Letter from man on death row

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Just finished reading. Real insight in there, thought it was worth reading as he makes a lot of salient points. Choice quotes:

When you have black kids learning more about the Boston Tea Party than the Black Panther Party, I guarantee you won't keep their attention.

Using myself as an example, I was 15 when my first love got shot 9 times in Oakland. Do you think I m going to care about book reports when my girlfriend was shot in the face?

A young black woman was struck from the jury in my case because she said she sees the Police as 'intimidators'. She never had a good experience with the Police like most young blacks, but even though she's just being true to her experience, she's not worthy to take part as a juror in a trial.

- - -

I sort of sympathize with the dude after reading that and the conditions of his case.
 
Thought you ment this bloke was on death row

letterman.jpg
 
FYI, when he says he "didn't kill him", he means he cut the victim's throat and held him down while his accomplice stabbed him many times in the gut, which eventually killed him. It's not like he just happened to be in a car with someone who suddenly pulled out a gun and shot somebody on the street.
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Hmm.
 
Great read.

Think the way the death penalty is carried out should be changed. No more lethal injections. It has to be done in a way that minimizes suffering and is extremely consistent. I hope that he goes fast and peaceful and wish the best for his daughter.

The number of incarcerated in general is a problem, much less the disproportionate minorities.
 
I'm curious how strong his argument about inmates earning money for people is.

I've heard lots of stats about how much money it costs the government to run the prison system, but I've never heard stats about how much money the inmates' labor earns people.

In the event that inmates generate more money than it costs to support the prison/etc., then it makes the death penalty look even dumber.

His point about a life sentence being pretty much a prolonged death penalty made sense to me as well. I've always thought killing a prisoner does nothing to make the world a better place. You can never reverse their crimes, and killing them doesn't bring any victims back.

I understand that people, as animalistic as they can be, desire revenge but ultimately it seems very petty to me. While this guy might have done bad things does killing him and taking an apparently caring father away from his daughter make the world a better place? Does it make the guy who got killed in the crime feel better about being dead?
 
Foaloal said:
I'm curious how strong his argument about inmates earning money for people is.

I've heard lots of stats about how much money it costs the government to run the prison system, but I've never heard stats about how much money the inmates' labor earns people.

In the event that inmates generate more money than it costs to support the prison/etc., then it makes the death penalty look even dumber.
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Isnt this geared more to private prisons? There have been instances of judges sentencing people to prison despite their innocence because they were in the pocket of the corporation running the prison.
 
Fantastic read. Gives me a lot of perspective. I won't view his terrible crime and use that to discredit him. What he is saying makes a lot of sense. Thanks for posting.
 
Foaloal said:
I'm curious how strong his argument about inmates earning money for people is.

I've heard lots of stats about how much money it costs the government to run the prison system, but I've never heard stats about how much money the inmates' labor earns people.
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Free labor for the prison is just icing on the cake. Private prisons are paid by the government to function, for a profit. Its more profitable for the prison to have as many inmates as possible. Do you think the CEO of a prison corporation wants to see crime rates fall? The war on drugs ending? Abolishing of mandatory minimum sentences? Fuck no, that is all bad for the bottom line. Take it a step further. Do you think the representative of a district which is home to a private prison or two will suddenly go "softer" on crime and risk putting the prison(s) out of business, losing hundreds of jobs for his constituents? Fuck no.

The private system is one of the most backwards and corrupt institutions this country has. I try not to think about it too much, as it really infuriates me.

Great letter. Too bad most Americans will never see it or have the attention span to read it.
 
Foaloal said:
I'm curious how strong his argument about inmates earning money for people is.

I've heard lots of stats about how much money it costs the government to run the prison system, but I've never heard stats about how much money the inmates' labor earns people.

In the event that inmates generate more money than it costs to support the prison/etc., then it makes the death penalty look even dumber.

His point about a life sentence being pretty much a prolonged death penalty made sense to me as well. I've always thought killing a prisoner does nothing to make the world a better place. You can never reverse their crimes, and killing them doesn't bring any victims back.

I understand that people, as animalistic as they can be, desire revenge but ultimately it seems very petty to me. While this guy might have done bad things does killing him and taking an apparently caring father away from his daughter make the world a better place? Does it make the guy who got killed in the crime feel better about being dead?
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I see it as a good way to keep everyone else from even thinking about doing such a crime. Ive heard people say they even enjoy prison and is more a home than outside life ever was and so would be almost nothing to them.
 
Norml said:
I see it as a good way to keep everyone else from even thinking about doing such a crime. Ive heard people say they even enjoy prison and is more a home than outside life ever was and so would be almost nothing to them.
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2 million prison population and people STILL think deterrence works. Boggles my mind. Putting people in prison is a band-aid response to crime. Fix the real problem. Inequality and poverty breeds crime.
 
Norml said:
I see it as a good way to keep everyone else from even thinking about doing such a crime. Ive heard people say they even enjoy prison and is more a home than outside life ever was and so would be almost nothing to them.
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More people getting sent to prison. People still killing others even though they know the Death Penalty exists in their area. These measures don't seem to be working.
 
water_wendi said:
Isnt this geared more to private prisons? There have been instances of judges sentencing people to prison despite their innocence because they were in the pocket of the corporation running the prison.
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Saganator said:
Free labor for the prison is just icing on the cake. Private prisons are paid by the government to function, for a profit.

