Posts Tagged ‘inmate news’
The Convict Code?
Thursday, March 4th, 2010Do:
Don’t:
Your Voice of
Viction,Joe Con
Get down with the low down!
Friday, February 5th, 2010Prisoners need information. Local newspapers, mags, legal info on his case that you can easily pull down off the net, but he has no way of grabbing on his own – these materials keep your inmate knowledgeable and involved in real life. Educational and research materials are hard to come by on the inside, be it a camp or state max. You can encourage him and aid him in pursuing studies and learning while he is incarcerated so that his time inside is not totally wasted. A few books or a few pages downloaded from the Internet will keep him interested in what is happening on the outside or get him interested in some educational pursuits. Studies are a healthy outlet that can counteract an otherwise dulling existence. The “downtime” of prison life sucks for the most part, but strangely it offers an opportunity for a guy to regroup and maybe get going in a better direction. Some studyin’, along with the sets and reps we all get into provide alternatives to the negative and destructive behavior that is so prevalent in the prison community. Give your GOODCON a break. Show him you care! Send in some info and some ideas.
Your Voice of CONviction, Joe ConCompassion in Prison?
Friday, January 29th, 2010I just read this http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/nyregion/30parole.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter article and it brought back some chilling memories of times in the joint. A nice old guy in the next bunk was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was almost 80 years old and his family petitioned the BOP for a compassionate release so he could die at home with his family. After months of trying, the man died in prison, surrounded by guards instead of family and friends.
I was walking the track one Sunday. the sun was shining and I had just finishing leading the congregation at Mass in song. I felt good, considering I was in prison! Tony, my friend, had been complaining of chest pain for weeks. The doctors (WHOA! what am I sayin’! we never saw doctors. If we saw a PA (Physician’s Assistant) we were lucky! Usually it was just a nurse.) Anyway, some medical person told him he would schedule him for an an EKG. Two weeks later it still hadn’t happened. Tony walked out onto the track that day and fell in front of me, clutching his chest and gasping for breath. We ran for help, but, as usual, it was slow in coming. Tony died while the guards callously stood over him and we all helplessly looked on.
I have many, MANY such stories, but I just wanted to let you know that compassion, much like correction, does not exist in today’s prison system. Punishment and Retribution guide the activities of prison staff, and until we can change that, society is going to continue to be plagued by repeat offenders who are initially sent to prison sorry for what they did to others, but are released ready to get even for what prison did to them.
Your Voice of CONviction, Joe ConThe Court Releases Another Innocent GOODCON After 28 Years, Then Another After He Serves 35 Years!
Thursday, December 17th, 2009I can’t find words to describe how it feels to serve time for a crime you did not commit! You feel broken, defiled and abandoned by a system that, when the horror began, you were confident would right the wrong you had suffered at the hands of the rats that ensnared you or the heartless prosecutors who could care less about truth and justice in their quest for victory and self-aggrandizement!
In the last two days we have been told of two innocent men who served a combined 63 years behind bars when, in fact they did not commit the egregious crimes of which they were wrongly convicted. The conviction of Donald Eugene Gates, 58, was based largely on the testimony of an FBI forensic analyst whose work later came under fire and a hair analysis technique that has been discredited. Mr. Gates should have been released years earlier when the forensic tests upon which his conviction was based was found to be erroneous. But did the prosecutors reach out to free him? Did the Judge that convicted him and sentenced him demand that he be released immediately? Absolutely not! More than ten years passed before a public defender brought the mistakes to the attention of the court. How heartless is our Justice system! This poor man was convicted of rape and murder!! He was branded as a sociopath who should be imprisoned forever! How did he feel? How did his family feel, who had to face the shame and derision heaped upon them by so many who knew, or thought they knew what he had done. Read the story yourself, Click here: DNA Clears Donald Eugene Gates, Who Served 28 Years – Sphere News, and if you still think there are no GOODCONS, you need to revisit your value system, or your God.
And if 28 years of wrongful imprisonment isn’t enough, today we hear of another instance of injustice, this one stealing 35 years of a man’s life away. James Bain, 54, was 19 when he was convicted on charges of kidnapping, burglary and strong-arm rape. He received a life sentence. He’s going home for the first time in 35 years. You know, the three reasons our Founding Fathers felt it necessary to go to war with England was life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Next to life itself they placed liberty as the most precious gift endowed to man by the Creator. So you have to wonder where we went so astray. How did we end up with a heartless ststem of justice that doesn’t think twice about throwing its citizens behind bars for etrocious lengths of time for first-time, non-violent offenses. Where victory trumps truth and the presumption of innocense has been muted by plea-bargaining. Maybe one day I’ll share my own horror, although it is nothing compared to what Mr. Bain has endured. But in the meantime I am dedicated to bringing to light the need for reform in our justice system and the fact that many men and women in prison shouldn’t be there, that many more who are imprisoned do not deserve the horrific sentences this country has heaped upon them and their families, and that, regardless of their crimes, except in relatively few instances, these men and women must not be abandoned by society. Only God knows the truth and only He can truly judge. In the meantime, read about Mr. Bain at http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/12/17/florida.dna.exoneration/ , a man who after being torn away from all he loved for so many years by a system that could not bring itself to offer even a semblance of apology, just wanted to thank God. Amen
Your Voice of Conviction, Joe ConImportant Information if You’re Going to Prison or Your GOODCON Just Went In!
