Last Post for March – Digest Post

By BitcoDavid

Just one of the many offices here at DeafInPrison.com Plaza. I’m lying. Photo credit: Wikipedia

Our month long birthday celebration draws to a close. It’s been a phenomenal month for DeafInPrison.com – and for me, personally. As well as attending the stellar, Symposium for the Deaf and the Justice System, I gave birth to BitcoDavid’s BoxingBlog, attended a reunion show by one of the bands I used to mix back in Boston’s indie music heyday, built a great little single ended practice amp for a guitarist friend, and posted and wrote like Hemingway – without the monosyllabic words and general life sucks then you die, style that made him one of America’s great authors. All this, and I still got in all my ring time.

By the way – Hemingway was a Boxer, too you know – and nothing happened to his brain.

Anyway, tomorrow I’ll go into depth about all this in the March at DeafInPrison.com  recap post. Following that, we’ll be back to covering the Symposium. I still have about 4 hours of video left, and I’m working on getting hold of the PowerPoints and other active content that we shared, explored and discussed at this unique and informative conference.

Now, on to today’s Digest Post.

Marsha Graham sent me this via e-mail.

Long Prison Term Is Less So Thanks to Judge’s Regrets

From the New York Times:

When Denise Dallaire was arrested at age 26 on charges of selling a few ounces of crack cocaine here a decade ago, she was sentenced to prison for more than 15 years. Last month, shackled inside the same court and facing the same judge, she received an apology and was set free.

The reversal by Judge Ronald R. Lagueux highlights how mandatory sentencing guidelines, though struck down by the Supreme Court eight years ago, continue to keep hundreds of small-time offenders behind bars for longer than many today consider appropriate.

To see the rest of this article, go to the New York Times.

NY man cleared, free after 23 years in prison

 

NBC PhotoBlog

Pat Bliss sent me this link to the story of David Ranta, the New York man who was wrongfully convicted of killing a Hasidic Rabbi, and just recently freed after 23 years. The story is interesting because he was not cleared by DNA evidence. This particular link is to NBC’s PhotoBlog on the story. Lots of great pictures, as well as some good reporting, but the story has gotten coverage throughout the media.

Finally, we have the following from the ACLU, via – again – Marsha Graham:

Prisons’ Outdated Technology Prevents Those with Disabilities from Communicating with Their Loved Ones

Imagine that someone you love is in prison. And, the only way she has to communicate to the outside world – family, friends, attorneys – is through Morse Code. Tap each letter out, one word at a time, painstakingly slowly … and try to understand the response that comes back in Morse Code as well. To add insult to injury, she will be charged a dollar for each minute she is tapping away.

This is essentially the situation for prisoners who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who have speech disabilities. They cannot use the standard pay phones in prison, and the only means of accessible telecommunication to the outside world is through a Text Telephone (TTY) machine. This machine has a modified keyboard, specific rules on how to use it, and it transmits each letter and word slowly.

When it was invented 50 years ago, it was useful. But its technology is so outdated that most deaf and hard of hearing households have never seen a TTY machine, much less used one.

You can click on the above link or here, to get to the rest of this story.

On a related note, one of the guest speakers at the Symposium was Massachusetts State Representative, Paul Heroux. Prior to his seat in Congress, he worked in the Prison system here in Ma. After his speech, I had a few minutes to talk with him, and I brought up the idea of using Video Relay for Deaf inmates, rather than the cumbersome and antiquated TTY. I will be reporting on our discussion as part of the upcoming coverage of that event.

Well, that about wraps ‘er up. Thank you all for helping me make March a truly awesome month, and for all your support. And thanks for all the Likes and Follows that we’ve received, as well as all the support on Twitter and FaceBook. See you in April.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Reminder: April 1st Deadline

By BitcoDavid

Shanna Groves

We interrupt the coverage of the Symposium, to remind you that April 1st is the deadline for entries into Shanna Groves’ #StopHearingLossBullying Campaign Video. Click the link above, for details.

She’s looking to put 10 people into a video about hearing loss bullying. You could be more famous than the Leave Britney Alone  chick. You can also find this event listed on our events page.

Shanna’s been a great supporter of DeafInPrison. She’s a prolific writer, a blogger, and an Internet personality. Join her in this worthy effort.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Marsha Graham Part 2

By BitcoDavid

I strongly suggest you watch these two videos. Ms. Graham’s personal story is fascinating, and her insight into the Deaf Community and law enforcement is both informed and entertaining. — BD

[OK. It looks to be good now. I went back to the original mpeg, re-edited it and re-rendered it.]

