TROY DAVIS

Death row mistake

Published: September 7, 2010

Should we execute a man when the witnesses against him admit they lied?

A federal judge has held that a man on death row in Georgia did not meet the high standard of proving his innocence and will not get a new trial. Instead, Troy Davis will face execution.

Davis was convicted 18 years ago of murdering Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Ga. No murder weapon was ever found. He was convicted solely on witness testimony. Since then, all but two of the witnesses has recanted or contradicted the testimony given. Many of the witnesses state that the police pressured them into testifying or giving statements against Troy Davis. One of the two witnesses who has not recanted his testimony is Sylvester “Red” Coles. There is new evidence implicating Coles as the real murderer of Mark MacPhail, including affidavits from nine individuals that implicate Coles.

This should be more than enough to grant Troy Davis a new trial. Execution is the ultimate power of the state and cannot be legitimately exercised when there is doubt about the guilt of the defendant. Georgia’s failure to provide Troy Davis a new trial in these circumstances is a violation of due process. The government of Georgia owes Troy Davis a new trial. The federal judiciary owes all U.S. citizens a real review of state action for compliance with the federal constitution. The federal review in this case didn’t provide that, in part because the standard for the grant of a new trial is too high.

No execution should go forward when there is so much doubt and uncertainty. Please join Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and Amnesty International USA in demanding justice for Troy Davis and a fair justice system for all.

Cassandra S. Edson

Montpelier

DEATH SALIVATES

Reginald Blanton wrote this the day he found out about his execution date.  Reg was executed 27th October 2009 by the State of Texas.   REGINALDS SITE

2pm. 7-16-09. I just woke up. I had slept for exactly 8 hours. I am a night owl. Yet, I was not rejuvenated. I did not feel balanced. I told myself that something was happening in the Universe. In the distant dark galaxy of my being I felt something approaching. Id had an earlier hunch but dispelled it with my exhale. I grabbed all my senses; all of my energy and brought them inside, concentrating it. Concentrating on soothing the waters of what I thought was a turbulent mind-body. Here I was, doing the same thing today. An hour went by. I was frustrated because my meditation yielded very little. I decided to conclude my meditation with the Tripod Pose, a Hatha Yoga posture where I ease into a headstand, feet in the sky, while focusing on my breathing. This pose is designed to calm your mind-body. I felt it might do the trick. It has always worked in the past. I heard the gate pop. Then there were jangling keys as somebody made their way upstairs to 2 row where I was encaged. I brought my attention back, like, Get back over here! Like that. Then my senses went back outside. Blanton! What are you doing? The Major wants to talk to you, said the Sergeant. I eased out of my posture and into another called Child Pose before getting up and telling the Sergeant I had been meditating and needed some time to brush my teeth. I brought my attention fully back and noticed that I was nervous. I knew what it was. Damn! I knew what it was . I gave the Sergeant my jumpsuit, sort of spun while shaking out my boxers to try to keep from having to degrade myself by stripping completely naked and having to turn around and spread mywell, you know. The Sergeant wasnt tripping today. He told me to just come on. I didnt like that. He was being a (little) nice. That was not a good sign. Not good at all

Damn!

We get out in the hallway and he asked me if I knew what this was about. But it was the way he said it. He said it like he knew what it was about. Damn. I told him I did. I saw the nurse and asked him if he had my morphine shot. Ha, ha, um, ha, *ahem*. That did not make me feel any better. I tried though. I just decided to stay quiet the rest of the way. We get in the Majors office. I sit down and cross my legs, looking him square in the eye, all sorts of emotions flowing through me: Anger, embarrassment, sadness Whats up, Major? I asked. In a slow and somber tone he told me that I had an execution date and he was going to explain a few things to me and have me moved to Death Watch. He said that hed just found out himself. All I could see in my mind was my Queen. All I could feel is what she would feel. I thought I was going to be sick. I tried to hide it. I knew what time it was. I knew this was coming. And after the march we just had outside of the courthouse in San Antonio, I knew that the D.A.s werent going to hesitate to immediately set a murder date for me. This wasnt supposed to be happening. It just wasnt. Maybe I was naive. Me, the realist, naïve. The courts were going to see the injustice and refuse to let me be railroaded. Yet they railroaded me. It was like the many stories Ive read about battered women. Shes getting beat by her husband. She knows that hes going to keep on beating her. Hes vicious. She knows hes going to stop. Hes a good man.

