By BitcoDavid As most of you know, DeafInPrison.com has been working tirelessly, on the release of Felix Garcia, the innocent Deaf man, imprisoned for 30 years thus far, in Florida. We have written countless pieces on his situation, been in constant contact with Pat Bliss, the paralegal who has been working on this case for […]
By Pat Bliss This is not a normal posting about deaf prisoners, but my friend BitcoDavid is an avid dog lover so I have combined the two. These dogs inside prisons are trained to be service dogs for wheelchair people, autistic children, PTSD vets and facility dogs for hospitals and nursing homes. They come from […]
By Jean F. Andrews Reading continues to be one of the major obstacles for deaf adults in obtaining their Constitutional Rights. Reading court and legal documents is next to impossible. Even with a sign language interpreter the concepts are difficult to grasp. In the ivory tower the debate is whether the reading process is qualitatively […]
By BitcoDavid This story has nothing to do with our stated mission, but I’m a dog lover who grew up in Evergreen, Co., and I can’t let a national story about both – in synchronicity – go unnoticed. Of course, in my day, there was no 4700 block of Pine Road. In fact, I don’t […]
By Supporter Contributor Daphne Holmes The juvenile justice system in the United States operates under a different set of standards than the adult criminal justice system. In order to make distinctions between the actions undertaken by minors and the crimes committed by adults, the two methods of dispensing justice are completely separate from one another, […]
By BitcoDavid I can’t say enough about Marlee Matlin‘s appearance at Bunker Hill C0mmunity College in Charlestown, today. She was funny, enlightening, open, friendly and entertaining. She’s overcome much to enjoy the success she does, and her message transcends the Deaf community and speaks to the underdog in us all. Ms. Matlin’s parents were supportive […]
By Supporter Contributor Emily Syane While the media and social networks teem with inspirational stories about deaf individuals and the deaf community, few people outside the community know about its dark side. One such topic few people discuss it drug abuse. Deaf and hard of hearing people are at higher risk for drug and alcohol […]
By BitcoDavid Thursday, February 27, 2014 A300 Auditorium Program begins at 1:00 p.m. Book signing to follow Free and Open to the Public – Online registration is required. Winner of an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actress, and author of I’ll Scream Later and Deaf Child Crossing, Marlee Matlin will speak about the […]
By Supporter Contributor Andrew Lisa According to the Centers for Disease Control, 35.7 percent – more than one third – of American adults are obese. Defined for adults as having a body mass index – or BMI – of 30 or higher, obesity has long been known as the foundation for a range of serious […]
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 Pat Bliss Heather Hardy is one of the individuals who wrote our petition for Felix Garcia’s pardon. She recently completed recording the song she wrote to accompany that petition. She is currently seeking an interpreter to facilitate the production of a video of the song, which we will publish here, upon its completion. Until […]
By Jean F. Andrews Deaf people are treated unfairly by housing leasing staff, according to a front-page story in the Houston Chronicle, January 27, 2014 by news reporter Jayme Fraser. In fact, office managers are reported to have rudely hung up on deaf inquirers who call in using relay interpreters. Why is this situation still happening in this […]
By Supporter Contributor Carol Finkle [Editor’s Note: Carol Finkle is our newest Supporter Contributor. The following is a letter she wrote to Ms. Harris-Perry following a broadcast about the difficulties faced by Transgender inmates. I edited the letter for a general audience, and to be more within our AP style guidelines. The original can be […]
By BitcoDavid HEARD will be celebrating its 3rd year, on Tuesday, February 18th at 6:30 PM, Eastern. The event will be held at D.C. Public Library, Tenley-Friendship Branch, 4901 V Street NW. There will be speakers, a new class of interns announced and the Al Jazeera documentary will be screened. Embedded below is the FaceBook […]
By BitcoDavid Derrick Coleman is the first Deaf NFL player. He has been featured in inspirational commercials, and has helped bring the Seattle Seahawks to the Superbowl against the Denver Broncos. Here’s a letter written to Mr. Coleman by a young girl. BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he […]
By Pat Bliss After visiting with Felix on Sunday, January 5th I drove to Tallahassee. I took a route I had not traveled before, which took me through mid-Florida flat land compiled mainly of horse farms and training establishments for horse racing. I actually enjoyed it, and allowed enough time to get to Tallahassee before […]
By BitcoDavid What if there were a program that benefited the disabled community, cut down on prison recidivism, and rescued animals? Oh wait, there is. A number of states are now exploring programs where inmates can care for and train adopted service dogs. In one example, C.H.A.M.P. Assistance Dogs Inc. has partnered with Missouri Department […]
By BitcoDavid In Nowhere Man in a Nowhere Land, by Jean F. Andrews, we told the story of Junius Wilson. He was a Deaf, Black man living in the Jim Crow South. He spent 76 years in the State Hospital for the Colored Insane – wrongfully charged with rape. On February 11th, HEARD and the Disability […]
By BitcoDavid Prison is a horrible place, and an even more horrible concept. But I would propose that perhaps it is we who suffer most when our friends and loved ones find themselves chewed up in the soulless machine that is America’s Criminal Justice System. Now, as always – I would preface this article with […]
By Pat Bliss Before my leaving for Florida to be with Felix on Christmas day, I received a phone call saying, “I need help, I can’t get it together.” A letter came a couple days later. “I can’t seem to get a grasp of reality… why can’t I get out of here? Why can’t I […]
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