Interview with Debbie, Advocate and Friend to Prisoners in Need

I know Debbie from some of the prison groups I belong to. She became involved with prison rights, and also with inmates on death row, especially in Texas. To be closer to her advocacy work and the inmates she helps, and has become friends with, she has moved from Maryland to Texas. Here is my interview with this dedicated woman.

Debbie, Can you give us a brief bio of yourself?

I was born, raised and lived most of my life in a little town called Dundalk, a suburb of Baltimore County, Maryland. A high school graduate. My parents had no money for me to go to college so I spent the years after high school doing clerical and customer service work. Married, now divorced and I have a son who is 23 years old, who remains in Maryland. I'm an avid reader and I have always had an overwhelming interest in psychology and social work. I like people, in general, and tend to be one of those types who always sees the good in a person - no matter who they are or where their life had lead them.

You advocate for several inmates, some which are on death row, how long have you been doing this, and how did you get started?

I've been doing actual prisoner advocacy work for about 2 1/2 years now - although I didn't really call it advocacy work and sometimes still don't call it that. The fact is - I feel like I am just doing something to help out someone in need. I use the term "prisoner advocacy" only when I feel it may make an impression on someone I need to get information from - such as a governmental entity. The title seems to make it easier to pry the info I need out of them. (LOL)

The beginning? I watched a movie called "BLOW" about George Jung, the biggest cocaine trafficker in the history of the US during the late 1970's and early 1980's. The psychology of "George" fascinated me. It was hard for me to understand why a person from, what seemed to be a reasonably normal, middle class family would turn to crime. So I wrote to him, never expecting a reply. A few months later I received a letter from him and the two of us corresponded for about 2 years before we amicably parted ways. During this time I decided, because of his mindset, to look into the psychological effects of long-term incarceration - I've always been fascinated with psychology. During my research I ran across a prison pen pal website and thought I may be able to get some insight form the website or maybe even the bios of the guys in the ads. I saw the photo and bio of "Jimmyjames" - who I now have been writing to for over 3 years and, by the way, is now one of the best friends I have ever had in my life. "Jimmyjames" is a nickname I gave him and he is still in prison in Texas.

How do you help them?

Hmmm... I contact prison rank, wardens, region directors, ombudsman, attorneys, advocacy groups, etc., on their behalf when a problem comes us when they aren't able to get any reasonable response from themselves. I type manuscripts and submit them to various magazines, media outlets, legal entities, etc. I keep in contact with their families and sometimes try to bridge the gap that has been formed if necessary. I try to find answers to certain legal questions they may have or point them in the direction of someone who can answer their questions. I assist in some of the easier legal procedures like getting paperwork together for divorces, Interstate Compact transfers to other states upon their release, making copies of their cases, if available to me, via the Internet. Sometimes I am asked to locate a family member or old girlfriend but I am very careful with this one. If located I do NOT give the info directly to the guys - I ask the person I have located if they want to be in contact with this offender and leave it up to them to contact the offender for themselves. I also run my own free prisoner pen pal site and am looking into eventually opening a free books for prisoners organization of my own. I've actively protested the death penalty - even on the steps of the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. Lots of other things but to may to remember right now. Most of all though - I try to just be a friend.

Have you met any of these prisoners in person, and what was that like?

Sure! I used to fly down to Texas about twice a year to visit "Jimmyjames." Then I became more involved and met a few others in Texas as well as other states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and even Nevada. Mostly though, and don't ask me how this came about because I am not really sure of how it happened, I centered in Texas. What was/is it like? If more people would take the time to get to know these men and women they would realize that they are people, just like us, that somewhere along the way they got lost. You always have to remember though, that inside the prison walls there is an entirely different world then what we live in. The name of the game on the inside is survival and most will do whatever it takes to survive.

What are your thoughts on our nations prison system?

I feel VERY STRONGLY that our nation's prison system is warehousing rather then rehabilitating these people. Sure - most of them actually DID commit the crimes for which they are incarcerated and should have to face the consequences for their behavior, however in many, many cases the sentences they receive are much more harsh then need be and the sentences are very arbitrary. We need to do lots more in the way of rehabilitation - intense drug/and alcohol counseling, cognitive behavioral skills, anger management, and job training in fields that they will actually be able to obtain employment in view of their felony convictions. What the public must realize is that most of these people will be out amongst us again and unless we do something to help them focus on the how's and why's of their chosen lifestyles and how to become productive and stay out of trouble, that we will just continue to live with the consequences of our lack of foresight into what they really need to become productive members of society. Another thing it seems that most of us do not take into consideration, and I feel VERY STRONGLY about this as well, that these men and women, REGARDLESS OF THEIR CRIME(S) are STILL HUMAN BEINGS and deserve to be treated with the same respect that we would treat anyone else.

What about Capital punishment, are you for or against it?

