Vol 002 Issue 04
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DEC 2000
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DL entire reportReasonable Doubts:
SPIRITUALITY - Russell
Day Bio/Address
What
Are We Teaching?
DEATH PENALTY
GOVERNOR'S WATCH
Texas - Gov George W Bush
Illinois - Gov George Ryan
Florida - Gov Jeb Bush
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
Prison
Call-in Radio for the Holidays
DEATH ROW - Richard Rossi
Bio/Address
Changing the Protocol
REHABILITATION -
Cal MacLeod Bio/Address
The Thrill is Gone
Open Letter
-
Steven Ainsworth Bio/Address
It
Takes Courage
POETRY -
Willie Tucker Bio/Address
Poems
HUMOR-
Billy Bubblegum Bio/Address
Bazookas
Comics-Christian Snyder
Bio/Address
A Year In Review
(Repeat)
Op-Ed -
Catherine Forbes
Bio/Address
More Victims
FICTION -
Stop to Smell the Roses
Chamberlain Bio/Address
Red
River Jail Jeff Brace Bio/Address
ART -
Richard Chapman Bio/Address
Roping
Crafts -
Tenneson
Bio/Address
Davis Bio/Address
Afghans
INCARCERATION -
John Connolly Bio/Address
Second
Chance?
COVER ART -
Steven Ainsworth Bio/Address
House Hunters
EDUCATIONBio/Address
Piecing
Together a College Education
SPORTS COLUMN
- Blake Pirtle
Bio/Address
Athletes
Doing the Crime & Doing the Time
Notes from the Web Master
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Reader Comments About Magazine
Thank you for adding me to your list. I'm not connected
with prisoners in Germany, but I may be able to help you
expanding your contributor. I fond your magazine by
searching on death penalty sites in the internet. I find
it very impressive and informative. I like the poems and
comics, because they are statements of the feelings and problems death
row inmates have and even of the dark humor theses people developed
there sometimes. Further it gives a view on social, political and
religious issues belonging to capital punishment in the US.
In connection
with your ask for printing some hardcopies, I think I
could do that by mailing it to a friend who has the electronic
equipment to
print out a top copy which I could copy.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
All the best,
Bea Trogand
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Thanks for the notice. Loved the poem you recommended! You're doing a
great job. -- mja******************************
Dear Editors,
I have been reading your newsletter for several issues now. While I
like a lot of the articles, I have a concern about the overall tone. It's very whiny. It's the media's fault, the bad lawyers, the
politicians, the poor laws, etc. Do I, personally, agree with the death penalty? - no. Do I think that there's a lot of injustice in our
justice system? - yes. Do I want to spend a lot of time reading about those issues from men who have committed crimes? Not particularly. A
little bit interspersed among other things would be fine. But too much makes a boring magazine.
I have read other prison literary magazines, articles, books, and
newsletters. I have learned that inmates are whole people, not just that snapshot in time of their crime. They can be very creative and
interesting. So, why aren't you showing that side of them? In this last article there were some beautiful drawings, some interesting
crafts, and a good article on education. But most of the rest of it was full of gripes. Even the cartoons, the humor, the spiritual
article, the sports page, many of the poems, etc. were "oh poor me". Is that the
picture you are trying to paint of inmates to those of us on the outside?
I urge you to try for a more balanced picture of prisoners. I don't
know how many people might read your newspaper who don't have any personal experience with inmates. But, I want them to know that
incarcerated people are people first, and only criminals at some time, often far past. If you keep portraying them as complaining people who
blame others and the "system", you won't win many over to our cause.
This is the first issue that I didn't read the whole thing because
it was just too full of grumbles. I realize that there is a lot to complain about. I genuinely understand the frustration, horror,
unfairness, etc. I have had a loved one incarcerated. But if you want outsiders to read the complaints, have them coming from real people.
How to do this? Let them see the real people. Put the complaints
between beautiful artwork, creative stories, and interesting articles, not within all of them!
