For those who get, and maybe send their guys, this newsletter I have to pass on to you that the Publications Reviewing Office (I think that's it's correct title) at Menard has notified inmates that the D.E.N.I.S. Newsletter has been placed in the banned publications list. The ruling was made on 13th February and came into effect with the Jan 2004 first edition. The notification gave the following reasons for the ban.

A) It's written in code or facilitates communication between offenders

B) Advocates or encourages violence, hatred, or group disruption or it poses
an intolerable risk of violence or disruption

C) Detrimental to security, good order, rehabilitation or discipline or it might
facilitate criminal activity or be detrimental to mental health.

Now, no matter what we may think about this ruling we have to aware this publication is now considered contriband and if any one of our men are found with one single copy in their possession they will get a ticket and seg time. If they don't already know about this then we must warn them to destroy anything they might have. None of us wants to see our men in seg. it takes far too much out of them.

I've let Inmate Helper know of this decision and, as I say, no matter how bad we feel about it, at the moment it's out of our hands.

Rose

What is this newsletter, Rose? I've not heard of it. Anything else on the banned list?

jims

I signed my man up to receive those, I will have to talk to him about it. Thanks for the heads up Rose

Patty

jims, I'll pm you.

Patty, that's OK, better to be warned because it could be banned at all prisons soon and we don't want our men in seg when we can do something about it.

Rose

Rose, Is the information on the newletter something that can be shared. I havent heard of it either. Is it something where we can involved?

Not sure what you mean, Roger's Girl. The info that it's been banned at Menard can be shared with whoever you like. If you mean can we get involved with the newsletter my advise, at the moment, would be not to. Inmate Helper, who puts out this newsletter knows about the ban, I told her, and she's talking about taking legal advise over it. But, as it's a banned publication, I for one, won't be helping in any way because I wouldn't want any repercussions to be heading Tony's way. And, let's face it, that's exactly what would happen.

Rose

I didnt mean getting involved with the ban. I wouldnt want to cause trouble for the guys either, that would be the last I would want to do. I am talking about the newsletter itself. Is it geared towards inmates, maybe the inmates families. Letting us know when certain bills are up for vote, things like that.

DENIS stands for
Defenders, Equalizers, and Negotiators for the Institutionalized Society.

The newsletter will be available online within the next month.
The editor is working to get a website up.
:)

I'm glad about that, just a shame the people it's written for, the inmates, won't be able to see it.

Rose

Hi to All:

I am the InmateHelper. Yes I do send out newsletters once a month to inmates. But they are not the only ones I send it to. I also send them to the following: The Governor of Illinois; the Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections; Amnesty International; American Civil Liberties Union; and several politicians. I also send them to several attorneys and judges.

I called Springfield after Rose alerted me of this "so-called" ban. I spoke with Terry Anderson, Head of Inmate Issues. When I called her, she was, at the very moment, reviewing my newsletters. She told me that Springfiled HAD NOT BANNED ANY OF MY NEWSLETTERS. Apparently, and as usual, the individual prisons and their overseers opted to, yet, make up their own rules. I told Ms. Anderson about Menard mailing me back the December Special Edition, and she was perturbed about it. She said that they were to send them to her and she was to make a decision on it.

I am, in fact, trying to get some legal action going, because it is IN VIOLATION OF MY 1ST AMENDMENT. It also violates the rights of the prisoners.

Menard is angry because I published newspaper articles about a prisoner that was murdered by guards in Pontiac. Even the prisoners at Pontiac received the newsletter. Ms. Anderson told me she received a call from Pontiac, but no one tried banning the newsletter. I also published one of the five letters I received from prisoners telling me what happened to the prisoner that was murdered.

This is not going to stop me. Rose, I'm surprised that you are not interested in even trying to help me fight the system. This is what it's all about. I'm out here fighting for all of your men, and I can't get someone to stand by me? It's easy for you to say, you're over in another country. My man has been locked up for 25 years, and I have not stopped trying to help him and all the others.

They are systematically beating, torturing and eventually killing our loved ones. If no one does anything about, they will continue. They placed the same guards that murdered that prisoner, right back on the same gallery. This is, in essence, giving them PERMISSION, to continue dehumanizing and treating our loved ones like animals.