Symposium4Re-Render

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BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Marsha Graham’s Presentation Part 1

By BitcoDavid

Symposium3

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BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Marsha Graham’s Presentation at the Symposium

By BitcoDavid

A particularly eerie image from the film Brazil. Credit, Filmicability

Marsha Graham, from AnotherBoomerBlog, has been a great supporter and an even greater asset to us, here at DeafInPrison.com. In her presentation at the Internationl Symposium on the Deaf and the Justice System, she drew a comparison between the Deaf and the insular Native American cultures she has also worked with, in Alaska.

She pointed out the similarities between the two cultures, stressing the linguistic and literacy limitations, making the point that if someone can’t understand what’s going on during a trial, they can’t be said to be competent in their own defense. She went on to stress the need for interpreters – or at the very least, some form of communication assistance – from the very first contact between law enforcement and members of the Deaf community.

Ms. Graham, also mentioned the case of Lashonn White, which we’ve covered, as well as the Felix Garcia Case. Ms. White, you may recall, was the woman who called the police after being attacked in her home. When the cruisers arrived, she ran out of her house, screaming and waving her arms – believing them to be her salvation. When she failed to stop her advance on the officers – unable to hear their commands to stop – they tased her multiple times, and put her in jail. She stayed there, unaware as to what was going on, for 4 days. Felix Garcia on the other hand is an individual whom we have been working – since our launch a year ago – to secure release for. Our contributor Pat Bliss, has been working directly with Felix on his case for many years prior to that.

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Marsha also gave DeafInPrison.com a little well needed shout-out, which we gratefully appreciate. She mentioned Pat Bliss and our publisher, Joanne Greenberg, by name.

She stressed the need for interpreters, emphasized the advantages of live interpreting over C.A.R.T. and spelled out examples of where the justice system failed to provide adequate services for the Deaf. She also spoke of her own deafness, and how that impacted her abilities as a trial lawyer when working in noisy courtrooms. She said that judges want to move cases along, and become annoyed when interpreters are late, or when seemingly competent defendants request them. I found myself reminded of that old song, The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, “The judge said guilty in a make believe trial, Slapped the sherrif on the back with a smile and said Suppers waiting at home, and I gotta get to it.”

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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First Video Installment – Brookline PD

By BitcoDavid

In order to maintain some continuity, I opted to make the first available video installment, the 1st section of the presentation by the Brookline Police, so as to fit in with the previous post. The video isn’t captioned, but there is a live interpreter in frame. If you need more help understanding it, let me know and I’ll caption a version for you – but the manual captioning method that I use is very time consuming and labor intensive – so if you can possibly live with this, I’d be grateful.

Symposium1

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BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Symposium on the Deaf and the Justice System – Part 1

By BitcoDavid

It’s going to take me several days to relay the vast amount of information that was shared at yesterday’s symposium, so please be patient while I get it all assimilated and posted. Essentially, we have a total of about 5 hours of video – between two sources, a half dozen different PowerPoint files that I am in the process of acquiring for you, and numerous reports on all I learned while attending this wonderful and highly informative meeting.

The members of Brookline P.D.’s community Service Division. Image: BitcoDavid

I’ll start today, with the Brookline Police Department’s pilot program where police and volunteer citizens partner to aid the Deaf, and other people with disabilities, during emergencies.

The 2 Sergeants and 1 officer did a great job of presenting, especially when you consider that cops and show-biz are a heterogeneous mixture. I even heard a joke or two.

Pictured are the 3 members of this unique task force – not in order – Officer Casey Hatchett, Sergeant Chris Malinn and Sergeant Jennifer Paster.

Always refreshing to see cops who don’t look like this! Image: Asmag.com

Sergeant Paster spoke of her first encounter with a Deaf offender. She said that the woman was severely intoxicated – so much so that she had vomited on herself – but that more significantly, the woman was following none of Paster’s commands. It occurred to Paster, during this encounter, that the woman was Deaf. Upon bringing in the woman, Paster received rebuke from her superior. He said, “What am I going to do with ‘er?” The young officer had been told that she would have done better by leaving this impaired woman on the street where she could have gone on to harm herself or others. This incident inspired Paster to seek out better ways of dealing with both disabled perpetrators and the special needs population overall.

Jewish racketeer, Charles “King” Solomon funeral at Fuller St., Brookline – 1933 (Photo credit: Boston Public Library)

Sergeant Malinn has worked with the mentally ill, Autistic individuals, has trained officers on Police Professionalism issues -  including racial profiling, and is currently involved in working with youth in crisis.

