MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE

The Case of Donald Jones

By Lord Serious

Miscarriage of Justice. Decision or outcome of legal proceeding that is prejudicial or inconsistent with substantial rights of the party. (Black’s Law Dictionary, Abridged Fifth Edition)

Donald Jones was a blue collar hard working father of four children in 1994. He never imagined that by age 20 a false accusation would have him fighting to get out of prison for the next 30 years. His 1995 conviction for Abduction and Aggravated Sexual Assault after a bench trial in Petersburg Circuit Court before the Honorable Judge Oliver Pollard forever changed his life. “The judge sentenced me to 95 years with 5 suspended”, says Mr. Jones.

On 11/13/95 an unknown person sent his trial attorney Paul Bland a file containing information that an additional forensic report existed which had never been disclosed to Mr. Jones or his attorney.

The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office had withheld exculpatory evidence that supported Mr. Jones’s claim that he was an innocent man. In light of this newly discovered evidence Judge Pollard stayed Mr. Jones’s sentence until he could review the file and take the matter into consideration. This court order to stay Mr. Jones’s sentence could only be overridden by a new court order. However, as a result of a clerical error Mr. Jones’s sentence and conviction were reactivated and he was transferred into the custody of Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) without a valid sentencing order on 1/18/96.

Ironically, when VDOC became aware that Mr. Jones was being unlawfully detained they contacted Petersburg City Jail to inform them that Mr. Jones would have to be released from their custody. Apparently, because his sentence was stayed on 11/15/95, Mr. Jones was a free man as far as VDOC was concerned. But officials at the city jail misled VDOC into believing that there was a retainer on Mr. Jones. It was unclear to VDOC whether Mr. Jones still had jail time to serve or if he would be resentenced at a later date. On 7/23/96 Mr. Jones was transferred back to Petersburg City Jail.

He had recently hired attorney Joseph Morrissey to represent him. According to Mr. Jones, his new attorney filed a Motion to Vacate his conviction. But when Mr. Jones went back before Judge Pollard the Motion to Vacate was never heard. Mr. Jones claims that it was at this time when Joseph Morrissey presented him with a plea bargain for 20 years. “They were trying to hide what had been done, because they knew I couldn’t be sent back to prison under the same vacated sentencing order.” Mr. Jones claims that Judge Pollard’s 11/15/95 order to stay his 90 year active sentence required a hearing to review the suppressed exculpatory evidence. “I know Joe Morrissey was in on it”, Mr. Jones fumes, “he sold me out.”

When Mr. Jones refused the plea deal Judge Pollard held an illegal hearing by resentencing him once again under that old conviction order which Mr. Jones claims the judge could no longer do. “The court had lost its jurisdiction once 21 days had lapsed on the order to stay my sentence and they transferred me into DOC custody.”

On “9-10-96 Petersburg Circuit Court upheld the sentence of 10-26-95. Mr. Jones has a total of 90yrs to serve” (DOC Memorandum dated 10/2/96). Mr. Jones was transferred back into VDOC custody on 9/11/96.

This is the story of how a loving father of four had his life torn apart, and how the man Donald Jones became inmate #1076927. For 30 years Mr. Jones has had to live with the mistakes of others and suffer the consequences as if they were his own. Mr. Jones has lost more than his employment and yearly salary as a dump truck driver. He has been deprived of his God given right to be a physically present father and raise his kids. Mr. Jones has missed out on birthdays, graduations, the birth of his grandbabies, and the ability to protect his children.

In 2014 his youngest son Jaymonta Jones was gunned down in Petersburg, Virginia. “I could see the effect his brother’s death was having on my oldest son Jamar. I knew I was losing him and there was nothing I could do about it.” Within eight years his oldest son Jamar Jones would be murdered too. Another victim of senseless gun violence in Petersburg. “I’ve had to bury both of my sons from the penitentiary”, Jones told me.

It is clear that prison has taken a lot from Donald Jones and he has had to carry a burden that no man should be forced to bear. But he doesn’t let his circumstances discourage him. Mr. Jones told me that he had done everything within his power to get his case back in court and overturned. But appeal after appeal was denied.

He said, “I didn’t know what else to do, or who I could turn to. So I kept faith and prayed.”

