04 Nov 04
Frankie Arrives
Frankie is here. As I write this blog I can hear his loud and distinct cackle. He is causing uproar in a neighbouring run by hitting on young Chicanos, just like he did at the Madison Street jail with Yum-Yum and Cupcake.
“Hey sexy, you wanna be my celly? Don’t be afraid.”
It will take Frankie up to three months to find out which prison he is going to. Maybe he’ll follow in my footsteps and I’ll get to blog his liaisons with the cheetos. Hopefully, he’ll have forgotten about chasing my behind by then.
Email comments to writeinside@hotmail.com
03 Nov 04
Maniac Mack
One of the letters I received today was from Maniac Mack. Maniac Mack is housed at the Madison Street jail in a different area than Frankie and Mark. I met Maniac Mack in 2004 when we were both housed in a pod that had no running water for several days causing the toilets to become stacked up, and inmates were depositing their business in plastic bags (See blog entry 19/02 Deep Shit.) When the water was turned back on, I had to dig through the pile in the toilet with my bare hands to prevent things from overflowing onto our cell floor.
Maniac Mack wrote:
“Tonite in an attempt to oppress our already downtrodden spirits, some administrative blockhead decided we are being 'mollycoddled' and also that living conditions are far too ‘opulent and overly luxurious!' Personally I feel that Sheriff Joe A.K.A. ‘Humpty Dumpty,’ feeling particularly omnipotent and invincible since his election victory in the primaries decided to visit a new and fantastic torture on us…. 3 men to a cell…. A direct violation of the inmate housing federal guidelines set forth in Hart v M.C.S.O. case law” [sic]
I am unsure of this rumour so I have written to Frankie and Mark asking for confirmation.
The latest jail rumour discussed by Diego and Scooby was that the new multi-million-dollar jail is sinking upon its foundations. If anyone can back up these rumours with some facts I would love to hear more.
Read what Maniac Mack has to say in the comments box below:
Maniac Mack
One of the letters I received today was from Maniac Mack. Maniac Mack is housed at the Madison Street jail in a different area than Frankie and Mark. I met Maniac Mack in 2004 when we were both housed in a pod that had no running water for several days causing the toilets to become stacked up, and inmates were depositing their business in plastic bags (See blog entry 19/02 Deep Shit.) When the water was turned back on, I had to dig through the pile in the toilet with my bare hands to prevent things from overflowing onto our cell floor.
Maniac Mack wrote:
“Tonite in an attempt to oppress our already downtrodden spirits, some administrative blockhead decided we are being 'mollycoddled' and also that living conditions are far too ‘opulent and overly luxurious!' Personally I feel that Sheriff Joe A.K.A. ‘Humpty Dumpty,’ feeling particularly omnipotent and invincible since his election victory in the primaries decided to visit a new and fantastic torture on us…. 3 men to a cell…. A direct violation of the inmate housing federal guidelines set forth in Hart v M.C.S.O. case law” [sic]
I am unsure of this rumour so I have written to Frankie and Mark asking for confirmation.
The latest jail rumour discussed by Diego and Scooby was that the new multi-million-dollar jail is sinking upon its foundations. If anyone can back up these rumours with some facts I would love to hear more.
Read what Maniac Mack has to say in the comments box below:
1 Nov 04
Manny's Swan Song
Some of my neighbours were rolled up in the last week. Barbarian was moved to a pod in SMU where he will probably serve the remainder of his time. I suspect he has been housed with fellow STG (Security Threat Group) inmates. The STG process was initiated to extract the heads of prison gangs from regular yards, and to house them at SMU in the hope that the power of gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood, Mexican Mafia, and Mau Maus would be reduced.
Manny was moved on a night the guards were searching for a pair of missing nail clippers in our pod. They were shining their torches all over the place, when Manny yelled,
“I’m sure gonna enjoy clipping my finger nails on that bus ride from Florence!”
“Who said that?” a sergeant yelled in a voice full of fury.
“I fuckin’ did,” Manny said, perhaps because he knew his personal property was en route to the transportation bus and hence out of harms way of the guards.
The guards stormed upstairs, and clustered in front of Manny’s cell.
“I wuz just clowning,” Manny said in a tone that suggested he found something funny about the whole situation.
There was silence. The sergeant’s jaw dropped and if he could have breathed fire he would have torched Manny alive.
The guards stripped out Manny and Scooby. Manny was dragged down the stairs and locked in the shower cell. Scooby’s property was once again confiscated due to Manny’s mouth. Manny was rolled up a few hours later and he departed our pod with a satisfied grin on his face. He is now serving the remaining four months of his domestic-violence sentence at a different prison.
Odds & Ends
Arizona’s death-row inmates are housed at SMU2. The guards have recently begun telling me that an inmate who looks like me and also has my surname is awaiting execution on death row. Another guard talked about the "shitslingers" and "darters" who are housed in a neighbouring pod in cells protected by Plexiglas screens. The shitslingers are inmates renowned for hurling their feces at prison staff and other inmates. The darters, however, are more dangerous than the shitslingers. Darters like to make blowpipes and shoot excrement-coated darts at their victims. If a dart pierces human skin and faecal matter gets into the target’s bloodstream there can be serious health consequences.
American news broadcasts are pitiful. Every night this week the scarcity of flu shots has been a major headline. Several minutes are devoted to this subject and then viewers are advised to call a toll free number to get their hands on supposedly-unavailable-but-somehow-remaining flu shots. This is a blantant commercial for the pharmaceutical-industrial complex who make billions of dollars each year selling doses to people with healthy immune systems who do not need the shots in the first place. (This comment does not apply to sick infants and elderly people who may benefit from flu shots.)
Where is the real news? Is the average American more interested in Paris Hiltons's goings on than world events that could affect all of our lives? I no longer watch the news here..
I received a Wake Up Newsletter this week. They are running extracts from my blog. This resource provides a wealth of information for prisoners. Family members of prisoners can access their site at http://www.azceg.org/ . The Arizona Coalition for Effective Government is a non-profit organisation. I have extracted two quotes from the current issue that I will end this entry with.
'America is the land of second chances'
US Attorney General John Ashcroft
'...our resources are misspent, our punishments too severe, our sentences too long.'
US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
Send comments to writeinside@hotmail.com
Manny's Swan Song
Some of my neighbours were rolled up in the last week. Barbarian was moved to a pod in SMU where he will probably serve the remainder of his time. I suspect he has been housed with fellow STG (Security Threat Group) inmates. The STG process was initiated to extract the heads of prison gangs from regular yards, and to house them at SMU in the hope that the power of gangs such as the Aryan Brotherhood, Mexican Mafia, and Mau Maus would be reduced.
Manny was moved on a night the guards were searching for a pair of missing nail clippers in our pod. They were shining their torches all over the place, when Manny yelled,
“I’m sure gonna enjoy clipping my finger nails on that bus ride from Florence!”
“Who said that?” a sergeant yelled in a voice full of fury.
“I fuckin’ did,” Manny said, perhaps because he knew his personal property was en route to the transportation bus and hence out of harms way of the guards.
The guards stormed upstairs, and clustered in front of Manny’s cell.
“I wuz just clowning,” Manny said in a tone that suggested he found something funny about the whole situation.
There was silence. The sergeant’s jaw dropped and if he could have breathed fire he would have torched Manny alive.
The guards stripped out Manny and Scooby. Manny was dragged down the stairs and locked in the shower cell. Scooby’s property was once again confiscated due to Manny’s mouth. Manny was rolled up a few hours later and he departed our pod with a satisfied grin on his face. He is now serving the remaining four months of his domestic-violence sentence at a different prison.
Odds & Ends
Arizona’s death-row inmates are housed at SMU2. The guards have recently begun telling me that an inmate who looks like me and also has my surname is awaiting execution on death row. Another guard talked about the "shitslingers" and "darters" who are housed in a neighbouring pod in cells protected by Plexiglas screens. The shitslingers are inmates renowned for hurling their feces at prison staff and other inmates. The darters, however, are more dangerous than the shitslingers. Darters like to make blowpipes and shoot excrement-coated darts at their victims. If a dart pierces human skin and faecal matter gets into the target’s bloodstream there can be serious health consequences.
American news broadcasts are pitiful. Every night this week the scarcity of flu shots has been a major headline. Several minutes are devoted to this subject and then viewers are advised to call a toll free number to get their hands on supposedly-unavailable-but-somehow-remaining flu shots. This is a blantant commercial for the pharmaceutical-industrial complex who make billions of dollars each year selling doses to people with healthy immune systems who do not need the shots in the first place. (This comment does not apply to sick infants and elderly people who may benefit from flu shots.)
Where is the real news? Is the average American more interested in Paris Hiltons's goings on than world events that could affect all of our lives? I no longer watch the news here..
I received a Wake Up Newsletter this week. They are running extracts from my blog. This resource provides a wealth of information for prisoners. Family members of prisoners can access their site at http://www.azceg.org/ . The Arizona Coalition for Effective Government is a non-profit organisation. I have extracted two quotes from the current issue that I will end this entry with.
'America is the land of second chances'
US Attorney General John Ashcroft
'...our resources are misspent, our punishments too severe, our sentences too long.'
US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
Send comments to writeinside@hotmail.com
28 Oct 04
Birthday Bonanza!
Thank you for the birthday cards! I appreciate your kindness. The cards range from picturesque to rather amusing. The Asian ones are particularly striking. I've been happy all week, especially during mail delivery. I’ve been heckled nightly by the mail officer due to all the mail he’s having to deliver.