Everything was suddenly happening so fast. Everything was surreal. Yet I had been preparing for this for 9 years.

No! You cannot prepare for something like this. You just cant. 28 years young. Just the other day that one officer cried when she found out how young I was; how much I remind her of her own kids. I have too much life where they said only dwelt death. I have too much life pouring out of me to prepare to die. Die? Die for what?! Yall are trying to kill, wrongly, a loving, beautiful man. Not a killer. Not a monster. A man with a family. A beautiful, loving wife. A beautiful, loving step-son. My Mama. My people. My people need me. You are trying to steal me away from the people who need me. The Major tells me about the number of witnesses I can have; talks about a last will. A last will, yall! A last will?! What about my will to live?!

The Major talksI drift in and out of even being there at all. He talks about disposition of any trust funds, disposition of personal property. He talks of my last meal; how they wont get me any lobster or shrimp, or T-bone steak. He was trying to make light of the situation. But there was nothing light about it at all. It was heavy; heavy like my consciousness. Lobster ?! I dont give a damn about a last meal! A last meal?! A last meal is the farthest thing from my mind. But this wasnt what I wanted to say. I said it, yes. But it wasnt what was just beyond my ability to put into words. It just would have been wrapped in phrases with the words: Love, Justice, Passion; Sun and Supernova; Consciousness, Soul; Infinity, Eternity.Words like that.Worlds like that.The Major talks about disposition of Remains. He kept talking but Remains kept echoing in my mind. Remains? Remains? Remains of what?! I guess the Major say my confusion and specified body.

My thoughts went back to My Queen; my precious wife.BabyThe Major, who once told me I talk too much, talks. The Major, who I once told, You would rather me talk to you than to not talk to you at all, talks about my last commissary spend. He said I can spend $150 two weeks from the execution date. I was outraged! I am not going to put $150 of money I dont even have into their pocket as something of a going away gift; thats provided I can manage to stomach any food at all. Im not trying to spend $150 two weeks out on my commissary! I said. The Major told me that he was only letting me know what my options were. Those were my options? My options?! Thats that problem: They are constantly limiting my options.  If its not going home to my wifes sacred embrace then it is not an option for me! If its not living then it is not an option for me! I am a man and will define my own options, my own destiny, worth more than a hundred and fifty bucks.Finally, the Major talks about the so called last special visits and how they would happen.Mama was taken off my visitation list, I said without trying to say it. It just spilled out with some of the anger.

They took Mama off my visitation list last year to torture me into telling them who brought the cell phones into this unit one of which I had used to call Mama every morning before she went to work to tell her I love her. They took my damn Mama off the list because of it, we she did not violate any visitation rules.are yall going to put Mama back on the list? I ask. It was more like, this is the least you should do for me in light, yeah light of things they were trying to take from me:Gimme your freedom!Gimme your mind!Gimme your Mama!Gimme your LIFE Whoa, whoa, whoa. Now youre just asking for too damn much.The Major looked at me for a moment, in silence, taking the measure of a man that was containing himself, and lords knows how. A man whose words were filled to the brim, no brimming over, with all that I was containing; with ALL, EVERYTHING spilling everywhere from the eyes of my words, those windows.There is just so much in me. Just so, so muchThe Major told me that he couldnt promise anything, but that he would talk to the Warden and see what he says. Just for that brief moment, that brief moment we shared in silence, I could tell he gave in to his humanity.  For that brief moment he and I existed beyond the veil. But, just as brief as that moment came, it went. His authoritarian, take-take-take-and-only-give-when-its-to-his-advantage programming kicked in. I could see the change. He said, if it were up to him, and he decided to put my Mamas name on my list, under these exceptional circumstances, and he stressed exceptional circumstances, if I were to get a stay of execution, she would be taken back off the list.Sick.Because I saw he was thinking a bit too much, I asked him to set the meeting up with the Warden and allow me to be there with him. The Warden needs to hear the words from my heart, not the Majors words of suspicion and some obsessive desire to control.Back to my pod and cage.How was I going to tell him? I have known him for 9 years. 9 years! And now I have to tell him this.  I sat at the foot of my bunk, leaning against the wall between Obie Weathers and me. The little loose metal bar that plugged the whole went all the way through the wall; I rattled to get his attention. I put my ear to it to hear his response. When he answered I began to tell him about everything that had happened. I managed to tell him that I was given a date for October 27th, as well as what he could do but from that point on my words slowly faded away as I slipped into the depths of an ocean of tears that I struggled to push back.    And I drifted as my mind drifted back to the first moment I met Obie; my first day on the tank after wrongly being thrown into Bexar County jail for this horrible crime in 2001. Then, various experiences he and I had shared over the years, one after another flooded my mind. ..Suddenly I gasped, somehow able to push back the ocean of tears. I backed away from the wall to breathe and gain control.