Whenever I’ve observed Mr. Jones, he is always giving a kind word or helping others. I asked how he was able to get his case back in court after so many years had passed? He replied, “One day my counselor observed me fixing guys a meal in the mental health pod during the holidays. Which is part of my ministry, it’s something I did for every major holiday. When this woman approached me and asked me, “What can I do to help you make parole?” I told her that in 1996 Greensville Correctional Center released me after it had been discovered by a staff member that my sentencing order and conviction had been stayed and vacated by my trial judge. I told her that DOC sent me back to the jail, because DOC could not keep me in their custody without a valid sentencing order. But no one will believe me.”

Mr. Jones then informed me that his counselor was now more determined than ever to help him regain his freedom. According to Mr. Jones this woman told him that she would check his files to see if she could locate anything of use to him. And if she did then she’d provide him with a copy.

Sure enough, after her lunch break his counselor returned with a file. She handed him the documents and that there was a sticky note attached to them that read “Whatever you do, never give inmate a copy of these files”. When Mr. Jones inspects the contents of the documents, he finds a handwritten copy of the very documents he’s been trying to get access to for 20 years.

Mr. Jones informed me that the prison records department refused to allow his counselor to remove the file or make photocopies of it. So she made a handwritten copy and uploaded its contents into his Coris file which is the database system VDOC uses to keep track of inmates within their custody.

The counselor allegedly tells him, “I told records that this can’t be legal and if it’s his files then he can have them.” Mr. Jones assures me that these were the woman’s words verbatim. He’s asked me not to identify her by name, however, he seems confident that if it would help his case she would be willing to answer any questions and even testify under oath in open court to these facts.

With this new evidence of government suppression Mr. Jones was now able to get his case back into court and fight for his freedom again. He wrote the courts requesting a copy of his case file. Hoping it would contain an actual copy of the document his counselor provided him. But Petersburg Circuit Court refused to furnish him with a copy of his case file. He alleges that his numerous attempts have been frustrated by a clerk named Harold Johnson.

When I asked Mr. Jones what reason would Harold Johnson have to interfere in his attempts to regain freedom? He claimed the two of them have a history of bad blood. According to Mr. Jones, he and Harold Johnson had a physical altercation when they both were younger. I questioned whether Mr. Johnson would actually violate the law and risk his career over something so juvenile? And Mr. Jones told me the following story:

“One day I go to my baby mama’s house to see her and my daughter. And this guy is there sitting on the couch next to my baby mama with my daughter on his knee. I walk over and pick my daughter up then I tell him “Alright, you can leave.” He gave me a look and before he could get the words out of his mouth I smacked him in the face. He then got up and left.”

Mr. Jones alleges that Harold Johnson has been holding a grudge against him ever since, and though Mr. Johnson is now a married man; Harold Johnson has continued to carry on an extramarital affair with his daughter’s mother throughout his incarceration. Mr. Jones claims whenever he sends family members to the courthouse to purchase a copy of his files, they are told by someone at the clerk’s office that a judge needs to review their request before his files can be released.

I remind Mr. Jones that his court records are public record and anyone should be able to get access to them if they’re willing to pay for the copies. He replies, “I know.” When I asked were his files or court proceedings were under a court seal he responds, “No.” Mr. Jones continued, “Harold Johnson is one of the top clerk’s at this office, and still to this day my files still haven’t been released to me.”

As we further discuss his case he reveals that the suppression of evidence and government interference goes even further. Recently he has uncovered new exculpatory evidence- biological evidence that has been suppressed. I asked him how he acquired this evidence without going through the clerk’s office? He reminded me of a mass email that was sent out by VDOC to all offenders. The August 22, 2024 email stated the Department of Forensic Science was reviewing all cases from the 1970s to 1980s that were worked by Mary Jane Burton due to possible corruption.

His case happened in the 90s. But he figured that if Mary Jane Burton was involved in a cover up then it was possible that the forensic scientist who worked on his case was involved in a cover up too. Mr. Jones was resourceful enough to get the address to the Department of Forensic Science from that email and he wrote the lab himself.

Within a few weeks Mr. Jones received a response from the lab, and within the contents of it he found a certificate analysis for a blood test. This report revealed that special instructions were given by Commonwealth’s Attorney Bill Bray instructing them to stop further testing and that a separate report was written. Furthermore, Commonwealth’s Attorney Bill Bray personally collected the evidence himself from the lab. The findings of the blood test revealed that the contributor was likely someone of Hispanic descent. However, the other report that was written which was not sent to him is still being withheld by the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office. Mr. Jones argues that this separate report likely contains the certificate of analysis and the findings of a DNA test. I remind Mr. Jones blood tests are less reliable than DNA evidence, and he suggests that this is why it is being suppressed. “They don’t want me to get my hands on it cause they know it will free me”, says Mr. Jones regarding the potential exculpatory evidence. Mr. Jones says Commonwealth’s Attorney Bill Bray has a duty to disclose all of the evidence to him, but he’s been violating the law for 30 years.