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009If you’re going to prison for the first time and you’re not an arch criminal or member of The Mob or some gang, I’m sure that you’re totally unaware of what awaits you. And we’re all fearful of the unknown. So I want to share with you the following advice. It will help get you through the first few weeks as this will be a crucial time for you.
All the men or women you first meet will be sizing you up and making their own opinion of you. Are you a good guy or a rat? Are you an easy mark that can be used or are you able to defend yourself? Use this info as your compass through the choppy prison waters you face. And remember, with the support of your family and friends you can do this!
- Respect is a big deal in prison. It was the word I heard more than any other when I was in “the joint”. So try to show it (even if you think the other guy is a jerk) as much as possible. If you bump into someone, it’s best to say “Excuse me” or “Sorry” and keep walking Most people won’t make a problem. If a guy does, don’t argue. Just keep moving. If he persists, just remember this; you want every situation in prison to be a win-win situation. But if it can’t be win-win, then you have to win! Always retain your self-respect! Being afraid is normal, but acting afraid invites trouble. And if you don’t defend yourself, don’t expect other guys to stand up for you.
- Besides showing respect to people, be sure you respect their property. Nobody has much in prison, but everyone is very protective of what they do have. So don’t touch their stuff, eg., books, pens, jackets, and never enter their cells or sit on their bunks unless invited.
- Don’t be in a rush to make friends. It’s natural for you to want to reach out to another inmate to help you when you first enter prison. But fight the urge and hang back for a while. You’ll find that many of the people interested in hangin’ with you are after something, so watch and listen and get a read on those around you. Many of the people will be very different than what you’re used to on the outside. Some will be GOODCONS like me who can give you useful information and advice. On the other hand, the first ones who come up and want to make friends with you may be rats or predators or just idiots who nobody wants to be with, so they try to get the new guys to buddy up with them before they know any better. Also, don’t be a joiner, because being a member of a group will make you enemies as well as friends. Just take it slow and be pleasant with everyone. Friendships will develop naturally between you and coworkers, teammates, members of your faith or guys in the bunks or cells around you. In assessing people as friends, remember, “THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO WELL IN A HURRY IS MAKE A MISTAKE!”
- Be careful when you want to change channels on the TV, make a phone call or use a piece of workout equipment. Ask around first to see what the “protocol” is for taking turns so you don’t get somebody all “twisted”.
- Unless you’re asked to join a conversation, don’t! It’s better to start one up on your own or wait until someone asks you a question or your opinion. And NEVER talk about your case to anyone you don’t know well. Guys use that kind of information to spread rumors or extort money. And besides, even GOODCONS don’t want to hear somebody whining about how bad his problems are!
- At main line (the dining room of prison), don’t reach across other people’s trays. Guys hate that because stuff may fall off your sleeve or you can drop something in their food. It also gives some guys a good excuse to put you down in public and show off to their friends, and you can’t argue because your wrong!
- Don’t be a rat!. When you have to talk with correctional officers don’t even mention another prisoner because people will think you’re ratting. And although some rats get preferential treatment from prison officials, many others end up hurt.
- Don’t borrow money, gamble, or accept any gifts from guys you don’t know. All these things can make you indebted to someone, and you don’t want to owe anybody anything in prison. You may have to repay it in ways that I don’t even want to talk about . . . let’s just say that debt could be hazardous to your health!
- Maintain good hygiene habits. Wash frequently. If you sneeze, cover your mouth with your sleeve, not your hand. Maintain a clean area around your bunk. And in the bathroom, give frequent courtesy flushes so odors are kept to a minimum. We always lived by the rule, “DROP ONE, FLUSH ONE”
10. Finally, write and call often. Your family and friends need to hear from you as much as you need to hear from them. But don’t write or say anything that you wouldn’t want someone in the prison to know. All calls are recorded and mail can be screened as well. So save any important topics for the visiting room where you can discuss them privately, face to face. And let visitation occur as much as possible. Believe me, you need to be close to people who genuinely care about you and whom you can trust, and they need to see for themselves that you are doing alright.