Then my mind went back to where my mouth left off at. I didnt want to give him tears. They have had too many of my tears already. No! They werent going to get anymore! I was going to be strong. But I felt so weak. And Obie felt it. He said it. Its all just knocked the air out of me, I told him. But Im focused, I added as feeble as it may have sounded. Obie, its just so messed up.I know. Itsnightmarish. Its-itssurreal, he said.I know I have so many brothers around here watching what happens to me. I have preached to these brothers time and time again over the years to not give up on themselves despite how hopeless the situation seems; to fight for their lives; for their Humanity. And now this. I dont want this to reinforce their fears. I dont want them to say, See! Look at what happened to Reg.

It doesnt matter what you do, they still gonna kill you.(silence)I dont accept this date. Im not trying to hear it, Obie. Theyve got me messed up! With everything I am, EVERYTHING I AM, Im going to fight this. EVERYTHING I AM!After telling him I love him and that I had to get my things packed, I left the wall.The officers came back to the section. Lights came on. The gate popped. They brought the little cart to carry my belongings. And I thought to myself, so much for easing off the section.I didnt want anybody to know that I was going to death watch. I didnt even want anybody to know that I was even on death watch at all. The only thing I wanted them to know is that I got my life back. Not that they were about to take it away. It was all completely humiliating and sick all at the same time.My stuff was packed. I backed to the cage door to get handcuffed, took a deep cleansing breath and stepped into the run. Fighting back that ocean the whole way, I went down the run and woke Tony Medina up. I cringed at having to wake him to this. He came to the door rubbing his eyes. I told him that I was moving to Death Watch and that Ive got a date for Oct.27th. He looked at me and the only thing he said was, Thats fucked up.His neighbor was standing at the door, Juan Reynosa. You moving, man?Yeah, they gave me a date for Oct.27thAh man, thats fucked up! Man! Damnkeep ya head up.Aight ,man, aight, I said. Tears were beginning to breach the levees. A deep breath. I stepped on.Joseph Lave hollered at me from the other end of the run. What cell ya going to?14 cage, I reply.You know, thats my old cage!Joseph was just off of Death Watch and, for whatever reason, made it off.Yeah, I know. And Im trying to come back just like you did! I said.Already! he laughed. Ive been busy but Ill get with you.I was in front of Obies cage. We looked in each others eyes for a moment. I could tell he was taking measure of me. I let him. I wondered if he could see through me. I wondered if I was hiding what I truly felt as much as I thought I was.Youre ugly. he said.  Though I was thinking you know damn well Im not ugly, I couldnt help but smile. Ill catch up with you, I said.Aight.As I was coming down the stairs, I hollered at another prisoner I knew I on the row.

And with a smile that smiled through his words, he said, Holler at me. I thought to myself, why is he smiling? Would he be the one who sends my wife flowers at my funeral to entice her into responding with a Thank you, so that he could respond and try to get her to write again? There are vultures like that around here.Ima holler at the whole world! I returned to him as I walked of the section.Another brother hollers at me from another section in Swahili. I tell him, October 27th!Ahhhhh man! he gave.And shut the door behind me.When I got to Death Watch the whole vibe was different. There are eight people over here right now. Im not saying that they were happy to see me. But it was like my company comforted them to some vague extent. A faint beam of light that found a thin layer of clouds; as thin as a layer of ice that this beam of sunlight stepped upon and fell through.   All of this was mere layers of ice I had to work through. Underneath all this lied the iceburg: How? How can I tell my precious wife that her husband, her baby, that she hasnt even had the chance to properly and officially marry yet has an execution date? How can I tell my queen this? I want to just cry in her arms but I cannot even tell her like that. Im disgusted with the State for even putting me in this situation. How do I tell Mama that they have set the date to kill her baby? (Tears) The weight . God, the weight. I have to tell them. I hate to tell them. My God! I have to.