Since 2016 Mr. Jones has filled the following motions and petitions within Petersburg Circuit Court, Virginia Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of Virginia:

Motion to Vacate in 2016
Writ of Coram Nobis in 2022
Appeal to Virginia Court of Appeals in 2023
Supreme Court of Virginia rendered judgement September 12, 2024

The presumption of guilt after conviction and entering DOC custody may not be an impossible hurdle to overcome for prisoners. Nevertheless, for Mr. Jones the task has been an extremely daunting one. Donald Jones is deserving of additional judicial review and a fair and impartial hearing on the merits of his claims. Yes, he has had his day in court, and he has had multiple appeals, petitions, and motions denied. However, not every trial is fair; not every guilty verdict is lawful; sometimes, innocent people get convicted and a miscarriage of justice occurs. Therefore, this direct appeal is being made to the hearts and minds of the public. Because in a democracy the Court of Public Opinion has always been the supreme court of the land.

We, the incarcerated, the disenfranchised, get manhunted as social deviants, corralled as criminal offenders, branded as felons, and occasionally, released back into society as returning citizens. For most of this time we are kept separated from the public by time, distance, and the cement walls which barricade us. A rather crude merger of conditions which has the sterilizing effect of muting our voices. No one in the criminal justice system heard this man’s cries for help.

We the incarcerated, the disenfranchised, make no claims at being perfect. However, there are those cloaked in the awesome power of public office who set out on a crusade to convince the world that the criminal justice system is perfect. Yet, every year there seems to be more people getting their cases overturned. The public is appalled to learn that government corruption and suppression of evidence is responsible for causing these wrongful convictions. These miscarriages of justice are far too common today, as the prison industrial complex finds it more difficult to manage the problems caused by mass incarceration: the public defender offices with far too many caseloads; prosecutors offices whose annual budgets are determined by the number of felony cases they charge; and, the Black men like Donald Jones, who come from impoverished communities and who are disproportionately denied justice in courtrooms nationwide.

For all of the above reasons We, the incarcerated, fast and pray this Court will grant the relief sought.

P.E.A.C.E

Pardon Exonerate Amend Cases Everywhere

Your Vote Matters

By: Joshua Hairston

Amendment XV (15)

Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.

Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude…

Recently, after conversing with the eldest of my brothers, I found myself disheartened; his lack of appreciation for his civil rights, the inexorable firmness he exhibited in being indifferent toward the summons of those in position to represent his interests, my own disconcerting effort to inspire in him a deeper sense of attachment to these privileges, all worked to frustrate me beyond the etiquette of tolerance that accompanies my belief in self-determination.

For several years now, I have pitched to him, using differing approaches, recognizing the vicissitude of the African American experience, the importance of him, a young inner-city black, casting his ballot.

“The historian Edmund S. Morgan argues…that well-off white Virginians…could champion a form of republican representative government defined by the absence of a formal ruling class or monarchy without threatening their own status as elites for one simple reason: They knew that the system of slavery meant that most of the poor in Virginia were enslaved, SO THEY HAD NO LEGAL RIGHTS AND COULD NEVER PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS.” – The 1619 Project

“1857 Dred Scott…Supreme Court decided Mar. 6…BLACKS WERE NOT AND COULD NOT BE CITIZENS.” (The Court also ruled that slaves were not citizens of any state nor of the U.S.) – The World Almanac And Book Of Facts

Foolheartedly, I support his choice to articulate and actualize perspectives and values that contextualize his experience. Vindicating himself pursuing that which concerns him most. Expressing, openly, his ideas of freedom.

However, I fear that to offer approval, even if only for the inalienable right of choice, to anyone who proclaims such as their stance dismisses the sacrifices made in advancing the African American, in a manner so transgressive, it warrants severe objection.

“Congress then passed the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments abolishing slavery, making blacks citizens, and giving them the right to vote.”

The progress encompassed in these Amendments, a consequence of suffering generations of subjugation, oppression, and deprivation – an infinitesimal return on the spilled blood and broken bodies of the human beings who built America – was not made in convening with adversaries who, conceding the validity of our grievances, decided, peaceably, to acquiesce to our demands.

“Reconstruction lasted eleven years, from 1866 to 1877.
…blacks made great strides in education, economics, and voting rights.”

These improvements to our existence did not occur without clear and assertive actions, having the overwhelming probability to result in either relief or death.

