Shane - Denied psychiatric medication by ValueOptions, Shane turned to illegal drugs financed by burglaries. For stealing a few hundred dollars worth of goods, he was sentenced to eleven years. Shane is the author of the blog Persevering Prison Pages.
Sorry it took so long to write. Arizona
Department of Corrections (ADOC) is coming down hard on me because of my
blogging. I’ve been moved around a lot.
From Eagle Point to Barchey to Buckley to Stiner detention to Rast Unit. I
suspect I’ll be here until Nov 15th, my release. Despite all of the
disciplinary sanctions, moves and lack of blogging, I’m OK.
The blogs that upset ADOC are the ones
about former Senate President Russell Pearce’s son, Josh Pearce and the one
about the murder of Shannon Palmer.
Josh Pearce ended up at Eagle point. I
asked him questions and showed him the blog about his dad. Shortly after that,
a CO4 warned me about blogging inmates. A few weeks later, the same CO4 accused
me of dealing/financing drugs, and I was moved to Barchy Unit.
Around the same time, I blogged the
murder of Shannon Palmer and did an interview with the Phoenix New times for
their article. Every disciplinary ticket I received I was found guilty, and
given maximum punishment by the Disciplinary Captain. For the drug paraphernalia
ticket, an inmate claimed possession and stated he committed the violation, yet
I was still found guilty with maximum punishment.
ADOC can do whatever they want, I will be
blogging soon. It is a violation of my freedom of speech for them to try and
stop me like this.
Shane’s original blog about Shannon
Palmer, a prisoner Shane was helping get his story out until his cellmate
murdered him by slashing his throat and castrating him:
This week I learned that a mentally ill inmate who left Eagle Point Unit a couple of weeks ago was murdered while in a lock-down detention unit.
I knew the guy. Sharing first names, we had spoken on occasion. Shannon Palmer appeared to be a normal, polite person. Somewhat stand-offish, but harmless.
One day Shannon asked me if I would help him get his story out to the public. I agreed to listen and sat in my cell with him for nearly two hours as he told me his entire story, which he also told me he had written down and kept in his cell.
It was an extremely far-fetched conspiracy, which he told me I'd think it was. It involved the MCSO, Center for Missing and Exploited Children, CIA, US Military Black ops, and various other agencies who were after him. Men in suits of shimmering armor that cloak a person making them invisible. He believed these invisible assassins had been following him and were waiting outside the prison fence to kill him. He also believed he had been given an implant in his thigh by the CIA.
A couple of weeks ago he was just removed off of the yard here. Rumor has it that he was moved to detention for a "Psych Watch".
Based on news reports, and comments I heard from brown & orange shirts, Shannon's cellmate (another guy I know from Tucson's Manzanita Unit) cut his throat and castrated him.
I don't know exactly what happened, but I do know that there are multiple things that trouble me about this.
Shannon Palmer seemed severely paranoid and delusional. He needed psych help. He was put in detention, which is generally used for discipline or protection. He was put in a lock-down cell with another prisoner. He DIED! A horrible death...
Is ADOC so over-crowded and under-staffed that severely mentally ill prisoners aren't receiving adequate mental health care, protection from other prisoners and themselves, and simply ignored until blood is spilled?
I'm fairly certain Shannon Palmer was a minimum security inmate. I also suspect that his cellmate was not. Why did Mr. Palmer have a cellmate, let alone a higher security one?
How did he get his throat cut in a lock-down unit that doesn't allow shaving razors to be possessed by prisoners and is supposed to be a highly secure unit?
These are all questions that should be asked. Who will investigate this preventable murder?
Shane’s original blog about corrupt Senate
President Russell Pearce’s background and sinister links to the prison-industrial
complex:
Born June 23, 1947, Arizona State
Senator Russell Pearce represents District 18, which covers most of Western and
Central Mesa, and a small portion of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian
Community. Previously, this Republican lawmaker also served in the Arizona
House of Representatives, and is widely known for sponsoring legislation
seeking to stop illegal immigration. Senator Pearce favors a strong border
security policy. In January 2011, Sen. Pearce became the President of the
Arizona State Senate.
Pearce grew up in a troubled and impoverished home. His father was an alcoholic. At times he would come home from school and find that the neighbors had left groceries for his family. However, his mother would always put the food aside, not accepting charity.