Sergeant Hatchett currently works with domestic preparedness for emergency situations, child safety issues and coordinates the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). She works with volunteers to insure that the town of Brookline can meet the needs of citizens in crisis. She mentioned – yesterday – about an elderly Deaf woman who was without power for several days following a recent storm. The woman was OK, but quite concerned that nobody had come to check on her, in her apartment. Sergeant Hatchett pointed out, that this is exactly the kind of thing a volunteer group could handle, when the traditional police force is really unequipped for it.

I generally eschew anonymity, but it was nice to be able to talk to cops without the usual cotton-mouth. This Citizen thing ain’t all bad.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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2nd Update

By BitcoDavid

The campaign ‘The Incarceration of John’ was created to highlight the inadequate and damaging response of chemicals and incarceration that John Hunt got to his emotional distress and psychosocial problems. It highlights the gap in the services and the human rights violations that people diagnosed with a mental health disorder experience. It challenges the concept of mental health disorder and psychiatric power. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My gratitude to the Bridgewater State University Career Services Department, for making a workstation available for me to post from. They didn’t have to do this, and I’m grateful.

Paul Heroux, Ma. State Jr. Representative came by as a guest speaker. He has a Deaf friend who taught him Sign, and he used a little at the intro to his speech. He’s worked in the Mass DOC, and has worked with the mentally ill. He also writes for Huffington Post.

Dr. Monteiro spoke in detail about mental health issues, and in particular about the Deaf mentally ill patient in the clinical environment. He will now begin speaking on the over-arching issue of the Deaf and the Justice System.

More, later.

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Live Coverage of Bridgewater Event

By BitcoDavid

Keynote (presentation software) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is an initial post. Video and in-depth coverage to follow. But, I wanted to get a chance to just give you a quick update – from the field. By eye, it looks to be a crowd of about 100 – 150 people. there are a few hearies, of which I think I’m the only non-signer. Most of the participants appear to be ASL only, speakers.

I sat and enjoyed my lunch, in complete silence, watching hands moving all around me. One rarely gets to experience being in the minority – even to the point of novelty – and the experience isn’t lost on me.

The program is being led by Dr. Aviva Twersky Glasner, who spoke first. Marsh Graham spoke, and mentioned in detail, both Felix, and the Lashonn White case, which we’ve also covered. She is the Deaf woman who was tased by police, and ended up spending 4 days in jail with no interpreter.HEARD and Solitary Watch

have also been mentioned.The Brookline MA police department sent out their team dedicated to working with special populations. All things being equal, Brookline police is doing a superior job of trying to advance the state of policing in regards to all special needs scenarios.

The Keynote, Dr. Brendan Monteiro, began his program, and will finish after lunch. DeafInPrison.com readers will be apprised of the contents of all these presentations, over the next day or so.

I’m hoping to get one more of these field posts up before I leave.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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H.P. Lovecraft Couldn’t Make This Up

By Pat Bliss

A 1934 issue of Weird Tales, the magazine in which first appeared, H.P. Lovecraft’s Gothic chiller, Rats in the Walls. Photo: Wikipedia

this is an excerpt from a 26 page letter that I received from a Deaf inmate. It was his story about going to medical, that I last posted. He is in solitary confinement now, for trying to help another inmate. Rather than going into all the details of that, I felt I wanted to share this particular portion of the letter with you.

Further, this place is infested with the mice and rats that I told you about before. In fact its more infested with mice and rats since the last time I told you about it. They have had time to breed. Its so full of mice and rats that you have to stay awake when the lights go out or they will actually crawl up on the bunk with you.

They [the cells] have foot lockers bolted to the walls that set higher then the bottom bunk that almost level with the top bunk that these mice and rats will climb up on, run along the foot lockers and jump off in the bunk where you are laying.

   

Splinter in the 2008 season of TMNT (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Me and my cell partner stay up all night when the lights are out to see how many we can kill. We have rat killings. We will take one each of my boots which are heavy and will sit off on the bunk. Be real quiet. Wait for them to start coming in and see if we can hit them with a boot and kill them. So far I have gotten at least one each night. They are quick, I’ll say that for them. Hell, last night I thought I had two I got one then a little while later this one comes off in here. I throughed [throwed] the boot at him he turned sideways from where I hit him. About this time they [DOC] turned the lights on, he was only stunned. I picked up the boot went to hit him with it again. The SOB hunched up his back raised his front two paws and had the hair on this back standing straight up. I thought of Master Splinter the Rat off of Nija Turtles!!

