Community Alliance Newspaper
Letters to the Editor

September 2009 Letters:

I just read the June issue and really enjoyed it. One article especially caught my attention. The Glen Beaty story. My story is almost identical. I received a life sentence under three strikes and my case is out of Orange County. I was sitting on some church steps and was approached and attacked by two officers who later blamed me for a bloody nose one of them received. I had no one to help me even though I tried to get my attorney to investigate, and now I've been down seven years so far.

Robert Alan Wilson
CSATF/State Prison at Corcoran

[note from the editor: Glen Beaty is the homeless man that was beaten by a Fresno police officer while another one held him down. He had been asleep under a tree before being approached by the two officers. The video of this incident was shown around the world. Beaty is still in the Fresno County Jail but has never been charged with a crime in that incident. He has been ordered to a state mental hospital in Atascadero, where I suspect Fresno officials would like him to stay - at least until the incident is forgotten or he agrees not to file charges. In the meantime, Beaty has been in a crowded jail cell since February 2009 where he is only allowed to get out to exercise one hour a week. This case cries out for justice.]

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Well done once again with your August edition. As always, very informative. After reading this edition, I said to myself, "I'm going to write and make a comment about an article within this edition." Mr. Boston Woodard deserves my voice.

Like Mr. Woodard I'm also in solitary confinement, which is actually called Administrative Segregation. I know my circumstances are not the same as Mr. Woodard, but nevertheless, here I sit. The infraction that caused me to be placed in Ad/Seg is one that normally would not cause one to be placed in here, but here I sit.

With that said, let me tip my hat off to Mr. Woodard; he deserves it very much so. We need more convicts like him, but unfortunately they have become a dying breed. Many changes have taken place over the years within these walls and were not done for the benefit for those of us inside. We moved on along with these changes but in the process of moving we forgot to bring our First Amendment Rights along with us. Needless to say, this is what Mr. Woodard fell victim to.

When one speaks out alone, on a "one man crusade," it is like swimming in the ocean by oneself. You know the sharks are eventually going to come after you sooner or later. What you reported had to have validity otherwise why bother with you?

Mr. Woodard lost his freedom to move as one pleases. We the general population lost a loud voice. To big of a pair of shoes for anyone else to fit. No, I'm not saying not to let your voice be heard, far from that. We must choose the substance of our words so that they can carry the changes which are needed in these places. But we also have to understand one voice alone, can only carry so far.

I hear you loud and clear Mr. Woodard. Do not let your voice become silent. Remember not everyone likes the words we speak. The consequences of their dislike will be felt with more than words. Pick and choose your fights carefully. You are not alone, I'm swimming in the ocean with you.

Jeffrey D. Young
Avenal State Prison

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Susan's letter to the editor, appearing in the August 2009 edition of the Community Alliance, hits on a very valuable point which all of those who wish to make a progressive change should note. She points out that the numbers are overwhelmingly in favor of state prisoners and their friends and families.

The California Constitution, Articles 2, 4, deprives the right to vote only to incarcerated felons and parolees - those who have not yet discharged their CDCR numbers. Once a parolee successfully completes his/her parole, that person regains the right - and civil duty, I believe - to vote.

Many of us come from large families and have maintained contact with them throughout our periods of incarceration. Many of our family and friends have criminal records. And, unfortunately when the opportunity comes around to make a positive change in our legal system (e.g., 3 strikes, Proposition 9) we sit back and wait for the bad news, not bothering to get the word out to our people, mistakenly believing that they, with their own criminal pasts, cannot vote to help us out. And we fall short at the ballot boxes, often just barely.

Now, the good news. There are at least 150,000 state prisoners behind bars on any given day. If each of us knew and would bother to recruit the help of just six or seven family members and friends on the streets, we would add roughly a million more votes for our cause on Election Day! Considering the slim margins in recent election results, those extra million votes would do us quite well in the next round.

Your brothers and sisters, aunts and uncle, step and foster siblings, friends and neighbors who once served time and are now off of parole can vote again. Odds are good that they are unaware of this fact. Let's do ourselves a favor and tell them that they are not powerless to help. Let's keep them informed of the upcoming propositions that seek to increase our misery in California's prison system. Let's ask them to consider voting no on all the disastrous laws that our captors seek to impose upon us. Our friends and loved ones do have a voice out there. We just have to tell them about it and ask that they use it with a shout.

Daniel W. Womack
CSATF/State Prison at Corcoran

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