Joy
06-28-2002, 05:16 PM
UNCENSORED FROM TEXAS DEATH ROW
by Paul Colella
June 13 – 20, 2002
I am again right on the edge of rage. I’d like to share a message with you. It’s from Mike C., the man I’d mentioned before, to a friend of mine.
“I noticed all the carrying on with Napoleon Beazley but Texas is executing a man tonight and there is not a bit of outrage in his death. He was a killer also and will die in Huntsville. I don’t get it. He killed, but no one is trying to stop it. Even among the Death Row Advocates.
Sometimes I wonder what side I am on.
Regards Mike.”
Here is a pro death penalty advocate wondering why no one cried out about Stanley Bakers execution and you know what ? He is absolutely right. I got word there were some people there but where were all those who call themselves death penalty opponents? Why cant we or you organize something for the nights of executions.
Please don’t misunderstand I/we do appreciate all you do, it’s not that at all, it’s just that these men’s families hear all this hoorah over certain men’s executions and when their loved one is killed there isn’t even a protestor out there.
That needs to change. Immediately. There are a lot of people I’m sure that are like Mike who see this same thing and think the D/P people don’t care about this guy, why should we? We cannot let this happen or I should say continue to happen. CANNOT!! We must change something.
June 14
Another beautiful day. There hasn’t been any rain for the flowers to grow and it seems to be to hot for the birds. Haven’t even been seeing the little sparrows which are common.
I don’t know why I never thought to write about it before because I’ve seen it happen for years: TDC kidnapping men and taking them to Jester 4 which has a psychiatric section to it. They get them over there, shoot them full of mind altering drugs and strap them naked to a table in 4 point restraints. I cant say I’ve witnessed it or experienced it myself, but I’ve heard the stories from guys that went.
The latest victim is Gomez. Gomez is a habitual masturbator. He does it all the time and doesn’t mind showing male or female guards or even other prisoners. There is something wrong with him mentally also. He went about 4 months ago when they tricked him out of his cell by telling him he had an attorney visit. Well, today he wasn’t going to the okey doke and refused his “visit”. So they suited a team up, Officers Chavis, Brown, Michaels, don’t know the rest. They went and got him out of his cell and forced him to go.
I’ve personally witnessed men return in a zombie state, beat up, black eyes and stitches in their mouth. It’s really pitiful the state is allowed to do it. They call it treatment. Yeah right, cut my finger off because I have a wart on my finger. Same thing.
Gomez is no danger to anyone. He just likes playing with himself.
The guards all hate him. They act like he hurts them, one even attempted to hit his privates with a solid steal bar they use to open the food slots.
I’ve heard it’s legal for TDC to kidnap these men. But why? We are said to be beyond rehabilitation. Why fix someone you’re trying to kill anyway?
Like when David Herman cut his own throat or David Long od’ed on pills, these people rushed them to the hospital, fixed em up and then rushed them to the gurney and murdered them. Make sense to you? It sure don’t to me. It remains me more and more of the nazi death camps. Are the men being taken to Jester 4 just guinea pigs being used in tests? “Here, let’s shoot this drug in him and see what happens.” I know after one trip most refuse to go again so I bet there is something messed up about it.
The turn over rate of officers is high, we’re getting a lot of new boot (new officers) in here and they are coming in like idiots stirring stuff up. What ever happened to the old adage “let sleeping dogs lie.”? These new ones seem to have a chip on their shoulder, I just don’t understand it. (frown)
June 15
Today I witnessed the officers refuse to my neighbor. I’m not sure of one officers name, but one was Washington. I can’t stand my neighbor Victor but it is still wrong for them to mess him over. All because he was playing with himself. Victor has kind of lost his mind in the last few years. He made that trip to Jester 4 a while back. Tried to hang himself with his sheet.
Anyway, this is about the 4th or 5th time I’ve seen various officers not feed him. He is already like a skeleton. I can’t imagine how hungry he is. We already don’t get enough to eat as it is.
This last month the food has went right back to where it was before. Soulja is to the point he comes off food loaf for one day and jacks a tray. He says he has gained weight even though they have cut the size of the food loaf by almost half.
