility during tl1e fifteen years it had been
o pen; bo lh escapees had used the gamble of cu tting cell bar s
and going over do uble fe nces in tl1 e shadow o f g un towe rs.
Still he hesitated un til wo rd came Lha t Ro n was back from
court and in "B" Sec ti o n . The next mornin g h e to ld the
d oc to r th a t h e was fee li n g b e tter. Dutc h a nd th e o th e r
attendants ma rke d th e c ha r ts to show an e nd to his delusio ns.
Afte r a wee k, th e d oc to r diag nosed a Ga n zer synd ro m e , a
fo rm o f psyc hosis tha t convi cts call going "stir c razy." The
following Mo nday the docto r discha rged him . H e kn ew the
pa pe r was sig n e d within minutes and h ad hi s gear packe d
Continued on j)(lge 69

No,·e mbc r 1996

PRISON LifE

25

Art Behind Bars 1 995 3rd Place Nonfiction

Jorge Antonio Renaud
Abilene, Texas
o und again, I listen to th e jaile r 's
keys, brassy intruders clicking into
th e ir caviti es with a we ll-o il e d
exa c tn ess . Th e sound soo th es. It
h aunted my dreams during fo ur years of
freed om . H earing it while awake is no
less terrifying. Mter a six-month d aze of
guns, cocaine and strange, fo ul sme lling
apartme n ts, I awaken certain o f myse lf.
I drift into the routine. I a m less fie rce
this time, more brooding and analytical.
I ga uge my fe llow fe lo n s, loo king fo r
n u a n ce a nd r e li ef. I sh a re th e ea rl y
newspapers wi th a teenager called Driveb y. H e sca n s the obitu a r ies eac h
m o rnin g, sea rc hing fo r th e d ea ths of
fe llow gangbangers. A scheduled burial
of a rival ma kes him ecstatic; a bro th er's
death reddens his eyes and coarsens his
voice. I have to re mind myself of his age.
Drive-by pro claims to th e ta nk o n e
mo rn ing tha t he has figured how to pick
the lock of the massive door tha t keeps
us from the world's throat; a ll he n eeds
is a h airpin. He dreams of escape a n d
luc ra tive n o toriety. No o n e hoots him
d own. Pure-bred Texans, no n e of us a re
p eaceful m e n. Whil e t he air h e r e is
usua lly j ust irascible, vio le n ce is but a
pe rceived threat away. Besides, pe rha ps
he can u·uly free us. I tell myself to hunt
dro pped hairp ins during my visits.
T he n the re is Frankie, trading d e tails
of his misery fo r a shot of coffee. H e says
h e was fra m e d. Th e fa mi li a r r efra in
assum es a sad lite ralness in Fra nki e's
case. He is charged with burglary, an d his
lawyer assures him the police have found
his palm print on a window fram e of the
burglarized h om e. Frankie insists it is a
misun dersta nding- h e h as visited a nd
partied with the owners of the ho me in
questio n. He is unhappy at the cynicism
of the police, who are reluctant to be lieve

,..--

-

e:=t'- l

B

26 PRISON

Llfl

November 1996

1

\

,,.

i

l

Art by Fa-Q
th a t Fra nki e- with two priors fo r
burglary-could, through sheer accident,
leave a p a lm pri nt o n th e s h a tte re d
window fra me of a burglarized dwelling.
T h e prosec utor, also u n move d , h as
offe red a 25-year sente nce . Fra nkie is
aggrieved , feeli ng betrayed by the whorls,
lines a nd curlicues that stamp him as an
individual, unique if on ly in his palm.

Fran ki e is li ke m ost of us h ere ,
accu sed of crim es co mm itted in d rug
lust. We d rea m of n eedl es a n d whi te
lin es. Awa k e n ing in t h e t h r oes of
with d r awa l does little to sate o u r
a ppe ti tes o r our fa ntasies.
O ne talka tive acq uaintan ce-a fo rme r
m a th teac h e r a nd vo lleyball coachg rew so e n raptured by he ro in th a t he

took to ho lding up fast food e mpo riums
to finance his o pia te flings. Hamburger
h ave ns fell o n alte rn a te weeke nds; pizza
palaces we n t down in be tween. He took
a fa n cy to a seafood resta ura nt's timeloc k safe a nd rob bed three o utlets o n
su ccessive Saturdays. Th e tim e r gave
him ample time, he says, to cha t wi th the
ca p t ive m a n age r a b o u t t h e safe's
intricacies.
He wanted th e safe to help con tro l his
habit. He always sho t up his dope as fas t
as h e could buy it and tho ught th a t if he
co uld stash his h e ro in in th e safe a nd
ga in access o nly whe n th e time r allowed,
he would be o n the road to recove ry. H e
was d efeated in this admira ble yearning
by the fact th at th e safe functio ned only
if m o unted sec ure ly to th e wal l. Th is
re nde red it useless as a pawna ble object,
the primat·y consideratio n in any maj or
purchase by a hardcore junkie.
To pass the tim e, t h e ex-teach er has
d evised a se t o f equa ti o n s th a t fig u re
how many ha mburgers had to be sold,
a nd the receipts then sto le n , to satisfy a
night o f noddin g bliss. H e mu mbles of
side o rd e rs and p ea k n ow h o urs. His
scribbling rese mbl es the ch aoti c tracks
on his arms. He looks like a scarecrow in
need of a n o pium-dealing Wizard of Oz.
But the re is no wizardry he re, and less
truth. Time has ki lled o ne, and fear has
put one he ll o f a hurt on th e o th e r. It is
foolhardy to te ll a man wh o is facing two
life senten ces tha t you think he is lying.
T hus freed into fa ntasy, th e truth gets
e mbe llished.
Take the windshield factor.
This, says a self-assu red kill e r, is wh at
the lacque r-h aired , joll y, local weather
pe rson is refe rring to-it's wha t happe ns
wh en cold meeL~ car. According to him,
a th e rm o m e t e r is a u ac h e cl to th e
windshield o f a la te m ode l sedan-he
reco mm e nds Me rced es-an d d rive n
o nto th e freeway, into th e wind , a n d
upo n r eac hin g 60 mph , a reading is
ta k e n f ro m th e th e rm o m e t e r. T h e
resulting n umbe r is what convinced this
gun- toting m e teo r o logis t to g ive
Hou sto n th e p o i nts at Buffa lo-too
muc h cold weathe r driving for the wa r mweath er Oilers.
T his murcle rer-I sho uld say alleged ,
but h e h as s p o ke n of hi s g uilt, th e
co mplica te d , ritu a l is ti c, a lm os t
in e vita bl e d a n ce o f d ea th be t wee n
urban drug deale rs-is th e funniest ma n
I h ave ever met. His crazed raps ligh ten
th e clays. H e is wi t h out ra n co r,
see min g ly incapab le o f h o ld in g a
g rudge. This is one o f j ai l's ironies: you
mee t people befo re knowing wha t they
a re acc used o f, a nd th e n yo u find it
difficult to calibra te you r abhorre nce to
wh a t co n ve nti o n al m o r a li ty says it
should be.

Yo u n o ti ce th e se lf1ess gestllres of a
man wi th n othing to gain a nd the n see
him in iro ns o n th e eve ning news, the
m a ni c ure d vo ice o f t h e a nn o un ce r
intoni ng th e "especially bruta l" na ture
of th e c ri me a nd )'OU t h in k , "H e d id
th at?" a nd you dou bt your judgme nt of
peop le you 've known all yo ur life, a nd
you unde rstand a n yo n e is ca p a ble of
anything. Even you.
Whi ch , as far a insigh ts go, isn't bad.
As iro ny, it can' t touch th e co urtroom

wh ere sen tencing takes place.
Ra re ly qui e t, th e c h a m be r vibra tes
with the murmur o f a tto rneys consulting
th e ir cl ie nts, th e n sc urr ying to m a ke
deals with the prosecutors. At times th e
startle d cries of fam ily m e m be rs rise
a b ove th e babble as a n u nex p ec tedl y
h ars h se nte n ce is p assed , a s tone
thro ug h th e kidn eys of Texas justice.
In between outbursts, as lawyers reu·eat
to fi g ure th e ir fees, I fee l th e u rge to
ge nun ec t a nd s udd e nl y rea li ze th e

ovcmbcr 1996

PRISON Llff

21

couru·oom seating consists o f worn churc h pews. I a m stunned . vVhat
group of churchgoe rs wou ld agree to h ave its h ighly polish ed pews
d esecrated like this?
T he mostly illitera te graffi ti e tched into th e wood yie lds few clues.
Sch o la rl y C a t h o lics wo u ld sure ly lea n more to La t in-Morituri te
salutamo~'--and not resort to "T h is sucks!" Me thodists would pe n o des
lO th e Buffys le ft behind. The ir WASPish sub tle ty wou ld lack th e
directness of "Ma ry, Mary, smooth o r ha iry."
This leaves the Ba plists, a nd I imagine a fin e East Texas ch u rch ,
devoid o f pews, echo ing with H a lle lLuahs, fund am e n talist flock o n its
fee t, following the pastor in thunderous song. The ir collective corns •
must ach e but the ir h earts a re pure, kn owin g th a t so m ewhe re in a
co urtroom d edicated to in ca rce ra ti o n , th e h ea th e n a re seate d o n
ha rdwood be nches still haunted by the pie ty of God-fearing folk.
T he hymnal racks o f the pew in fron t of me a re sp lin tered but in tact.
T he so ngs of salvation are missing, replaced by ca ndy wra ppe rs a nd
two e mp ty ta m po n b oxes. Th is excites me, a d esire I find a lmos t
blasphe mous, consideri ng I am unde r the gla re o f both churc h and
sta te, conde mned by God a nd con servative Democrats ali ke.
This conflue n ce of j udgm e n tal powe r d eep ly d e presses me . The
intimations of inevitability- Hun tsville, and thus He ll, is bu t a fo ur-hou r
drive away-crack some branch within me. My will to fight crumbles.
T he state has deemed me institu tio nalized. I confess. The pmsecutor
says my sense of mo ra li ty, once me re ly somno le nt, now lies dead . l
concur. My in tegri ty sta nds accused o f a ba ndon me nt. 1 agree.
I sta nd before the judge and can think only of rust-colored lips a nd
weep ing brown eyes. T his is p roof of my de pravity. Co urtroom s a re
wh ere love, lic king its wide wou nds, goes to d ie. I wh ispe r good-bye to
mi ne: Aimee, a imee.
l am asked if 1 have comment o n my sen tence a nd I carefully spit o n
the gavel, oche r mu cus d ribbling down the ridged hamme r. The bailiff
j e rks me away an d I return to tl1e land of thrumming keys, whe re the
locks a re commanded by others a nd starl ight is impa led on tl1e wires. ~

I
1

JAILHOUSE ROCK
Rap • country • Jazz • Reggae • Blues

Prison Life wants to hear from prisoner
musicians making music behind the walls.
send us your tapes with full details of your
musical accomplishments
tOJr~l.O!!isible recording.

Send to:
jailhouse Rock
c/o PLM,
Box 537
Stone Ridge, NY 12484.

Art Behind Bars 1 995 2nd Place Fiction

by Charles Huckelbury, Concord, NH
A pound of a man's flesh,
Taken from a man.
Is not so estimable, profitable either,
As flesh of mullons, beefs, or goats.
William Sh akespeare,

The Merchant of Venice
u nta T rase ra la y festering und e r th e
August sun , a runnin g so r e on t he
corrupting body of a state that fu nctioned
as the necropolis fo r the terminally bored
of the othe r contiguous forty-eight. The town was
o n e of Flo rid a's Gu lf Coast enclaves, th e last
bastion ho ldin g t h e lin e aga in st th e
encroach ment of c ivi lization sou thward from
Sarasota and northward from Fort Myers. Proud
of the ir two stoplig hts and three Black fami lies,
the residents of Charlotte County spent their days
ridiculing the tou rists who wandered off Highway
41, and congratu lating th emselves on th eir good
fortune in be ing born among the saw-grass a nd
sand , dead fish a nd decaying foliage that gave the
area its distinct sme ll. T h e nig hts were for sitcoms
a nd domestic beer; there was no library.
Em me tt Thomas was Punta Trase ra's she riff
and had been fo r e leven years. Usua lly runn ing
unopposed, he justified his perpetual re-election
by so lvin g th e o n e or two monthl y fe lo n ies
occu r r in g in the t own , u su a ll y a b u rg la r y
committed by one of the local drunks or a wifebea tin g by a redneck wit h auiwde. Once in a
while, one of th e town 's teenagers wou ld run his
pa1·e nts' car off into one of the canals.
In twenty years, the town had only had three
homicides, all of them solved by informan ts.
At fifty-six, Thomas had grown comfortably
soft, having nei the r th e desire no r th e n eed to

P

Art by FA-Q
NO\·cmbcr 1996

PRISON llff

29

exercise, tn1sti ng instead to the pistol o n
hi s hip a nd th e coope rati o n of th e
LOwn 's citize ns, a ll of whom knew hi m
a nd invariab ly wave d wh e n he passed
the m o n th e s tr ee t. H e wo r e h is
pro fessio na l smi le beneath a Stetson as
he pu lled into th e state attomey's office
at 9:15 o n Mo n day morn in g, but th e
heat blasted him as h e le ft th e car's a ir
co nd ition in g, m ak in g him win ce a nd
bur y hi s eyes inside deep , doughy
wrinkles. He g roa n e d and tu c ke d h is
pisto l belt up u n de r hi s b elly as h e
sh uffl e d towa rd t h e co urthou se,
c hoo sin g th e elevato r instead o f th e
stairs to the prosecuto r's office o ne floor
above him.
"Hi, darlin ' . L.T. in?" Thomas d idn ' t
bother to stop at th e receptionist's desk
as he walked in to th e o ffice.
"Yes, h e is, Sh e ri ff, " repli e d a tire d
looking blond e. "He said fo r you to go
righ t on in."
T h e s h e riff mo ve d past h e r d es k
toward the o p e n door behind he r. H e
stuck his massive head inside and tipped
th e Stetson to the rea r of his h ead.
"Mornin ', L.T. "
L u th er Travis Anderso n loo ked up
fro m his desk a nd shi fted the LOothpic k
in his mouth to one side. "Come on in,
Emmell," he said. An de rson was five-six
a nd ve r y touc h y a bou t hi s size sin ce
bein g cu t fro m h is hig h-sch ool football
team. Balding si nce h is fres hma n year in
coll ege, h e n ow p a rte d hi s hai r just
above h is left ear a nd co mb e d
ever ything over the top in a n e laborate
ritual th at took the be u e r part of thi rty
minutes eac h m o rnin g whil e h is wife
and th ree children sn icke red behind h is
back. He go t up and concentrated o n
giving the she ri ff a fi r m handsha ke, b ut
T homas's paw dwarfed his own.
The sh e riff carefu ll y eased h is bulk
into th e c h a i r o ffe re d. "Wh at's so
importa n t it co u ldn ' t wa it until after
lunch?"
Anderson sat back down and shuflled
throug h so me papers on h is d esk be fore
finding a powde r-b lu e folder. H e
opened it and read fo r fiftee n seconds
before looking back at the sheriff.
"You remember a guy nam ed Richard
Rowland?"
Thomas sh ook hi s h ead slowly, th e
e ffo n of concentra tio n furrowing his
sh iny brow.
"No," he said slowly. "Should !?"
''Convicted of mu rder back in '73."
'J esus. '73?" H e looke d at th e ceiling
fo r a moment. 'jake Barnes was sh e riff
back then, but I thi nk I remem ber th e
case. Yankee fro m Tll inois or somewhere
came dow n h e r e a n d k ill ed a
construction worker. Tha t the o ne?"
"Ohio," Ande rso n n odded, "but yeah,
that's him. "

30 PRISON

Llff

No\'clllbcr 19\lli

"Got n in ety-ni n e yea rs o r life o r
some thing?"
"Li fe. I r ead th e clipp in gs. Kind of
nu uy. The g uy he killed was a local bad
boy, beat up some people and generally
m ade a n ui sa n ce o f h i m se l f un t il
Rowl a nd kill e d him . J udge Sh e rm a n
tried the case, and lot of people aro und
he re wante d h im to g ive Rowland th e
chair, but you know how Sher man was."
T homas gr un te d an d shi fted in th e
chair.
"Goclclamn li be ral. I was g lad to see
th e so n of a b i tc h re tir e . Wh ere's
Rowla nd now? T ha t what this is about?"
"Still in prison."
"You ' re shi ttin' me? T wenty-two years?
Nobody does that ki nd of time ."
"vVe ll, Rowla nd has, a nd he wa n ts out.
Tha t's what this is." And e rson tapped
th e blue fo lder on the d esk. H e ll, I was
in th e sixth g rade when h e committed
th e murder."
"So wha t's this got to do with me and
yo u?"
"Parole board notifies th e u·ial judge,
pro sec u to r a nd sh e r iff wh e n eve r a
priso ner b eco mes e li gi ble, and the y
wan t our inpu t. Rowland 's lawye r sent
your copy of the brie f to this office, e lse
yo u 'd h ave it a lre ad y. Pic k it up from
Margie o n the way o ut. "
Thomas was puzzle d.
"It's an administra tive rul e , Emmett.
The board notifies th e jurisdiction whe re
th e felo ny occur red whenever a prison er
is up for parole . The victim 's fa mily also
got the word, a nd they're invited to reply
by m a il or atte n d th e pa ro le h ea ring
itself. The board wan ts ou r reactio n to
Rowlan d 's p a r o le , to fin d ou t if we
suppo rt o r o ppose his release."
"Bu t I d o n ' t kn ow a fu c kin ' thin g
about hi m o r the case."
"D oes n ' t m a k e a damn bit of
diffe re n ce; it's procedu ra l. Th e tria l
j udge a nd prosec u tor a re retired, an d
J a ke Barnes is dead. We get the job."
T ho mas shrugged and be lched.
"Seem s odd , bu t if th at's what th ey
want, then I' ll give it to 'em. It's easy; I
do n ' t want Rowla nd to ever get o ut. "
"Yo u 've got to write th e letter yourself.
I'll have Marg ie type it up , if you wa m ,
but yo u 've got to sig n it. It has to be a
se para te d ocume nt. " H e p a used. "You
mig ht wa nt to take a look a t th is brie f
b e fore yo u m ake u p yo ur m in d.
Rowland 's no ordinar y punk."
Thomas waved h is h a nd . "It d o n ' t
ma tte r none, L.T. The guy co mmitted a
mu rd e r h e re in Pun ta Trasera, a nd
the re's no way I ' m gonn a do a nything
but o bject to his pa role."
"Eve n a fte r twe nty-two yea rs? You
kn ow th e g uy's neve r had a disciplinary
report writte n against him ? Got a n IQ
of I 36 an d cou ld pro ba b ly work for

ASA if he wanted."
"Even after a hund red and twenty-two
fuckin ' years, L.T. , and if they've n eve r
caug h t him doing anythin ' up th ere in
Ra iford , it 's b ecause h e's too smart.
That's al l. You go t a n y idea what th e
peo ple of thi s town wo uld d o if th ey
fo u nd o ut I voted fo r thi s ass hol e's
pa ro le? I ca n 't remember the nam e of
th e g uy h e killed , bu t th e fami ly'cl have
my ass j ust th e same. He ll, I'd be out of
a job, that's wha t." H e leaned ove r the
desk and poimc cl at Anderson. "And it's
some thi n' you need to think abo ut, too,
L.T. Elections a rc com in ' up nex t fall. "
"Yeah, I know a llthaL, a nd I agree wi th
you: we' ll vote no when th e ti me comes,
but I thi nk you should take a look at this
brie f. It's interesting reading. "
Th o m as h au le d him se lf out of th e
chair.
"Don't need to look at it, L.T. I a lready
know what I'm gonna say. All yo u have
to do is ge t little Margie o u t the re to fi x
it up fo r m e a nd se n d it o ve r to my
office. Fuck Rowla nd a nd a n y oth e r
gocldam ned convict up the re in Raiford.
It's o ur job to pu t 'em the re, and I'll be
damn ed if I'll he lp th e basta rds get o ut.
An y o f 'e m . " H e pull e d th e Ste tso n
d own o n h is fo re head and aqjustecl his
pistol. "Anythin ' e lse?"
"Nope , th a t 's it. I' ll ge t th e letter to
you th is week. We've got thiny clays to
respond."
"t ext tim e yo u ge t o n e o f t h ese
th in gs, you d o n ' t ne e d to b o th e r m e
with it. J ust copy the le u e r a nd se nd it
o n back to those silly bastards. Imagine
that," h e said, shaking hi s head sadly.
"They though t we m igh t want to vote fo r
someo ne geui n ' out afte r we worke d so
ha rd lO put hi m in. Crazy." H e touched
the brim of the Stetson . "Be seein ' you
L.T." Anderso n watch ed hi m d isappea r
a nd hea rd hi m Oirt bri efly with Ma rgie
befo re leavin g. H e p ul le d hi s c h a ir
closer to h is desk a nd went over the file
in fro nt of hi m o nce more .

"Gentlemen, we have a pro ble m here. "
J udge Har o ld M. Ross li ft e d a b l ue
fold er ide n tica l to the o n e And e rso n
had shown the sh e riff' two d ays be fore
a nd le t it drop to hi s desk. Ross was
kn own as t he h a ng ing judge, and was
proud of h is repu tatio n. H e did no t care
if h e was r eve r sed by th e a ppe ll ate
cour ts; indeed, he d id not lose any slee p
because he was the judge with th e most
reversed cases in th e state. H e believed
Ll1e rest of the c ircuit judges a nd many
sitting o n t h e a ppe ll a te co urts were
simply too soft.
Judge Ross a lways h a nd e d our th e
max imum an d often went beyond the
s tatu t o r y g uid e l in es i n impos i n g

se ntence. Now h e sal in hi s c ha mbe rs
with L.T. Anderso n a n d Emm e tt
T homas in front o f him. H e was not a
h ap p y man. "T hi s Row land is up for
parole aga in, " h e sa id now, "a nd thi s
time he's go t himself a hot-sho t attorney
o u t of Ta l lah assee. If we d on ' t d o
some thin g im me diate ly, he damn we ll
m ight make iL Any suggestions?"
T he state attorn ey clea red his throat,
but T ho mas bro ke in.
" l don ' t see what's all the fuss, Judge.
All we have tO do is wri te le tters sayin '
we don't want t h e basta r d to m a ke
paro le, a nd that o ug ht to do it."
Judge Ross looked at the sheriff over
the tops o f his g lasses, his full h ead of
g ray hair gave him a lio n 's appearan ce.
H e spoke as if lect u r ing to a slow
swdent.
"E mm e tt, form le u e rs wo n ' t be
e nou g h th is tim e . H ave yo u read th e
brief yo u got?"
"I started to, Judge, but 1 got. ... "
"If you h ad read it, you 'd know wh at
we ' re up against. " He opened the fo lde r
in front of him . "Row land 's fifty-o ne
now, a n d that puts him o u t of th e

"Suggestio ns?" Ande rso n shi fted th e
o mn ipresent toothpick.
"''ve bee n thi nking. His priso n record
is remarkable, and his accomp lishme n ts
mak e a ny attack during Lh e tim e he 's
been ser ving his sentence unreasonable.
But if we could dig up something in his
past, say some evide nce to counte r all
th ese lette rs a n d ce rtifi ca tes, then we
m ig ht h ave a chance . We co uld sh ow
t h at h e 's mi sled a ll th e peop le who
s upport him wi th o ut attacki n g th e m
personally. "
"LeBlanc," said the sh eriff.
"What? " R oss an d An derso n as ked
simulta neously.
"LeBlanc . .Joe Le Blanc. l-Ie's a retired
h o mi c ide in vestigato r wh o must h ave
worke d Rowland 's case."
Anderson frowned . "vVh at possible use
could he ... ?"
"Wait a m in ute , L.T. ," the j ud ge
interrupte d. "I th ink Emme t t's got
something he re . You mean this LeBlanc
might h ave somet hi ng that doe s n ' t
a ppear in Rowla nd 's file?"
"He might," said Thomas, "and if he
doesn ' t, I've kn own him a long time, and

"People don ' t c hange," h e contin ued ,
"an d you ' ll never co n vin ce me th a t a
fe lo n wi ll ever be a n yth ing e lse but a
felon. They' re scum , gentleme n, and it's
our j ob, o u r ho ly duty, to keep them in
prison fo r as lo ng as we can to bring th is
co unu·y back tO what it used to be."
A nd e r so n s tifled a yaw n , and th e
sheriff fidgeted slig htly. Both had heard
th e same s peech du ri ng e lections and
Rotary meetings.
Ross re p lace d th e bandann a a nd
n o dd ed to An d e rso n and Tho mas. '' I
guess that's it the n , gentle men. Ge t back
to me as qu ickly as you can, LT. "
"Rig ht, .Judge. Emmett and l will try to
see LeBla nc tomor row."
"Make it today."
"Ri g h t. Today." Ande rso n loo ked a t
T h o m as, a n d th e two ro se t oge th e r.
Judge Ross didn't bother saying goodbye as they left his chambers.

"I hope you know what the fuck you're
do ing, Emmett. " Anderson drove while
Thomas sea rc h e d th e radio cha nnels.
"You kn ow h ow Ro ss is wh e n t hin gs

' ' f uck Rowland and any other goddamned
convict up there in Raiford. It's our job to
put 'em there, and I'll be damned if I'll
help the bastards get out. "
d a nger o us age sta tisticall y. H e has no
prior record , so we ca n ru le out the
argum e n t fo r a ca ree r criminal. H e's
d o n e twe nty- two yea rs, so we ca n ' t
c r e d ib ly a r gue t h at h e h as n ' t done
enoug h tim e. According to a ll the le tters
of suppo r t he's got in his jacke t, he's got
a fa mil y n e two rk in p lac e, job
placeme n t, even acceptance in g raduate
school. He's earned a B.S. a nd p la ns to
go in to cou nse ling wh e n he gets out,
working with trouble d tee n agers. " H e
closed th e fo lder a nd looked up. "The
lis t goes o n a nd o n. It seems th at
ever yone wh o has mel Rowland thinks
he's th e best thing sin ce sliced bread.
You see the d ifficulty?"
"Yo u m ea n ," Ande rso n a n swe r e d ,
"we've got to actively oppose the parole
this time."
"Rig h t, " said Ross. "Th e last tim e he
was jJro se, and it was easy to kn ock him
dow n , ju st a m atte r of ge ttin g th e
objectio n s o n record. " H e nodde d to
T h omas. "T hi s time it's g o ing to b e
toug he r. I think o ur Mr. Rowland has a n
exce ll ent c h a n ce of wa lki n g o ut of
Raiford."

I think I could convince him to .... "
"Good." Ross's voice stopped him. "We
don ' t need to cove r th e detai ls now. If
De tec tive Le Blanc ca n he lp us out o n
thi s, I' m sure h e will. " H e tu r ned to
Ande rso n. "L.T., will yo u coord ina te
things with the she ri ff a nd le t me know
wha t develops? vVe need to get this thi ng
in th e mail as quickly as possible, so the
soo n e r Em m e tt sees LeB la n c, th e
be tter."
"We' ll ta ke ca r e of it, Yo ur Hon o r.
An ything else?"
T he j udge sat back in h is chai r.
"I thi nk th a t just aboUL does it. " He
laced his finge rs over hi s pa un ch , o nly
partia lly cove red by the pla id shirt h e
was wearing . "You know, it really burns
m e up to see guys like th is Rowla nd.
T hey' re so da mne d sma rt unti l th ey ge t
into my courtroom. The n th ey get up
t h e r e to Raiford , ge t invo lved in a ll
these prog rams, and they really think it
makes a ny gocldamne d differe nce at a ll.
I t's just a ga me for the m, like we sent
t h e m up th e re t o ge t ed u ca ted. " He
sn eezed and pu lle d a r e d banda n na
fro m his hip poc ked to wipe h is nose.

do n ' t go hi s way, and you just a bo u t
promised hi m LeB lanc co u ld shut th e
door o n Rowla nd. "
"Stop wo r ryin ' so m uch , L.T. " T h e
sh e riff settl ed o n a co untry statio n o u t
or P or t C h a rlotte a nd lea n ed back
against th e seat. "I know Le Blanc. H e'll
be glad to he lp us."
A n d e rso n tri e d to ta lk over Travis
T ri tt , gave u p , a n d turn e d down th e
volu me .
"What if he can ' t? What if he doesn't
know a nyth in g? .Jesus Ch rist, Emmell,
it's bee n nearl y a quarter-ce ntury and
th e d e partm e nt didn 't eve n h ave
co mpute r s ba c k th e n . I 've alrea d y
checked , a nd th e file was desu·oyed righ t
afte r Row land lost h is a pp e a l , so
LeBla nc can ' t have any notes left u nless
h e ke pt th e m a t his house, a nd I can ' t
see any cop kee pi n g notes on a n
investigation fo r two goddamn ecl years,
m uch less two decad es."
Th omas pau e d the sta te attorn ey o n
th e sho ulde r. "Le Blanc will be all rig ht.
Just relax and le t me handle th is. By the
e nd o f th e wee k, we' ll h ave eve r ythi ng
we need."

No\"l; onbcr 1996

PRISON LIIE

31

"I ho pe yo u 're rig ht, Emmett. 1 d on ' t
wa nt to go bac k in there and face Judge
Ross if we d o n ' t co m e thro ug h ." H e
squinte d thr o ug h th e g la r e of th e
windshie ld , th e beginning o f a headac he
making itse lf felt be hind his le ft eye.

"Ro wl an d ? Sure, I re m e mb e r hi m.
Ki lled Ro nnie Dixo n , used to live over
off fifty three about a mi le. Didn ' t seem
like a bad sort at a ll when we arrested
him . We he a rd stories fro m o ur snitch
about a ll the guns he had, bu t a ll he did
was open th e door and put up his h ands
whe n he was a rreste d ." Le Bla nc too k a
gu lp of b eer a n d sta r e d a t T h o m as
before turning his atten tion to a couple
of cats ma ting in th e fa r corne r of the
yard. "Never did find any guns. I we n t to
C leve lan d with J a ke Ba rn e s a nd two
de puti es to extra dite him back. Man tha t

and me. If we don ' t do o ur best to sh oot
h im d ow n , th e n it's go nn a loo k ba d
co m e e lec tion tim e, a nd th a t 's rig h t
aro und the corne r."
LeBlanc smiled and nodded his head .
"I still don' t see why you ca me to m e. Al l
yo u have to do is write the lette rs to th e
parole board."
"judge Ro ss says we n e e d more thi s
tim e. H e says Ro wla nd 's record is so
goo d th a t we h ave to co m e up with
some th ing real stro ng or e lse h e's gonna
walk o n us."
Le Blan c turn e d his c h a ir t owa r d
Tho mas as the she riff finished his beer
and wiped his mouth with his ha nd.
"Such as?"
"We ll, you being a cop and a ll. . . "
"An ex-cop, Emmett."
"Sa me thing, and you kn o w it. You
be ing a cop and a ll, we th o ught you ' d
d o wh a t you could to h e lp us o ut o n

lo ng time be fo re answering.
"Inte re sting;" he said finally. "Suppose
I did . H o w d o yo u ex p la in hi s life
sente nce instead of death ? A dan gerous
guy like th at would have been given the
chair. H e ll, he wo uld b e d ead now, a nd
you wo uldn ' t be sweating his release."
Tho mas grinne d , his eyes b eginning
to shine under the influe n ce of the beer.
'j esus, j oe . Tha t pa rt's easy. She rm a n
was the se nte ncing judge, and you know
wh a t p eo p le th o u g h t a bout him . A
bleedin g-h eart libe ral judge le t a coldblooded ki lle r off wh en he should have
fried him in O ld Sparky."
Le Bla nc nodded tho ughtfully.
"So if I we r e to come up with
some thing to indicate that Rowland was
a real ga n gste r, yo u guys c ould cove r
yo ur e nd r ega rding hi s o r igin a l
se nte nce?"
"You be t your ass we could, especially

liliAnd to job security." He laughed and
pointed with his beer as the cats in the
corner of the yard began to wail loudly
when the big male mounted the smaller
female. "That's what we're gonna do to
Rowland, Joe. Long and deep."
was a lo ng time ago. Wha t about him?"
"He 's up fo r parole."
"Pa ro le? H e ll , I th o ug ht h e ' d h ave
b ee n o u t by n o v1. T h a t h a d t o be
e ighteen , tlve nty years ago. "
"1973 to be exac t, and h e 's sti ll up in
Ra iford."
'J e sus, h e mus t b e a ru c k-up to d o
th at kind o f time. I n eve r wo u ld h ave
fig ured it. "
''That's th e funn y pa rt, J oe. He 's pre tty
m uch a su·aig ht arrow. No trouble, n o t
eve n a d isciplinary re port in the twen tytwo yea rs he's bee n down. He's finishe d
co ll ege a nd got a c loset f ull o f
ce rti fica t e s . H e ' s eve n got so m e
preach e rs writin g le tters fo r him , but
th ey' re always easy. All you got to do is
say a fe w ame ns, an d th ey' ll do whatever
any son-of-a-b itc h asks."
"So Rowla nd 's up for pa ro le. So wha t?
After t hat kind o f tim e, m aybe h e
d eser ves an o th e r cha n ce. I mea n , he's
go t to be at least fi fty now. H ow much
tro uble can h e ge t into a t tha t age ?"
Th o m as sc r a tc h e d hi s j aw. "T h e
pro bl e m , J oe, is Ju dge Ross a n d L.T.
do n ' t wa nt him to ma ke pa ro le. We got
this fa n cy pa ro le bri e f fil e d by so m e
high-powe red lawyer in Talla hassee, and
we've go t to a nswe r it. T he judge, L.T. ,

32

PRISON llff

Novem be r 1996

t h is. No o n e wants to see a ki ll e r
pa ro led , J oe. You know that. Wha t if he
does it again?"
Le Bla nc shoo k his head . "Save th a t
s tuff for th e co urtro o m , Emme tt. I t
wo n't work. Murde re rs a re yo ur b es t
pa ro le risks, a nd most of th e ir crime s
a r e unique- on e fu c k-up in a pre lly
n o rm a l li fe . Ro wl a nd 's a p e rfec t
exa mple . Un less you can prove he 's a
d ange r, you don ' t have a n a rgum e nt. "
Le Bla n c reac h e d for th e bee r o n th e
floor beside the c ha ir.
Tho mas sat up a nd tossed his e mp ty
beer can into the waste basket a long with
the o the r five. "What if we could do that?"
"Do what?" LeBlan c said after a sip.
"Prove that Rowla nd 's a d anger. Show
that if he gets paro le d , he 'll go right o ut
a nd do it again."
LeBlan c ra ised an e ye brow. "And just
how do you propose to do tha t?"
"Didn' t you investigate the case?"
"Sure, but what. .. "
"You must have fo und evid e n ce th a t
made you think Rowland was d a ngerous
a nd would ki ll someone e lse if he 's ever
re leased . H e mig ht eve n h a ve ki lle d
so m e one e lse be fore we caug ht him ."
T ho mas raise d a n eyebrow.
LeBla n c lo o ke d a t th e s he riff fo r a

since you ' re th e o nly one le ft with a ny
co nnection to the case."
"Te ll yo u wh a t , " Le Blan c sa id ,
finishing the beer a nd crush ing the can.
"I'll write th e le tte r sayin g th a t m y
inves tig a t io n turn e d up evid e nc e to
co n vince m e th at Ro wla nd had kille d
before and wo uld kill again if re le ased.
H ow abo u t tha t? It's standard bullsh it,
but it might work in this case as long as
th ey d on 't ask for specifics."
"H ell yes, that's great. " T homas bit his
lower lip. ''VVait a minute. What if th ey
co m e bac k a nd wa nt to know wh y h e
wasn 't cha rged with a ny more killings?"
"Th at's a l so easy: ther e was n ' t
suffi c ie nt evid e n ce . D o n't you
re me mbe r Bundy a nd all the women he
was supposed to have ki lled? Ever y time
they found a body, they gave it to Bundy.
I' ll make it sound like Rowland 's more
o f the same. Besides, the p arole boa rd
is n ' t go ing t o take up a lot o f tim e
inve stigating wha t I tell them . I'm an excop , th ey' ll be lieve m e a utomatica lly. It's
Rowla nd 's word against mine; h e's go t
to prove I'm lying, and he can ' t do that
because I won ' t give him en oug h."
Sheriff Thomas laug he d and grabbed a
beer for a toast. LeBlanc quickly ope ne d
a no the r fi·o m the cooler sitting between

them and touched Thomas's can.
"To law and order, making the streets
safe for widows and orphans."
T homas n odded .
"And to j ob security." H e laughed and
pointed with h is beer as the cats in th e
corne r of th e yard began to wail loudly
wh en the b ig male mounted the smaller
fe male. "Tha t's what we' re gonn a do to
Rowland, J oe. Long and deep. "
Gwe n Simmo ns h ad te n minu tes to
convin ce Florida's p a r o l e b oa r d to
release Rich ard Rowland, and she did n 't
think sh e wou ld n eed h alf th a t t im e.
H er brief was compreh ensive an d clearly
d e m o n st ra te d wha t a n ou ts t a ndin g
pa ro le pros p ec t Rowla nd was . In h e r
o pinio n , h e was the best clie nt she had
r e prese nted i n eig htee n yea r s o f
practice. She wished h e co uld b e the re
so t h e b oard co uld see him , but t h e
r ules preven ted it.
"Ms. Simm o n s , a r e you rea d y to
proceed?" th e c hairma n of the pa ro le
board asked. Gwe n glanced up fro m th e
table wh ere she sat.
"Yes, Mr. Chairman. I'm ready."
"Okay th en, this is in refere nce to th e
a pp l icatio n fo r p a r o l e b y Ri c h a rd
Row la nd , c u r re ntly se r vin g a li fe
se nte n ce fo r first-degr ee murder. Mr.
Rowla n d h as b ee n in car ce rate d sin ce
1973 and has a pplied once before, three
yea r s ago . H e was d e ni e d wit h out a
h earing . Le t th e record reflect that Mr.
Rowland is be ing re prese n ted a t t h is
h ea rin g by Ms. Gwe n dolyn Simmons.
Ms. Simmons, you have the floor."
Gwen rose and walked to the podiu m
in fro nt of t h e seve n m e mb e rs o f the
parole board, all sitting in a row o n a
raised d ais.
"Tha n k yo u , Mr. C h a i r m a n ." Sh e
lo oked a t th e six men and o ne woman .
"I think you wi ll recogn ize th at Richard
Rowland is an unusual man, " she began.
S h e spe nt e ig h t o f h er a ll otted ten
minu tes reviewing what was in he r brief,
co n cl udi ng wit h a l is t of Row la n d 's
accomplishme n ts and refe ren ces.
"T ha nk yo u , Ms . Simmons," t h e
chairma n said . "As always, your brief was
clear and very we ll don e." H e nodd ed to
the assistan t attorney ge neral wh ose j ob
it was to a rgu e against each pa role. "Mr.
Brewste r."
Brewster got up slowly, a serio us look
o n his thi n face . He s p oke wit h o u t
loo king a t his n otes, h o ld in g o n ly a
single page in his hand. "I will n ot take
th is board's valuable time by addressing
each point counsel h as mad e . Judging
by th e b rief a nd co u nsel's a rg ume n ts,
Rich ard Rowlan d is singu la rly deserving
of parole co n sider atio n ." T h e par o le
board 's me m be rs looked puzzled; such

an admissio n was totally ou t of character
for Brewste r. Gwen frown ed and tapped
h e r finge r s lig h t ly o n h e r brief as
Brewster continued.
"But, like so m any oth er inmates,
Rowla nd 's record is a facade design ed to
conceal his real personality. That is wha t
ma kes h im so dan gerous. I have h e re,"
he said, waving the pa pe r, "a le tter from
De t ec tive Jose ph Le Blanc, th e chi ef
investigator during Ric ha rd Rowla nd 's
trial in 1973. Copies a re availa ble fo r the
board and cou nsel. It is Mr. Le Blan c's
professio n al o pinio n th at th e murder
fo r whi ch Rowla nd was con victed was
not his first- an d it will no t be his last."
Gwe n was o n h er feet im m edia te ly.
"Mr. Chairman, I must obj ect. We were
never shown any kind ofl e tter, and .... "
"Th e State received it o nly recently
and d id n o t have time to include it in
our response," Brewste r sh o t bac k. H e
walked to Gwen 's table and laid a copy
of the le tte r in fron t of he r, then p assed
each of the board 's me mbers a copy.
Gwe n still p r o tested. "Rea ll y, Mr.
Chairman. T his is prej udicial and out of
o rde r. I h ave n o idea wh o Le Bla n c is
a n d n o o pportun i ty to r e bu t a n y
allegation s. May I h ave a min ute to read
this le tte r?"
"Certainly, Ms. Simmo ns. T h e boa rd
will do likewise." Five minutes la ter, the
h ear in g r es um ed with a ll seve n
me mbe rs of the paro le boa rd loo king
like morticians.
"Ms. Sim mons, if yo u wo ul d li ke to
address these allegatio ns, we can allow
you three m ore m in utes. Mr. Brewster,
we'll get back to you." Brewster n odded
and sat d own. Gwen 's anger was visible
as she approach ed the podium.
"Neve r in e ig h te e n yea r s as a n
atto rn ey h ave I see n a n yt h i n g th is
fl ag r a nt. T hi s is n oth i ng but a n
atte mpt by an unq ualified , retired civil
servant to r e nd e r a psyc h o logi ca l
eva lu a ti o n f r om a di sta n ce of 300
m i le s a nd r e m ove d by 22 yea rs.
L eB l a n c off e r s n o corro b o r atin g
eviden ce, n or does h e ind icate on what
h e b ases his o pi n io n . H e h as never
see n or talked to Mr. Rowla n d- ever ;
how o n earth can h e say that h e ' has
no remorse or sh ame'?" She argu ed for
her three minu tes a nd sat back down ,
st a rin g a t Brews t er, wh o refu sed to
m eet h er gaze . Whe n t h e boa rd
recog ni zed him , h e stood a n d too k
o nly two minu tes to kill a ny ch a nce of
R i c h ard R ow la nd 's p aro l e, u s in g
LeBla nc's lette r as h is weapo n .
O u tside th e h ea rin g room, Brewste r
wai ted until Gwen came o ut. She walked
straigh t up to him, fur y in h er eyes.
"Yo u 're a disgrace, Ed . I've seen you
guys pull a lot of stunts, bu t th is is the
lowest. You know wh at you've don e?"