The private system is one of the most backwards and corrupt institutions this country has. I try not to think about it too much, as it really infuriates me.
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Ah, that explains things.

I don't live in the US and as far as I know we don't have private prisons here.

It's pretty obvious a system where people make money off other people being in jail is a bad system, but it doesn't seem like there's much the average person can do to change things.
 
Doesn't seem remorseful at all. Just making excuses and implying he got a raw deal and it's not his fault he slit a colleagues throat for nothing more than some recording equipment.

Didn't get much out of his insights to be honest.
 
Norml said:
Yes,but its still has to be a good deterrent.
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Then why are the homicide rates in the US so much higher than in most other developed nations? And why do we have the highest incarceration rate on the planet?

Just because you say it is a good deterrent doesn't mean it is. In fact, the numbers paint the opposite picture.
 
GaimeGuy said:
Then why are the homicide rates in the US so much higher than in most other developed nations? And why do we have the highest incarceration rate on the planet?

Just because you say it is a good deterrent doesn't mean it is. In fact, the numbers paint the opposite picture.
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So you think nobody at all thinks for a second that I could die if I do this and get caught?
 
Norml said:
So you think nobody at all thinks for a second that I could die if I do this and get caught?
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Well the numbers certainly suggest that they don't. I also have seen any evidence that the death penalty is any more of a deterrent than say life in prison.

Personally i doubt it really does cross their minds. I'd say when people are in a situation where they're going to kill someone they often aren't thinking about that (or just hoping they won't get caught).
 
He slit a guy's throat.

I mean. What? Its really hard to see past that into all the talk about empathy, and how his sentence is unfair.

Justice system is broke, no doubt, but screw this guy.
 
Foaloal said:
Ah, that explains things.

I don't live in the US and as far as I know we don't have private prisons here.
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Lucky. Here I thought I was living in the greatest country in the world!

Capitalism has its virtues, but unfortunately it also gives us greedy and poorly thought out ideas such as the private prison industry and our joke of a health care system.

This stuff gets me worked up. Gonna stop checking this thread.
 
The problems are generally the economy, inequality, bullying, corruption, intimidation, violence, psychological trauma... all kinds of bad shit in society can help create bad people. It doesn't always, but desperate people commit desperate acts and you have to care if you live or die for the death penalty to be an effective deterrant.

It is effective, but not completely. Nothing is but a utopian society that has so far been unobtainable.
 
Sub_Level said:
Great read.

Think the way the death penalty is carried out should be changed. No more lethal injections. It has to be done in a way that minimizes suffering and is extremely consistent. I hope that he goes fast and peaceful and wish the best for his daughter.

The number of incarcerated in general is a problem, much less the disproportionate minorities.
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There is no way to kill someone without pain being felt. Your natural inclination is to fight death and your body will let you know it.
 
V_Arnold said:
It does not matter what he did, the point he makes is absolutely flawless.
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...The facts of this crime were brutal and demonstrated calculated deliberation. Jasper planned well in advance the stabbing murder of someone he would later describe as "one of the nicest people [he] ever met in [his] life." He allowed Alejandro to assist him with recording for two hours, knowing he was about to kill him. As Alejandro sat unaware at the soundboard mixing a track for Jasper, Jasper pulled his head back and, taking a kitchen knife from his jacket, slit his throat from ear to ear. When that wound did not kill him, one of Jasper's accomplices joined the attack until Alejandro was dead. Alejandro suffered twenty-five stab wounds. Jasper quickly loaded equipment into the vans and instructed one stunned accomplice to hurry up and help.
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No matter how eloquent his sob story may be the sick piece of shit deserves to die.
 
GaimeGuy said:
Irrelevant
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It is kind of relevant when the guy doesn't think he deserves the death penalty. He doesn't even acknowledge he slit Alejandro's throat. He prattles on about empathy and lethal injection and being a father and not once did he show contrition or acknowledge his horrific act against the victim, empathy for his victim, his victim's suffering or his victim's family.
 
Guy made great points. People who are uncomfortable with them will focus on the crime he committed.

You can say "fuck this guy" for what he did, and what he did is abhorrent, but you're ignoring the larger picture (practically everything he mentioned) and are going to keep supporting a system that will produce a large number of criminals. The hard part is looking beyond what these criminals have done, and thinking "why have they done this?" "What will stop their kids doing the same thing?" (not killing their parents for a start).
 
Norml said:
Yes,but its still has to be a good deterrent.
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No it doesn't. The death penalty has been proven to not be a deterrent. This has been proven and demonstrated in numerous sociological and psychological studies. Look them up in google if you don't believe me, you'll find hundreds of links.

Think of it like this: people who commit horrific crimes such as murder do not actually weigh out the punishment. They don't go "I could commit crime X and get Y, but I WON'T commit crime X2, because I don't want to get harsher punishment Y2....so I'd better commit the safer crime of X."