Penguin also received some birthday cards he had been expecting - albeit belatedly - so he's cheered up a tad in the last week. Penguin’s favourite TV show is Fear Factor. He watches it twice a day. He is also fond of the nature channel and today he convinced me to take a break from my studies to join him watching a BBC programme about dangerous ants. Penguin was so delighted with the footage of the ants that he spent the rest of the evening blurting out newly acquired ant facts to our unreceptive neighbours: “Did you know that the Australian bulldog ant can kill a human being within four minutes?” Our neighbours, who don't have a TV, were peeved at him for watching the ants instead of obtaining them the WWF wrestling results. I’m glad we watched the ants.
I’ve been told that I will soon be at a medium-security prison. I expect to be moved in November, probably to Buckeye prison. It was at Buckeye that American’s longest prison hostage situation recently occurred. My mail will be forwarded from Florence to wherever I end up at.
After being locked down for so long it will be exhilarating to exit my cell and to breathe some fresh air. The weather in Arizona is utopian at this time of the year. I’ll be allowed three hours of outdoor recreation each day. Everything in nature that I used to take for granted now appears in a new light.
Cheers for all the cards and good wishes!
Send comments to writeinside@hotmail.com
Birthday Bonanza!
Thank you for the birthday cards! I appreciate your kindness. The cards range from picturesque to rather amusing. The Asian ones are particularly striking. I've been happy all week, especially during mail delivery. I’ve been heckled nightly by the mail officer due to all the mail he’s having to deliver.
Penguin also received some birthday cards he had been expecting - albeit belatedly - so he's cheered up a tad in the last week. Penguin’s favourite TV show is Fear Factor. He watches it twice a day. He is also fond of the nature channel and today he convinced me to take a break from my studies to join him watching a BBC programme about dangerous ants. Penguin was so delighted with the footage of the ants that he spent the rest of the evening blurting out newly acquired ant facts to our unreceptive neighbours: “Did you know that the Australian bulldog ant can kill a human being within four minutes?” Our neighbours, who don't have a TV, were peeved at him for watching the ants instead of obtaining them the WWF wrestling results. I’m glad we watched the ants.
I’ve been told that I will soon be at a medium-security prison. I expect to be moved in November, probably to Buckeye prison. It was at Buckeye that American’s longest prison hostage situation recently occurred. My mail will be forwarded from Florence to wherever I end up at.
After being locked down for so long it will be exhilarating to exit my cell and to breathe some fresh air. The weather in Arizona is utopian at this time of the year. I’ll be allowed three hours of outdoor recreation each day. Everything in nature that I used to take for granted now appears in a new light.
Cheers for all the cards and good wishes!
Send comments to writeinside@hotmail.com
27 Oct 04
Kryptonitis
Last night the Chicanos were discussing the death of Christopher Reeve, when suddenly their conversation was interrupted by one of the old-timers downstairs breaking wind.
Mad Dog, a new and disruptive addition to the run, began the conversation with, “I didn’t know that Christopher Reeve wuz dead, ese.”
“Yeah, ese, from bedsores,” Scooby said.
“Nah, he didn’t die from bed sores, homey. You wanna know how he died?” Manny said.
“Yeah. How’d he die, ese?"
“From Kryptonitis!” Manny said.
“You ain’t right! Fuck you, ese!” Mad Dog said.
“Take no notice of my celly," Scooby said in a helpful tone. “Reeve died from a cardiac arrest brought on by an infection from the bedsores."
“Bed sores?" Mad Dog asked.
“She killed him. Know what I mean? She knew what she was doin’. Know what I mean?"
“You're right, ese,” Scooby said. “She studied up on dat shit. She knew what wuz good for him and what wuzn't good for him.”
“That’s gonna be a high-profile case,” Diego said.
“How’d da bitch kill him from bedsores, ese?” Mad Dog said.
“She wuzn't cleanin' him right, ese,” Scooby said.
“Dat fool had a lot of money, ese, You know dat dose Hollywood tramps are all about the cheddar [money], ese,” Diego said.
“Da bitch did it,” Manny said.
“He wuz just a head. His body had shrunk and dey didn’t clean his body, right? Know what I mean? Dem bed sores iz nothin’ nice. Know what I mean?"
“Da bitch wuz sick o’ takin’ care o’ him, ese,” Manny said.
“Fuckin killa! She did it, ese,” Mad Dog said.
A series of loud farts halted the conversation.
“God damn!” Manny yelled.
“I love you,” Scooby whispered.
“Speak to me,” Mad Dog said in a feminine tone.
“Damn! Know what I mean?"
“Fuck his tight ass,” Diego said.
Kryptonitis
Last night the Chicanos were discussing the death of Christopher Reeve, when suddenly their conversation was interrupted by one of the old-timers downstairs breaking wind.
Mad Dog, a new and disruptive addition to the run, began the conversation with, “I didn’t know that Christopher Reeve wuz dead, ese.”
“Yeah, ese, from bedsores,” Scooby said.
“Nah, he didn’t die from bed sores, homey. You wanna know how he died?” Manny said.
“Yeah. How’d he die, ese?"
“From Kryptonitis!” Manny said.
“You ain’t right! Fuck you, ese!” Mad Dog said.
“Take no notice of my celly," Scooby said in a helpful tone. “Reeve died from a cardiac arrest brought on by an infection from the bedsores."
“Bed sores?" Mad Dog asked.
“She killed him. Know what I mean? She knew what she was doin’. Know what I mean?"
“You're right, ese,” Scooby said. “She studied up on dat shit. She knew what wuz good for him and what wuzn't good for him.”
“That’s gonna be a high-profile case,” Diego said.
“How’d da bitch kill him from bedsores, ese?” Mad Dog said.
“She wuzn't cleanin' him right, ese,” Scooby said.
“Dat fool had a lot of money, ese, You know dat dose Hollywood tramps are all about the cheddar [money], ese,” Diego said.
“Da bitch did it,” Manny said.
“He wuz just a head. His body had shrunk and dey didn’t clean his body, right? Know what I mean? Dem bed sores iz nothin’ nice. Know what I mean?"
“Da bitch wuz sick o’ takin’ care o’ him, ese,” Manny said.
“Fuckin killa! She did it, ese,” Mad Dog said.
A series of loud farts halted the conversation.
“God damn!” Manny yelled.
“I love you,” Scooby whispered.
“Speak to me,” Mad Dog said in a feminine tone.
“Damn! Know what I mean?"
“Fuck his tight ass,” Diego said.
26 Oct 04
Mark Update
Today I received a letter from Mark, my last cellmate at the Madison Street jail. He was recently rolled up, but he managed to land in the same pod as Frankie. Mark wrote “The roach dreams are back 'cause this place has a lot of cracks with nothing sealed.”
There's nothing worse than being moved from a roach-proofed cell to a cell where gaping cracks abound. At the whimsy of the jail, months of hard work sealing the cracks with toothpaste can be rendered redundant.
Sorry to add to your woes, Mark, but I recently read that the American cockroach carries 22 species of pathogenic human bacteria, virus, fungi and protozoa’s, as well as five species of helminthic worms.
Mark is be sentenced soon. He hopes that everyone will say a prayer for him, so that he receives probation. His plight will be in my thoughts after tonight’s meditation session. Mark’s neighbour Sal wasn’t so lucky with the legal vampires. His attorney promised him he'd only get seven years if he signed a plea bargain. He signed and got 23 years.
Thank you for all of the birthday cards!
Mark Update
Today I received a letter from Mark, my last cellmate at the Madison Street jail. He was recently rolled up, but he managed to land in the same pod as Frankie. Mark wrote “The roach dreams are back 'cause this place has a lot of cracks with nothing sealed.”
There's nothing worse than being moved from a roach-proofed cell to a cell where gaping cracks abound. At the whimsy of the jail, months of hard work sealing the cracks with toothpaste can be rendered redundant.
Sorry to add to your woes, Mark, but I recently read that the American cockroach carries 22 species of pathogenic human bacteria, virus, fungi and protozoa’s, as well as five species of helminthic worms.
Mark is be sentenced soon. He hopes that everyone will say a prayer for him, so that he receives probation. His plight will be in my thoughts after tonight’s meditation session. Mark’s neighbour Sal wasn’t so lucky with the legal vampires. His attorney promised him he'd only get seven years if he signed a plea bargain. He signed and got 23 years.
Thank you for all of the birthday cards!
25 Oct 04
Viva Mexico!
Frankie’s strategy worked. By forcing his case to trial Frankie called the prosecutor's bluff. He had refused to sign plea bargains, against his attorney’s advice, and just before the trial, the prosecutor dropped all of his more serious charges and offered him a better plea bargain. The prosecutor had never expected Frankie to take things so far. Frankie described her face as, "looking like she ate a sour lemon." He has pleaded guilty to a Class 3 felony: conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. He should be arriving at SMU2 this winter.
There was a jailhouse shuffle and Frankie was rolled up to a new pod and separated from the object of his lust: Cupcake. Frankie’s new cellmate had refused to tell the police his name, so on his ID his name is printed as John Doe. Whether John Doe has succumbed to Frankie’s charms, is, as yet, a mystery.
Frankie and his neighbours were disturbed by the arrival of a paisano who yelled, "Viva Mexico!" at all hours of the day and night. During the paisano's first hour out he spat on guards and kicked cell doors whilst yelling, "Viva Mexico!" After two days of this he was restrained, cuffed and permanently removed from Frankie’s pod. Frankie wrote that he left yelling "Viva Mexico!"