 

Baby, my precious baby, I love you with my soul. Baby, you know this. (Tears) They set a date for me to die. I despise this day, My Queen. I despise having to tell you this. I despise putting you through this. All I can say is that you are m Queen-Self and I vow to you that I will fight this fight with all that I have. I will not allow them to take me away from my Heaven: You, Queen. My life. My Heaven and my Life. I will have you, My Queen, I will.

Reginald Blanton © 2009

DEATH AND DECEIT

Greetings to youll and Im very thankful that youve taken the time to read these personal words of mine. I wish to bring to youlls attention the deceit and trickery that the death penalty encompasses that not only deceives the condemned but those whom has taken the oath to mete out its maximum punishment. Those twelve jurors whom are citizens whom has also been deceived, duped, deluded. I will attempt to give you each of these words own definition, and at the same time, show you how each of them was so used to sentence me to death. I will also attempt to add some humor in all this, to keep your attention, however, know that this is indeed far from humorous to say the least. But, one must make light of his unfortunate situation, in order to maintain some form of sanity.  Though this will take about a couple of writing to explain and paint a full picture for you, because I wish to explain this all to you with official documents to make my point. Ill begin with the first of three words here.....

Deceived....

Involves falsehood or the deliberate concealment or misrepresentation of truth with intent to lead another into error or disadvantage. Now, what you just read is the complete process of a Capital Murder trial. Or, of the one in which I was processed through. I shall explain, as youll read further through this unimaginable sequence of events.....

Duped....

Involves the playing on ones susceptibilities or naiveté This will involve the jurors, as well as myself, as each of us was taken through a process that weve never been before and was at the mercy of those whom wilfully misguided us and duped us. When a man was sentenced to die, from the actions of twelve people whom was readily influenced, by the powers that be, as well as being played on their emotions. Those whom are unresistant or yielding to law enforcement, and other powerful members i.e. District Attorneys, or Judges, and or expert witnesses.....

Delude....

Involves the deception or misleading to the point of rendering a person unable to detect falsehood or make sound judgement hence, in deciding if one should live or die! ....

Now as you well know, each of those words are synonyms of each other, but they each has their own meaning which will be described in how I was convicted and sentenced to death row in Texas. Though this process is not limited to myself, its an operation of Texas judicial system, when it comes to all poor people charged with crimes. But, when Capital punishment is at stake this is the normal process.....

Sure there is, indeed a crime that has been committed, in which a life or lives has been taken): I for one, is extremely remorseful for my own actions, because they were committed against family member, inlaws, and my beloved wife. So, this has and still does affect me deeply and personally, unlike when the victims are unknown or unrelated to their accused killers. For me, knowing that I have a son, and step daughter that I love deeply, and knows the pain they must be going through to be without their Mother, Father, and as for the victims of my brother inlaw Titue, his beloved kids, as well. This makes it all the more hard for someone like myself. I pray that their hearts are comforted daily by Gods calming love and spirits upon them. For all the families enduring this unfortunate event in their lives. To all the victims and those extended family members. Im deeply regretful for the pain Ive caused in youll lives......