"I've ke pt a kille r from being paro led ,
Gwen . I've kept him off the streets whe re
he might kill you o r someone you know."
"Don't feed me th at bu llshit. Yo u 've
read my brief and you kn ow godda mn ed
well Rowland 's an excellent p arole risk.
Now I've got to d rive u p th e re a nd tell
th is man he's no t getting out. "
"And th at's part of yo ur j o b , Gwe n.
You can't expect to win them all. You 've
go t your j o b to do, a nd I've go t min e.
Today, I d id mi n e better th an yo u d id
yo ur s . Next ti me, i t m ig h t work
diffe re ntly."
"Bu t that d oesn 't m ean an yth ing to
Rowland. H e's the one who's got to sit
in th at cell for three more years."
Br ewste r b lew o u t a sh arp brea th.
"vVh at do you wan t from me, Gwe n? You
kn ow h ow this is. I do n ' t und e rsta nd
why you ' re so u pset."
"Beca use you guys ch eated , and you
know you cheated. "
"I don't unde rstand yo u. It's my job to
o bjec t to a n y p a r ole, n o ma tte r h ow
good the inmate m ig ht sound o n paper.
It's your j ob to get them ou t, no matte r
how bad th ey m igh t sound. What's th e
big deal?" He looked a t his wa tch and
bu tto n ed h is j ac ket. "I've rea lly got to
run , Gwe n. I'm sorr y yo u ' re so upse t,
but what t h e he ll? It's j ust a job. Yo u
sho u ld n't let it get to you." H e tried a
sm il e bu t got n ot h i n g back. l-Ie
sh rugged and walked quickly ou t of th e
build ing .
"Rowland , you 've got legal mai l in the
control roo m. " Richa rd kn e w at t h a t
mome nt that he did no t ma ke paro le. If
t he n ews had been good , Gwe n would
have called hi m; bad news always came
in the mail.
Back in his cell, he sat o n the edge of
his rack a nd slowly tore ope n th e blue
e n velope. T h e message was short and
a po logetic, li ke th ey all we re. She was
sor ry; sh e had done all she could , but
tl1e rebu ttal was just too strong. Best of
luck. Call if there is a nythi ng I can d o .
Et ce tera.
Rowland tossed the letter on the floor
and lay back. T h ree more years until h is
next elig ibility date. Tha t wo u ld give
him twenty-five in , and he would be fifty
four years o ld . H e was st ill in good
sha pe; three years wasn ' t th at lo ng really,
at least tha t's th e lie he told h imself, and
he still migh t be able to get a d ecent j o b.
H e drifted off to sleep thinking a bou t
graduate school, abou t the feel of a real
bed, abo ut a woman an d he r two sons in
Phoe nix who were waiting for h im. T he
fo u r o f the m were having a cookou t on
th e Fourth of Jul y when t h e g u a r d
kicked th e cell door and told hi m to
stand up for count.
~

November 1996

PRISON Ulf 33

By John Ittner

H

e's like a deer. Whe n you ' re not hunting,
they' re everywhe re. Pic k up a rifle, they
vanish. I'm o n his trail and h e's o n the
run. FA-Q got ou t of Rikers Isla nd in May. Now
he 's homeless and ha rd to find. During the day
h e roam s th e b oo kst o res a nd a rt galle ri es
stealing exp ensive books, which he sells fo r o ne
fo urth of th e cove r price to stree t vendo rs in
SoHo or aro und St. Ma rk's Place. This is his j ob;
he's a professio nal shoplifte r. If he d oesn ' t ma ke
e n ough fo r a t least three bags o f h e ro in , h e
co u ld ge t sick. H e ' s busy s tea lin g, se ll in g,
scoring and using.
When he sits still, he draws. H is drawings ar e
his diar y. They track his life, prove he exists. It is
the thing h e does extre mely well a nd the on ly
thin g o th e r th a n d o p e th a t h e must do . H e
never quits. Whe re drawing is concerned h e is
like a n Olympic a thle te, always in training . In
prison or out of it he d oes three or fo ur a day.
When he is drawing he fo rgets where he is. T h is
is very useful in prison . His Rike rs sur vival kit is
a ball-p oint pe n and a torn e nvelope.
I have been looking for him fo r a month. I'm
no t having much luck, but I see sig ns of him,
th e way a h u nte r mi g ht n o ti ce a p a t c h of
fla tte ned grass where a deer has lain . Some times
h e slee ps in th e Riving to n Sch ool Scu lpture
Garde n on East Sixth Su·eet. O n the dirt floor is
a foam matu·ess a nd some cove rs he found on
the street. Tho ugh h e is an o riginal m embe r of
the Rivingto n Sch ool, he is not officia lly allowed
th e re. No one gave him the key to ge t in the
fron t gate. The way he is now, n o o ne in their
right mind would give him the key to anyth ing.
La te a t nig h t, afte r sh oo ting his last bag, h e
climbs the fence and c urls up on the d irt floor
of the sculpture sh o p. Th e welco m e h e ge ts
there is as thin as h e is. His presence is to lerated

34 PBIIDN UFENovember t 996

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36 PRISON

llff

November 1996

by Ray Kelly, the cowboy artist who runs
th e pl ace . It's like th e Ro be rt Frost
poem, Death of the Hired Ma n. "H ome
is the place tha t wh e n you h ave to go
the re, they have to take you in. "
His d r u g add ictio n ma kes hi m a
criminal. It h as stole n his life, which h e
buys back day by d ay thro ug h m a king
ar t. FA-Q is hi s a rti st nam e a nd th e
attitude h e puts on like a clown suit. H e
draws clown s often-insa ne, ha unted ,
suicidal, leering faces- chro nicles of a
life in h ell. Sometimes I think they are
self portra its. Tha t ma kes th e m eve n
scarie r. His th o ug hts ta ke him places
whe re I do not want to go. His world is
frighte ningly authe n tic. The bullshit was
burned ou t of him years ago. His real
n a m e is Kevin Wen d e ll. H e's fro m
Clevela nd, Ohio and 41 years old.
Cowb oy Ke ll y l ets FA-Q stay a t th e
sculpture garden, bu t gets a ng ry if h e
brings othe r junkies a ro und. T hey will
give the garden a bad nam e. FA-Q is bad
e no ugh. Ray Ke lly and Kevin We nde ll go
bac k a long way. Ray likes Kevin a nd
respects his art. It's hard not to like him.
Kevin is fu n n y and down to earth an d
they used to b e great friend s and Kelly
sticks by a frie nd. Tha t's the \\laY they d o
things in Amarillo, where he came from.
Nevertheless, the sculpture gard e n is set
up so th at FA-Q can't do mu ch h arm .
Anything of value is eith e r und er lock
and key or, like th e arc welder, too h eavy
to lift over the 10-foot fe n ce. Since FAQ's been around, tho ugh , my b icycle has
disappeared. FA-Q swears he didn ' t steal
it and I want to believe him, but it's best
th at everything is n ailed down. I don ' t
know if he took it o r a frie nd of his took
it. Eith er way, I blame myself more than I
do him. I should have locked it up. He's
an incorrigible thief and an addict. If it's
lying around a nd he needs a fix, it's his.
He's stole n fro m his best frien ds, people
who were trying to he lp him . O nce he
eve n sto le a police radi o out of a fi re
house. It takes $50 a day just to stay even
with his heroin habit an d eat. In the past
eigh t years he's been arrested 28 ti mes,
mostly for shoplifting.
Wh e n I me t hi m in 1987, he'd n ever
been to prison. T he n he was a rising star
in th e a rt worl d , gettin g as mu c h as
$2,500 fo r a pain ti ng he could do in a
d ay. H e wor ke d fast a nd t h e
stockbrokers who bought his work made
m o n ey even fas te r than th a t. T h e a r t
ma rket was booming in th e 80s and he
looke d like a good b e t t o b eco m e
fa m o u s. He h a d dr ive, ta le nt a n d
ambition . H e was a star, a rough genius
in th e a rt ho tbed that ce ntered a round
th e Lower East Sid e of New Yo rk City.
He hung o ut with the Rivington School,
a group of metal sculp tors, blacksmiths,
painte rs, p er fo rma n ce artists, rockers,

Photo by Toyo
poets, vid eo artists and ha ngers-on wh o
ca m e together to work and play at a
sculpture garden o n a formerl y vacant
lot a t th e corne r of Rivington Street a nd
Fo r sy th e. FA-Q s t ood o ut in that
r e m a rk ab le g r o up. H e worked
co n s ta ntly and courted c h aos like a
d e m o n. Hi s mouo was " Make S hit
H a ppe n-FA-Q" a n d h e m ea nt it. He
wrote it o n the walls all ove r town with
the thick black marker he carried like a
gu n in the back pocket o f his j eans. A lot
of sh it has ha ppe ned since then. And h e
has made a lot of shit happe n.
Bac k th e n h e was ma rried to a ta ll ,
dreamy, red-haired Ge rman girl named
Monica who h ad followed him to New
Yo rk from Be rl in, where they mel. She
was a n artist too and called he rself Miss
Unde rstood. She married Kevin for the
gree n card. I re me mbe r seeing th e m
toge th er at a Rivington School event in
October, 1987. An Austrian band called
Fis hm ac was pl ay ing. FA-Q a nd Miss
U nd ers t ood-poetic, is n ' t it-we r e
dan c in g. S h e was wea r ing a tall
c hartreuse velvet ha t tha t looked like a
caterpillar a n d m ade h e r look about
seven feet tal l. She wasn ' t wearing a bra
a nd h er tits were flopping a round inside
a Oimsy blo use. He had his face be tween
th e m with a three-day o ld beard and
th ey were banging him in th e cars.
After Miss Understood, h e marr ied
Mano n , a Fre nch-Canad ia n girl wh o
p layed bass in an all-girl scum rock band
called Blood Sister. They played p laces
like CBGB. She was toug h looki ng with
sh o n bl ack h a ir bleach ed white li ke
Andy Wa rho l excep t it wasn 't a wig a nd
th e ro o ts sh owed. Blood Sister was a
pretty good band if you like no ise. They
we re living in a subl et sto re front on

pregna nt, FA-Q gave a ll th e puppies
away exce pt o ne that they named Robo.
FA-Q suppo rted th e famil y by selling
his work and sh oplifting. Manon made a
li tt le with the band. But t h e puppy,
Robo, was a proble m. You n eve r knew
wh en h e was go ing to bite so m eo n e.
Kevin called him "a dog \vith a ttitude."
Robo bit a 2-year-old Puerto Ri ca n g irl
who tried to pe t him. The chi ld lived in
the neigh borhood and he r pare n ts were
furious. Ro bo was d ecla red an o ffi cial
menace to society and ba nned from tJ1e
sc ulpture garde n. It turn ed in to a big
con trove rsy, a rg ued abou t for days with

h e was in and out of prison and doing a
lot of d rugs. The city tore down the o ld
garde n to build low-income h o using.
Ke lly got a good lawyer who pushed th e
city for a new lot for ano th e r Rivingto n
Sch ool. Ke lly won but it took years an d
the o ld gang d rifted away. The re was n o
place to ge t togethe r aga in until Ke lly
got a lease fo r a lo t on East Sixth Street
and started a ll over with Tovy Halleck, a
b lacksmith. The two p ut the Riving ton
School back together.
"If I build it, they will come," Ke ll y
said. He was rig ht. I came back. Freddy
t h e Drea m e r ca m e bac k . New faces

Ave nue B, do ing a lot of drugs.
T h e stor y is a sad one. Ma non go t
preg nant, th ey h a d a b a b y g irl a nd
named her Angel Louise. A few months
la te r, they woke up o n e m o rn ing a nd
Angel Louise was go ne- a middle o f the
n ight crib death. FA-Q lost it. Since the n
he 's been on the road to hell. Whe n you
add up his time in Rikers it comes to two
yea rs.
It wasn't all trage d y with FA-Q a nd
Manon, but su·ange things h appen ed to
the m. Soon after they m e t, before t he
baby, Kevin and Manon fo und a wh ite
p it bull bitch on th e street, aban doned
after a figh t and all 1·ippecl up, covered
with so res and eating ga rbage. I think
FA-Q identifi ed wi tJ1 the clog. They took
he r ho me, n amed he r Lucy and nursed
h e r bac k to h ea lth. Wh e n Lucy go t

Ma non insisting that it was alr ig ht fo r
Robo to bite people because h e was o n ly
following his nature whic h eve ry living
being had a right to do . Ray Ke lly said
th at ma y b e t ru e but th at h e s h o uld
follow his na ture somewhere else. Robo
had to go.
Kevin walked Robo out to the middle
of the Wi llia msburg Bridge, picked him
up a nd thre w him ove r th e rai l. H e
watched Robo sail downward. The dog
mad e a sma ll splash whe n viewed fro m
t h a t h e ig lH, but Kevin \'latched in
amaze m e nt as Ro b o swam ash ore to
Brooklyn . We pitied the poor people o f
Brooklyn whe n we heard tJ1e sto ry, but
la ug h ed o ur asses o ff: Robo Dog, too
mean to d ie.
I lost touch witJ1 FA-Q. Wh atever n ews
I got was from Kelly. All I kne w was that

ap peared. Th e place is a m agne t -all
tJ1at iron , I guess. It's a place to make an
a n d be inside of a work o f art. But it's
more tJ1at d raws people to th e Rivington
School: it's freedo m , a crazy c hemistr y
of an , friendshi p, laughter, mad ness and
wo rk. It's a place whe re people wh o
do n 't belong any pl ace e lse fe e l
com pletely a t home. You can always find
somebody crazier than you arc the resomeone like FA-Q.
I found the Rivington School in 1987
when it was a lready estab lish ed a n d
thriving. I had leased a sto refront on
Rivi ng ton Street to live in a nd use as a
st udi o. Across t he street was an an
gallery. This was at tJ1e he ight of tJ1 e East
Vi llage art scene a nd h ig h r e nt had
p ushed galleries d own beneath Houston
Street. If th e East Village was the cutting

Angel Louise, Manon, and FA-Qat the Avenue B strorefront.

No,·embcr 1996

PRISON LifE

37

edge of o u tsider a rt, RivingLOn was th e J a panese fellow who was sweep ing up. I lis
sharp point of that edge.
name was Mako. I was thi n kin g about
One cl ay I n o ti ced a wrec ke d co mplain ing about the day-glo j unk next
moto rcycl e o n th e sid ewalk in fro n t of doo r to my p lace, b ut held my tongue
the abandoned b uildi ng nex t to m y wh e n I stepped into th e long n a rrow
store fro nt. It d idn ' t have a ny wheels and galle ry. T here was an all over th e walls,
was painted clay-glo orange a nd p ink. I covering the llo01·- a n more ime re ·ting
was wond e rin g what t his piece of junk than a ny I'd seen in a long time.
was and noticed that d irect!)' across th e
A s how was bei n g h u n g wit h a
street there was a galle ry being filled by a comro lled a na rchy oddly directed by a
cre w of determined man iacs. I we nt over fellow in a straw cowboy h at, smo ki ng a
to st·e wha t was g oi ng o n , and m e t a Ma rlbo ro. T he guy re min ded me o f a n
38 PRISON

lifE

Nm .-mbcr 1996

igua na, btH handsome. He appeared in
charge, ye t not in charge. I co u ld see
imm e diatel y that no one cou ld b e in
charge or this crew. Then he stood a .22
cal ibe r bullet up rig h t o n the floor an d
dropped a forged stee l pen is-loo king
thing on it. T he cartridge we n t o !T with
a lo u d ba n g. Cod kn ows wh ere th e
bullet went, bu t he looked like he knew
what he 1vas doing and the rest o f them
seemed to Lake the wh ole th ing in su·ide
like, "He just dropped a 20-pound p iece
of stee l on a bullet in a room fu ll of
people, big deal. " I was inu·igued. It was
the beginn ing of a bea utifu l frie ndship.
Mako in trodu ced me to the cowbo y
and to my su rprise, he was fr iendly.
"Welcome to the Rivington Sc hool,"
Ray Ke lly sa id. Somebody came over and
asked if I wan ted to contribu te to a bee r
r un. I gave him a dollar an d a few
minutes late r I h ad a tal l boy. Kell y
opened his and pou red a sip out on the
n oor, "For the spirits o f th e dead ," he
said. Some kind of Texas th in g, o r
Puerto Rican-! liked it. Whe n th e beers
were go n e but fo r one, a tall , c ur lyhaired guy shou ted, "Hey, fuck you, you
clicln 't pay for a beer. That's my bee r. I
paid lor it. " FA-Q yelled back, "Fuc k you
too, Higgins." Higg ins did not take it
lying clown. There was a beer at stake,
not to mentio n ho nor if yo u want to call
it that. H iggins tried to grab the 16-oz.
Bud Oll t of FA-Q's hands and it went a ll
over the fl oor, foa m ing u p . "Coddamn
it, fuck you," he sh o uted and we nt for
FA-Q's ne ck . But FA-Q was qu i c k.
Higgins c hased him down and pretty
soo n had h im on the galle r y floor. They
rolled around an d Lh e ca n got squished
a n d th e beer spill ed o ut. FA-Q p u lle d
out his marker a nd drew on Higgins'
fore h ead wh ile they wrestled. !Iiggins
had hi s own ma r k e r and th e baule
t u rned into a con test ove r who co ul d
llll·n the other g uy into a drawing and
not get beaten up. They were pretty well
m atc h e d a nd b e fore long they we re
both too ti red to contin ue. By th e time it
e nded th ey had put black lines a ll over
eac h ot h er. Hi ggi n s r e t ir e d and got
himself a beer, the p lace calmed down.
Tha t was the first of man y beer-fueled
fights between those two painters.
Despite all th e commoLion, whe n the
sh ow fina lly did g et h u ng, it loo ked
g r eat. Th e openi n g a few d ays la te r
attracted a b ig crowd t h a t spil led out
o nto the sidewalk. It was a good scene.
The re was an auct ion afterwa rds to
bencli t th e school and I bo ug ht seve ral
pieces at prices th a t ranged from $10 to
50. Some of them were by FA-Q. O the rs
were by Ray Ke ll y, Ed Hi ggin s, Linus
Can-agio, Robe rt Parker, Toyo, Rola ndo
Vega, .J e ff Perre n , Tovy Halleck, David,
Gizmo, Winny, Mo nty Cantsi n. I wa lked

Photo by Toyo

away from that a uctio n with a te rrific
collection. Over the next three years, I
became a r egul a r collec tor of FA-Q 's
wor k . I never k n ew when he wou ld
knock on the door of m y Ri vi n g ton
Str eet sto r efr on t with a h andfu l of
drawings to show and sell, never more
than te n bucks eac h . That was all h e
needed to buy a bag. His habit wasn ' t so
expe nsive then.
This was the highest poin t of FA-Q's
success. He had been to J a pa n twice with
th e Rivin gto n Sch oo l, making hu ge
paintings that were p a n of installation
art sh ows sp o n so re d by department
stores. The shoppe rs wa tched him pa int
g ia n t p aintings, so big h e had to use
ro lle rs. H e eve n dipped his hands into
th e buckets. FA-Q was a hit. Th e
J apanese were paying the tab.
H e was o n a ro ll until l 990. Then the
b aby di ed . His add iction spiraled. He
we nt to Rike rs. Manon left him. The
sculpture garden was razed.
One day I was drinking beer with Kelly
at the new p lace whe n he handed me a
clear plasti c bag full of drawings that FAQ h ad done while he was in Rikers. It
wasn't a very large package, but it was
p acke d with liul e pieces of p a p e r
covered with FA-Q's n e rvou s sign a ture
s tyle . Nea rl y a ll t h e draw in gs we r e
fi g ur es d o minate d by la rge h ea ds.
Because I knew th ey' d b ee n done in
prison , the drawings seemed to have an
ex tra edge. FA-Q's fo rced co nfin e m e nt
seemed to intensify the images. Strange
h ow the p eop le wh o see m to love
freedom most often lose th eirs.
In prison FA-Q's on ly freedom is art.
The drawings were done on little pages
from a spiral notebook, torn pieces of
e nve lopes, the backs of signs ripped off
the wall of Rikers bathrooms, whatever
was close a t ha nd. I took them o ut of the
bag and put them in my lap. I had not
seen FA-Q fo r six years. Now I was seeing
him again . I peered into his d a rk , ye t
some how radiant soul. These scra ps of
pape r seemed eerily alive a nd suffe ring
in my hands, stripped of a mbition a nd
pre tense. I h ad to loo k a t t h e m a ll ,
inte n se ly, indi viduall y, eac h a wor ld
apa rt. Ke lly waited until I was fi nished
before saying, "Kevin gave th ese to me
a nd asked me to see wh at I could do
with them. What d o you think?"
''They should be a book," I said, "FA-Q's
Rikers Drawings. They're amazing. He's
even more intense tJ1an h e used to be."
"Why d o n 't you see if you can fi nd
someone to publish tJ1em?"
"l don't know anybody, but I'll try."
FA-Q has no home or telephone, no
fixed address. H e li ves like a wild
a nimal. I had to track him d own. l knew
h e s le pt so m e tim es in th e sc ulpture
garde n, but he was never th e re when I

Manon and FA-Q with one of Manon's paintings in background.
was. I wro te my number with a no te to
call m e on th e wall of th e sh op n ear
whe re h e had been sleeping. I left word
with Ke lly that Prison Life wanted to pu t
him in t h e m agaz ine. Most artists ge t
exci ted if a magazine \Vants to do a story
on th e m , but FA-Q n eve r call ed. I
started go ing to t h e ga rd en in the
morn ing. He was never there but he left
tantalizing sign s in his wake.
One day I fi nd a lurid, frenzied
drawing of frantic heads, all within one
large demented h ead , surro und ed by
indeciphe rable writings, o bviously a FAQ. It's lying on the trod -down path to
the shop whe re it has been both rained
o n a nd walked on. Pa rt o f tJ1e Rivington
School's style is to not make a big deal

out o f a rt, even tho ugh an is the heart
of the matter. The co lored pencil is
mel ted in to the pa per like watercolor. A
dirty bootprint fin ishes it. Th e bootprint
is too well p laced to be an accident. I see
Cowboy at wo r k. He would do
something like tJ1at, fi nish a drawi ng by
stepping o n it. Cowboy the collabor.:llor.
He's li ke FA-Q in that he works all the
time a nd in strange ways. T he rai n has
given the drawing a patina of age. The
bootprint says so mething about the
fragility of art, a message in a bottle. FAQ was here. I want to take it, but I leave
it there in the d irt s ubject to t h e
ele m ents, cast to the win d like Kevin.
Next time I go there it has vanish ed.
I begin to fee l some pressure to find

November 1996

PRISON lifE

39

him. The magazine needs photos and I
have to talk. So mu ch h as happened.
The gaps need filling in. Finally, I resort
to th e hunte r's oldest u·ick, bait. I tell
Ke lly to te ll him I h ave fifty bucks for
him. Mo ney is the best be t whe n you ' re
looking fo r a junkie. I write it o n th e
wa ll nex t to my te le pho ne number. FAQ, $50, ca ll J o h n . The next night at
I 1:00 p.m., I get a call at work
'J o hn , it's FA-Q. H ey, can I have 20
bucks? I can come get it. Wh ere is your
office?"
"Don't come here," I say. l don't wa nt
to h ave to ex plai n him a nd it's almost
tim e fo r me to leave. ''I' ll meet yo u a t
midnight at the Sidewalk Cafe. Do you
kn ow where th a t is? I h ave $50." The
place is a popular bikers' ha ngout half a

better than I expected.
"Ke lly's downstairs," he says. I follow
him d o wn th e s t e p s. I t 's n o isy a nd
crowded. Ray Kelly is there playing pool
with a g uy named Tom . I've got to get
FA-Q out of the re. It's too noisy to talk.
"Let's go to th e scu lpture garden," I
say. We leave Ray and Tom there. On the
corn e r I stop in the bodega a nd buy a
six-pack of Budweiser. H e asks if h e can
get a grape d rin k. He doesn ' t drink any
more. That's funny because I just got my
hands on old picntres of him and there
is a Bud in eve r y one . I ca n't quite
believe I've fo u nd him a t last. Actually,
he found me. The hunte r is hunted. I
un loc k the gate and we go into the yard.
The street ligh ts make it easy to see. The
rusted metal is silhoue u ed in the glow.

FA-Q in Japan with some local kids.
b lock from th e R ivington Sch ool. H e
ob,·io u s ly n eeds to score. H e will
defi nite ly be the re. I bo r row a camera
from the photo de partment and stop at
h o m e for m y tape r ecorde r. I don ' t
know when I'll see him again.
I get to the Sidewalk ten minutes early,
look inside. He's no t there. I ta ke a table
outside a nd wait. I have mi xed feelings
about seeing Kevin . I don ' t want to see
what he h as lost, the harde ned junkie
t h a t h e has b eco m e. I'm waiting to
orde r whe n a gaunt figure in a hunting
jacket a nd black cap sudden ly walks o ut
of the bar. It's him. He doesn't see me.
"Kevin ," I s h out. I don't want to
scream Olll, "Hey, FA-Q," in this crowd ed
cafe. He turns a nd co me ove r, smiles.
His missing teeth give him the air of a
jack o ' la nt ern. O th er tha n tha t he loo ks
40 PRISON

llll

No,·cmbcr t99G

Ti me h as s lowed down, m oving
b ac kwa rd s to a happi e r tim e. It feels
good to be with Kevin again . Eve rything
is n ew, ye t fam iliar. H e's essentially
un cha nged in spirit. He's been out for
two mon ths now.
I ask him what they busted him for.
'They cha rged me with robber y. They
say I pu sh e d the g u a rd . I was o n ly
sh oplifting. But I didn 't really push the
guard. What it was, the guard tried to
gra b me and I pulled away from him. He
h it his hand on a door frame a nd cut h is
ha n d. When the police got the re they
said, 'Oh, your hand is bleeding. I hope
you ' re all right. Did he push you? ' The
gua rd said, ' Uh yeah , sorta.' Tha t's it.
The ew Yo rk, ew J ersey cops they' re
really strict. So I was hoping for a OAT
to be released right away, right. "

A Desk Appearance Ticket wou ld
have meant he could walk un til his court
date.
"I neve r show up for those," FA-Q says,
"and it ends up turning into a warrant."
Did he get convicted each Lime he was
arrested?
"No," he says. "No, most of the Lime
t h e re 'd b e li ke three or four ar rests.
Then I'd go through Central Booking o r
get taken downtown. I'd get a OAT a nd
wou ldn't show up fo r court. It takes 30
to 90 days to come out. During that four
months I might be arrested three tim es.
By the third arrest there's a warrant out
for the first one. So when they find the
\Varr a nt they ca n ' t give m e a D es k
Appearance Ticket. I have to go through
the system. So I go through the syste m
a nd eve rything pops out. They find all
t h e-you kn o w-so eve n wh il e I'm
locked up for 60 days, a warrant would
pop up while I'm in jail and l'd have to
go back to court again from injail."
I as k h o w many times h e's b ee n
arrested .
"I have some thing like 28 arrests," he
says. "Eight years, 28 arrests, something
li ke that. T h e first 22 yea rs I lived in
New Yo rk I had no arrests."
Wh e n I first m et him , in '87, h e'd
never b een arrested. I as k wh a t he
thinks of this new sculpture garden.
"Great," h e says. "Do es n ' t see m so
d isorga nized . The old one was like sort
of haphazard . Not as ma ny rats eithe r,
right. Not as many spies hanging outnot supposed to say that. Niggers, spies
we're all-it doesn' t matter. Like the old
black man told me one time, ' Yo justa a
nigga like eve rybody else.' It m ad e me
feel comfortable."
He draws every day when he's inside,
on whatever he can get.
"Like backs of flyers," h e says, "even
th e ru leboo k is the first p lace I start
drawing on cause they have a couple of
pages for notes. The prison ru le boo k.
Th ey take yo ur p h oto wh e n yo u get
d1e re and you hold the book up so that
yo u ca n't deny eve r be i n g give n a
rulebook. Le t's say they make a mistake
and do n 't give you d1e rulebook to hold
up for the photograph a nd yo u ge t a
ticket like fo r fighting or something. You
can say you didn 't know d1 e rule ."
On th e inside, h e usua ll y lived in a
dormitory.
"It's like a huge room, " h e says,
"almost like a she lter or something wid1
58 beds. The next bed is like 3 feet away.
You got a locker, your bed, one righ t
n ext to yo u. It's just a big roo m fi lled
with beds, no privacy. You go to take a
shit, d1e CO's can look out the window
and see you, you know.
'The first time I went in to Rike rs, uh,
the first time, like d1e first hour was the

l

I

/

worst, the mental thing abo ut being
u·apped like an an imal. That drove me
nuts. I felt like punching wa lls or
breaking out, whatever. Now I go to
sleep right away. That's wha t I try to do
the whole time I'm going through the
process. Centra l Boo kin g yo u ' re
handcuffed all the time. Your hands are
ha ndcuffed in front of you , fuck up and
you ' re ha ndcuffed behind. So I usu ally
just try to sleep."
"You don't seem to be that changed to
me," I say, "but you 've been th rough a
lot of shit since I've seen you last time."
"Everybody c hanges, but they can lock
up your b ody, but not you r mind. That's
the thing that keeps me going. Whe n
I ' m drawing or reading I'm n ot even
there. That's what I.. .I try to live in my
own world . The difficult part is the
privacy, not havi ng any privacy. The first
thing I e njoy is be ing in a room alone,
or taking a shit alone. That drives you
nuts after a while, being a round p eople
a ll th e time and most of th e pe ople

you're locked up wi th are not the
people you want to be with. Especially in
the beginning. About 8 years ago I'd be
the only white guy in the house. I guess
the o nly thing-it he lped me learn how
to figh t be tter."
"Did you h ave to get in many fights?"
"Years ago more than now. Now no.
You get a re pu tatio n too. You get in one
fig ht a nd everybody ta lks. They're a
bunch of o ld ladies. They all talk. Don 't
fuck with this guy- you can't push h im
a rou nd. That's the thing. Once you step
back once or pussy out. They test yo u.
People test you. Once you're willing to
fight, the n th ey back dovm-usually."
"D o you get any specia l status for
being an artist? Do people look a t you
with any more respect?"
"Some people do because they want
portraits drawn of their gi rlfri e nds, or
e nve lopes d esigned which I d o n 't do.
You know, like when they send a letter to
their girlfrie nd they like to have some
customized drawing. They' re impressed ,

actually. Toyo sent me so me
photographs of the Rivington School
and Japan when I was th e re. They were
impressed with that, defin itely. They
hear you talk. Everybody talks, but they
a ll lie. You hear peop le in there talk
about how they wear clothes from Saks
Fifth Avenue, or whatever. Then you see
them on the street and they're bums,
you know? You see th e clothes they go
h ome i n-th e same as the ones they
came in. They're all fucki ng disgusting.
People talk a lo t better about themse lves
than they are. So they don ' t be lieve a lot
of the things I ta lk about like being in
J apan and a l l that st u ff. But the
photographs, I show 'em a nd they say
"What are you doing here?" Drugs is th e
reason I'm here. My da ug hter died of
crib death an d I started doing d rugs. No
excuse but that's what happened."
"Do you ever hear from Manon?"
"Yea h , s h e ca lls the Emerg in g
Collector, but I don't really get along
with the owner. So I get messages from
oth er people. Manon robbed me too,
you know, she kept all my paintings a nd
never paid me, told me that the show in
Paris was canceled when it wasn 't. She
has auctio n s and sells my pictures off
and keeps the money."
Fa-Q's paintings cou ld fe tc h $2,500
back in 1988.
I ask him if he watches much TV in
prison.
"No," h e says. "We ll, there 's a day
room with a TV, but nobody wi ll shut
up. You know what I mean. Th ere's
always some asshole gonna tell you the
e nd of the movie. It's ridicu lo us. I never
go there. I had a bed that was close to
the day room. T he re are windows so I
can watch t h e TV from m y bed. I saw
one movie. It was a good movie, The
Professional. It's about a professional hit
man and h e hooks up with this 14-yearo ld gi rl. That was a good one but
otherwise? Maybe watch the news once
in a while, sports is a big tJ1ing, ya know?
There's a lot of arguments about the TV
too. T h e guys who knock the TV down.
You know, people wh o are goi n g to
desu·oy-people in jail will like kill each
oth er over the TV, telephones, like that.
That's the big thin g, teleph o n e. Some
guys want to be on the phone all th e
t im e. This last time whe n I d id eig ht
months I made one phone call to home
and that's it. Even o n the street I don't
use it. I don 't have a fam ily. I don 't get
along with my mother tJ1at well e ither. I
never had n o he lp financiall y, or any
other way. On ly c riti c is m and that's
about it."
"Is your mothe r still in Cleveland?"
"She moved to Ca lifornia with my
stepfather. I've never been to Californ ia.
I call my mother whe n I get married.

•ovcmbcr 1996

PRISON lifE 4 1

I've been married three times. I have a
baby or something like that."
"Since Manon?"
"No. I'm still married to he r, legally I
guess, but not practically. She can 't even
come to this country. She has to get a
wedding license or some thing. They told
her if she tries to come across the
border again she'd be banned for life.
She has no proof that sh e's married to
me, her fau lt. But I d o n ' t know. She
wasn't faithful to m e a n yway. I got
locked up fo r 30 days. First time I got
locked up I was with h er getting money
for both of us. She cheated on me while
I was locked up. "
"Do yo u always do the same th ing,
stealing a rt books?"
"Sometimes I get CDs. But I've even
gone into a fire station and sto le n a
police radio. Whateve r pops up yo u
know. But mostl y books, lase r di sks,
someth ing like that. I sell them right
away, but I loo k at the m o n the way,
42 PRISON

Ufl

November t996

riding the train. I look at th em a lot of
times in the store. Some times you have
to go through eve ry p age to find the
alarm."
Where does h e go?
"The re 's a lot of book stores in New
York," h e says. "Also gall e ri es- a n y
p lace that has books, yo u know, a lot of
galle ri es have books, a libra r y on th e
wall, nice to look at but nobody ever
to uches them. I ju st d us t 'e m off.
T hey're bra nd new but they got a lot of
dust on top. Nobody eve r uses the m. I
redistribu te books. In Germany there
were two major stores. I used to steal
from o ne a nd se ll th e m to th e othe r.
Like about a mon th later I wou ld take
the same book back to the store I got it
from. I'd go back and forth , same
book . But in New York I usually sell
them to the g uys who sell them on the
stre et, around St. Marks, SoHo.
Originall y it was a ll Korea n s doing
that, selli ng books. Now it's a lo t of

Africans doing it."
I comment that his n ew drawings seem
even stra n ge r th a n th e ones h e d id
before prison.
"Th e drawings t ha t I d o in jail," he
says, I wasn't on a ny d r ugs. It's a n
escap e. A lot of c razy shit happens in
there, you know? Like petty shit. Stupid
shi t , so mebody stealing somebody's
und e r wea r. It's ridi culo us . Who's
cleaning, who's dirty, who's wiping their
ass clean. It's a lot of gossip. Everybody
watches everybody. Some people can get
away with anyth ing cause they're afraid
of t h e m and other p eo ple no b ody's
afra id o f t h ey co me d ow n o n th e m.
They're bullies, a lo t of assholes. There's
gangs tha t control some of that."
"Are you a part of an y gang?"
"Nah," he says, "I don 't want to be part
of any boys club. I wasn't a b oy scout so
why sh ould I be one now? Sometimes
yo u have to be a one-man army to
su rvive which I th ink is righ t. An oth e r
gang might agree with you though. "
"Wha t about sex?" I say. "Do p eople
prey on others?"
"There's a little bit of that but n o t a
lot. A lot of people agree to h ave sex
with o th e rs. There's a lot of
homosexuals who dress in drag or have
breasts, hormone injections or implan ts.
So there's-! think Spanish p eople are a
li ttle looser about h avi ng sex with
anothe r man. They find it easier to do it.
There's so me h o mosexuals who look
like a woman, you would think it was a
woman. And whenever they come into
the h ouse .... At one point we h ad three
of them like that. It go t pretty wild.
They'd b e in the bathroom .... Yeah, you
know they hi t 'em off fo r ciga rettes,
things like th a t. Some guys go in and out
so much it's like their life to be in j ail.
Those guys that are nothing on the
street, but in th e re. This guy that was
across from me-he was like Macy's. He
had all the j ewelry, watches, comic book
collections, a lot of valuable stuff in jail.
Cigarettes a re like money. Like you take
one pack and pay two back. Things like
t h at. They make money doi n g t hat.
Gangs do that kind of thing too. T his
one gang had like all their profi ts on the
floor, showing off. Securi ty came in and
confiscated it all."
"So what d o you th ink th is time? Are
you going to be out for a wh ile?"
FA-Q assumes that as l ong as h e's
doing drugs, he 's going to be in and
out ofjail.
"But it gets longer in b e tween ," h e
says. "I t takes lo n ger for m e to get
caught. I learn whe re not to go, what
no t to do, like I don't en d up as
desperate and also my habit is smaller. I
don't do as many drugs as I did."
H is habit is mostly heroin a nd cocaine.

A-Q a nd I are still in th e sculpture ga rde n whe n Ray Kelly
F
arrives with Tom, a n artist a nd fi lm make r.
KELLY: What's that you ' re drinking?

FA-Q: Yeah. Possible. Send me somewhe re nice. Har-ha r.
TOM: Fuck it man.
KELLY: Like a h, Baha mas.
FA-Q: Gra pe juice.
FA-Q: Ma ke drugs legal. Amsterda m.
KELLY: Yo u 're sitting in my scat. Get up.
JOHN: Whe n you 're in prison, wh at kind of guys g ive you the
FA-Q: H ey, I spilled your beer.
most troubl e?
KELLY: Aaa h , go a h ead . Yo u d o n 't d r ink anyway. Aaaa h. FA-Q : Five prese n te rs, Muslim s. I ge t along with th ose
Aaagh!
Spanish guys bette r than I do Black guys. Spanish a nd White
FA-Q: I feel like I've talked a lo t, ge t to the poin t.
get alo ng pre tty good . A Rasta can get a white girl. Black g uys
KELLY: Tired ? You read the magazine. Give me a break. You from Africa a rc diffe re nt. For Black America ns racism is the
know what the d eal is. You're going to be o n the fucking first e xc use th ey use for e ve r ything . Some mothe rfu c ke r
wo uldn ' t give you no thin g fo r e ig ht mo mhs a nd a ll o f a
cove r of the magazine, published. Are you pro ud of it?
JOHN : How old a re you Kevin?
sudd e n you ' re go ing ho me a nd
FA-Q: I'll be 4 1 the sixteen th of
h e ex pec ts yo u to g ive him
July.
some thing. You 're giving it to th e
JOHN: Ca ncer.
guys who looked o ut for you. H e
KELLY: Wha t i that?
says, "Wh a t a b o ut th e Bl ac k
JOHN: Cra b.
ma n. "? Wha t a bo ut him? Yo u ' re
KELLY: What docs it mean ?
go in g hom e a nd e ve r ybody
JOHN: I d o n 't know.
crowds a round your locke r.
FA-Q: I like home.
JOHN: Eve rybody g ives their stuff
TOM : Ha rd on th e o utside soft
away whe n they leave?
o n the inside.
FA-Q : Yeah.
JOH 1: You go sideways.
KELLY: Th ey m ay be A froAme ri ca ns but I still d o n 't wan t
KELLY: Yo u r ead a ll th ose
astrolo gy boo ks? Do you believe
the m to fu ck with my d aug hte r.
I' m sorry I can 't be tha t li beral.
in that?
FA-Q : What about the prosecuto r
FA-Q: I don 't believe in nothing.
in the OJ case? Darde n, wha t's his
KELLY: Ke vin. h e r e's a n exjunkie, To m.
n ame, Dryd e n.
J O H : Was th a t thing going o n
FA-Q: How' re you doing , To m?
wh e n you were in the re?
KELLY: Bo th bea u tiful g uys, so
we' re all beautifu l guys.
FA-Q: Eve r yb od y was c h ee rin g
wh e n h e was fo und not guilty. I
FA-Q : Homos.
thought he was guilty, still do.
KELLY: Boys, let's just a ll hu g
each othe r.
KELLY: Tho ught? Evc r yb o d )'
kn ows.
FA-Q: Put rha t dress on £irst, Ray.
KELLY: Put that dress o n o ve r
FA-Q : I g uess Blacks we re happy a
Black go t off one time. H e's go t
there.
e no ugh money.
FA-Q: Whe re a re those pa nts?
TOM: Tha t's like a weird thing.
KELLY: Le t's all dress up?
FA-Q: Jn Am e rica, if you ' re not
JOHN: Wh e r e are th ose r ed
rich, or a cop, you 're prclly well
pan ts?
fucked .
KELLY: Let's b e r eal. Let's b e
Photo by John Ittner
KELLY: Kevin, I don 't think we' re interested in your prison
cool.
FA-Q : Mo the rfuckers n eve r wipe their ass o n the stree t. They thing . Arc they guil ty. You' re guil ty. Of course )'Ou' rc guilty.
Yo u did il.
come to j ail a nd talk about hygie ne .
FA-Q: Yo u cop a plea. They say admit you did this murder
TOM: Talk about what?
a nd we' ll give you te n days and it's o n your record. Tha t"s
FA-Q: Hygie ne.
extreme but tha t's the way it works. If you do n 't cop a plea
JOHN: Is race a big thing in prison ?
FA-Q: Yeah . I think I got more racist for being locked up. you have to get up at fo ur in the morning and sit in a n eightvVhcn you ' re whi te you ' re a n und e rprivileged mino ri ty in by-eight room wi th fifty guys all day until midnight the next
th e re. It used to b e th e CO s we re mos tly white, but n o w nig ht. It's ridiculous. So ruck thal. You cop o ut so tha t you
th ey' re mostly Black o r Hispan ic. Lo t more white peo ple, ca n go get a bed. Or th ey put you in a paddy wagon a nd
mo re and more . We had 15 out o f 58 one tim e . Fifty-eig ht leave you the re for hours. You pass out. That's the wo rst parl.
g uys, 15 we re white. Tha t's the most I eve r e n co unte red . KELLY: Yo u' re guil ty.
FA-Q : Yo u 're d r unk.
Eight years ago I was the o nly one.
KELLY: To t d r unk. It's o kay. I 'm n ot drunk. You ' re guilty.
JOHN: Wha t. are most o f the guys in for?
FA-Q: Drug-related ch arges, wh ich is the biggest pro blem in Syste m wants you oul. Like OJ , like you a nd everybody else.
th e sys te m . For vic tim less c rim es like tha t I ca n ' t think System's got so many catch ...
FA-Q: Catch 22.
anybody sho uld be locked up.
KELLY: Yo u bea t the syste m.
KELLY: Har-har-ha r-ha r.
FA-Q: You beat the system .
JOH N: Do you think a nybody could re ha bilitate you?