“…by 1898 nearly all black males in the South had been disenfranchised by poll taxes, literacy tests, property requirements, grandfather clauses, and the actions of terrorist groups like the Ku Klux Klan,”

“Before the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the civil and human rights of blacks throughout the South were routinely violated by sheriffs, police officers…
…Blacks were often denied the right to vote, and were beaten, raped, and murdered, receiving virtually no protection from…lawmakers or law enforcers.”

“Since the end of Reconstruction…states, through intimidation, violence, and murder, had systematically prevented blacks from exercising their constitutional rights.
The Voting Rights Act (1965) forced…states…to repeal poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and other constitutional laws to prevent blacks from voting.”

While, to some extent, many of us acknowledge the immensity of what was given to access citizenship, we behave, relative to this induction, unaware of the essential significance and the responsibility inherited in making such an advance.

Failing to accurately apprehend the plight of our predecessors, we have become strangers to the very spirit that drove their campaign for rights, civil and human.

Furthermore, a cohort of us, young African Americans, live as if disinherited, almost completely, from the reality of how our civil rights were acquired and the inestimable sacrifices of the courageous and resilient men, women and children who secured them.

The reasons my beloved brother presented, in defense of his position, for not voting were reasons created by the liberties earned by diplomatic warriors who turned over their lives for their succession (us) to know the privilege of being able to influence the society comprising us, absent the pressing need to risk it all. Perhaps, the absence of this pressing need is why we consider that our vote does not matter.

It is not my intent to communicate this matter harshly, though I have found, rarely, the truth to be gentle. To consider that your vote does not matter is to think degradingly of the incomprehensible offerings of those who made it possible for us to have a vote; or it is to be absent-minded of how your position and status was gained.

We can narrowly afford to take for granted the status of citizen and the civil rights we are gifted by being legislated as such.

“These events and the movement impacted not only African Americans, but Asian, Hispanic, Native American, and other ethnic groups in this country, as well as women.”

“These events and the people who participated in them have profoundly changed America for all who live here.”

VOTE FOR THEM!

My brother, he will vote, Tuesday 11/05/24, if for no other reason than for his little brother, disenfranchised by the 13th Amendment, who cannot.

Who will you vote for that cannot or could not, if you are not informed or motivated enough to do so for yourself?

Joshua J. Hairston

Pray For Me(Song from Boosie Badazz)”

There has been much to do, when holding one’s self accountable. I’ve sat and witnessed the many, become victims
to the very environment that’s meant to be productive and rehabilitative. With understanding, I’ve asked myself, if the
inhumane actions done to individuals incarcerated, resemble the same inhumane treatments of individuals who are
in society? I ask myself and God, does the tears and cries of the downtrodden, matter, even though we’ve made the
mistakes that landed us in these unfortunate set of circumstances?

I can’t speak to the mistreatment of the incarcerated, without speaking to the mistreatment of the staff who are in the
trenches with us. My rationale for this expression, is to see and recognize the lacking of Human decency, as it
pertains to ALL PEOPLE; even the Men and Women who work to earn a livable wage…they are also victims of the
Carceral System, as it creates the traumas that often goes unnoticed or unconsidered.
These People…these Men; Women; Sons; Daughters; Fathers; and Mothers, have been hard pressed to do the
right thing, as it aligns with the Human Spirit. In all honesty, I’ve had Staff, care enough about me than the
inhabitants who live around me; those who’re within the exact same position and experiencing the same conditions.
I’ve had Staff and Inhabitants of this environment, care enough about each other, from a humanity stand point, that it
establishes a fondness and respect for the people they are. But it’s too often, that such truths and behaviors are
misrepresented as “Fraternization”, because the respectful smiles and treatments of an individual incarcerated, goes
against the identity of what the Imprisonment of Human Beings has always been.