AGAINST. In all circumstances - no matter how heinous the crime. I know it's cliche, but how can we say that it is wrong to kill and then turn around and kill them? People like to use the biblical phrase of "an eye for an eye" however if they were to read the actual, entire quote they would see that that statement merely states that the punishment should equal the crime. It does not give US the right to kill. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19) Murder is murder. Taking the life of another human being is murder - no matter who does it.

I know you were friends with inmates who have been executed, please tell us a little about that.

Ah... Roy (Interview with a condemned man) was my first friend on death row. I met him through some work I was doing with an anti death penalty group called based out of Texas' death row called The DRIVE Movement. Till the end, Roy claimed to be innocent of the crime for which he was executed (murdered). I was on the phone with a guard at the death house when they took Roy. It was very hard. I had scheduled a visit to my Texas inmates for the day after, and when I got home I had a letter from Roy, written the night before they took him, asking me to send his "real" last words out to his loved ones and friends because he knew that he would not be in the state of mind to remember it all when he was asked if he had any last words.

Then there was Bryan. (Death row inmate wishes to be "Dead man Laughing") I met him through another friend, Steve, who is currently on death row. Bryan and I wrote for several months before he was executed (murdered) by the state of Texas. Bryan was funny and cheerful. He admitted to his crime - all aspects of it, and although, of course, he did not want to die and was against the death penalty, he accepted his fate.

It is a very sad thing for me to go back in my memory about these men. We did not have time for the nuances and niceties of becoming friends over a gradual timeframe so we opened ourselves and our hearts immediately and communicated as though we had known each other throughout our lives. I miss them. I loved them.

You have moved from Maryland to Texas, to be closer to your advocacy work and the inmates, how did this come about?

Over the last few years I have become more and more involved in the advocacy aspect as well as the anti-death penalty work. Texas is one of the worst states when it comes to any form of fair sentencing, decency in the way they treat offenders, rehabilitation and their death row is completely out-of-hand. Their sentencing, as in most death penalty cases is completely arbitrary and biased. There are MANY in general population, with a sentence of LWOP (life without parole) or even longer-term sentences, who have committed much more heinous crimes then some of the crimes that were committed by the men and women on death row.

Then there is the "law of parties" which basically says that "A person is criminally responsible for an offense committed by the conduct of another if "acting with intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense he solicits, encourages, directs, aids or attempts to aid the other persons to commit the offense." This seems reasonable enough until it is put into practice and abused by the lawmakers, and courts the way it is abused in Texas.

For example: My friend Steven Woods is on death row, in Texas, for a crime he did not commit. It's too much to go into in any detail however the long and short of it is that the person who actually did commit the crime named Steven as an accessory in order to have his death sentence commuted to life without parole. Afterwards he confessed to his part in the crime and stated that Steven was not directly involved in the actual murders in question. The difference is that Steven does not have the money to pay for an expensive attorney. Steven is relying on a court appointed attorney who is underpaid and over worked. Where is the justice in this scenario?

How are you adjusting to living in Texas?

It's tough. I miss my home and my family. The people are friendly though. I am having the hardest time adjusting to the political atmosphere which does not seem to concern itself with any sort of civil rights where humanity should be a consideration. Yes - yes - yes (LOL) I am a "Yankee" (although technically Maryland is a southern state, lying just south of the Mason Dixon line) and YES - I AM A "DIE-HARD" DEMOCRAT AND ONE OF THOSE "BLEEDING HEART LIBERALS" ... Mostly though, I just love people, ALL people and I don't feel it is my place to judge them.

What are your plans for the future?

My immediate plans are to obtain a residence and employment. The plans I had thought were firmed up when I left Maryland all fell thru so I am having to scramble.

Thank goodness I have developed a bit of a support network down here and have many friends who are helping me get my situation in order. Eventually I would like to feel that I have made some kind of a difference in the lives of these men and women, their families, and the public misconceptions and misguided beliefs.

Here are a couple of links to the Myspaces Debbie runs.

Debbie's

Steve Wood's (Death Row Inmate)

How can the public help in prison reform, and the death sentence?

We need to look beyond what they read on the newspapers and see on television. We all know how the media sensationalizes stories so they can make money. They often go so far as to falsify the stories to make it a better read. PLEASE. read between the lines, ask questions - don't accept it all as the gospel truth.

We need to understand that our tax dollars are being spent unwisely when it comes to our correctional system. We cannot continue to treat these people like they are animals because what we do when we treat them this way is turn them into animals. Ask any inmate in prison and they will tell you that our prison system, as it stands, is the nothing more then a school of how to become a better criminal. Most come out much worse then when they went in. This needs to change. Our tax dollars can be better spent on true rehabilitation rather then warehousing. The public needs to realize these things and ask our elected officials to change the laws and practices of our criminal justice system accordingly.

At this time, if there is anything you would like to add, please do so.

Yes, thank you.

"He who is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..." (St. John 8:7)

"Therefore thou art inexcusable, oh man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for werein thou judest another, thou condensemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things." (Romans 2:1)

And finally to those of you who DO make judgement without giving equal time and consideration to the other side and for those of you who support the death penalty...

"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)