November 1996

PRISON lifE

43

KELLY: I don ' t have any crimes. I haven 't do ne a ny crimes. FA-Q: Why do you wear goggles all the time?
KELLY: Safety, safety first.
He hasn't done any crimes.
FA-Q: T hat's bullshit, you 've d one crimes.
FA-Q: Wh e re 'd yo u get you r h ai rcut. I d id mine with a
KELLY: H e's a n exjunkie. It doesn't mean junkie, you' re a lighter. Burned it off. Il d on ' t hurt.
criminal. ll doesn'L necessarily go togeth e r.
JOHN: Did you go to a rt school?
FA-Q: You do a crime every day. You get behind tl1e wheel of FA-Q: Yeah , Cooper School of An, Cleveland.
your truck whe n you 're drunk, you 're d o ing a crime. Yo u JOHN: What were you doing ilie n ? Same tl1ing?
take a piece of steel off a construction site.
FA-Q: ah h , I had a grant and a loan.
KELLY: I don ' t have a truck.
.JOHN: I d o n ' t mean that. (Everyone laughs.) I mea n the
same kind of heads.
FA-Q: I' m sure everybody does a crime ever y day.
KELLY: I totally agree, but your fucking friend comes in here FA-Q: I went through all kinds of shit there. Realistic, kind of
and steals his bike.
a Van Gogh style maybe. Absu·act Expressionism.
FA-Q: He didn 't steal it. He wouldn't do iliat.
JOHN: vVha t artists did you like?
KELLY: H e did it.
FA-Q: Back th en? Van Gogh.
FA-Q: I kn ow he wo uldn 't do th at, but there's a lo t of people KELLY: Kevin cut his ear.
that would. Ha, ha.
FA-Q: I liked Dal i for a wh i le. I liked de Kooning ,
Motherwell. I liked 'em all. Rothko .
KELLY: Maybe you did it.
FA-Q: They see a n unlocked bike inside a fe nce. They'll jump KELLY: All tl1e people who killed themselves.
over and get it.
FA-Q: It's too late. I'm too o ld now.
JOHN: vVhe re do you stay most of tl1e time nowadays?
KELLY: Curt Cobain or somebody like tl1at.
KELLY: H e re.
FA-Q: You gotta be famous to kill yourself.
FA-Q: No set place. I move arou nd.
TOM: They got a cool show at the Whitney, Keinholtz.
KELLY: His last known address is Rike rs Island.
FA-Q: Yeah, he's good.
FA-Q: Th ird park be n ch on the left. 1
still give the add ress 172 Forsythe.
KELLY: What if so mebod y wa nted to
write you.
FA-Q: 172 East cardboard box.
JOH : H ow ma ny names have you got?
FA-Q: About 10, Mc Kabe, Kelly.
JO l iN: You call yourself Ray Kelly?
FA-Q: Kevin Ke lly.
KELLY: (P ulls up his s hirt sleeve to
show his ta ttoo ) .Kevin , Kevin look at
UliS.
FA-Q: T his g uy' · got a tattoo of a six
o'clock on his righ t a rm. r-.11inc's on the
left.
(FA-Q pulls up his sleeve and puts it
next to Ke lly's.)
J OH 1: f'd forgow::n you had tl1a t thing.
FA-Q: Tovy probably stole th e bike.
KELLY: You kn ow wh o stole the bike
Kevin?
JOHN: Sit over next to Kelly and le t me
get a picture of your six o'clock tattoos.
FA-Q: Is that yo u r bra nd or yo ur Fa-Q and Ray Kelly show their Rivington School six o'clocks, at the New
vaccination ?
Rivington School Sculpture Garden
JOH , : Let's see those tee m.
KELLY: Naaah.
KELLY: You gotta be like .Jim Morrison.
JOHN: Do they work on your tee th when you ' re in tl1 ere?
FA-Q: He did like that taxi cab and a b ar.
FA-Q: They wanted to put me 10 slee p and work on the m. I TOM: Yeah, he did a ll that shit.
don 't care.
KELLY: (Poin tS to Tom) He's got a show at the Whitney. You
KELLY: Put you to sleep. (Laughs)
never had a show a t the Whitney. H e's gonna be in a show at
FA-Q: Yeah. My mouth is fuckcd up.
the v'l'hitncy.
TOM: I've got u·ouble with my teeth.
FA-Q: So wha t? I don't wan t to be at the Whitney. I'm not in
FA-Q: l can see your tee th ain 'tlike mine. I look at myself in the Museum of Modern Art or The Mcu·opolitan.
the mirror. There's hardly any mirrors on Rikers Island.
KELLY: You're gonna be on the cover of Prison Life. Pretty
KELLY: I hate mirrors.
good rag, right.
FA-Q: In j ai l ilie mirrors a re fucked up, righ t. There's a piece FA-Q: I don't know.
of Mylar o n tl1 c wall. Yo u see a real mir ror and you go Oh KELLY: Shu t up! Like Billy tl1e Kid.
man.
TOM: You write at all?
KELLY: I n ever go in front o f mirrors. It' ll make a g rown FA-Q: On my d rawings, I write.
man cr y.
TOM: T his movie I'm u·yi ng to work o n , like a he ll movie,
J OH 1: What are iliose heads all about that you d raw?
like a bunch of different people who are doing shit like if
FA-Q: I just doodle around a nd see what comes o ut. A lot of you want to work on that.
tim es they say that ilie work looks like ilie ani t.
FA-Q: You know what th ey say. Drug addictS don' t have 10 go
KELLY: l sec head s all a round.
to hell. They're already there.

44

PRISON liFE Novembe r

1!!96

"H eroin is the one that's necessary," he

says. "You get sick. At one time I was doing
a bout eight to ten bags a day. ow I do
about three. That's 30 dollars. I can make
60 to 100 in o ne trip. To get a hundred , I
have to get special, or out-of-p rint books.
On the street you get o ne quarte r o f the
price. I've done some burglrui es."
"You go in some body's house?"
" o," he says. "Usually I'm a lookout,
sta nd a round and see if so me b o d y is
co ming . Some tim es so mebod y will go
d ow n in a b ase m e nt fo r s h r imp or
alco ho l, like in a ba r. I n ever went into
someone's house."
I ask h im wha t he thinks is the wo rst
thing h e ever d id?
"Th a t I eve r did ?" h e as ks . "C hild
a buse." He la ug hs. "Stealing fro m my
frie nds maybe. Tha t's the worst. Wha t I
fee l the most g uil ty for."
"How does art help you?n
"It h elps pass the time. Takes my mind
off th e n egative thin gs in m y life . It
seems like the one positive thing I can
offe r ma nk ind. Th e r es t o f m y life .
Otherwise my life is useless. If I had th e
ch o ice I mig h t no t have c hose n to be
bo rn."
Ma ny of FA-Q's drawings h ave subtle
or n ot-so-subtle suicide refe re nces. 'The
suicide thing?" I ask.
"Some times I wish 1 was dead," he says,
"but I guess I d o n 't have the guts to do
it. ot ye t a n yway. Yeah, I don 't kn ow
but the re are mornings I wake up and I
wish I didn 't have to . I wish I could sleep
forever some times."
H e d oes three to five d rawings a day,
whe the r in prison or out.
"Is it easie r to d o the m whe n you can 't
ge t a ny drugs?"
"I ha ve m o r e tim e to d o th e m I
g u ess. N ot r eall y t h o u g h . It do es n ' t
ma ke a ny diffe re nce. I still do th e m a
lot. What it is, in j ail I read mo re. On
th e stree t I still have time to d o th e m
but I d o n ' t read th a t mu ch. Readin g
tim e I spe nd running .n
"I guess in prison eve rything is ta ke n
care of, you don ' t hav e to do an y
running."
"Get ready for chow. Go and eat a nd
come back to your bed . They fuck with
you o n purpose too. Like a meal t hat
yo u need salt, they d o n ' t pu t ou t a ny
salt. A meal th at yo u d o n't n eed salt,
th ey put the salt out. They also h ave a
me nu tha t's what you 're supposed to be
ge tting right? You ge t half of wha t's on
th ere, a nothe r pa rt o f th e corruptio n.
The COs all steal. They ta ke th e food
h o m e to t h e ir kid s . Yo u n eve r ge t
Frosted Flak es cause th e co ps ta k e
•!hem . The good meals like roast beef,
th ey just n ever show up. Yo u smell the
g o o d m ea ls coo kin g lik e fr o m th e
cap tain 's o ffice. T hey got a microwave

a nd th ey' re co o kin g. They ea t th e m .
They ge t a ll th e jui ce . We n eve r ge t
juice. Some times they give you bananas
that a re so ha rd you go tta throw 'em.
Yo u can 't eat 'em."
"So whe re d o you kee p your stuff, your
private stu ff?"
"A loc ker, nothin g's p ri vate. Whe n
th ey have a sea rch th ey loo k th ro ug h
eve r ythin g o n ce a m o nth o r more
often. Say if th ey find a weapon. The n
you ' re going to h ave a sea rc h, or to o
mu c h contra b a nd , o r if p e opl e a r e
wearing clo thes they' re no t supposed to
have, o r if peo ple are ac tin g up a n d
th ey h ave a lo t of fights. Strip searc h,
anytl1ing, squa t."
"H ow a re the guards?"
"It's j ust like an ything else. Some of
the m a re OK. Some of the m are n 't. The
old gu ys a re be tter. I ge t a lo n g be tter

wi tl1 th em. Some of the young guys a re
too g un g-ho . Whe n t he ca p ta i n is
a rou nd, th ey' re trying to impress h im.
Th ey' re trying to ste p u p th e ladd e r.
Th ey'll act di ffe ren t whe n th ey' r e in
front of a captain than when they' re not
in fr ont of a captain . Ac llla ll y, o th er
prisone rs ma ke it worse fo r you t h an
the g uards."
"What kind of prisoner makes it bad?"
"L ike a guy that wor ks in th e
sto r e h o u se a nd yo u go i n to th e
sto re house and want to take some coffee
or sugar and he acts like he owns it and
he wants you to pay him to take it. It's
j ai l sLUff, but he works in the re a n d he
acts like it's his."
He gives me a look.
"Sometimes," he says, "afte r 1 get o ut I
feel like it's not much d ifferent out here
tl1an it is there."
~

November 199G

PRISON llfl

45

SEX IN PRISON

•

I always fee/like somebody's watchin' me.
Michael Jackson

T

h e fastest growing population in
this co untry is wo m en in prison .
Th e r e are a l most 95, 000 of us
locked up now. That's a lot of pussy to
be had. And those who are e mployed to
keep u s unde r tigh t lock and key a re
d o ing eve r ything th ey ca n to e n sure
tha t pussy doesn't go to waste or catch
dry rot as it slips through the c racks o f
th e injustice system h e re in the good
old USA.
The re is mucho fuckin'-not lim ited
to un au thori zed sex u a l inte r co ur se
between prisoners--going on inside the
womb of the beast.
There a re women c hild-abuse rs and
murde rers doing time, but they are rare.
Most women in prison a re serving time
for no nvio le nt, drug addictio n related
crimes. We live in prison a nd some of us

di e h e re. Mo re than 500 women a nd
girls have bee n put to death a t the ha nds
of the state in this country. T here are a t
leas t 47 wome n in 16 states awa iting
execution. Many of the female convicts
wh o are re leased e m e rge fro m a hell
th at n ot on ly str i p s them of a n y
o ppo rtu nity to be reha bil itated, but
lite r a ll y r apes them a nd r ips thei r
bodies, minds and souls to pieces.
I a m fini sh ing up a three-to -te n-year
se n tence for go ing into my ban k a nd
cashi ng one of my own checks. The fact
th e re was no m o n ey in my accoun t at
the time was the li ttle glitc h th at got my
ass he re. I wonder if th e bank te lle r
who gave m e the money-$2,785.00 in
cash and money o rders-even though
the e lectron ic ledger read $0.00, still
h as h e r j ob.

November 1996

PRISON Llff

47

SEX IN PRISON
I wouldn't want anyone to think I was a
little bitter about my sente nce, but on the
same day that I was given three-to-te n, a
we ll edu ca ted , e mployed drug dea ler
with a long histor y of crimin al activity
(n ot represen ted by a court-a ppointed
auorn ey) was g ive n six month s of
weekend-only reporting to th e county
jail. He h ad no d e p e nd e nts and was
wearing a designer outfi t wh ich cost two
times as much as my damn ed restitution,
and that's with court costs figured in.
New Yo rk , Ne w Yo rk , bi g c ity of
drea ms, eve r ything in New Yo rk ain ' t
always what it seems.
You mi g ht b e bobbing you r he a d
when you hear Dogg Pound 's rendi tion
o f th e song, but I bet the State of 1ew
Yot·k wasn't wh e n it awa rded 85 fe male
prisone rs at Albio n Correctional Facility
$1,000.00 each. The wom e n h ad been
video-ta ped while being strip-sea rch ed.
T h e co mpl aint, file d by Pri o n Legal
Services, sta ted tha t "Male guards had
forced [ th e women] to remove th eir
c loth in g a nd touch t hemse lves 111

faced 17 co unts-three of whi ch were
first d egr ee crimin al sex u al co nduct
cha rges which each carry a maxi mum of
li fe-involving fi ve pri so n e r s, was
allowed to plead because, as prosecutor
Arthur A. Bush put it, "The victims are
convi c ts ... a jury mi g h t not b e lieve
the m." So Bond , who faced three counts
o f first-degree rape , nine co unts of
gend e r intimida ti on and five co unts o f
fourth-degree criminal sex ual co nduct,
was give n an "alta boy p lea" a nd sent on
down the road. Will so mebody te ll me
why th e fuck it's so hard to be lieve these
wome n ? They risked taking some se rious
sanctions- including d isciplinary action
which could result in th eir getting more
time-by exposing th e guard.
Vio le nce against and sexual vio la tion
o f wome n and c hildren is d eal t with
unfairly in th e courts; vio le nce aga inst
women priso n e rs is ra re ly eve n dealt
with a t al l. Pe rha ps if th e p erpe tra tors of
suc h cr im es were purs u e d a n d
prosecuted as zealously as crack addicts,
then the guards a nd adm inisu-ators who

this had ha ppen ed to he r." The o rficial
reply to the grievance: "Officer X does
not ad mit to condu ctin g a n improper
sea r c h of yo ur p e rso n. No furth e r
evid e n ce s upports yo ur contentio n .
Office r X h as been train e d i n th e
pro p er tec hn iqu e for pri so n e r
s h akedow n s and has the ri g h t to
p e rform a p a td ow n sea r c h of yo ur
breast area. Personal observation of th e
p e r so n a l s h akedown te c hniqu e of
Office r X ... d o not ind ica t e any
improprie ti es. Officer X wi ll be asked to
revie w th e training modu le o n search
tec hniq ue. G ri evance d en ie d ." How
ma ny women does th e officer ge t to feel
up before he is t·eprimanded?
I d on 't ge t it. If th ere wasn' t anything
wro n g, wh y th e hell does he n eed to
review th e freaki n ' module? Moreove r,
d id they really th ink this guy was going
to fo ndle the woman 's breasts in front of
his supe ri o r officers-who, by the way,
h ave bot h h a d sex ual h a rass m e nt
grievances lodged agai nst the m? In fact,
th e office r in question has a history of

"The victims are convicts ... a jury might not believe them."
sexually p rovocative ways," while "other
mal e gua rds we re wa tching throug h a
p a rtly-o pened door. " ew Yo rk DOC
spo kes man J a m es Flatea u sa id in
respon se to the claim , "Th ere was no
fee ling t h at a n yt hi n g in ap pro priate
occ urred. " Pri son Lega l Se r vices
co unte re d with : "T h e n wh y did they
settle?" We all know if the stale ain't got
to, it ain ' t gonna g ive up sh it, especially
to a bunch o f cons.
I'm n o t ta lking about so me midd leclass Black heroines who are "waiting to
exhale." I'm talking about incarcerated
wome n, the majority o f who m are poor
a nd minority, a nd ar e mor e l ike ly
1vaiting to throw the fuck up.
H ere in Michigan, th e Flin t j o urna l
re ported rece ntly th a t "Former prison
g ua rd, Rand y A. Bo n d , pl e ad ed no
co n tes t to o n e co unt each of founh
degree c rimin a l sexual co ndu c t a nd
ge nde r intimidation. He was sente nced
to three years probation and 90 days in
j ail. " Randy's j ail te rm was to be ser ved
in coo peration wit h th e Work Re lease
Progra m so he wouldn 't lose out o n any
of his livelihood. Mr. Ra ndy Bond's "no
contest" plea a nd his sente nce may see m
like a pre u y fa ir d eal. After a ll , th e
women in question are convicted felons
a nd we a ll kn ow that th e Am e ri ca n
inju sti ce sys te m d oes n o t pro tect
women, the poo r, or the unpo pular. In
fact, form e r guard Bo n d , wh o initially
48 PRISON

lifE

November 1996

comm it these c rim es be hind th e walls
would be exposed.
j o hn Truscott, spokespe r so n for
Mich iga n Governor J o h n Engles, to ld
the Flint j ournal, "Fed eral investigators
h ad n o h a rd eviden ce of th e sex u a l
a buse a nd intimidation in the Michigan
prisons .... All they have is hearsay from a
couple of priso ne rs."
Being as I am a convicted felo n with a
h isto ry of theft-by-check and c redit-card
fraud , I m ay n ot be th e m ost re lia b le
source. So le t's hear it from a credible,
tax-paying law-a biding a tto rn ey-at-law,
who, in a le u e r to t h e Wa rd e n a t
Flore n ce Crane Women 's Facility, wrote,
"As ea rly as 1988, t h is office r [Ra nd y
Bond] h as been th e su bj ec t of
a llegations of physical and ve rbal abuse
against women prisone rs... .ln 1988 [he]
was n ot discip lined d espite an allegation
of sexual assault which was substantiated
by a polygt-aph exam ....The deparunent
stated that they ' ... did n o t recog ni ze
prisoner testimony, no r d o we recognize
results of po lygraph examinations."'
Th ey don ' t r ecognize pri so n e r
testimony? Prison er testimo ny d id see m
irre leva n t when a Fl o re n ce Cra n e
priso ner initia ted a grieva n ce alleging
th at "duri ng tl1 e sh a ked own Officer X
cupped each of my breasts in his hands
and lifted them up." The staff response
to h e r claim was "Othe r prisoners were
also inte r viewed and only o ne said that

a ll ega ti o n s o f sexual h a ra ss ment
g ri eva n ces lodged aga ins t him. H ow
d oes h e avo id e mployee disc iplina r y
ac ti o n ? He r etal ia tes with m ajo r
misconduct c ha rges, wh ich can be pre tty
intim id a tin g . Officer X c harge d th e
woman who lodged the above complaint
against him with a n 026 insole nce . She
was eve ntual ly found n ot g uilty, not
beca us e th e h ea ring inves tiga t o r
d isbelieved the officer's a llegations, bu t
b ecause a hearing on the charges "was
n o t r esc h ed ul ed in a tim e ly
m an n e r .... Acco rdin g ly, the c h arge is
dismissed without findings of fact as to
th e allega tio ns." It would appear that
th ey d eliberately le t the time expire in
order th a t n o rulin g wou ld have to be
hand ed down. Howeve r, one prison e r
did n ot esca p e major miscon du c t
disciplinary actio n in retalia tion fo r h er
cla im s of sex u a l harass m e nt aga ins t
O fficet· X. The prisoner had won local
acclai m in Michiga n State Unive rsity's
a nnu a l Art Be hind Ba rs co ntes t,
e nte rin g a coll age whi ch in c lu ded a
maj o r misconduct ticket from Officer X.
Th e pri sone r, h av in g just ta ke n a
sh owe r, re turn ed to he r c ubicle wrapped
in a towel. The office r claimed h e was
making his rounds. However, Ms. Neal
claims tha t the officer stood the re a nd
observed h e r in h er towe l and
aue mpt ed
to e n gage h e r in
conve rsati o n , eve n after sh e asked him

SEX IN PRISON
Art by FA.Q

to leave. His 032 Creating a Disturba nce
s tates, "At 2150 h r s, 11 / 20/ 95,
[P r isoner] #22 1115 was lo ud and
abusive at th is officer's desk. Sh e was
given three direct orders to quiet d own
and return to h e r a rea of con trol. Sh e
went back to h e r a rea ye lling in th e
Long Wing h allway 'Yo u can ' t kick me
ou t of the sh ower,' b ring ing the Lo ng
Wing area inmates to th e ir respec tive
doorways during a critical co unt tim e.
She co nti n u ed yelling in h e r cubi cal
area a nd upon investigation , I found her
ye lling "H e can't ki c k me ou t of th e
showe r. I'm not a dog!' from a d istance
of no less than four feet. [Prisoner]
#221115 was agai n given a d irect order
to qu ie t down a nd keep her opinions to
he rself. At tha t time Neal replied, 'If you
do n 't leave me a lone right now, I ' m
goi n g to press sex u a l h a r ass m e nt
c h arges o n yo u. ' T his was said loud
e nough for the wh ole of the Long Wing
population to h ear in a n a ttemp t to
humiliate, emba rrass a nd intimidate this
office r a nd im pede his effective ness in
th e un it at a critical count time."
Whe n d1e prisoner was asked to give a
statement a t the time of review for the
charge, she simply said , "I grieved Officer
X on that night for sexual harassment and
he is retaliating." The prisoner continues
to p ursu e th e matter with outs ide
age ncies. She is distra ught that priso n

offi cials refuse to relocate he r
from the unit, where Officer X
fi-equendy works.
"So me days it is ve r y
difficu lt," sh e confides. "I a m
angry, but still I just cry some
days, realizing t hat whenever
they wan t, they can fuc k you ,
squ eeze you, touc h you, watch
you and, even though there is
at least one fema le office r a t
this fac ility who has gotten
positive court action in a case
invo lving co-wo rkers who sh e
a lleged sex ua lly ha rassed her,
the female officers just go rig ht
a lo n g with it. Ta lki n g t o a
wo m a n staff member about
sexu a l h arassme n t is just as
in timidating as talking to a
man and just as degrading."
Th e New Yo rk Tim es
repo rted recently t h a t Feli ta
Dob bin s, d o in g t i me a t
Bedfo rd H ill s Co rrectio n a l
Facility in New York State, was
awa k ened o n e morn i ng by
so m eo n e tapping on h e r
shoulde r. The re was a gua rd
1 standin g n ext to h e r bed,
s t e pping o ut of hi s pants.
Dobbins told prosecu tors tha t the guard
demanded oral sex and left her with a
war ning, "You te ll a nyone, yo u know
what I'll d o." The prisoner kept he r wits
about h e r, savi ng the gu ard 's semen in a
perfume bottle so it could be used as
evide nce. But she didn't th ink a nyon e
wou ld believe he r.
"In their eyes I was a c rimina l," sh e
said, "so why no t go with th e officer?"
The state of Illinois, like ma ny states,
has no grievan ce proced ures or policies
forb idding prison gua rds from having
sex with prisoners. T h e Chicago SunTimes reported that "National H uman
Rig h ts Watc h Wome n ' s Proj ec t is
ex p ecte d to blas t t h e Illi n o is
De parunen t of Correcti ons fo r a lack of
ove rs ig ht a nd blam e th e syste m fo r
alleged massive sexual misconduct at its
facilities .... State prison officials d e ny a
proble m exists, but last year there were
51 comp laints of sex u a l assa ults in
Illi nois priso n s, and adm in istrators
co ul d n ot say whethe r t h ey in volved
priso ne rs against prisonet·s or em ployees
agai n st pri so n e rs, n or co ul d th ey
provide statistics for p rior years."
A 1995 repo r t t itled "Rape of
Incarcerated Americans" states that "the
on ly d ata o n sex u al assa ult aga inst
female prisoners derives from [a] survey
of a m idwestern state's women 's prison
which found d1at 7.7 percent had been

'pressu red or forced ... to h ave sex ua l
contact against t11eir will' in that prison."
Some of you may be thinking: those
wome n h ave been co nvic ted o f crimes
such as solicitation , possession of drugs,
th e ft, eve n mu rde r, in cludi ng th e
murd e r of c hil dren. So what if some
guard wants to get his d1ing off on them,
so fuckjng wh at? You can't expect the
State to protect every woman who claims
rape as th e result of a prison guard's
action or inaction. Well, boys and girls, I
eve n have a littl e some thin ' for yo u
skeptics. Priso n Legal News repo rted:
"In Septe mbe r, 1995, a jury held that a
prison gua rd who was raped by prison er
Eric Davidson should receive $995,093 in
damages. The jury h e ld that a n oth er
guard, Roosevelt Sherrod, prodded
Davidson into comm itting th e rape by
mak ing sexua l jokes wit h him and
placing a bet as to who wou ld be the first
perso n to have sex with th e fe mal e
guard. Davidson won the bet o n J anuary
27, 1993, wh e n h e g ra bbed t11e gua rd,
dragged her into his cell a nd raped her
repeated ly for 90 mi n utes dur ing a
standoff with prison offic ials. It is
u ncl ea r who will pay the j ur y award,
Sherrod or t h e State. Davidso n was
transferred to a Control U ni t, and two
weeks la ter was 'discovered' hung in his
cell, an 'apparent suicide.'"
Pe rh aps it is too much to expect th e
p u b lic to be appal led by the sexual
vio lations of women behind bars, those
who reside there a nd work there. But
could somebody please tell me how we
can ignore a visiting room sexual assau lt
against a child? T he American Friends
Serv ice Comm ittee reported in its
newsleLLer th at prisone r rights gro ups
were outraged after the sexual assault of
a three-year-old at a Muskegon facility.
"Since the assau lt on April 3, 1994,"
according to the article, "no fewer than
five officia l investigations h ave b ee n
conducted : three by th e MDOC, o ne by
the legislative correctio ns ombudsman,
a nd one by the Mus kego n County
Prosecu tor 's Office. T hese investigations
reveal that the h ig h est-ran king priso n
officials at the facility adm it that they
knew in advance of t11e p lot to assault
the child, but did not know the options
available to them to ensure the child was
pro tected. "
The news that eve n c hi ld visito rs
cannot avoid rape behind prison walls
(even when high-rankjng prison o fficials
know it is about to happen) should get
some asses moving, phone calls made,
and serious activism happening.
More an d more prisons are being b uilt
every day. More a nd m or e women a re

November 1996

PRISIII UIE

49

SEX IN PRISON
being ware h o u sed in t h ese priso n s.
Many, like me, have painful h istories of
so m e typ e of sex ual vio la ti o n aga inst
th e m. I' m no t trying to make women in
prison o u t to be victims, but I think we
have a n obli gati on to h e lp th ose who
ca nn o t h e lp th e mselves. Ma ny wo me n
"don 'ttell" because they are a fraid.
Le t me tell you a bout a woman who was

bulldaggcr women to fuck a pretty young
thing like you, and you and I arc going to
watc h ." Every day that he worked, he
came by he r cell, g ra bbing h is d ick and
asking he r if she was read y to "suck this."
She wou ld cry and not talk to h im. She
p rayed every day to j ust di e. We ll , she
didn't d ie. She moved on to the general
po pulation and she got schooled on her

I wrote this story for every
guard who has ever patted me
down and felt me up ...
sex ua ll y vio lated startin g a t the age o f
three, who lived a care less, e mo tio nallywrecked life tha t led to criminal be havio r,
which lan ded her in prison. Whi le she
was still in quarantine, a guard harassed
her for 14 days sua.igh t. During h is shift
he would call her out of her cell to shake
her d ow n . He fo nd le d her breasts,
pinched her vulva lips throug h her pants
a nd wo uld st a nd beh ind h er erec t ,
whisperi ng things like, ''You are so pretty,
I' m goi n g to fuc k you. If you do n 't le t
m e, I' m goi n g to get o n e of th ose

rights. Before she could file a g rievance,
the same o fficer, who beca me a sergeant,
' vas arrested o n murder charges.
So m ew h ere in so m e priso n that
former guard migh t be reading this. He
mi g ht eve n kn ow the humili a tion o f
some strange r whispet·ing in his ear o n
his first day of prison, ''You are so pre tty,
I'm gonna have to make you my pre tty
Iii' bitch," o r o f having a gu ard wa lk by
ever y clay and ask him "Ar c you ready to
suck th is?" as he exposes his erect pe n is.
I wrote this story fo r every g uard who

Mark R. Lippman

has ever pa tted me down and felt me up
while doing so. I wrote it for every gua rd
who has loo ked up my ass in sea rch of
co ntraba nd , fo r every tim e I h ad to
shake, grab and raise my breast.~ as some
n a t-c h ested, si lico n e-wa ntin ' fe m a le
g ua rd co m mented about the "largeness
and nice size of my nipples" o r wanted to
know perti nent information about my
36D's like, "Does your man miss those?"
I wrote it for a ll o f th e m , beca use I
wanted to say, "Suck this!"
~
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
StofJ Prisoners Rape, Inc. is devoiR-11 to
ball ling against the rajJe of incan;emted
persons of all genders and ages. Reach them
on the lntemel at:
http://ru!llTu. igc. ape. org/spr
or write:
StojJ Prison Rape
P.O. Bux2713
Mrmhallcmville Station
New Yorh, NY 10027-8817
Human Rights Walch is CU1Tently dcing
reser£rdt into I he fJivblem of jJrison rafJI':
when it occurs, wh)' it occurs, how it occurs
and how to stofJ it from occurring. 17U!)' arc
at: Plison Project, Human Rights Watch,
485 Fifth Avenue, 3nl Flo01; New Yorlt, N l'
10017, 111/enlion:j. Mminer.

Appellate Practitioner

Federal Criminal Appeals
White Colla0 Drug, Fraud, Bank RobberYt and other federal cases
Briefed two cases and argued one before the
United States Supreme Court
NACDL white collar criminal defense
committee member
Advisory panel member of "The Champion "
Represent clients throughout the federal system
Mark R. Lippman
Attorney at Law
8070 La Jolla Shores Drive, #437, La Jolla, CA 92037
(61 9) 456-9228
so PRISON Uff No,·ember 1996

\N (ELL CooKING
PA~TA P~i~O

BODA,XOU~ BU~RXTO~

1 medium onion
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tomato
1 can V-8 juice
1 bag Ramen noodles (Texas beef or chili flavor)
1 beef salami
4 teaspoons lemon juice (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

8 flour tortillas
Half a bottle hot sauce
1 six oz can w hite chunk t urkey
1 hot beef summer sausage, diced
1 eight oz jar jalapeno cheese spread
1 fifteen oz can chili with beans
1 sandwich bag shredded lettuce
17 crushed saltine crackers
2 jalapeno peppers, diced

Slice up the tomato and onion into fairly thin slices. Dice
jalapeno pepper. Cook/microwave these items for two
minutes. Add Ramen noodles seasoning packet. Once
these items are tender, dice up the beef salami into bitesize chunks and add to the vegetables. Cook for another
two minutes. Boil the Ramen noodles and drain. Add the
V-B (3/4 of an 11 . 5 oz can or 3 small cans) to the
noodles. Mix the meat and vegetables in with the lemon
juice and sauced noodles. Stir and set aside for five
minutes. Enjoy!
Tip: Serve hot-goes great with tortilla chips.
-Ortiz
FCI Phoenix

M~~. MOO~E.'~
E.tf,XL-LOT'A-BU~~XTO~

Mix hot sauce, turkey, sausage, cheese spread, peppers
and chili in crock pot and cook for four hours. Stir
thoroughly every 30 minutes. [Add crackers at last
stirring). Boil a 3 qt. bowl of water with stinger till you
get a rolling boil. Then stretch a clean T-shirt over bo~l
and secure it with a rubber band. Keep water at a rolling
boil to steam tortilla shells (one shell at a time turning
every 15 seconds till soft). Add 4 heaping spoons of mix
to shells, adding chilled lettuce. Roll and eat. Wash down
with frosty chilled sodas.
Clean-up Note: use left-over boiling water to soak crock pot.
-Brent A. Ellis, MCC Moberly

~LAM

DOWN TAMALE.

2 or 3 three oz cans white ch icken meat
1 five oz summer sausage (or substitute hot links
or bacon)
2 pkgs cheese (2 different kinds)
1 six oz can olives
1 six oz tub salsa
1 bottle Ranch dressing
1 pkg tortillas
2 tbs butter
jalapeno and garl ic powder

4 Ramen or Marachuan soups, 2 beef and 2 chili
1 can roast beef drained and cut up (you can
substit ute summer sausage)
2 boiled eggs chopped
1 jalapeno optional, cut up
1 large bag chili Fritos
1 large bag crunchy Cheetos
1 large bag hot pork skins
1 trash bag small
1 newspaper
4-5 cups boiling water

Chop chicken, sausage and jalapeno (to taste). Combine
in hot pot or bowl for microwave. Season to taste with
garlic powder. Heat.
Chop olives and grate one of the cheeses. Add both to
meat mixture.
Butter one side of tortillas, steam one at a time over hot
pot.
Spoon heaping amount of mixture onto tortillas. Top
mixture with Ranch dressing to taste. Roll up like a
burrito.
Top burritos with second package of grated cheese.
Spoon salsa on top to taste.
Heat burritos in microwave 1 1 /2 to 2 minutes [till
cheese melts).
-Sara Harder
Nevada Women's Correctional Center

Open soups halfway to remove flavor packets. Crush the
packages of Ramen or Marachuan. Crush Fritos, pork rinds
and Cheetos in their own bags. Add 1 / 2 bag of crushed
Fritos, 1 /2 bag crushed pork rinds and 1 /2 bag crushed
Cheetos to trash bag. Add crushed soups. Mix all dry
ingredients together until mixed well. Add beef, egg, pepp.er
and mix up some more. Add fiavor packets to 2 cups bo1hng
water, mix up and add to bag of dry ingredients. Mush up
"really well" adding next two cups of boiling ~ater. The .
consistency should be thick, not soupy. Roll 1nto a loaf, be
bag and wrap in newspaper for approximately 5-1 0 minutes.
Open up and Pig Out. Feeds 34.
Note: Remember you've got enough Fritos, pork rinds
and Cheetos for another round.
- David R. Egbert
E.S.P.
November 199()

PRISON LifE

51

F

reedom mea ns diffe re nt things to diffe re nt people. To
the ave rage Ame ri can , who has neve r bee n locke d up,
neve r h ad his o r h e r li b erty c urtail e d muc h beyo nd
being to ld how fast th ey may dri ve and how much of the ir pay
c h ec k th ey must turn ove r to the government, free d o m is
take n fo r grante d . We live in th e United Sta tes, land of the
free a nd h o m e o f th e brave. We sp eed a nd ch ea t on o ur
taxes, o r we o bey th e speed limit a nd p ay Uncle Sam ever y
ce nt o f his blood mo ney. We a re no t in prison , th e refo re we
must be free.
Even if the governme nt-and, by exte nsio n , the po lice, who
a re me re ly the stro ng a rm o f th e governme nt- has gradua lly
asserted m ore a nd more contro l over the day to day aspects o f
o ur lives, mo ·t Ame ricans still believe we a re a free people.
T h ey have fo rgouc n , o r n ever knew, th e wo rds of Tho mas
J e ffe rson, who to ld us tha t libe rty re quires co nstant vigila nce.
To many of the reade rs of Prison Life magazine-th ose who
a re servin g time, those wh o have b ee n in priso n a nd we re
fo reve r cha nged by th e exp eri e n ce, o r those wi th a fri e nd,
fami ly me m be r or loved on e locked up-freedom is as real
a nd as fe lt as the re lief fro m pa in. To be in prison, to have a
fri e nd o r loved o ne in prison , is to be in pa in, to feel th e

52

PRISON Lllf

Novcm her 1996

consta nt gn awing ach e o f lo ne liness a nd se pa ra ti on , a nd to
fe el acute ly the loss of libe rty and th e hum ilia ti on of captivity.
We kn ow all th e be tte r what freedom means once it has bee n
take n away from us. But by the n it is too late.
Ha rr y Browne, th e Libertari a n ca ndida te fo r President,
bases his p la tform o n the theo ry tha t the unwi edly, expe nsive
bureaucracy we know as the fed eral governme nt not o nly does
no t wo rk to preser ve o ur libe n y but ac tua ll y su bverts the
fund a m e nta l pre mi ses o f o ur sys te m o f gove rnm e nt by
intruding o n m a tte r s th a t s h o uld n o t b e s ubj ec t to
governme nta l co ntrol. In the na me of de fe nd ing us aga inst
Communism , wh ich collapsed of its own bureaucratic we ight,
a nd now drugs and crim e, the fed e ral governm e nt a nd the
hu ge co r poratio n s th a t own it h ave d es troyed th e g r ea t
expe rime nt tha t was American de mocracy. Wha t we have now
is a n ascent police state run by inc reasing ly powerful federal
agen ts. If you want a look at the Ame rica of the future, e nte r a
m ax imum sec urity fed e r a l pri so n . Tec hn o lo gy a nd
governme nt have mutated to become a beast called Security.
Security h as beco me th e co mm odity th e gove rnm e nt se lls
best. T he idea is that if we can just build e no ugh prisons, we
will a ll be secure . We will beco me like th e Prison Life logo ,

one nation behind bars.
room in the prisons because the cells
I m e t wit h H a rr y Brown e in Los a r e ta ke n up with pot s mok ers and
Ange les. H arr y was o n the West Coast other p eo pl e who are n o threa t to
makin g a numbe r of ca mpai g n a nyone e lse. The typical po litician sees
a pp ea r ances. We arranged to ge t th e o nly solutio n to any socia l proble m
toge th e r in H o ll ywood where I was as more governm ent, whe n actua lly the
h a n g ing wit h so m e ex-co n fri e nd s. real solutio n is less government, to get
Wh e n th e ca ndidate a rrive d , Da nn y th e gover nm e nt o ut o f th e socia l
Trej o, whose striking visage-a face that a re na. And, in this case, to let people
wou ld stop a runaway train-graced the out of p rison .
cover of our Marc h-April '96 iss u e, RS: H ow do you fee l a b ou t th e
opened the door to leave just as Harry esca la ti o n of law e n forcement by
and company arrived. Can you imagi ne . fed e ral police agenc ies?
wha t Bob Dole or Bill Clinto n or even HB: T h e founding fat he rs wou ld be
Ross Pe rot wou ld have done if th ey had a g h ast to kn ow t h a t th e r e a re a n y
showed up for a n intervi ew a nd bee n fed e ral police forces at a ll, because th ey
greeted by Da nny Trej o? They wou ld wa rn e d aga inst the idea of a natio n al
h ave ru n a nd h ad th e Secret Service po lice fo rce. T h a t 's wh at t h ey h ad in
guys bust Trejo just for looking like such Europe , and the idea o f hav ing a
a bad dude. Harry Browne took it all in nati o na l police force was an a thema to
stride. We sat on a patio at th e rear of th e m . But tod ay we have the DEA, the
m y friend's hom e a nd th e man wh o BATF, the FBI, and a ll these o the r police
sh ould be the Preside nt did no t seem age n c ies. Eve n FDA agents go in to
the least bit uncomfo rtable at being in vita min stores carrying guns. It makes
the prese nce o f ex-convicts. He looked no sense a t a ll. And it leads to events li ke
me right in the eye a nd I had the feeling Waco an d Ruby Rid ge, whi c h , whil e
th at h e believes wh a t h e says, a n d, if s p ec ta c ul a r exa mpl es, a re n o t
e lected, h e would carry out his pa rty's exceptio na l examples at a ll. Things like
p la n t o preserve o ur li berty by th a t are going on a ll the time; th ose
dismantl ing the federal governme n t.
were the most egregious examples, the
most vio le nt examples. But tha t kind of
in timidation a nd th a t ki nd of
aggressive n ess h as b een go ing o n fo r
Richard Stratton: We're inte r ested in years a nd yea rs wit h fede t·a l p o li ce
what you have to say abo ut releasing forces. An d those p olice fo rces are too
n o n-viole nt drug prison ers a nd n o n- far re moved from the people and from
vio le n t, victim less crime o ffe nd ers. any kind of control or an y kind of public
Yo u ' re probably awa re that around 70 ce nsure whatsoever. If a local sheriff gets
percent o f the people who are locked up too tough on people a nd starts creating
in federal prisons are there for drugs pro bl e ms, h e's brought d ow n by t h e
a nd drug-rel a ted crim es. C linto n h as peop le in that community. But nobody
pro mised to continu e o n th e prese nt can bring down th e federal police forces
di sas t ero u s co urse. D o le wants t o exce pt th e po liti c ia n s, a n d the
escalate the war o n drugs, bri ng in th e po liticians don't want to do it.
Any time we turn som eth ing ove r to
military. What is your position?
Harry Browne: We do n ' t need tough e r government it becom es a political issue.
se nten ces. We d o n 't need more And it tl1e n becomes a case of who's got
priso ns. We don' t need hi g h e r taxes. t h e m os t p o liti cal influ e n ce to
We d o n ' t n eed m ore invas io ns o f our de te rm ine how some thing is go ing to be
civil libe rties. What we nee d is to get decided . And in the case of crime, tl1e
the no n-vio le n t c rimina ls o ut of p rison . poli t ical influe n ce is main ly co min g
Get the victimless crime offe nde rs out fro m law enforceme nt age n cies, fro m
of priso n a nd m ake room for t h ose b u rea u cracies wh o adm in iste r th ese
who really are terrorizing people in the th ings. Who is the re to stand up fo r our
stree ts. Those p eople are very ofte n rig h ts? T here's th e ACLU a nd peo ple
getting out on early re leases o r by plea- like that. But th ey are ofte n d ismissed
ba rga ining simply beca use there's n o out of h and as simply, "Oh , he re comes

******

t h e AC LU again . They object t o
anyth ing," wh en in fact what they're
doing is trying to say tl1at the innocent
n eed to be protected.
The q uesti o n is always framed in te rms
of, "Should we suspend civil liberties for
th e gui lty? We are not going to be able
to catch them un less we do." But when
we suspe nd civi l liberties fo r the gui lty,
we're also suspen din g them for th e
in nocent. And n o law enforcement
agen t knows fo r sure who is in nocent
a n d who is gu il ty. We are giving th e
po lice m an th e powe r to m ake t h a t
d ecision; to search and to seize, to hassle
somebody. H e's maki ng the decision in
advance. T he Bill of Rights was designed
to defend against that.
To co n t in ue in this vein, my on ly
litmus test for a federal judge wi ll be: Do
you believe in the Bill of Righ ts as an
abso lu te, unqualified , un exceptio n a l
d ocument? T ha t mean s that Americans
have th e rig ht to free speech, even if th e
gove rnm e n t doesn't like what we say,
even if the govern me n t can demonstrate
a compe lling interest in stopping us, we
still have the r ig h t to speak freely. We
have the right to keep and to bear arms,
even if some lun at ic sh oo ts up a
restaurant in Texas. We have a rig h t to
be s<tfe from search and seizure, even if
a DEA age n t thinks you or I fit t h e
profile of a drug deale r.
T h e Ni n t h and Tenth Amendme n ts
say that tl1 e federal govern ment should
not be involved in anything that isn ' t
spelled out in tl1e constitution, that isn't
spec ifi call y delegated to th e fede ra l
gove rnm e n t by th e constitlltion. If a
fede ral j udge agrees with that, tl1 en I'll
p r o babl y n om inate hi m eve n i f r
disagree with him on othe r th ings. But if
he doesn't agree with that, I wouldn ' t
nominate him even if I though t he had
the wisdom of Solomon.
RS: Do you see any role at a ll for federal
law enforceme n t?
HB: No. All crime is local. It takes place
in t h e jurisd iction of a po lice
d epartment, a sheriff's department,
somewhe re. And tha t's whe re it sh ould
be determined, that's where the criminal
sh o uld be c h ased , that's where they
should be prosecULed, that's where they
sho uld be judged. And that's the only
place tl1a t those tl1ings should take place.