Hey, you’ll do fine if you follow these rules . . . AND KEEP YOUR NOSE CLEAN. You FEELIN’ ME?
Your Voice of Conviction, Joe ConIs your phone ringing?
Friday, November 13th, 2009Let’s talk about phone calls. Every inmate needs to hear the voice of a child, spouse, or parent, or have a conversation with a friend. Hopefully he will make these calls often. Accept them graciously, and if you are a spouse or significant other, lovingly, as they mean so much to your GOODCON. Try to keep them positive, even if your GOODCON is expressing anger, frustration or is just plain bummed. That is when your support is needed most. A call only lasts 15 minutes and by the time you get the next call, your inmate’s mood will probably have improved significantly. Lastly, although your inmate needs to be included as much as possible in real world activities, he doesn’t need to hear about every problem you have. He is already frustrated by being separated from you. Constant negativity only makes matters worse. And Yo, even if the situation you’re in may have been caused by your GOODCON, now is not the time for “I told you so” . . . not if you ever want him or her back.
Yes Virginia, there are GOODCONS!
Sunday, October 11th, 2009Hey Yo! I heard there are people out there who don’t think there are such things as GOODCONS! They’re believin’ that anybody in prison deserves what they got! Well, if you’re one of them, or you know one of them, watch Innocence Clinic! and then tell me if you agree. THEN GO TELL YOUR BUDDIE TO SMARTEN UP!!!!!!!
Your Voice of CONviction, Joe ConAttitude
Saturday, October 10th, 2009I gotta tell you this story because it helped put my head on straight . . . and it will do you the same!
My friend Cuchie in Allenwood Medium was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, it would be illegal!”
If a brother was having a bad day, Cuchie was there telling him how to “look on the up side, Bro!”
One day I went up and asked him, “What’s the deal with you? No way you can be up all of the time.”
He comes back, “Each morning I get up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or .. you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or…I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or… I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
”Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested.
”Yes, it is,” he said. “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the crap, every situation lets you make a choice. You choose how you react . You choose how people affect how you feel.
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live your life.”
Soon after this, I was let out. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that after his release he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet off a building at a construction site. After 18 hours of surgery and months of intensive care , he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about a year after the accident.
I asked him how he was, he said, “If I were any better, it would be illegal…Wanna see my scars?” “No thanks” was fast out of my mouth, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind layin’ on the concrete.
”The first thing was what was gonna happen to my kids,” he replied. “Then I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or…I could choose to die. I chose to live.”
”You must’ve freaked? Did you pass out?” I asked? He continued, “..the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I did freak. In their eyes, I read ‘he’s a dead man’. There was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me. She asked if I was allergic or had a bad reaction to anything ‘Yes, I replied.’ The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Gravity’ ”
They laughed like hell, and I told them, “I wanna live, so make this a successful operation!”
Cuchie lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.
I learned a few lessons from Cuchie:
Attitude is everything!! Every day you have the choice to live it fully, regardless of the situation.
Don’t worry about tomorrow, let tomorrow worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
After all, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday, and Yo, you’re still standin’, right?
Your Voice of Conviction, Joe ConOh, just in case you need a bit more attitude adjustment, just click, Finish Strong, to put things in perspective!
You Gotta Visit!
Thursday, September 24th, 2009Have you visited your GOODCON yet?
Has it been too long since you visited him or her last?
Have you asked other family and friends to pay a visit?
Visitation is, by far, the best time an inmate can spend while incarcerated. You can do nothing more comforting for your GOODCON than visit him or her and show how much you care. Your GOODCON may say that he don’t want any visits; that visits make his or her time go slower, but in the vast majority of cases, this is bull and is said because GOODCONS don’t want anyone to travel far to see them or put themselves out. Some even are embarrassed to see people who just found out that he or she has been locked up. Nothing is more healing to the mind and soul than the touch of another person. Be it a kiss or a handshake, it renews the spirit and enables the inmate to re-energize (to say nothing about that great vending machine food!)
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CASH FOR CONS . . . GOODCONS, THAT IS!
Friday, September 11th, 2009Alright! If you got here through the Commissary you know what this post is all about. If you got here some other way, GO SHOPPING AT THE COMMISSARY!! I need a little time to get the cash together, but when I start sending out the checks (OK, MONEY ORDERS!), I want to hear your GOODCON‘s reaction when he or she receives it. I was always lovin’ it when I got unexpected cash in my commissary account, so let me know what your guy or gal had to say.
Your Voice of CONviction,
Joe Con
Tags: convict news, inmate families, inmate news
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