Now as when ones accused of a crime, hes deserving of due process hes entitled to rights still regardless of the acts theyve committed, or accused of committing. I as for one, has owned up to my actions and since the instant it happened, has always wanted to tell my side, explain my actions that caused those lives to be taken so early in theirs. But as the words, Ive listed above will give you a detailed event of why and how I ended up on death row. Not.. because Ive taken two lives. Even though one, was indeed lawfully justified under Texas law, and any other states law to be for sure. Thats the right to defend your own life, when its threatened and under serious attack, as mine was the night these two beautiful lives was taken, and other lives forever destroyed.....    After any crime is committed, theres a process undertaken which is called investigations From the outcome of these investigations, if they are properly done, by both the State, which is law enforcements, and the potential defense team, However way before any defense team is mantled, or formulated, the State has all the so called evidence and any related statements, from witnesses to this crime, from this an indictment is formed. This piece of paper, is the most powerful piece of paper ever. This alleged piece of paper can destroy lives to the fullest! Because its alleging/accusing you of a crime! Now whether these claims are true or not, they will cause you hell. This piece of paper called an indictment outlines all that youve been accused of doing, the crime in which you did commit, or the THINKS youve committed. Often times then not, when it comes to a Capital Murder chargethere will always be instances where added or exaggeration of additional elements to enhance the crime to a Capital murder, this making this person eligible for death penalty. Remember the words I started this off with? Those words starts then, as soon as the so called investigation has begun and completion thereof.....

Have you heard of the word motive? This is what the Police calls, the actions or reasons why one committed their act. If, If infact this motive isnt known, then they will formulate whats called a theory and from their Theory to either a known or unknown motives, this is where those three words listed in the beginning of these writings begins. But it does not stop there! Its continued all throughout the entire process of the trial, from each stage, from Investigation, forming of indictment, which is charging the accused, and into the first stages of selection those potential jurors whom will be methodically selected to serve on the jury. These are called death qualified jurors. Wait, allow me to back up here, I didnt mention to the appointing of counsel when often times the poor has to be appointed counsel. This too, Involves a scheme of delusions. Howso? Well for sure I thoughtId be appointed an attorney, whom would have my best interest at hand! I for sure thought, and was guaranteed that this court appointed lawyer would indeed fight for my rights to, for a fair trial Not only for that, but for my life!!!! Big mistake I made.....

But before I even go into that part, think of it as this, before you can even work with your court appointed counsel, you have to be able, Yourself. Well youll come to know as this story proceeds onward that I wasnt in the best of shape to consult with any lawyers before any proceedings began, because of my severe injuries suffered in the commission of this crime on, sentenced to die for. But, after a couple of major operations, and regaining my sense of self, I did meet one to two times with a man whom would have my life in his hands. And, from the first day, I met him, I expressed my desires to tell my side!! Explain to the jury, my family, my inlaws, family members what truly took place. But I was forbidden from doing this, by again refer back to those three words I listed earlier. Not only I was deceived, the jury was deceived by their jury instructions, the evidence they were told about, which wasnt any evidence at all. All parties was deceived, except for those whom planned and played a part in the cast of actors, as the play unfolded before my eyes in less that a weeks time. It took four days to begin and end this process that landed me on death row! Four days it took, and after fifteen years, Im still in trial court!....

 

I will explain for you all each and every point on how I and the citizens of Texas was deceived in sending me to death row! So this will be continued..... I hope that what youve read thus far will want you to read and know more, understand how a man can be sentenced to death when hes not deserving of death, when the facts and evidence doesnt allow for his life to be taken. When the laws of this state clearly says that, under certain crimes, committed, those persons whom committed that a crime shouldnt have his life taken, but be punished in another form/fashion,.. But from Deceiving the jury, Duping the condemned and Deluding everyone, time and time again this takes place here in Texas, men and women are sentenced to die from their juries being deceived, deluded and duped! .... I shall bring this to a close for now, and continue to gather more supporting evidence to back these claims. Not just hear my words, but to show that were all deceived into death her in Texas!!!!....

Id like to hear any comments from anyone who reads this, and challenge me on your own thoughts, feelings or emotions, and the law on what I shared with you. Im only wanting to educate and at the same time, expose my injustices, not just mine, but all of Texas condemned. I can only do this with my own case, for an example. I shall attempt to make this as simple as I can and help you to follow along and understand what all I share with you about Texas deceitful death penalty. Until Next time. ....

Written by Willie Trottie, Texas Deathrow Prisoner

PLEASE VISIT WILLIES SITE FOR MORE INFO.

WILLIE TROTTIE 999085

POLUNSKY UNIT D/ROW

3872 FM 350 SOUTH

LIVINGSTON

TEXAS 77351

USA

If you would like to Donate to Willie, please go to JPAY,all the information you need is in Willies address.