Disgusted!!! :pissed:

Inmate Helper,
What can I do to help?
Patty

If anyone is interested in reviewing the newsletters, please look at my profile and email me. I will email the newsletters to you.

InmateHelper

I tried to e mail you but it said I wasnt able. Why dont you PM me and I will give you my e mail address. Thanks

Inmate Helper, you above everyone else should know that neither I, nor Tony, can afford to take on the fight of other people. You know I'll support you in any way I can but, for Tony's sake, I CANNOT help you directly with this. We have our own fight and, to us, it is far more important than anyone or anything else. Tony has been locked up for 2 decades, most of that time facing death, for a murder he didn't commit. NOTHING is more important to us than his freedom and, please excuse me for saying this, there aren't too many people lining up to help us, so we have to do it all ourselves.

If not helping others in their fight with IDOC means that Tony won't be subjected to retaliatory measures then so be it. It may seem hard for you as I've supported you so much but, unless Tony says otherwise, this is one fight I have to step away from.

If I've hurt any feelings then I'm truly sorry but Tony, being ex-Death Row, and the nature of the murder he was wrongly sent there for, makes him a target within the prison. We both have to be squeeky clean and be seen to not be in conflict with the IDOC because the consequences, right or wrong, would be too hard for Tony. Tony comes first, alway will, and anything that affects him directly I'll fight for but this, this can only bring unecessary trouble to his door, as I'm sure you will see when the initial shock of what they've done at Menard wears off. He's taking the threat so seriously he has, as I've already told you, destroyed all previous copies of the newsletter he had in his possession. We have to protect ourselves, first and foremost.

Rose

Rose, I am grateful for the help you have provided for the organization. To all that reads this, Rose has donated $100 toward the organization, to help publish these newsletters.

I have to continue fighting, and asking others to help fight. If we let this go, all that I have done will be in vain. I've provided the prisoners with pertinent case law that enables them to fight their cases in court; I allow them to vent their feelings via the newsletter, whether it be in articles or poetry; I keep them abreast of what is going on around them; They already know that prisoners are being beaten, tortured and eventually murdered, around and in their sight. The problem is that they have become domiciled, thereby enabling these guards to do as they please.

The particular newsletter that was banned, told of an inmates murder by the guards. Even the prison that the murder occurred in, allowed the prisoners to receive the newsletters. I got a letter from one of them, telling me that the guards had also read the newsletter, and are now being nicer to them. This is in fear that I am taking this to the highest level, in which I intend to.

What you don't realize is that, the same thing could have and still can, happen to Tony or any of the other prisoners of some of those who are PTO members. If we allow them to get by with this, they will continue. They place the same guards that killed the inmate, right back on the same gallery, the very next day. It was the inmates who retaliated, went to the warden and complained that these guards were still on the gallery.

While we bicker over the support of the newsletter, the inmates, with the exception of Tony, have filed numerous greivances regarding the banning of my newsletter. You know, as well as anyone, that the newsletter is greatly needed.

Here I am with February and March issues, already printed and waiting to get this cleared. I'm still in contact with Springfield, and they are still saying they have not banned my newsletter. It is the individual prisons that have taken it upon themselves to ban it. Prisoners are sending me copies of their grievances, along with a copy of the reason it was banned. I've forwarded a copy of the reason to Springfield. I am still being told that it is not their doing.

These individual prison wardens and staff have got to be stopped from making up their own rules. When talking to Springfield, Ms. Anderson has stated that she is going to make a new IDOC Policy (Rule), concerning the decision of permitting newsletters. In any event, they have and still are violating my 1st Amendment to Freedom of Speech. I do not, have not and do not intend to advocate violence among the prisoners and staff. One of the things I express in my newsletters is for the prisoners to fight the system, but do it with their minds.

I am still grateful for the help and donation that you have tendered, but I am disappointed in Tony for not fighting for his rights. They are going to do what they want to do to him, no matter what you try, so why not fight for his rights?