Keep up the good work. Just look for balance.
Janet
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Contributor's Response to Janet
As Ms. Reviera does not get down to specifics in her commentary about the tone
of Celldoor’s latest issue as being “whiney”, I am not sure how to
respond.
If she means that complaining about gross violations of
constitutional rights is whining then perhaps she needs to understand that a
felon, in most states, is still supposedly protected by these rights, and it is
especially egregious when these rights are violated under the color of law.
Surely, she must realize the difficulties of being
“positive” in such a negative atmosphere.
It is often difficult to be the talented, creative, and interesting folks
incarcerated people can be under these circumstances.
I do thank her for her comments, though, and the next time I
draw a social commentary piece of art about capital punishment I will try to put
a smile on the condemned person’s face when the guards strap him down for
execution!
Steven King Ainsworth
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Retort to Janet Reviera Reader Comment February 5, 2001
“SURELY IGNORANCE IS BLISS”
“…You won’t win many over to “our” cause,” is how Ms. Janet Reviera
tried to lead the editors of the Celldoor to believe that she, indeed, not only
understands the struggle, but is also an active participant in the restoration
of justice here in America.
It is not that difficult to determine just what her true
cause is. People who complain about
unjust prison conditions and those who agitate those individuals who oppress
fellow human beings, I would not consider whiners. In fact, they are mankind’s real heroes.
Historically, whiners have had a phenomenal success ration as
opposed to their failures. Over the
years, there has been considerable progress being made in the areas of prison
reform and even significant gains in the area of a nationwide moratorium on the
death penalty. These things could
not have been accomplished had it not been for the innocent prisoners,
themselves, who cried “oh, poor
me…” before being wrongfully put to death at the hands of, often times,
corrupt prosecutors and corrupt local law enforcement officers.
Whiners have challenged many oppressive race, sex, and class
based social policies that deny the poor, incarcerated, handicapped, and the
elderly equal access and protection from discrimination.
Those who are incarcerated frequently live in abominable
conditions and are subjected to physical and psychological torture.
Under these extreme conditions, the editors of the Celldoor express
genuinely what they see inside their prisons and how they feel.
After serving a decade or two behind bars in America’s prisons, it is
the prisoners, themselves, who become the experts in corrections.
Not those individuals who merely proclaim to have a loved one or a friend
who is serving time. Prison writers
report the conditions that exist before the .
It is not unusual that their primary focus is dreary because where they
are, from their perspective, prison is a heartless place and there is no happy
pill to make it go away.
It is my hope that the editors of the Celldoor and the
prisoners worldwide continue to whine, continue to inform the lay people of the
cruelties and the constant miscarriages of justice that are so wide-spread
throughout our nation.
Celldoor Magazine is not a medium for popular propaganda and
sensationalism which the populace of America has grown accustomed to hearing and
seeing. Instead, we have chosen to
“keep it real”. We have chosen
to inform. And like most magazines
that choose not to feature nude women, rap, and pop stars, we appear to be
boring (utilizing, of course, Ms. Reviera’s standards).
Commentary by Celldoor Poetry Editor, Willie Christopher Tucker
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I want to say I love the Celldoor magazine. I have dealt with the prison system for years-family incarcerated etc. How true to fact that the system is so very medded up. God Bless you all and keep up the great work.
Maria Massachusetts
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Dear Editors:
You ask my opinion of your magazine. A friend of mine sent me this link and I am so happy that she did. We have been doing group discussions on Prison Issues and Concerns. I have been getting responses to my e-mail on this very subject. I need the input of inmates and loved ones to compose a letter to the Gov. and administration, anyone who will listen. We are
talking about having a public meeting to discuss Prison Issues and Concerns.Thank You,
Mrs. Bridgett A. Fowler
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This Issue Visits Since
12/17/2000
Cell Door Visits Since 3/17/99
Last Update 09/05/09