D.E.N.I.S. Newsletter Banned

Rostonhall · #1 03-01-2004, 07:49 AM

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

jimsenglishgeek · #2 03-01-2004, 06:22 PM

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

jims

**Patty** · #3 03-02-2004, 06:47 AM

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

Patty

Rostonhall · #4 03-02-2004, 08:04 AM

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

Roger's Girl · #5 03-02-2004, 12:12 PM

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?

Rostonhall · #6 03-02-2004, 01:58 PM

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

Roger's Girl · #7 03-02-2004, 02:50 PM

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.

lovesaron · #8 03-02-2004, 04:14 PM

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.

Rostonhall · #9 03-02-2004, 05:11 PM

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

Rose

InmateHelper · #10 03-02-2004, 07:48 PM

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!!!

issed:

**Patty** · #11 03-02-2004, 07:52 PM

Inmate Helper,
What can I do to help?
Patty

InmateHelper · #12 03-02-2004, 07:52 PM

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

InmateHelper

Roger's Girl · #13 03-02-2004, 09:22 PM

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

Rostonhall · #14 03-03-2004, 02:56 AM

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

InmateHelper · #15 03-21-2004, 01:30 PM

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