Question Time

Timmie, a student at Herts & Essex High, wrote:
 
You came to my school today, and when I got home I visited your sites and saw some of the videos. I have a couple of questions. Firstly, I wanted to know how you took the pictures of yourself within the prison? Secondly, apart from what you're doing now and people protesting isn't there another way in which we can help these people? I've just finished watching the video of the man being killed

VIDEO 1, VIDEO 2

become quite angry that nothing was done especially the one about the war veteran. After today, I've released that it's not a race thing and it happens to anyone. What is affecting me the most is the fact that the prisoners (hope I don’t hurt your feelings for saying this) are there to serve time for what they've done, which I think should entail them doing something profitable like doing things for the community rather than just sitting and doing nothing. Also is the fact that the prisons are run by people who don't really understand how to bring justice to the people who've been hurt, so there has to be some other way to get Sheriff Arpaio out and bring someone who's going to affect these prisoners lives effectively. Other than that I wanted to say well done as you have gone through this to be an example and I can say you've certainly put me off wanting to go to prison for sure and you have a really cool accent! Thank you!
 
My response:

Prisoners are allowed to pay for pictures to be taken. I paid $10 for 5 pics. An inmate photographer takes them usually at Visitation, where family member can also be in the pics. Sometimes individual pics are taken in a room on the prison yard. I had one picture taken doing a headstand with my parents on either side, and the prison wouldn’t allow me to have the picture. It was classified as contraband. 

With Sheriff Joe Arpaio still in power and his regime continuing to commit atrocities on prisoners, like the murder of the Hispanic war hero Marty Atencio in the video you watched – an unsentenced inmate whose crime was allegedly kicking a door – it’s difficult to find ways to help the prisoners. Arpaio is up for re-election this year, and the man running against him, Mike Stauffer, told me he has read Hard Time and wants to get the conditions changed, so they are not in violation of human rights as is presently the case. Let's hope the citizens of Phoenix vote for Mike. It is my hope that by exposing what is going on via my book, blog and talks, public awareness is raised, and pressure increases to get the jail conditions changed. 

The corporations and politicians running America’s prisons have no interest in spending money on education and rehabilitation as they get $40,000 a year per prisoner, so they want prisoners coming right back to keep their profits going. That’s why 1 in 100 adults in the US is in prison right now, and the UK public is being softened up for US style justice, so our politicians and various corporations can make money from the situation. 

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Shaun Attwood       

Schools Pics

With Luke and Fran at SJB, Woking

Towers School, Ashford, Kent

                                          

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Shaun Attwood

Organization seeking stories from the children of parents incarcerated in the US to be published into a book:

Are you an adult who experienced the incarceration of a parent as a child? Are you interested in sharing your story, in your own words, with others?

We are editing a book of life stories by adults who had a parent in jail and/or prison when they were growing up. The book will describe adult perspectives on parental incarceration. This will not be a book ABOUT children of incarcerated parents, it will be a book BY adults who experienced the incarceration of a parent as children.

There is no requirement that you have ever lived with your incarcerated parent.

There is no requirement that you have had an active relationship with your parent who has been in jail or prison.

We are also interested in those who are the second generation of incarcerated people.

We will provide you with editorial assistance to help you write the story you want to tell. You can send us your written work electronically or by mail.

If you are interested in sharing your story and participating in this important project, please email or write to us at:

cipstories@gmail.com or

Denise Johnston Box 41-286, Eagle Rock, California 90041

Woking Book Signing

A big thank you to all of the SJB students and parents of SJB students who showed up at my Woking book signing today, making it a sell out. More copies of Hard Time were sold than Fifty Shades of Grey. I arrived to a gang of parents, not students like I expected. The first mum bought three copies for all of her kids.

Woking Waterstone's Book Signing

I'm booksigning at Woking, Waterstone's this Saturday July 14th, 2012 - Waterstone's, Unit 44, The Peacocks Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6GD (01483 767 564) from noon until 4pm. http://shaunattwood.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=118&Itemid=114

Bulls,Boxers or Briefs

Most people first encounter the Running of the Bulls in Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." If,like me, you are a devotee of Hemingway, the idol of many a sportsman, you have a romanticized idea of going to Pamplona, donning a red scarf and boozing for 9 days with a few gory jogs and bullfights mixed in. Readers in 1971 were again treated to a romp through the festival of San Fermin in the 1971 Michener novel. '"The Drifters." This book sowed seeds for new generations to embrace this event.I read this later fictional account while in Law School and could not help but feel that the Pamplona scenes constituted a sort of literary piracy due to the similar manner in which Michener used the festival as a catalyst in his group of protagonists.

Like one of the Michener characters, some wine fueled putz always gets into International headlines for tripping on the route and having a horn jammed into his sternum. This year we see a kilted runner having his naughty bits tickled by one of the doomed Bulls and some other wanker running about with his briefs adorned with what looks to be the corporate symbol for a 2nd rate retailer or a taunt to have his junk poked with a horn. Another unlucky chap is seen being flung into the air and having his light blue boxers exposed by one of the angry beasts.

The festival celebrates a Roman named Fermin who was converted to Christianity, ordained and came to Pamplona as its first Bishop. He was later beheaded and martyred in France. To honor St. Fermin, the Spaniards party for 9 straight days and the enthusiasts dress in white and scarf-up to run in front of the bulls released for that day's slaughter in the Bull ring. There are many other events and facets of the celebration but nothing captures the imagination like the running thanks to the literary accounts.

I admit that one day I would like to go to Pamplona for this gig. It would be a cliche Hemingway pilgrimage, but it looks like a great time nonetheless. I think I would rather limit the morning activity to early drinking and kissing like the one couple we see pictured in the post-running streets. That, or I would rather chase that fetching blonde than run in front of 2000 lbs of angry bull ring fodder.

T-Bone on Not Hating People Including Addicts (Part 1)