First… in light of some questions in letters received this month….
How does FDRAG work?
On an every day basis, we are five moderators talking together and making decisions, and in cases where we do not know what to do or where to go, we have a few lawyers who are helpful with advice, which channels to use and procedures to follow etc.
When it comes to actions, Abe is always there to help out and we have a few, but reliable reporters when we need to take things a bit further. All in all over time we have built a network of good contacts.
As for the newsletters and what is put in them!
Some of you like the new turn it has taken, a few of you do not like it at all, and some like some things and some like others. The whole thing is fine with US as this newsletter is YOURS, and the more you voice your opinion the less we have to voice ours. What would be nice though: If you do not like what it is in it, please suggest what you would like to see instead, OR, even better, submit your own. This newsletter kind of creates itself, what is in it is what is being suggested/sent to to us!
Now, to something completely different, but something that needs to be addressed.
Just like you have to complain and try to change things via some official channels (which mostly is nothing but a waste of time and with no results whatsoever- we DO know that), in that same manner do we have to make sure we have a paper trail to show that we DID indeed try the official channels first. It is, for instance, harder to approach the media with prisoner abuse issues without having the proof that we did try to talk to the proper authorities first. There is no doubt that those who abuse their position, whether they are soldiers or guards, do what they do because their superiors are bad role models and do nothing to stop them!
Besides, giving people the benefit of the doubt is not that bad at all, and God can still move in places where no man can even go.
The bottom line is that we need to do things through the proper channels, (which by the way does not mean we don’t know what is going on). And at least until it has been proven by lack of result or action, that it is fruitless – then, and only then, is it time to take it further. It might take time, but we need to do it the correct way. All we have to build on is our “character” as a group. Ours is still intact – let’s keep it that way.
For the very few of you who do not like the political turn in the newsletter, that is fine too, but the fact is, that your situation, whether that being under the sentence of death or just being treated in a way no human being should ever be treated, it is all political. It is all about power and abuse of this same power.
And it will continue to be political, and will not go away, even if we go back and don’t have any opinion about anything at all… God bless and KEEP all of you…Hannah
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Summary by Month
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Month
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Daily Avg
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Monthly Totals
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Hits
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Files
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Pages
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Visits
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Sites
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KBytes
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Visits
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Pages
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Files
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Hits
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May 2004
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328
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289
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46
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27
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717
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138667
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846
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1446
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8982
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10190
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Apr 2004
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304
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261
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40
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22
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744
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123684
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673
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1219
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7858
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9120
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Art, Poetry and opinions from behind the walls
FDRAG: WHAT IT MEANS TO ME – US?
I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m not the dullest, either; so when it finally dawned on me what FDRAG actually is, and what it could become – man, I got excited…. Finally!! I’m not sure I even realize the full potential of our newsletter yet, but I realize this: FDRAG’s potential is a lot more than what prisoners have allowed it to become. With the right input, direction, focus, and support from both sides of the brick, our newsletter has the ability not only to change and improve our living conditions and secure our basic human rights, but actually set precedent throughout the country and improve conditions and human rights for other death rows as well. This newsletter, in reality, is a powerful mechanism that can unify us and our voice as one coherent force to improve not only our conditions, but all three (3) death row units in Union, Bradford, and Broward County, Florida; but we don’t focus our attention this way.
Thanks to a small handful of dedicated spirits, volunteers and supporters outside, coupled with the Internet, our voice and condition travel as it never has before in the history of Florida death rows. Can you imagine what we could do with this newsletter if the majority of our legal minds (PRISONERS) together with the majority of our family, friends, and loved ones supported FDRAG with more money and volunteers, and information supplied by us, not only detailing our conditions inside, but detailing what our people and all of us can do to combat our abuses, and move as one instrument? Some of the most brilliant minds I have ever met in my life are locked inside these cages. We have sweet legal pens wasting away back here – prisoners, who know the DOC, FAC, state and federal procedure like it was the back of their hand, but they are disgusted and frustrated that we won’t stand up and support ourselves and each other, even for our own benefit on issues we can win if we just exhaust our institutional remedies and move towards Charlie together. Some of our greatest legal pens have actually allowed their pens to rust and dry because they can’t get our support behind them. They need ammunition to load, but we leave them twisting in the wind.