On August 16, 2024, Greensville Correctional Center, was so short of staff, that they couldn’t manage the regular
issues that are necessary for Housing the Men here. My Unit Manager showed so much strength and
fortitude, while enduring the overwhelming stress of being the Unit Manager, Lieutenant, Sergeant, Floor Officer,
and the floating officer, to ensure that the Officers who worked in the building, were able to have the necessary
breaks. I watched this Woman; this Mother; this Concerned and Professional Person, look Beat Down; Bruised;
Defeated and Unconsidered.
I watched as the choice swirled in the conscious mind of an overworked; overlooked and unappreciated employee.
The unfortunate circumstances, made a Mother have to choose between being a “professional oppressor”, due to
the many unaddressed issues, that makes one choose their profession, over being Mothers; Fathers; and Human
Beings. I watched as adjustments had to be made, as a result of a staff shortage, which couldn’t allow a Mother to
go home, at the respectable hour to pick up her child. I watched her shoulder the burden of the World and the
Heavens, only to become a victim of the lazy mentality, of those who are in authority over Her or work alongside her,
in this environment.
This is not an essay to point fingers or name names. But what has become true from the past, up to now, is that
there’s no accountability of those issues that are often great sound bites or article fillers. Frankly, there is no
Humanized treatment of the staff or the residents of this institution. The fraternal order of “Correctional Officers”, are
only working as the means to support their lives and their families, remaining unconcerned of who suffers the Mental
Strains; the Broken Families; as well as those Questions of one’s very own worth, within a much Bigger Human
Family.
There’s so many OUTSTANDING People, who are currently employed here, at Greensville Correctional Center, that
are leaving here, in order to work at Lawrenceville Correctional Center. One of the best People, who’s a Unit Manager of the Reentry Building and Army Veteran is also leaving. She has always been the proper example of a Good Person; a Great Manager of any and all affairs, that addresses the issues of people… if
their jumping ship, what does that say about the environment and the people who manage/control it, as an overall.
Those are just a few of the people who are losing their own humanity, due to the expectation of separating their humanity from their occupation. They have relied heavily, on those of us, who has made the choice to work towards
Building Bridges and Mending Fences. Yes, those Bridges takes effort and time, but when there’s no efforts put towards the action, which leads to solutions, we fail at the proper outcomes we’re trying to gain.

This next expression is very close to me, and that’s because it speaks to the excessive force, utilized, without having clear and present evidence, to justify such force or the order of that force, being utilized. Please know that I compose this, at a risk of being viewed differently; handled differently; as well as treated differently. But I WILL NOT sit around and allow the very nature of People, to be disrupted, corrupted, or looked at with a biasness, that can’t be shown out of uniform, as it is displayed while in the uniform. Meaning…if you have an ulterior motive, towards the
population of incarcerated Men and Women, then state it; embrace; and outwardly display it, for the Free World to see, as well as the incarcerated one, to know and accept. {NOTE: This is to speak to the Mentality of the environment and how such a Mentality, has not only risked the lives
of people, but the very Humanity that separates the People from animals}. As I am held to the standard of a Human Being first, and Man second; how is it fair and decent, to absolve the Staff Officials of such a standard? So this is
just a few of the Inhumane treatments that’s occurring, within these Imprisoning facilities.}

Alfonso “Ghaza” Skyles (aka. Quillz) (#1134129)

Greensville Correctional Center

Mental Health, Hopelessness, Depression, and Despair: You Are Not the Sin.

MENTAL HEALTH IS THE TOPIC,
NOW ALLOW ME TO ROCK IT.

Mental Health, Hopelessness, Depression and Despair, you are not the sin,
You are sometimes just misunderstood on your acceptance as a friend.
Mental Health is a friend and guide to help you heal inside,
She’s not evil’s prize come to take you to the other side.
Relax’s and understand Hopelessness is just a distant relative of despair,
Introducing you to hard times, so you can find out who you are.
Depression is no more than an emotion trapped inside of an illusion,
Expressing an array of feelings while searching for a conclusion.
But first things first, allow me to introduce Myself,
My name is “Alexander Cameron,” and of course you are Mental Health,
My vernacular is very sharp and cunning, How about yourself?
Mental Telepathy is how I roll, I think y’all call it Top Shelf!
Well, Mr. Top Shelf, Gun Violence has you labeled as a crisis,
Pay attention my son, its called politicians making sacrifices,
Y’all call it splitting hairs, we call it word splices,
You know, that lip service, that has you and yours on drugs and reaching for vices.
Check it: Japan say Guns on the streets are just simply dumb,
Her deaths through gun violence in 2022 is absolutely none,
Now, America, you know you are just too through,
Death’s through gun violence has you at Four Hundred Fifty Thousands in the year 2022.
America’s relationship with Mental Health knows no truth,
Mental Health, you are expendable and less than an excuse,
At lease there’s a silver lining, you are not responsible for the youth,
Who has their parents turning back the clock, looking for a clue,
To free their kid’s from this paranoid maze of deceit,
That has their minds trapped in what appears to be certain defeat;
Listen Children;
Your problems are yours to confront, but first you must understand,
No life is without problems, they go hand in hand.
Ultimately your problems are yours to face and yours to Solve,
Excuses are for cowards, get yourself Involved.
Some problems are easy peesy and some are very
hard,
but, its only when you try solving them, that you can tell yourself Good Job.
So, America, let us all give Mental Health her due: because;
No one is responsible for your happiness but you and only you.