Novcrnbc•· 1996

PRISON llff

53

All that has c ha nged because of the
If so mebody c rosses state lines, we
already have all kinds of facilities for war on drugs creating th is blac k market
coope ration b e tween law enforcement and this illegal enterprise with huge
agencies. They extradite criminals back profits that give everybody an incentive
to the state whe re the c rime took p lace. to get into the business.
And of co urse local law en forcement RS: What about prisons? How do you
age ncies can subscribe to a data bank or see prisons being managed? I think if we
anything e lse th at provides fingerprint d id wh at yo u 're proposing, wh ich
certainly we advocate too, you'd empty
information , all o f that.
We need to get away from relying on out the prisons.
somebody that we can't get o ut from HB: You would need, at the very most,
under the thumb of. And this a pplies to one federa l prison, which wou ld be
a ll kinds of things in government, like about the size of this house. Because the
the FDA and othe r regu lations that are only federal c rimes are treason , piracy
supposedly for o ur safety. Le t us choose and counterfeiting. So, what would you
need fede ral prisons for? The first thing
whom we put our trust in.
RS: T he re's a case I'm sure you ' re aware we'd do is sell the federal prisons to the
o f, the case offederal judge Ha rold Baer states and let them use th e m for
in New Yo rk. He threw o ut some drug common c rim es. There are a lot of
evidence beca use h e said it had been things that cou ld be done to improve
seized illegally a nd the cops had lied.
Fro m Clinton, right on down from the
Preside nt, th e politicians exerted such
pressure o n judge Baer, t h reatened to
re m ove h im from the Be n c h , th at he
reversed his own ruling.
HB: Which is a good exa mple, once
aga in , where it's become a political
issue-n ot a sc ie ntifi c iss u e, not a
c riminal o r forensic issue , not a medical
issu e o r a n e ducationa l issue. It's a
po litica l iss u e. And it a lways will be
when you turn these th ings over to the
government. That's why we Libertarians
don ' t loo k to manage government
better, or to try to reform it, but to get
as muc h out of the h a nds of prison co nditions. But those would be
gove rnm e nt as possibl e. Everything state m a tters and local m a tters; they
having to do with drugs should be out sh o uldn ' t be d ictated by t h e federal
of the hands o f government. Peo p le government because th e federal
who a rc going to ruin their lives with governme nt will just make them worse,
drugs are going to h ave to rely on the ir as it has with everything else it stuck its
family a nd friends. Th e police can't nose into.
stop drug a buse, all the police can do is
But as individuals, we can't he lp but
make a ll of ou r lives miserable by trying think that there are a lot of things that
to stop those people who choose to use the states could do to improve priso n
illegal drugs.
conditions. The way it's se t up nowThe point is, we cannot turn this over obviously I don't need to tell you thisto the government because government somebody who is not a criminal goes in
h as made a mess of it. Crime a nd drug th e re and he comes o ut a criminal.
u se have both escalated trem e ndously Somebody goes in b eca use h e was
sin ce the war on drugs started in th e caught with marijuana, or whateve r it
1960s. The crime ra te and the homicide may be, but when he comes out a few
ra te from the end of pro hibition to the years late r he is a criminal. He's lost all
early 1960s went down year after year his self-respect, he's lost the ability to get
until the war on drugs started . And now, a j o b, h e 's lost all th ese other rights.
i t's been so lo ng, 30 yea rs, we don't And he 's also become bitter and cynical,
reme mbe r what it was like to walk the because the people who are supposedly
streets. I'm 63 years o ld , I g rew up here protecting him in prison turn th eir face
in L.A. a nd 1 can remember what it was away and let the prison be run by gangs
like to wa lk to the movies in Sherman and corrupt guards. The prisoner h as
O a ks o n a Friday night. Come home at no faith whatsoever in any kind of a
10:00 at night, there were no muggers system whe n h e or sh e comes out, and
on the stree ts, there were no pushers, the only thing that makes any sen se is to
n o gangs, n o ne of t h is existed . But I go into crime, start getting into stick-ups
wo uldn ' t walk through there now, I and things like that. I ' m not saying
don ' t know tha t I'd even do it at 10:00 everybody, obviously, but this is where
in the morning.
the pressure lies.
54 PRISON

Ull

November 1996

It's a very bad system. And it's made
worse by putting in one pot all of these
different people whose conditio ns are so
drastically different. A pot smoker is not
a r e p eat violent offender, and he
sh ouldn't be punished like that. A tax
evade r sh o u ldn't be in prison a m o ng
violent offende rs. I mean, an accountant
who has defrauded somebody shouldn't
be there e ith e r. Now, so me politician
will say it will teach him never to do it
again, but the fact of the matter is that
the punishment is supposed to fit the
crime. And th e way it is now, it doesn't.
RS: What you have said ab o ut making
criminals repay their victims is wha t we
call restorative justice. As the system now
operates, if yo u steal someone's car,
then the state takes over a nd the whole
process has nothing more to do with the
victim; whereas, with t h e co n cept of
restorative justice, the communi ty would
say, "You stole this pe rson's car, now you
owe t h at p e rson for th e ca r, a nd you
have to repay them directly." The pe rson
who was injured by the cri m e is
recompe nsed.
HB: I agree with that. And if you have
someone who just keeps doing these
things over and ove r aga in and never
does m a ke restitution, then you m ay
have to take more drastic steps. But to
imprison people as a matte r of courseto lock them up in prison a nd throw
away th e key for minor crimes-makes
no sense whatsoever. Not surprising ly,
we h ave this eno rmou s prison
population as a result. The only answer
we h ea r from the other candida tes
seems to be more prisons, more police
and higher taxes an d more bond issues
and on and on and on.
RS: What we hope to do with t h is
magazine is to get pri so n ers-n onviolent drug prisoners by a nd large, but
all prisoners who ar e interested in tl1ese
issu es- to reach out to th eir family
m e mbers- at least five people- reac h
out to p eo ple who ca n vo t e and te ll
t h em to get in touch with l oca l
politicians a nd le t them know they're
not going to vote for these people un less
they change their policies on crime and
crime control.
HB: CreaL That's a good plan.
RS: I think it cou ld become a ve r y
powerful voting block.
HB: Oh, yeah . The prison population is
getting to be the largest mino.-ity in the
cou ntry.
RS: A m illion and a half people locked
up.
HB: And all of their families who are
concerned about them.
RS: It's amazing how quickly the families
of p eople wh o go to prison get
radicalized as far as the criminal justice
system is concerned.

HB: Good. I'm glad to hear that.
RS: It happens almost overnigh t. The
next day they are saying, "This isn't
right." Before they see one of their own
fa mily members ge t locked up, ma ny
people have this notion of crimin als
being another breed of p eople; but
once someone they know goes to prison,
their ideas about cri me and pun ishme n t
c hange drastically.
HB: In my inte rest, on e thing I would
like those people to know is what I say in
my book, tha t on my first day in office I
will pardon everyo n e wh o h as been
fo und gu ilty of a federal non-viole nt
drug offense, and ever yone who's been
fou nd gui lty of a n o n-vi o l ent g un
conu·ol offense, and ever yon e who has
been fo und g uil ty of every kind of
victimless crime. I will get them ou t of
prison immediately.
We could get laws through congress,
we co uld d o a lot o f things, but that
would get all bogged down, it would get
watered down, all kinds of undesirable ·
things would happen. So the easiest and

really vio lent, it's just because there was
a gun invo lved, even if the gun wasn't
used in the commission of the crime. If
there was a gun on the premises where
you were arrested, you are considered a
vio lent criminal.
You are the only candidate who's eve n
close to saying what we believe is the
r ight co urse for America. This d ri ft
toward a p o li ce s tate is terrify in g.
Having been in federal priso n, I know
wh at it's like to h ave cops constantly
con tro lli ng every aspect of yo ur life.
And as you say in your book, and we
have said in our magazine, if we can 't
keep drugs o u t of maximum-security
prisons, how are we ever going to keep
them off the streets?
HB: It's crazy.
RS: The war on drugs is insane. Except
it makes sense from the p o li tic ians'
standp o in t. It's a great rall ying cry
because they can talk about our children
being corrupted by drugs. When really,
if it's taught at home that abusing drugs
will ruin your life, kids get th e message.

instead of adults. And it will just go o n
the way it was before except it will all be
a imed at children. So one way or
another, they'll do it badly. Wh e n th e
reform fi n a ll y comes, like al l other
governmen t re fo r ms, it will be done
badly. Instead of just sim ply wiping the
drug laws off the books.
On the other hand, if I'm Presidentif somehow or other th at happensth e n maybe it will be done correctly.
Because I won 't allow it to be done any
other way; I won't sign a bill that wi ll
foolishly j ust redirect all of these
energies into some oth er channel.
RS: Wh at is your pos it ion o n gu n
con trol? I consider myself a Libe rtarian,
but because of wha t the magazine stands
fo r, often there are liberals attracted to
our issues, and I get into arguments with
them about gun conu·ol. They say, "It's
the guns, stup id." And we say, "No, it's
not the g uns. It's the laws. " Criminals, as
you point out in your book, do n ' t buy
guns legally; it's a big black market. No
criminal is going to get on a waiti ng list

On my first day in office I will pardon everyone who has
been found guilty of a federal non-violent drug offense.
sim plest and fastest way to do this is on
the fi rst day in offi ce to pardon these
peop le. A blanket pardon for a ll of
them. Maybe in th e process of
pardoning h alf a mi llion people, there
may be one or two, or five or ten, or a
hundred or a thousand who get ou t who
maybe for some other reason shouldn ' t
have gotten out. But it wi ll b e a small
price to pay for getting back into society
h alf a million people before they' re
corrup ted beyond redemption by being
in prison. And also it will free up prison
space immediately, which we would th en
turn over to the states to use to lock up
the real thugs, and they would have no
excuses a nymore for letting the viole n t
thugs out on plea bargains.
RS: T h ere are so few irredeemable
criminals. Our experi e n ce is that less
than ten perce nt of th e prison
popu lati o n are vio l e nt, predatory
criminals.
HB: Really?
RS: Yes. You see, what they term "violen t
criminals," a re ofte n not really vio le nt
people at al l. For instance, I know a
woman who's doing 66 years in federal
priso n for cocaine possession. T h ey
called it violent because there was a gun
in h er car-n ot h e r gun, it was h er
boyfriend's gun- but the g un made the
cri me violent. She can't get p arole, she's
treated like she was an armed robber or
some really violent criminal. So a lot of
th ese so-called violent criminals are not

HB: One thing I will say is that in the
last two years, since I've been running
for President, the public attitude on this
subject h as changed visibly. You can see
the difference in the calls to talk shows.
It was hysterical two years ago. People
would ca11 in and say, "Oh, you're going
to h ave he ro in machines in th e rest
rooms, eve r ybody's go nn a get high! "
a nd so forth. Now, at worst, what we get
is polite disagreement. And you don't
get locked in th e issue, wi t h peop le
screami n g, "H ow could you possibly
advocate this!"
The at titud e to the drug war is
c hanging. And I think that in the next
two or three years there will be a ch ange
in the laws. But the problem is that it
will b e some kind of a weasel ch ange; it
wi ll be some kind of a compromise that
really doesn't solve the problem. And as
is so often t h e case with su c h a
compromise, th e ch ange will get blamed
for whatever problems ensue after that.
It will be something like, it' ll be against
th e law to se ll drugs but n o t to use
them, or something like that, as though
that is go ing to so lve th e prob lem.
You're still going to h ave a black market,
yo u 're s till going to h ave cri min a l
e n terprises, you're still going to have a
war on drugs.
O r it will b e something like, th at we
wil1 make it legal for adults but n ot for
children. We ll, the n all the crim inal
enterprises will be focused o n c hildren

to buy a gun.
HB: [laughs] Before he pulls h is liquor
store job.
RS: W h a t's i n teresting abou t the
Libertaria n position is that it attracts
people from both sides of the political
spectrum.
HB: What we ask people to d o when
th ey come in to the party is we say, all
right, yo u und ersta nd the prin ciple
involved here, now apply it consistently
across the board. Don't just apply it in
this o n e area that brough t yo u to us,
wheth er it's civil libe rti es o n one hand
or econom ic freedom o n th e oth e r. If
freedom is better t h a n force in
government in that area, it's going to be
in all these other areas too, where you
wanted to use force, where you said the
governmen t has to do this or do that.
We ll, why is th e gove rnment going to
work any better over the re th an it d id
over here where yo u see how badly it's
working? And it's a hard job sometimes
to ge t people to see that, that it has to
be across t he board. But at the sa me
time, when people say, "You go too far,"
I simply say, "All you're sayin g is that I'm
being consistent." I'm not going up to a
certain point a nd th en throwing my
pri n ciples away. Government d oes n' t
work. It simply do esn 't work. So le t's
qu it pre te ndin g that there are areas
where government can do a good job.
RS: Ri g ht. And if you b elieve th at
government doesn't have a rig h t to tell

November 1996

PBISDI Uff

55

people how to behave in the ir hom es, in
th e ir famil ies, th en you hav e to b e
consiste nt all th e way down th e line with
that, like you r position o n a bortion . I
was im pressed by that.
HB: Good.
RS: I don ' t ag ree with a bortio n , I
wo uldn ' t want a n yo ne th a t I was
invo lved with to have a n abortion. But
by th e sa m e to ken, I thi nk it's eve r y
woman 's right to ma ke th at decision for
he rself. Or eve ry fa mi ly's rig ht.
HB: \1\le ll , gove rnm en t certainly won ' t
ma ke it correctly.
RS: What's got to be done now in o rder
to get yo u into the debates?
HB: Eve rything th at we' re doing now is
based o n wh e tl1 er or not it will ge t me
into th e de ba tes. I've been o n a lot of
talk rad io sh o ws-over 300 since the
beginning o f the yea r. And so far, 125
talk radio hosts have e ndorsed th e idea
of my being in the de bates. And acwally,
probably almost a ll 300 of them would,
but I just started ma king n o te of it in
just the last six to eight weeks, so we ' re
going back to a ll the othe r ones before
th a t a nd ge ttin g t h e m to id e ntify
th e mselves o n th is. And probably we will
h ave we ll ove r 200 nam es to subm it to
the debate commission .
Th e n th e r e a re p eo ple like H ugh
Dow n es and David Brode r a t th e
Washington Post, a nd others who h ave
come out and said d1at I should be in the
d e bates. And we ' r e m o untin g le tterwr iting campaigns to th e debate
commissio n , th e ne ws magazin es, to a ll
tl1ese p laces. Getting people to call in to
radio shows, to write le tters to tl1e editor,
all of these things. To keep tll e pressure
on. And it seems like every day some piece
of news comes up d1at makes us close r. I
would have tllought it was a long shot two
mo nths ago, but right now it seems to be
getting close to even running.
RS: I h ave a fee li ng yo u ' re riding a
g rowin g wave o f di sco nte nt with
government.
HB: Everybody kn ows a bout us this time.
Fo ur years ago, n o body kn e w who we
were. Now, n o body has to ask, "Who's
Ha rry Brown e?" You don 't hea r people
aying "I don ' t know anyth ing about d1e
Libe rta rians, I don ' t know wh at support
they have o r a nytlling e lse. " T hey all d o.
And every day tlle}' know more a nd more
about it. We've been com plete ly sh ut ou t
by th e national media, and tlle on ly way,
I think, th at we' ll break tllrough is if we
get into the debates wi dwut tl1e national
m ed ia. Th e n if I ' m in vited t o th e
d e ba tes, my picture mig ht be o n Time
magazine n ex t week: "vVho is this man?"
And then we wi ll break in, we ' ll be o n
th e even ing news, all those m ings.
But those things don 't really get you
votes, they just give peop le confidence

56

PRISON UfE o\"cmbc r 1996

in yo u ; th at yo u are a c r edi ble
ca ndidate , that yo u ' 1-e respectab le
because tlley' re talking about you. But a
ten second so und bite is not goi ng to
convince anybody to go ou t and vo te for
H a rr y Brown e . T h e re a r e to o man y
qu es ti o n s invo lved , like h ow are you
going to fina nce d1e governme nt if you
re p eal the in co m e tax. Isn ' t th a t the
o nly reve nue that th ey have? Things like
th aL Bu t it wou ld lend credibi li ty.
In the meantime whe re we're getti ng
th e s upport is th rough t h ese r adio
interviews; I'm d oing press interviews all
aro und the co untry, d aily newspapers,
local te levisio n a nd so on. And you ' re
probably aware of the Interne t polls.
RS: T h e I nte rn e t is pote ntia lly ve r y

powe rfu l.
HB: All the politicians know about the
n et. Th ey know that I ' m winnin g th e
CNN Time poll, a nd these oth e r polls.
So tll ey're aware o f tl1is going on. It's just
come clown to a case of whe the r we have
e no ugh obvio us public support that they
wo u ld be e mbarrassed n o t to invite me
to pa rticipate.
RS: It see ms that if the Reform party can
get in , the Liberta ria ns sh ould not be
kept out.
HB: Well, d1ere is a lot of talk this time
tha t Pe rot wo uld take mo re votes from
Cli nton than he wou ld fro m Dole. And
if th a t's th e case then Clinto n wo uld
want me to be in tl1ere, tllinking tll at I'll
take vo tes from Dole. If th e race ge ts
closer, the n Clinton would be a nxio us to
ha ve m e in th e d e b a tes, a nd mi g ht
refuse to pa rticipa te un less all four of us
were in.
RS: How d o you feel about th e Refo rm
party?
HB: All Perot is saying is I can manage big

government better. You know his famous
ex pressio n , "I want to look und e r th e
hood and tinke r with the e ngin e." And
my altitude is I wan t to throw ou t th e
e n g in e a n d r ep lace it with a s mal le r
moto r. But tl1 e point is th at h e has no
fee lings a bo ut gove rnment itself, a bout
what government is. In h is speeches late ly,
he's been railing against big govern ment
in tlle early pa rt of th e speech but tll e last
part of tl1e speech is all of tl1e things he's
going to do to ma ke governmem more
efficie n t. A Pe rot presidency, if it eve r
happened , would be litde differe n t fro m
a Cli nton or a Dole presidency. And now
t h a t he 's acce pted the $29 millio n of
taxp aye r mo ney for his ca mpa ig n , h e
really is discrediting h imself. Especially as
he is u-ying to make me national debt a
big issue. In his acceptance speech , Pe rot
said it is ludicrous to think about cutting
taxes. H e said , "Suppose you we nt to your
boss a nd said I've got all these bills to pay
and I'm not making enough money, and
your boss said a ll righ t, I' ll tell you what
I'll do, I'll cut your pay. We ll, tllat's what
tl1ey're talking about by cutting the pay of
d1e governme n t by cutting taxes when the
government has a ll these bills to pay." So
he's saying we can 't have a tax cut because
tl1e governme n t owes too much money,
and h e re he is takin g S29 mi ll io n in
taxpayer money to fund his campaign.
RS: What role do you see fo r th e federal
governme nt?
HB : j ust what's i n th e Con stitution.
atio n al d efen se; th e judiciary, whic h
would be far sm all er th a n it is n o w,
b eca u se yo u wou ldn ' t have a ll th ese
fed e r al cases b e in g ca ll ed fo r wa r d
b eca u se th e fe dera l gove rnm e nt
wo ulcln 't have a nytl1ing to do lvitll that.
Es p ec ia ll y if we ge t rid of a ll th ese
r egulato r y la ws, like th e American
Disabili ty Act, the Fa mi ly Leave Act, the
Civil Rig h ts Act of 1990, th e Clean Air
Ac t. All these th ings tha t are the basis of
lawsui ts brought in federal court. So you
would have a much smalle r judiciary.
And the n , minti ng coins a nd things o f
th is so n , t hat a re rea lly ve ry trivial in
te rm s of being a d rain o n th e federal
budget. But it has to be limited to what's
in th e Constitu tio n . T h e mom e nt yo u
step over th e lin e fo r a ny reaso n , you
evemually wind up with a trillion and a
h a lf do lla r budge t a nd a five tril lio n
do llar debt.
RS : Yo ur position is like d1 e p osition of
our magazine. People note tha t if we had
our way wid1 what we're advocating, the re
wo uldn ' t be any need fo r our magazine
a ny mo re. And if you h ad you r way, we
really wouldn ' t need a president anym ore.
HB: Virtua lly. I'd love tllat. I plan afte r
the first couple of years to have a lot of
two ho ur days.
RS: Education. That is the o the r issue I

************
FREE TBE VOTE
****
PRISON llfl MAGAZINI
ENDORSES

HARRY BROWNE
LIBERTARIAN PARTY CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT

ONCE ELECTED HE Will:

* END THE WAR ON DRUGS
* FREE ALL NON·VIOLENT DRUG WAR POWS

* ABOLISH THE IRS

AND ELIMINATE INCOME TAXES
PRESIDENT HARRY BROWNE WILL APPOINT ONLY JUDGES WHO PROTECT THE
BILL OF RIGHTS AND GUARANTEE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH,
FREEDOM OF RELIGION, FREEDOM TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS, FREEDOM TO BE
SECURE IN YOUR OWN PROPERTY

************
VOTE FOR FREEDOM VOTE FOR HARRY BROWNE

wanted to talk to you abouL. Yo u'd like to
see the federal government complete ly
out of iL.
HB: Definitely. The most importam thing
we can do for education is LO repeal the
income tax. When we repeal the income
tax, the n you will have th e resources to
put yo ur c hi ld in any sc hool yo u wa nt:
religious, secu l a1~ private school; any kind.
If you want praye r in your school, you
simply take the child to a school that has
prayer. Or no prayer. Whichever it is you
want. Sex educatio n , no sex ed ucatio n.
Progress ive edu ca t io n , traditional
e du catio n. 1o fightin g with yo ur
neighbors or the school board, no writing
le tte rs to co ngress, no lo bbyin g, n o
a n yt hin g. You s impl y ta ke your own
resources, wh ich you will now have a 30,
40, 50 percent increase in ta ke-home pay,
and use that to buy the kind o f education
you want for your ch ild. You don't even
have to apply to the state fo r a vouche r.
You just do what you want to do a nd you

those ch arities say that they couldn 't take
an increased suain. Of course tlle)' can 't.
ot wh en people a re b eing taxe d to
death; but cut tl1at 48 pe rce nt overnight
to 2 5 p e r cen t, ca n yo u imagin e t h e
gene rosi ty tl1at would be unleashed. But
more th a n that, t h e n eed fo r tha t
ge ne rosity wi ll diminish , simply because
tl1e j obs will be available.
Th e clay th at I'm elec ted President,
immediate ly on that clay, business people
a ll over Am e rica are go ing to sta r t
tl1inking: "A uillion dollars a year. All tl1e
new ma rkets tha t are go ing to develop;
th e d e mand for new pro du c ts and
services. l'm going to have to gear up for
that, and do it now to get tl1c jump on my
co mp e titor. I ' m go in g to n ee d m o r e
peo ple. The re 's go ing to b e a g reat
sh o rtage of la b or wh e n t his t hin g
happens, and I be tter act now to find the
best peo ple." And they' re going to start
tryin g to r ec r u it from govern m e nt
worke rs, from we lfa re people, a nd the

tl1e need for it. Because the governm em
wasn't really involved. But once the war
on poveny started, it was like tl1e war on
drugs. In th e 1960s the war on pove rty
started and suddenly we had a perma ne nt
class of people o n welfare, people who
would spend th e rest o f the ir li ves o n
we lfare and bequ eath th is to th ei r
children as the only legacy tl1at they had
to o ffe r. This is how you pic k up your
ch eck every month. Those people have
been destroyed. They have no self-re peel,
n o di gnity, they d on 't believe th at th ey
ca n p oss ibl y su rvive wit h ou t t h e
governmen t.
RS: And tl1at makes the m very b itter.
HB: Yes. O h yeah. I mean , you think of
the scandal of the billions of dollars tl1at
have been wasted, but tl1e real tragedy is
the millio ns o f lives that have been lost in
the process. People whose lives have just
bee n ruin ed b y we lfa r e. Today, the
we lfare laws, the income ta x laws, the
minimum wage law, all these regu lations

The government is good at one thing, and that is: it knows
how to cripple you and then hand you a crutch and say,
"See, you couldn't walk if it weren't for the government."
don' t have to a nswer to anybody.
T h a t wou ld improve educatio n
tre me ndo usly. Because on ce the pa ren ts
arc controll in g th e mo n ey, then t h e
pare nts are not going to put up with any
kind or mediocre educatio n, tl1ey're not
going to take excuses.
RS: So ma ny people I've talked to say, "I
really feel like I' m a Libe rtalian, but-"
T here's always this "but. " 1 think tha t for
most o f th e p eop le I kn ow, the but is:
what about tl1 e poor people? People see
Libe rta rianism as being a n e litist view,
because it doesn't take into consideration
the kid who grows up in the ghetto, who
docsn ' t have the oppo rtunities that the
average wh ite, m iddle class American has.
HB: It's actually tl1e opposite. The eli tist
attitude is the idea that govern me m and
experts can end poverty. And we've seen
\vhat a ridicul ous notio n th at was. If we
repeal th e in come and socia l security
ta xes, we' re go ing to leave a tri lli o n
d o llars a yea r in th e eco n o m y th at's
currently being sucked up by those taxes.
And th a t's go ing to b uy a jo b for
everybody tl1at can work, a nd it's going to
buy charity for ever yone who can ' t work.
Today, witl1 48 percent or the national
income going to fed eral, state a nd local
taxes-48 pcrcem- half of what we earn,
in effect, going to governmen t, still there
arc hundreds of tl1ousands of chu rches in
this country tha t are supported e ntire ly
tl1rough volu n tary d onatio ns. There are
all ki nds o f c harities th a t exist. And of
co u rse th e a n swe r always is, we ll, but

ss PRISON lifE

November 1996

we lfa re mother who's got fou r c h ildre n
and clocsn 't want to put the m out to child
ca re. So m cbo d y's go ing to put a
computer in he r ho me and teach he r how
to e nter data and telecommute. Because
that's th e only way they're going to get
the people to do the job.
But the im portan t thin g is t h at the
transition will start the day I' m e lected. It
won 't start the day the bill is passed tl1at
re peals th e in co me tax and all of tl1 ese
o the r tl1ings. That may be a year la ter. But
the re' ll be a yea r for th e eco no my to
adjust to what is coming . Because the
future always gets pulled into the present
in bus iness, b eca u se yo u a rc a lways
looking a h ead to wha t you h ave to do
next year. The price o f the stock doesn ' t
re n ect th e co mp any's va lue to d ay, it
re fl e c ts th e a nticipated va lu e of th e
company a year away. Business people are
always tl1 inking a year in advance.
The point is th at the transition wi ll take
place in the private sector and not under
govern me nt super vision , so it wi ll be
natural and right. T he re will be jobs for
everybody. How o ld are you, incidentally?
RS: Fifty.
HB: Fifty. Well, that's a little young. In the
1950s we n eve r eve n u se d th e wo rd
'\velfare" in conversation because welfare
was just churches, ch arities, service clubs
and foun dations and so on . Welfare was
some little cleparU11ent in tl1e back of city
ha ll that took care o f some liLLie th ings
that nobody really knew, j ust occasionally
a n indigent or some body. T he re wasn 't

conspire against those people ever getting
off o f welfare, because they' re going to
have to ta ke a 30 o r 40 p e rce n t loss in
take-ho me pay if they go ou t and ge t a
job. o more food stamps, no more tl1 is,
n o more tha t. So everythi ng is working
against them ever getting off of welfare.
And so we have a perman ent welfare class
that the government has to take care of.
T he governm cm is good a t one thing,
and tl1at is: it knows how to cripple you
and the n hand you a crutch and say, "See,
yo u co u lcln ' t walk if it we re n ' t for th e
government." It's clone it in eve rything.
It's run up the price of healtl1 care a nd
t h en sai d to old peop le, "Wit h out
Medicare you 'd be dying in the streets."
It's run u p the p rice of education a nd
the n says to young peop le, "If it weren 't
for stu d e nt loa n s yo u co u ld n ' t go to
college." And then of course it's created
d1is welfare class and said if it wcre n ' t for
government these people would be living
in tl1e s treeL~.
RS: I like you r poin t about how the
governm ent takes th e money away from
us in taxes and d1en they dole it back o ut
like a n allowance to kids. T hey u·eat the
citizens like they' re kids who need to be
looked after.
HB: Dysfun c ti o nal childre n. Tha t's us.
[la ughs]
RS: When really they' re d1c ones who are
dysfunctional. I mean, whe n I tl1ink of Bill
C li nton running my life, it's sca ry. Bill
and Hillary.
HB: Ah, yes. Those moral autl10rities. ~

PRIZES
1st Prize-$250 and 2 subscriptions
to Prison Life.
2nd Prize-$1 SO and 2 subscriptions
to Prison Life.
3rd Prize-$50 and 2 subscriptions to
Prison Life.

CATEGORIES
WRITING:
Fiction-short stories or excerpts from
longer works; limit 20 pages.
Nonfiction-essays, memoirs or articles; limit 20 pages.
Poetry-limit 2 poems, 5 pages.
Drama-excerpts from plays or screenplays, limit 30 pages.

VISUAL ARTS:
Paintings, drawings, collage, sculpture, photos-any medium.

";.1.;~:~;~~,..'<!:~

Contest Rules: En tries acce pted on ly from incarcerated contestants. YOU MUST BE IN jAJL OR IN PRISON
TO ENTER T HIS CO NTEST. Man uscri pts must be
typewriue n o r legibly handwriue n in Engl ish. arne,
priso n ID numbe r, name and add r ess of institution
must be o n fro nt page of a ll entries. Con testants may
submit on ly one entr)' in each category. Entries will not
be re turned un less accompan ied by a self-addressed,
stamped envelope. Only unpublished manuscripts and
art will be considered, with th e exceptio n of pieces that
h ave appeared in prison publicati o n s. All e ntries
beco m e the proper ty of Prison Life, and th e winne rs wi ll
be published in Prison Life m agazine. Send e ntries to Art
Behin d Bars Contest, PLM, P.O. Box 537, Stone Ridge,
NY 12484.

Contest Deadline: December 31, 1996.