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The greater disservice we do to ourselves besides not working together, and focusing FDRAG better, is allowing our legal pens in these cages to become discouraged, die, and fall silent for Prisoners’ Rights. We desperately need these cons to secure our rights and conditions, and they would just love to put it on Charlie for us in a class action with mass attachments of exhausted grievances, and copies of letters our people wrote to the DOC, legislators, and news media, showing everything we could, we did to obtain justice. Donations could be taken through our newsletter to fund legal filing fees for our legal pens. There are attorneys and organizations on the outside who would champion our cause. With greater financial support, participation, and focus, we could have more than ten (10) pages in our newsletter, longer articles, sections where legal sound-offs could detail pertinent information from our legal pens, informing us what wording to include in our grievances, teaching us how to file properly. Sections, where both sides of the brick can inform us as to problem areas they are experiencing; sections that inform our supporters on the outside what to do and how to do things. Our people outside must also take action with us as this is the most effective means of influencing public officials, especially elected officials who are mindful and effected by the actions of voting, tax-paying citizens. Areas, where public officials pay prisoners little mind (we can’t vote against them), they will pay attention to voices who can. But we don’t focus our attention this way – let’s present strategies, and suggest actions to improve our living conditions. I urge all of us, whatever your talent is, especially our legal pens, to get involved with FDRAG. We need both sides of the brick to support our newsletter, because together is the only way we’re STRONG, divided we’re conquered and subdued. The Stronger FDRAG is, the stronger we become!!! FDRAG: What it means to me – what does it mean to you??
MERCY UCI
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From behind the walls continued-
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More for the
orphanage
thanks to
Anthony
LaMarca
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This beautiful drawing, created by John Campos,
was sent From Okeechobee Correctional Institution.
The men there tell us they read our newsletter too 
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This Awesome Tiger was a gift from John Freeman FSP
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And……more from behind the walls
Kiss my soft side
Look inside my heart I have nothing to hide
The pain the anger the suffering
I have no one in whom I can confide
At night my eyes burn
From the tears that runs down
In the day my mouth is dry
For in hell there is always crying sound…
My mind has a pain that will not go away
Some say it is a headache some say
It is the noise
Either it be it seems to stay…
To God I often pray looking for a way out
15 ½ years later I sit in misery
Sometimes in doubt
I reach out to my children
Desperately trying to be a father
They don’t write they don’t try
In my heart I know that I should not bother
My daughter’ mother is hooked on crack dying
From AIDS she don’t give a damn
My sons’ mother is bitter, full of hate
Wants me to beg and suffer but that’s not
Who I am
I don’t k now who hates me more
My kids or their mothers
Maybe the bitch ass judge, prosecutor, detective
Trial lawyers or these others
I’m tired, its time to cut lose the past
Why should I try, why would I cry
Why should I kiss anyone’s ass?
Someone said Saifullah your talk is too much
Your words are too hard
You must pretend to be gentle on the outside
For what fool?
I don’t have a damned thing to hide
Here’s a taste, so kiss my soft side…
SAIFULLAH YHWH UCI
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And…even more from behind the walls
The following letter is written by Doug McCray and is addressed to John Spenkelink, the first prisoner in Florida to be executed in the current death penalty era. John Spenkelink was killed the 25th of may 1979. John and Doug were best friends, back when there were less than ten men on Death row in Florida. Doug was on the row from 1974 until 1991, a period of 18 years and 8 days and is now at Sumter!
Dear Spenk,
May 25, 1979—twenty-five years; a quarter of a century, and yet, I can find no greater injustice than your execution, than your loss. It is as though I carry a wound, unhealing, which becomes exacerbated with each execution of those men and women who must live within much human suffering and carnage, while simultaneously grasping the paralytic fear of their childhood: the nexus of poverty, alcoholism, drugs, illiteracy, parental neglect and abandonment, and buttressed by the sheer awfulness of mental illness.