Submitted By:

Alexander Cameron
# 1172733

Beaumont Correctional Center
3500 Beaumont Road
Beaumont, Virginia 23014

Redefining Power: Your Voice is Our Vote

It is of the greatest contradictions anyone in modern day society could endure — to be on the wrong side of the prison bars and have to witness top lawmakers and administrators deeply entrenched in legal troubles. Not troubles perpetuated from a presumption of negligence concerning the workings of their office, but troubles of a more devious, deliberate criminal nature. To further their mockery of the law, they are accused of abusing the power of their respective offices to aid in covering up their foul play.

Our country has spent centuries using prison as a tool of political intrigue. As a nation, we have actively littered the prison yards with the social lepers and political scapegoats of the modern era. Most of these unfortunate souls can trace the origins of their incarceration to a sense of social ostracizing and economical hopelessness. In turn, what factors can the most powerful, most privileged members of our society attribute to their criminality? The stark contrast between the common criminal and “perp” politician brings to mind the philosophical premises governing the difference between ignorance and evil and their role in the wrongdoings of the world. On one hand, ignorance brings about wrongdoing because it is fearful and deprived of power. Evil, as it stands in relation to ignorance, utilizes its power and knowledge to perpetrate wrongdoing. From a position of power, evil thrives on the suffering and increases the wrongdoing of the ignorant.

Corruption is established on this particular ecosystem where the powerful prey upon the less powerful. This dynamic has tainted American politics and has constructed a predatorial culture where it is socially acceptable to sacrifice certain out-groups to bigot political platforms (such as tough on crime, white nationalism, and prison privatization) under the guise of financial security and economical prosperity. All the while, these dark political agendas serve to drive a deeper divide in the only true shield of the common citizen — UNITY. For far too long has the political system been used as the arm of America’s elitist class — sowing dissension — pitting poor against poor, and lower working class folk against migrates, as we all struggle for the scraps that fall from the corporate juggernauts’ table.

But how can we stop this ponzi scheme erected at our expense? Public indifference has always incited the dark agendas of corrupt leaders who offer oversimplified solutions to complex problems. These quick fixes seem harmless enough on the surface, but if one just takes time to get a closer look, we can see the fine print that greatly serves some elitist’s bottom line. Like the leaders of the Confederate South post-Civil War, corrupt leaders like to displace animosities for bad government toward less threatening targets: minorities. The public should be demanding utmost transparency from their leaders, not more political propaganda that’s fixed around the current hot-button issues.

Regardless of any foolproof solutions posed for the individual citizen to execute, not even a perfect plan or strategy can be the least bit effective without getting good, honest leaders into office. Currently, we as incarcerated people cannot vote; but we have plenty of friends, family and loved ones who can. We can help them make the best choice by guiding their research and keeping our ears and eyes open for candidates that serve in the interest of our cause. Oversight, second look, ending mandatory minimums, expanding earned sentencing credits, ending profiteering in prisons, and the list goes on. State elections in Virginia are November 7th. We have plenty of time to get our allies engaged. If you can reach out to 3 people and ask them to reach out to 3 people, and make sure they have plans to vote early, or on November 7th, you can truly make a difference.

The Struggle Never Stops, So Neither Can We.
Peace, Love, and Power,
Q. Patterson

Prompt for the Incarcerated:

How will you make sure you can extend your vote and engage people on the outside to vote?

What are some of the issues you care about that may or may not be on the ballot and why?

If you had the opportunity to speak directly to potential voters, what would you say to convince them that their vote truly matters?

A lot of campaign ads today are focused on gun violence and high crime rates, are there any arguments you (as an incarcerated person) could pose to potential voters that can debunk the assumption that progressive CJR is responsible for the perceived uptick in violence and crime?

Political Skepticism!