"One of the finest
achievements of prison
literature, and, indeed,
of that much larger body of
literature about criminals."
- H. Bruce Franklin
Prison Literature in America

"In No Beast So Fierce,
readers will be able to
discover urgent truths
about crime and punishment
-and therefore about our
ultimate concern with freedom
-set down by a vigorous
and important writer."
-William Styron,
from the introduction to
No Beast So Fierce

on th

.·

THREE NEW BOOKS E X PLORE
THE POLITICS OF CR IME AND PUNISHMENT IN AMERICA
DOG EAT DOG
Edward Bunke r
St. Manin 's Press
$22.95, ISBN 0-312-1 434-1
Reviewed by Ann Nocenti
TOUGH LOVE
Mad Dog McCain, a wife-slaughte rin g
c hild-murde ring thieving racist sexist
co ke-fiend maniac, acts as if he 's got a
hotwire rigged to his brain. And he'll stab
you just for no ticing. Big Diesel Carson is
sel!~escribed as "a two hundred and fifty
pound grizzly bear arm ed to the teeth," a
mob con tract man with a preference fo r
swee t, clean, in-and-out j obs such as
a rso n . Topping thi s ga n g is Tro y
Came ron, a di sta nt, cool m aste rmind
who feels th e d aggers were sunk dee p
into the heart of God way before he was
born, and that means all bets are off, the
world itself is up fot· grabs.
Imagine tossing th ese three-a shortfu sed g re n ad e, a n M-80, a nd a s low
ticking de to na to r- into a cocktail, a nd
you're o n the road, DOG EAT DOG
style. Com plex a n d hard-hi tting, Eddie
Bunke r's n ew novel chronicles three exconvicts as th ey e nte r a wo rld a lie n to
th em: civi lian life. All thr ee n ewly
re leased from long stin ts, they hook up
to d o a few m ajor sco r es; h o n o r a ble
boosts by thieves' sta nda rds. They on ly
r ip-off sc um worse th a n th e mse lves:
pimps, do pe dealers, wannabe gangsters,
a nd o ther "assh o les wh o can' t ye ll
copper."
The geni us of Edward Bun ker is that
h e no t only rockets you along on a great
breakneck roll e r-coaste r o f a c rim e
n ove l, but lead s yo u to the sta rtling
discovery th a t o ut of the lives o f such
h ard-ass criminals rises a transcenden tal,
co mpassionate love story, depicting a
kind of love unique to criminals. Diesel
would follow his main ma n Troy through
he ll for a good sco re. Or as Mad Dog,
th e uniqu e wh o rl s o f h is cr uel
fin gerprints forever sta ined in dr ie d
b lood, says to h is crime pal, "You' re the
o nl y re al friend I got in the wh o le
fuckin ' world."
Seamlessly woven into this tale of love
a nd robbe ry is the awake ning political
consciousness o f the thieves the mselves,
a n understanding th at they may be hotheaded kamikaze missiles, but someon e

e lse b u ilt the rocket la un che r. Bunke r
has taken h is own unde rstand ing o f the
u nred e m ptive c rimin al an d crafted it
into a modern odyssey--one that forces
th e reader in to the revelati on that until
the lowest of c riminals can lind h is way
out o f th e darkness, we all have a hand
in his executio n . This is wh e n you begin
to get the sense you are on new terrain;
new to your life, new to crime fiction.
Th e Amer ica n pri son sys t e m is a
wak in g ni g htm a r e thi s co untr y's
populace is sti ll naive e nough to dream
they can keep h idden behind h igh walls.
As Troy d esc ribes Pe li can Bay, a lovely
high-tech prison that's added lasers, stun
be l L~. and Tho razine to the usual round
of bars a nd barbed wire : "It 's
unbe lievable. They inoculate 'em with
h a te. They're makin ' m o n st e rs up
the re ... a nd the n they turn 'em loose on
th e pub lic. It's like th ey' r e g r ow in g
ma niacs in hotho uses." Bunker's portrait
o f prison has it ove rflowing with a new
type o f ma n , so redundant b ecause of
the fast track t h a t ge ts t h e m there:
Gh etto born to unwed mothe r, absen t
fathe r, life in the projects on welfare, or
in a n o rph a nage and juve n il e h a ll ,
failure at school, early ar rest for so me
for m of d e linq u e n cy, a s t i nt in a
militaristic reform school, a few mo re
arrests a nd anothe r boy's fate is sealedset in th e ston es of the prison syste m,
th at luk ewarm bath of r eso undin g
b oredom , s prinkle d with th e sadi sm
inherent to a ny man p utting an o ther in
a cage. And now tha t ed ucation
programs are a bolish ed , th e re 's n o way
out, no way to ch ange yourself or get off
the ho tline to he ll.
In DOG EAT DOG, Troy alo n e h as
m a n age d to read a nd self-e ducate in
priso n , but o n ly because he had a few
years in an uppe r-class home, born to a
wealt h y do c tor a nd hi s H o m eco mi ng
Queen bride. Inside th e picket fence of
th is idyllic subu rban life was actually a
wife-beating alco h o lic fathe r, wh o Troy
even tu ally sh ot. T h e mothe r be traye d
the son by d enyi ng the a buse, thrusting
Troy on to the fast-track usually reserved
for the dirt poor. Early "psych " profiles
la be led him a socio p a th . H e was
diffe re nt from everyone else in reform
sc hool, and ostracized as a "bad boy"
wh e n h e came o ut. Troy's vorac io u s

read ing (like Bunker's own expe ri ence)
almost saved him. But unlike Bunker,
Troy stopped sh ort of articulating his
rage; he never picked up a pen. Instead,
he for med a b itter philosophy to live by,
based in a n und e rstanding th at th e
Christian myth of forg iveness an d
rede mptio n was bullshit, a nd that the excon, if h e was lucky, was doomed to
men ial labor. Troy took his cues from
the na tura l world and made a choice to
become "a predatory leopa rd" in a world
of "domestic ho use cats." U ltimately, h e
bo r rowed from o n e of the l iterary
classics of Dostoevsky: "If t h ere is n o
God, tJ1en all tJ1ings are permissible."
The hotJine to crimi nal life was quick
work for Mad D og, as hi s mot h e r
to r tured him from chi ldh ood into
p remature madness. At the core of Mad
Dog's self-loathing is his earliest memory
o f his mo tJ1er u·ying to drown h im in a
bathlllb. Born into a cradle robbed of
love, his ea rly tormen ts gave him a n
unquencha ble taste fo r blood. Mad Dog
exploi ts his own madness, enjoying the
wide berth o ther humans give him. In
Mad Dog logic: "a little paranoia is a
val uable tool in the land of the snakes."
A few minutes in Mad Dog's brain and
you' ll stan packing yourself.
for
D iese l,
a
Christ ia n
As
indoctrin a tion sealed his fate; "Th em
n uns got m y ass righ t from t h e
start. .. plan ted it so deep, I can 't get it out
no matter what." Stuck in a cycle of crime
a nd guilt, after a few months in the free
world, Diesel h as a moment in the su n,
th inking to h imself that he's "outgrown "
j ail, con te nt as he is in his picket fe nce
life with a son an d a wife he lusts after
when he isn't ha ting her for her nagging.
Gloria's so-called "nagging," by the way,
involves legitimate questions like, "How
many days will you be gone, dear?" and
''Why are you packing your a rsenal tJ1is
morn ing, hon ey?"
T h ese t hree are fresh f r o m t h at
mo ment all ex-cons know: standing with
your Greyhound ticket, your pissant gate
money, marked by blue India ink tattoos
and prison issue sh oes, standing poised
before civilian life, a dim ly rem embe red
thing, about to enter a world wh ere a ll
despise you, fea r you, and ach e to slam
you back into the cage, wrapped neatly
in a stone b ox and ti ed up in barbed
No\'cmber 1996 PBISOM

UIE

61

wire bows. On the spaciness of re-entry,
Bunker chooses a few brilliant details to
place yo u ri ght there on that a li e n
landscape. Feel Tr oy's discomfort when
h e r eali zes his last decade in close
proximity to a toi let h as r e laxed his
abilities of restraint. O r wal k with the excon as he steps onto soft carpet after ten
years of o nl y kn owin g cold, bare
concrete floors. Anoth er released man
notices that e ntir e skylin es a nd
landscapes have changed, cities spro uted
- and on a class note, whereas when he
went in, the ri ch drove Cadillacs and the
poo r Fo rds, h e now sees th e ric h are
driven in lim os and the poor push
market carts. Instead of the o ld and
indi ge nt panhand ling, it is now t h e
young an d Black.
Bunke r's prose puts o n e righ t in th e
skin of the ex-convic t, and once we're
there m akes us squirm . But there is

eve n a score, goes foul, that the gang
begins a spiral in to ch aos. For looming SMOKE & MIRRORS:
over them is awaren ess of the three The War on Drugs and the Politics of
strikes law; an idiotic ruling that turns all Failure
crime- writing a bad check, shoplifting, Dan Baum
credit card scam , all cri me no matter Little Brown
how small a nd non-vio lent into an $24.95 ISBN 0-316-08412-3
offense that carries a mandator y life
sentence. Pa intin g ang r y m e n into and
corners has never been a good idea. The SEARCH & DESTROY
only guarantee three strikes g ives th e J erome Miller
populace it's supposed to protect is that Cambridge U niversity Press
there will be excess civilian death. And $24.95 ISBN 0-521-46021-2
when t h e cops close in , there is n o Reviewed by Michelle Stoddard
c h o ice but freefall. Hold on tight,
because Bunker doesn't let up t ill the TIME OUT OF MIND
Dan Baum cond u cted over 200
dog eat dog end.
To anyone out the re sick of the bullshit interviews with people involved in the
th at pours out o f the mouths of massive tra n sformatio n of American
politicians, the media, "authorities," society brought about by the War on
"experts" and other demagogues when Drugs. The book opens with d e pictions
they talk of crime and prisons, DOG EAT of Democratic and Republican responses
to the 1967 riots in the cities an d
chronicles the c hanges in gove rnment
policy over th e past three decades. Its
great usefulness is that it p rovides muchneeded historical perspective o n what
Baum calls the "lu nacy" of current policy.
The riots, the econo mic plight o f the
in ner cities, and the growing resistance to
the war in Vietnam led Lyndon Johnson
to f und two n ew law e n forcemen t
DOG is a must r ead . To anyone who agencies. The issue of crime, magnified
unde rstands that "power" has become by the bright ligh t of television , rapidly
deva l u e d to mean just a n y re ign in g became a n indispe n sable weapon in
authority, be it an a bsent father, a cop, a electoral cam paigns and in th e imageguard, a politician, a ll t h e various s h api n g of can di dates. In 1967 ,
manifestations of "the man," DOG EAT prominent Democratic policy-makers still
thoug h t t h at "warring o n poverty,
DOG is a familiar song.
Anyone h alf-awake in the last two inadequate housing, and unemployment
d ecades must have n oticed that, since is warring on crime." Ri chard Nixon's
sla ve ry times certa in ly, but most "law an d order" platfo rm in the 1968
obv io u sly in the 8 0 's Reagan era, a presidential campaign was a calculated
certain class of p eo pl e have b ee n Republican effort to discredit this "root
d eemed worthless and syste m atically cau ses" argument, a public re lations
ghettoized a nd incarcerated. To a man weapon so stu nni ngly effective that, 30
o r woman wit h a prison record, th e years late r, it co ntinu es to ann h ila te
n otio n of redemption h as become as mean ingfu l debate a nd a chance of
dis tant a piece of bullshi t as heaven fi ndin g soluti o ns to Am erica's soc ial
i tse lf. A la rge percentage of this problems. At the time, it was one aspect
'worthless' class wi ll be re leased onto th e of the Re publican's Sou thern Strategy to
civilian populace, and a h ard rain o f bring the Dixiecrats over to the party by
human bombs is gonna fall.
advancing an image of the cities an d the
Bunker's DOG EAT DOG is in a sense African Americans l iving in t h em as
b eyond li te rature, as at its core is a n pathological. I n a co nc erted way, as
impassioned moral force, a n unspoke n Baum describes it, campaign committees
p lea for th e compassionate notion that and the media provoked a nd sha ped the
hum a nity starts wit h th e crim inal. If fears and rese ntmen ts of suburban a nd
people o pened th eir minds to forgiving working class whites. Beneath the shadow
the lowest of men, it would open up the of an increasingly large a nd destructive
whol e notion of hum a nity. But engage m ent of American soldiers in
forgiveness is a ha rd lesson , a nd as Troy Vietnam, the Republicans chose c rime
c ri es out, t r ying to exp la in hi s own as a substitute inflammatory campaign
criminal mind: "What the fuck can you issue which would resona te con servative
expect after twelve years in the garbage Americans' views of hippies, radicals and
ca n ?" An d Diesel, speaki ng about t h e Blacks.
world he sees: "Wh e n it's all fucked up,
Ba um so·esses that until the Crime Bill
that's when we fit in. "
of 1968, the federal govern me nt played

A few rninutes in Mad
Cag,s brain and yau,ll
start packing yourself.
n othing cavalie r to Bunker's inte nt-he
wants his reader to be unco mfortable,
fo r b eyo nd t his discomfort li es
understandin g .
His
c h aracte r s'
conversations a r e peppered with a
practical, matter-of-fact racism. "Niggers"
ar e blamed for everything. On gun-<:razy
Blacks: "They th ink ki lling makes the
man. Just ig norant-ass niggers, all they
know h ow to do is sell dope a nd hurt
peo ple. They learn that sh it from the
TV. " But hi s "rac ism " is ac tu a ll y a
comp lex compassion , as the white
co nvicts Bunke r wr ites abo u t fi nd
themselves torn between a fearful hatred
and a n uneasy ca marade rie with t he ir
Black brothers. "They can't write laws
that say fo r n igge rs only, ca n th ey?"
Besides, now "a nybody with a record
automa tically becomes a nigge r. "
We follow Troy, Diesel, and Mad Dog
through a series of harrowing heists that
lead us to one last score arranged in a
Mexican prison. T hat prison is La Mesa, a
TUuana j oint where you can buy yourself
a better cell, and eigh ty grand gets you
th e penthouse. A priso n that m ay be a
shitho le , but it ' s a shithole lV it h a n
e nl ightened philosoph y; they have th e
iro nic understand ing that incarceration
is enough punishme nt, and beyond that,
you are a ll owed to remai n a human
being. A prisone r can have his wife visit,
run a business, get "ahead" in life , and
actually be prepared to re enter society.
It's whe n this last gig, a kidnappi ng to
62 PRISON

lifE Novcmbez· 1996

on ly a ve r y minim a l ro le in drug
en fo rce m e nt. America ns fea red be ing
robbed and mugged most but these were
loca l c rim es over whi c h th e fede r al
gove rnm e nt had no j u risdiction.
Declaring drugs, which crossed borde rs,
respo nsible for crime became the means
of asserting fed e ral jurisdiction, laying
the foundation for vast in crea cs in the
fed e ral law e nfo rcement budge t. In an
all too fam iliar way, the "law and order"
pla tform pushed Preside ntjohnson a nd
lawmakers to repudiate libe ral posi tions.
The Crime Bill was push ed through.
As budge ts in c r ease d , so did
expe rime ntation with law e nforce me nt
techniqu es: wiretaps, "no-knock" laws,
preve n Live dete ntion , va ria tions of 3s trik es laws, u ri n e-testing, and
forfe iture-most of which beca me law.
Until th e la te 1960s, drug usc was not
see n as sig nifi ca nt even as a public
h ea lth problem , much l ess as a law
e nforc e m e nt probl e m , desp ite th e
ravages wrought by h e ro in in minority
co mmunities . A key inn ova ti o n was
m edia ide ntification of marijuana with
her o in. Po t , s mok ed by million s of
Americans, was sudde nly seen as leading
directly to h e ro in use, a nd h e ro in was
the ca use of c rim e. De b a te on th ese
e m e r g ing "c ri ses" was still wide an d
publi c policies were in a state of flu x.
Baum sh ows th e openness in the mass
m e dia a nd the public leg itim acy of
organizatio ns such as 10RML, founded
to lega li ze m a riju ana in 1970. But
disquie ting signs a bounded. A 60 Minutes
poll of Americans e licited the opinio n
that th e government sh o uld be able to
curta il the Bill of Rights in th e form of
ce n so ring unfavora bl e n ev1s st ories,
elimina ting demonstrations and abusing
th e rights o f suspects, leading Attorney
General J o hn Mitche ll to re mark tha t
"Am e ricans don ' t like th e Constitution."
The pe riod was ma r ked by a d ramatic
c ha nge in e lectio neering tactics an d in
Ame rican political cul ture as candidates
from both pa rties bega n upping th e ante
with wi ld figures o n th e costs of crime .
Meanwhile th e law enforcement budge t
( minusc u le by t o d ay's s ta nd a rd s)
increased twelve-fold in five )'Cars.
A qu a rter ce ntur y ago, a co mpl ex
burea ucra ti c a rc h itecture cr ystallized,
consistin g of a reinfo r ced exec utive
bran ch , legislato rs, pa rty officials a nd
h andlers, multiple execu ti ve law
e nforce m e nt age n c ies with n e w
re la ti ons hips to s tate a nd lo ca l
a uth oriti es, m edia conglo me rates a nd
persona l ities an d pol li ng firm s,
co n se rvat ive fou nd atio n s a nd think
ta nks, unive rsity researche rs, industr y
assoc ia tio ns and lobbying firms, and a
more conservative Supre m e Court and
judicia r y. Within this interlockin g and

By the early 1 80s 1
though crime rates
\Nere already dropping 1
the nightly ne\Ns
•
claimed cr1me
\Nas an
''epidemic 11 and ''the
biggest threat to our
national security. 11
mutu ally-reinforcing a rchitec ture, the informers, plea barga ini ng, th e
rewards, both ma te rial and symbo lic, d ismantling of civil rights a nd monstrous
we re e n o rmous, and the san ctions for levels of incarceration for low level drug
not playing the game severe. Once this offen ses-Ba um sing les o ut forfeiture
fo rmi dable machine was put in pl ace, and governme nt confiscation of citizens'
the re was little liberals could do to stop prope rty as th e cog in the c rimin a l
it. Mo reo ve r, Baum sa ys, their own justice machine which has converted the
nearsig h tedness on issues suc h as the rise war on drugs into "one of th e top growth
of cocaine a nd pot use by children left industri es in th e SO's and 90's." The
th e m open to conde mn a ti o n , sca ndal seizure of citize ns ' assets is a cash cow
a nd po pula r repudiation . The Wa r on ploug hin g h uge sums b ac k into law
Drugs was a sh otgun blast which could enforce me nt and prison construction a t
ta ke o ut multip le ta rgets-th e oth e r a tim e wh e n governme nt soc ia l
political party, the poor, minorities, the prog rams a re b e in g sys t e mati ca ll y
Left.
g utted. And 80 percent of the citizens
The cr imi nal justice system c ha nged whose asse ts are se ized a r e ne ve r
profo undly. By th e ea rly '80s, th ough cha rged with a crime.
crim e rates were already dro pping, the
Througho ut Smoke a nd Mirrors,
nightly news claim ed c rim e was an Ba um d etails egregious assaults o n the
"e pide mic" and "th e bigges t threat to life and li berty of Ame rican citizens: the
judge who balked at th e se nte nces he
our na tional security."
Under Reagan, all these chi cke ns came m e ted out t o 2,500 people , thr ee
home to roost. "Beefing up fede ral law qu a rte r s o f th e m Afri ca n Am e ri ca n ,
e nfo r ce m en t wasn ' t so mu c h a n impri so ned for less th a n a g ram of
exception to Reagan's sma ll governme nt cocaine each at a combined cost of $322
revolutio n as it was a facili tator of it. To millio n a year; the 25 years o f hard time
t h e ex t e nt th a t crimina ls co uld b e g ive n fo r $40 wo r t h of c rac k ; life
portrayed as a distin c t p o pul a t io n of se nte n ces for p o t; the fra min g and
inhe re ntly bad individuals, the easier it shooting of a ran c h er whose property
would be to ju stify c uttin g th e social was a desirable asset.
Smoke and Mirrors is a necessary and
progra ms Reagan wanted eliminated or
d imin ished." An y va ri a nt o f a "roo t access ible c hro n o logical r eview of th e
ca u ses" arg um e nt-unempl oymen t, policies which have brought the federal
poverty, lack of education or fami ly and gove rnm e nt into e ve r y as p ec t of
co mmunity supp ort-was viewe d with Ameri can life, converting whole sectors
ridicule an d d erision a nd denounced as of American socie ty into a bra nch of the
grossly insensitive to tl1e vic tims of crime. state a nd putting people by the millions
Ve n ge fu l m eas ures calling for th e in priso n under conditions calculated to
te rmina tio n o f re habilitation programs destroy their self-esteem, their future life
fi lled th e void. Politicia ns claimed tl1 ey prospec ts, and their sa nity. It is a lso a
were r espond ing to th e d esires of so ber-mi nded a ppeal to co mpre hend
citizens by p assing "to ug h " laws while and hopefully dismantle the a rchitecture
e liminating due process for the accused. a nd reward syste m sustaining c rimin al
Despite this, law e nforcement did a nd justice as an ind usu-y o n the o n e ha nd
still does liule to assist th e vic tims of and a "luna tic" form of social po licy on
th e other. Th e boo k is a ca r e full y
crimes.
Of the many destructive aspects of tl1e foo tno ted and indexed map of the inne r
drug war-in addition to swee ps, use o f la ndsca pe of our n a ti onal ni ghtm a re.
Novcm bco· 1996 PRISON

llff

63

The outcorne for the
African-Arnerican
population in the U.S.obvious to anyone who
•
has ever set foot 1n a
visiting roorn or been
incarcerated-is
practically invisible to
Arne rica at large.
Bawn 's subtitle, 'The War on Drugs and
the Po litics of Fa ilure," in sum , might
actually be misstated. He brings home in
no un certain t e rm s t h at for a
co nsiderab le segme nt of th is country's
elites, this war is a blinding success.
A diffe r e nt kind of book , e qu a ll y
essential, but one which homes in on the
dru g wa r fro m a d iffere nt ang le is
J erome Mill e r 's Search and Destroy:
African-1\me·rican Males in the CTirninal
justice System. Preside nt and fo unde r of
the a tio nal Center on Institutions a nd
Alte rnatives, Mill e r worke d fo r seve ral
decad es as a commissioner of family and
youth services in seve ral sta tes and as a
court-appointed m o nitor of ja ils and
prisons in Florida. His basic pre mise is
bluntl y sta te d an d r e info r ced b y the
sys te mati c u se of empirica l s tudi es .
"Despite its pre tension, modern criminal
justice is no more about c rime control
than it is about re habilitatio n. Nor is it
about deterre n ce. None of that matte rs."
The war o n c rim e is about manag in g
unruly g roups wh o a re di sad va ntaged
a nd excluded by the operation of both
economy and poli ty. T he war on drugs
in the U.S. is "racia lized socia l policy"
and th e numbe rs say it a ll. AFDC, the
we lfa r e prog ram ju st e limin ated b y
Clinton, cost the government about $25
b illio n. In 1993, th e drug war cost $30
billion . At presen t the syste m is spending
more th a n $200 billion to fig ht crim e.
Mille r directly confronts the prevail ing
ass umpti o n trumpeted by m e d ia, law
e n fo rcement, an d po liticians of a ll
stripes that Bl ack Amer ica n s are
incarcerated at highe r rates because they
just h a ppe n to commit more vio le nt
cr im es a nd use mor e dru gs. H e
c hall e n ges t his ass ump tion o n two
gro und s, u sin g a range of studi es to
substa ntiate his cla ims. H e sh ows th e
64 PRISON

Lllf

November 1996

rapid r ise o f activiti es and b e haviors
(such as drug use) wh ich are defined by
the system as "criminal" and the degree
to which those activities are e ngaged in
by huge sec tors o f the populatio n. In
additio n, Miller observes, th e crimes fo r
wh ich most people are incarcerated are
usually non-vio le nt, with m o to r vehicle
violatio ns, DWI, ca r the fts, shop-lifting,
pe tty larceny, public disturbances, drug
possessio n a nd drug selling topping the
li st. He a lso shows that th e legal
de finition of a "vio lent" crime has been
exte nded to such a d egree that in 68%
of crimes classified as vio le nt, th ere was
no physical injur y to th e victim. The
gam e played within th e system be tween
fe lony c h a rges a nd misde m ea n o rs is
such that of 400 ,000 a rr es t s for
aggravated assau lt, o nly 54,000 resulted
in a felony conviction. Yet in the Un ited
States, a nd o nly here, crime statistics a re
based on arrests, not on convictio ns, so
a n in crease in po lice ac tivity-m ore
a rrests-can be made to seem like more
crime, just as a d ecline in crime is often
attribute d to increased po lice presence
even wh en the two are u nrelated. Most
people in prison are the re fo r offe nses
against pro pe rty. Some 60% of all people
in prison are the re for non-viole nt drug
relate d offe nses.
Th o u g h thi s situatio n affects
Hispanics, Asians a nd wh ites, a nd th e
poor in ge n e ral in dra matic ways, the
fu n c tionin g o f the c rimina l justice
juggern aut affects African-Ame rica ns in
specia l ways.
In M iller's view, th e crim ina l justice
system has been the major contributor to
th e brea kdown o f inner c ity
co mmun ities, in particul a r the "socia l
disaster" of incredible magnitude whic h
as bee n visited on African-American men
and, throu g h t h em, on the e ntir e

co mmuni ty. Miller terms wh a t h as
happ e ned as a case of "iatroge nesis"the process by which social policy creates
and exace rbates th e very path o logies it
was formulated to eliminate. T his occurs
b eca u se the "crim e-co n tro l in du stry"
continually generates a new clien tele to
validate its existence a nd promotes th e
exponential ri se in t h e n u mbers o f
p o lice and co r rections personne l ,
burea u cra ts, as we ll as a r rests,
co nvictions, prison cells. T his dynamic
preclud es effo rts dir ected toward
re ha bilitation and a lterna te settings a nd
ways fo r dealing wi th crime.
I n add ition to the eros ion of c ivil
lib ertie s a nd b as ic protection th is
re presents, Miller evo kes the devastation
and despair spreadi ng to whole areas of
the countr y. Once again in American
histo ry, racism does no t just permeate
th e crimi n a l justice syste m but is the
fulcrum around which the whole logic of
the syste m turns. The Wa r on Drugs is
itself a "crimin ogen ic interve n t ion "
because it virtually assures rearrest a nd
inca rceration for lo nger pe ri ods. The
processin g of a juven ile throug h the
sys t e m-from th e tr ea tm e nt by th e
po lice; the cond it ions a nd le n g th of
preu·ial detention; cha rges wh ich d ictate
stiff penalti es for sma ll offenses;
escalation of charges in the prosecutor 's
a nti cipation that th ey will be bargained
d own; th e no n-narrative character of the
po lice report a n d legal reco rds which
d o n 't incl ud e info rmatio n o n fa mil y,
educatio n, mi tigating circumstances yet
b eco m e a p ermane n t rap sheet;
elimina tion of th e right to trial and the
absu rdit ies of plea barga ini n g; t h e
imbalance in legal representation; the
choice of incarceration over supervision;
t h e adversa ri al position of paro le and
p robatio n officers- invo lves racial b ias at
eac h poin t. As released p r iso n ers are
ac ute ly aware, th e process stac ks the
d ec k in sig nifi can t ways, m ost
importa n tl y by e limin at ing jo b
possibili ties. The me re fact of h aving
been charged , even with out a conviction,
p e rm a n en tl y al t e r s e mp loyment,
eel uca ti onal a nd cred it o ppo rtuni ties.
This, wh en t here a r e now some 50
million crimin a l records ke pt among a
p o pul atio n of 130 m ill io n American
me n. Ano ther crime causing a nti-crime
m easu r e is t h e widespread use of
snitches and the reduction of cha rges in
re turn for ra ttin g, wh ic h co m p le tely
d estroys social relations and provokes a
violent settling of accoun ts.
The o utcome for the African-American
p opu lation in t h e U .S. -obvio us to
anyone who has ever set foot in a visiti ng
room or bee n in carcerate d -is
p ractically invisible to Am erica at la rge.
Miller asks why th ese pu nitive attitudes

with their man ifestly counterpro d uc tive
effects, have come to do m inate Ame rica
in th e 90s. A Scandi navia n observer in
1930s Ge r many lin ke d the e me rgence of
these "pu n i t ive inclinat io ns" t o th e
economic insecuriti es of a midd le class
whose fortu nes are declini ng for reasons
they can no lo nger make se nse of. Mi ller
a lso examines th e profou nd innuc n ce
on cu r r e nt poli cy and po liti cs of
genetics-based arguments a bout th e
sources of crime in race , "breeding," and
D 'A . H e d esc r ib es the p resen t a n d
future use of "manage rial" techniques in
in carce ra tion. These bring the a u thor
d irectly to th e p redictio n that ver y soon
America will be covered with supe rm<Lx
p r iso n s an d inte r n m e nt cam p s
employing ho r rific pu n itive techno logies
to co n tro l tho se li ving in s id e while
marke ting the vital o rga ns o f the many
prisone rs who a re con demn ed to d ie.
Mille r is "gloomy" over tl1e prospects of
the su 1·viva l of any se mbl a n ce of
American d e mocracy g ive n th e present
s pread of tota litar ian form s of socia l
fact
that the se
c o n tro l. The
deve lopments are extreme ly profitable
to a growing nu mber of crime co ntro l
co r po rations makes them d iffic u lt to
b lock or reverse. Mi ller concl ud es with
three pages of concre te p ro posals which
h e t h in ks co u ld slow th e process of
re n d eri n g who le seg m e nts or a

po pulation "disposable."
The gene ra l public has little awareness
of h o w t h e c urren t crim ina l j us ti ce
pa radigm acwa lly operates. T hese two
books offer a nalyses a nd remedies. Bo th
see tl1 e politician s use of the crime issue
as a case of "bait a nd switch " away fro m
socia l pro bl e m s, a n d suggest th a t
d e ma n d s for re t r ibu t io n a re n ot
g rounded in a realistic understand ing of
the broade r causes a nd effects of crime.
The nu mbe rs make no di ffere nce. The
in te nse iden tifi cation with defe nseless
victims on TV a nd the fron t page are not
ve r y e ffec tive ly co n te ste d wit h subtle
a rguments abo ut Ame rica n histo r y o r
the use of statistics. e ither author tries
to ex pl a in t h e fie rce e m otio n a l
attac h ment ma ny Americans have to
no tions of re trib utio n and reve nge, a n
auach me n t whi ch lead s to deman ds fo r
ha rsh puni tive measu res, no ma tter what
the con equences.
Emotio nal appeals and investm e nt in
the plig ht (or success) of a n ind ivid ua l
vic t im (o r cc le b r ity) -as an y publi c
re lations expert kn ows-funne ls and
sh a pes sympa thy and resentm e nts (or
hope ) . Mos t people wo uld agree that
education p ushes people to sort out a nd
cl a r ify their p e rson a l expe r ien ces, a
co nd i t io n for r e hab ilitation. But
co n fro n te d wi th t h e d ism a n t li n g of
sc hools and th e huge increases in th e

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cost of educa tio n, many people outside
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Both books, vitally important in what
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0\·cm ber 1996 PRISON

Uff 65

IN- HOUSE COUNSEL

REPEAL THE DRUG LAWS
AND RELEASE THE PRISONERS
OF THE DRUG WAR-unless you'd rath er do the time.
by Michael L. Montalvo, Drug War P.O.W.

rug War prisoners must face the
fact that the cour ts are not going
to give re lief, and Lhat repeal of
drug laws may be lhe only way home. If
a mere six percent of the 1. 6 million
priso ne rs or two perce n t of th e tota l
numbe r or peo ple un der justice system
co mro l get the ir family a nd frie nds to
register to vote-and to call candidates,
to demand repeal of these vicious a nd
wasteful laws- we could b ring our drug
war prisoners home. Public protest and
vo te r m a nd ate ende d th e ill ega l
Vie t nam wa r a nd ca n a lso end thi s
illegal drug war. T h is e lection year may
be the best op portunity to force th e
legislators and candidates to liste n.

D

THE FACTS
The extremely addi ctive drugs that
cost society most in terms of human lives
a re legal. These d r ugs are not seized ,
a nd the manufacturers a nd traffickers
are not p rosecuted or incarcerated. T he
ingestion of tobacco, perhaps th e most
ad d ictive d rug-licit or illicit-curre ntly
ava ilab le, ki lls ap prox imately 425,000
people per year. The drinking of alcohol
ki l ls about 100, 000. But instea d of
loc king people in cages, at enormous
expe nse to taxpayers, for possessio n o r
u se o f e ith e r of t h ese d ea d ly and
addictive drugs, we offer cou nseling a nd
tr ea tm e nt. Th e re is no sin o r sh a m e
attac h ed to see kin g h e lp to end o n e's
addiction to alcohol or tobacco.
About 180,000 people d ie eac h year
from ingestion of perscription drugs.
According to the Substance Abuse and
Mental H ea lth Ad mini st rat io n 's
sa mp lin g o f 43 m e tr o p o li ta n a r ea
hospitals, a total of a bou t 8,500 people
die eac h year from taking illegal drugs.
Do the math: Death s from tobacco,
alcoho l, and legall y presc ribed drugs
equals 705,000. Deaths from all illigal
dr ugs combin ed eq u als 8,500. There
h ave b ee n n o repo rted deaths fr om
ingesti on of marijuana, yet more than
eig ht mi l lion people h ave been

66

PRISON lifE

NO\·cmbcr 1996

processed through the justice system ,
prosecuted, and often incarcerated and
g ive n criminal records for possession o r
sale of this substance.
The numb er of d eaths a nd injuries
from all illegal drugs is about th e sam e
each year as the numbe r o f deaths a nd
injuries from household accidents.
According to a preliminary re p ort
released by the FBI , e rious real crime
fell in 1995 for a fourth straight yea r.
Re ported in cidents of crime overa ll fell
by 2 percent last year compared to 1994's
statistics. Vio lent crime dropped by 4
percent (USA TODAY, .June 5, J996).
Th e 60 p e r cen t i n c r ease i n prosecu tio ns a nd incarcera tions across the
country is due to drug prohibition-a
reminder o f the 1919 to 1933 alcoho l
prohibition era whic h had hi g h
numbers of arrests, incarcerations, an d
fo rfe itu r es a nd which r es u l ted in
frequent ga ng la nd vio le n ce ge ne rated
by co mp e t i t ion, hi g h b lack m a r ke t
prices, and turf wars. Wh e n the laws
we re repealed, the vio lence and crime
associa ted with alco h o l prohibition
dropped to zero.
PROMINENT PEOPLE AND

ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR
REPEAL OF DRUG lAWS
The drug laws have completely failed
to ha ndle the pe rceived drug proble m.
Scarcely a week goes b y in which a
lead in g co n se r vat ive econo mi st,
politician or medical profess ional
somew h e re d oes not pu b li s h a n ew
re port calling for the end of th e "Drug
War " a n d r e lease of the d r ug war
priso n ers. The sim ila riti es of the antiVietnam war pub lic protests in 1968
b efore the De m oc r at ic
at io n a l
Conven tion an d today 's anti-d rug wa r
o utc ri es are strong. Wh e n the public
and the voters started te lli ng ca nd idates
for office a nd c urre nt legislators to
"bring ou r men h ome from the war." it
took less th a n six years to e n d t h a t
illegal war. We are again in a n election

year, and there are again public protests
to end anothe r war and rewrn our men
and women to their fami lies.
On February 12, 1996, the headline in
the mos t prominent conservative
ma gaz i n e in the U n ited S ta tes, The
National Rroiew, boldly anno unced that
"The War o n Drugs is Lost." The writer
was none other than lhe Edito r-a t-La rge
and respected conse r va tive aut h or,
William F. Buckley, Jr. Mr. Buckley does
not write very kindl y about "liberals,"
b u t gathered seven prominent pe rso ns
to suppo rt his conser vative statement
that th e drug laws must be repea led:
Eth an A. Na d el m a n n, d irector or t h e
Li ndsm it h Ce nter, a drug po licy
re earch instilllte in New York City; Kun
Schmoke, mayor of Baltimore; joseph D.
Me ama ra, forme r ch ief of police in
San Jose, Cali forn ia, and Kansas City,
Missouri, c urrently a resea rch fellow at
the H oover In stitute; The Honorable
Robert W. Sweet, Federal distric t judge
in New Yo r k; Dr. Thom as Szasz,
De partme nt of Psyc hi atry of Syracuse
U ni versity, and Steven B. Duke ,
Professor of Law of Science and
Tech no logy at Yale Law School.
These seven prom inent writers
differed in methodology and analysis as
fa r as th e grounds fo r abo lis h ing t h e
drug laws, bu t there was no diffe rence
among them o n the primary findings:
(l) the drug wa r is not working, (2)crime
a nd suffe ring have greatly increased as a
result of pro hibition, (3)we have seen,
a n d are co unte n a n c ing, a creeping
a ttriti on of authen ti c civi l liberties,
(4)the direction in wh ich to head is
legalization, whatever mod ifications in
kind , s peed, and va r iety co mmend
themselves in study and practice. The
response to tl1is article in a conservative
magazin e cau sed Mr. Buc kley to write
another article on July l, 1996 entitled
"Is the War on Drugs Really Lost?'" The
bottom line was the same. Prohibitio n of
alcohol from 1919 to 1933 did not work.
It c reated o nl y waste an d corTup tion ,

th e same conditions curre ntly resu lting
fro m th e n ew ( 1970-1996) prohibition
and ongoing wa r on drugs.
ow dozens, if not hundreds, of local,
stale and nation al organizations advocate
a bo lishing drug laws, free ing drug war
prisone rs, and puLLing the money wasted
o n in carcera tio n into educa ti o n a nd
counseling, like we d o with a lco ho l a nd
toba cco a buse prob lem s. All groups
conde mn tl1c sale of drugs to mino rs, but
advocate th e taxation and legal sale of
m a r ijua na ,
coca in e,
h e r o in ,
methamphe tamin e, and othe r curre ntly
controlled substa nces. This wo uld wipe
out the black marke t, criminal gang turf
wars, dange ro u sly impure drugs, a nd
c rim es committed b y addi c ts see kin g
quic k cash to suppo rt th e ir expe n sive
drug ha bits. Educa tio nal instilll tio n s,
fro m d ay ca re ce nte rs to uni ve rsities,
could use some o f the money curre ntly
was ted on dru g pro hibition Lo teach
a b o ut th e ve t·y rea l d a n ge rs o f drug
a ddi c tion and a bo ut p e r so na l
respo nsibifity and cho ice in a free society.
TO ENCOURAGE FAMILY AND
FRIENDS TRADE THEIR VOTES FOR
YOUR FREEDOM
T he re are hundreds of local, stale and
n a ti o nal g roups fighting th e drug laws
(sec inse t p.66) . Ask your fa mil y a nd
frie nds to con tact and suppo rt the m in
m e re peal of the drug laws.
The Libertarian Party is o n the ballot
in every state, and part of the ir pla tform
is th e re p ea l o f dru g proh ib iti o n in
ord e r t o r edu ce c rim e a nd b lac k
ma rke tce ring . The Libe rtarian Party has
been gaining recognitio n a nd me mbers
ove r t h e yea rs beca use i ts p la tfo rm is
based o n common sense a nd individual
rig h ts a nd d oes no t ch a nge ever y year
li ke th e De m ocr a ti c and Re publi ca n
p la tfo rms d o . A Libe narian Preside nt,
Co n g r ess p e rso n o r Sen a t o r wo u ld
aggressively lo bby to repea l t h e drug
laws a nd release drug wa r POWS.
T he Libe rtarian Party Special Re po rt
states tha t th e Libe rta ri a ns wo uld e nd
"th e governm e nt's pr ice supp o rt
program for drug pushe rs ... o th e r wise
known as drug p ro h ibition , o r th e wa r
o n drugs." "The party positi o n is t h a t
drug prohibitio n ma kes pushe rs rich by
driving up th e pri ce o f drugs, makes
eve r yo n e less safe by fo sterin g g a n g
viol e nce a nd th eft a nd can ' t e nd drug
a bu se a n y m o r e t h a n it co ul d en d
alco ho l and tobacco abuse.
The party no tes tha t the repeal of drug
pro hibitio n wi ll e nd most o f th e street
viole nce that now plagues o ur cities. o
more innocem people wi ll die in shooto uts between dru g d eale rs. o m o re
teenagers will be corrupted by the lure
of easy mo ney from drug sales. Addicts

wo n ' t brea k into yo ur h o use to fund
th e ir hig h-priced ha bits. Police will no t
b e co rrupt e d by bribes f ro m d ru g
deale rs. No mo re ra pists, murdere rs, or
c hild moles te rs will b e re leased fro m
prison to ma ke room lo r drug o ffe nde rs.
Libe rtaria n candidates stale tha t it is
n o t th e place o f o ur governme nt to
po lice a nd regulate our pe rson al lives,
no ma u e r how badly we may c hoose to
da mage ourselves with alcohol, to bacco,
caffe ine, fat, or cocaine. Gove rnm e nt's
fun ction is t o pro tec t o ur li ves a nd
pro pe rty fro m assau l t o r threa t fro m
othe rs, and to h o ld people respo nsible
to r th e co nseque n ces of the ir ha rmfu l
actio ns agai nst o the rs.
One pho n e call or o ne le tte r will not
ge t yo u o ut of th e a bsurdly lo ng drug
war se n ten ce. But fi ve mi llio n calls and
le u e rs e ver y wee k until th e e lec ti o n
mig ht just make po liticia ns pay au e ntion
t o pri so n e rs o f th e dru g war
( P.O.D.W.s). Po liti cia n s li ke to kee p
tl1 cir j obs.
Alm os t three out of eve r y 10 0
Ame ri can adults we re in prison o r o n
pro bati o n o r pa ro le in 1995 acco rding
to the Departme nt of Justice-tha t's 5.3
mi lli on p eop le. Approx im a t e ly 1.6
mi llion people a re in prison , a nd about
3.5 million are o n parole. Tha t is a huge
and powe rfu l lo bby th at co uld turn an
e lec t ion if the po we r of th e vo te was
u sed to b a rga in with ca ndid a tes .
Alt h o u g h in ca r ce ra t ed p e rso n s a nd
fe lo n s witho ut r esto red ri g hts ca nn ot
vote, th ey can inOue n cc tl1eir fami ly a nd
frie nds to ge t out a nd vo le o n this most
criti cal issue to our freedom.
Don't put too mu ch h o pe in a "fa ir
trial," a ppeal or ltnbeas c01tnts. The laws
and punishments are getting more severe
th a n e ve r, and p o litic ian s a rc us ing
c rimin al d e fe ndan ts as punc hi ng bags
a nd objects o f scorn to get votes. The re is
not going to be a ny jud icial relief for a ny
d efe nda n t or prisone r who is no t a rat.
Sure, some times the courts throw a bo ne
o f h o p e to u s, b u t th a t is o n e in a
hundred cases. Th e n the o th e r courts
find a reaso n why tha t new break will no t
a pply to you r case. 1 o j udge is going lo
guard your constiwtional rig hts at the risk
o f being called soft o n crime. A convicted
pe rson has a bout a 2 pe rcent chance of
relief from the court'> . The only hope of
freed o m fo r 98 pe rce nt o f dru g wa r
pl"isoners is to change tl1e law.
Ta ke a n h our a day, write, phon e, tell
the drug war prisone r in th e cell n ext
door and get all your family and frie nds
to call th e candidates and te ll th e m to
re pe al th e drug la ws a nd re lease th e
POWs. Ge t ever yon e you kn ow to te ll
t h e governme nt th a t th ey' re sic k a n d
tired o f t hi s in sa n e, co rrupt, a n d
politically-motivated so-called wa r tha t is

ro bbing Am ericans of the ir cash a nd
costing us our freed om.
PRISONERS CAN CHANGE THIS LAW
Pr isoners' fam ilies a nd fri e nds a re a
pote n t ia ll y la rge lob by of po werful
voters. If the 5.3 milli o n perso ns now
u nder so m e form o f j ud icial restrai n t
each e n courage fo ur o r mo re fa mi ly
me mbers or friends to register to vo le in
thi s e lec t io n , th ere wi ll b e ove r 20
million voters telli ng the can d idates a nd
curre m politi cia ns to a bo lish the d rug
laws and to release our me n and wome n
from d rug offense sem ences.
Proba bl y 60 to 70 p e r cen t o f t h e
people now inca rcerated , on paro le, or
proba ti o n , have drug law senten ces. If
you are o ne of t110se d r ug cases, and you
wam to get m at semcnce off you r back,
seri ously thi nk a bo ut re peal o f the drug
laws as yo u r m ost like ly m et h o d to
succeed. He re are so me suggestions:
• Ed ucate you rself. Learn the facts about
the effects o f d rug prohibi tio n o n the
country.
• Ed ucate o th ers. Ma ke co pies o f this
a rti cle a nd g ive it to othe rs and as k
them to do the same.
• As k fa m i ly m e m bers a n d o u ts ide
friends to register to vote and to let
th e ir congressio n a l re p rese ntatives,
senators, governor, and the p resi de n t
know th at t h ey wi ll n ot vo te for a

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No,·ember 1996

PRISON Uff

67

THESE ORGANIZATIONS
ACTIVELY OPPOSE THE DRUG WAR:
Drug Reform Coordination Network, 4455 Connecticu t Ave.
NW, Suite B-500, Washington, D.C. 20008
Criminal justice Policy Foundation, 1899 L Street NW, Sui te B500, Washington, D.C. 20036
NORML, 1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1010,
Washington, DC 20036
Amnesty International, 322 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y 10001
The Libertarian Party National Committee, 2600 Virginia Ave.
NW, Suite 100, Washington, D.C. 20037 (ask abou t local ch apter
in your state)
Concerned Citizens Making a Difference, P.O. Box 1716, El
Cerrito, California 94530
The Por tland Free Press, P.O. Box 1327, Tualatin, O regon 97062
The Anti-Prohibitionist League, 3125 SE Belmon t Street,
Portland, Oregon 97214
T here are many more groups d edicated to fighting the unjust
drug prohibition laws, some of Vl'h ich may be found on the
Resources page of this magazine. T hese groups are run by goodhearted volunteers, mostly withou t any pay, so donations for our
cause of freed om are always appreciated.
co ntinuatio n of th e dru g war. Ask
them to call e \·ery politician in th e ir
voting distr ict wh o is see kin g o ffi ce
a nd pledge a vote if tha t politician wi ll
repeal th e drug laws and rewrn the
prisone rs of the drug war home. If that
candidate wi ll no t clearly pro mise to
abolish the drug laws and bring ou r
POWs ho me from prison , your fa mi ly
and fri ends should tell the candidate
that th ey wi ll g ive th ei r vote to th e
ca n d idate who will-like the
Libe rtaria n Party candida tes. Do the
legwork and research to make it easy
fo r your fami ly an d frie nds-give the m
an easy, one paragra ph script to read
over th e pho ne, a nd write th e lette rs
for them . You can look up the nam es,
addresses and pho n e nu mbers of your
cutTen t politicians in p hone books and
th e American Juris prude n ce Desk
Re ference Book in the Law Library.
After a ll, this is fo r your freedom.
• Write le tte rs weekly, and ask your frie nds
and family to do the same, to curre nt
legisla tors in Washington demanding an
end to the failed drug war, repeal of all
drug laws, a nd re lease of all non-violent
drug war prisoners now.
• J o in political groups tha t advocate the
re peal of the dJ"Ug laws and re lease of
all the drug war prisoners.
68 PRISON

lifE

Novembe r 1996

Start now, and spe nd at least one hour
o r mo re every day, urgi ng every person
you know to tell everyone they know that
th is nation is go in g bankrupt o n t h e
fai led drug war, the educatio nal system is
d ecaying because of the wasted money on
the drug war, tha t the drug laws must be
repealed and the drug war prisoners must
be re turned home to join the job market
to bolster the eco n o my a nd th a t th e
solutio n to a drug proble m is e ducatio n
and personal res p onsibility for one ' s
actions. Education, not incarceration .