I remember on Ellis when they first implemented the level system and food loaf. They were nasty, nasty, nasty. What they did was put everything off of a tray into a pan throw in cornmeal, bake it for 15 - 20 minutes and that was it. But what made it bad was that’s when we had vita-pro. Yuk!!
BUT on Ellis they let you get commissary now and then and food loaf wasn’t always seven days. Sometimes it would be two days or four. There was always an officer who would give you an extra portion of food.
Sometimes I think of the years on Ellis and think about how we used to complain about this or that. I’m ashamed of those petty complaints now.
Chitown just yelled at me to look at the sky. I did and was blessed with one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. I looked and looked. The pinks and purples were amazing then it got almost red. Absolutely beautiful!
That’s one thing I will miss if I make Level II, the sunsets, but on Level II we get the sunrises and they can be just as breathtaking.
June 16
Sunday. Sundays are the worst frown. No mail to look forward to, no movement like medical/visits or court, nothing happens on Sundays.
They haven’t been serving coffee in the mornings and when we have juice it is just colored water. Someone is pocketing some profit somewhere.
Another 3 fellows got put on Level III. One everyone calls Dirty Harry and one name Joe Joe and one name Sapo, which means frog in Spanish. I met him when he first got to death row right before we left Ellis. Before he got the name Sapo. How he got his name is, he was having serious stomach problems on Ellis, spitting up blood, couldn’t eat and eventually it got so bad, he had to be hospitalized. While in the hospital they had to put a tube down his throat and in doing so hurt his voice box. He talks funny now, hence the name frog.
John Sealy Hospital in Galveston is where we’re taken for serious problems. It’s also a training hospital so 90 % of the time some trainee doctor or nurse is working on us. Guess it saves TDC some money or something. Another experiment I think! (frown). I wont even let them give me a flu shot or do test no more, not knowing what they will inject into my system. They’ll not experiment on me. Hell, I’ve been trying to get a diagnosis on a problem I’ve been having and so far nada. I’ve been to the doctor 4 times so far. Hopefully they will figure it out soon.
June 17
Another day just like every other day. Expect today they made me a Level II prisoner (smile). Starting to move up the world. They moved me near Brian who is still Level II and I had a chance to get first hand information on the procedure of the execution which I will detail tomorrow so that everyone will know what all is involved.
I’m not sure of the situation over here yet. Give me a couple days to test the atmosphere and see where everyone is at and I’ll start highlighting Level II life.
One thing I do know is that “A” section is being used to house some population prisoners so the whole farce of clearing it out is not obvious. Okay, more tomorrow.
June 18
Hello, how is everyone doing? Still hanging in I hope. Well as promised yesterday I like to outline the procedure for a man with a date has to go through. Hopefully when I’m done everyone will have a better understanding.
When the court sets a date it’s usually (90 % of the time) 30 days later, sometimes 60 to 90 days away.
When the administration gets information on the date the prisoner is moved to A Pod, F section which is reserved strictly for guys with dates. There they are watched closer.
14 days before the date of premeditated murder they take the inmate out for his death interview. During the interview the following questions are asked:
Who will pick up your body?
What will you do with your property?
What will you do with the $ on your account?
What is your clothes sizes?
What do you want for your last meal?
Who will be witnesses to your execution?
Who do you want on your visitors list?
who will be your spiritual advisor?
Two days before the date the prisoner is allowed to make final store and can spend as much money off his account as he wants. He is also allowed all day visit with whoever is on his list. All 10 people can come in visit a couple at a time.
The day of the date the prisoner is allowed to visit is family until 12 pm. All which time they must say their final goodbye. He is taken from the visiting room to a small legal visiting cage, told to strip, everything taken. He is given a fresh jumper, shoes, socks and boxer shorts. Then he is taken to the x ray chair (which officers once told Johnny Penry was an electric chair, scared him so bad he peed himself). After that he is shackled, chained and led to a darken windowed van and driven to Huntsville. Upon arrival he is placed inside a cell similar to the ones on Ellis, a bed, a toilet/sink. He is offered food, the use of phone and then the chaplain comes and talks to him a bit. The warden comes and explains what will happen and asks for an idea of the prisoners last words.