Due to all of your questions about Frankie, I have written to him asking if he has a pic that he wouldn’t mind being posted to the blog. My fingers are crossed.
Viva Mexico!
Frankie’s strategy worked. By forcing his case to trial Frankie called the prosecutor's bluff. He had refused to sign plea bargains, against his attorney’s advice, and just before the trial, the prosecutor dropped all of his more serious charges and offered him a better plea bargain. The prosecutor had never expected Frankie to take things so far. Frankie described her face as, "looking like she ate a sour lemon." He has pleaded guilty to a Class 3 felony: conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. He should be arriving at SMU2 this winter.
There was a jailhouse shuffle and Frankie was rolled up to a new pod and separated from the object of his lust: Cupcake. Frankie’s new cellmate had refused to tell the police his name, so on his ID his name is printed as John Doe. Whether John Doe has succumbed to Frankie’s charms, is, as yet, a mystery.
Frankie and his neighbours were disturbed by the arrival of a paisano who yelled, "Viva Mexico!" at all hours of the day and night. During the paisano's first hour out he spat on guards and kicked cell doors whilst yelling, "Viva Mexico!" After two days of this he was restrained, cuffed and permanently removed from Frankie’s pod. Frankie wrote that he left yelling "Viva Mexico!"
Due to all of your questions about Frankie, I have written to him asking if he has a pic that he wouldn’t mind being posted to the blog. My fingers are crossed.
24 Oct 04
Abuse of Juveniles at Arpaio's Jail
Today I received an eyewitness account from a reliable source that described some violence that occurred last month at the Madison Street jail. Sadly, the victims were juveniles.
The juveniles are housed upstairs in the jail where they suffer the same conditions as the adults. On the day in question, the juveniles had been raising hell - their activity included several fights, gallivanting around the pod naked with pink towels wrapped around their heads, and, one of them had tried to hang himself. Failed suicide attempts always invite harsh reprisals.
A dozen restraint chairs were brought to the juveniles' pod. These contraptions look like they've been lifted from a medieval torture chamber. Inmates limbs are strapped into these chairs. They are low to the ground and have tilted backs. To prevent spitting, nets are sometimes placed over the inmate's face.
The violence began with the guards tasing most of the juveniles, who collapsed on the floor.
One of the untased juveniles spat on a guard’s face. This juvenile was held down and pummelled by two officers twice his age, size and weight. The pod was searched, property was confiscated and the juveniles were left to suffer wearing only their pink boxers. Some of them got to spend a few days confined to their cells completely naked.
Surely committing violence on juveniles is only going to traumatise them and add to their future unlawfulness.
Abuse of Juveniles at Arpaio's Jail
Today I received an eyewitness account from a reliable source that described some violence that occurred last month at the Madison Street jail. Sadly, the victims were juveniles.
The juveniles are housed upstairs in the jail where they suffer the same conditions as the adults. On the day in question, the juveniles had been raising hell - their activity included several fights, gallivanting around the pod naked with pink towels wrapped around their heads, and, one of them had tried to hang himself. Failed suicide attempts always invite harsh reprisals.
A dozen restraint chairs were brought to the juveniles' pod. These contraptions look like they've been lifted from a medieval torture chamber. Inmates limbs are strapped into these chairs. They are low to the ground and have tilted backs. To prevent spitting, nets are sometimes placed over the inmate's face.
The violence began with the guards tasing most of the juveniles, who collapsed on the floor.
One of the untased juveniles spat on a guard’s face. This juvenile was held down and pummelled by two officers twice his age, size and weight. The pod was searched, property was confiscated and the juveniles were left to suffer wearing only their pink boxers. Some of them got to spend a few days confined to their cells completely naked.
Surely committing violence on juveniles is only going to traumatise them and add to their future unlawfulness.
22 Oct 04
Orange Alert
Due to the response to the BBC online news story, I am asking everyone who has corresponded to wait a bit for a reply because I'm only allowed so much stationary each week. People who have provided physical addresses will receive letters in due time. I am overjoyed to be setting the incoming-mail record at Florence prison. Please keep the emails, letters and comments coming, as reading them is the highlight of my day. Your kind words will all be read and appreciated.
Cheers! Jon
Dear Chris Summers,
Thank you for the well-written news story that you put together for the BBC. The public takes notice of the plight of prisoners when a respectable news organisation highlights what is really occurring. Our combined efforts have helped disclose the illegal and immoral treatment of the presentence detainees at the Madison Street jail. My hope is that the jail administration will mend their ways, stop flouting the law and start observing human rights.
Your article contained Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s standard response, "Don’t violate the law and you won’t come back." I find this odd, because the jails predominantly house inmates awaiting trial, who have not yet been convicted of the crimes they have been charged with. Supposedly, there is a presumption of innocence until guilt is proven.
Kudos to the BBC for providing a first-class service in an industry permeated by commercial disinformation. Prisoners listen to the BBC even here. My neighbour, Diego, is an avid listener to the BBC World Service. My cellmate, Penguin, swears up and down that a recent BBC. documentary about ants, shown on the nature channel, was the best programme he has ever seen.
Keep up the good work, Chris!
Appreciatively yours, Jon
To Messrs. Alan West (Daily Post) and Simon Drury,
Thank you for the "Barbaric Conditions" articles. You have helped bring attention to the blog and you have increased the public’s awareness of the plight of the presentence detainees at the Madison Street jail. My hope is that sufficient pressure will come about to halt the practices occurring in that place.
I appreciate your contributions to a worthy cause.
Respectfully yours, Jon
Dear Pauline Crowe, Prisoners Abroad, http://www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/
Thank you for bringing to my attention the fact that the staff at the British Consulate in Washington DC are now aware of the abuses occurring at the Madison Street jail. If it is your intention - in light of the Guardian article - that no citizens of the UK will ever be housed at Maricopa County jailhouses again, then I feel as if our collective efforts have scored a victory. Your email contained great news.
Appreciatively yours, Jon
Orange Alert
Due to the response to the BBC online news story, I am asking everyone who has corresponded to wait a bit for a reply because I'm only allowed so much stationary each week. People who have provided physical addresses will receive letters in due time. I am overjoyed to be setting the incoming-mail record at Florence prison. Please keep the emails, letters and comments coming, as reading them is the highlight of my day. Your kind words will all be read and appreciated.
Cheers! Jon
Dear Chris Summers,
Thank you for the well-written news story that you put together for the BBC. The public takes notice of the plight of prisoners when a respectable news organisation highlights what is really occurring. Our combined efforts have helped disclose the illegal and immoral treatment of the presentence detainees at the Madison Street jail. My hope is that the jail administration will mend their ways, stop flouting the law and start observing human rights.
Your article contained Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s standard response, "Don’t violate the law and you won’t come back." I find this odd, because the jails predominantly house inmates awaiting trial, who have not yet been convicted of the crimes they have been charged with. Supposedly, there is a presumption of innocence until guilt is proven.
Kudos to the BBC for providing a first-class service in an industry permeated by commercial disinformation. Prisoners listen to the BBC even here. My neighbour, Diego, is an avid listener to the BBC World Service. My cellmate, Penguin, swears up and down that a recent BBC. documentary about ants, shown on the nature channel, was the best programme he has ever seen.
Keep up the good work, Chris!
Appreciatively yours, Jon
To Messrs. Alan West (Daily Post) and Simon Drury,
Thank you for the "Barbaric Conditions" articles. You have helped bring attention to the blog and you have increased the public’s awareness of the plight of the presentence detainees at the Madison Street jail. My hope is that sufficient pressure will come about to halt the practices occurring in that place.
I appreciate your contributions to a worthy cause.
Respectfully yours, Jon
Dear Pauline Crowe, Prisoners Abroad, http://www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/
Thank you for bringing to my attention the fact that the staff at the British Consulate in Washington DC are now aware of the abuses occurring at the Madison Street jail. If it is your intention - in light of the Guardian article - that no citizens of the UK will ever be housed at Maricopa County jailhouses again, then I feel as if our collective efforts have scored a victory. Your email contained great news.
Appreciatively yours, Jon
21 Oct 04
Free Yoga Services For U.S. Inmates
The Prison Dharma Network sends donated books free of charge to prisoners. I have written to both of the addresses below and I received my first two lessons from the SYDA foundation this week. Per Lesson 2, I have now incorporated a new mantra into my nightly meditation sessions: Om Namah Shivaya, literally, Om I bow to Shiva. Shiva denotes divine consciousness.
Whilst studying the lessons and the Sanskrit terms it became evident that the ancient Indic civilization compartmentalised the mind thousands of years before Freud et al did. For example, ahamkara means the ego, and samskara is a subtle impression of a past experience or thought that shapes our present experiences or thoughts. The westernization of yoga seems to have overemphasised the physical side, the asanas, at the expense of the metaphysical side. I suspect there is a wealth of information within eastern philosophy that could help us better understand humankind and ourselves. I urge inmates to give yoga and meditation a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the immediate benefits. I’ll finish with a quote.
“I shut my eyes in order to see”
Paul Gaugin
Inmates may contact the following 2 organisations:
SYDA Foundation Prison Project
P.O. Box 99140
Emeryville CA. 94662
The Siddah Yoga Correspondence Course provides two lessons sent each month, for up to 12 years. The emphasis is on meditation and reading.
Prison Dharma Network
P.O. Box 4623
Boulder CO. 80306http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org/
Free Yoga Services For U.S. Inmates
The Prison Dharma Network sends donated books free of charge to prisoners. I have written to both of the addresses below and I received my first two lessons from the SYDA foundation this week. Per Lesson 2, I have now incorporated a new mantra into my nightly meditation sessions: Om Namah Shivaya, literally, Om I bow to Shiva. Shiva denotes divine consciousness.