SAMPLE LEITERS
He re is a sample le tte r a priso ne r can
write for his o r h e r m othe r, father,
brothers, sisters, u n cles, a un ts, cousins,
fri ends, for m er e mployers, n e ighbo rs
a nd everyone e lse he or she knows who
who will hel p:
Dear [candidate, senatot; congressman, etc.]:
r a m a taxpaye r and voter who is fed
up with the drug war. Drug pro hi bitio n
cau ses vio len t crime, robberies, mass
in carcerations, cor rupti o n of th e
police a nd justice syste m , and it drains
the d o llars needed fo 1· educatio n. You
ca nn o t stop drugs, b e it alcohol o r
tobacco or th e illega l ones. rr yo u want
my vo te, re pea l th e drug laws and drug

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law se ntences of p r iso n e r s-b rin g
th em h ome. Otherwise I ' ll vo te for
someon e who wi ll.
Sincerely,
[Name]
Write o ne fo r eac h me mber o f your
family o r friend, every week, so that all
they have to d o is sign a nd m a il the
le n e rs.
The final thing I suggest is that you
make ten copies or mo re of this a rticle
and send a co py to everyone you know
who wants you h ome, a nd ask the m fo r
th e ir he lp a nd vote to e nd th e fa ile d
dru g war a nd r e lease th e POWs. You
must be dedicated and a b le to acce pt
so m e rejec ti on if you really want yo ur
freedom , a nd it may take some time. If
yo u a rc willing t o make the
comm itm e nt to this ca u se an d to
winning your release, n ow is the Lime to
stan your le tter-w riting or te lep hon e
campaign. Do not stop un ti l th e war o n
drugs is abolishe d-and it will be, like
all prior unju st Jaws and "wars." VIle ca n
use the power of the vote to win back
our f r eedo m . When it wil l h ap pen
d epends on u s. Alcoho l prohibition
laws an d tJ1e Vietnam war were lllrned
a ro und by publi c and voter pressure.
We can and will e nd the Wa r on Drugs.

1\NIII 1\I~ 1~1\(~ 'rOUY

Continued from page 25

had been in h ere fo r ni ne mo nths an d
awa iting t ran sfer to Folso m , see th ing
wi th h a tr e d at the wo rl d. Ear l
re me mbered whe n Bad Eye h ad bee n
merely a wi ld kid; now viciousness and
evil had permeated the ma rrow of him.
"B" Sectio n had its own exercise yard,
actua ll y o utsid e th e wa ll s of Sa n
Que ntin . A door way had been cu t in to
th e oute r cellhouse wall-facing the Bay.
The hospita l ran beside it, a n area o nehundred yards long with a fence topped
by co ncer tina wire, outside of wh ich was
a gu n towe r. Another rifl e m an was
perc h e d just over th e door fro m the
cellho use. Nobody was going an}'where.
Except for a n inte r ve ning h ead la nd a
mile away, th e Go lde n Gate a nd Alcatraz
would have been visible.
Each ti e r ha d a sp ecial classifica tio n
an d was unlocked sepa ra te ly for two
h ours t wice a week, m or nin g o r

when the guards suddenly appea red.
"Get your shit togethe r, Cope n ," o ne
said. "The vacation is ove r. "
Wh e n th e "B " Sec ti o n doo r was
unlocked a nd th e noise and th e ste nch
poured o ut , Earl' s sto m ac h turned
qu easy. Fuc k it, h e th o ug ht st o ica lly.
Yo u 've goua know how to take a loss or
you can' t e njoy winning. He walked in ,
carrying a pillowcase with a ll his worldly
possessions.
T he chtmky sergeant in c harge of "B"
Section was a n old-time r who liked Earl.
"H ow's it going?"
''I'm o kay."
" I th o u g ht yo u mi g ht not m a ke it
wh e n they took you out. "
"I wo uldn ' t c h ea t th e state o ut o f a
minute."
'The re's a cell near your frie nds up o n
th e third ti er. That's wh ere yo u wa nt to ·
go , I'd guess."
"Is Decke r up the re?"
"Two cells from Bad Eye. Yo u 'll be on
the othe r side. You'll a ll be close en ough
to talk.''
"Yo u m ean close enoug h to screa m."
Ea rl jerked his h ead towa rd th e ti e rs
wh e r e th e vo ices were a m ag nifie d
babble. "We exercise togethe r, hu h?"
"Same prog ram , o ne tier at a time."
Beca use th ey took Earl u pstairs a t the
end and th e n down the th ird tier rather
th a n a lo ng the bonom fl oor, nobody
noticed his an -iva i. He looked into the
cells as h e wa lked by, especia ll y th ose
n ear whe re h e was going, but eve ryone
seemed to b e as lee p. As th e sergean t
turn e d th e huge spike key in the lock
a nd m o ti o n e d for t h e ba r t o be a fte rnoon. T h e bottom ti er was th e
droppe d , Earl threw h is pillowcase o n hol e, men se r ving sh o rt punishme nt
th e b are mattress on the fl oo r a nd se ntences, most go ing bac k to th e big
looked a ro und. One wa ll was charred yard a fterward . Th e seco nd tier was
an d b listered fro m a cell fire, but th e mili ta lll blac ks. T h e th ird tie r was fo r
to ile t and sin k were sti ll o n th e wa ll; a nd militant whites a nd C hi ca n os, mostly
th e mattress and blankets see m e d membe rs of th e Wh ite a nd Mexican
c lea n e r th a n usu a l. H e bega n se LLing Bro th e rh oo d s. The fourth ti e r was a
thin gs in o rder; thi s wo uld be hi s mix, me n locked up for rules viola tio ns
who were n ' t affi li a te d o r expec ted to
reside nce fo r a lo ng Lime.
'o t unti l lun ch , when th e hurricane st art troub le. Th e fifth t ie r was
o f no ise slackene d temporarily, d id he protective custody, full of q uee ns and
call out to ma ke his presence known to informe rs, a nd very few of its occupa n ts
Bad Eye a n d R o n . Eve n th e n i t was ca me ou t to the ya rd to exercise, for as
necessar y to yell, a nd it was impossible they passed th e o ther cells th ey were
to ho ld a real conversatio n . H e was glad c ursed , spa t up o n , a nd sp las he d wi th
th e d octor h ad continu e d his Va liu m piss a nd sh it.
Most of Earl's friends were o n the th ird
prescriptio n . H e h ated noise a nd this
was t h e World Series o f c haos twenty- ti er, some of the m having been locked up
fo ur h o urs a clay. It was n eve r en tire ly fo r years, a nd during the first exe rcise
qu ie t, th o ug h nea r d aw n on ly two or pe riod, a bright, cold mo rning, he was
three men he ld screamed conversations. e ngulfed a t the o u tset by a d oze n men.
Every few mo nths someone com mitted There was la u gh t er, e mbraces,
sui cid e by h a ng ing, and h a lf the m e n ha ndsha kes, pats o n th e back. Bad Eye
were on th e edge o f insani ty. Bad Eye was th e most e ffusive, squeezing Earl in a

" I ' lr I~

Ill~ I~ N

J)f)l\TN Sf)
l .. f)Nf; il
SN i\1{1~ 'S
Ill~ I .. I ..Y
I.. f) f) KS I.. I Iii~
tJ 1) 'rf) 111~."

bear h ug and lifting h im off the ground.
Bad Eye wa goin g on th e next b u to
Folsom a n d was g lad to be able to say
goodbye in p e rson . H e was happy to
leave, hoping that he could get a parole
in a year or two. "I'll never get out if l stay
h e re. I need a n ew ballpark. I've been
down so long a snake's belly looks li ke up
to me. My fuckin ' crime partne r has been
o ut fo r six years ... a nd he was five years
older'n me when we got busted."
While the rites of cam a raderie were
going on, Ron Decker stood aside fro m
th e throng , smilin g softly. He like d
watch ing Ea rl h a ndle people, e nj oyed
th e kn ow le d ge th at Ea rl c h a n ge d
fa~a d es eas il y, being wh ateve r hi s
pa rti cu lar a udien ce wanted. or was it
merely to ma nipula te them; rather it was
because Ear l rea lly liked t h e m and
wanted to ma ke th em at ease.
Soon th e g rou p broke up , Bad Eye
go in g to play h a n dba ll on the sma ll
co urt where th e winn e rs kept p laying
ch a lle ngers unti l beate n, th e o th e rs o f
th e c rowd ha vin g n ot hin g more o f
impo rta nce lO say. The n Earl slapped
o ne on t he back a nd said that he had
t hin gs to d isc u ss with h i partner,
indi ca t in g Ron wit h a n oel. It was
understood a nd accepte d .
"Ma n , I' m so rr y ab o u t Co urt," Ea rl
said as th e two embraced. It was the fi rst
tim e Ro n had used the gesture without
e mbarrassme nt.
"It's a bumme r," Ron said, "but wha t
the fuck .... "
"vVe didn 't handle that move the best
way."
"H indsig ht is always wise. l d o n ' t feel
bad about it.
" aw, tha t assho le h ad a good kill in'
co min ' to h im . Still. .. you wo uld 've bee n
on Broadway, a nd he wasn ' t worth tha t. "
Ro n shrugged. T he pai n was gone, the
wou n d turned into a sca r tha t
some times itched but didn 't hurt.
"Le t's wa lk," Ea rl aid.
early a ll the two score convicts o n
th e sma ll ya rd were n ea r th e lo oming
cellhouse whe re th e handball court was.
T he fe nced e nd was open to th e win d,
occasio n a l g usts o f wh ic h shi ve re d it.
The dark water· of the Bay h ad ti ps o f
wh ite. Ron had on a coat and tu rned up
th e collar, but Earl was in shirtsleeves
and j amm ed his hands down inside his
waistban d a nd hun ch e d his sho ulde rs,
j e rki ng his h ead to indicate th a t th ey
sh oul d wa lk th e twe nty yards along th e
fe nce.
'What'd your mo ther say?" Earl asked.
"Sh e cou ldn ' t b e lieve it. .. a n d sh e's
r·eady to go broke if it'll do any good ."
to
th e
Disc i p l in a r y
"B ee n
Commiuee?"
"Uh-huh. They gave me a year in he re.
J esus, it's an in sa n e asylum . obod}'
, 0\cmber 1996

PRISDM UIE

69

to move, a nd even if h e isn ' t a fr a id , T hey'd p lay until th ey were beate n and
there 's a sort of ine rti a th at's hard to t h e n wa lk and talk until lock up was
called. Though the method of escape
overcome."
Bad Eye had now moved fifteen feet was still unk nown, t h ey ta lke d about
from t h e s pec tato r s a t the h a nd ba ll wha t t h ey wo uld do. D esp ite Ro n 's
co urt a nd was ca lling a nd gestu rin g. assurances that his mother wo uld g ive
"Bette r go," Ron said. "But I don't see them refuge a n d mon ey an d
u·ansportation o u t of th e coun u·y, Earl
why he wants you ... bad as you play."
"Fuck yo u," Ea rl said, wanting som e wanted to make some robberies to be
horse p lay but r emem b e ring t h e in de pe ndent. H e knew two ban ks ripe
rifl e m e n a t eac h e n d of th e ya rd. fo r heisting, and he had a simple type of
Horse play was forb idde n , and fi ghts armed robbe ry, one tl1at did n 't require
\Vere broke n u p \Vith bull ets, a nd planning, that had bee n successfu l in
som e times th e guards cou ldn ' t te ll the th e p ast. "It's as easy as stickin' u p a
fuckin' liquor sto re, an d you' re a lot less
diffe rence. As Ea rl wa lked qui cklyeven playing the clown by skipping a few like ly to ge t b lowed away b y some
ti mes-h e tho ugh t about Ro n 's words asshole in the backroom witl1 a shotgun.
conce rning the changes wrought by San .Just pick a h igh-class jewele r, not Kay's
Q u entin. He h im se lf wa s a l r ead y or a jun k place, bu t so m ething li ke
perma nently maim ed , but Ron wasn't. It Tiffany o r Van Cleef. Go in and ask to
was important tha t he not ser ve a long see some Patek Philippe's or unset twocarat diamonds. When the clerk brings
sentence.
"We' re nex t," Bad Eye said. "Wa nn a 'em , just open the coat a nd show 'em
t h e b u tt of t h e pistol. Workin' a lone,
play the front or the back?"
with out much planning, a dozen two"Front. I can't play the back."
Two Chi ca n os from th e Mexi ca n grand watc hes is a pretty sweet sting."
"We don' t have to do th at," Ron
Brotherhood, both frie nds of Earl 's, had
wo n the p r evio u s game; t h ey stood protested, vo ice rising in exasperatio n,
waiting in sweat-dampe n e d T-shirts . wonde ring if Earl ha d an obsession witl1
"C'mon, old motherfucker," one called. taki ng risks that wou ld bring him r ight
"You can ' t play ei LI1.er p lace."
back.
"Yo u do n 't h ave to . Maybe I don't
Earl was ta kin g off hi s s hirt. "You
might h ave to turn in your Mex ican either. But I ain't leanin' on nobody. I
ca rd when thi s o ld peckerwood run s carry my own weigh t, brother."
you o ff the cou rt." H e borrowed a re d
"Okay . .. o kay. We'll see what happens
bandanna and wrapped his ha nd in it in whe n we get o ut-if we get out."
"Have some confide nce in me, kid."
lie u o f a glove.
Earl and Bad Eye lost, bu t the gam e
'Then show me some th ing."
T he "B" Section clerk went to tl1e San
was close an d th ey wo u l d h ave won
exce pt that Earl \Vas winded long before Quentin main line and Earl got the job.
the last poinL. The stripped cell a nd the From 7:00 a. m. until evening he was out
inactivity of the psych ward ha d taken its of his cell, doing a li ttle official typing
toll. Whi le he was cooli ng off, the steel and runni ng th e tiers. When drugs were
door opened and a g u ard bange d a smuggled in from the yard, he invariably
la rge key against it, signaling tha t it was go t an issue n o matter who received
tim e to ge t b ack to th e cages. The t h em. In anot h er week he u sed hi s
convicts formed a ragged line and filed influence to get Ron assig n ed as "B"
slowly inside. Within th e door h a lf a Section barbe r. I t was shaky fo r a few
d ozen guards waited in a row, frisking days, Ron scarce ly a bl e to te ll t h e
eac h convict to ma ke sure no weapons difference between clippe r blades a nd
had been tossed down fro m the hospital sh ea rs, bu t th e solid co n vic ts simp ly
refused t o ge t hair c uts u nt i l he'd
windows.
practice d on t h e fifth tier protective
~ a rl and Ron se ttle d in to the routine
c ustody inmates. ecessity is a brilliant
~ of "B" Sectio n. Bad Eye was in th e
t eac h er; in a week he cou ld g ive a
cell adj acent to Ron's, a nd wh en he was passable ha ircut.
tran sfe rred (despite thre e g uards h e
sta rted at o n e e nd o f th e t ier a nd
s the mon th s of winter passed , two
stopped to sh a ke h a nds with a ll his 1 events bro ke th e basic routine. In
frie nds), Earl moved into the cell . They February, Earl was near the door to tl1e
co uld ta lk with out yelling most of the exercise yard when t h e seco n d ti e r,
'
tim e . At exe r c ise un lock they we re filled with m ilitant blacks, came out. His
closest to th e sta irs, he nce first on the usual cautio n had lapsed, because tl1ere
yard to get th e h a ndball co urt. Earl h a d bee n no race wars fo r n early two
ta lk e d R o n into p laying, a nd they years, and he was "all right" witl1 several
ITIOVe."
invariably had th e first game, invariably blacks on the tier. Suddenly one leaped
"I've noticed that," Ron said. "After a losing for t h e first month , but t h e n from the crowd and stabbed him with a
man gets a few years invested, h e's afraid beginning to win a t least half tl1e time. sharpe n ed bed spring, a piece of wire

would believe a place li ke th is."
"If l found a way out of h ere, o ut of
San Quentin, would you want to sp lit?"
Ron conte mplated just a few seco nds.
"If you h ad a way out-1 don ' t really
wan t to do five more years to th e pa role
board . . . and th e n n ot eve n b e sure
they'll let me out. Do yo u have a way?"
"Naw, no t right now, but I can find a
hole so mewhe re. I know tha t. The secre t
o f busting o ut of o ne of these garbage
cans is to keep your mind on it all the
tim e, keep think in g, wa t ch in g . I do
know wh at won't work, and a ll the ways
that've worked before . But eve n if we
get out, that's j ust part of it. It's a bitch
stayin g o ut. We' ll need som ewhe re to
go, someo ne to he lp-a nd really a way
o ut of t h e countr y. Everybody in thi s
coun try is in t h e com pu ter. The on ly
place a fugitive is safe he re is he rdin g
sh eep in Mo nta na or som ething. Shit!
That's worse'n be ing on the yard."
"If you ge t u s out, I can get us some
h e lp. My m oth e r. .. and I kn ow so me
peopl e d ow n in the mounta in s of
M ex ico-S i naloa-wh o run thin gs .
They've got all the guns in the hills. The
au thorities do n 't go in with Jess than a
battalio n . I know some people in Costa
Rica, too. If you get us out. .. ."
They sto ppe d at th e corner of t h e
fence a nd looked o u t to where cloudmotLie d sunl igh t dan ced across the tops
of Ma rin 's green hi lls. A highway came
betwee n t\vo of the m, angling in a slig h t
grade, the myriad windshi elds sparkling
li ke j ewels. "Yes," Ron said, "I like some
of wha t this p lace has d o ne for me, but I
don't like what a lot of years will do ."
Ea rl sla pped him on the back. "Yeah ,
you ' ll sta rt j ac ki n' off over fa t-butted
boys." H e laughed loud ly as Ron made a
wry face a nd shook his head.
The ir atte ntio n was a ttracte d by Bad
Eye calling for Earl; the n wavi ng fo r him
to co m e p lay ha ndba ll. They h ad th e
next ta lly. Earl h e ld up a h a nd an d
gestured for him to waiL. ''I'd better go.
You know how se n sitive he is. Anyway,
we da mn sure can ' t escape from in th e
ho le-though a co u pl e of game foo ls
did it a few years ago."
"Fro m "B" Section?"
"Yea h , just c ut their way o ut of the
ce ll s; t h en cut their way o u t of the
cellh ouse-and nobody saw 'em. Not
th e g un bull in th e cellb loc k, not the
g un tower outside, n o body. Na tura ll y
they got b usted in a hot minute when
they s tarte d runnin g amo k o u tsid e.
Anyway, we' ll just cool it in here, do the
hole time, and get back on the yard. A
sucker doi n ' time has to be patient. .. but
not too patient when it comes time to

10 PRISON

llff November 199(;

I

si milar to an icepic k, though not so
str a ig ht or sh ar p. Thrus t into the
sto mac h , it co u ld have done
considerable harm, but the blows were
ove rha nd a nd Ea rl got up an arm; the
rud e weapo n punctured his bice p and
the n, as h e ducked away and ran, sank
into the flesh above h is sho ulde r blad e
a nd was s topped b y bon e, ca using
supe rficial holes. The gu n ra il guard saw
the nash of movement, blew h is whistle,
and loosed a shot th at so unded li ke a
ca nnon inside the building. The guards
closed immediately on the black.
As Earl sa t o n th e hospita l g urne y
whi le p e roxide was poured into the
ho les, he to ld Captain Midnig ht that he
had nothing to sa y about anythin g or
a nyo ne. H e was told by other blacks that
the assailant was dera nged , and though t
tha t whites were trying to put a radio in
his brain. When word came from the

ya rd that the White Brothe rh ood
pla nned to re talia te by indiscriminately
sta bbing blac ks , Ea rl sent T.J. a long
n o te, te lling him th a t su ch stupidity
wou ld ma ke him want to stop talking to
th e m; that it wou ld start a race war
n eedlessly; that j ust o ne crazy ma n was
responsible, a nd Earl wouldn ' t even take
reven ge o n him b eca use h e was c razy.
Tho ugh h e didn ' t add it, Ea rl had never
approve d o f race war-and wh e n h e
accepted that fighti ng was necessary for
surv iva l because th e o th er sid e had
declared wa r, h e still d isap proved of
indisc rimi na t ely murd ering people
b eca u se th ey were ava ilable. Indeed ,
bo th sides did it, and th e uninvo lved
were usually the casualties; th e warriors
watched th e mselves a nd stayed out of
bad situa tio ns.
For seve r a l days the blacks in "B"
Sec ti o n we re wary, knowin g who the

riOe me n would shoot if trouble tarted,
disbelieving Ea rl-who went to the cell
of the Muslim minister a n d to ld him
the re wou ld ·be no re pe rcussions-until
the tension oozed away, leaving just the
no rmal d egree of para no ia. Then h e
had th e respect of some of tl1 e lead e rs of
the blacks, they kn ew that altho ugh he
wou ld "get down " in a war, he wa not an
agitator.
Th e secon d impo rtant in cide nt was
SLOneface's retire me nt and tl1 e arrival of
"Tex" Waco from Soled ad as th e n e w
assoc iate warden. When Earl got t h e
n e ws, h e began p opp ing finge rs a nd
d o in g a dan ce. Ro n, seated in the
barbe r chair, asked him wha t was up.
"\.Ve il , bro '," he began in a h eavy
Sou thern accent, th e ki nd whe re every
phrase beco mes a qu es tion, "this heah
new 'sociate warde n ? H e was a rooki e
hea h ? He was a-goin ' to U nivers ity of

he let his hair grow out. A shaved head
would be co n spic u o u s when they
escaped. He discove red th at he was g ray
a t the temples.
Lieu te nant Seeman also had inOuence
with Associate Wa rd e n \>\laco, havin g
bee n a se rgeant whe n Waco was just a
guard . T he n ew A.W. agreed to review
both Earl and Ro n as soon as h e go t
settled.
It was a month, a nd Ron was released
to th e gene ral p o pul at io n o n e cla y
ahead of Earl because of a paperwo rk
mixup.
Bedding unde r one a rm, shoe box o f
pe rsonal possessio ns in th e o th er ha nd,
Earl Copen came out of th e South
cellhouse rotunda into th e big yard . A
dozen fri en d s we re wa iting, th ough
some o f his closest were gone. Not o nly
Bad Eye, but also Paul Adams,
tran sferred to ca mp , a nd the Bi rd to
anothe r state wh e re h e had a detaine r.
Bu t TJ. Wi lkes was tl1e re, grinni ng like a
Jack o' Lantern (comple te with missing
tooth) and su·etchi ng a huge sweatshi rt
taut across his chest an d a rms. Vito was
also o n hand and took the bedding fro m
Earl so TJ. could hug him a nd pat him
o n the back. "Ol 'thing," TJ. said. "I was
s h o' nuff worried they wasn't ne'e r
gonn a let you outta there."
"Boy, I ain 't gonna le t n obody mo-lest
you. 'Cept me." He reached around and
squeezed Earl 's rump. "Still firm. "
"Easy
on
th e
h e m o r rhoids,
c hump ... a nd sh ow so m e r·espect. I' m
tl1 e senior citizen since Paul split. "
T he gathe red convicts laughed. Baby
Boy shook hands and patted him on the
b ack, as usual less effu sive th a n the
o th ers. " 1 eed anything?" Ba b y Boy
asked. "I've got a full can teen draw."
"I' m all right. Thanks, bro'."
Ne xt Vi to gave a "b rother h ood"
h a ndshake, interloc king thumbs so it
Cali for ni a a t Berke ley? We ll , this o l ' was two cle nch ed fists-and whispered ,
convict h ea h did that o l' boy's te rm "I've got a paper of stu ff for you."
papers for him ? In o ther words," h e
"That sounds like a winner."
T.J. p u t hi s a rm a ro und a squ aredropped the accent, "I've got long juice
j awe d , lea n convict that Earl didn't
with this dude ."
recognize. "This is my home boy," T j.
"Think he'll he lp us escape?"
"No, sm artass m o th e rfucke r l But I'll said. "Name of Wayne."
"We talked through the shi ner," Earl
be t that 1-me-get o utta the h o le in
the nex t couple of m o nths. Yo u be tter said as he cle nched hands with Wayne,
knowing th a t h e'd been co n victe d of
act right if you want out."
"No, yo u can ' t g ive me no h ead a nd ki ll ing a blac k with a roofing h a tch et
d uring a Soledad race war -and that h e
you can 't fuc k me."
Earl lea ped forwa rd , put a one-a rm was in p ri so n fo r a crim e h e hadn't
headlock on Ron, an d the n rubbed his committed. A car was ide ntified as bei ng
knuckles hard across th e scalp. "What used in a robbery, a nd the car salesma n
about b eati n ' the shit outta you?"
iden tifi ed Wayn e as having bought it.
"C' m o n ," Ron protes ted ; h e rea ll y Actually, it was Wayne's brothe r who had
disliked horseplay. "Quit fuckin ' a round purchased the ca r a nd commined th e
a nd find us a way ou t of here."
c rim e. So Way n e h ad par laye d a
Earl was searc hin g through hi s miscarriage of justice in to murder a nd a
knowledge of San Que ntin for exactly life sentence.
"Ronnie's worki ng," Baby Boy sa id,
tha t, and in a nticipatio n of the discover y
November 1996

PRISON Ull

71

reading Ea rl 's swee ping g lance. "They
assigned hi m to the texti le mil l."
"Aw, fuck!" Earl said in disgust; but he
was confide nt tha t he co u ld ar range a
beuer job for his friend .
"Wh ere'd th ey put you to work?" Vito
asked.
"Sheeit! You know I do n ' t do n othin '
bu t work for Big Daddy Seeman ."
"He's already got a cle rk."
"\1\lell, I' m th e ex oflicio clerk."
"Ah do n ' t k no w wh at tha t is," T.J.
piped in , "but it godd a mn sure sou nds
good."
"Whe n yo u go in ' back to th e o rth
block?" Vito aske d ; it was a sa rdo nic
question ; th e reg ul atio ns calle d for a
year of clean be havior.
"It' ll take a couple of weeks," Earl said,
winki ng b roadl y. "But m e, I 've got a
sin gle cell ... eve n if it is in the g h e tto
with the riffraff. "
"Let's get your shit into the g he t-to,"
TJ said, taking the bedding fro m Vito.
"You ca n'l get in. You do n ' t live th e re. "
As th ey c rossed th e yard , h e ad in g
t owa rd t h e barre d ga te to th e East
cellhou se, TJ. confide d th at the parole
board had g iven him a r e lease s ix
m o nth s away, b u t he ke pt t h at fa c t
hidde n excep t from his closest partners.
A m a n sc h e dul e d fo r p a r o le was
vu lne ra ble; e n em ies wo uld b e a ll too
happy if he d id someth ing to have the
paro le take n away- a nd o th e rs mi g ht
figure th ey could take advantage of him
in so m e mann e r beca u e h e wo uldn ' t
wa nt to lose th e parole. He wa nte d to
kn ow if Ro n would se nd him to peop le
ac ross th e b ord e r so h e co u ld ta n
traffi cking in drugs a t a good level. "I
ca n m a ke a lot o f m o n ey in Fres no,
be lieve it or n ot. And I've got to stop
ro bbi n g p eo p le. T h e fu c kin ' parole
board to ld me that they' ll bury me if I
b rin g back anoth e r rob be r y. Th ey' re
seri ous abou t ro bbery."
"About dealing dope, too."
"Yea h , I know, I' d go to work, 'cept
you know h ow lazy I a m . Fac t is, they
make you lazie r in he re. He llfire, whe n I
was a sprite l could pick cotton- "
"Quit lyin ! Go d dam ni t , if so m eo n e
listens to you for five m inutes, you gotta
start Iyin ' . You talked to Paul too much. "
TJ. gaped his mouth a nd aucc red his
eye in a pa rody of inn oce n ce; th e n
became erio us. "\\\1h y don't you talk to
him? If I co uld dea l fo r six mon ths, I'd
buy me a coc ktail loun ge a nd re tire."
"I'll run it to him. Arc you go nn a have
any bread to inves t o r d o you wan t it
fronted?"
"I could pull on e t·obbc ry."
T hey were o n the fo u rth tier a nd th e
so und o f th e security bar be in g ra ised
b ro ke the co nversatio n . A g ua rd was
co ming down the tie r with the spike key
72 PRISON

lifE No\'cmber 1996

to un lock th e cell ga te. T h e n oor was
gritty with d irt a nd the nuo rescc nt wbes
had bee n torn out for some other cell.
O the rwise it was in good sha pe. Ea rl's
gear was put be hind the bunk where it
co uldn ' t b e fi s h e d o ut. Th e gua rd
loc k e d t h e ga t e a nd dr o pp e d th e
security ba r be hind the m.
Wh e n th ey exited th e cellhouse, Ea rl
dec id e d to go to th e ya rd o f£i ce. T.J.
wa lked h im as far as the yard ga te; th e n
wrnc d down the stairs toward th e lower
}rard a nd th e gym. Earl fe lt good walking
down the road between the library a nd
ed ucati on building. The warm su n was
out and th e a ir was fresh. Com ing from
t.h e ho le to th e main li ne wa similar to
go ing fro m pri so n to t h e stree ts; h e
experi e nced th e same ex h ilara ti on .
A week late r th e Ca th o lic c h a p la in
n eeded a c le rk. The o ld-lin e convict
who had had the j ob had a lways bee n
"solid," but o n e ni g ht h e was sec re tly

taken out to testify at a grand jury a bout
a Mexican Brothe rh ood killing. Word
go t o ut imm ediately, a nd h e foo lish ly
we nt a bo ut hi business. Late th e n ext
a fternoon, while tl1e priest wa visitin g
Death Row, a pair o f C hicanos slipped
in to th e cha pe l office with sh ivs and
began car vin g. Miracu lo usly, the victim
lived despite thirty stab wounds. He was
neve r agai n see n in San Que nti n (a nd
he didn't testify at tl1e tria l).
Ro n Decker go t th e j ob. H e had
talked t o t h e c h a pl ai n o fte n wh e n
gcuing books before th e Buck Rowa n
stabb ing, a nd Lieutenant Seema n was a
sta u n c h Ca th o lic a n d reco mm e n de d
h im. R on was h ap p y t o esca p e t he
cotto n texti le mill (ever}' day he ca me
up the stairs wi th cotton lint stuck to his
clo thes a nd h is hair and the rhythmic
noise of looms ringing in h is cars), bu t
h e really wan ted to esca p e from Sa n
Quentin. Ea rl had im p la nted the idea,
an d it grew to do mi nate evcr}'thing e lse.

A smuggled letter to his mother brought
a reply-in ve il ed words-that sh e
would be on ha nd whe never he needed
h e r ; sh e wou ld hide th e m a nd h e lp
the m ge t o ut of the country, whatever
the cost. This was kerosene on the flame
o f Ron 's des ire. And becau se h e had
a r ranged for the all-important outside
he lp, he fe lt no qualms a bout ho unding
Ea rl to find the way o ut. When Earl
asked him if he wan ted to move back to
the orth cellho use, Ron answered that
it was all r ight for n ow, but h e really
wanted to move to Mexico.
As for Earl, the more th ey hashed it
over and th e more h e r efl ec te d , th e
more certain he was that they need ed a
tru ck. H e excl uded o th e r ideas. H e' d
hoped that they could use the laundry
truck, a ro ute taken fifteen years earlie1·
witho ut the officials learn ing how t he
man got o ut. Th e la undr y fore m an
watched while th e panel tru ck was
loaded with bundles o f free personnel
clo thi n g, and th e n h e rode it to th e ·
sallyport ga te and gave it clearance. But
there wa a thirty-second weakness. After
the tru c k was load ed a t a ve h icl e
e ntrance, th e fore man locked that from
inside a nd walked fifteen fee t to co me
out of the building throug h a pedesu·ian
door. Then he got in the u·uck. Wh ile
h e covered the fifteen feet, there was
Lime to burrow under the bundles be ing
take n out to the prison reservation. The
scheme requ ired cooperatio n from the
co n vic t tru c k dri ver-a nd wh e n Earl
c h ecked o n th is o ne h e fo u n d , to h is
chag rin, that the man was suspected of
being a stool p igeon. Earl contem plated
having the d river bas h ed in th e head
with a pipe-hun but n ot slain-to get
h im out o f the way. He decided agai nst
it because nobody knew who wou ld get
th e job and because h e didn ' t want to
get a ny of his friends in u·o uble.
False gas ta nks an d fa lse sea ts were
also run thro ug h the m e ntal grind e r.
The former could be made in the sheet
metal sh o p , the latter in uph o lste r y.
They might work, espec ia lly a fa lsebottom ed gas tank, but just o ne body
cou ld go o ut.
The tru cks easiest to use were th ose
loaded with products, mainly furniture,
in the industrial area. A guard stood o n
the loading dock watch ing eve r yt hi n g
a nd the n locking the truck. It was good
securi ty. IJ the p1·ocedure was followed
di lige ntly, nobody could sn eak into a
tru ck and th rough th e wa lls. T he naw
was human natur e. Aft e r m o nths o r
years of uneventfu l routine-what could
be more dull th an watch ing truc ks be
loaded, un less it was sittin g all night in a
cla rk gun tower watch ing a wa ll?-any
g ua rd lost h is concentration , a nd ma ny
could be distracted for the few seconds

n eeded to cluc k into a u·uck. Earl knew sent its show. Those who didn ' t go to the
of two successfu l esca p es from San show cou ld watch the Bowl games in the
Que n tin
under
exactly
t h ose gym. The few who wanted to do ne ithe r
circumstances. aturally they were years had to stay locked in their cells. The
a p a rt, for after one happ e n ed , th e cell ho use tie rs were e mpty. Earl was the
security was intense for a year, two years. South ce ll hous e cl e r k, Seeman was
It had bee n eig ht years since anyone had cell house sergea nt. Correctional Office r
used it. Besid es havin g a phe nom e n al Tex Waco h ad sneaked into a mattress
su ccess pe rce n tage, this particular way st o rage room for a drunk e n nap. A
r equ ired no commitme nt until th e lie ute na nt came around, asked for the
acLUal mo ment. The guard was "turned " officer. Earl told a lie that Waco was on
or not tu r n ed. I t was differe nt from the fifth ti er searching a cell, and when
cutting the bars or digging a tunnel (the the lie utenant said he wa nted to talk to
las t was impossible because th e prison him, Earl h ad volunteered to get him ,
was on bedrock a nd the wa lls went waked him, a nd straig htened him out.
nearly as deep into the earth as up into The lieutenant's n ostri ls flared and his
the sky) where the convict was eyes narrowed, but no thing was said.
co mmitted the mom e n t the hacksaw
or did Officer Waco eve r mention it.
blad e made a groove.
H e'd gon e up the pro motional ladder
The insurmountable proble m in using qu ic k ly, mov ing from institution to
industrial area trucks was a n inability to in st itut ion , a nd n ow was assoc iate
reach them. Even Earl couldn't go the re wa rd e n wh e re h e' d sta rte d . H e
without a pass or a phone call to th e recogn ized Earl and beckoned him.
g u a rd on t h e indu str ies ga t e . Even "Wh e n the he ll 're you gonna stay out,
industries cle rks coulcln 't loiter day after Earl?" he asked.
'Wh en they stop catchin' me. "
clay o n the loadin g d oc k. Jus t a few
Tex Waco shook his head and made a
covicts-those on the clock itself an d ,
pe rhaps, those working in the shipping cluc king n o ise. "My cle rk is going on
roo m-co u ld wait a nd watch for t h e parole in fo ur months. If you wa nt the
c h a nce. I f h e, Ea r l Co pen, got a j ob job, you can have it. "
c hange to loadi n g truck s in th e
When Earl mention ed the o ffe r to
furnitur e factory, h e mi g ht as well Seeman, who sti ll had a good cle rk so
a nno unce h is p lans in the San Quentin that Ea r l ac tua l ly did no work, the
News. And if Ro n a lso go t a job lie ute n a nt to ld him to ta ke the job .
c ha nge ... sheeit! Eve n if it was possible, Seeman grinned. "He ll, I need a frie nd
the cha nce to go m ig ht be months away, in high p laces. And it could just get you
a nd Earl ' s life was much too easy to ou t i n a few years-even wi th th at
exchange it for blisters, splinte rs, a nd a unfortun ate incident. "
Earl wanted the j o b , knowing Waco
sore back.
Easy as h is existe n ce was b y co nvi ct was a poor write r in a n exec uti ve
s ta nd a rds , somethin g h a ppe n e d to positio n that required lots of reports,
herald that it could become even easier. m e m o randum s, and adm ini s tr a tiv e
One afte rnoo n he was crossing the plaza orders. The associate warden wo u ld be
toward th e c ha pel wh e n Tex Waco came depend ent on his cle rk. Earl could take
o ut of the custodial o ffices e n ro ute to up the slack, just as he'd done with the
t h e front ga te . T he ne w associate term pa pers years ago, a nd by doing the
warde n was as plump as Stoneface had work, h e would have access to so me of
been cad ave r o u s. Hi s n ot-quite-fa t th e power. Even under Ston eface, the
physique was the same as the last time associa te ward e n 's cl er k was treated
Earl had see n him , but the h a ir was r es p ec tfu l ly by l ie ute nants a nd
thinn e r and fash ionably lon ger, and deferentially by lowly guards who didn 't
where hi s uniforms h a d once b ee n wa nt to spe nd a year in a graveyard-sh ift
pa tched a nd his shoes resoled, now h e wall post. The clerk co uld arrange cell
was garbed mo re fashio n ably than a ny m oves simpl y b y asking t h e control
o ther official. It was something convicts se rgea n t to do th e favor-a dozen a
talked about; and as a group they gave a week a t fi ve carton s apiece was a ni ce
few po ints to a sh a rp dr esse r. Earl inco m e . J o b assignments were even
n od d ed and smi led. Wh y n o t? H e ' d easier to arrange. Even getting a ma nknown the man for a d ozen yea rs, had all o th er things being equal -a tra nsfe r
eve n covered fo r h im on New Year's Day to a m inimum priso n or camp wasn't
whe n h e cam e to work still reeking of impossible. Waco was easygoing, had a
gin and staggering, his thermos full of conscie nce, a nd could be manipu la ted.
scotc h fo r his keyman (it was a while Earl would ce rtainl y be a whale in a
before he learned that h e cou ldn ' t trust fish pond. H e'd b e ab le to p atro n ize
convicts and co uldn 't affo rd to be too Lieute nan t H odges, th e Christia n, and
"good" without be ing betrayed). New Li e u t e n a nt Cap tain Midnight, th e
Year's Day was a show in the mess hall; und e rcover racist. The average clerk
nearly eve r y nightclub in th e Bay area working so close to officials suffe red the
No,·embc r 1996

PRISON llff

73

suspicion of yard co nvicts. They mig ht
ask a nd pay for favors, and th e me re fact
of the job wa sn 't e n o ugh to brand a
m an, but usually th e re was a quest ion
mark after his n ame. Earl wouldn ' t even
h ave that proble m, except to fish a nd
fo o ls. His fri e nd s were th e mos t
notorious white clique in San Quentin.
H e'd known the leade rs of the Chicano
cl ique since r efo rm sc h ool, a nd the
mea n est black s res p ecte d him .
Everything in the prison world would be
his, and it was n e ith e r more n o r less
ho llow a triumph tha n anything elseespecially co nsid e ring that it was a ll
Vanity, or so said Eccelesties (sic). And
what had Milton 's Satan said wh en God
hurled him from heaven to the abyss?
Some thing about it be ing be tte r to reign
in the pit than ser ve in heave n .
But wh e n Ron h ea rd , the yo unger
man mad e a flatu le nt, di sp a ragin g
sound with his mo uth. "Ea rl, brother,"
h e reproached, "Let's get out o f he re."
"We' re gon na do that. I'm just runnin '
it down . What th e fuck. You wa nt we
shou ld just go kick on the gate a nd say,
'Let us out, cocksucker?' Is th at it?"
"Don ' t r idicule m e with that p h ony
countr y twang. Yo u ' re the o ne who said
that peo ple want to escap e wh e n t h ey
get here, and then se ttle into a routine
and the feve r die s . Th ey get too
comfortab le , don ' t want to put it
toge th er, don ' t wa nt to take th e risk."
Ro n shoo k h is head for e mphasis. "I'm
n o t going to le t you re st until we're
sipping Margaritas in Culiacan."
"Fu ck! I raised a monster. Maybe we
sh ould think a bo ut h avi ng som e b od y
subpoena us out to a small county jail.
The g immic k is to take th e too ls with
you from he re-ha ndcuff key, hac ksaw
blades be tween the shoe soles. We can
get it don e in the shoe shop. "
"Do yo u know anybody to subpoena
us?"
" o t offl1and. n
"Th e prin ciples-o r th eo ries-ar e
wond e rfu l. I agree about th e tru cks. I
agree with what you just said. But le t's
put th eo r y into prac tice . Can you dig
it?"
Ea rl sigh ed. "Yea h , I can dig it. Say,
why don't you find the hole?"
"I'm trying, but ! wasn't born here."
"Tha nks, sma rtass motherfuc ker."
T hey g rinned at each other.