Political skepticism is something that I have experienced and witnessed as a political prisoner. It comes from constantly being let down by your political constituents and those who have the political power to effect change. The skepticism has become a mental restraint that has kept the minorities from progressing. Why because of the lack of faith in the political powers that be. I am of the firm belief that power is an illusion. As creators we have the power or will to create our conditions. As creators and self governors, we have the ability to relinquish power by simply governing ourselves. True freedom only comes to those who have freed their minds from the mental restraints that have kept them bounded down to earthly thoughts. The right to vote is a tool for freedom that gives us a voice and the right to effect change. The change needed to help further develop our people and our communities. In order to be governed you have to consent to be governed. The political skepticism has held the minorities back as a whole because of the fact that a vast majority of minorities feel as though the system is rigged. Voting is of dire importance for the progression of minorities for the families of the incarcerated and for the tax paying citizens. Your vote matters regardless of past perceptions and beliefs. We have fell into their traps by not going out to vote, and as long as this trend continues ask yourself will we ever be free?

My name is Antoinne Pitt author of Thinking With A Purpose and C.O.A.T (Countering Overdoses and Addiction Treatment) and vice president of Vanderbilt Media House publishing company. My state # is 1157338 and I am currently being housed at Lawrenceville Correctional Center.

The Justice System’s Antiquated

The fact that the United States still operates under post civil war era criminal justice standards is plain wrong! Governments need frameworks to establish beginnings. Not saying the way of our founder’s frameworks were the right path to take, but frameworks are needed to build period. Once the initial building is over certain things need to change (amended) or be removed to better society or just to be morally sound. Again, in this essay’s case, the justice system’s correctional approach is antiquaaaaaaaaaadaaaaaaaaaaated in our modern society, which many people have fought and died so hard to change.

One of the essay questions that i personally would like to elaborate on is question #3: How can the prison system be use to better our community?

Well, my personal opinion is that I feel the number of correctional facilities should be reduced and the closed facilities should be remodeled into immigrant/disaster relief facilities where people in need have shelter, clean water, laundry, dinning areas and grounds for medical attention. The federal government could easily funnel some of it’s money used to incarcerate the population to aide others in more immediate need. While at the same time, create jobs for the economy that current inmates could be employed that would better the economy by being paid more, therefore, taxed more. This was one of the ides I had on this year’s fall essay. Thank you for the time that you took to read this and I hope that it may take root.

Shout out to the crew behind Brilliancebehindbars.com.
Keep up the work!

J. Reinard, LVCC

The Battle is Within, by Brandon C. L. Hope

Greetings to the readers, my name is Brandon C.L. Hope. I am 19 years of age. I am incarcerated at Lawrenceville Correctional Facility in Virginia. I have been incarcerated since the age of 14. Through the process that the judicial system has put me through, I have become enlightened to many beautiful things of this country that we live in, but I have also been enlightened to many detrimental issues.

Right now, I would like to speak to the topic of “What’s free?”

Despite my obvious lack of freedom, and despite all the complaints that could be brought to society’s attention, that is not the aspect of free that I would like to indulge in at this particular time.

The lack of freedom that I would like to bring attention to, is that of not the oppressed, but that of the oppressor. Yes, the oppressed obviously lack freedom, but freedom is not just physical. There is also a mental and spiritual aspect to freedom. Although we, the oppressed, often view the oppressors as powerful and free, that is not truth at all. The truth is that the mindset of oppression has enslaved humanity.

Often times, the oppressor only oppresses because of demons and struggles they battle within their personal life. So, the simple fact is, that the battle for freedom is not the oppressed against the oppressor, nor the oppressor against the oppressed… the battle is within. The fight is humanity against physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional slavery. Unity is key.

Thank you for your time…

– Brandon C. L. Hope, From Hampton, VA

What’s Free?: Writing Prompt For the Incarcerated

Following the ‘What’s Free‘ essay exploring freedom, we’d like to invite the incarcerated community to explore their own definitions of freedom.

“The 2020 Virginia General Assembly has ended….and the outcome has dejected many of incarcerated peoples who were seeking some relief from extensive captivities…

The biggest hope was HB 1532, a bill that was set to change the world of Virginia men and women circulating the VADOC system, adding more good time than the current 15%. A lot of the incarcerated population and our caring families set their hearts on a comprehensive plan that would grant earning captive citizens some relief from their imprisonment. It also had a decent turnout of the public in support. To the disappointment of many, the bill was continued to 2021 due to the fact that the patron, Delegate Scott hoped it could to be more inclusive next year.

The fact of the matter is: the current good time mechanisms set in place to ‘help encourage’ Virginia’s incarcerated peoples, continue to brand Virginia as a state more in favor of human warehousing, than rehabilitating its’ citizens most in need of the system’s help… and not the system’s wrath.