  

Pat Bliss is a retired paralegal in criminal law. She continues to do legal work for indigent prisoner cases showing innocence. She is a Certified Community Chaplain, Certified as a volunteer for CISM (Crises Intervention Stress Management) and involved in community events.

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DeafInPrison Nominated for Liebster Award

By BitcoDavid

Wow! When it rains… We have 6 days left in our month-long Birthday celebration, and we’ve been nominated for 2 awards! This most recent, comes from Hands Talk Too – the Liebster Award! We are grateful to Dholiness and Hands Talk Too for nominating us.

The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is German for favorite. Hands Talk Too

Step 1) Answer the following 11 Questions:

1. What are your 5 favorite books?  Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Victor Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, Number 4 would be Les Miserables, also by Hugo, and Number 5 – Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath.

2. Where would you like to live? The Enterprise.

3. Winter or summer? Summer.

4. Do you enjoy blogging? Yes, I do.

5. If you could change something in your blog, what would this be? Instead of having papers like the New York Times and the Washington Post as sources, I would rather be the major source for them. “Hey BitcoDavid, we have a deadline coming up, and we wanted your take on…”

6. What do you despise? Stupidity, ignorance, the Idiocracy. 

7. If you could spend half a day with a famous person, who would you choose and why? Beethoven. I figure Beethoven was probably a pretty cool dude. He liked to party, enjoyed the company of women, and wrote some of the most compelling music of all times. Plus, he was deaf (small d), and his music is about pain.

8. What do you do to relax? Work. Write and fight – not necessarily in that order, but I do like bashing it around in the ring. No, really. I’m most relaxed doing what I do.

9. Homemade or store-bought? Definitely homemade. Preferably, actually invented.

10. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? Oh, come on. I’d be rich – bitches. I mean, Romney Rich. 

11. What language would you like to learn and why? I have a tiny bit of German, I picked up from studying the Holocaust for the past 3 decades – and yes, one can learn too much about certain things. I’d like to learn ASL, partly because of my involvement with the Deaf, and partly because it’s a non-verbal language so it lights up more gray matter. 

Next, I have to tell you 11 facts about me:

1. I’ve been clean and sober since 1989.

2. I’ve been on a high protein, low carb diet since I was diagnosed with Diabetes in 2006. I’ve controlled the disease so well, that I’ve been medication free for the past 4 years, and my endocrinologist no longer classifies me as Diabetic.

3. When I’m not writing or fighting, I like bike riding and running in 5K races.

4. I used to be a rock and roll soundman during Boston’s Independent Music heyday. I’ve mixed bands that have gone on to become cult legends.

5. I used to teach college level analog electronics. I was one of the more popular teachers – until the particular college gave me the opportunity to teach elsewhere.

6. At one time in my life, I could roller skate the length of Boston in about 30 minutes.

7. My wife and I are set to celebrate our 20th anniversary, this April.

8. I’ve been homeless for 3 different periods during my life.

9. Years ago, I knew this guy who used a tow truck to punch a hole in the wall of a convenience store, and steal their ATM machine. I swear to God, it wasn’t me. Anyway, he wrapped the hook around the machine and plucked it right out of the store. He then drove it up to New Hampshire, where he had a shop. Now, this guy – a master mechanic and experienced welder, couldn’t open the machine. He ended up tossing it into a river up in N.H. As far as I know, it’s up there still.

10. I’m finding teevee to be devolving to a state of even greater abysmal-ness than it used to be.

11. Speaking of teevee, there’s this commercial where a woman is telling us that her neighbor lost everything in a hurricane. The woman goes on to say, that in order to help her friend, she recommended DirecTV. I’m thinking, wouldn’t you have done her more good if you… oh I don’t know… let her use your SHOWER?

Finally, I have to nominate 11 sites:

1. BitcoDavid’s BoxingBlog. I know where my bread is buttered.

2. Moorbey’z Blog. Out of gratitude and mutual respect and assuming they don’t already have it.

3. A Public Defender. Believe it or not, some lawyers actually can write.

4. C’mon People or Sheeple? I think their name says it all.

5. Carpenter’s Cabin. The Misbehaved Woman‘s husband’s blog. I’m told their dog has a site too, but I haven’t seen it.

6. UndergradWoman. Pinky Stanseski is our newest contributor, and we’re anxiously anticipating some great posts from her.

7. Just Cruisin 2. JC-2 has been following us for a while now. He likes dogs and cars. What else does one really need?

8. Lorelle on WordPress. Blogging is 50% your cause, and 50% Geekspeak. Lorelle offers some great tips on the tech end. This award however, is for sites with less than 200 followers, so she might not make the cut. She’s got a zillion (but it’s a metric zillion, so don’t be intimidated).