If anyone is willing to help me, whether it be donations (monetary(PayPal) or material), voluntary work, legal research, etc., please email me. I am in dire need of a heavy duty copier. If anyone knows where I can get one, please contact me at your earliest convenience. The newsletters are being attached to my website, and I will advise you at a later date where to go to read them. Thank you all, in advance for your support.

I still remain.... STEADFAST IN THE STRUGGLE!

In Solidarity,

Phyllis Coleman
InmateHelper

I AM FIGHTING FOR HIS RIGHTS I ALWAYS HAVE AND IO ALWAYSWILL

HOW DARE YOU, HOW DARE YOU SAY, Tony doesn't fight for his rights. Because he isn't fighting for your newsletter doesn't mean he doesn't fight for his rights Your newsletter is at the bottom of the pile when it comes to Tony, or me, fighting for his rights. Our biggest fight is to get him released, EXONERATED, after spending nearly 2 decades on Death Row. And that is only the first. Just because I don't broadcast to all and sundry what we, Tony and I, are doing doesn't mean we sit back and do nothing.

WHY THE HELL should he fight for you when, at the moment, he's fighting to just stay alive in that place and you have done nothing to help him. Please don't tell me you help all the inmates, you've helped Tony in no way. Yes, he liked your newsletter, but not enough to now fight for YOU (not him) which would only bring more grief on his shoulders, more for those in Menard, who want to see him dead, to hold against him.

Right now Phyllis, I'm very, very angry with you for making that statement. My Tony tried to kill himself last week because of all the intinidation he's been under since he left Death Row, something I've told you about frequently and you always dismissed it. How many times have you told me not to fight too much for what I think is right because Tony will be the one to suffer??? Yes, Phyllis, I remember those things.

I'm sorry you've brought this to the forum, my original post was just warning others that their men might be considered to have contraband if they kept your newsletter. You made it personal and now, I'm afraid I risk the wrath of the moderators in this answer but I WILL NOT let you get away with expecting Tony to fight for you and yet make it sound as though he's actually fighting for his rights. He has far more impoortant thing to thinks about at the moment and, when I tell him about this post, he'll no doubt tell me I shouldn't have got myself so worked up and angry because we have more important things to worry abpout!!!!!!!!

Rose

I have always been a jump-in-with-both-feet kind of activist. If I ever saw something that was just wrong, I would never hesitate to take on the cause. Until I got involved with the U.S. Justice Department. Now, I take a sit back and observe attitude and make sure all my "t's" are crossed and my "i's" dotted before I take any action whatsoever. If I were not involved with Jim, it would be different. I'd be fighting tooth and nail for all these injustices I have encountered SINCE becoming involved with Jim, and with the system in general. Therein lies the rub, as they say. There needs to be people who aren't afraid of repercussions to a loved one. But, unless one actually has a loved one in prison, chances are very slim they will ever even become aware of what goes on in our justice system let alone get involved and try to change it. The prisons know this, they rely on this. It's a nasty Catch 22, but I am not willing to gamble with Jim's health, safety, and wellbeing for anything that does not affect him directly.

jims

Tony has been fighting for all he is worth for his rights! and since you came into his life Rose, you have done so much for him, to try and help him win his freedom. I am sure the newsletter does have informative stuff in it, but this is Tony's life you are talking about. The newsletter is probably the last thing you have on your mind now, since Tony's attempted suicide.No-one can accuse Tony of not fighting for his rights and God knows how hard that is to do since they got off the row. No-one knows how hard it is to try and find a balance between standing up for their rights and challenging the IDOC, until they become involved with a guy who just happens to be an inmate.

TO ALL:

YOU MAY SEE THE NEWSLETTERS ON MY WEBSITE AT: http://www.a-chance.org/denis

Thank you all for your support

Inmatehelper

Rose, do not get upset. No one can every imagine what you are going thru.Tony has you and with our prayers and your love he will be getting better. Please don't get sick you have a flight coming up soon and you need all your strength. I do believe in the inmates knowing what is going on, but I can not have or get a couple of this newpaper because of the fact, there is so much going on with the system and contraband. They are cutting down on certain magazines. So I am happy for you newspaper, but I can not support you in anyway to get it out, my husbands freedom of not going to seg and not getting any tickets is more important to us.

