It has been a while since writing a post, but Felix has told me it is okay to write something to his supporters. The last two years have been rough for Felix and the whole world. Covid came upon us so quickly. No one was prepared for it, and no one knew how to deal […]
Felix had his sixth parole hearing in May, but life still goes on in spite of the fact there wasn’t a consideration for parole until 2024. Was Felix disappointed? Oh yes! Quite angry at first, in fact, but fortunately the HEARD organization provided direct communication to lessen the impact and reiterate to Felix their organization’s commitment to continue to support him during the next two years. HEARD is unique and important because this organization is made up of all deaf/disabled people, almost all of whom are native/fluent ASL users.
On August 19, Felix had his 5th parole hearing, this time held over a conference call. I did not have to travel to Florida to appear before the Parole Commission. The outcome was a denial. The next hearing will be in Aug. 2022. When a sentence is handed down, the inmate is given a PPRD. […]
Through Facebook, I had the opportunity to meet a really great person. Jasmine Walker is the young woman who sat down with Ronald Reynolds, a hearing former inmate at Louisana’s Angola Penitentiary. Mr. Reynolds found himself intrigued with ASL, and after learning enough began to teach to other hearing inmates. He soon became aware that […]
As I mentioned in my last post, there has been an investigation underway, on Felix’s case by the State Attorney’s Office in Hillsborough County, Florida, for the last 14 months. They created a special unit to look at cases where there is a claim of innocence. His case is now closed. In other words, Felix […]
There has been an investigation and a review on Felix’s case regarding due process violation by the court not providing Felix with a sign interpreter at his 1983 trial. Hopefully, soon I will be able to share more about it.
Many police, criminal justice and court officials assume the since a deaf person asks for a paper and pencil or a computer screen that they can communicate through writing. This seldom is the case. They typically ask for paper and pencil or the computer screen because they have no other recourse. Routinely police officers and […]
Over the past few years, I’ve been asked to provide language evaluations in cases that involved crimes involving Deaf people against each other, typically domestic violence cases. In several of the cases, the Deaf person with better speech skills would gain control over the police questioning when the arrest occurred, with police becoming more sympathetic […]
Right now as I write this (December 12th) Felix is in his glory seeing all the snow that fell over the past weekend. He said he got 9 inches. He loved it. He thought it would be nice if it would snow all the time. Of course, you are looking at a southerner who was […]
“I like it here.” I hear those words from Felix a lot. He still feels blessed and happy to be in Virginia. I know it has been a very long time since I have written anything on Felix. While it does mean Felix is doing well here in VDOC – thanks in large part to […]
We celebrated Rev. Martin Luther King’s birthday by watching the 90-minute PBS special documentary, ‘I Am Not Your Negro.’ The movie was part celebration, part eye-opener, and part sadness-filled and left us wondering, when will racial hatred stop? Why does the color of one’s skin have to matter? Why do we hate people who look […]
Consider this scenario. During a domestic dispute, a husband who is deaf hits his wife who is also deaf. This occurs in the couple’s kitchen with their young seven-year-old hearing daughter watching such a horrible incident. The assaulting husband flees out the door. The mother, badly bleeding from a mouth cut, calls 911 on video […]
By Pat Bliss I have pretty well kept you all up to date what has been going on in Felix’s life inside prison. You are aware of his move to Virginia DOC in March 2016. But I want you to know how well he is doing, and bring some insight into Deafness. My last visit […]
Book Review: The Language of Light: A History of Silent Voices (2017) by Gerald Shea Yale University Press. New Haven. By Jean F. Andrews This is a history of sign language – “the language of light” – and how Deaf people have fought for centuries for the right to use their language. The controversy of […]
By Jean F. Andrews For many Deaf individuals the parole process is a complex web. And for those Deaf persons who have poor English and sign skills and are not aware of their Constitutional Rights, the stakes are particularly high. What creates this web of confusion? For one, the rules and regulations of the parole […]
Hello to all of Felix’s followers and supporters! It has been many months since my last post, not much had changed except for the fact Felix got a job cleaning the bathrooms and a class opened up in horticulture. It was something new, he enjoyed learning to plant seedlings and take care of his little […]
By Pat Bliss It has been a while since I have posted anything, and I am certain that many of Felix’s supporters are wondering what has happened to him. I understand those thoughts so here, I will fill you in. Since Felix received his transfer from Florida to Virginia last March, he left an environment […]
By Jean F. Andrews Mrs. T., a single mother who is deaf, made a medical appointment when her hearing son complained of headaches and earaches. As a native Signer, Mrs. T. requested a qualified ASL interpreter for the doctor’s office visit. She was informed that a staff audiologist interpret. But the Audiologist was busy with […]
By BitcoDavid Next week, July 12th is a very important anniversary for me. 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. In fact, I almost died. Now, I realize that this post has nothing to do with our stated topics on DeafInPrison.com, but I had to put it up, somewhere. And this seemed […]
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