9. iPhonePhotoBlogging. Marsha Graham’s other site.

10. Glenn Langohr’s Memoirs in Print, Audio & Kindle. Glenn Langohr’s busier than a death row chaplain. Just Kidding! Oooh! You can hear a pin drop! (I’m goin’ to Hell for that one.) He writes for us, has a plethora of books out, and runs about 4 different blogs. This is one of them.

11. WaywardSpirit. WaywardSpirit has also been following us for quite a while. She offers an upbeat and positive message, which is the Yang to our Yin.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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• Update on Englewood Case from H.E.A.R.D. (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
• Reminder: Symposium on Criminal Justice and the Deaf (deafinprison.wordpress.com)
• Team Blood (bitcodavidsboxingblog.com)

Moorbey Puts Us Up for Dragon’s Loyalty Award

By BitcoDavid

The beautiful Dragon’s Loyalty award, courtesy of Moorbey’z Blog

Moorbey’z Blog, an awesome site that I have a ton of respect for, has graciously nominated DeafInPrison.com for the beautiful Dragon’s Loyalty award. We’re deeply honored that he would think of us, when it came to a nomination.

Here’s what we have to do:

• Proudly display the award.
• Post the win with a link back to Morbey’z Blog, with a fist-salute.
• List 15 overworked, underpaid and highly deserving blog sites to take up the mantle.
• Comment back to them, so they too will know that they’ve been nominated.
• Post 7 interesting things about myself.

My 15 sites:

• Prisonmovement’s Weblog
• Solitary Watch
• AnotherBoomerBlog
• Lipreading Mom
• Stirring Trouble Internationally
• BitcoDavid’s BoxingBlog
• A Solitary Torture
• A Voice From the Inside
• Hands Talk Too
• Charlie Swinbourne’s Limping Chicken
• 4Ears, 4Eyes
• Femineach
• Glenn Langohr’s Stunning Memoirs
• Broken Phoenix
• Children in Prison

7 interesting things about me:

• When I’m not reanimating the cadaver that is our vibrant and free press, via the Blogosphere, I’m facing goons in the squared circle. Writing is my calling – technology, my instrument, but Boxing is my passion.
• My Gravatar – and my dog – is Jack. He was unfortunate enough to be born into a dog-fighting ring in Georgia. We were fortunate enough to save him, but I still wonder, who rescued whom.
• I can cook like a bastard! My diet is high protein – low carb., but I make all kinds of alternative foods, like sugar free cheesecake, and low carb mac-cheese.
• I used to be a bike messenger, and for one summer, I did it on roller skates. I could deliver about 20% faster than the best bike messengers, but insurance companies put the kibosh on the whole thing.
• I modify everything. Give me a gadget and a day, and I’ll figure out how to use it for something the manufacturers never even dreamed of.
• An awesome Christmas present would be a SteadyCam.
• I’m a tube amp guru. I’ve serviced just about every model of tube amp there ever was. My favorite is the classic Fender Twin. I’ve built about a dozen of my own amps, from the ground up. Many are still being used by guitarists and bass players, as we speak.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Militarized Cops and Drug War Victims

By BitcoDavid

Cheryl Ann Stillwell. Image: the Grey Train

The Huffington Post recently featured a story by Radley Balko, author of Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces. The article centers around the death of Cheryl Ann Stillwell, a middle-aged single woman, shot to death in a police raid gone awry.

According to Balko, Stillwell was a recluse, afraid of the drug activity she witnessed in her neighborhood. Stillwell did own a handgun, and she had installed surveillance video equipment in and around her home. But it wasn’t the undesirable element whom she needed to fear, it was a militarized SWAT team, enforcing a warrant with no name and no address – merely a description of her house as given by an unidentified informant, seeking to save his own skin.

Image: Narconon

This tragic tale is really a he said, she said of complex lies and deception. A story of police so bent on capturing drug dealers, that they will rely on coercion and hearsay. Stillwell, apparently was on a doctor’s prescription for Oxycontin, of which she gave 2 pills to a neighbor who claimed to be suffering from pain. Shortly afterward, the neighbor was arrested, and in order to cop a deal, turned in Stillwell.

Image: Southwest Oncology Group

At five-thirty in the morning, on December 22, 2005, SWAT team agents armed to the teeth, kicked in her front door. It was to be one of 3 raids, that day. In a haze of sleep, Stillwell went for her gun, but forensic evidence reveals she didn’t fire it. One of the officers claims to have seen her finger twitch on the trigger – in the darkened house. She died in a hail of gunfire.