'J, whe
he revelation came two nig hts la te r
n Earl was somnole nt on he roin.
He was o n his back, naked, a shee t over
him, a ciga re tte in one hand while h e
lackadaisically scra tched his pubic hair
with the o th e r, savo ring th e ultim a te
e uphoria. H e wasn' t really thinking, but
images o f th e d ay's eve nt fl oa te d
through his mind. Big Rand had looked
74

PRISON Uff

November 1996

from th e yard o ffi ce window; then said
he'd like to put troublemaking niggers
in th e De mpsey Dumpste r. Ea rl had
grunted a nd loo ked . The huge yea r-old
trash truc k was h alted in fro nt of the
education building. The swampe rs were
dumpin g barre ls o f trash in it. Th e
gu a rd sa t in th e cab of th e fla t-nosed
vehicle. Earl had alread y tho ught a bout
and d isca rded th e dumpster for the
same reason that th e guard could sit in
the cab instead of watching. Whe re the
old truck had been double watched, a nd
probe d with stak es at th e gate, and
wa tched while dumped , the ne w u·uck
protected itself. ..anyo ne climbing into
th e dump ster would be co mmitting
suicide: a crusher inside applied ton s of
press ure. Earl didn 't know how ma ny
tons, but proba b ly eno u g h to turn a
convict into a panca ke.
Except. ..
If. ..
His h ea rt pounded with his excited
thoughts. H e tri ed to calm himself by
looking o ut a t th e night and th e lig hts
twinkling in th e hills across the Bay. It
lo o ke d so easy th a t a n in exo rable
pendulum of do ubt swung back through
th e certainty. Ye t doubt h ad n o facts,
wh ile his inspira tio n seemed to have all
th e fac ts. Ruthl ess ly h e thro ttl e d
enthusiasm, and stifled his impulse to
wake Ron and te ll h im as soo n as th e
cell doors opened. Earl wou ld check it
out first.
Too excited to sleep, feel ing too good
because of th e dop e, h e s m o ke d
cigarettes until h is mouth was raw. Near
dawn he dozed off without expecting to .
And dreamed of escap ing from Alcau·az,
or trying to; h e was r u nning up a nd
down th e sh o reline, un able for so me
reaso n to plunge into th e water a nd
swim for freedom.
T h e n Earl ca m e awa ke, th e ce ll
doors were open a nd everyone e lse
had go ne to the mess hall. H e dressed
'
'
quickly,
no t bothering to wash or comb
his h air, wanting to get into the mess
ha ll before it closed.
A guard was sta rting to close the steel
d oor, but he ld it whe n Earl called. Once
inside, he wen t throug h th e lin e, but
aba ndon e d the tray th e mom e nt h e
reached the table. Instead , he wen t back
up the aisle into th e kitche n. It was out
of bounds, but co n vi ct coo ks, pot
was h e rs, a nd o th er workers were
eve r ywh e re a nd provided cove r. Th e
free stewards paid not o ne glance to yet
a n oth e r co nvi c t. He circle d th e huge
vats, tiptoed thro ug h sud sy wa ter, a nd
turned down a short co rridor towa rd
wire doubl e doors. Thi s was th e
vegetable roo m, its air h eavy with t h e
odor o f p ee le d potatoes soa kin g in

barrels, of g rated carrots a nd o nions.
Wh e n Earl ente red , the crew of h alf a
dozen C hi canos was s hu cking cor n ,
c h a tterin g Spanish, a nd list e nin g to
Mexican mus ic on a portable radio.
Th ey we re a clique o f b raceros wh o
spoke n o English a nd stayed toge th er
fo r mutual suppor t. The vegetable room
was the ir domain. When one left, they
se lec te d another o f th e brethre n to
r e p lace h im . Th ey looked a t Earl
expression lessly, n e ither questi o ning
nor h ostil e. H e m o ti o n ed that h e
wa nted nothing from them a nd we nt to
a large doubl e d oor at the rea r, made
sure it was un locked, a nd pee red out
throug h m es h wire at a s m a ll ya rd
behind th e kitche n . It was th e loading
zo n e for tru cks. Empty crates were
stacked against a wall n ext to em p ty milk
cans. Two co nvi cts in high boots and
h eavy rubbe r g loves a nd ap rons were
u sin g a stea m hose to rin se garbage
can s. The road to th e small ya rd came
up a ra mp t hro ug h an archway in a
wa ll- though beyond the wall was only
the lowe r yard. A guard tower sat on top
of th e wa ll . Th is was th e first stop the
trash truck mad e eve ry morning, th e
beginning of its route, and Earl knew it
was also th e m ost secl uded. It was the
best place to see if what he though t was
true, and if it was true, it would be the
best place to make the gamble.
A qua rter o f an h our later the truck
cam e up the ramp, its fla t sn o ut hig h
until it reach ed level ground. It swung
a ro und and bac k ed to th e l oad ing
dock-ten fee t from the vegetable room
d oo r-whe re th e trash barrels waited.
Two convicts ste pped off the rear a nd
began d umping th e m. T he gua rd stayed
inside the cab. The convict drive r waited
until sign aled by a swamper a nd then
threw a leve r. The compressor whined as
it c rushed the trash .
Earl boun ce d a nd p o pp ed hi s
fingers in a d ance. It ' ll work.
"lt. .. fuckin' ... will. .. work," h e said, and
actua lly fe lt di zzy. H e' d seen a prayer
a n swe red with a miracl e. He and
Ro n a ld Dec ke r were go ing to brea k
out of San Quentin.
The work wh istle had blown, the yard
gate opene d , a nd co n vic ts we r e
streaming o ut when Earl we nt aga inst
the n ow towa rd the North c he llhouse
rotunda. Ro n was coming down the steel
stairs, still bleary-eyed, when Earl leaped
a t him a nd sq u eezed his n ec k in a
head lock. "Gimme some asshole a nd I'll
te ll you the way ou t or he re."
"Naw, you 'd burn me."
"Ifl tell you, you ' ll bum me,"
"That's th e c h a n ce yo u take." The n
Ro n saw t h e e lat io n g lowin g o n h is
friend's face. "Youjivin '?"
"Not jivin '. It's th e trash truc k." H e

sta rted shadowbox ing, bobbing a nd
weaving and throwing hooks into thin
air. "H ea r m e, broth e r! It's a winner.
They don 't wa tch it 'cause they th ink a
chump would get killed. But. .. th e p lay is
to dive in with some kind of brace, like
four-by-fours, or a couple of O lympicsize weight bars. Put them against the
Be li eve
me ,
that
b ac k wa ll.
motherfuckin ' crusher ain't gon na bust
no weight bar."
Ron was incredulous. "It can't be that
easy."
"I checked it out this morning."
"How could they be so dumb?"
Earl shrugged.
"Or nobod y e lse noticed it before
this?"
"They we re n ' t looking. Like the bulls.
The crusher stopped them."
"When ca n we go? Tomorrow?" The
last was obviously in jest.
"C'mon, fool. We go tta find o ut where
it goes, where they e mpty it, a nd a rrange .
for yo ur m o th e r to pick us up .. . o r
somebody. If she can 't make it-"
"She can- "
"-we' ll wait unti l T.J. goes o ut in a
couple of months. We can 't just wander
a round like lost sheep. We wo uldn 't last
three days. Ma n , you 've got heat whe n
yo u split fro m inside the walls. It ain 't
like runnin' offfrom camp. "
"I ' II get on my e nd right away. The
padre wil l le t m e make a phon e call
hom e. rll get her out he re. "
" o, no. Yo u d on' t want a visit. That'll
put heat o n h e r. We' ll smugg le h e r a
le tte r. She's gotta make it look like sh e
neve r left home."
"How long is it going to take?"
"Two weeks. We've go t to c h eck out
the swa mpe rs ... m a ke sure th ey are n't
stool pigeo n s ... and get' e m o ut of th e
way if they are. I kn ow it uses a n outside
dump somew h ere. We might ha ve to
run wh e n we ge t out of th e truck. I
think I'll start jogging to get in shape."
"When I see you jogging, I' ll have a
heart attack."
"Maybe I a m being too exu·eme."

'J1 he pre para tion

to esca p e, o n ce
b egu n , went swifLiy. A clerk in th e
mainte nan ce office found t h e tru ck's
ma nual and confirmed that the crusher
wou ld n ever break a four-by-four, much
less an Olympic weightlifting ba r; a nd
Ll1e re was enough room for several me n
within the truck. The reputation of the
two swampe rs was okay among convicts.
Ea rl d1en had Seeman look at their files
to find out if d1ere was a recorded taint
in th e ir backgro und s. H e t o ld the
lieu te na nt h e n eed ed to know to stop
so m e troubl e a n d Seeman did n ' t
question further. The records showed no

pri o r s nitc hin g , an d one h ad a n
uniden tifi ed crim e pa rtn e r still loose,
whic h really indicated staun chn ess, for
both the police a nd th e parole board
exerted press ur e and t hr ea t e ned
pe nalties in that situation. Ron talked to
his mother on d1e chapel telephone and
got the reassurance; the n they sm uggled
the le tter with detailed instructions and
sh e co nfirm ed with a t e leg ram. Sh e
wou ld re nt a ca r, c h ange the li ce n se
plates, a nd fo ll ow the tras h tru c k o n
three consecutive clays from the moment
it left the prison reservatio n, read y to

u •~' n s1n~ N 1l
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)) I~ (~ I{ I~ It "TI~ It ·~
fiOINfi 'fO IIUI~illi
OIJ'f 01~ S ilN
0 lJ I~ N'f IN.
rescue them whe never th ey made their
move. She would have mon ey, clothes,
and a second car. Ron kn ew where to get
pho n y f.D. , but prefe rred to get it
himself when they we re out. She balked
at h aving firea rms waiting, which both
Earl and Ron had expected, but Ea rl had
insisted o n asking . It didn't really matter.
He kn ew where to ge t sh o tg uns a nd
pisto ls as soon as they reached Los
Ange les. Ba by Boy, in paint-splattered
white cove ralls, push ed a h andcart up
th e ra mp to the kitc hen yard . Under a
ta rp , amidst bucke ts of paint a nd
thinner, were two weightlifting bars, and
wrapped in dirty rags were two shivs. TJ.
had stolen the bars from the gym. It was
afte r lun ch a nd Ll1e vegetable crew was
gone fo r the clay. Baby Boy climbed on
top of sacks of potatoes a nd stashed the
equipme nt next to the wall . Despite the
pro mi se from Ro n 's mother, th ey
gath e red civilian shirts stole n from the
laundry and sixty do llars in currencyjust in case.
The escape was se t for Tu esd ay. On
Monday evening Earl was so te n se that
h e co uldn ' t ea t. Pa i ns squ eezed his
c h est. He spen t twe nty do llars of th e
escape mon ey on two papers of he ro in
a nd they erased th e anxiety.
Just before lockup in the South a nd
East ce llh ouses, T.J. and Way n e
co rn e red o n e of th e tras h tru c k

swampers, Vito and Baby Boy the other,
and to ld them what to expect and how
to react-by ac tin g n o rmal and go ing
o n with the ir job. Telli ng the m so late
wasn 't to forestall the m from snitching,
but to kee p them from goss iping to
other convi cts, wh o would gossip with
ye t m ore, unti l so m e wh e re down th e
line a stool pigeon wou ld hear.
Afte r lock up , both Ron and Earl
fini sh ed disposing or what was in their
cells, giving away cigare ttes, to iletries,
bo n aroo clothes, a nd books. Ro n to1·e
up le tte rs a nd legal pa pe rs and put his
photographs in a large manila e nvelope
d1at he wou ld carry inside his shirt. Earl
kept two packs o f cigarettes, a spoo n of
coffee in an e nve lope for morning, a nd
o ne squib of too thpaste on the brush.
All h e was ta king with him was three
sna pshots in a shirt pocket. "Sheeit! " he
muttered , "I trave l light as Mahatma
Gandhi." He was soundly asleep before
midnig ht, while Ron n ever really got to
sleep. Ron h ad quit smoking months
before, but that night he puffed nearly a
pack.
The mom e nt the security ba r was
lifted and No rth ce llhou se convicts
cam e o ut for brea kfa st, Ron we nt to
Earl 's cell and fo und him snoring. The
ho nor cellhouse door was unlocked and
Ro n pulled it open, tugging his friend's
foot through t h e blanke t. Earl 's eyes
opened immediately.
"H ey, " Ron said , un ce rtain if h e
should laugh or be indignant.
"Wha t're you doing still asleep?"
Ea rl n odded in s low, dr a matic
p at ie n ce . "Look, th is is the first
cellho use out. The swampe rs and driver
don ' t eve n leave their cells for half an
h o ur. It's a t least a n ho ur b efore the
truck starts rolling. Wha t should we do,
go lO th e vegetable room and cut up
sll·ing beans unti l it gets there?"
Laughter won inside Ron. "Okay, but
some times I can't believe you. Sleeping!"
"Ain't nothin' be tte r to do. But I'll get
up if yo u g e t m e som e hot water for
coffee."
Wh e n Ron ca m e back f1·om the hot
water s pigot at the end of the tier,
ca rr ying a s tea min g jar of wa ter
wrapped in a towel, Earl was butto ning
the blue jail shirt over the candy-striped
civilian on e. Ron sat down on the end of
th e lower bunk, b ack against o n e wa ll ,
feet on the other, while Earl brushed his
teeth, drank coffee, a nd hacked up the
gummy phlegm of a heavy smoke r.
Thro ugh th e tall barred windows they
could see the yard , d1e prison's dra bness
eve n mo re monochro matic in th e gray
mornin g light. A lin e of co nvicts was
starting to e m e rge from th e East
cellh o use at th e fa r end, while b elow
th e m North cellh o u se reside nts we re
No,•cmbcr 1996

PRISDM Uff

75

coming back.
"Shouldn 't we go say goodbye to o ur
frie nds?" Ron asked .
Earl looked at him , smiled , "Yeah , we
should-a nd I didn ' t even think of it. "
They we nt down stairs, agai nst a flow
of convicts, and out into th e still nearly
e mpty yard-e mpty fo r th e long line of
co nvicts stre tc hin g fro m m ess h a ll to
ce llhouse. The ya rd wo ul d fill as the
m ess hall e mptied. ow o nly a doze n
co n victs we r e stand in g arou nd o r
pacing back and fo rth . Ron a nd Earl
walked th ro ugh a nd scau e red a nock of
pigeon s waiting to be fed , and went to
th e co ncr e te bench a lo n g th e East
cellhouse wal l.
Moments la te r a pair of convicts came
from th e m ess h a ll lin e- T..J . a nd
Wayn e, th e for m er hugging Ea rl a nd
s h aking h a nd s with Ro n , th e la tter
shak ing ha nds, in reverse o rd e r, with
both of the m-and wish ing the m good
luck.
"Yeah , good luck, brothe rs." TJ . said.
"We took ca re of tha t with that fool on
the truck last night. H e's all right."
"I'll see you o u t there in a couple of
month s," Ea rl sa id . " I've got your
peo ple's address. I'll get in touch when I
think you 've raised."
"If you do n ' t mak e it, Way n e said ,
"we'll se nd you a care package into "B"
Section, smokes, coffee, a nd shit."
"If we d on't," Ro n sa id, "se nd m e
some arsenic."
"Ain' t that bad round he re," TJ. said.
"Hell, th e re's lots of excite ment." Then
to Earl: "Send us a package of dope as
soon as you can."
"I'll r un o ff in a Th ri fty d rugstore for
yo u."
From th e co rn er o f th e So uth m ess
h a ll, Vito a nd Ba b y Boy ap p ea red ,
cuttin g through the lines and angling
over.
"Glad we caught you," Baby Boy said ,
s h a kin g hands. "Sure wanted to say
goodbye and wish you luck."
Vito was more demo nstrative, goosing
Earl and giggling. "Say, man," Ea rl said ,
slapping the h and away. "I'll be glad to
get away fro m you."
T h e las t o f th e m ess h a ll li nes was
nearing the door.
"We gotta go," Ro n said.
The clique gave quick pats o n the
back, a nd th e n they c rossed th e yard
a nd got in th e end of the line.
"Wh en we ge t in side," Ea r l sa id ,
"follow me a bout te n feet behind."
As they stepped within, Earl bypassed
taking a u·ay and stepped o ut of th e line,
walkin g along th e rear wa ll where offduty kitc h e n worke rs we re sta nding.
They gave cover. H e gla nced back and
Ron was following.
It was the same in the confusion of the
76 PRISON

LifE

November 1996

hu ge kitch en. o b ody even looked
curiously at them .
Just two of the brace ro s we re still
work in g wh e n Earl o p e n e d the
vegetable room door. They were using
hose a nd squeegee to clean scraps from
th e tile floor. T hey g lanced up and kept
working; they were nearly do n e.
Ea rl h eld the door unlil Ron d ucked
through . Then Earl to ld him to kee p
loo kout down th e h a llway an d
sc rambled o n to the sac ks of pota toes,
re trieving t h e weightlifting bars a nd
sh ivs. The braceros sti ll said no thin g,
but hurried to scoop up the scraps a nd
ge t o ut o f the room.
Earl handed o n e shiv to Ro n and put
th e othe r under his shirt. H e propped
bo th weigh t bars n ext to th e loading
dock door a nd leaned forward, staring
ou t a t th e kitch e n yard a nd the to p of
t h e ramp. Ron stayed, wa tchin g the
corridor.
The sound of the truck came before it
was visible, but the time lapse was just a
fe w second s. Ron h eard, and fe lt as if
some thing that sh ould h ave been in his
chest had worked up into his throat and
was trying to gag h im . He co ul d h ear
the truck growling loud as it stra ined in
low gear; then it stopped and the gears
shifted . H e could hear it backing up.
Earl wa tc h ed th e gu n tower on the
wall against the gray sky. The guard had
his back turn e d , as usua l. Th e tr uck
bac ked in less than te n feet away. The
swamp e rs bounded o ff, going for th e
u·ash barrels.
"C' mon , Ro n , " Earl said, his words
pun ctuated by th e c rash of the first
barrel.
As Ro n m o ve d, th e t e nsion
dissolved-burst and went away. He was
as calm a nd de tached as a ny Lime in his
life, and so keyed up his senses captu red
eve r y impression inte n sely. H e eve n
noticed tha t Earl's cheek was twitc hing.
They each h eld one of the lo ng bars,
pa using just momen tarily at the door.
"You ge t in first," Earl said. "Push the
ba r ahead o f you . .. and don't drop the
fucker." H e o pe n ed th e door and Ron
we nt o ut o nto the d ock, n ea r ly
bumping into a barrel, causing Earl to
step o n his heels.
The swa mpers loo ked at th em with
wide eyes and stopped work, step ping
back to give the m room.
Ron put his h ead down and plunged
into th e hole, runn ing into a sten ch like
a wall and instantly starting to breathe
thro u g h hi s mouth, thinking that h e
h a d to get a h an dk erc hi ef out to
breathe into as soon as h e was seated.
His knees waded tl1 rough the trash, a nd
he pushed th e bar a head of him.
The mom e nt Ro n 's h ea d a nd
shoulders went in, Earl heard th e truck's

cab ope n a nd h e kn ew th e guard was
geLLing o ut. He couldn't stay where he
was, and h e wouldn't h ave Lime to follow
Ron . Bot11 of them would be caught. Ail
of this took one second to register, and
the n he ste pped around tl1e rear of the
truck a nd jumped d own from the
loadin g dock, a ng ling as if h eading
toward the kitchen door, appearing just
a few feet fro m th e o ld g u ard . "Hey,
Smitty," he said as if mildly surprised.
T he guard 's head came up but the re
was no suspicio n as h e recognized Earl.
"Cope n . You' re a little ou t of your usual
run , aren' t you?"
Earl held the weightlifting bar. "Yeah,
somebody carted tl1is ou t of the gym to
the kitchen-who knows what for-and
Rand sent me to get it." As Earl fin ished
the se nte nce, he h eard a barrel being
dumped and knew Ron was safe.
"Goddamn convicts would steal false
teeth," the guard said.
Earl nodded, said nothing, a nd walked
away.
In the darkness Ron heard the voices,
recogn ized Earl 's with out th e wo rds.
The fact of any talk was terrible. Ro n 's
h o p es with e red, h e knew they we re
caught. The n a barre l of trash n ew in,
se nding dust toward him, a nd h e dug
for the h and ke rchief. Another barre l
came. There was n o alarm. His th o ughts
an d feelings were ta ngled . Something
h ad made Earl bac k off. H e cou ldn 't
think further because the truck's motor
started and he heard the clunk of the
crushe r. H e braced the bar against the
wall and held it with both hands like a
lance. The u·ash crept over his feet, but
whe n the crusher hit tl1e steel brace it
sto pped. Everything h e ld for a few
seconds tha t seem ed like minutes, and
then the c rush receded and the square
of light reappeared .
and
terror
Ro n 's confusion
evaporated in soaring e la tion . H e was
going to be free in a few min utes. The
h alf-doze n stops were routine; h e was
over the hurdle. In the sme lly darkness
his th oughts had already left prison and
were on life.
In the sh adows of tile kitche n doorway
Earl Copen watched the high , ungainly
truck ro ll down tl1 e ramp. His lips were
pressed togeth er but drawn as far back
as possible, a nd his eyes were squinted
into slits to suppress the ir stinging. His
frie nd was gone and he was left behind,
but it was be tte r that o n e should be free
tha n neither. Still, the hurt was deep-but when th e truck h ad d isappeared,
Earl turned away, then sn o r te d a n
ironical la ugh. "Aw, fuck i t. I run
some thin g around h ere. I' d probably
starve to dea th out there."
It was as good a way to look at it as
a ny othe r.
~

ANUNCIO

RESULTADOS 0BTENIDOS POR BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ
Gabriel Hernandez
Gabriel Hernandez habfa sido acusado de posesi6n y
conspiraci6n envolviendo multikilos de cocaina y
posesi6n de anna de fuego. La evidencia en contra de
Sr. Hernandez era abrumadora. El Juez Federal impuso
una sentencia mfnima mandatoria de 120 meses. El Sr.
Hernandez pidi6 su transferencia atraves del Consulado
Mexicano. Luego de esperar casi dos aiios. el
Departamento de Justicia le neg61a transferencia al Sr.
Hernandez sin raz6n. El Sr. Hernandez contact6 las
Oficinas Legales de BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ y pidi6
nuestra ayuda. El Sr. Hernandez fue transferido a
Michoacan, Mexico, a su mismo pueblo, en solo
jCUATRO MESES!

BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ y pidi6 nuestra ayuda.
BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ apel6 al Depanamento de
Justicia alegando que el Sr. Sanchez debia ser
transferido a pesar de que el Sr. Sanchez era un
residente pennanente de los Estados Unidos y tambien
a pesar de que el fiscal federal que llev6 el caso del Sr.
Sanchez trat6 de obstaculizar Ia transferencia. Despues
de apelar y ejercer presion vigorosamente sobre el
gobierno por veinte meses, BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ
obruvo Ia aprobaci6n de Ia transferencia del Sr.
Sanchez! El Sr. Sanchez fue aprobado para traslado
hacia Mexico a pesar de que era residente pern1anente
y que su sentencia era de 12 aiios y medio!

Juan Campos
El Sr. Juan Campos recurri6 a nuestros servicios tan
promo que el fue sentenciado. Su sentencia era de 10
ailos por posesi6n de metamfetamina (crista!) con
intenlo de distribuci6n. La oficina de BENNINGHOFF &
RAMIREZ consigui6 Ia transferencia inmediata del Sr.
Campos para Colima, junto con su esposa e hijos. Esta
transferencia fue aprobada en menos de once meses
despues de ser sentenciado!

Juan Manuel Aguilar
En diciembre de 1994, el Sr. Aguilar fue acusado en
Cone Federal de posesi6n de 22 kilos de cocaina con
intento de distribuci6n. El fiscal contaba con el
testimonio de 2 infonnantes, cintas de video y audio.
El abogado privado del Sr. Aguilar no investig6 el caso
y le dijo que lo unico que podia hacer es ponerlo a
testificar en contra de los otros acusados. Luego de
correr a su abogado, el Sr. Aguilar contrat6 a
BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ para que peleara su caso.
Durante el juicio, los dos infonnantes testificaron que
el Sr. Aguilar baj6 de Ia cajuela de un carro 22 kilos de
coca con sus propias manos. El fiscal present6 ademas
las cintas de audio y video. BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ
Jogr6 desmentir el testimonio de los informantes pues
atraves de Ia investigaci6n BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ
averigu6 que los informantes fueron pagados miles de
d61ares por el gobiemo. Gracias a BENNINGHOFF &
RAMIREZ el Sr. Aguilar fue hallado inocente del cargo
de posesi6n de cocaina con intento de distribuci6n por
el jurado.

Luis Enrique Zazueta
El Sr. Zazueta fue hallado culpable por posesion con
intento de distribuir metamfetamina y sentenciado a
siele ailos de prisi6n federal.
BENNINGHOFF &
RAMIREZ consigui6 Ia aprobaci6n de su transferencia a
Culiaciin, Sinaloa, en solo 8 meses!

Jose Luis Amezola
El Sr. Amezola. de El Aguave, Mich.. fue hallado
culpable en Cone Federal por lavado de dinero
envolviendo el envio de dinero hacia Mexico.
BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ consigui6 Ia aprobaci6n de
Ia transferencia del Sr. Amezola hacia Mexico en solo
8 meses!

Daniel Arredondo
En diciembre de 1995, el Sr. Arredondo fue acusado en
cone del eslado con un tercer strike al amenazar de
muene a su esposa e hijos. Por ser su tercera ofensa.
Ia unica sentencia posible era 25 aiios a vida. El
abogado de el, le dijo que no podia hacer nada por el.
Luego de correr a su abogado, el Sr. Arredondo
contrat6 a BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ quienes
inmediatamente comenzaron a meter mociones en cone
y poner presion sobre el fiscal. BENNINGHOFF &
RAMIREZ Jogr6 forzar al fiscal a eliminar Ia aplicaci6n
de los tres strikes en contra de el Sr. Arredondo y le
consigui6 una sentencia de solo 6 aiios. en vez de 25
ai\os a vida.

Sotero Sanchez
En 1972 el Sei\or Sotero Sanchez, prisionero federal,
entr6 a los Estados Unidos yen 1988 aplic6 para ser un
residente legal. Por cieno, el Sr. Sanchez vivi6
continuamente en los Estados Unidos por mas de 25
ai\os y le fue concedida su residencia legal y
permanente segun Ia amnistfa. En Ocrubre de 1993, el
Sr. Sanchez fue acusado de posesi6n y conspiraci6n
involucrando multikilos de cocaina. La evidencia en
contra del Sr. Sanchez era abrumadora, pues el
Gobierno contaba con 1estigos y agen1es del DEA. El
Sr. Sanchez, siendo representado por abogado
particular, se declar6 culpable de Ia ofensa. El Juez
Federal le impuso una larga sentencia de 12 aiios y 6
meses. A mediados del 1993, el Sr. Sanchez pidi6 su
transferencia atraves del Consulado Mexicano. Luego
de esperar nueve meses, el Consulado Mexicano no
pudo ayudar al Sr. Sanchez y el Departamento de
Justicia le neg6 rotundamente Ia transferencia. En
Ocrubre de 1994, el Sr. Sanchez se comunic6 con las

Esequiel Montijo
El Sr. Esequiel Montijo habia sido sentenciado a una
condena de 60 meses por conspiraci6n para poseer
marihuana con intento de distribuci6n. El habia estado
en Ia prisi6n anteriormente por droga tambien. Cuando
el Sr. Montijo comenz6 a servir su sentencia , el pidi6
su transferencia atraves del Consulado y se Je fue
negada rorundamente. Cuando el comrat6 nuestros
servicios, BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ le consigui6 su
transferencia para Ciudad Juarez para estar junto a su
familia. Esta transferencia fue aprobada en menos de
siete meses!

Thomas Babis

Lie. CHARLES BENNINGHOFF
Macario Zarate
El Sr. Jose Macario Zarate habia sido sentenciado a
una condena de 15 aiios por ser culpable de tres cargos
(I) conspiraci6n para poseer cocaina con intento de
distribuci6n; (2) posesi6n de cocaina con intento de
dis1ribuci6n; y (3) posesi6n de arma de fuego durante
transaccion de drogas. Cuando el Sr. Zarate comenz6
a servir su sentencia , el pidi6 su transferencia atraves
del Consulado Mexicano y le fue negada rorundamente
debido a seriedad de su ofensa y posesi6n de arma de
fuego.
En Septiembre de 1995 BENNINGHOFF &
RAMIREZ le consigui6 su aprobaci6n de tranferencia
para Culiacan, Sinaloa junto con su familia.

Jesus Barajas
El Sr. Barajas. habia sido sentenciado a una condena
de 10 aiios por conspiraci6n para poseer cocafna con
intento de distribuci6n. esta era Ia segunda vez.
Cuando el Sr. Barajas. comenz6 a servir su sen1encia,
el pidi6 su transferencia atraves del Consulado y le fue
negada rorundamen1e. Cuando el contral6 los servicios
de BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ. nuestra oficina le
consigui6 su transferencia para Uruapan, Michoacan
para estar junto a su fam ilia en menos de cuatro meses.

El Sr. Babis. oriundo de Grecia, fue hallado culpable
de varios cargos serios, incluyendo serias violaciones a
las !eyes de armas de fuego. El Sr. Babis trat6
infrucruosamente de obtener su traslado a Grecia para
estar cerca de su familia. BENNINGHOFF & RAMIREZ
obruvo Ia aprobaci6n del estado de Nuevo York de Ia
transferencia del Sr. Babis para Grecia en solo 6 meses!

SI USTED QUIERE
RESULTADOS
INMEDIATAMENTE
Escriba a:
BENN1NGHOFF & RAMIREZ
314 11 Benninghoff Law Building
San Juan Capistrano, California 92675
Su Familia Nos Puede Llamar a!:
USA 800-ENCARCEL (362-2723)
MEXICO 95-800-ENCARCEL (362-2723)
Los resultados aquf discutidos no constituyen
una garantfa 6 predicci6n acerca del
resultado de su asunto legal. Todos los
casas varian dependiendo de las circurnstancias y las !eyes aplicables.
c Charles F. Benninghoff ill 1996

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Suite 28, Woodland Hills, CA 91364.

Being released in the next 30 months?
Rec ruiting for world voyage. We offer
opportunity to escape returning priso n
b y working as c r e w o n our sa ilin g
vesse ls. Will h elp ge t yo u pass port,
cleara n ce fro m P.O. and cour ts. Send
SASE, 10 unused stamps: Sea Voyagers,
1007 No rth Federa l Highway #58, Ft.
La uderdale, FL 33304

Radios and other goods. Serving th e
p rison popula tion since 1984. We a re the
Conaid Company, Inc. We offer a variety
of radios and other goods specifically for
the prison popu la ti o n . Free Cata log.
Write to: Th e Conaid Company, In c.,
2302 230th Su·eet, Pasadena, MD 21122.

Packages for Prisoners: Send to d ay for
our new order form.
a rn e brand
pro du c ts a t mark et p ri ces.
ew
fl exibility in order in g just wha t yo u
want. Call 800-386-5 120 or wr ite PFP,
P.O. Box 8213, Spokane, WA 99203.

SENSUAL,
EROTIC
FANTASY
e n cou nte r crea ted pe rso n a lly fo r you
according to your own specific desires
and fetishes. Letter or audiotape. Photos
and specialty items also available. Send
S.A.S.E. for details: l\<IISTRESS
GODDESS , P. O. Bo x 69A24, Lo s
Ange les, CA 90069

Express yo ur love to fam ily & friends.
Custom d esigned g ift baske ts shipped
n atio nwide a nd to foreign co untri es.
Gift Baskets By Mai l, PO Box 610924,
San J ose, CA 95 161. Free color photo &
brochure . Ca ll or wr ite today. (408)
254-4 134.

Jewish Spirituality. Audio or video tape
"Chicken Soup for th e Jewish soul. " 30
min. songs, r eadings, stories. Audio
$ 18.50, vid eo $52.50 (includes S&H).
Send c h eck : C hi cke n Soup, 1861
Clairmo nt Rd. #412, Decatur, GA 30033

ESCAPE. Dreams are free, be sure yours
are good drea ms. We have nude photos
and sh ort sto ri es and other t hings to
h elp. Age, signatu re, SASE, a nd $ 1 for
info. Alfresco, Box 14191-BB, Tulsa, OK
74159

Free Gospel tracts, write for samp les.
We wi ll includ e a s amp le o f our
month ly paper The L iberator ($5.00 pe r
year), publi s h e d fo r in ca r cera te d
Christia ns. Liberty Prison Ministries,
P.O. Box 8998, Wa ukega n, IL 60079.
J esus does carel

Special Interest Videos
8000 high quality, compreh e nsive titles
Exerc ise / fitn ess, co mpute rs, shorts,
acade mics,
c hild ca re / parenting,
personal growth, hobbies, etc. $12.98 &
up. Money back guarantee . Sample full
colo r ca ta log $3. 00 (refund ab le with
first o rd e r ). Mi ll en ia Exports, 1328
Broadway Ste. 756-88, N.Y., ~.Y. 10001

Sexy California Girls want to write to
yo u! Al l letters p e rso n a l a nd
con fid e nti al. Do n 't be alo n e. Let us
kee p yo u co mpa n y. Send name and
address to: PenMates Inte rnational, 505
S. Beverly Dr. #944, Beverly Hills, CA
90212. Please include a $14.95 ch eck o r
m. o. for 10 hot le tters (on e pe r week)!
Ma kes a g1·eat g ift!

Tired of doing time you do not deserve?
Have you given up o n all possibility of any
justice since your confinement? Please
write: Freedom Press, Prisoner Support
Division, PO Box 4458, Leesbu rg, VA
22075. Include a narrative a nd copies of
your sente ncing documents. Pho ne: 70349 1-8725. Collect calls a re accepted o n
Saturday and Sunday o nly.

MEDIA

OTHER STUFF
For God So Loved The World That He
Gave Hi s O n ly Begotte n Son Th a t
\<\lh osoeve r Believeth In H im Shall ot
Perish But Have Eve rlasting Life. J o hn
3: 16. .Jesus Loves You.

Classified Advertising
To place a classified ad : call, fax or write to PRISON LIFE Magazine at the location listed below

PRISON lifE MAGAZINE _ __
1436 W. Gray, Suite 531 + Houston, TX 77019-9896 + 713/694-3131 + fax 713/694-8131
so PRISON lifE

November 1996

Pen Pals
SWM , 36, 6 ', brn ha ir, g ree n eyes .
See kin g co rr es p o nd e n ce fr o m
someone special for sincere & ho nest
fri e n dship . Ve r y ope nmin ded w/ a
positive o utlook on life. In to running,
staying health y & C & 'vV. Age no t an
i sue: ho nesty is. Wi ll respo nd to a ll.
J a mes H . Powell #3 17639, V-C-1, PO
Box 3 10, Valdosta, GA 31603
Yo un g white/ Mex ica n ma le lookin g
fo r so m e thin g rea l ! Bee n hu rt &
beu·ayed by plen ty of so-called wome n
sin ce I' ve b ee n d own . Loo king fo r
sincere, mature, compassio nate, REAL
wo ma n to c rea te re la ti o n s hip o r a
good fr ie ndship. I h ave n ' t give n up
hope-I know th ere' one ou t there for
me . Age, race d oesn 't ma tte r. Ve r y
s in ce re ! H o m e r Whi sle r #54209,
L.C.F., PO Box 2, Lan ing, KS 66043
DW?vl, 57, 5'8, 150#, blue eyes, g ray
h a ir. Do in g 25 to life, e li gib le fo r
pa ro le 9/ 96. Tired o f be ing a lo n e .
Will respo n d to a ll wome n ( n o
facs im iles pl ease) ove r 45. J e rr y
Daniels B-94097, C.M.F., PO Box 2000,
H-120-U, Vacaville, CA 95696-2000
Lo n e ly 44 yr o ld 'vVhite C hri s ti a n
Pa trio t, 5' 10, 155#, brn h a ir, elig ible
fo r p aro le 5/97. Wo ul d lik e to
correspond w/ white laclie · proud of
the ir heritage who may be lone ly & in
need of a true fr ie nd , prefe rably those
w/ C hri stia n Ide ntity be li efs. Will
a n swer a ll. a m as te! J am es Ga r y
Whi ttingto n #623245, PO Box 4500,
Tennes ee Colony, TX 75886
SWM, 34, 6'1, 195#, looking fo r a special
lady to share some lonely times with ,
age, race, looks unimportan t. Down 6
yrs w/ 4 to go. Easy-go in g &
understanding, into romance, outdoors,
d a ncing, movies & qui e t evenings a t
home. Please wri te soon , l 'U answer all.
Benny J. Ray #562984, Fergu on Unit,
Rt. 2 Box 20, Midway, TX 75852
Fre n ch/ Indian, 25, 5' ll , 175#, bu il t
li ke a bri c k h o u se . Look in g fo r
so meone who likes to write le u e rs &
poetry. I'm sincere, funn y, ho nest &
easy going! Looking for clown to earth
peopl e o f a n y race , sex & age. Vhll
answer all. Danny Stier waltjr. #46336,
E.S.P., PO Box 1989, Ely, NV 89301
WM, 35, 5'9, blue eyes, clark hair, born
in P o rtu ga l. Wa rm w/
love

ex pe rie nce, n eed ma LUre wo man for
fulfillm e nt o f dre ams & sh a rin g o f
private desires. Will exchange pho tos.
Ma rco Da Costa #63835 1 , C. C. 1. ,
33 123 O il we ll Rd . Box 55, Punta
Go rda, FL 33955

fulfi ll yours over & ove r again . .Joyce
J ones #566003, 1916 N. Hwy 36 Bypass,
Lane Murray Unit, Gatesville, TX 76596
Pue rto Rican, 27, 5'10, 175#, blk hair,
brn eyes. Looking for fe male penpa ls
to write in Spanish. I will a n swe r all
le tte rs. Mario Correa #6430 19, 2 101
FM 369 o nh, Iowa Park, TX 76367

Good lookin Arya n, college educated,
single, 33, 190#, 5' 11 , blond, gorgeous
g ree n eyes. Sea rch ing fo r th a t o n e
special lady who is mature & looking
fo r a meani ngful frie ndship. I won 't
be locked up fo rever, so write soon .
J eff Fields #653 160, Price Daniel Unit,
938 South FM I 673, Snyder, TX 79549

SWM , 36, 155# , 5'8, brn ha ir, g reen
eyes, look in g fo r wo m e n to kic k it
with . I g ive g reat m ail , write soo n .
Jimmy Sherlock #674556, Rt. 3 Box 59,
Rosharon, TX 77583

European, Professor Cardiac surger y,
42, brigh t, creative, adven turous spirit,
h o nest, decent, selfl ess, supp o rtive.
Im pressive ka rate , scuba di ving, ski
teache r in excelle n t shape & h ealth .
Falsely accused , o n death row, expect
co mpl e te
vindi ca ti o n .
See k
co rres po nde nce w/ lad y, prefe ra ble
physicia n o r a tty. B. Geo rge Ba kalov
#20907, PO Box 250, Draper, UT 84020

SHM , 27 , 140#, o ld sch ool ga ngs ta!
Hispanic causing panic! 50 yrs agg. for
j aywalking, been down 8 tigh t. ISO
a n y Hi s pani c f e m a les who a re n ' t
afraid to write someone a Iii crazy but
fa r fro m du m b. Pachucas/ Ch o las a
p lu s. Wi ll a n swe r a ll , p ic 4 pi c .
Rigo be rto "Kito" Flores #586007, Me
Co nn e ll U nit, 3 00 1 S. Emily Dr. ,
Beeville, T X 78102

BM , 33 , 6'2 , 2 10#, ve r y h o n es t &
looking for same in a fe male , any age,
ize as lo n g as yo u kee p it rea l.
H o bbi es inc lud e b o d y buildin g ,
read ing, runnin g & real peo p le. All
se ri o us m inded fe ma les n eed a pply.
W ill a n swer a ll. E lli o ll W illi a m s
#481914, Robertso n Unit, 12071 FM
3522, Abile ne, T X 79601

BM, 32, 5'9, brn eyes, blk h ai1~ It skin,
1 90#, loo kin g f o r a wild sexu a l
re la tio nship w/ d ecentl y built, well
hung white or black woman who loves
passion , da ncing, swimming, movies,
sports, rock n roll, blues, jazz. If you fit
the description, please wri te. David Lee
Burn s #426457, Co ffi e ld U nit, Rt. 1
Box 150, Tennessee Colony, T X 75884

WM, 39, 6', 200#, brn hair & eyes. In
need of friendship/ relationship. Any &
ever yon e welco me d . Wil l exch a n ge
photos. Sitting on death row 8 yrs but
h ave h ea rin g soo n th a t wil l s h ow
innocence. 1 eed someone to guide &
support me &just be there to love & be
loved. J ames Docke tt #11 2232, PO Box
221 , 42-2075-Al , Raiford, FL 32083