But let’s imagine the alternative future… if Virginia’s HB1532 had passed…

What then? The doors open up for few faster than most. “Free” to roam as they please – but all are still bounded by tremendous amounts of suspended sentences looming overhead, stigmas, outdated legislation needlessly restricting ‘ex-felon’s’ career choices, and restrictions of rights that keep reentering citizens from being able to fully partake in the processes that establish citizens as functional participants in society. Not to mention, the lapse in life development due to lengthy imprisonment…

It begs the question: “What’s free?”

We are incarcerated, but we don’t have to be imprisoned. Freedom is initially a state of mind. One must be free in mind first in order to obtain true, substantial freedom, physically. For those who wish to change their trajectory and stake in life, they first must be free to do so. Though they control the cell doors and gates, they do not control your mind.

What do we do to obtain true freedom? Free in mind, free physically, and free financially. Freedom will not be willfully be given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed (Martin Luther King Jr.). What plans do we have to obtain, secure, and maintain our freedom?

Write an essay defining for the readers your definition of freedom. If you would like, describe a plan following your release for obtaining, securing, and maintaining your form of freedom.

Don’t forget to include what you want readers to know about you…”

– Quadaire Patterson, Creator, Organizer, Writer VADOC #1392272,

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know wants to write on this prompt this month and be featured on BrillianceBehindBars.com, send an email to yourlovedoneq@gmail.com with the essay and bio to review, or we can add inmate numbers to our Brilliance Behind Bars JPay to allow them to contact us directly. 🙂

‘What’s Free?’ Introduction

In the state of Virginia this year, there was a justice reform bill that drew the attention of every eye within the incarcerated community (this community includes family members of incarcerated people.)

HB 1532 was a bill that was set to change the world of Virginia men and women circulating the VADOC system. The bill was set to upgrade an already in-use system of earning “good time,” which in its current state allows inmates with a flawless conduct record to earn up to 15% off of their sentence. For example, an inmate can be given a sentence of 20 years. If they remain flawless in conduct for an entire 17 years, they would find themselves released. No real incentive placed on unrealistic standards – disparaging and illusionary. Under the introduced bill, if an inmate maintained flawless conduct (and mind you, this is no easy task by far), they would receive up to 50% (give or take 5 years) of their time reduced. Hence, tangible incentives to encourage good behavior and rehabilitation… giving some realism to the standard put forth…

The bill eventually – after several committees mulled over it – applied amendments relegating its effectiveness to non-violent offenders (which make up a very small portion of the ones who need it), and pushed its date of effectiveness back to 2021. The patron, Delegate Scott, elected out of Portsmouth, has opted to push the bill in hopes of finalizing a more inclusive clause…

I had predicted for a time before the conclusion of Virginia’s 2020 election season, that the House wouldn’t just ‘flip the jailhouse over’ and empty convicted criminals into the streets. Irresponsible, along side political suicide. I know in these confusing times, it’s unclear whether they go hand and hand anymore.

The idea of being released early was met by the majority of my community with joy. I did not share in the same elations as my community members. I took in that idea with much needed perspective. Knowing that since I came into the final stretch of my sentence, it’s all been about planning. Planning not only to be released – no, that’s not even a fraction of the struggle for me or most in here – and not only to survive; but to thrive in a world that’s unfamiliar. The thought of early release becomes synonymous with thoughts of being unprepared… and the question… what is free?

I started with the definition of release – to be free from restraint, confinement, or servitude…

How many of us questioned freedom outside of being physically imprisoned? A lot of the thinkers inside have attacked the concept of freedom philosophical. But I don’t believe the core of freedom resides solely at the footstep of the mental. I warn against my fellow incarcerated people to disregard what we have already blatantly ignored. The station of the law fails to return a standard form of freedom to those who have been convicted of a crime, resulting in a virtual life sentence.

‘Ex-felons’ are subject to restrictions that accompany them long after their prescribed sentence. nullifying a lot of any possible knowledge they may have acquired over their decade long stints. For example, many of us incarcerated were oblivious to legal process, being that a lot of us didn’t make it to government courses. Nor were many of us properly introduced to ideas or proper outlets to help us define ourselves to ourselves, outside of the deplorable environments which we were raised and ventured.

I plan to help change that by bringing awareness to the political obstacles that impede an incarcerated person reacclimating into society.

Together, we can help better restore the standard of freedom amongst ALL members of society…

– Quadaire Patterson, VADOC #1392272, From Virginia Beach, VA

Editor’s Note: In March, we will be approaching the topic of freedom, amongst those imprisoned. For more, visit: ‘What’s Free?’ To read the prompt shared with those who are writing, check out this post. Thank you as always, for your support.