04 Jan 09

T-Bone Stands Up For Don (by T-Bone)

T-Bone - Radiating power and strength, this deeply-spiritual massively-built African American towers over most inmates. He is a prison gladiator with more stab wounds than Julius Caesar. A good man to have on your side.

I want to tell you about when I cut loose from the prison gang and went independent here in the joint.

After I smashed Monkey, I had a big target on my back. I was jumped once, and fought one-on-one several times. After a while the word went to the streets, and all of the new guys decided they’d better go find someone else to fight because fighting me was dangerous.
You know how the cons who have been locked up the longest always get the new guys to do their bidding. In plainer terms, the Aryan Brotherhood, the Mexican Mafia and the Mau-Maus use the new guys to do their dirty work.

I had changed and it was a good change. I helped guys who needed help.
There are a lot of things that go on in prison that the cops know about but don’t see it or pretend not to see it. They just don’t care to stop a lot of things that are going on, and I had decided to step up and make a difference in the lives of many.

I went to this old man – a little guy who was always minding his own business – and asked him, “What would you do if you don’t like seeing people hurt by being raped and extorted?”
He looked at me and said, “You’ve already made up your mind, so don’t worry about anything besides the cops getting involved.”
“The cops?” I said.
“”You don’t want people calling you a cop.” He was telling me to be careful, and I knew better than to allow anyone to call me a rat!

Things were going as they usually do in places like these, the same old same old, and it was nasty.
I was on the pile showing the wannabees (drug users and racists) how to workout for strength and conditioning. They were sporting prison ink and stupid looks because all they do is workout to intimidate and take. I heard some whimpering from the rec shed. I kept working out, and I was a little scared because no one had my back.
I left the pile and asked this guy to pitch me a few balls. I took out my frustration with the bat. When 7 out of 12 went over the fence, the guys who played all of the time asked me to join a team, so I did.

That evening we played a team from South Yard, and while we were in the fourth inning, this fish (new guy) was being punked by the Aryan Brotherhood on the phones, about 60 yards away from the back stop. I was playing 3rd base, and got behind because I was watching them.
Three days went by and finally I had a chance to talk to the fish. Don was six-foot-three tall and about 180 pounds. He didn’t understand a lot about prison and asked me, “What should I do?”
“Stand up and fight for yourself, I said. “Don’t allow yourself to become like them.”
He didn’t. He was giving those guys blowjobs in the showers and whatever else when they forced him to.
There are a lot of guys in prison who are gay and that’s their business, but rape and intimidating someone into sex are appalling.
They then had the guy send $100 a month to one of their books or else they were going to kill him. That’s how cheap life is in here. That went on for five months.

One day I get a letter from a middle-aged lady asking me to look out for her son. It was Don’s mom.
I spoke to Don, and he told the wannabees, “Leave me alone or else T-Bone will get you.”
It was on! I had a visit that night from two guys who weren’t smart enough to wipe their own noses. They’d come to chow with looks that gave them away that evening. Then they had this redneck C.O. put their cell doors on access, and mine on entry. They were pushing and pulling my sliding door with looks on them that made me ready, for exactly what I didn’t know.
I had no celly because of the target on my back, but like I said before there is a God.
I heard them whispering outside of the cell door at 1:17AM. I slid to the floor on my belly and rolled left to the toilet. I got in between the toilet and the cell door in the dark. They pushed and pulled that damn door open and rushed in on me. In my boxers, I managed to bam-bam-bam-bam! one of them and give a serious chop to the other who was bleeding from his mouth and nose but managed to stab my leg. I grabbed his face and arm, put the back of his head into the wall, which stunned him, and put my right thumb into his right eye, and body-slammed him.
The other guy was still on his butt trying to clear his head, so I helped him up and kneed him between the legs.
I went to the door, and looked outside of the pod. Nothing. I opened the door and the good Lord saved my life period. This wannabe named Boo-Boo had a river rock in his laundry bag, which missed my head and hit the door slightly above my head.
Everyone was up now, and Boo-Boo ran to his cell and locked-down. There wasn’t a cop in the tower when I dragged those two out. The cops had gone elsewhere, turning a blind eye because I was the one supposed to be getting smashed or killed that night. I am still amazed by how easy it is to manipulate the people who work in this place.

Anyways, that situation was hairy to say the least, and I know I am here by the grace of God.

Our friends inside appreciate your comments.

Email comments for T-Bone to writeinside@hotmail.com or post them below. To post a comment if you do not have a Google/Blogger account, just select anonymous for your identity.

Shaun P. Attwood

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

T-Bone,

You are a atrue spiritiual warrior!!

Anonymous said...

A dozen years ago, my spirit guide said to me ...

'Sadness adjourns when the people stand up!'

The power lies within the heart, for the only true defence is defencelessness.

Our world is riddled with fear, being fear-based.

No change can ever occur through organisations, including government.

Change occurs within an individual.

Only then is it extended into the physical world by an experience demonstrating forward movement.

Self-evidently the Arizona prison experience revealed by Shaun, demonstrates the failings of government.

We all know of things that are wrong, are dysfunctional.

However few, very few, ever stand up.

And yet when people DO stand up, with Love, not anger, in their hearts, government moves back.