DO LAWYERS EVER RESPOND TO PRISONERS?

I want to tell you all about what is happening to me at the moment. I got a letter from my lawyer on 12th July 2010. let me explain to everyone on how I got my lawyer and who he is. His name is Jerome Godinich Jr, Now let me explain on how I got one of the worst appeal lawyers on my case.  When I got here in 2004, I had another lawyer (which I thought was good) who was appointed to me as my appeal attorney. He came up here to visit me letting me know that he was my appeal attorney and also to let me know that he will have his partner on my case as well. This was the the only visit that I got from him, but I did get a few letters from him. He also sent me a copy of the brief that he did for me, and it was good, brought up a lot of good issues. So we were just sitting back playing the waiting game. Around the end of 2008, I got a letter from lawyer, stating that he has filed to the courts, so he can get off my case, so he and his partner can be the head district attorney (D.A) and that the judge granted him that. So he told me because he is now a D.A he wont have nothing to do with my case, but that the court will appoint me a new appeal lawyer, and that I should be hearing from him or her soon. So I wait for about 6 months, nothing, so what I did was write to Texas defender service (TDS) asking them if they can help me out on finding out who my lawyer is or if I even had a lawyer. I also broke it down to them of what I was going through. T.D.S wrote to me on June 15th 2009 telling me that Jerome Godinich was appointed to my case on January 28th 2009. I was like what the hell. He has been appointed to be my lawyer for 6 months if not longer and I still haven't heard from him at all, do you think that's right? Hell naw it aint.

I let someone here look at the letter that I got from TDS and it so happens that the person who seen the letter has the same lawyer (Jerome Godinich Jr)and has been trying to get him off his case. He told me “Man get this fool off your case”, he also said this is the same lawyer that the newspapers has been talking about, that he has been filing people briefs late. I have read a few things that the papers has been saying. By him not letting me know he was my lawyer for already 6 months was telling me a lot LACTION. (speak louder than words) So I wrote to him asking him why is it that I had to go through the TDS to find out that he was my lawyer. I also told him that I didn't approve of that, I also told him that I asked about him and everything that I heard about him and everything I heard about him was trash and by him not writing to me shows me that it must be true, but I also told him that I wasn't going to go by that, so if he could write to me and guess what happened? NOT A DAMN THING. I didn't hear from him! I wrote to him 3 more times, nothing, I even told him that I was sending copies of letters to the courts, which I did, STILL NOTHING, so I wrote to TDS again asking them what should I do, I didn't hear anything back from TDS, So I didnt know what to do. I even had a friend of mine try to call him, she was unable to get a hold of him. Well after a while I got a visit from him and his partner Amy D.Martin. He was telling me who he was. I asked him a few questions. But the main reason he was there was because the Judge wanted to know the next day, what I wanted to do. She wanted to know if I wanted to stay in Harris County. I also told him that I would like for him to keep me updated on things with my case. I said look I wont write to you all the time, But when I do, for him to write to me back. I don't expect for him to come here to see me, but if I have a question for him to answer it, and if he does not know it, for him to find out for me, he is my lawyer. He told me that he can respect that. Well guess what? I wrote to him after that and you guessed it, never heard back from him. Then Amy Martin came up here to see me, just to see how I was doing. I asked her why hasn't Jerome written back to me, she said that he has been busy, so she gave me her card and told me to write to her, well I did that, and also nothing, So I had a friend (the same one) call her. Nothing. So she is doing the same thing that Jerome is doing, not answering.

So I just sat back to think about what I'm going to do. It's not too easy to get rid of a lawyer. Well guess what I get this letter on 12th July 2010 now remember all this shit I have told you, in this letter, he don't talk about nothing, all he does is offer to order me a book or a magazine, what the hell, all this time I have been waiting to hear from him and when he finally writes he offers to order me a book or magazine, NOTHING, about my case or why he hasn't written, but do you want to know the funny part (not really funny) is he knows that I have the Atkins issue, now how would it look like for my lawyer ordering me a book knowing that I have this issue, I know it don't make sense at all.   I wanted to share this with you all, just so you can see what kind of lawyers that I'm dealing with, not just me but a lot of us. I sent out that letter so my friend can make copies so I will be putting a copy up on the blog as well.