They do it and do not want to face the punishment, period.

In other words it does not matter what the punishment is, life in prison, a massive fine, or death. They'll still do it because they don't expect or want any of those.

The death penalty does not work as a deterrent. The only thing it does is kill the criminal. That's it.
 
I live in the UK and it makes me feel sick sometimes that I know quite a lot of people who want to reintroduce the death penalty.
 
CountAntonius said:
Fantastic read. Gives me a lot of perspective. I won't view his terrible crime and use that to discredit him. What he is saying makes a lot of sense. Thanks for posting.
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Agreed. When I read the details of the case, it gave me pause, but ultimately it doesn't make anything that he said any less true.
 
It's sad that so many people are quick to bring up "He slit someone's throat!" and "He doesn't have empathy, why should I have empathy for him"

You know, maybe the dude is a scumbag. That doesn't mean you should discredit what he's saying because of his past actions. He has a lot of good points and brings up real issues.

Then again, unless you're a minority yourself most of these issues will never effect you, so why should you care? It's human nature to be selfish and only worry about yourself after all.
 
He does make points about the justice system in America being fucked up but the fact that he tries to paint himself as a victim of the fucked up justice system when he is entirely in there on his own actions makes me think he is a piece of shit. He is a textbook example of someone that needs to be put away as he committed a heinous crime and doesn't give a shit about that. There are lots of people in American prisons that shouldn't be there or are facing completely unfair sentences but his damn well ain't one.
 
He spend a lot of time talking about what's wrong with other people and the rest of the world, but the only time he mentioned himself it was to say that God has his back. In his first letter he wrote this:

My life is a testament of what it is to be young & black in America.
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Hrm.

It seems like he has stayed relatively mentally fit considering the hostile environment he is in, but it's hard to take these as honest words. Not that he owes that to anyone.
 
What he says on page 5 about black kids not knowing about their ancestors' slave history, is that true? Are kids in America not educated about slavery?
 
Kenshin001 said:
No matter how eloquent his sob story may be the sick piece of shit deserves to die.
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Sob story? Did you read that 6-7 page letter of his? It has very little to do with *him* personally. People who are about to die tend to have a perspective on things that you - I am sorry, WE - might do well to listen to. If you truly cannot separate the deeds from what he is talking about, then the system failed you as well.
 
A fascinating letter. I found the stuff about black kids and education to be the most interesting because it seems to be an area that is (possibly but knowing America probably not) fixable. I think the question of how to engage young black kids is one of the most important facing your country, and not addressing it means alienating and disenfranchising a large part of an entire generation.

That said, I don't agree with his point about black culture needing to be more separate from white culture and defined more along African roots. I think this hurts black people more than helps them. Slavery or not, if a family has lived here for generations and hundreds of years, those kids are American and they need to be more included in American culture, not taking steps to define themselves as 'other'. The more culturally segregated blacks and whites become, the less chance there is of there being true empathy between the races in either direction. It's not just black kids who need to learn black history, it's everyone.

The scary thing is, I don't even know if it is possible to re-engage those left out of the mainstream at this point. It feels like it's gone too far. Massive swathes of people with barely rudimentary education. Institutional racism in the police, poor black people grouped together in neighborhoods and ghettos. Crime, not education, portrayed in media as a way out. How do you fix that?
 
HappyBivouac said:
The death penalty is barbaric and does nothing to deter crime. It does not need to exist in a developed country in 2014.
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I strongly disagree with this and wish Canada would enact the death penalty. It's not a deterant, but I believe for the most despicable crimes where the accused is undoubtedly guilty, they should pay what they owe to the family of the victims. If you take a life, you owe them yours and forfeit your own.
 
I love how he keeps going on and on about the importance of "empathy", but he couldn't even be bothered to show any empathy towards his victim whose throat he slit.

Hypocritical scumbag.
 
gribbles said:
I love how he keeps going on and on about the importance of "empathy", but he couldn't even be bothered to show any empathy towards his victim whose throat he slit.

Hypocritical scumbag.
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Your point is utterly ridiculous though and displays a lack of empathy on your part. As well as perhaps reading comprehension.

Consider - when he committed this crime 15 years ago he did indeed behave despicably (not knowing the full extent of the case it's hard to judge further). But e you are saying that in 15 years this man could not change. The idea of jail is to rehabilitate. To learn the error of his ways. Do you think it's possible that, in 15 years of self examination and thinking about your crimes that he might develop a greater sense of empathy? Should he be allowed to grow as a person at all?

Wait no, he's a scumbag and so is not entitled to change as a person or have rational thoughts, right? Would certainly make killing him a lot easier if it was so black and white (for want of a better term...)
 
gribbles said:
I love how he keeps going on and on about the importance of "empathy", but he couldn't even be bothered to show any empathy towards his victim whose throat he slit.

Hypocritical scumbag.
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Follow that chain of logic of yours, and you will realize that NO ONE DESERVES EMPATHY! NO ONE!

Let us see how better we can make the world like that. An eye for an eye, always. See if one eye remains somewhere.
 
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