Brian said he was allowed to call anywhere in the USA, but not overseas. He said the officers watched him at all times, but once he got there, the handcuffs and shackles were removed for good.
At 4 pm the last meal is brought (This is the time Brian got his stay). He finished his meal, was brought back to Polunsky.
If he had not been, it goes like this: After his meal he is allowed to shower and talk to the spiritual adviser or the officers. About a quarter to six the execution team prepares to walk you to the gurney (nor sure if the prisoner is handcuffed and shackled this time or not).
He is placed on the gurney and the poison catheter is put in each arm. Then the curtains are opened for the witnesses. The prisoner is asked if he has a statement. Then he is murdered.
What I have just described has happened over 200 times since I’ve been on death row. Each and every time a human life is extinguished if a stay isn’t granted. A man or woman who has a family and friends, just like the victims whose death the execution is avenging. A mother, father, brother, sister who will cry for days, weeks and years. We are not animals without thought and emotions. We have feelings, hopes and dreams. We are not unredeemable.
Let me tell you a story of a man here. Troy Kunkle has been on death row for 18 years. He was accused of some robbery murder when he was 17. Said to be unrehabilitable, beyond redemption. So a few years ago he was recreating in a single man recreation yard when another inmate cut through a fence, went into Troy’s yard and stabbed him several tiems in the process collapsing one of his lungs. Troy was able to fight the guy off, get the shank (knife) away and ended up sitting on the guys chest with the knife ready to plunge, but he stopped. Got off the guy, handled the knife to the officers who stood watching, got handcuffed, took 3 steps and collapsed.
He would have been justified in stabbing the guy, no questions asked, yet he didn’t. Why? That was not the actions of a murderer. A murderer would have went through with it. Troy should not be on death row, period.
An “execution” is premeditated murder, is nothing more than a continuation of the vicious cycle of murder. Would my family be justified in executing the executioner? Where will it end???
June 19
I don’t want to go into the disappointment I felt today as I looked out my window and saw how few people were at today’s protest. As a matter of fact that’s all I’ll say about it.
Today Texans celebrated Junetenth which is a celebration of Lincoln singing of the Anti Slave Proclamation or something of that nature. I’ve talked to several people and got several answers of its meaning. Can anyone help me to improve my knowledge on this subject?
Anyway for my last ten years in TDC on June 19 the lunch tray was stacked with food, 2 kinds of meet, peppers, onions and side dishes. Today’s meal consisted of an over baked piece of chicken with BBQ sauce purred on it, 2 biscuits, beans and corn and potato salad. That’s it. I cant wait for the fourth of July to see what’s in store. The chicken today was plain disgusting. I flushed it down the toilet. Pitiful meal.
I was asked to update my case. Well, there are no news. Last I’d heard we are in federal court. So it’s all a matter of wait and see. If there are any developments I’ll let you know. Anyone who is interested can contact Sabine. Other than that there’s not much anyone can do except spread the word. I’d really like to get some celebrities on my band wagon. I have a strong innocence claim and evidence to back it, but can’t seem to generate any publicity. Which is what I strive for because I feel publicity can help me. So we’ll see what happens.
My new neighbor D-Loc flooded tonight because his light in his cell is broken and wont turn off. It’s been on for a week straight (frown). He has told all the officers and rank to no avail.
June 20
I have a favor to ask all of you. It’s a simple one. Take ALL of my uncensoreds and all of my articles ( http://www.deathrow.at/paul ) and send them to EVERYONE on your mailing list, friends, family, coworkers, everyone. We need to make more people aware and I think this is a good idea (which someone else thought of).
Seems they are trying to fill up Level II. They brought 3 people over here today. One guy made his Level I.
Yesterday Soulja went hard again, gas and team. It’s hard to communicate with them over there so I don’t know why as of yet.
Had another great visit with my mom and dad today. There weren’t many people out there.
We also found out today the courts ruled that the state cannot execute mentally retarded people which is definitely a step in the right direction.
I leave you this week with a quote from Thomas Jefferson .- 1784
“The execution of the law is more important than the making of them.”
Let’s hope this new ruling by the Supreme Court is adhered to.
