May we daily increase in wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity.

I am writing to commend you on compassion you have shown children of Illinois and to ask if a former prosecutor could possibly find similar compassion for an equally defenseless prison population.

The abuse and neglect of prisoners beyond public view would seem to be a matter unrelated to political ambitions. This is case insofar that public remains ignorant of crimes committed against prisoners by State in name of justice, punishment and public safety.

Because majority of any state's prisoners release to society in poor physical and mental health, quietly enraged by mistreatment they have experienced; and because those who have served longer sentences have become socially dysfunctional, they are much more a danger to public. They will more likely re offend and do so in a violent manner. Prisoner mistreatment is simply bad and costly policy. Many a governor has little idea concerning extent of this problem.

Illinois prisoner Jimmy Kinslow, B-67033, is an example more likely typical than isolated. He is a very close friend of mine, I have been writing since 1988. I have been witnessing his execution for past two years. He is being murdered by deliberate medical abuse and neglect. Upon his death, I may press charges of negligent homicide. I will certainly write and publish his story, because I am so certain this crime is widespread throughout America.

In his attempt to get badly needed medical treatment, he has filed suit for judicial remedy. That suit documents first round of medical abuses. As a punishment for filing this suit, he has been further abused and neglected. He is now filing a second lawsuit in his effort to save his life and is trying to obtain outside assistance.

Their primary social function is to strike fear in hearts of society at large. If you don't eat your spinach, you will end up in prison. If you don't obey every rule professional rule makers invent, day in, day out, you will go to prison. Making punishments fit crimes is beyond creative powers of bureaucracy. Instead, they choose humiliation and degradation of caging and totally controlling life of a lawbreaker. To a lesser extent, they do same to all who care about him. They discourage telephone communication, meaningful financial support and visitation. Inside prison walls they heap punishment upon punishment, because simply caging people is too good for them, no matter what crime.

While we are at it, we ought to take a look at crime itself and reasons for its increase. I'm only guessing and my guess is that ten times more behaviors are crimes and felonies than were so in year 1900. That is, bureaucracies are in business of creating crime. Such bureaucracies sincerely believe they are being paid to modify human behavior. They are running ultimate social experiment, where result is seldom questioned. One punishment fits every crime they can create.

A man is imprisoned for theft and released with murder on his mind and in his heart. That's progressive! Society can think of nothing better because society doesn't think at all. Society closes its eyes and turns its back. Society doesn't want to know about life in cages, which is in reality, slow death. Take a man's life one day at a time. Then turn him loose and see how he does. Empty country's zoos and see how animals do. Prisons testify of man's inhumanity as well as war does. President Bush threatens American justice on his enemies. See it at Guantanamo Bay or up road from where you live. American and justice cannot be properly used in same sentence. Americans know less about justice than any other subject, save mercy and responsibility. Blind obedience is their forte. Prisons are expressions of very ugliest Americans and they all support prisons without question.

I have heard vague rumblings of a new compassion in an effort to lower government "justice" costs. The Governor of Arizona is considering stiff fines for driving under influence of alcohol, instead of confinement, which leaves whole families without support. Make a "criminal" pay (Us) instead of taxpayer. There is a novel idea. I've heard a number of bureaucracies are looking at treating drug addicts instead of locking them away.