I read the March issue and Phyllis was very disappointed that you would print a letter like that about white women/black men. The letter from the supposed white woman sounds like something an immature teen would write, and it is inciting. I was very offended. Why would you pick some trashy letter like that to put in your newsletter? We have freedom of speech in our country, and also freedom to pick our friends and partners, regardless of race. The articles were insulting to all the strong white women here! I thought about this for a couple days, and decided to post on this.

I so agree. I would not and could not support this newsletter on the basis of what I have read in it.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who found this letter, and the answer to it, so offensive and so very racist.

Rose

Jim'sgeek, I agree with you about getting all the facts before reacting, acting. I have been in the embarassing situation with one of my "sons" that he did not give me accurate information! Now he's never met me in person. But he'd say, this isn't fair, this happened. I called the prison about a couple things and found out I did not have the whole story! This is much like the situation of your kid telling you how awful the teacher is, how unfair, and when you hear the other side, suddenly things make sense. I told T I'll stand by him, but tell me the truth! Perhaps he doesn't think I'll hang in there if I hear he's making mistakes.

Ok after looking at the newsletter, I can fully understand both sides, but there is nothing in there that is hurtful to anyone. I have decided to help InmateHelper with the newsletter. She is trying to get the information to inmates, the article that upset so many people was not written by her, it was written by someone who submitted it to ESSENCE MAGAZINE. You should be upset with the author of the article not someone who put it in a magazine as a FYI article. She provides a lot of good information in her newspaper. No one should be judgemental of anyone, because none of us are better then anyone else here. We are all in this together and should not argue among one another. We have a purpose here to support everyone and their projects and her project is a very good one. If you don't like it, then keep your comments to yourself. I judged the newspaper wrong by listening to others before I read it myself. My husband likes the newsletter and he is the one that is important here. I SUPPORT HER 100%.

THANK YOU

Tonygirl, the article may not have been written by Phyllis but she CHOSE to include it in her newsletter, nobody forced her. And I, for one, find it very offensive and racist.

In case you didn't realize, my Tony is black and I am white, and we certainly don't fit the profile in that article. Yes, I support Tony but he's NEVER asked me for a cent. I give out of love and because what I have is his, totally. I am a very intelligent white woman, like all the other white women on this forum who have black partners, and I vehemently oppose racism in any shape or form. Tony would be the first to tell you I DO NOT do everything he suggests I do, or give him an easy life. As I've told him many times, I have a mind of my own and will only do what I want, not what others want of me. Tony loves the fact that I'm very strong and can stand up for myself, and him, without having someone behind me pulling the strings, and I certainly answer back.

The women of this forum support one another in every way, I couldn't have survivied recently without that support but, and there's usually a but, we also have the right to object when we don't agree with another member. If Phyllis can't accept this then I'm afraid that's her problem, not ours. If you chose to support her then that's your decision, but please don't expect everyone else to do so, especially as it would cause no end of trouble for our partners as her publication, no matter how good you may think it is, is now considered contraband.

Rose

Isn't part of the point of these newsletters to give people the right to their own opinion and free speech. If Inmate Helper banned what she didn't like, then she is censoring everything that people feel and have to say and it becomes just her opinion!

Phyllis CHOSE this article from another sourse, it wasn't sent in for her to include in her newsletter, it was taken from somewhere else by her to put into her newsletter. She says her newsletter doesn't incite trouble but she deliberately included that knowing that many of us who, incidentally, have backed her to the hilt previously, would be upset and find it racist and offensive. As I see it, it was a deliberate action by her to provoke a reaction, and that she did.

It really doesn't matter to me what she thinks of me, personally, but I resent the inference that Tony is so shallow and spineless that he's only with me for what he can get.

Rose

The problem then is, that you have taken offence to this article about a mixed race couple, personally. There are some inmates of hyspanic, black and white ,who are in their relationships for what they can get out of their women. Some people are aware of it and some aren't, because it is always very difficult to tell someone this, knowing they love that person and not everyone is willing to even look at the possibility that this is what is happening. No-one is saying this about Tony, but this article is about someone that is involved in that type of thing.I am sure it was not intended to hurt you personally. There are many mixed relationships here on PTO.

