“I am so happy to be in Virginia. These people are real respectful and these guys are huge. I am probably the littlest guy here. I cried because I have never experienced such kindness from security. They treat me like a person.”
By BitcoDavid We haven’t had a digest post in quite a while, but when enough news happens in a short period of time, it becomes necessary to cover it in a single post. First off, this past Thursday, October 1st was Felix Garcia‘s birthday. Pat Bliss sent me the following: October 1st is Felix’s birthday. […]
By Jean F. Andrews Recently, I covered the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf, in Greece. Here’s an update on that story. In the Maryland Bulletin (Spring, 2015, p. 12), James E. Tucker, Superintent of the Maryland School for the deaf in Frederick, Maryland wrote about the recent lack of sign language interpreters […]
By BitcoDavid Pat Bliss sent me the following via e-mail: Felix arrived at the Wakulla prison yesterday to begin his new venture in Special Programming known as a transitional program or Lifer’s Program. He was sent there by the parole commission at his parole hearing in November 2014. It is an 18 month program. Last […]
By BitcoDavid People often ask me why I write so much about the Florida DOC. Perhaps the best answer would be that it’s the single worst corrections system in the United States – and nowadays, that’s the same as saying in Uganda. Growing up, I was taught that here, in the U.S., we don’t torture, […]
By BitcoDavid Since we launched this Web site, almost 3 years ago, we’ve been reporting on cases where the police have beaten or jailed a Deaf person, because they didn’t realize that Sign language is not a threat. We’ve called for training of officers, and tried to post suggestions for Deaf citizens during police interactions. […]
By BitcoDavid Pat Bliss has informed me that the option for clemency for Felix Garcia is not dead, after all. She states that the possibility exists for a new clemency hearing, in December. What’s more, she tells me that there’s been a renewed interest in the case, amongst members of Florida’s justice system. She has […]
By BitcoDavid The 2013 World Champion Boston Red Sox will begin a program of ASL training for all players, according to principal owner, John Henry. Henry said, “This has nothing to do with communication. It occurred to me and to [team manager] John Farrell, that ASL would be a good way for our players to […]
By BitcoDavid Yesterday, the Senate passed the sorely needed Smarter Sentencing Act. Supporters of the law came from both sides of the aisle, but the act is opposed by the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, who believe that Federal mandatory sentencing is a necessary tool for minimizing crime and aiding prosecutors. The truth is, […]
By BitcoDavid Former Parchman Farm warden passes at 67 Donald Cabana was the warden of what many consider to be the harshest prison in the United States. He was also a staunch anti-death penalty advocate. He was known for saying, “There is a part of the warden that dies with his prisoner.” — NYT. In […]
By BitcoDavid This has nothing to do with the Deaf, or with the Justice System. But nonetheless, it’s an obituary that I am truly saddened to post. On October 20th, the legendary Hilltop Steak House will close its doors. I courted my wife there – or should I say, she courted me, being the member […]
By BitcoDavid Herman Wallace is best known as one of the Angola 3. Sites like Prisonmovement’s Weblog and Moorbey’z Blog have spent years trying to get him released from solitary confinement in Louisiana. Early on Friday, October 4th, Herman Wallace passed away, after a long battle with cancer. He was 71 years old. Wallace was a […]
By BitcoDavid One of my guilty pleasures is reading Rumpydog. Rumpy is a Malamute who lives with several other dogs and cats, all of whom were rescues. Even more so than Jack – but don’t let him know I said it – Rumpy is a fabulous writer and photographer, as well as a very photogenic model. […]
By BitcoDavid My good friend and journalistic mentor MadMike, posted this today on his awesome site. US Department of Justice Ends 75 Years of Marijuana Prohibition Finally, the United States government is recognizing what millions of people have know for years: there’s a huge demand for pot, and no amount of regulation will keep it […]
By BitcoDavid From our Author’s page: McCay Vernon is the inspiration behind DeafInPrison.com. Upon learning of Felix Garcia’s plight in Florida, Vernon contacted Joanne Greenberg about writing a book regarding the struggles of Deaf inmates. Ms. Greenberg liked the idea, but thought a Blog site may be a more effective method of reaching an audience. […]
By BitcoDavid Wow! What a week last week was! Three important milestones took place last week. Some good news is definitely welcome. Up until now, phone companies and the institutions themselves have profited off inmates use of phones. The rates inmates and their families have been charged for calls can be as much as 10 […]
By BitcoDavid AlterNet just posted a piece on certain states enacting laws against baggy pants. I’d have filed this story under humor if I was kidding – but I’m not. Cities around the country including Cocoa Beach, FL, Lynwood, IL, Boston, New York City and Shreveport, LA have enacted – or are in the process […]
By BitcoDavid Here at DeafInPrison.com, we’re not above admitting to a mistake. After all, we make so few of them. But alas, to err is Human. Yesterday, we posted the story of a 12 year-old girl who was denied the right to use ASL on a New Jersey school bus. Well, it turns out that […]
By BitcoDavid Our contributor, Jean F. Andrews wrote this as a response to a comment on her last post. After reading it, I thought our readers who had not seen the original comment thread, would be interested in it. It may be useful to those of us who are not parents of Deaf children – […]
By BitcoDavid OK. Spark up a Cohiba and get settled in. Books and Movies We recently did a review of the book, Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman. Well, Netflix is planning a streamed television series based on the book. As many of you may be aware, Netflix is working to position themselves […]
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