Whilst studying the lessons and the Sanskrit terms it became evident that the ancient Indic civilization compartmentalised the mind thousands of years before Freud et al did. For example, ahamkara means the ego, and samskara is a subtle impression of a past experience or thought that shapes our present experiences or thoughts. The westernization of yoga seems to have overemphasised the physical side, the asanas, at the expense of the metaphysical side. I suspect there is a wealth of information within eastern philosophy that could help us better understand humankind and ourselves. I urge inmates to give yoga and meditation a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the immediate benefits. I’ll finish with a quote.
“I shut my eyes in order to see”
Paul Gaugin
Inmates may contact the following 2 organisations:
SYDA Foundation Prison Project
P.O. Box 99140
Emeryville CA. 94662
The Siddah Yoga Correspondence Course provides two lessons sent each month, for up to 12 years. The emphasis is on meditation and reading.
Prison Dharma Network
P.O. Box 4623
Boulder CO. 80306http://www.prisondharmanetwork.org/
20 Oct 04
Convict Cannon Fodder
Dear George W. Bush,
I have pondered conscription, and I have an idea that may help.
Perhaps you should consider the millions of men in America's prisons and jails. If you do so you may find cunning men, plenty with prior weapons experience, and some who relish the prospect of killing.
I hope that the following conversation between some of my neighbours helps demonstrate my point.
With great respect,
Your dawg,
Jon
Diego, Manny, Scooby, and a new arrival, a young Chicano with an affinity for the expression "Know what I mean?" kept me up late last night with this conversation.
“They’z gonna reintroduce da draft, ese,” Scooby said.
“I’d go, ese,” Diego said.
“I’d fuckin’ go as well, ese,” Manny said.
“I’d love to go. I’d be free. Know what I mean?"
“Fuck da draft. I’m an anarchist! 'Specially after readin’ deese philosophy books, ese,” Scooby said.
“I wanna drive a tank, ese,” Diego said.
“I’d go just so I can shoot my own people and escape, ese,” Manny said.
“I ain’t riskin’ gettin’ killed so these politician vatos can make money for their homies runnin’ the military and oil companies,” Scooby said.
“But we’d be freed. Know what I mean? Maybe they wouldn’t send us to the Middle East, ese. Know what I mean? Maybe we’d get to kill those Korean vatos before dey nuke us. Know what I mean?"
“Yeah, lets bomb dose bastards!” Manny said.
“Nah, day aint got nukes, ese. Day did a few shitty missile tests and day even fucked dem up, homey. Dose Korean vatos are still using weapons manufactured in the seventies. Days broke-arse muthafuckas, dats wot day is,” Diego said in a slow emphatic tone.
“It be sayin’ dat dey wanna nuke us on mi radio, ese.”
“Yup, day be sayin’ dat on mi radio as well. Day are sayin’ dat because our government and the military vatos want to keep military bases in dat area so they can spy on the Chinese and Russian vatos, ese,” Diego said.
“He’s been listening to Coast to Coast. He thinks dat he’s George fuckin’ Noory,” Scooby said.
“I do. I listen to Coast to Coast every night on mi radio, ese,” Diego said.
“You know a lot o' shit though, ese,” Scooby said.
“That’s because I wuz studyin’ this shit on the streets, ese, unlike you who wuz robbin’ Circle Ks,” Diego said.
“Fuck you, ese! I wuz studyin’ too, homey,” Scooby said.
“I listen to all kinds o' shit on mi radio, ese. Know what I mean?"
“Yeah, on mi radio, when he said that, ‘We attacked Iraq because they attacked us,' and that gobacho Kerry den said, ‘Nah, Osama bin Laden attacked us,’ Bush got pissed off, ese,” Scooby said.
“Yeah, Kerry got the better of Bush in dat debate, ese,” Diego said.
“I think dat Kerry’s gonna win, ese. Know what I mean?"
“It don’t matter who wins, ese. According to my Plato book, the strong homies are always gonna shit on the weak homies, ese,” Scooby said.
“Yeah, Kerry’s a military vato all the way,” Diego said.
“Nothin’s gunna change, ese. People just think that it is. It’s all a big chess game to those fools, ese. Anyway, I’m gunna get back to readin’ my Machiavelli book, ese. Orale!” Scooby said.
“Orale!” they jointly replied.
Note from Jon’s parents: We heard on Thursday 4th November, via an email from Jon’s Aunt that he has been moved from SMU2 to Buckeye prison. The address is below. Mail sent to his previous address will be forwarded.
Thanks again, we know your correspondence keeps him going.
He can now have hard back books.
Shaun Attwood ADC 187160
ASPC-Lewis
Morey Unit 2-D-22
P.O. Box 3300, Buckeye, AZ 85326, USA
Convict Cannon Fodder
Dear George W. Bush,
I have pondered conscription, and I have an idea that may help.
Perhaps you should consider the millions of men in America's prisons and jails. If you do so you may find cunning men, plenty with prior weapons experience, and some who relish the prospect of killing.
I hope that the following conversation between some of my neighbours helps demonstrate my point.
With great respect,
Your dawg,
Jon
Diego, Manny, Scooby, and a new arrival, a young Chicano with an affinity for the expression "Know what I mean?" kept me up late last night with this conversation.
“They’z gonna reintroduce da draft, ese,” Scooby said.
“I’d go, ese,” Diego said.
“I’d fuckin’ go as well, ese,” Manny said.
“I’d love to go. I’d be free. Know what I mean?"
“Fuck da draft. I’m an anarchist! 'Specially after readin’ deese philosophy books, ese,” Scooby said.
“I wanna drive a tank, ese,” Diego said.
“I’d go just so I can shoot my own people and escape, ese,” Manny said.
“I ain’t riskin’ gettin’ killed so these politician vatos can make money for their homies runnin’ the military and oil companies,” Scooby said.
“But we’d be freed. Know what I mean? Maybe they wouldn’t send us to the Middle East, ese. Know what I mean? Maybe we’d get to kill those Korean vatos before dey nuke us. Know what I mean?"
“Yeah, lets bomb dose bastards!” Manny said.
“Nah, day aint got nukes, ese. Day did a few shitty missile tests and day even fucked dem up, homey. Dose Korean vatos are still using weapons manufactured in the seventies. Days broke-arse muthafuckas, dats wot day is,” Diego said in a slow emphatic tone.
“It be sayin’ dat dey wanna nuke us on mi radio, ese.”
“Yup, day be sayin’ dat on mi radio as well. Day are sayin’ dat because our government and the military vatos want to keep military bases in dat area so they can spy on the Chinese and Russian vatos, ese,” Diego said.
“He’s been listening to Coast to Coast. He thinks dat he’s George fuckin’ Noory,” Scooby said.
“I do. I listen to Coast to Coast every night on mi radio, ese,” Diego said.
“You know a lot o' shit though, ese,” Scooby said.
“That’s because I wuz studyin’ this shit on the streets, ese, unlike you who wuz robbin’ Circle Ks,” Diego said.
“Fuck you, ese! I wuz studyin’ too, homey,” Scooby said.
“I listen to all kinds o' shit on mi radio, ese. Know what I mean?"
“Yeah, on mi radio, when he said that, ‘We attacked Iraq because they attacked us,' and that gobacho Kerry den said, ‘Nah, Osama bin Laden attacked us,’ Bush got pissed off, ese,” Scooby said.
“Yeah, Kerry got the better of Bush in dat debate, ese,” Diego said.
“I think dat Kerry’s gonna win, ese. Know what I mean?"
“It don’t matter who wins, ese. According to my Plato book, the strong homies are always gonna shit on the weak homies, ese,” Scooby said.
“Yeah, Kerry’s a military vato all the way,” Diego said.
“Nothin’s gunna change, ese. People just think that it is. It’s all a big chess game to those fools, ese. Anyway, I’m gunna get back to readin’ my Machiavelli book, ese. Orale!” Scooby said.
“Orale!” they jointly replied.
Note from Jon’s parents: We heard on Thursday 4th November, via an email from Jon’s Aunt that he has been moved from SMU2 to Buckeye prison. The address is below. Mail sent to his previous address will be forwarded.
Thanks again, we know your correspondence keeps him going.
He can now have hard back books.
Shaun Attwood ADC 187160
ASPC-Lewis
Morey Unit 2-D-22
P.O. Box 3300, Buckeye, AZ 85326, USA
18 Oct 04
The Butterfly Effect
I received some kind words this week in the form of an email from http://www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/. Apparently, it is the intention of Prisoners Abroad that no other Brits will ever be housed in Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jail system. This decision was made, the email said, after the staff at Prisoners Abroad read the Guardian article. So more thanks are due to the Guardian.
I would also like to thank Bob Ayala, the candidate for Sheriff of Maricopa Country who is running against Joe Arpaio, for linking my blog to his website. It is the people of Maricopa County who I'm hoping are becoming more aware of the conditions at Arpaio's jail system. If enough local voices are raised then maybe changes will be made.
Good Luck, Mr. Ayala!
The Butterfly Effect
I received some kind words this week in the form of an email from http://www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/. Apparently, it is the intention of Prisoners Abroad that no other Brits will ever be housed in Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jail system. This decision was made, the email said, after the staff at Prisoners Abroad read the Guardian article. So more thanks are due to the Guardian.