In struggle and sacrifice
Paul Colella
# 999045
Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, Texas 77351
USA
paul@deathrow.at
by Paul Colella
June 13 – 20, 2002
I am again right on the edge of rage. I’d like to share a message with you. It’s from Mike C., the man I’d mentioned before, to a friend of mine.
“I noticed all the carrying on with Napoleon Beazley but Texas is executing a man tonight and there is not a bit of outrage in his death. He was a killer also and will die in Huntsville. I don’t get it. He killed, but no one is trying to stop it. Even among the Death Row Advocates.
Sometimes I wonder what side I am on.
Regards Mike.”
Here is a pro death penalty advocate wondering why no one cried out about Stanley Bakers execution and you know what ? He is absolutely right. I got word there were some people there but where were all those who call themselves death penalty opponents? Why cant we or you organize something for the nights of executions.
Please don’t misunderstand I/we do appreciate all you do, it’s not that at all, it’s just that these men’s families hear all this hoorah over certain men’s executions and when their loved one is killed there isn’t even a protestor out there.
That needs to change. Immediately. There are a lot of people I’m sure that are like Mike who see this same thing and think the D/P people don’t care about this guy, why should we? We cannot let this happen or I should say continue to happen. CANNOT!! We must change something.
June 14
Another beautiful day. There hasn’t been any rain for the flowers to grow and it seems to be to hot for the birds. Haven’t even been seeing the little sparrows which are common.
I don’t know why I never thought to write about it before because I’ve seen it happen for years: TDC kidnapping men and taking them to Jester 4 which has a psychiatric section to it. They get them over there, shoot them full of mind altering drugs and strap them naked to a table in 4 point restraints. I cant say I’ve witnessed it or experienced it myself, but I’ve heard the stories from guys that went.
The latest victim is Gomez. Gomez is a habitual masturbator. He does it all the time and doesn’t mind showing male or female guards or even other prisoners. There is something wrong with him mentally also. He went about 4 months ago when they tricked him out of his cell by telling him he had an attorney visit. Well, today he wasn’t going to the okey doke and refused his “visit”. So they suited a team up, Officers Chavis, Brown, Michaels, don’t know the rest. They went and got him out of his cell and forced him to go.
I’ve personally witnessed men return in a zombie state, beat up, black eyes and stitches in their mouth. It’s really pitiful the state is allowed to do it. They call it treatment. Yeah right, cut my finger off because I have a wart on my finger. Same thing.
Gomez is no danger to anyone. He just likes playing with himself.
The guards all hate him. They act like he hurts them, one even attempted to hit his privates with a solid steal bar they use to open the food slots.
I’ve heard it’s legal for TDC to kidnap these men. But why? We are said to be beyond rehabilitation. Why fix someone you’re trying to kill anyway?
Like when David Herman cut his own throat or David Long od’ed on pills, these people rushed them to the hospital, fixed em up and then rushed them to the gurney and murdered them. Make sense to you? It sure don’t to me. It remains me more and more of the nazi death camps. Are the men being taken to Jester 4 just guinea pigs being used in tests? “Here, let’s shoot this drug in him and see what happens.” I know after one trip most refuse to go again so I bet there is something messed up about it.
The turn over rate of officers is high, we’re getting a lot of new boot (new officers) in here and they are coming in like idiots stirring stuff up. What ever happened to the old adage “let sleeping dogs lie.”? These new ones seem to have a chip on their shoulder, I just don’t understand it. (frown)
June 15
Today I witnessed the officers refuse to my neighbor. I’m not sure of one officers name, but one was Washington. I can’t stand my neighbor Victor but it is still wrong for them to mess him over. All because he was playing with himself. Victor has kind of lost his mind in the last few years. He made that trip to Jester 4 a while back. Tried to hang himself with his sheet.
Anyway, this is about the 4th or 5th time I’ve seen various officers not feed him. He is already like a skeleton. I can’t imagine how hungry he is. We already don’t get enough to eat as it is.
This last month the food has went right back to where it was before. Soulja is to the point he comes off food loaf for one day and jacks a tray. He says he has gained weight even though they have cut the size of the food loaf by almost half.
