The River

The architecture of Holman Prison is an ironic analogy of the struggle of mortality. The main hall is a river flushing souls down towards the execution chamber – the exit door of life itself. Project Hope is the ship beating back against the current. Every man on board is doing his duty to row until the door of death is closed and the river ceases to flow. Some are motivated by thoughts of the future. Some are motivated by thoughts of the past. Some simply want to survive.

When they witness their comrades in misfortune floating past already dead inside, or swimming by themselves they are distracted for a moment, but then they are reminded that their responsibility is to serve the ship that they are on. Time is surreal aboard this ship. Like prison in general, it is subjective. I’ve become distracted myself on many occasion. My arms get tired. I let the others row while I drink a cup of coffee, sit back, and wonder when this river will stop flowing or this ship will reach dry land.

Dantes

Slaughterhouse Daydreams

Here we sit – in a waking nightmare. Surrounded by suffering and misery. Should we stop dreaming? Should we stop believing? Is there an answer to all of our prayers? I believe that there is light in al darkness. Redemption is possible for every soul, every death row inmate.

Some people tell me I’m wrong – It’s okay to have different beliefs, after all – this is America. But it takes time. The threat of death only causes more hatred of the system. People need positive reinforcement to change. To want to change. That positive reinforcement is hope. Hope is real. Not just an abstract thought. Every inch of my being hangs on to hope. If I could give it away – I would. But it’s something you have to believe in – have faith in. I can’t do it for my friends on death row, but I can spread the message.

We need to stop this. This place is beyond cruel and unusual. Some simply can’t take it. They throw in the towel, that is, commit suicide or drop their appeals. I’m blessed. I have a family in the free world and on death row. My family in the free world can’t be with me 24/7. That’s where my family on death row comes in. Every time I was on the edge of destruction, they pulled me back. Not out of malice, but out of love. I wish everyone on death row had that. They have my love. No matter what anyone does or says, I love the guys on death row. They showed me how similar all people are. As it was written, all men are created equal.

When I was young, I believed in the values of this country. I still do. But people need to defend them and not cave in to the naysayers. There is still an American Dream. At least there is for this one American. They can kill me, but they cannot kill my dream. Someone will dream again, and again, and again.

Borrowing from Melville in “Moby Dick”, death row was my Harvard and Yale. I’ve learned more about life here than I could have ever learned in a traditional university. It’s been a long ride, and now I am ready for my dissertation. I hope it’s coming, because I’m well prepared.

Although my education is complete, I’m not out of energy. Death row, for now, is my home. And the people here are my family. I will defend my home and my family. Not with violence, but with my pen and my mouth. Whoever is coming, let them come. Because I’m ready.

Ð Dantes Ñ

Candidates on Criminal Justice Reform

I was asked to write a brief report on an article from the Washington Post which details what presidential candidate’s websites say about their views on criminal Justice Reform. The article is written by Radley Balko. Balko reviewed every candidate’s website and found that there was a lack of any specific policy and opined that most of them seem to be running on their personality alone. Even though, he says, most politicians on the far left and right seem to agree that the criminal justice system does need reform. There just hasn’t been that much discussion of it in presidential politics.

Generally it seems criminal justice reform is very low on the agenda for all the presidential candidates, possibly even non-existent for some. The only way this will enter into the discourse is if activist and journalist press the candidates to answer questions that detail their specific policy. Given that there are so many other issues dominating the discussion, this will take a concerted effort to get journalist to raise the issue. And given that candidates are reluctant to detail their policy agenda this early in the election cycle, it is probably not something journalist want to waste valuable interview time asking candidates; especially since they will only be met with empty rhetoric and platitudes.

So from what I gather from this article’s lack of any substance and the current rhetoric of the presidential race, it will be early to mid 2016 before we know of any specific plans candidates may have for criminal justice reform. It remains to be seen if they even have any plans at all.

Dantes

America the Barbarian

There are bodies piling up in the name of justice; justice carried out by the government of the United States of America. When they say “justice”, I read “revenge”, and when I say “carried out”, I mean executed. What exactly is “justice”? There are many definitions and one could quibble over the textbook meaning, but Oxford Dictionary has it defined as, ”the quality of being fair and reasonable”.

If we didn’t use a dictionary and instead looked to our government and its leaders to show us what justice is, what example would fit the description of fair and reasonable? Is justice when our officers, who sworn to protect, choke a man to death in the street for selling loose cigarettes? Or, is it justice when we use medieval torture techniques on foreigners accused of terrorism, who haven’t even had a trial, and call it “enhanced interrogation techniques”? Is justice when we execute our own citizens like lab rats? And, if this isn’t justice, can one claim that the same country who has the quality of being “fair and reasonable” also has the quality of being barbaric and using ruthless tactics like “enhanced interrogation”?

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig. Calling it by another name doesn’t change what it is, and injustice is an injustice, torture is torture!

By Dantes