I would also like to thank Bob Ayala, the candidate for Sheriff of Maricopa Country who is running against Joe Arpaio, for linking my blog to his website. It is the people of Maricopa County who I'm hoping are becoming more aware of the conditions at Arpaio's jail system. If enough local voices are raised then maybe changes will be made.
Good Luck, Mr. Ayala!
17 Oct 04
Odds & Ends
It was Penguin’s birthday on Saturday and he celebrated by drinking what he called "a Cadillac." He mixed enough coffee for 16 cups along with enough chocolate for four cups into a twenty-ounce pop bottle. He explained it was a recipe he had learned during a previous prison sentence. After drinking eight cups of tea, Penguin downed the Caddy.
“I haven’t speeded off coffee like this for 5 years!” Penguin said, his moon face flushing wildly.
A few hours later he projectile vomited the Cadillac into our toilet. Poor Penguin.
It didn’t take Manny long to clash with another guard.
Manny was asleep when a young graveyard-shift officer shone a torch on his face.
“Get dat fuckin’ light out o’ my face, toots!” Manny yelled.
“For bein’ so rude, I’m gonna shine it on yer face every walk tonight.”
“I’m tryin’ to fuckin’ sleep, toots!”
“Tough shit!”
“That’s alright, 'cause I was dreamin’ of yer wife anyway!”
“For sayin’ that, I’m gonna rip up you’re store slip!”
The guard hurriedly left the run, returned with Manny’s store form, ripped it up, and cackled like a mad-man, before departing the run.
Manny’s weekly store order never came, but he seemed unphased.
I had a special visit approved by a sergeant. My Aunty Ann came, accompanied by two of my cousins from England. I got to sit in a little cell and to speak to them through a glass window. Our voices travelled through the window frames. It was Silence of the Lambs style. I hadn’t laughed so hard in a while. At one point my visitors stood up, held hands, danced and sang English folk songs. The visitation staff initially looked askance at them, but they ended up laughing hysterically at the bizarre display. Good lookin' out Aunty Ann and cousins Pat and Frances!
I’ve received more letters from organisations seeking to publish blog extracts and I’ve also received requests for newspaper interviews. I suspect that more articles will be out soon. I’d like to say a big thank you to you, my readers, for the stream of emails and letters offering support.
Odds & Ends
It was Penguin’s birthday on Saturday and he celebrated by drinking what he called "a Cadillac." He mixed enough coffee for 16 cups along with enough chocolate for four cups into a twenty-ounce pop bottle. He explained it was a recipe he had learned during a previous prison sentence. After drinking eight cups of tea, Penguin downed the Caddy.
“I haven’t speeded off coffee like this for 5 years!” Penguin said, his moon face flushing wildly.
A few hours later he projectile vomited the Cadillac into our toilet. Poor Penguin.
It didn’t take Manny long to clash with another guard.
Manny was asleep when a young graveyard-shift officer shone a torch on his face.
“Get dat fuckin’ light out o’ my face, toots!” Manny yelled.
“For bein’ so rude, I’m gonna shine it on yer face every walk tonight.”
“I’m tryin’ to fuckin’ sleep, toots!”
“Tough shit!”
“That’s alright, 'cause I was dreamin’ of yer wife anyway!”
“For sayin’ that, I’m gonna rip up you’re store slip!”
The guard hurriedly left the run, returned with Manny’s store form, ripped it up, and cackled like a mad-man, before departing the run.
Manny’s weekly store order never came, but he seemed unphased.
I had a special visit approved by a sergeant. My Aunty Ann came, accompanied by two of my cousins from England. I got to sit in a little cell and to speak to them through a glass window. Our voices travelled through the window frames. It was Silence of the Lambs style. I hadn’t laughed so hard in a while. At one point my visitors stood up, held hands, danced and sang English folk songs. The visitation staff initially looked askance at them, but they ended up laughing hysterically at the bizarre display. Good lookin' out Aunty Ann and cousins Pat and Frances!
I’ve received more letters from organisations seeking to publish blog extracts and I’ve also received requests for newspaper interviews. I suspect that more articles will be out soon. I’d like to say a big thank you to you, my readers, for the stream of emails and letters offering support.
15 Oct 04
A solution to prison overcrowding?
Per capita, the US prison population is the largest in the world. Is this because our American cousins are bent on committing more crimes than people in other countries? Hardly!
In America a policy of stiff prison sentences has been adopted, purportedly to reduce crime. Has it worked? No: crime and incarceration statistics do not support the rationale. So what is really going on and why are the illogical policies being continued? Probably, because billions of dollars of taxpayers’ contributions are being transferred to the beneficiaries of the mass-incarceration program.
There is now more money being spent on housing inmates in America than there is being spent on education. It costs taxpayers over $500,000 to house an inmate for 20 years. The attorney gold rush (which I will deal with in a future blog) is systematically vacuuming up increasing portions of the wealth of society. These parasites are not protecting society from hardened criminals: according to the book ‘You Are Being Lied To’, there are more people serving time in US prisons for marijuana charges alone than the entire prison population of Europe. According to Department of Justice figures in the Wall Street Journal, 1 in 75 men – an all time high – are now in prison and the inmate population increased 2.9% to a new record. Not only are the desired effects not being achieved, but the reverse is happening: the prisons are tantamount to schools for unlawfulness, where young men are hardened and criminally come of age.
The purpose of me emphasising this situation is not purely a fault-finding one. It is easy to knock a bad situation, but it is more difficult to come up with workable suggestions, especially for this complex problem. However, with my limited knowledge and experience on the subject, I will endeavour to offer an alternative to mass imprisonment.
Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world and only 5% of people convicted of crimes serve time versus 30% in America. The Japanese use a policy called reintegrative shaming. This involves the criminal appearing in court with family members, friends, bosses, and coworkers, etc who condemn the individual’s behaviour. The people forming this community-support structure then accept responsibility for reintegrating the offender back into society. This way, social bonds are rebuilt and further criminal acts are deterred. A voluntary network of over 500,000 local crime prevention associations help the reintegration process and the
criminal-justice system is encouraged to be lenient for this purpose. This policy has worked.
The American public, who are footing the bill for ineffective policies, should consider demanding a shift towards a system that works. The Japanese gave the American auto manufacturers a wakeup call. It seems that they have another successful idea with reintegrative shaming.
The captains of the various industries profiteering from this disguised modern-day slavery ought to be ashamed of themselves: they have reduced the land of the free to a police state. If the public does not take a stand, then soon, every single one of us will have a family member or a friend gobbled up by this system.
“Building more prisons to address crime is like building more graveyards to address a fatal disease."
Quote from:
Robert Gangi, director of the Correctional Association of New York (source: Jill Molowe, ‘Time’ Feb 7th, 1994) article ‘…and throw away the key’.
Note: Unfortunately, we have had to block the comments on the blog for the time being, due to inappropriate material being posted in a comment, which has nothing whatsoever to do with Jon. If you have a comment on the above please send it to Jon's email address, in his favourites at the top of the Home Page and we will post it for you. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks again for your continued support.
A solution to prison overcrowding?
Per capita, the US prison population is the largest in the world. Is this because our American cousins are bent on committing more crimes than people in other countries? Hardly!
In America a policy of stiff prison sentences has been adopted, purportedly to reduce crime. Has it worked? No: crime and incarceration statistics do not support the rationale. So what is really going on and why are the illogical policies being continued? Probably, because billions of dollars of taxpayers’ contributions are being transferred to the beneficiaries of the mass-incarceration program.
There is now more money being spent on housing inmates in America than there is being spent on education. It costs taxpayers over $500,000 to house an inmate for 20 years. The attorney gold rush (which I will deal with in a future blog) is systematically vacuuming up increasing portions of the wealth of society. These parasites are not protecting society from hardened criminals: according to the book ‘You Are Being Lied To’, there are more people serving time in US prisons for marijuana charges alone than the entire prison population of Europe. According to Department of Justice figures in the Wall Street Journal, 1 in 75 men – an all time high – are now in prison and the inmate population increased 2.9% to a new record. Not only are the desired effects not being achieved, but the reverse is happening: the prisons are tantamount to schools for unlawfulness, where young men are hardened and criminally come of age.
The purpose of me emphasising this situation is not purely a fault-finding one. It is easy to knock a bad situation, but it is more difficult to come up with workable suggestions, especially for this complex problem. However, with my limited knowledge and experience on the subject, I will endeavour to offer an alternative to mass imprisonment.
Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world and only 5% of people convicted of crimes serve time versus 30% in America. The Japanese use a policy called reintegrative shaming. This involves the criminal appearing in court with family members, friends, bosses, and coworkers, etc who condemn the individual’s behaviour. The people forming this community-support structure then accept responsibility for reintegrating the offender back into society. This way, social bonds are rebuilt and further criminal acts are deterred. A voluntary network of over 500,000 local crime prevention associations help the reintegration process and the
criminal-justice system is encouraged to be lenient for this purpose. This policy has worked.
The American public, who are footing the bill for ineffective policies, should consider demanding a shift towards a system that works. The Japanese gave the American auto manufacturers a wakeup call. It seems that they have another successful idea with reintegrative shaming.
The captains of the various industries profiteering from this disguised modern-day slavery ought to be ashamed of themselves: they have reduced the land of the free to a police state. If the public does not take a stand, then soon, every single one of us will have a family member or a friend gobbled up by this system.
“Building more prisons to address crime is like building more graveyards to address a fatal disease."
Quote from:
Robert Gangi, director of the Correctional Association of New York (source: Jill Molowe, ‘Time’ Feb 7th, 1994) article ‘…and throw away the key’.