I remember on Ellis when they first implemented the level system and food loaf. They were nasty, nasty, nasty. What they did was put everything off of a tray into a pan throw in cornmeal, bake it for 15 - 20 minutes and that was it. But what made it bad was that’s when we had vita-pro. Yuk!!
BUT on Ellis they let you get commissary now and then and food loaf wasn’t always seven days. Sometimes it would be two days or four. There was always an officer who would give you an extra portion of food.
Sometimes I think of the years on Ellis and think about how we used to complain about this or that. I’m ashamed of those petty complaints now.
Chitown just yelled at me to look at the sky. I did and was blessed with one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. I looked and looked. The pinks and purples were amazing then it got almost red. Absolutely beautiful!
That’s one thing I will miss if I make Level II, the sunsets, but on Level II we get the sunrises and they can be just as breathtaking.
June 16
Sunday. Sundays are the worst frown. No mail to look forward to, no movement like medical/visits or court, nothing happens on Sundays.
They haven’t been serving coffee in the mornings and when we have juice it is just colored water. Someone is pocketing some profit somewhere.
Another 3 fellows got put on Level III. One everyone calls Dirty Harry and one name Joe Joe and one name Sapo, which means frog in Spanish. I met him when he first got to death row right before we left Ellis. Before he got the name Sapo. How he got his name is, he was having serious stomach problems on Ellis, spitting up blood, couldn’t eat and eventually it got so bad, he had to be hospitalized. While in the hospital they had to put a tube down his throat and in doing so hurt his voice box. He talks funny now, hence the name frog.
John Sealy Hospital in Galveston is where we’re taken for serious problems. It’s also a training hospital so 90 % of the time some trainee doctor or nurse is working on us. Guess it saves TDC some money or something. Another experiment I think! (frown). I wont even let them give me a flu shot or do test no more, not knowing what they will inject into my system. They’ll not experiment on me. Hell, I’ve been trying to get a diagnosis on a problem I’ve been having and so far nada. I’ve been to the doctor 4 times so far. Hopefully they will figure it out soon.
June 17
Another day just like every other day. Expect today they made me a Level II prisoner (smile). Starting to move up the world. They moved me near Brian who is still Level II and I had a chance to get first hand information on the procedure of the execution which I will detail tomorrow so that everyone will know what all is involved.
I’m not sure of the situation over here yet. Give me a couple days to test the atmosphere and see where everyone is at and I’ll start highlighting Level II life.
One thing I do know is that “A” section is being used to house some population prisoners so the whole farce of clearing it out is not obvious. Okay, more tomorrow.
June 18
Hello, how is everyone doing? Still hanging in I hope. Well as promised yesterday I like to outline the procedure for a man with a date has to go through. Hopefully when I’m done everyone will have a better understanding.
When the court sets a date it’s usually (90 % of the time) 30 days later, sometimes 60 to 90 days away.
When the administration gets information on the date the prisoner is moved to A Pod, F section which is reserved strictly for guys with dates. There they are watched closer.
14 days before the date of premeditated murder they take the inmate out for his death interview. During the interview the following questions are asked:
Who will pick up your body?
What will you do with your property?
What will you do with the $ on your account?
What is your clothes sizes?
What do you want for your last meal?
Who will be witnesses to your execution?
Who do you want on your visitors list?
who will be your spiritual advisor?
Two days before the date the prisoner is allowed to make final store and can spend as much money off his account as he wants. He is also allowed all day visit with whoever is on his list. All 10 people can come in visit a couple at a time.
The day of the date the prisoner is allowed to visit is family until 12 pm. All which time they must say their final goodbye. He is taken from the visiting room to a small legal visiting cage, told to strip, everything taken. He is given a fresh jumper, shoes, socks and boxer shorts. Then he is taken to the x ray chair (which officers once told Johnny Penry was an electric chair, scared him so bad he peed himself). After that he is shackled, chained and led to a darken windowed van and driven to Huntsville. Upon arrival he is placed inside a cell similar to the ones on Ellis, a bed, a toilet/sink. He is offered food, the use of phone and then the chaplain comes and talks to him a bit. The warden comes and explains what will happen and asks for an idea of the prisoners last words.
Brian said he was allowed to call anywhere in the USA, but not overseas. He said the officers watched him at all times, but once he got there, the handcuffs and shackles were removed for good.