And in Florida, to this day, all drug related search and arrest warrants are carried out by SWAT teams.

But Cheryl Ann Stillwell isn’t the only victim here. As America’s insatiable desire for narcotics increases, coupled with her insane need to criminalize drug use – as she seeks to lock up more and more of her citizens while further militarizing the police in the War on Drugs, we all become the victims. Cheryl Ann Stillwell never got her day in court. She never had her Miranda rights read her. At 5:30 in the morning, a small paramilitary force – a junta – busted into her home and killed her in her bed. And we are OK with that.

To learn more, go to Raid of the Day, or Drug Raid Gone Wrong. To pre-order Balko’s book, go to Amazon.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Update on Englewood Case from H.E.A.R.D.

By BitcoDavid

http://www.behearddc.org/

This came from HEARD’s FaceBook page. If you haven’t yet done so, and you’re on FaceBook, you can shoot on over there, and give ‘em a “Like.” HEARD – Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of the Deaf – is an organization that works tirelessly to aid both the Deaf community and the wrongfully convicted. They have been a wonderful resource for DeafInPrison.com

The Justice Department announced yesterday that it has reached settlement agreements with the City of Englewood and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreements resolve allegations that these law enforcement agencies failed to provide effective communication to individuals who are deaf, including crime victims, witnesses, members of the public, arrestees, and detainees. These law enforcement agencies came forward voluntarily to enter into these agreements while the Department’s investigation was ongoing, so no finding of violation was made against either entity. The agreements also resolve a private lawsuit brought by individuals who are deaf, the Colorado Association of the Deaf, and the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition. The agreements are very comprehensive and may serve as models throughout the nation’s law enforcement and detention communities.

People interested in finding out more about the ADA and the Department’s settlement agreements with the City of Englewood and Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office can access the ADA website at ADA.gov, or call the toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (voice) or (800) 514-0383 (TTY).

Again, you can go here to find out more online.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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NYT Confirms, Ebel Dead after Police Shootout

By BitcoDavid

Evan Spencer Ebel is shown in this undated Colorado Department of Corrections booking. Image: Denver Post

Some of the confusion surrounding the Tom Clements shooting has been cleared up. The New York Times announced this morning, that on Friday, shooting suspect Evan S. Ebel, had died in the hospital following the police shootout, northwest of Dallas, Texas. Police however, will continue the investigation as well as investigations into several other murders, of which they suspect Ebel responsible.

As of this point, detectives have no definitive link between Ebel and the Clements shooting, however they will continue to compare ballistics and other physical evidence.

Meanwhile, Texas authorities are looking into a connection between the shooting of Tom Clements and the killing of assistant DA, Mark E. Hasse, whom they say was involved in prosecuting the prison gang - Aryan Brotherhood. Original reports had linked Ebel to the Aryan Nation – a supremacist religious organization, not the prison gang. You’ll have to forgive me, I’m not up on my White supremacist groups.

similarly, detectives in Texas have no link between these two shootings, but say that the investigation is still open.

Deputy Jame Boyd – shot by Ebel while attempting to escape in Texas. Boyd was wearing a vest, and is being treated for minor injuries. Image: Denver Post.

Ebel is also being tied into the murder of Nathan Leon, a Denver employee of Domino’s Pizza. A Domino’s pizza box was recovered from the wreckage of Ebel’s Cadillac. Denver Police claim that they have sufficient evidence on top of that, to build a case.

As you know, a flurry of mis-reports, rumors and possible motives have been floating around the mainstream media and the Internet. For example, it has been suggested that Ebel was a member of the 211′s - a White supremacist prison gang. Different papers have claimed him a member of the Aryan Brotherhood and the Aryan Nation, while still others seek to pin the blame on a Saudi National serving time in Colorado.

Just so you know, in all the reports I have read on this story – none of those theories have been proven out, and authorities have no official record of Ebel’s involvement in any of those groups, or the extent of what that involvement may have been.

In a related story, the Denver Post is reporting that Colorado Governor, John Hickenlooper was close friends with Ebel’s father. Hickenlooper has not denied the friendship, but insists that he never intervened in Ebel’s interactions with law enforcement, and that he had not taken any steps to insure Ebel’s parole. The Governor stated that he was not even aware that Ebel had been released from prison.