Note: Unfortunately, we have had to block the comments on the blog for the time being, due to inappropriate material being posted in a comment, which has nothing whatsoever to do with Jon. If you have a comment on the above please send it to Jon's email address, in his favourites at the top of the Home Page and we will post it for you. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks again for your continued support.
10th Oct 04
Put the gun down son!
There are not many people who have shot their own fathers, but Penguin is one of them. This week Penguin, in his peculiar high-pitched voice, talked about the incident.
Penguin’s dad, Bill, had severely beaten Penguin’s mum, Jen. This abuse had been going on for as long as Penguin could remember. One night in 1988, when Penguin was just fourteen, Bill assaulted both Jen and Penguin, almost beating Penguin to death. His entire body from the groin upwards was black and blue. His chin was pulverised so badly that he required reconstructive surgery for his lower face. He still has a two-inch scar where his lip was split open.
After Bill had used Penguin as a punching bag for thirty minutes, Jen, who was somewhat recovered from her beating, intervened. Penguin managed to raise himself up from the pool of blood that he lay in, and made his way to his bedroom. He loaded nine rounds into the ten-round clip of his Ruger rifle, and returned to the living room.
“Don’t you ever threaten me again!” he yelled at Bill.
“Put the gun down son!” Bill said, approaching Penguin menacingly.
With no time to deliberate, Penguin pulled the trigger one time. The bullet entered Bill’s left armpit, tore through his chest muscle, collapsed his lung, passed by his heart and just missed his spinal column, before exiting through his back. The bullet then hit a metal post and shattered. Bill survived.
Penguin was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace, He was housed in the juvenile detention facility at Durango jail. Neither dad nor mum nor son pressed charges. Jen’s fingers were paralysed for the next thirteen months, caused by blocking so many of Bill’s blows. Penguin was released after spending six-and-a-half days in jail. After 30 days the State concluded that he had acted in self-defence and the charges were dropped. Bill never attacked his son again. He died last year aged 61.
Put the gun down son!
There are not many people who have shot their own fathers, but Penguin is one of them. This week Penguin, in his peculiar high-pitched voice, talked about the incident.
Penguin’s dad, Bill, had severely beaten Penguin’s mum, Jen. This abuse had been going on for as long as Penguin could remember. One night in 1988, when Penguin was just fourteen, Bill assaulted both Jen and Penguin, almost beating Penguin to death. His entire body from the groin upwards was black and blue. His chin was pulverised so badly that he required reconstructive surgery for his lower face. He still has a two-inch scar where his lip was split open.
After Bill had used Penguin as a punching bag for thirty minutes, Jen, who was somewhat recovered from her beating, intervened. Penguin managed to raise himself up from the pool of blood that he lay in, and made his way to his bedroom. He loaded nine rounds into the ten-round clip of his Ruger rifle, and returned to the living room.
“Don’t you ever threaten me again!” he yelled at Bill.
“Put the gun down son!” Bill said, approaching Penguin menacingly.
With no time to deliberate, Penguin pulled the trigger one time. The bullet entered Bill’s left armpit, tore through his chest muscle, collapsed his lung, passed by his heart and just missed his spinal column, before exiting through his back. The bullet then hit a metal post and shattered. Bill survived.
Penguin was arrested and charged with third-degree aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace, He was housed in the juvenile detention facility at Durango jail. Neither dad nor mum nor son pressed charges. Jen’s fingers were paralysed for the next thirteen months, caused by blocking so many of Bill’s blows. Penguin was released after spending six-and-a-half days in jail. After 30 days the State concluded that he had acted in self-defence and the charges were dropped. Bill never attacked his son again. He died last year aged 61.
9th Oct 04
Barbarian
In 1999, twelve inmates attacked another inmate in a packed chow hall. The target, a 6’ 6” 265-pound cage fighter, repelled the assailants. The clash became legendary. Whilst listening to inmates tell stories, I had previously heard about the fight and I was recently delighted to find out that the well-respected gladiator is my neighbour Barbarian.
Barbarian rarely talks to anyone. Even the guards are intimidated by him. He has to be double-handcuffed when they allow him out of his cell. On Friday I plucked up the courage to ask him about the attack. Approaching him wasn't easy for me. At first he shot me down, and, discouraged, I shrunk back to my bunk. Moments later he called me back to my cell door and he revealed not only the details of the conflict, but also, background information explaining how he came to be one of the most feared and respected men in Arizona's prison system. It is a sad story. It shows how a promising young man’s life and career were permanently changed by the Fates.
Barbarian’s fighting skills germinated during many years of scrapping with his two older brothers. During high school, he became involved in wrestling. He eventually channelled his physical abilities into American football. He was signed up by Boise State where he set two college records, and a brilliant future as a quarterback looked like a sure thing.
In 1994, in north Phoenix, Barbarian was trying to park his distinctive 1988 Corvette outside of a bank. Barbarian honked his horn at a vehicle that had blocked him in. The driver of the other vehicle refused to move, and suddenly threats were exchanged. Nothing else bad happened that day, but Barbarian started to notice the other vehicle around Phoenix. threats were swapped again during a few more chance meetings, and eventually a showdown happened at a gas station.
Barbarian and his friend Frank were pumping gas, minding their own business, when Barbarian’s enemy, travelling with three fellow gang members, spotted the Corvette. Frank owned a bar and he had just made a large cash deposit and for protection he was carrying a fully loaded sawn-off shotgun. Barbarian noticed his enemy’s vehicle pull into the other side of the gas station and he had a premonition that he was about to be killed. He asked Frank for the shotgun and he hurriedly tucked it into his pants. In an instant the foursome were upon him with weapons drawn. A shootout commenced during which Barbarian was hit twice, but he also managed to discharge the shotgun twice before collapsing. His assailants had used hollow-point bullets that are extremely destructive to human tissue and organs. Barbarian’s lungs were punctured but fortunately the bullets had missed his heart and kidneys - but only just.
Barbarian lost consciousness and underwent a near death experience, which he described as seeing the flames of hell. The discharged buckshot had killed one of the attackers and a second assailant was touch and go but he survived and is now blind.
Barbarian was charged with seven crimes including first-degree murder, attempted murder, misconduct with a weapon and aggravated assault. Barbarian believed that he had acted in self-defence so he refused to sign a plea bargain. The case went to trial, and although he managed to beat the more serious charges, he was still found guilty on the aggravated assault, which is a class three felony, and categorized as a dangerous crime. He was sentenced to seven years. His football career was over.
In the prison system Barbarian was well-respected by most people, but, unfortunately, in 1999, a group of "woods" (white inmates, comes from the word "peckerwood") who were housed with Barbarian became paranoid, fearing that he might turn his fighting skills upon them. A preemptive strike was plotted. The individuals decided that they would attack Barbarian in the chow hall. Due to the large number of woods in the attack posse it was decided that shanks (sharpened instruments used to stab and kill people) would not be needed.
The leaders of the woods were the first to strike Barbarian. With lightening speed the big man’s combat instincts kicked in. He quickly disabled the first three attackers: in a second, one of them was gouged in the eyeball; another’s testicles were crushed; another's feet were hooked, causing him to trip and smash his head. The others, upon witnessing their leaders get beat up, lost their enthusiasm, and after throwing some token blows, they retreated, leaving Barbarian victorious in front of an amazed audience.
Upon completing his sentence Barbarian entered professional cagefighting matches, with prize money ranging for $5,000 to $15,000. He won 31 out of 34 fights. He pocketed a considerable amount of loot, but he suffered eleven concussions, a broken hand, a fractured eye socket, a broken nose and knee damage. He won the Rawhide Toughman Contest and took home $15,000. He obtained one victory in 47 seconds by fracturing his opponent’s jawbone, but he broke his own hand in the process.
Whilst employed as a bouncer, Barbarian was instructed to forcefully eject an unruly customer who refused to wear a formal shirt. The sloshed fellow was a fullback from the ASU football team. Barbarian decided to use minimal force because a drunk did not usually pose a serious threat to him. What occurred next was a comical wrestling match in the men’s restroom that resulted in a urinal being ripped off the wall, a lavatory tank being cracked, and the toilet divides toppling down as the combatants fell against them. The fullback was finally subdued in the corner of the demolished restroom and held until the police arrived to arrest him.
Barbarian is now a born-again Christian and he hopes that his past actions have not put him in a bad light. He has good family values and he wants to join a religious ministry when he gets out of prison. He longs to go to Colorado where he can “take care o’ Mom 'n' Pops.”
Barbarian
In 1999, twelve inmates attacked another inmate in a packed chow hall. The target, a 6’ 6” 265-pound cage fighter, repelled the assailants. The clash became legendary. Whilst listening to inmates tell stories, I had previously heard about the fight and I was recently delighted to find out that the well-respected gladiator is my neighbour Barbarian.
Barbarian rarely talks to anyone. Even the guards are intimidated by him. He has to be double-handcuffed when they allow him out of his cell. On Friday I plucked up the courage to ask him about the attack. Approaching him wasn't easy for me. At first he shot me down, and, discouraged, I shrunk back to my bunk. Moments later he called me back to my cell door and he revealed not only the details of the conflict, but also, background information explaining how he came to be one of the most feared and respected men in Arizona's prison system. It is a sad story. It shows how a promising young man’s life and career were permanently changed by the Fates.
Barbarian’s fighting skills germinated during many years of scrapping with his two older brothers. During high school, he became involved in wrestling. He eventually channelled his physical abilities into American football. He was signed up by Boise State where he set two college records, and a brilliant future as a quarterback looked like a sure thing.