Initially, Pearce wanted to attend medical school, but his family wasn't able to afford it. Russell Pearce joined the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department. In time he became a highly decorated peace officer and even received the Medal of Valor for his 35 years of service. Pearce rose to the level of Second in Command, Chief Deputy Sheriff, under Joe Arpaio. Interestingly, Pearce claims credit for one of the most publicized and controversial actions of MCSO, under Arpaio's cruel reign, that of housing jail inmates in military-type tents. During his tenure with MCSO, Pearce investigated many violent crimes and was also the victim of a violent crime when he was shot in the chest while on duty. In 1994, Russell Pearce was appointed to the position of Director of the State Highway Safety Department.
In 1995, Pearce became the Director of the Arizona Motor Vehical Division. Two notable accomplishments he had as such were: 1) Bringing in IBM to create the first version of servicearizona.com, on online resource for Arizona citizens to update the MVD info and 2) Pearce enrolled Arizona in the then optional National Drivers Registry program, making collection of Social Security numbers for driver's licenses mandatory at the state level to comply with the federal program. According to Chris Moesor of the Arizona Republic, in his August 21, 1999 article, Russell Pearce was discharged from that position in 1999 after an investigation revealed he had been complicit in tampering with state driving records.
Russell Pearce is an advocate for the following positions:
1. Smaller and more efficient government
2. Using ID cards that link to Social Security numbers
3. Eliminating abuse of eminent domain
4. Tightening border security
5. Supporter of 2nd amendment in the context of US gun rights
6. Supporting private property rights
7. Improving education and discipline
8. Supporting Boy Scouts of America in their moral leadership goals
9. Supports traditional family values
10. Promoting pro-life views
11. Amending the Citizenship Clause of the 14th amendment to limit who can a citizen by birth on US soil
12. Supporting the Taxpayers Bill of Rights
13. Against judicial activism
14. Improving transportation
Additionally, Russell Pearce was a lead sponsor of Arizona's Senate Bill 1070 (SB-1070), which attracted nationwide attention after the Obama administration challenged the law, resulting in a federal court ruling that most of the law was unconstitutional. Pearce told gathering activists, "when you talk about jihad, that is exactly what Obama has against America, specifically the State of Arizona" (Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2011). It's also important to note that Russell Pearce has been criticized for drafting SB-1070 as a way to provide income for private prisons by incarcerating illegal immigrants. Pearce was linked to the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) through a December 2009 meeting with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC. It was at this meeting that Pearce and ALEC members, including CCA officials, wrote the document that would later, almost word for word, become SB-1070 in Arizona. This according to National Public Radio (NPR), October 28, 2010.
Russell Pearce now lives in Mesa, Arizona with his wife Luann. He is the father of five children, Dodi, Sean, Colten, Justin and Joshua. In February 2011, Mesa police arrested Joshua Pearce on two outstanding warrants connected to probation violations and failure to appear in court. Joshua Pearce had previous run-ins with the law and was granted probation for DUI. Recently he was taken into custody again.
With Senator Russell Pearce's extensive background in Arizona law enforcement, history of supporting Arizona's ineffective and arguably detrimental sentencing and corrections statues, and his oppositional stance on sentencing and corrections reform legislation in recent years, I'm curious to see whether his son receives the same treatment by the powers that be in his criminal justice travels or if Joshua will avoid the same "justice" the rest of us get and which his father supports, because of his father. I'm even more curious to know whether the recent changes in DUI laws in AZ got Senator Pearce's vote of approval.
Click here for Shane's previous blog
Pearce grew up in a troubled and impoverished home. His father was an alcoholic. At times he would come home from school and find that the neighbors had left groceries for his family. However, his mother would always put the food aside, not accepting charity.
Initially, Pearce wanted to attend medical school, but his family wasn't able to afford it. Russell Pearce joined the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department. In time he became a highly decorated peace officer and even received the Medal of Valor for his 35 years of service. Pearce rose to the level of Second in Command, Chief Deputy Sheriff, under Joe Arpaio. Interestingly, Pearce claims credit for one of the most publicized and controversial actions of MCSO, under Arpaio's cruel reign, that of housing jail inmates in military-type tents. During his tenure with MCSO, Pearce investigated many violent crimes and was also the victim of a violent crime when he was shot in the chest while on duty. In 1994, Russell Pearce was appointed to the position of Director of the State Highway Safety Department.