It is a ritual dance, a spiritual meditation in movement, that each must learn.

Good Luck! Zen :-)

Anonymous said...

Brett Hartmann has an execution date of April 7th, 2009.
He has strong claims of innocence that the appeal courts have refused to look at.

Please help by signing and re-circulating the following online petition link asking the Governor of Ohio to commute the Death Sentence of Brett Hartmann.

http://www. petitiononline. com/bhartman/petition. html

We respectfully ask that action be taken before April 1, 2009 so that we may send the hard copies to Governor Strickland.

If you would prefer to print out petition forms and gather signatures, that option can be found on his web site on the "What You Can Do Page" which can be found here;

http://www. enddeathpenaltyforbretthartmann. com/what_. html

In addition to petitions, there are other actions that can be taken on behalf of Brett also listed on that page.

Thank you on behalf of the Hartmann family,

Diane Morretti

http://www. enddeathpenaltyforbretthartmann. com/index. html

Anonymous said...

T-Bone,

Why are you driven to protect people like you do? Did something happen in your life that triggered you to be like this? It's amazing that you go up against such ruthless people and most often you prevail. How did you learn to fight so well?
Your story needs to be told to the world. Can you imagine a movie featuring your story? Now that would be something.

Ghost

Anonymous said...

In reading your posts on the Jon's Jail blog page, it is interesting to read. All those stories sound so familiar like if I am talking to my man and he is running down to me what has happened on the yard. The guys sound like so many of the guys that are in the Buckeye prison. This is very interesting to me. Also your writer T-Bone I went to school with him. It is amazing how reading about them and hearing there stories and then to know them really amazes me.

I am glad that you are helping these guys get their stories out.
Keep up the good work!!

Anonymous said...

hey shaun its me tarryn agen.i just wantd to say thank you for taking the time out to reply to me.you are one of the most mind-blowing people ive eva read about.i hope i get to meet you oneday. anyway i wasnt sure if you got my email but i find t-bone so amazing and beautiful and spiritual that i really want him as a penpal.so here is my snail-mail adress once again. 203 A 7th Avenue Grassy Park Cape Town South Africa 8000 lots of love and blessings.tarryn.

Anonymous said...

Pardon me for the absence, but I was on vacation for the holidays and ironically enough, I was out in Gilbert, Arizona visiting my sister at her new home (transplant from San Diego due to her Fiances transfer). She didn't have internet access yet connected and Jons Jail journal doesnt load properly to leave comments on my Blackberry, so I was left without a lifeline. Funny how we become so accustomed to technology, that one is quick to google the nearest pizza shop or send an email, rather than fork over the 50 cent charge our providers charge us for 411. Any way, enough rambling, on to comment!

First to T-Bone. It goes without saying that you are going against the grain doing your own number and leaving the car. I only know of a few who did the same, and all of them PC'd up after they were greenlit.

You go up and beyond the norm and stand up for the meek. We all feel for them, but of course being locked up, it changes you and you become cold hearted and turn the cheek whenever the weak are being preyed upon. The way we saw it, as long as it wasn't another Southern Hispanic getting harassed, fuck it. Survival of the fittest. But enough of the bullshit you already know. What I want to say is you amazing, and may God bless you for what you are doing. Our prayers continually go out for you. No joke homeboy. Keep doing what you are doing. I want to bring to the attention of our readers that T-Bone is doinf something extraordinary, and this will not be the last attempt on his life. Pray that someone keeps looking over him. Take care T-Bone. Only a couple years (if I recall?) till you hit the gates. Stay up.

Thank you to Shane for your comment about me. I am a regular reader of your blog as well, and I promise in 2009 to post comments. And to all the regulars on here, head on over to Shanes, it is insightful and humorous. Pay it a visit. To all the regualr readers and posters still lock down, Happy New Year and blessings to you all and your fam. I look forward to your comments and posts in 09. Keep on keepin' on and support each other. Thank you Jon for always posting and never forget about us. And about Sheriff Joe Arpaio...one thing is for certain...NOTHING LASTS FOREVER. Either old age will get you or a new candidate one of these years. You can't reign in terror for eternity, and you will get yours...that's a fact!!!

Royo girl, please shack up with Shaun and commence to making little Shauns. :) Happy NY to you as well. Stay beautiful. PEACE. -Jose in San Diego.

Anonymous said...

i read jose comment and he is right about that that wasnt going to be the last attempt on t-bones life.that just sent shivers down my spine.if ever that day should come-hopefully not.i know that t-bone will be in so much peace because he would be with the person he loves the most.God.and i love God the most,but t-bone you are in my prayers and hopes. this saying i live with...for evil to prevail,it takes one good man to stand by and do nothing.you are definately not that good man coz you wouldnt let evil take over.that makes you a great man.i honestly look up to you and feel proud knowing of this one great man called t-bone. i wanted to correct my snail mail adress. 203 A, 7th Avenue, Grassy Park, Cape Town, South Africa, 8000. i hope i get to write to t-bone.all my love and care and peace.God bless.tarryn

Anonymous said...

Fuckn brilliant T-Bone. It's hard to put into words how inspiring your attitude and actions are. God Bless.