In 1994, in north Phoenix, Barbarian was trying to park his distinctive 1988 Corvette outside of a bank. Barbarian honked his horn at a vehicle that had blocked him in. The driver of the other vehicle refused to move, and suddenly threats were exchanged. Nothing else bad happened that day, but Barbarian started to notice the other vehicle around Phoenix. threats were swapped again during a few more chance meetings, and eventually a showdown happened at a gas station.
Barbarian and his friend Frank were pumping gas, minding their own business, when Barbarian’s enemy, travelling with three fellow gang members, spotted the Corvette. Frank owned a bar and he had just made a large cash deposit and for protection he was carrying a fully loaded sawn-off shotgun. Barbarian noticed his enemy’s vehicle pull into the other side of the gas station and he had a premonition that he was about to be killed. He asked Frank for the shotgun and he hurriedly tucked it into his pants. In an instant the foursome were upon him with weapons drawn. A shootout commenced during which Barbarian was hit twice, but he also managed to discharge the shotgun twice before collapsing. His assailants had used hollow-point bullets that are extremely destructive to human tissue and organs. Barbarian’s lungs were punctured but fortunately the bullets had missed his heart and kidneys - but only just.
Barbarian lost consciousness and underwent a near death experience, which he described as seeing the flames of hell. The discharged buckshot had killed one of the attackers and a second assailant was touch and go but he survived and is now blind.
Barbarian was charged with seven crimes including first-degree murder, attempted murder, misconduct with a weapon and aggravated assault. Barbarian believed that he had acted in self-defence so he refused to sign a plea bargain. The case went to trial, and although he managed to beat the more serious charges, he was still found guilty on the aggravated assault, which is a class three felony, and categorized as a dangerous crime. He was sentenced to seven years. His football career was over.
In the prison system Barbarian was well-respected by most people, but, unfortunately, in 1999, a group of "woods" (white inmates, comes from the word "peckerwood") who were housed with Barbarian became paranoid, fearing that he might turn his fighting skills upon them. A preemptive strike was plotted. The individuals decided that they would attack Barbarian in the chow hall. Due to the large number of woods in the attack posse it was decided that shanks (sharpened instruments used to stab and kill people) would not be needed.
The leaders of the woods were the first to strike Barbarian. With lightening speed the big man’s combat instincts kicked in. He quickly disabled the first three attackers: in a second, one of them was gouged in the eyeball; another’s testicles were crushed; another's feet were hooked, causing him to trip and smash his head. The others, upon witnessing their leaders get beat up, lost their enthusiasm, and after throwing some token blows, they retreated, leaving Barbarian victorious in front of an amazed audience.
Upon completing his sentence Barbarian entered professional cagefighting matches, with prize money ranging for $5,000 to $15,000. He won 31 out of 34 fights. He pocketed a considerable amount of loot, but he suffered eleven concussions, a broken hand, a fractured eye socket, a broken nose and knee damage. He won the Rawhide Toughman Contest and took home $15,000. He obtained one victory in 47 seconds by fracturing his opponent’s jawbone, but he broke his own hand in the process.
Whilst employed as a bouncer, Barbarian was instructed to forcefully eject an unruly customer who refused to wear a formal shirt. The sloshed fellow was a fullback from the ASU football team. Barbarian decided to use minimal force because a drunk did not usually pose a serious threat to him. What occurred next was a comical wrestling match in the men’s restroom that resulted in a urinal being ripped off the wall, a lavatory tank being cracked, and the toilet divides toppling down as the combatants fell against them. The fullback was finally subdued in the corner of the demolished restroom and held until the police arrived to arrest him.
Barbarian is now a born-again Christian and he hopes that his past actions have not put him in a bad light. He has good family values and he wants to join a religious ministry when he gets out of prison. He longs to go to Colorado where he can “take care o’ Mom 'n' Pops.”
3rd Oct 04
Odds & Ends
I am enjoying the vegetarian chow. I’ve been receiving rice, beans, lentils, potatoes, onions, and apples. My gauntness is disappearing.
Manny met his nemesis in the form of a young guard.
“Fuck you, toots [derogatory or pet name used for a woman]," Manny yelled at Officer Schill.
“You think yer fuckin’ crazy! Well, I’m fuckin’ crazy as well! Only difference is I’m wearing this fuckin’ uniform!”
“I love you, toots,” Manny said.
“You wanna fuck with me do ya? Oh, you’ll see.”
And Manny did see. Manny and his cellmate, Scooby, were stripped-searched - including a foreskin search for Manny - and their property was confiscated for three days, much to the delight of my neighbours who enjoyed the spectacle.
Timmy the Wood was released on probation and Daniel was moved to a part of SMU that houses higher-classification inmates.
After much goading, my neighbour, Barbarian, revealed the details of a legendary fight that he was in against multiple assailants in a prison chow hall. The battle will be detailed in an upcoming blog.
The recent thunderstorms caused a variety of insects to take refuge in our cell this week, including tiny metallic-coloured wasp-looking things, black moths, black and brown earwigs, a winged ant, a cricket and several unidentifiable others. Penguin pinched the ant to demonstrate that it wouldn’t sting him. He was right. The ant promptly bit him instead causing a
centimetre-wide blister. The cricket was on its back and looking deathly, so I placed it next to a slice of orange. I watched its mouth go to work on the orange and it came back to life. It then proceeded to straighten out its bent and twisted antennae for the next four hours, until they were as good as new. Finally, it did something I can't do, it freed itself from this cell, jumping and chirping happily as it made its exit.
I am awaiting a letter from Frankie, to find out if his trial proceeded as scheduled and what the outcome was.
Odds & Ends
I am enjoying the vegetarian chow. I’ve been receiving rice, beans, lentils, potatoes, onions, and apples. My gauntness is disappearing.
Manny met his nemesis in the form of a young guard.
“Fuck you, toots [derogatory or pet name used for a woman]," Manny yelled at Officer Schill.
“You think yer fuckin’ crazy! Well, I’m fuckin’ crazy as well! Only difference is I’m wearing this fuckin’ uniform!”
“I love you, toots,” Manny said.
“You wanna fuck with me do ya? Oh, you’ll see.”
And Manny did see. Manny and his cellmate, Scooby, were stripped-searched - including a foreskin search for Manny - and their property was confiscated for three days, much to the delight of my neighbours who enjoyed the spectacle.
Timmy the Wood was released on probation and Daniel was moved to a part of SMU that houses higher-classification inmates.
After much goading, my neighbour, Barbarian, revealed the details of a legendary fight that he was in against multiple assailants in a prison chow hall. The battle will be detailed in an upcoming blog.
The recent thunderstorms caused a variety of insects to take refuge in our cell this week, including tiny metallic-coloured wasp-looking things, black moths, black and brown earwigs, a winged ant, a cricket and several unidentifiable others. Penguin pinched the ant to demonstrate that it wouldn’t sting him. He was right. The ant promptly bit him instead causing a
centimetre-wide blister. The cricket was on its back and looking deathly, so I placed it next to a slice of orange. I watched its mouth go to work on the orange and it came back to life. It then proceeded to straighten out its bent and twisted antennae for the next four hours, until they were as good as new. Finally, it did something I can't do, it freed itself from this cell, jumping and chirping happily as it made its exit.
I am awaiting a letter from Frankie, to find out if his trial proceeded as scheduled and what the outcome was.
2nd Oct 04
Jon’s Interests/Favourites/Aspirations
INTERESTS
Reading nonfiction, especially ancient history, biographies, corporate shenanigans, economics, geopolitics, Greek classics and most of all political philosophy
Studying forensic accountancy, financial economics, political philosophy and the stock market
Yoga & Vegetarianism my daily routine consists of asanas (postures), meditation and pranayana (breathing exercises)
Music electronica especially British trance and German techno
All time favourite DJs Sven Vath, Commander Tom, Pete Tong. In the USA Moby, Frankie Bones, the beautiful Sandra Collins, Mike Hotwheels, and Keoki
Favourite CDs the Gatecrasher series
Roller-skating I miss zooming along Venice Beach on my old-school roller boots.
Keeping fit and eating healthy
Languages studying Spanish and Mandarin
FAVOURITES
Books 1984 G. Orwell, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire E. Gibbon, A Study of History A. Toynbee, Republic Plato, The Story of O Pauline Reage
Fashion Shows Victoria's Secret annual fashion show, the most watched program by inmates at the jail
Food Indian and Thai cuisine
Movies Pulp Fiction, The Gladiator, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Silence of the Lambs, Casino, Heat
Movie Stars Brad Pitt in Snatch, Denise Richards in Wild Things Divine in his early movies, Riff-Raff (Richard O’Brien)and Franken Furter (Tim Curry) in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Christopher Lee in Dracula
Night Out a romantic dinner for two with some German white wine and then lots of cuddling.
Jon’s Interests/Favourites/Aspirations
INTERESTS
Reading nonfiction, especially ancient history, biographies, corporate shenanigans, economics, geopolitics, Greek classics and most of all political philosophy
Studying forensic accountancy, financial economics, political philosophy and the stock market
Yoga & Vegetarianism my daily routine consists of asanas (postures), meditation and pranayana (breathing exercises)
Music electronica especially British trance and German techno
All time favourite DJs Sven Vath, Commander Tom, Pete Tong. In the USA Moby, Frankie Bones, the beautiful Sandra Collins, Mike Hotwheels, and Keoki
Favourite CDs the Gatecrasher series
Roller-skating I miss zooming along Venice Beach on my old-school roller boots.
