Det er bare meg & maset mitt igjen. Dette er et forslag til brev som man kan sende til et individ som har godt betalt for å sitte på sine to kjøttfulle og skyve papirer på Texas Death Row. Fint hvis noen kunne føle seg "kalt" til å spandere et par frimerker på bare å printe ut dette brevet og sende.
Ellers vil jeg gjerne sende dere en URL til noen flunka nye web-sider som jeg og min 16-årige datter har satt opp sammen etter at hun meldte seg inn i et britisk politikk og religionsfritt fellesskap som jobber mot dødsstraff. Sidene er å finne på:
http://www.angelfire.com/ms/philantrop/index.html
Ha en kjempedag alle sammen!
Vennlig hilsen
Turid Sandberg Jacobsen
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April 25, 1999
TDCJ-ID Office of Ombudsman
P.O. Box 99
Huntsville, Texas 77342-0099
U.S.A.
Dear Ombudsman,
I am writing this letter to lodge a formal complaint on behalf of all death
row inmates at Ellis One Unit. This complaint encompasses a number of
issues.
1. Death row inmates are being deprived of the right to attend religious
services.
2. Inmates are being subjected to the humiliating practice of being strip
searched including lifting and spreading in the presence of female guards.
3. Guards doing strip searches are ignoring hygienic practices. There is no
hand washing, nor are gloves being worn when handling inmates
under-garments. Hands should be washed after fingering each inmate's shorts,
or gloves should be changed between each such inspection and certainly
before serving food immediately after handling underwear.
4. Suspension of the work program not only deprives inmates of an avenue of
accomplishing something productive but also eliminates a valuable incentive
for new inmates to exhibit good behavior as a qualification requirement.
Removal of this program after 16 years of positive results with absolutely
no problems can only be viewed as punitive and small minded.
5. Discontinuation of the privilege of "piddling" has to fall in the same
category as suspension of the work program. This activity is covered under
the Ruiz Death Row Activity Plan. To some inmates, production of sale of
crafts provides their only means of support. To take this privilege away and
leave men with no positive activities to relieve stress, anxiety and
loneliness is truly an act of sadism.
6. Many inmates are actively working on their appeals. Denying them the
right to purchase office supplies that are sometimes not available from
commissary, or are less expensive from outside sources is impeding their
ability to work on their appeals. Prohibiting this practice merely forces
inmates to pay the commissary prices or do without supplies that are out of
stock or just not available through commissary. Requiring inmates to send
home all supplies purchased from other sources is an unreasonable request.
They are forced to use their own funds for postage to send away supplies
that they spent their money for, totally in compliance with prison rules.
7. Reduction of recreation time is punitive and very unwise. These men need
physical activity to deal with the stress and to maintain their health both
physical and mental.
8. As the summer approaches and the heat becomes unbearable in the cells,
extra fans be made available for purchase. It is unnecessary for men to die
from heat exposure such as what occurred last summer at Ellis Unit.
I am requesting that all of these seemingly retaliatory changes directed
against persons not in any way connected to misbehavior be carefully
evaluated and reconsidered. I am also requesting that immediate corrective
action be taken.
Thank you for your time and consideration of these urgent matters. I am
aware that your office has ten (10) days in which to respond to this
complaint. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
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