To get what coverage there is, out there – sarcasm, mine – you can go to the New York Times, here at the Denver Post, or here.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Follow Up: Texas Style Arrest of Clements’ Alleged Shooter

By BitcoDavid

The scene of the arrest, photo credit: New York Times

Boy, they don’t mess around in Texas. After a 100 mph chase, and an OK Coral style shootout, Texas law enforcement officers managed to shoot and wound the suspected killer of Tom Clements, the Colorado Director of Prisons. Apparently, Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, a Coloradoan with a long criminal record, and a current Denver parolee,  is the man suspected in the shooting.

Tom Clements — NYT

Rumors – many fueled by the Denver Post – have been circulating around the Internet, as to Ebel’s motive. Before his identity was known, their was some suspicion that the shooting was carried out by an agent for Saudi national, Homaidan al-Turki, whom Clements had refused to allow, to serve out the remainder of a Colorado prison sentence in Saudi Arabia. It was also believed that the shooter was under orders by the prison gang - the 211s, a White Supremacist group – as retribution for something or other. The Post also drew a correlation between this shooting and the Aryan Nation prison gang. Often, when the mainstream media doesn’t have anything to report, they’ll just make stuff up.

We don’t know why he did it yet, or for that matter – if he did it at all. What we do know is what Texas did to bring him in. According to the NYT, Ebel was stopped by a Montague County Sheriff’s Deputy, outside of Dallas at a little before noon, yesterday. He was driving a car with Colorado plates, that matched a witness description as having been seen outside of Clement’s home on the night of the shooting.

Clements’ house, where the shooting took place. — NYT

Ebel allegedly opened fire on the deputy and then stomped on it, promoting a high speed chase. He was said to be doing a hundred mph, when he t-boned a tractor trailer. Business as usual for Ebel, he jumped out of the now decimated Caddy, and began a shootout with the cops. No word on the trucker.

The cops finally drilled one in him, and he is now on life support at a Texas hospital, awaiting extradition.

Denver and Golden, Co. detectives have flown to Texas to aid in the investigation. Denver authorities have stated that they will continue investigating despite Ebel’s death, which I find confusing. According to the Times, he’s still alive – but on life support. Nowhere, could I find a definitive statement in the Post as to his having died.

For more on this go to the New York Times, or the Denver Post.

 BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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LA DOJ in Email Blast, Angola 3 Never Held in Solitary

By BitcoDavid

Louisiana State Penitentiary entrance (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DeafInPrison.com will always do its best to present both sides of any issue we cover. That of course, isn’t always possible, as commonly law enforcement tends to be quite close-mouthed about things. Not so, apparently, with the Louisiana Attorney General – James “Buddy” Caldwell. I got the following in my e-mail today, and wanted to share it with you. Here, in block quote format is the entire contents. This is a direct copy and paste of his e-mail. emphases are his.

Thank you for your interest in the ambush, savage attack and brutal murder of Officer Brent Miller at Louisiana State Penitentiary (LSP) on April 17, 1972. Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace committed this murder, stabbing and slicing Miller over 35 times.

Between the years 1967 and 1969 before coming to LSP the last time for armed robbery and aggravated escape, Albert Woodfox was in the streets of New Orleans and charged with numerous crimes, some of which, he was convicted.  Among those numerous charges are at least 6 separate, unresolved aggravated rapes and armed robberies.  Some of these victims were female patrons or waitresses who were raped during the late night or early morning robberies of bars in the New Orleans area.

NO court has ever ruled that these inmates are innocent of the murder of Officer Miller.  I have been prosecuting murders for the past 35 years as a District Attorney in Louisiana.  If these inmates would have been innocent, we would have never had any of these proceedings and I would have personally turned Woodfox loose.  The evidence against him is overpowering.   There are no flaws in our evidence and this case is very strong.  We feel confident that we will again prevail at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  However, if we do not, we are fully prepared and willing to retry this murderer again.  Woodfox was indicted by two separate grand juries and unanimously convicted by two separate juries of his peers.  Wallace was indicted and unanimously convicted by a jury of his peers.

Contrary to popular lore, Woodfox and Wallace have never been held in solitary confinement while in the Louisiana penal system.  They have been held in protective cell units known as CCR.  These units were designed to protect inmates as well as correctional officers.  They have always been able to communicate freely with other inmates and prison staff as frequently as they want.  They have televisions on the tiers which they watch through their cell doors.  In their cells they can have radios and headsets, reading and writing materials, stamps, newspapers, magazines and books.  They also can shop at the canteen store a couple of times per week where they can purchase grocery and personal hygiene items which they keep in their cells.