Keeping fit and eating healthy
Languages studying Spanish and Mandarin
FAVOURITES
Books 1984 G. Orwell, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire E. Gibbon, A Study of History A. Toynbee, Republic Plato, The Story of O Pauline Reage
Fashion Shows Victoria's Secret annual fashion show, the most watched program by inmates at the jail
Food Indian and Thai cuisine
Movies Pulp Fiction, The Gladiator, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Silence of the Lambs, Casino, Heat
Movie Stars Brad Pitt in Snatch, Denise Richards in Wild Things Divine in his early movies, Riff-Raff (Richard O’Brien)and Franken Furter (Tim Curry) in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Christopher Lee in Dracula
Night Out a romantic dinner for two with some German white wine and then lots of cuddling.
Philosophers Marcus Aurelius, Friedrich Nietzsche, Plato, Socrates
ASPIRATIONS
- To be happily married to a golden-hearted woman and to have a large family.
To spend time with my family and friends (without whose support none of this would be possible). - To ease global suffering
- To support prison reform in any way possible.
- To eventually earn a Ph.D. The more I study, the more I realise how much there is to learn and how little I know.
- To visit remote parts of the world and to experience other cultures.
- To be an author.
- To resume trading the financial markets.
1st Oct 04
Fishing
How do inmates trade goods at SMU when they are never allowed out of their cells? The answer is by "fishing".
A fishing line consists of a long piece of string with a weight attached to one end. The string is usually obtained from bed sheets or prison attire. Weights can be made from combs, soap, plastic bags containing toothpaste, or the flat end of a toothpaste tube snapped off from the rest of the tube, the latter option being the most popular due to its efficiency. Using these items an adept fisherman can assemble a fishing line in excess of twenty-feet long.
To exchange goods with someone housed on the same floor, two inmates will first ascertain whether each of them have sufficient lengths of fishing line to meet each other. Every cell door has a two-centimeter gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. The possessor of the longest fishing line will slide his weight under his door in the direction of the room that he wishes to trade with. Depending upon his fishing skills, it may take several attempts to get the weight into the desired area. Following a failed attempt, the fisherman simply yanks the line back into his cell and tries again. When the weight is in a good spot, the second fisherman will slide his weight out, aiming to catch his weight on his trading partners line. Upon snagging the line, the second fisherman will then reel in both lines. The lines are then securely tied and store items can be transferred to and fro by attaching a large Manila envelope to the joint line, and filling it with the desired goods.
Passing flat items such as stamps, envelopes, newspapers, pen refills, and paper is easy. Larger items such as chips (crisps) or candy bars have to be squashed flat or crushed into fine particles. Coffee and stamps are the two most heavily-traded items.
How do inmates housed upstairs trade with inmates housed below them? This requires lengthy fishing lines and considerable talent. The upstairs inmate slides his weight directly out from under his cell door and over the balcony in the direction of the inmatel downstairs who he wishes to trade with. It may take several attempts to get the weight positioned in a good spot downstairs. The downstairs inmate then slides his weight out and when the two are connected he reels them both in. Items can be passed up and down, between the two floors, via the two joined lines using envelopes or plastic bags.
Sometimes, mishaps occur, lines may snap and loads may get stuck on the run. Fishing rods made out of newspaper can be used to retrieve lost items or lines when such accidents happen.
Fishing is banned and opportunistic guards will snatch fishing lines. Getting caught fishing after receiving a warning can result in a fisherman getter stripped out. Being stripped out consists of an invasive strip search followed by a rigorous cell search. Master fishermen will generally fish after the hourly guard walks, to minimise their chances of losing their lines.
When fishing traffic is in full flow, the run takes on a life of its own. Envelopes are rapidly sliding across the floor and plastic bags can be seen floating upwards as if they were balloons. Fishing lines are barely visible, so to an observer it looks as if ghosts are moving objects around. It is an amazing sight to first lay eyes on, and a credit to inmate ingenuity.
Fishing
How do inmates trade goods at SMU when they are never allowed out of their cells? The answer is by "fishing".
A fishing line consists of a long piece of string with a weight attached to one end. The string is usually obtained from bed sheets or prison attire. Weights can be made from combs, soap, plastic bags containing toothpaste, or the flat end of a toothpaste tube snapped off from the rest of the tube, the latter option being the most popular due to its efficiency. Using these items an adept fisherman can assemble a fishing line in excess of twenty-feet long.
To exchange goods with someone housed on the same floor, two inmates will first ascertain whether each of them have sufficient lengths of fishing line to meet each other. Every cell door has a two-centimeter gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. The possessor of the longest fishing line will slide his weight under his door in the direction of the room that he wishes to trade with. Depending upon his fishing skills, it may take several attempts to get the weight into the desired area. Following a failed attempt, the fisherman simply yanks the line back into his cell and tries again. When the weight is in a good spot, the second fisherman will slide his weight out, aiming to catch his weight on his trading partners line. Upon snagging the line, the second fisherman will then reel in both lines. The lines are then securely tied and store items can be transferred to and fro by attaching a large Manila envelope to the joint line, and filling it with the desired goods.
Passing flat items such as stamps, envelopes, newspapers, pen refills, and paper is easy. Larger items such as chips (crisps) or candy bars have to be squashed flat or crushed into fine particles. Coffee and stamps are the two most heavily-traded items.
How do inmates housed upstairs trade with inmates housed below them? This requires lengthy fishing lines and considerable talent. The upstairs inmate slides his weight directly out from under his cell door and over the balcony in the direction of the inmatel downstairs who he wishes to trade with. It may take several attempts to get the weight positioned in a good spot downstairs. The downstairs inmate then slides his weight out and when the two are connected he reels them both in. Items can be passed up and down, between the two floors, via the two joined lines using envelopes or plastic bags.
Sometimes, mishaps occur, lines may snap and loads may get stuck on the run. Fishing rods made out of newspaper can be used to retrieve lost items or lines when such accidents happen.
Fishing is banned and opportunistic guards will snatch fishing lines. Getting caught fishing after receiving a warning can result in a fisherman getter stripped out. Being stripped out consists of an invasive strip search followed by a rigorous cell search. Master fishermen will generally fish after the hourly guard walks, to minimise their chances of losing their lines.
When fishing traffic is in full flow, the run takes on a life of its own. Envelopes are rapidly sliding across the floor and plastic bags can be seen floating upwards as if they were balloons. Fishing lines are barely visible, so to an observer it looks as if ghosts are moving objects around. It is an amazing sight to first lay eyes on, and a credit to inmate ingenuity.
30th Sept 04
Frankie & Mark
In Frankie’s latest letter he wrote that his double-murder trial is coming up: “Ding! Ding! Let’s get ready to rumble...I’m going for a knockout punch hopefully before the bell rings.”
As usual, Frankie ended his letter on a romantic note: “Tu sabes que eres mi esposa. Yo soy el camote grande.” Which means, I know that I am his wife and that he is a great lover. He has drawn a winking face with its tongue hanging out next to the sexy comment.
Mark reported that the guards at the county jail have not distributed toilet rolls for an entire week: “…their excuse was they forgot to order some. Ha! Ha!” Mark’s hopes for probation were squashed. A new judge was assigned to his homicide conspiracy case; so, he is back at square one. Having one's hopes raised and dashed seems to be part of the psychological warfare tactics employed by prosecutors designed to break one's spirit before one is finally bludgeoned into signing a plea bargain. Mark also revealed that his mum has joined M.A.A. (Mothers Against Arpaio, see link in Jon’s Favourite Links).
I received a letter from a lady named Linda who is one of the founding members of M.A.A.. Linda’s brother James spent four years in the Madison Street jail. He was charged with plotting to bomb Sheriff Joe.
James courageously took the case to trial and not only did the jury find him innocent but they also announced that the sheriff had used young James as a pawn in a sick publicity stunt. Apparently, Joe Arpaio was trying to justify certain lavish expenditures, including his own $80,000 armoured car. James is now 23. He lost four years of his life imprisoned in that hellhole for something he did not do.
Good luck with the civil suit James!
Frankie & Mark
In Frankie’s latest letter he wrote that his double-murder trial is coming up: “Ding! Ding! Let’s get ready to rumble...I’m going for a knockout punch hopefully before the bell rings.”
As usual, Frankie ended his letter on a romantic note: “Tu sabes que eres mi esposa. Yo soy el camote grande.” Which means, I know that I am his wife and that he is a great lover. He has drawn a winking face with its tongue hanging out next to the sexy comment.
Mark reported that the guards at the county jail have not distributed toilet rolls for an entire week: “…their excuse was they forgot to order some. Ha! Ha!” Mark’s hopes for probation were squashed. A new judge was assigned to his homicide conspiracy case; so, he is back at square one. Having one's hopes raised and dashed seems to be part of the psychological warfare tactics employed by prosecutors designed to break one's spirit before one is finally bludgeoned into signing a plea bargain. Mark also revealed that his mum has joined M.A.A. (Mothers Against Arpaio, see link in Jon’s Favourite Links).
I received a letter from a lady named Linda who is one of the founding members of M.A.A.. Linda’s brother James spent four years in the Madison Street jail. He was charged with plotting to bomb Sheriff Joe.
James courageously took the case to trial and not only did the jury find him innocent but they also announced that the sheriff had used young James as a pawn in a sick publicity stunt. Apparently, Joe Arpaio was trying to justify certain lavish expenditures, including his own $80,000 armoured car. James is now 23. He lost four years of his life imprisoned in that hellhole for something he did not do.
Good luck with the civil suit James!
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