July update from Shawna

More Artwork from Shawna

Q & A with Shawna

Open sores on women at PV

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/open-oozing-sores-going-untreated-at-perryville-womens-prison-8340864

A yard update

Artwork by Shawna

Artwork is a very relaxing form of therapy for many inmates.  Several have told me they had no idea they could draw or paint until incarcerated and faced with countless hours and nothing to do.  Many inmates sell their artwork to help pay for their legal fees, help their family, pay restitution, and buy needed items from commissary.   Alot of people do not realize inmates must pay a copay for seeing the doctor or PA and their meds so i thought i would add this in here.  Inmates must buy their own shoes too or wear prison issue crocks which may or may not be the correct size.  They also, on Death Row in AZ must buy towels, washcloths, bed linens, blankets, pillows, etc.....many items most assume was "Free".

May's report

AZ in trouble with Judge for noncompliance with DOC, must submit a POC by 6/16

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2016/05/23/montini-aclu-arizona-department-of-corrections/84795350/

Who killed the DP?

http://www.economist.com/node/21684142/print

Shawna asked me to post this story.

Phone Call Update

Shawna wanted me to give a few updates from our call today. 

1.  Shawna is now teaching classes at the prison to women with 1st thru 3rd grade reading levels.  She asked that anyone could send her stories/educational material she can read/use in class, even dictionary things.  I was so elated to hear this!!  

2.  AZ DOC-Perryville   HAS RAN OUT OF TOILET PAPER.  Unbelievable.....Let's hope this doesnt last long!!  Shawna states the prison makes staff pay to wear jeans on Friday, then they get a little stamp on their hands to prove they paid.  Maybe they should use that money to buy some back up toilet tissue. 
Shawna will be sending a letter update soon.   

TEXAS has executed an innocent man.....the DP must be stopped!

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/03/cameron_todd_willingham_prosecutor_john_jackson_charges_corrupt_prosecution.html

Shawna's upcoming appeal

Shawna believes her upcoming appeal will be in Aug 2016.  Now this is not set in stone, alot can happen, and the court system is slower than molasses!  Tentatively that's when she believes it will be filed.  We believe this will be a jaw dropping stunner leaving very little to doubt she had  nothing to do with the crime..  
I have alot to post on the blog yet, i am very busy so i must apologize as i am slow as molasses myself!!  
Big thanks for understanding, big thanks for those using the Shawna Forde email which is  shawnaforde101@yahoo.com   You can send any questions you may have for Shawna there, or questions to Rae concerning Shawna, her case, PV, etc  

I have a question and answer page from Shawna i will try to get posted this pm.

  

Update on Shawna and 30 yard

Shawna on the loss of music icon Prince

Latest phone call with Shawna and new updates

My sincere apologies for leaving folks hanging with the letter concerning JA.  That was not my intention.  I was totally caught off guard by the whole situation and needed some time to further think on the letter and discuss it with Shawna.  
We need to understand, these women live in terrible situations.  Makes little difference whether we think they deserve their situation, we think they are guilty or innocent, we think they created their own mess or not.  The world they live in is one few of us can comprehend unless we have been there.  A group of women in the best of circumstances will  argue and be catty having "drama" among themselves. Many of these ladies are functioning at about a high school level emotionally and with that type of pressure they are under, combined with the crowed unpleasant living conditions and it's the perfect storm for spats, disagreements, etc.   
My concern lies with Shawna, always.  I felt she was angry and upset when writing that update and that it would be in her best interest to cool off.  After talking to her, she did agree with me.  The rest of that letter will not be published.  While I do not represent JA, I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon and bash on her.   She has upcoming litigation and I do not believe that is fair.  It would also invite her to write about Shawna, and keep this type of thing going and that would not be of benefit to either woman.  It would not help ease tension at the prison either.  My wish is not to exploit anyone and i feel that it would be putting Shawna in a position to be exploited by those just wanting to get "the scoop" and/or make a buck from the drama. 
I hope the readers of this blog will therefore understand my lack of desire to participate in perpetuating a hostile continuing situation between the two ladies.  I feel it is my duty to steer Shawna clear of this whole drama and try to promote peace instead.  Shawna has to live in that environment.  She has health issues already and I do not feel this added pressure  is healthy for her.  I do not view Shawna or any of the women i write to with dollar signs in my eyes.  That is repulsive to me.  Shawna is like family and i want what is best for her.  
As usual, i am very behind this time of year. It's planting time in my region. Region 5 for anyone  that gardens.  I am extremely busy this year, even more than most as i try to get my garden put out and work on a living fence surrounding my property.  I am limited physically in how much i can do and also trying to keep up with a large influx of letters from multiple inmates. So, my blogs and pages may suffer some as i try to keep correspondence with the inmates updated and garden but i am definitely still here.  I will post the new 30 yard update within the next few days.   Thanks for understanding. Be blessed.   

Solitary Confinement

It is easy to forget that, as well as being sentenced to death, Shawna was for a long time in solitary confinement, a cruel and unusual punishment in itself. The following video, produced by
The Guardian newspaper gives us the opportunity to experience solitary confinement for ourselves in the comfort of our own homes. I found it extremely upsetting and I can't begin to understand how Shawna and thousands of other prisoners in the US and elsewhere can not only survive it but can lead positive and uplifting lives.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2016/apr/27/6x9-a-virtual-experience-of-solitary-confinement

Shawna's update, part 1 & 2 of 9 pages

i will contine with the rest of this later, there are 9 pages in all

Death Penalty Use in 2015 Declines Sharply

Death Penalty Use in 2015 Declines Sharply

Fewest Executions, Fewest Death Sentences, and Fewest States Employing the Death Penalty in Decades

A report by the Death Penalty Information Center shows that the use of the death penalty declined by virtually every measure in 2015. There were only 28 executions, which is the lowest number since 1991. Fourteen states and the federal government imposed 49 new death sentences, a 33% decline over 2014 and the lowest number since the early 1970s when the death penalty was halted by the US Supreme Court.

Similarly public support for the death penalty continued to fall in 2015, with various polls showing a huge decrease since in support since the peak years of the 1980s and 1990s.

There were six exonerations in 2015, bringing the total to 156 innocent men and women who have been released from death row since 1973.

A summary of the report can be found at:

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/YearEnd2015#pressrelease 

This also gives a link to the full report.

Executions Create More Victims

There are many reasons for the abolition of  the death penalty. These include the immorality of capital punishment, its ineffectiveness as a deterrent, the possibility of executing an innocent person and the cost. Another important, but often overlooked reason is the effect that it has on the people who carry out and witness an execution. This is highlighted by the Equal Justice USA campaign.

Corrections officials, haunted by the experience of putting people to death have committed suicide, turned to alcohol or drugs or suffered mental and physical health problems.

Executions traumatise clergy, jurors and journalists, many of whom have had symptoms of anxiety, nausea and nightmares caused by the stress of witnessing executions or having to decide as a juror whether a person is guilty or not.

The families of the executed person, particularly if they witness the execution, also suffer tremendously and find it difficult to come to terms with their loss.

Supporters of the death penalty say that it brings closure to the victims family. This may be true in some cases, but as the campaign says:

The death penalty’s impact reaches far beyond the victim and the executed. All who cross its path shoulder the burden of participating in the death of a human being, while the system creates a whole new set of victims who are left to grieve in silence.

The article and references can be found on the EJUSA website:

http://ejusa.org/learn/secondary-trauma/