One of the letters that Tomas sent to his lawyer.   .

LETTER FROM TOMAS; LAWYER.

WRITTEN AND SENT TO US BY A TEXAS DEATHROW PRISONER.  TOMAS GALLO

TOMAS GALLO 999469
POLUNSKY UNIT
3872 FM 350 SOUTH
LIVINGSTON
TEXAS 77351
USA

If you would like to make donations for Tomas, please go to JPAY  you will need to register, then you will need Tomas, information Tdc number 999469 and his name. 

WHY DO TEXAS DEATHROW INMATES NEED DONATIONS AND WHY

Struggle comes in all shapes and sizes, It can be self-imposed or the embracement of other peoples struggles, but no matter which its struggle. Since I've been on Texas DeathRow I've not only embraced, but stood up and fought against this killing machine and the inhumane conditions.With the fighting came repercussions and repressionary tactics that's used to break the spirit of the fighter.  Due to my focus on this struggle, in my 4 and a half years on death row, I've never taken time to focus getting myself the necessary sustenance to survive like any normal human being while I'm here. I've had a couple of donations request put on the site, but none that specified what type of aid that's needed, and why it's needed.

Death Row inmates are not allowed to work. Even if we were Texas Department of corrections (TDC) does not pay its prisoners for their labour or "modern day slavery" TDC issues 1 roll of toilet paper, and 4-5 bars of soap, that's roughly 1 inch by 2 inch sometimes on a weekly basis, mostly only when available. These bars and roll are supposed to last at least 7 days or more, although its only no more than 5 bars and we're allowed to shower 7 times a week. These are the only items of hygiene that TDC issues to its prisoners, everything else from toothpaste to stamps (even soap) is sold in the prison store/commissary. No money, no hygiene.  As far as clothes. TDC issues 1 pair of socks, and I pair of shorts, with 2 strings on each side and a small strip of Velcro on the front, for what they call boxers. The socks usually smell like feet from the previous wearer or have holes at the heel and or toe. The boxers can only be described as RAGS They're dirty brown, old, and almost never have the strings to tie them on. Socks, T.Shirts, boxers, shorts, and thermal shorts and pants are all sold in the prison commissary. TDC does not wash prisoners personal clothing, only the ones that's issued. So we have to wash our own clothing, using the soap that's issued (the 5 bars) or soap purchased off the prison commissary.

TDC raises their own food, from vegetables to beef, pork, and chicken. Every unit is fed differently because inmates are also the cooks. Polunsky unit is served a lot of pork, pork chops, pork sausage etc etc. Pork is served on average of 12 meals, out of 21, we're served out the week 7 of those are breakfast, mainly pancakes. I don't eat pork!! Im fed a pork free diet where beans are substituted for the pork. This is a tray full of various beans, pinto, butter, black-eyed peas, or lima beans, On numerous occasions ive found rocks, yes rocks, in the beans. When I receive this tray it sometimes , reminds me of the movie "LIFE" with Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, when they were eating that tray full of beans and piece of cornbread.Then "Goldmouth" asked Martin, "You goin eat yo cornbread? Classic scene!!

The only choice of sustance I have is to eat the gravel filled beans or purchase food from the prison commissary. So what it boils down to is to live unhealthy and unhygienic or paying for the opportunity to live some what decent while I fight for my life.  The need for stamps and the cost goes without saying. Correspondence is the number One stress and depression releaver I have. To write family and friends, while knowing they're there to keep me sane, does wonders to keep my spirits up and the fight for my life Alive.

I ask anyone Reading this, that's able, to help with any type of aid possible, I know the numerous games played by prisoners, but I pride myself on my integrity and loyalty when keeping it real with my friends and supporters.

WRITTEN BY A TEXAS DEATHROW PRISONER.
CHRISTOPHER YOUNG 999508
POLUNSKY UNIT D/ROW
3872 FM 350 SOUTH
LIVINGSTON
TEXAS 77351
USA

CHRISTOPHERS WEBSITE             CHRISTOPHERS MYSPACE

If anyone would like to make donations please go to JPAY  you will need to register, also you will need the inmates name, tdc number and prison, which is Christopher Young,  999508, polunsky unit Texas