At 4 pm the last meal is brought (This is the time Brian got his stay). He finished his meal, was brought back to Polunsky.
If he had not been, it goes like this: After his meal he is allowed to shower and talk to the spiritual adviser or the officers. About a quarter to six the execution team prepares to walk you to the gurney (nor sure if the prisoner is handcuffed and shackled this time or not).
He is placed on the gurney and the poison catheter is put in each arm. Then the curtains are opened for the witnesses. The prisoner is asked if he has a statement. Then he is murdered.
What I have just described has happened over 200 times since I’ve been on death row. Each and every time a human life is extinguished if a stay isn’t granted. A man or woman who has a family and friends, just like the victims whose death the execution is avenging. A mother, father, brother, sister who will cry for days, weeks and years. We are not animals without thought and emotions. We have feelings, hopes and dreams. We are not unredeemable.
Let me tell you a story of a man here. Troy Kunkle has been on death row for 18 years. He was accused of some robbery murder when he was 17. Said to be unrehabilitable, beyond redemption. So a few years ago he was recreating in a single man recreation yard when another inmate cut through a fence, went into Troy’s yard and stabbed him several tiems in the process collapsing one of his lungs. Troy was able to fight the guy off, get the shank (knife) away and ended up sitting on the guys chest with the knife ready to plunge, but he stopped. Got off the guy, handled the knife to the officers who stood watching, got handcuffed, took 3 steps and collapsed.
He would have been justified in stabbing the guy, no questions asked, yet he didn’t. Why? That was not the actions of a murderer. A murderer would have went through with it. Troy should not be on death row, period.
An “execution” is premeditated murder, is nothing more than a continuation of the vicious cycle of murder. Would my family be justified in executing the executioner? Where will it end???
June 19
I don’t want to go into the disappointment I felt today as I looked out my window and saw how few people were at today’s protest. As a matter of fact that’s all I’ll say about it.
Today Texans celebrated Junetenth which is a celebration of Lincoln singing of the Anti Slave Proclamation or something of that nature. I’ve talked to several people and got several answers of its meaning. Can anyone help me to improve my knowledge on this subject?
Anyway for my last ten years in TDC on June 19 the lunch tray was stacked with food, 2 kinds of meet, peppers, onions and side dishes. Today’s meal consisted of an over baked piece of chicken with BBQ sauce purred on it, 2 biscuits, beans and corn and potato salad. That’s it. I cant wait for the fourth of July to see what’s in store. The chicken today was plain disgusting. I flushed it down the toilet. Pitiful meal.
I was asked to update my case. Well, there are no news. Last I’d heard we are in federal court. So it’s all a matter of wait and see. If there are any developments I’ll let you know. Anyone who is interested can contact Sabine. Other than that there’s not much anyone can do except spread the word. I’d really like to get some celebrities on my band wagon. I have a strong innocence claim and evidence to back it, but can’t seem to generate any publicity. Which is what I strive for because I feel publicity can help me. So we’ll see what happens.
My new neighbor D-Loc flooded tonight because his light in his cell is broken and wont turn off. It’s been on for a week straight (frown). He has told all the officers and rank to no avail.
June 20
I have a favor to ask all of you. It’s a simple one. Take ALL of my uncensoreds and all of my articles ( http://www.deathrow.at/paul ) and send them to EVERYONE on your mailing list, friends, family, coworkers, everyone. We need to make more people aware and I think this is a good idea (which someone else thought of).
Seems they are trying to fill up Level II. They brought 3 people over here today. One guy made his Level I.
Yesterday Soulja went hard again, gas and team. It’s hard to communicate with them over there so I don’t know why as of yet.
Had another great visit with my mom and dad today. There weren’t many people out there.
We also found out today the courts ruled that the state cannot execute mentally retarded people which is definitely a step in the right direction.
I leave you this week with a quote from Thomas Jefferson .- 1784
“The execution of the law is more important than the making of them.”
Let’s hope this new ruling by the Supreme Court is adhered to.
In struggle and sacrifice
Paul Colella
# 999045
Polunsky Unit
3872 FM 350 South
Livingston, Texas 77351
USA
paul@deathrow.at