[OT] My first catalog request from Death Row

Humanophile · Jan 26, 2002

Olive said:
are you on crack? how many people convicted and put on death row are not guilty? how many on death row are black or latino when similar crimes committed by white people are punished with life sentances? what about class issues?

arrrrgghhhhh....sorry, must stop talking politics, but i couldn't help myself...

I dunno. I live by Chicago, and we had a big noise here a while back about just that. It doesn't help that most death row inmates are sentenced for horrendous crimes (where the jury may very well let emotion override reason) and are uneducated/mentally handicapped.

I have my reasons to be against the death penalty, but I see no reason prisoners shouldn't have gaming material. (Well, besides the use of dice for gambling purposes, but I think that issue will have to work out on its own.) If for no other reason than because it's a relatively sedate and mentally involved passtime, and it keeps the prisoners out of trouble and encourages at least moral rehabilitation.

Sulimo · Jan 26, 2002

There was a recent issue of KODT that included a letter from a current prisoner. IIRC he was looking for penpals.

WSmith · Jan 26, 2002

Olive said:
are you on crack? how many people convicted and put on death row are not guilty? how many on death row are black or latino when similar crimes committed by white people are punished with life sentances? what about class issues?

arrrrgghhhhh....sorry, must stop talking politics, but i couldn't help myself...

Are you talking about the United States? If so, please find yourself some hard statistics from a fact finding, not politically motivated, source before you make a comment like that. You will be surprised.

That will be enough from me, or else Piratecat will beat me with the cluebat3000.

William Ronald · Jan 27, 2002

Friends,

We can disagree without being disagreeable. (I respect Olive and DocMoriarty. I urge them to respect each other.)

Derek, I will respect whatever decision you make on providing products to prisoners.

Like Humanophile, I live in Chicago. There has been a lot of discussion on the death penalty issue. (About a dozen people on death row were let go because of serious problems with their cases and their is currently a moratorium on capital punishment in Illinois.) I think we can talk about this issue and others without being disagreeable. I tend to have mixed feelings on the whole issue. (Obviously, great care has to be taken on death penalty cases. The punishment is irrevocable.)

Do I view murder as wrong. YES. I believe it is not only a crime, but a sin. However, in attempting to punish the guilty we should remember not to become like them. (Nothing we can do to a convicted criminal can really make up for the loss of a human being who some one cherished.)

If gaming can keep prisoners from being a danger to others, I have no problem with people gaming in prison. (If it can somehow be used to make sure a criminal is rehabilitated, then it might be a good idea. Recidivism is all too common among prisoners.)

spacecrime.com · Jan 27, 2002

Hey Derek,

We've never had a request from Death Row, but we've fielded our share of orders from prisons. (Actually, I'm doing one this week.) In general, they've gone very smoothly.

As someone said earlier in the thread, rules vary from system to system. We generally get the number of the prison (or look it up if we get a snail mail request that doesn't include the number) and call them to find out what they allow and how they want things packed. The correctional officers we've talked to have always been very friendly and helpful; they get this kind of request all the time and usually know exactly what you need to know.

"Sell / don't sell" has never been an issue for us, and wouldn't be on a request from Death Row. I've always been of the opinion that reading, writing, and using your imagination is good for you; I figure I'm helping out in my own small way.

yours,

spacecrime.com · Jan 27, 2002

TalonComics said:
I honestly don't know if I could handle knowing a customer of mine's days are numbered ticking like a clock.
~D

Hey, all our days are numbered.

Several of our customers have died in the last few years -- some after long and terminal illnesses. It sucks. But I'm slowly learning how to appreciate them while I have the chance.

It still sucks, though.

yours,

Piratecat · Jan 27, 2002

WSmith said:
That will be enough from me, or else Piratecat will beat me with the cluebat3000.

I will indeed. *grin*

But for those of you who missed the not-so-subtle hint: do not discuss politics, or you will have your post deleted or the thread closed. If someone else discusses politics, please don't continue that part of the conversation.

I know it's difficult when you feel strongly about a subject, but those are the rules. Thanks for following them.

Bran Blackbyrd · Jan 27, 2002

I'll give you a tip, if the order is for a sock and one of those big brass dice, don't do it, it will only end badly!

It's a dark view to take, but if you sell to enough people eventually you will sell something to a horrible person, a drug dealer, or a murderer, or whatever, who has NOT been discovered yet by our penal system. You can't worry yourself over things like that. If no mention of prison had been made it would just be another sale, and I would recommend you treat it as such.

Besides, as it has already been mentioned , any time spent by a convict playing D&D, or even just reading about it, is time they aren't buying smack with tuna cans, or making an implement to kill another inmate.
As long as it clears the prison rules, I'd say go right ahead. In the end there are countless people whose jobs are to worry about ths sort of thing, from arrest, to incarceration, to death. Let them carry that burden as they have chosen to, and just do the job that makes you happy.
Life is too short to waste overly much time worrying about this.
HTH HAND

TalonComics · Jan 27, 2002

Once again thanks for the replies, gang.
I've fielded order requests from prisoners before just never Death Row. I'm pretty sure I'm going to at least send him a catalog. I actually think RPGs would make a pretty good system of rehabilitation for just about any level of incarceration.

Thanks again all!

~Derek

eXodus · Jan 27, 2002

if you want some real statistics on the death penalty...

i know we are not supposed to discuss politics or the big bad piratecat of the seven seas will make us walk the plank.

but. if someone really wants to read about the death penalty, and how it is divided up amongst states, wealth, race, and sex here is the site to look at.

it is highly comprehensive and up to date.

you can see that on this site that since 1973 99 people have been exonerated of crimes that placed them on death row. check it out.

now that is a little scary to me. how many people did not get exonerated and instead got executed.

well, check it out folks. it is a very fascinating site.

[OT] My first catalog request from Death Row

Humanophile

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Sulimo

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WSmith

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William Ronald

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spacecrime.com

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spacecrime.com

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Piratecat

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Bran Blackbyrd

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TalonComics

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eXodus

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