What has upset me, and others, is that this letter was from a moron and Phyllis can see this. Why not have a very intellegent discussion about it, if she really has to, not the ravings of someone with only half a brain. And, yes, I did take it personally, and that's the way it was intended!!!!!!!!!!

Rose

I am a white woman, married to a black man, and I have given birth to mixed children. The article was offensive to me, IMO it promotes racial stereotypes, and I am sure that my husband would also find it offensive.

I am all for promoting free speech, and fighting for the first amendment, but I will only do so for speech that I feel is valuable to society as a whole. I fail to see the value in this type of article.

TO ALL:

First and foremost, Rose, I'm sorry to hear that Tony tried to take his life. It's sad that things should come to that point. I'm just glad he's okay.

Secondly, that article was not intended to offend anyone, especially you! I know you are White and Tony is Black. I have no problem with that. Love is Love. Yes I am Black, and I have had relationships with Whites. It had nothing to do with any of you. If I were to want to tell someone something to offend them, then I wouldn't use an article to do so. I'm a woman, always have been. I speak up for myself.

I was not aware of these post until someone told me to look. I'm sorry if anyone was offended. My sole purpose for putting that article in, was to see if IDOC would let my newsletters back in the prisons. As you know, news gets old. Eventually, they will forget about the January issue and the information I published regarding the death of an inmate.

Also, I never once said that Tony wasn't fighting for himself. Also, I recently posted a reply, thanking Rose for her generous contribution to DENIS. I also put a case in one of my newsletters and emailed it to Rose, regarding another couple who fought with legal actions against the jail to get married. I also published one of Tony's articles. So for her to say I've done nothing for them is not true. I am limited in what I can and cannot do. The one true talent I have is writing.

When I send out these newsletters, I allow prisoners to send in articles and poetry. The only articles I don't publish are those that I feel will incite a riot. I do extensive legal research and put that in the newsletters to help the men fight their cases in court, as the majority of them have trouble getting to the law library. I received a letter from a prisoner in Pontiac, that didn't even know this man had been murdered, right there, under his nose. I give them the facts.

Rose initially was the one who alerted me of the banning of my newsletters. I really appreciated that. She also told me that she would be posting it on PTO, so that the other women would know what was going on. I quote: "I have to tell you I'm going to post this decision on the Prison Talk Online site, as I feel other women may be sending your newsletter to their guys and putting them in jeopardy. It's only fair they should know, they can decide themselves what to do with the information."

This is what has perturbed me. When you said you'd post it, I had no problem. But when you said "they can decide themselves what to do with the information," you did not honor that. You tried telling everyone to have their men tear the newsletters up, because it was considered contraband. You didn't bother to tell them that it was only Menard that had banned the newsletters. Since then, I've found out that Menard, Pinckneyville and Lawrenceville banned the newsletters. Pontiac, where the prisoner was murdered, didn't even ban it. They delivered the newsletter to the prisoners and that's how the one prisoner sent me a letter telling me he didn't know it had happened. Another prisoner wrote me from Pontiac and told me that the guards who had committed this crime, had also read the newsletters and were now being nicer to them.

My concern is that the women on PTO, do not necessarily have a loved one at Menard, Pinckneyville and Lawrenceville. For you to tell them to tell their men to destroy the newsletters was wrong. The men who have been denied my newsletter, with the exception of Tony, have filed grievances regarding the denial of the publications. Not only have they violated my Constitutional Right to Freedom of Speech, but they have violated the prisoners right to received them. I am not sending in literature that would have them start a riot or anything of the like. As a matter of fact, I try to give them inspirational quotes and let them know that I don't condone violence. They respect me and what I stand for and do for them.

I have been committed to helping prisoners for the past 3-1/2 years, with no one to help me. You and others have donated monies that helped me get my mailing off. Today, I am receiving, if I'm lucky, maybe 6 letters per month, as opposed to the 4-11 letters per day that I was receiving. The IDOC has opted to intercept my mail also. There are several prisoners at Dixon who sent donations to me almost 2 months ago, and have receipts to prove it, but to date, I have not received anything.