In 1995, Pearce became the Director of the Arizona Motor Vehical Division. Two notable accomplishments he had as such were: 1) Bringing in IBM to create the first version of servicearizona.com, on online resource for Arizona citizens to update the MVD info and 2) Pearce enrolled Arizona in the then optional National Drivers Registry program, making collection of Social Security numbers for driver's licenses mandatory at the state level to comply with the federal program. According to Chris Moesor of the Arizona Republic, in his August 21, 1999 article, Russell Pearce was discharged from that position in 1999 after an investigation revealed he had been complicit in tampering with state driving records.
Russell Pearce is an advocate for the following positions:
1. Smaller and more efficient government
2. Using ID cards that link to Social Security numbers
3. Eliminating abuse of eminent domain
4. Tightening border security
5. Supporter of 2nd amendment in the context of US gun rights
6. Supporting private property rights
7. Improving education and discipline
8. Supporting Boy Scouts of America in their moral leadership goals
9. Supports traditional family values
10. Promoting pro-life views
11. Amending the Citizenship Clause of the 14th amendment to limit who can a citizen by birth on US soil
12. Supporting the Taxpayers Bill of Rights
13. Against judicial activism
14. Improving transportation
Additionally, Russell Pearce was a lead sponsor of Arizona's Senate Bill 1070 (SB-1070), which attracted nationwide attention after the Obama administration challenged the law, resulting in a federal court ruling that most of the law was unconstitutional. Pearce told gathering activists, "when you talk about jihad, that is exactly what Obama has against America, specifically the State of Arizona" (Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2011). It's also important to note that Russell Pearce has been criticized for drafting SB-1070 as a way to provide income for private prisons by incarcerating illegal immigrants. Pearce was linked to the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) through a December 2009 meeting with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC. It was at this meeting that Pearce and ALEC members, including CCA officials, wrote the document that would later, almost word for word, become SB-1070 in Arizona. This according to National Public Radio (NPR), October 28, 2010.
Russell Pearce now lives in Mesa, Arizona with his wife Luann. He is the father of five children, Dodi, Sean, Colten, Justin and Joshua. In February 2011, Mesa police arrested Joshua Pearce on two outstanding warrants connected to probation violations and failure to appear in court. Joshua Pearce had previous run-ins with the law and was granted probation for DUI. Recently he was taken into custody again.
With Senator Russell Pearce's extensive background in Arizona law enforcement, history of supporting Arizona's ineffective and arguably detrimental sentencing and corrections statues, and his oppositional stance on sentencing and corrections reform legislation in recent years, I'm curious to see whether his son receives the same treatment by the powers that be in his criminal justice travels or if Joshua will avoid the same "justice" the rest of us get and which his father supports, because of his father. I'm even more curious to know whether the recent changes in DUI laws in AZ got Senator Pearce's vote of approval.
Shaun Attwood
Hi you Shaun....ya Jim was telling me that u saved him one nite when yall first were cellies you hooked him up with a twix candy bar n a strawberry crush soda!!! Man he said he was soo thankful to you!! He said u stretched a muscle doing ur yoga n he had to bring ur food to u....he tells me stories of the jail time n we laugh ...now at it...have a good weekend
ReplyDeleteRhonda
that's great to read, Rhonda, thanks so much
ReplyDeleteWens ya new book out?
ReplyDeleteMichelle
its slated for spring now, check this out Michelle
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Party-Time-Shaun-Attwood/211408465606796
We can always guarantee
ReplyDeletethat The One Mind ( TOM ),
who runs our universe,
knows exactly what we think,
knows exactly what we need to grow spiritually,
and will drop it in our laps,
usually when we least expect it!
The Joshua Pearce case written about here,
seems to fit that bill.
Here we have a politician father,
who perhaps has not thought through his views that deep,
who may find himself in a difficult position,
because the arrest of his own son
spotlights his own personal views.
The Law of Karma -
What you put out, comes back!
Lets hope he grows from the experience,
and mellows a bit.
Best wishes, Zen
I was wondering happened to Shane. I had been stopping by his blog to check for updates and was always bummed when there was nothing new to read. Good to hear he is doing okay even with the drama.
ReplyDelete~Big Jason
So I guess crime does pay, lets not forget people this man broke the law and deserved every bit of the punishment
ReplyDelete