VVM, 43, down 4 yrs, o ut in 14 months,
Do n 't want money or ma terial things.
In need of one sincere, o pe nminded
wo ma n to correspond w/ & possibly
start a permane nt rela tionship. Looks,
age d o n ' t ma tte r: yo ur h eart does.
J ames Stone #25997, Broo klyn C I, 59
H artford Rd., Brooklyn, CT 06234

WM , 38, 6'2, 200#, b r n hair, h azel
eyes. H o me LOwn is C love rleaf, TX.
Inte r es te d in corres p o ndin g w/
matu re ladies, age doesn ' t ma tte r. o
blacks/ mud ducks please. Will a nswer
a ll letters in / o ut o f pri son . Bi ll y
Wayne G illil a nd #479412, Eas th a m
Uni t, PO Box 16, Love lady, T X 75851
He llo h a ndso me . I'm single , 35, 5'9,
183#, n o fa tty tissu es. Ve r y b eautiful
black fe male inside & out, looking for a
lo ne ly male who wan ts lO spice up his
life. My biggest turn on is to fulfill a
ma n 's d esire s & I'm confident I can

SBM , 25, 6'2, 2 10# , see k in g p e n
f ri e nd s fo r in te llige nt & h o n es t
conve rsation . Sincere & o penminded
wome n respo nd o nly. Gregor y Smith
#955620, 183 0 Eag le C res t Way,
Clallum Bay, WA 98326
Anim a lis ti c-No r weg ia n / C h e rokee
mixed up caged bike r, down 5 on a 10
w/ o n e to go . Brn & g ray hair, brn
eyes, 180# , 5' 11 , bo rn l / 4 /55 . In
need o f le tte rs & photos from kinky
fea th e r wood s wh o th ink th ey ca n
ta m e Jam es "Th o r " Th orn to n
#63 1439, Steve n son U nit, 1525 FM
766, Cuero, T X 77954
Novembe r 1996

PRISON lifE

81

Pen Pals
WM , 3 1, 5'9, 185#, h aze l eyes, brn
ha ir. Solidly muscled b od y w/ solid
loyalties to family & frie nds. Looking
for sp ec ia l lady to tou c h m y h eart
that's in te r es ted in sh a rin g r espect,
ad ve ntures, d esires & laug hte r. Garrett
Linderman #288749, W.S.P- TM U, PO
Box 520, Walla Walla, WA 99362
Yo u ... yes you! Looking fo r a sp ecial
fri e nd /so ulma te to g row w/, love &
ado r e? SBM , 6'3, 45, prays for
companionship/s pecial love fro m a
Cod-fearing woma n who will stay by
h e r man. R obert a th a ni e l Olds
# 036638, Moberly C. C., PO Box 7,
Moberly, MO 65270-0007
Co nscious Moo ris h Am e r ican m a n ,
34, accomplis he d mind , inviting a
caring woman w/ soft m anners who
can demonstrate love un condi tionally
to bui ld a m ansio n of h a ppiness w/
u·uth as cem ent. Deron Dar re ll We bb
Bey #83029-020 , M-Unit, 3901 Kl e in
Blvd. , Lompoc, CA 93436
Iris h / Cajun , 5'6, 148#, 35, see king
corresponde nce w/ h o n est, o pe n &
real lad ies. Enjoy redheads, brune ttes,
brash ladies suffe rin g from bad boy
sy ndro m e, ridin g bikes, go urm e t
dinin g. Share yo ur li fe w/ m e:
pl a toni ca ll y o r o th e rwise . Mi c h ae l
Fa r r i II # 1 00144 , PO Bo x 97, Me
AJester, OK 74502-0097
SW convict, 42, 165#, 5' 11, It. Brn over
hazel, down 9, 2 left & sti ll true to the
life. Financially secure, seeks female
conversation . Inte lligence & ho nesty a
must. No games please. Pi c for pic,
convicts welcome. Ronald Kelly Sutton
#3433844, 0. S. P. , 2605 State St.,
Salem, OR 97310
SWM, 23, blo nd, blue eyes, doing time
fo r a rm e d robbery. I'm a lea th e r &
c hai n s m an, h eavy in to my Scottis h
he ri tage. Loo king for a ll soli d wh ite
bro thers & siste rs to correspo nd with.
Really love to hear from any Scottish
kins men out the r e. Out in Fa ll / 97.
Ro nnie Clarke #8551006, O.S.P. , 2605
State St., Sale m, OR 97310
BF, pape r sac k brn , 2 1, 5'4, 160#,
h o n est, sin cere, loving, ath le ti c, in
good h ea lth /s h a p e . Love mu sic ,
coo kin g, wa tc hin g s p o rts. S in g le
pare nt of precio us 7 yr. o ld. Ser ving
20 yr. sentence & looking for a special
gen tle ma n who can be ever ythin g to
m e . Age , r ace unimporta nt. La
82 PRISON

LifE

Novc111bcr 1996

Rh o nda Kay Sa tc he l #6826 1 7, J 401
State School Rd., Gatesville, TX 76599
SV\Tf, 26, 5'5, 130#, long blondish-brn
h a ir, n ever marri e d , no c hil d r e n.
Doing a 12 fo r fo rge ry. ISO a cari ng,
loving, su pportive, easy-going m an. o
head gam es. If inte rested in a down to
earth woman, feel free to write. H ope
to h ea r from yo u. Ca r y Reeves
#63 083 7 , 140 1 State Sc h oo l Rd .,
Gatesville, TX 46599-2999
SWM seeking S\1\Tf. I'm 5'7, 140#, 35,
brn hair, hazel eyes, not hard to look
a t.
See kin g
good- h ea rted ,
o p e nminde d wo m e n inte r ested in
wr iting a down to earth ge ntle m a n
who is sensitive, kind, understanding
& h o n es t . I ' m a n easy go in g m a n
yearning for life's simplicities, so let's
ex p lore happin ess together. Ch arl es
Bran n o n #297598, Rac in e C. I. , PO
Box 900-1, Sturtevant, WI 53177-0900
DHM, 32, 6', 200#, seeking fe male to
co rres pond with , age & race
unimportant. Sincer ity & se n se of
hum or a mu s t. Se nd ph oto. W ill
answe r a ll. Ve ntura J. Rivera Ri os,
Halawa C.F., 99-902 Moanalua Rd., MC, Aiea, HI 96701
Chicano, 23, 160#, young, sho rt, light
in th e ass but still a ma n & still real.
I'm out real soon. If this is good or
bad who knows? 9 mo n ths, maybe 16whatever these bitches decide. 1 have
3-way hook ups in case yo u ' r e in a
situ atio n lik e min e
"no
corresp o nde n ce b e twee n inmates."
Fuck ' e m! I say we write. Ca r los M.
Pe r ez #42054, E.S. P. , PO Box J 989 ,
Ely, NV 89301
BM , 5' 11 , 195#, 35, go ld e n eyes,
Co lg ate s mi le, ve r y h a nd so m e,
muscu lar, Cod-fearin g, a hedonist, &
vivacious. Into R & B, reggae, blues &
o ld ro c k, dru g free lifestyle. I' m a
pro fessiona l musician w/ a Masters
degree & BA, o wn my o wn busi ness.
Very savoir-faire . Wou ld like las tin g
fri e nds hip , perhaps rom a n ce . W ill
answer all. Re ube n Ross # 14680, Box
250, U nit U-4, Draper, UT 84020
SV\Tf, 37, 5'2, 135#, lo ng, stra ig h t hair,
h aze l eyes. Co n side r e d a ttrac t ive.
Sorry, not a llowed to write in ma tes.
Wish to correspo nd w/ ge ntle caring
man, a ny age. Pe rh a ps yo u ca n fill
thi s lo n e ly void in m y h ea r t. O r a
smile to my face . No gam es, please.

Marsh a Me Cabe # 153 485 , J e fferson
C. 1. , PO Dr awe r 4 3 0 , C-A 11 -B,
Mo nticello, FL 32344
WM, 5' 11 , 190#, blo nd hair, blue eyes.
Down doing time Texas way. Looking
fo r feath erwoods doing time o r free,
wi lling to correspond. I' m 29 yea rs
yo ung. Michael Rose #585726, Rt. 4
Box 1200, Rosharo n, TX 77583
38, white, death row inmate . Been in
p ossess io n of (s ince '79 ) fore n s ic
evid e n ce, medica l ex. r e p o rt,
witn esses, r ecord s provi n g m e
uncl o ubtably fr a m ed. P etiti o n to
gove rn or s ta rtin g . I n eed fri e nds .
Good hearted wome n, too. Publishe rs,
m e di a es p ec ia ll y! 6 ', mu sc ular,
attractive inside, o u tside. Please write.
Pa ul W. Scott #0716 15, Union C. 1.,
Box 22 1- .E. U nit A- 1-43-1 1-7 3,
Raiford, FL 32083
AtU1: all single ladies. This Harley man
is 25, 6'4, 2 1 5#, Iri s h , sec ur e &
handso me. ISO oul mate. Mu t be a
real lad y, no fakes should apply. Bryan
"Red " Steckel, J 110 Broadway St. Suite
69, Be th le h e m , PA 18 015. In c l ud e
photo if possible.
I' m 35, salt & pepper hair, hazel eyes
& loo k li ke a big o ld tedd y bear. I
enjoy a good ga me of chess, music, art
& sports. I wi ll e nj oy an swe r in g a ll
lette rs o r card s . Robert C r o u se
#37788, PO Box l989, Ely, NV 89301
SW?vl, 32, 5' 10, 180#, Musician , writer,
pierced , tattooed, into underg ro und/
a lter na ti ve culture . Ed ucated, we lltr ave lled, pol itically active & aware.
See kin g a li ke-minded wo m a n fo r
corre po ncle n ce, inside o r out. Will
answer all , pho to fo r photo. I have a
lot to o ffe r if yo u ' re th e o n e . Tom
Hutc hin s #8393 156, 2500 Westgate,
Pend leton , OR 97801
Single Puerto Rican male, 23, 6' 1, blk
hair & eyes, good looking, grea t sense
of h um o r, li kes spo rts. Loo kin g fo r
fem a le pe n pals. Please write! Do n ' t
be shy. J. Anthon y Zapata #J 48689,
C .S. P. Fa c. D- Bdg 2-2 16L, PO Box
931, Imperial, CA 9225 l
3 1, Mex-Am erica n , 5'9, 152#, blk
h air, brn eyes , cl ow n 7 yrs .
Des pe ra te ly see ks so ulmate: a good
la d y (fr ee world o r sh o rt ti mer) to
h e lp m e thru th e n ex t co upl e of
yea rs. Seek s tra ig ht up lo n g te rm

Pen Pals

c=================
co rres p o nd e n ce, fri e nd ship , poss.
m a rri age w/ h o n es t, co n sid e rate
wo man , 20+, kids O K. Will re locate
w/ t h e ri g h t wo m a n. Ric h a rd
Ma uricio #582648, Te lfo r d Un it, PO
Box 9200, ew Bosto n, T X 75570
Lo ne ly Chicano left out in th e cold w/
this life sentence in the fed eral syste m.
Loo king to penpal w/ any wo me n out
th e re. No games. I'm 34, 5'6, 185#,
b rn eyes, blk ha ir. This is m y sisters
address, she' ll redirect my le tte rs. B.
Vi ll a rea l #033 67-078, Box 7460,
Alamo, TX 78516

o complexes, hangu ps or head aches,
please. Perfumed pa per, flash u·aders
g rab my a tten tio n qu ickest. JW Ka r r
# 189197, 1576 Bluewate r Hwy, Io n ia,
MI 48846

gouen 16 yrs. of my li fe / 4 to go. M)'
inte rests inc lude lit., h e a lth, li fe,
m usic. Share yo ur feelings & life w/
me. Paul R. Hi ll # 15508, E.S.P., PO
Box 1989, Ely, NV 89301

Ch icano, 22, 5' 10, 180#, brn hair, grey
eyed h ue ro fro m Fresno . Re leased in
'98, ISO a fi rme wo ma n in need of a
down vato to share a Iii of her time &
tho ugh ts with . Alan Avila # 1133062 1,
O.S.P. , 2605 State St. SE, Sale m . OR
97310-0505

SBM, 30, blk hair, brn eyes, 215, open
m in d ed Mu slim , look in g for
correspondence. 1 yr. to go & I'm a n
e lecu·o n ic & weat p ress operator
seeking e n treprenuersh ip. Knows the
va lue of a good wo m an. U lysses
Roberson #227784, AI Burr uss C.T.C.,
PO Box 5849, Forsyth, GA 31029

SWM , 36, 6', 195#, g ree n , brown ,
ge nuine, affec tio nate, a th le tic, loyal
true h eart. Fig h ti ng d ea th pen a lty.
See ks fr ie nd s hip , co mpa ni o ns hip ,
suppo r ti ve pe rson who kn ows wha t a
tr u e fri e nd / co mpa ni o n rea ll y is.
To mmy Wil son #14805, E.S. P., POB
1989, Ely, NV 89301-1989

SWM, 5'10, 190#, 31, brn ha ir, misty gr
eyes, Virgo. Looking fo r a sensitive/
roma ntic ma n? I' m the one to fu lfi ll
those d esires. I wa nt n othin g more
t h a n swee t drea m s of life, love,
frie ndship & the right wo man . Letter
w/ p ic gets same. Love is in life. My
life n eeds love. An y age/ race fi n e.
Edward M. Oettinger, Box 351-169167,
Waupan , Wl 53963-0351

Fo rm e r ow n e r of S lave Maste r
Tattooing, seeks righteous partne rs fo r
love & lu cre. Mili ta n t rig h t wingers
a lso sought. 29, 6'2, 25, 8 tats, have
thousands of designs & give good pe n!

SWM , 5' 11 , 185#, 37, blo nd , b lu eeyed hun k o f burnin g love see ks
fin a n c ia ll y secure, d own to ea rth
fe ma le to share lifes ex pe riences w/
an ope n-minded free sp irit. evada's

UNCLE GIM

s

6

$8.89

SWM, 6' 1 ", 198#, b lack h a ir, h azel
green eyes, fi nanc ia ll y sta ble, we lleducated, open and su·aigh t for ward,
tired o f games people p lay. Looking
fo r compassionate lady who kn ows
wh at she wants and where sh e is
going. Mus t be hea lth y, fin anc ia lly
stable, we ll -educated , a n d good
looking. H ead ing back to Southwest
H o puston soon with g reat reso u rces
a n d u nl im itied possibi li ties. Please
include p hoto wi th leller if interested
in living the American Dream: Lewis
D. T riplell, 381079, Wynne , Hun tsville
TX 77349- 000 I

s

I

--

Name, J.D., Institution, Address, &Slyle/Ouantily. (dassi( and popeyes specify block or tortoise shell frames)
Moil with check or money orderfor (ost +3.99s/h to: Unde Gimpys, P.O. Box 99203, Son Diego, CA. 92169

NO\·embcr 1996

PRISON UFf

83

RESOURCES

by Alex Friedmann, Resource Editor, SCCC, TN

These m·e nonfJrofil and volunteer-run
agencies. Do the right thing-enrlose some
loose stamps or an SASE. Or contribute.
Even one dollar can helfJ.
SOCIAL SUPPORT AGENCIES

• American Friend$ Service Comminee, 1501 Cherry
Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215/241 -7130): A
Quaker organization that works far peace and equality
can provide literature on a variety of prison issues.
lhere are six regional AFSC offices in the U.S.: CA, Ml,
NJ, MA, OH and NY.
• Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, 251
Bank Street #600, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2PIX3
(613/238-2422): Provides services and programs lor
women in Canadian pri$0ns through 19 local offices.
• John Howard Association, 67 E. Madison # 1416,
Chicago, IL 60603 (312/263-190 1) is involved with
pri$0n reform and criminal ju$tice issues in Illinois, but
they can provide materials of interest to all prisoners.
lhere is a separate JHA branch in Canada.
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP), Criminal Justice Prison Program,
4805 Mount Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215-3297
(41 0/358-8900): Offers referral$ and advi$0ry services
lor pri$0ncrs who want to break the cxcle of recidivism.
Projects operate through regional allice$ and are nat
available in every area. Write for local contact oddresse$.
• Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR), 301 Park Drive,
Severna Park, MD 21146 {41 0/647-3806): Provides
post-release assistance for pri$0ners in lA, MD, NJ, PA
and VA, through 12 local offices.
•Community Education Outreach is an educational/life
$kills organization providing information to anyone and
free instruction to people in Colorado. The CEO offers
essential academic a nd Iiies skills assessment and
instruction for di~ntoged people at risk of incarceration who want to succeed in living productive, independent lives. CEO, P.O . Box 7957, Boulder, CO
80306. (303)447-3353 Fox (303)444-3872.
ADVOCACY ORGANI%AnONS

• CURE, P.O . Box 2310, National Capitol Station,
Washington, DC 20013-23 10 (202/789-2126):
Organization for pri$0n reform, with state chapters and
special groups lor veterons, lifers, sex offenders and fed·
eral prisons.
• Citizens for a Safe America, 635 Slaters Lane G-1 00,
Alexandria, VA 22314 (703/684-0373): Works for a
more progressive and human crime policy.
• Campaign for an Effective Crime Policy, 9 18 F St.
NW #505, Washington, DC 20004 (202/628- 1903):
lhis agency works far effective criminal justice reform.
Ask your warden to join.
• Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM).
1001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, #200, Wa$hington,
DC 20004 (202/457-5790): Works for the repeal of
federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
• Justice Watch, 932 Deyton Street, Cincinnati, OH
45214 (5 13/241 -0490): Works to eliminate classism
and racism from pri$0ns.
PUBUCAnONS & MAGAZINES
• Fortune News, AnN: Inmate Subscriptions, 39 West
19th Street, New York, NY 10011 (212/206-7070): A
publication of Fortune Society.
• Inside Journal, c/o Prison Fellowship, P.O. Box
16429, Washington, DC 2004 1-6429 (703/ 47801 00): A publication of Prison Fellowship.
• National Prison Proiect Joornal, ACLU National Prison
Project, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW #41 0, Washington, DC 20009 (202/234-4830): $2/year lor prisoners.

• Outlook on Justice, AFSC, 216 1 Massachusetts
Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140 (617/ 661-6130): A
newsletter of the American Friends Service Committee;
$2/year for pri$0ners.
BOOK AND READING PROJECTS

• Books Beyond Bars, P.O. Box 4865, Hialeah, FL
33014 (305/ 444-0 120): A for-profit company thot
offers a book-ordering service for pri$0ners.
• Books to Prisoners, c/o Left Bank Books, 92 Pike St.,
84 PRISON

Llff

No,·cm ber 1996

Box A, Sea Hie, WA 981 01 is a volunteer program that
sends free used books in politics, history, literature, legal
materials {when available). education. No religious
materials or mo$Smarket Fiction. Please specify suojects.
Limit 1-2 pounds per package.
• Prison Book Program, Redbook Slore, 92 Green
Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130: No books con be
sent to prisonM in KS, NE, lA, Ml, OR or CA.
• Prison Library Project, 976 W. Foothill Blvd #128,
Claremont, CA 91711 .
• Pri$0ner Literature Project, c/o Bound Together Books,
1369 Haight Street, San Franci$CO, CA 941 17: Free
books for pri$0ners.
• Prison Reading Project, Paz Press, P.O. Box 3 146,
FayeHeville, AR 72702: Free books lor women prisoners.
PAROLE & PRE- RELEASE INFORMATION

• American Correctional Association, Publications Dept,
8025 Laurel Lakes Court, Laurel, MD 20707-5075
(301/206-5059 or 800/825-2665): offers a parole
planning guide, • As Free as an Eagle; and sells selfhelp books.
• Interstate Publishers, 5 10 North Vermillion Street,
P.O.Bax 50, Danville, IL 61834-0050 (217I 446-0500
or 800/843-4774): Sells a parole planning manual,
"From the Inside Out:
• O PEN, Inc. (Offender Preparalion and Education Network). P.O. Box 566025, Dallas, TX 75356-6025
(214/271-1971): Sells "99 Days & a Get-up." "Man, I
need a Job!• and a4her pre-release guides-b- $4.95 each.
• Manatee Publishing, 4835 North O'Conner St.
# 134435, Irving, TX 75062: Sells "Getting Out and
Staying Out." a parole-planning manual, for $22.45.
• CEGA Services, Offender Referrals, P.O. Box 81826,
Lincoln, NE 68501-1826 {402/464-0602) offers prerelease referrals for prisoners (housing, employment and
substance abuse treatment programs.) $15 fee lor each
city. CEGA also sells lhe "Survival Sourcebook" and
"lhe Job Hunler's Workbook:
• Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans Incarcerated
Lia ison, 1224 M St. NW, Washington, DC 20005
(202/628-2700): Publishes "From Felon to Freedom, • a
pre-release guide for imprisoned veterans.
The Graduate Group, P.O. Box 370351 , West Hartford, a 06137-0351 sells a book entirled Opportunities
for Newly Released Offenders for $27.50.
PRISON AIDS RESOURCES

• Correctional Association AIDS in Pri$0n Project, 135
E. 15th Street, New York, NY 10003 (212/674-0800):
Offers resource information concerning AIDS in prison,
especially for inmates in New York.
• HIV Prison Project, NYC Commission on Human
Rights, 40 Rector St., New York, NY 10006 (212/2335560).

• National Pri$0n Hospice Association, P.O. Box 58,
Boulder, CO 80306-0058: Helps develop hospice programs lor terminally ill pri$0ners.
• Nalional ACLU Prison Project, AIDS Education Project,
1875 Connecticut Avenue NW 410, Washington, DC
20009 (202/234-4830).
• Oasis Project, c/o Susan K. Meadows, Prison Program Director, 923 S.E. Bay Blvd, Newport, OR 97365:
Provides a peer outreach support network for those
infected with HIV or diagnosed with AIDS.
• •one Day a t a Time; c/o Richard H. Rhodes
#05353-018, U.S.P. Leavenworth, P.O. Box 1000,
leavenworth, KS 66048: An AIDS newsletter lor prisoners.
• People With AIDS Coalition of New York, Inc.
(PWACNY), 50 West 17th Street, 8th Floor, New York,
NY 1001 1 (212/ 647 -1415): Publishes Newsline, a
monthly magazine by and for people with AIDS, in
which they provide a space for prisoners living with
AIDS.
• Prison AIDS Project, Gay Community News, 62 Berkeley Street, Baston, MA 02116 (National AIDS Gay Task
Force: 800/221 -7044).
• Prison AIDS Resource Center, P.O. Box 2155, Vocaville, CA 95696-2155; or 926 J. Street, #801 , Sacramento, CA 95814.
• Prisoners wilh AIDS/Rights Advocacy Group, P.O.
Box 2161 , Jonesboro, GA 30237 {404/ 946-9346):
Offers support, educalional materials, referrals and
political lobbying for prisoners with AIDS/ HIV.

M ISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES

• Families in Action lor Incarcera tion Reforms (FAIR).
309 Mamaroneck Ave., Suite 293, White Plains, NY
10605 (914/ 946-2734): A volunteer group that assists
prisoners wilh the following: locating a non-legal aid
lawyer, reaching the media end finding pen pels. lhey
al$0 provide how-to books below cost and legal items
and gilts al cost
• Infinity Lifers Group, c/ o Julie Travers, Chairperson,
P.O. Box 772, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 5P9: A
volunteer pri$0ner's rights and political advocacy group.
• International Legal Defense Counsel, Packard Building, 24th FL. 11 1 South 15th St. , Philadelphia, PA
19102 (215/ 977-9982): An advocacy agency for
American citizens incarcerated overseas.
• league for Lesbian and Gay Prisoners, 1202 East Pike
St., # 1044, Seanle, WA 98122: Aproject oiGayCommunity Social Services.
• James Markunas Society, 245 Harriet Street, San
Francisco, CA 94103 {415/ n5-5445). A resource lor
lesbian, gay and bisexual pri$0ners.
• Mothers Opposed to Maltreatmenl of Service Members (MOMS). 8285 Black Haw Court, Frederick, MD
21701 : Advocates for priwners in mililary pri$0nSand
disciplinary barracks. Offers a pre-release booklet entirled •New Beginnings:
• lhe Pri$0n Chess Program, P.O . Box 4441 9, Wash·
ington, DC 20026 (301 / 530-4841 ) provides chess
books and magazines for prison libra ries and institutional chess groups; they do nol send materials to individuals.
• Native American Indian Inmate Support Project, 8
Dallas Dr., Grantville, PA 17028: A Native American
group that supports the introduction of Indian religious
ceremonies and programs in pri$0ns.
• Native American Pri$0ners' Rehabilitation Research
Pro ject, 2848 Paddock Lane, Villa Hills, KY 41017:
Offers many services for Native American prisoners,
including legal and spiritual support, tribal and cultural
program$ and direct conlad with pri$0n administrators.
• PEN, Writing Program lor Prisoners, 568 Broadway,
New York, NY 10012 (212/ 334-1660): Offers a greal
resource booklet for pri$0n writers. Also sponsors an
annual writing contest for prisoners.
• Prisoners of Conscience Project, 2120 Lincoln 51.,
Evanston, IL 60201 (708/ 328-1543): A religious-based
agency that works lor the release of pri$0ners of conscience/ political pri$0ners in the United States.
• Priwner Visitation and Support, 1501 Cherry Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215/ 241 -711 7): Provides
institutional visits to prisoners in federal a nd military
pri$0ns nalionwide.
• Project lor Older Prisoners (POPS), c/o Jonathan Turley, Director, lhe National law Center, 2000 H Street
NW, Washington, DC 20052.
• lhe Safer Society, Shoreham Depot Rood, RR 1, Box
24-B, Orwell, VT 05760-9756 (802/ 897-754 1): Sellhelp materials lor sex offenders.
• Stop Prisoner Rape, Inc., PO Box 2713, Manhattanville Station, New York, NY 10027 (212/6635562); e-mail: sprdon@ix.netcom.com; Web:
http:// www.igc.apc.org/ spr/. lnlorrnotion and advocacy on sexual abuse anc:l exploitation of prisoners; suppart and advice far victims and targets of both sexes
including info on psychological and health canse·
quences, legal action and survivors' oplions.
• The Poetry Wall, Cathedral of St. John, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025: Displays poetry
wrinen by prisoners.
CHILD & FAMILY RESOURCES
17m·t art molly orga11i:wtio11s tlwtlulp pnso11n-s who
ltm¥' cltililm!. 17U'JI' ngmrif:l prrmitk lit,-ntllrr. mfonnotioll,
ndvirt a111i lli/JfJort 011 /row to rof" with family fJroblnlls
wltilr iu j Jri,lOU. Dirfrl tL.Ui.~tflllrf is ll.'tl lflll)l availlzb!Ronly in

tltr local nrrru that tlwsr fJI'Ogmms smN'.

• Aid to lmpri$0ned Mathers (AIM). 599 Mitchell St.,
SW, Atlanta, GA 30314 {404/ 221-Q092): An advocacy group lor incarcerated mothM. Although social services are only provided in the Atlanta area, AIM can
provide helpful information for all women in pri$0n who
have children.
• Center lor the Children of Incarcerated Parents, Pacific Oaks College, 714 W. Ca lifornia Blvd, Pasadena,
CA 91 105 (818/ 397-1300): Provides free educational
materiel lor incarcerated pcrents and their children.

• Family and Correction~ Network, Jane Adam~ Center
M/C 309, 1040 We~t Harri~n St. #4010, Chicago, IL
60607·7134 (312/996-3219): Provi de~ information
about programs serving fami lies of prisoners.
• Fathers Behind Bars, P.O. Box 86, Niles, Ml 49120
(616/684-5715): A by·pri~ner~. for·pri~ners agency
that helps to set up institutional parent group~ for incar·
cerated fathers. Only the seriou~ need apply!
• Legal Service~ for Pri~ners with Children, 47 4 Volen·
cia St., #230, Son franci~co, CA 9 41 03 (415/255·
7036): legal services are provided in California only,
but ~me general information is available.
• National Institute of Correction~. Information Center,
1860 Industrial Circle, Suite A, longmont, CA 80501
(303/ 682·0213): Provides the "Directory of Programs
Serving Fomilie~ of Adult Offenders."
• National Resource Center for Family Support Pro·
grams, Family Resource Coalition, 200 S. Michigan
Ave., #1520, Chicago, IL 60604 (312/341·0900):
Provides information about family programs, including
prison projects.
• Parent Resource ~=iotion, 213 Fembrook Avenue,
Wyncote, PA 19095 (215/ 576-7961 ): Support lor
child/parenting program~ in pri~n; offer~ referral~ and
information to incarcerated parents.
• Prison Family Foundation, P.O. Box 1 150, Auburn,
Al 36831 (205/82 1·1 150): Work~ to support family
education programs in prison. Selb pre· and po~t­
releose books and other publication~; work~ with prison
administrations to form in~titutiano l lomily ~upport
group~.

UGAL RESOURCEs-EEDERAL/ NAnONAL
Tlu•re are mrmy agnt rit~,f that JlmtlidP IP~nl M'nn'res for
Jnisonm; most oftht'\1' orgaui:lllions tJijJH'II\r inflmuation or
offrr 17fn7nc~ matniol. Sot,.thnlthe:Y UJ..'PIIrin tin not usual·
I) lwndv fxr>orwl "Krrl~nvir~ surlr m jilmj; rrJIIN'nls. pmtrmn,lflimu or lawHtlh-with thr rxrrjJiiou of for·jJrojit
romJHmi~ (not/isiiYIIrn~) tlrrrl dwrgr lmgr[rr1.

Federal
• U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Divi~ion, Special Litigation Section, Washington, DC 2053 0
(202/514·6255): Enforce~ the "Civil Right~ ofln~titu ·
tionolized Per~n~ Ad" through l~uits against ~tote or
local pri~n official~ who deprive prisoners of their con·
~titutionol rights or who practice rociol discrimination.
• U.S. Supreme Court, Public Information Office, Wash·
ington, DC 20543·000 1 (202/ 479-3211 ): Con pro·
vide up to live Supreme Court deci~ion~ per term.
Supreme Court ~lip opinion~ ore available through the
Government Printing Office. Contact: The Superinten·
dent of Document~. U.S. Printing Office, Wo~hington,
DC 20402 (202/783·3238).
Na~onal

• ACLU Notional Prison Project, 1875 Connecticut
Ave., NW #410, Wo~hington , DC 20009 (202/234·
4830): A b ranch of the notional ACLU that works on
pri~on legal issue~. Sells re~ource directorie~ . criminal
ju~tice ~totistic books and legal aid manual~; ol~ offer~
a prison new~leHer for 52 per year and sell~ the "Rights
of Prisoners" handbook for 55. Doesn't handle ind ivid·
uol cases; they only litigate large-scale stole or national
prison reform legal actions.
• Columbia Human Rights low Review, 4 35 West
116th Street, Box B-25, New York, NY 10027
(212/663·870 1): Sells the • Jailhouse Lawyer Manual"
(JLM) for S30 a copy (5 13 for pri~ners).
• Correctional low Reporter, Civic Re~eorch Institute,
4490 Route 27, Box 585, Kingston, NJ 08528: Case
low newsleHer; 5 125/yeor.
• Georgetown University low Center, Criminal Proce·
dure Project, 600 New Jersey Ave. NW, Wo ~hington,
DC 20001. (202/662·9468): Publi she~ the George·
town low Journal, the annual "Criminal Procedure•
i~~ue costs 5 30.
• Freedom Press, P.O. Box 4458, lee~burg, VA 22075
(703/866-1446) or: (800/370-7052): A pri~n project
run by volunteer paralegals. They offer legal services at
reduced rote~. sometime~ on monthly payment plans;
they also offer mini~try and counseling service~ .
• ln~ide/Out Pres~. P.O . Box 188131 , Sacramento, CA
95818: Publi ~he~ self-help legal guide~. Inside/ Out i~
the moil-order bu~ine~s for the Pri~ners' Right~ Union,
which focu~ on California pri~n i~~ue~.
• Lewisburg Pri~n Project, P.O . Box 128, lewisburg,

PA 17837·0128 (717/523·1 10 4): Sell~ low·co~t litera·
lure regarding con~titutionol right~, due proce~~ and
other legal issues of interest to pri~ners.
• Notional lawyer~ Guild, Prison low Project, 558 Cop
Street, Son Francisco, CA 94110 (41 5/285·5067): A
notional legal agency with on intere~t in helping jail·
house lawyer~.
• Notional legal Service~ . 710 lake View Ave. NE,
Atlanta, GA 30308 (404/87 4·9553): Post-conviction
~peciali~t~; fees for service.
• Oceana Press, 75 Main Street, Dobb~ Ferry, NY
10522 (91 4 / 693-81 00): Sells prison-related legal
book~ . including "The Pri~oner's Self-Help litigation
Manual" (S30) and "Po~t·Convi~on Remedies" (520).
• Paralegal ~sociates, 209 S. Broadway #246, Bolti·
more, MD 2 1231: Offer~ a case-laws summary new~
service; $30 annual subscription.
• Prisoner Legal News, P.O. Box 1684, Lake Worth, Fl
33460: A magazine published by prisoners in Wo~h­
ington that covers nationwide prison legal i ~sue~. SubKription rates ore around S 12 per year/ 12 i~~ue~.
• Starlite, P.O . Box 20004, St. Pete,.burg, Fl 33742
(813/392-2929 or 800/577·2929): Sell~ the CITE·
BOOK, which is a coll~on of positive federal and state
ca~e law, both criminal and civil. The CITEBOOK is
updated quarterly and costs 528 (S 112 annually).
Although th is is fa irly expensive, perhaps your law
library con subscribe; this company ol ~o ~e ll ~ o ther
books regarding bu~iness, con~umer and legal i~~u~.
• We~t Publi~hing Company, 610 Opperman Drive,
Saint Paul, MN 55123· 1340 (800/328·9352): Pub·
lishes "Corrections and Pri ~o ners Right~ in a Nut·
~hell " and "Criminal Procedures in a Nutshell." at
$17 each.

PARAUGAL PROGRAMS
• Block~tone School of low, P.O . Box 701449, Dalla~.
TX 75370 (800/826·9228): Offers a well· known corre~pandence program.

MINISTRIIS & BIBLE STUDIIS
• A/G Prison Ministry, 1445 Boonville, Springfield, MO
65802: Offers Chri~tion mini~tering program~.
• Emmau~ Bible Corre~pondence School, 2570 ~bury
Rd, Dubuque, lA 52001 (319/588·8000): Offers free
Bible courses lor pri~ners.
• The Na tional Convocation of Jail and Pri~n Ministry,
1357 East Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC 20003: A
notional agency for prison chaplains_
• Good News Mission, 1036 Highland Street, Arling·
ton, VA 22204 (703/979·2200): A Chri~tion organi·
zotion that provides ~uppart, witnessing and ~pirituol
counseling to inmates in 11 0 prison~ aero~~ 14 states.
• Guideposts, 39 Seminary Hill Rood, Carmel, NY
105 12 (914/225·3681 ): A Christian organization that
publ i~he~ Guidepost magazine. AI~ span~rs the FIND
information network, which provides information referral~ : FIND Network, P.O. Box 855, Carmel, NY 10512.
• Hope Aglow Prison Ministries, P.O. Box 3057, Lynch·
burg, VA 24503: A nationwide religious organization
that offer~ Bible ~tudy course~.
• lntemational Pri~n Mini~try, P.O. Box 63, Dalla~. TX
75221 .
• Liberty Pri~n Mini~tries, P.O. Box 8998, Waukegan,
ll60079: This Christian mini~try publi~he~ the Liberator
newsleHer.
• Liberty Prison Outreach, 701 Thoma~ Rood, lynch·
burg, VA 2451 4 (804/239·928 1): Provide~ religious
a~sistance to pri~ners, mo~~y in central Virginia; Bible
corre~pandence cour~es available.
• Pri~n Fellow~hip, P.O. Box 17500, Washington, DC
20041 (703/ 478·0 100): A nationwide ministry that
spon~rs spiritual activities in pri~n.
• Pri~n Ministry of Yokefellow~ lntemotionol, The Yoke·
fellow Center, P.O. Box 482, Rising Sun, MD 21911
(41 0/658· 2661 ): A religiou~ organization that olle"
information and literature to pri~ner~.
• Set Free Prison Ministries, P.O. Box 5440, River~ide,
CA 92517·9961 (909 /787·9907): Provide~ on exten~ive Bible study course.
• Southern Prison Ministry, 910 Ponce de l eon Ave.
NE, Atlanta, GA 30306.
• U.S. Mennonite Central CommiHee, Office of Criminal
Justice, P.O. Box 500, Akron, PA 1750 1-0500
(717 /859-3889): Offer~ many publications concerning
crime and religion-most ore free to pri~ners.

ISLAMIC ORGANIZAnONS
• Islamic Pri~on Foundation, 1212 New York Avenue
NW # 400, Washington, DC 20005: Mostly works with
Muslims in federa l p ri~n~ .
• The National Incarcerated Mu~lim Network, c/o Mou·
rice Taylor, #476837, Route 3, Box 59, Ro~horon, TX
77583: A pri~n-bosed organizotion that networks with
incarcerated Muslim~ far support and educational pur·
poses.

JUDAISM ORGANIZATIONS
• Aleph Institute, P.O. Box 546564, Surl~ i de, FL 33154
(305/864·5553): A full-service Jewish advocacy
agency with regional offices.
• lntemotional Coalition for Jewi ~h Pri~ner~ Service~,
1640 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Wo~hingtan, DC
20036·3278 (202/ 857·6582): Offers support, refer·
rols, guidance, educational and rel i giou~ program~ .
and pen pals.
• Jewi~h Pri~ner Services, on outreach/advocacy pro·
gram of Congregation Pidyon Shevuyim, offers refer·
rol~. information, p re· and post-release counseling,
Ieeming materials, and marioge enrichment seminars
that a~sure a smoother, permanent return to the real
world. Contact Sid Kleiner, Notional Coordinator,
10 188 W inter View Drive, Nople~, FL, 33942·1520.

BUDDHIST/ MIDITAnON GROUPS
The Engaged Zen Foundation, P.O. Box 700, Rom·
sey, NY 07446-0700, publishes a newsleHer for incor·
ceroted Buddhists enti~ed The Gateway Journal.
• Human Kindness Foundation, Prison Ashram Project,
Route 1, Box 201-N, Durham, NC 27705: Provid e~
reading material for spiritual living.
• lskcon Prison Ministries, 2936 Esplanade Ave., New
Orlean~, LA 701 19.
• Prison Dharma Network, P.O . Box 912, ~tor Station,
Bo~ton, MA 02123·09 12: Offers Buddhist meditation
literature.
The SYDA Foundation offers a corre~pandence course
in meditation, free of charge and available in Spanish
translation upon reque~t . W rite to: Pri~n Project, 1132
Stanford Avenue, Oakland, CA, 94608, Attn: Tom
Toomey.

DEATH PENALTY RESOURCES
• American Civil Libertie~ Union, Capitol Puni~hment
Project, 122 Maryland Avenue NE, Washington, DC
20002 (202/ 675· 2319): A branch of the ACLU that
deals with death penalty is~ue~.
• American Friend~ Service CommiHee, 1501 Cherry
Street, Philadelphia , PA 19102 (2 15/241 ·7130): A
Quaker peace organization that works to bon the death
penalty a~ one of their Criminal Ju~tice project~.
• Amne~ty International, Project to Abolish the Death
Penalty, 322 8th Ave., New York, NY 1 000 1· 4B08
(212/ 807-8400): Work~ to abolish the death penalty
through public leHer·writing campaigns.
• Capital Punishment Re~eorch Project, P.O. Box 277,
Headland, Al36345 (205/ 693·5225).
• Catholic~ Against Capitol Punishment, P.O . Box
3125, Arlington, VA 22203 (703/522·5014): A reli·
giou~ organization against the death penalty.
• Death Penalty Information Center, 1606 20th Street
NW, Washington, DC 20009 (202/ 347-2531 ).
• Death Row Support Project, P.O. Box 600, Liberty
Mills, IN 46946 (219/ 982·7480): Offers pen·pal ~er·
vice~ to death row inmate~.
• Endeavor Project, P.O. Box 23511 , Hou~ton , TX
77228-3511: A magazine produced by and for pri~n­
e" on death row.
• friend~ CommiHee to Aboli~h the Death Penalty, c/ o
Charles Obler, 802 West 3rd Street, Farmville, VA
23901 : Publi~hes the Quaker Abolitionis~ subKription~
56/ yr for pri~ner5.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 99 Hud~n Street, 16th
Floor, New York, NY 10013 (212/ 219·1900): A legal
branch of the NAACP that ~uppart~ minority rights; a lso
ho~ on anti-death penalty project.
• National Coalition to Aboli~h the Death Penalty, 918
F St. NW #60 1, Wo~hingto n, DC 20004 (202/ 347·
2411 ): Work~ to oboli~h the death penalty. Al~o p ro·
vide~ a booklet listing anti-death penalty resource~ in
each ~tate ("The Abolition i~r~ Directory; $2).

Changes, additions and new information should be
sent to: Pri~on Life Magazine, Resources Deportment,
200 Varick Sf, Suite 901, New York, NY 10014.
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PRISON lifE 85

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_ 10.Bad Guys' Quote Book

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