Twenty-five years; a quarter of a century. And there’s been absolutely no change in the administering of the death penalty. The types of humans who occupied death rows at the time of your execution remain, still—with one exception: those condemned prisoners with severe mental retardation/illness have not the chance for survival. Society merely wishes payment for our violent acts, no matter the circumstances.
Premeditation increases the gravity of one’s offense, but twenty-five years later, a quarter century following your execution, this society nevertheless continues to kill to show that killing is wrong. This, sadly, incorporates popular belief that we are on of the, if not the, most violent society to exist, ever. But in spite of this, our society clings fervently to the belief that its actions are morally just, epitomizing the only response to wanton acts by violent behavior.
Obviously, I survived, Spenk—over eighteen years of death row confinement. In our musings at night, you were adamant that I would live; I was likewise with beliefs in your survival. Abut there’s no greater pain to befall another than being incorrect regarding human life, Spenk. And now, within tears, I find it unfathomable that you were killed. Truly, I knew not of the level of anger which this society possessed, and possesses, still.
There were so few survivals on 2 north, R-wing: Ernest Dobbert, Johnny Witt, James Henry, David Funchess, James Adams, all executed, Spenk.
Spenk, prison is merely a microcosm of society, and within this structured environment I have been educating prisoners; I carry the awesome reality in having witnessed, for untold years, any number of condemned prisoners who could not read pleadings forwarded by attorneys. For some, many were executed without the slightest knowledge of what, exactly, legal documents revealed.
I tutor boot camp prisoners in obtained the GED. I also teach GED English to population youth. You would be proud of me, Spenk.
As would my victim, Mrs. Mears. For while not being able to atone for taking Mrs. Mears’ life, I believe strongly that we honor out victims best by becoming the best human possible, and by assisting other humans.
Spenk, your final request was that death penalty opponents were to continue the struggle to rid society of this archaic form of punishment. This they have done diligently, forever there, educating society and attempting to reveal that, although taking that which is sacrosanct, that which is irreplaceable—human life—condemned prisoners nevertheless retain the gift of humanity. For life, all life, is precious beyond all else.
Spenk, those who remain on death row must believe in miracles, must believe that they can change—not only for themselves, but for the countless victims we left behind. I have changed, and God has forgiven me; I know that Mrs. Mears has, too. For I breathe with her breath. Those occupying death row cells must grow, and grow.
Spenk, those who remain upon death row are encouraged by the remembrance of your strength and courage. They should likewise adhere to the principle that hope indeed springs eternal from the human breast; hope comes from within. They should be encouraged by the fact that countless ex-death row prisoners are doing well within a population setting. There are those too who were released from death row and have since been paroled. There is much to hope for.
Twenty-five years, a quarter century, and this society has not learned that the death penalty is merely a short-sighted manifestation of society’s frantic search for a panacea for all crime. Indeed, John Blackwelder is being killed on the anniversary of your death. When will we learn, Spenk? When will we grow to accept that all life is sacrosanct?
Once more, I remain committed to writing positive result from having taken human life. Were each condemned prisoner to incorporate this within their daily regimen, within each breath, this would alleviate the seemingly absolute need to kill those who have killed.
Someday, perhaps, I will reflect of you and state, unequivocally, that we are indeed a kinder, gentler, nation.
God bless you, Spenk, and hope to those countless prisoners languishing upon death rows throughout this country.
Sincerely
Doug
Picture of John Spenkelink - found on DOC’s web page
We wanted to put in one of “Doug” McCray too, but his wife said that he would hate that, since all of you look like criminals on those “dreadful” mug shots. Wonder what on earth she means by that?
And if it could possibly have anything to do with the fact that you are not allowed to smile?????
Florida Death Row Advocacy Group
137 N Walnut St
Box 10
Starke, FL 32091
Copyright ©2004 FDRAG - All rights reserved.
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