The newsletters have been banned; my phone has been tapped; I couldn't get on IDOC website for almost 2 months; now my mail is either being returned to the prisoners with a finger stamped on it saying "addressee unknown", or getting thrown away. I checked with the post office in my area, and they tell me that they don't use the finger stamp. They also said that if a finger was on it, it never reached their post office. I am attempting to file a lawsuit regarding my newsletters and the interception of my mail, which by the way, is a federal offense.

I'm a 58 year old mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who is on disability. The irony of it all is that my son was murdered 12 years ago, and I still fight for prisoners, even though one of them murdered my son. My son was 25 yrs old, married, with a daughter, in college, working part-time, volunteering at the grammar school he attended and his daughter was attending. His death sent me to Tinley Park Mental Hospital, yet I survived.

The bottom line is that whether they are guilty or not guilty, they are all human beings and should be treated as such.

I will continue to fight, whether I have your support or not.

I remain.... STEADFAST IN THE STRUGGLE!

Inmatehelper

I read the article and I didnt take any offense to it at all. I am a southern white woman and I have dated black men.

I think the letter written by the white woman was showing a lack of intelligence and was blantantly putting down black women. It showed a shallow person with shallow thoughts. The response letter by the black man showed how a highly intellingent black man sees women of his own race. Defending black women as the letter from the white woman did nothing but put them down.

As for being insulted. I think if you took that is was being directed towards you, then no one can change that. I think it showed a shallow attitude and an intelligent attitude combating sterotypes.

I am not sure how this relates to prison relationships just because it was re-printed in a prison newletter. I think in my humble opinion, the letter was included to bolster the way men treat women. Period.

We all know that is doesnt (or shouldnt) matter what color a person is, cause like they say, Love is Blind.

Just for everyone's information, I am a white woman also who was married to two black men and I have a beautiful 28 year old son. I have a 7 year old black granddaughter who i love dearly. My son married a white woman, since we are getting personal here. I am hispanic but on my birth certificate is say WHITE. I am married to a puerto rican now. WHO IS IN PRISON, if i and others can not express our selves and support others in this forum then what are we all here for. No one in this group was named in the article. and if you are all going to look at things like this then no one should read the newspaper. it is in there everyday. go down south and live there and see how you are treated face to face with southerners. FREEDOM OF SPEECH, and if you man is offended about this article then he must be one of those who does not know what life is all about, especially if he is in prison. BUT GROW UP PEOPLE, THIS IS LIFE, AND REALITY. IF IT OFFENDS YOU THEN MAYBE YOU ARE THE ONE THAT HAS THE PROBLEM WITH INTERACIAL MARRIAGES OR RELATIONSHIPS ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE IN ONE. WHITE IS WHITE, BLACK IS BLACK. NO ONE GIVES A DARN WHO YOU ARE WITH IN THIS GROUP, THAT IS THE MAIN CONCERN, SHE PUT IN A ARTICLE THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN A MAJOR MAGAZINE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. A BLACK OWNED MAGAZINE, DID YOU KNOW THAT? AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE ARTICLES SHE PUTS IN THERE, FIND SOME EMAIL THEM TO HER AND LET HER KNOW WHAT SHE SHOULD BE HAVING IN THERE, BUT DO NOT PUT HER DOWN FOR HELPING OUR MEN AND WOMEN WITH SOMETHING TO READ, SINCE OTHER MAJOR MAGAZINES ARE BANNED. GET OFF IT PEOPLE, GROW UP AND BE REAL, CAUSE I AM.

This is the end, I'm not going to justify a reply to any of you because you've all failed to see the significance of what has been written.

I have larger issues to deal with than all this pettiness.

Rose

**Thread Closed**

I am closing this thread as I think it's crossed a line... I try TO allow everyone to speak their mind-- but, if or when it gets to be a personal debate, it does need to be taken out of the public forums.

Just a reminder to everyone in this forum-- we can express thoughts, opinions and feelings... and we can disagree with what others post... but we need to keep it respectful...