These convicted murderers have an hour outside of their cells each day where they can exercise in the hall, talk on the phone, shower, and visit with the other 10 to 14 inmates on the tier.  At least three times per week they can go outside on the yard and exercise and enjoy the sun if they want.  This is all in addition to the couple of days set aside for visitations each week.

These inmates are frequently visited by spiritual advisors, medical personnel and social workers.  They have had frequent and extensive contact with numerous individuals from all over the world, by telephone, mail, and face-to-face personal visits.  They even now have email capability.  Contrary to numerous reports, this is not solitary confinement.

As you know, these convicted murderers filed a civil lawsuit alleging they have been denied due process and have been mistreated.  It is important to know that if they win this civil case they could possibly receive money and a change in their housing assignments.  This lawsuit WILL NOT result in their release from prison.

It is also important that you know that Woodfox and Wallace have not resided at LSP for the past several years.   Woodfox was transferred to David Wade Correctional Center on November 1, 2010 and Wallace was transferred to Elayn Hunt Correctional Center on March 19, 2009.

Let me be clear, Woodfox and Wallace are GUILTY and have NEVER been held in solitary confinement.  They are serving out the life sentences handed down by the unanimous jury verdicts for brutally and savagely murdering Officer Brent Miller.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Sincerely,

James D. “Buddy” Caldwell

Louisiana Attorney General

Albert Woodfox. Photo courtesy Amnesty Petition

Now, I’m not saying that I believe everything in this e-mail, nor do I think we should stop fighting for the Angola 3, Woodfox and Wallace, or the concept of solitary confinement on the whole. I just wanted you to get an opportunity to hear the argument from the other side.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Event: Webinar

By BitcoDavid

http://images.gotowebinar.com/d60fd9517852585c120d0e76b41c6a20

Here’s and event you may be interested in attending. Thu, Apr 18, 2013 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT there will be a Webinar on Solitary Confinement in an Age of Mass Incarceration. It is being presented by NRCAT – the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

In this hour-long webinar, we will hear from leading policy experts with an overview of legislative efforts to end prolonged solitary confinement, including survivors of solitary confinement, and from members of the faith community who are engaged in efforts to end this destructive practice. The webinar will include information about causes of the dramatic expansion of the use of solitary confinement in the context of mass incarceration, and a description of recent reform successes and future opportunities for members of the faith community to be engaged.

Speakers will include:
- Mr. Anthony Graves, founder of Anthony Believes, who will share from his own experience of surviving sixteen years in solitary confinement in Texas before his conviction was overturned. Mr. Graves presented powerful testimony at the 2012 congressional hearing on the realities of solitary confinement experienced each day in U.S. prisons.
- Amy Fettig, Senior Staff Counsel for the ACLU’s National Prison Project
- Laura Markle Downton, Director of U.S. Prisons Policy and Program for NRCAT

You can register here.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Solitary Watch for bringing it to my attention. We have of course, listed it on our events page.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Chief of Prisons in CO, killed

By BitcoDavid

Tom Clements, 58, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections was shot and killed on Tuesday Night. Photo courtesy: Reuters

According to Reuters, Colorado’s prison system chief administrator, was shot and killed on Tuesday night. Police suspect that his position in the prison system may have been the motive. This occurred within a few hours of the Governor’s signing of a new gun control law, in response to the increased number of deadly shootings in the state.

Tom Clements was 58 years old. Two years ago, he was appointed Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections. He was shot at his home, outside of Monument, Colorado, south of Denver.

Denver, Colorado, Usa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There was no sign of robbery or attempted break and entry, but police say they don’t believe the shooting to be random. No suspects have been identified.

The morning immediately following the shooting, Colorado Governor, John Hickenlooper signed a gun control bill into law, that would extend background checks to private gun sales. The cost burden for the checks would fall on the buyers. The bill also limits the size of magazine clips.

For more on this, go to Reuters.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Directions to Bridgewater

By BitcoDavid

While visiting beautiful Bridgewater, be sure and swing by the infamous Bridgewater State Hospital. Photo Titicut Follies by Frederick Wiseman – 1967.

Last night, as I picked up my wife from work – I may be some kind of high falutin’ cyber-journalist, but if it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t eat. Anyway, as I was driving her home, it occurred to me that after 40 odd years of living in Mass, I haven’t a clue as to where the hell Bridgewater is. I’d be willing to bet that even the Mayor of Bridgewater, doesn’t.

So, without further ado – directions to Bridgewater State University.

View this document on Scribd

Seal of the City, Bridgewater, MA. Image: Town Web site.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher – even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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