The Other Side of the Wall was established in 1995. For nine years, it provided news, articles, and resources affecting prisoners in California and across the United States.

It is no longer possible to update this site on a regular basis, but the material here reflects some of the best that it had to offer.


Features from The Other Side of the Wall


  • Articles: Nonfiction, Poetry, and Writing About Prisons, Criminal Justice, and the Death Penalty.


  • Awards: Honors given this site.


  • Chapbooks: Poetry produced by San Quentin authors (1985-1989).


  • Prisoner's Dictionary: Words and phrases from prisons. A guide to language and abbreviations.


  • Prisonwall Postcards: Send a postcard or look at the galleries of photos and pictures from Both Sides of the Wall.


  • Reading: Recommended books for further information: essays, survival guides, general information, fiction, and the death penalty.


  • Music of Prison: Music by prisoners or performed for prisoners. Traditional prison blues, prison concerts, and other material.


  • Prison Films: Videos and DVDs, including some of the classic prison pictures, dramas, documentaries, comedies, and women in prison films.
 


Writing from Both Sides of the Prison Wall


The Death Penalty

      • The Cry of God:The message of Rabbi Alan Lew during the vigil to mark the execution of Young Elk, Darrell Rich.
      • Dead Man Praying:The denial of religious practice before Young Elk's execution shows a deep failure in our society.
      • Death Penalty Pilgrimage:Melody Ermachild Chavis's pilgrimage to view
The Waiting Room,
        and the dialogue that the art inspired.
      • The Death Penalty Today:Remarks by famed attorney Anthony Amsterdam given at the 1998 Thurgood Marshall awards.
      • Execution Night:A poem.
      • Finding Freedom:A review of the death row writings of Jarvis Masters, including the prison experience and his practice as a Buddhist.
      • Live Nun Talking:An interview by Alan Moroney with Sister Helen Prejean, author of
Dead Man Walking.
      • State Assisted Suicide:The execution and triumph of Robert Massie.
      • Vigil Diary:Personal notes on California's third vigil to mark an execution.
      • Will You Hear Me Now:Michael Thompson, executed by Alabama, called for an end to the death penalty.
      • Texas Death Row:A review of the book by Ken Light and Suzanne Donovan.
      • Witness to an Execution:The spirtual advisor to a condemned man in Ohio writes about how the execution of his friend exposes the lies of capital punishment.


On Death Row

      • Death of a Friend:A condemned prisoner's reflections on the execution of Thomas Thompson.
      • On My Block:Reflections about home.


        Writing by Michael Hunter


        • California's Death Row:The various "rows" within death row.
        • Living on Death Row:The people who live on California's Death Row, the execution protocol, and the nature of the death penalty itself.
        • A Day in the Life:The ghosts and bullet holes on the death row exercise yard.
        • Death Row's My Home:Thoughts of a death row prisoner who committed suicide on November 18, 1997.
        • Waiting on the Row:Life on death row before an execution.
        • Cat J:A Cat J (mentally ill) prisoner.
        • Dave:The daily choices between life and death on Death Row.
        • Mother Teresa on Death Row:Mother Teresa's visit to California's death row.
        • Sam:A story drawn from Hunter's experience on San Quentin's death row. This story tied for first prize in the fiction category of PEN's Writing Awards for Prisoners, awarded May 9, 1996.


    Prisons, Prisoners, Criminal Justice

        • California Prison Walk:The first California Prison Dharma Walk (Feb. 1 - March 4, 200), was an interfaith walk call for alternatives to prisons and the death penalty. This page will includes updates on future walks.
        • CCPOA:Judith Tannenbaum on how a correctional officer's union is feeding the growth of the prison industry.
        • Custodial Officer's Decalogue:Ten rules found in an in-service training manual.
        • Look for that Prison Label:Julie Light examines the growing use of prison labor for private profit.
        • Redecorating:Photoshop artists explore how Martha Stewart might redecorate a prison cell.
        • Trip to Chowchilla:Dr. Anne De Groot describes a trip to a California women's prison to visit prisoners who are dying from AIDS.
        • Visitor's Perspective:Commentary originally aired on public radio.
        • What I Did on Sabbatical:Law professor Susan Rutberg returns to criminal defense work at the Hall of Justice and finds that the underside has grown darker.
        • When the Door Closes:An overview of prison issues for the defense bar. Excerpted from a December, 1996, talk to the California Public Defender's Association.
        • Women Prisoners with HIV:An open letter from a prison doctor to those who care for women with HIV.


    Writing from the Inside and Out

        • About Time:Writing from the Prison Arts Project's anthology
    About Time III
        • Black August:A poem by Luis Talamentez (San Quentin Six) given at a commemoration of Attica, George Jackson, and the San Quentin Six.
        • Caged:A poem by a 19 year old New York prisoner.
        • Finding Peace:Elmo Chattman writes agout aging in prison.
        • The Hole Where I Live:Poetry by Elmo Chattman.
        • Jailhouse Journalism:A review of James Morris' book on the Fourth Estate behind bars.
        • Like A Poet:Judith Tannenbaum writes about how poetry created a special relationship between students at Point Arena and prisoners at San Quentin.
        • Nate Harrington:A memorial poem by Luis Talamentez, delivered at Harrington's memorial service on June 28, 1997.
        • Not One of Us:A story by Willie Wisely -- just another conversation in prison
        • One Convict's View:One convict talks about the many changes in California prisons.
        • Pale Guano:A story by condemned prisoner Steven King Ainsworth.
        • Parole Hearing:A poem by acclaimed writer Martín Espada.
        • Prison Exposures:In 1959, Robert Neese published photos and commentary showing life inside Iowa State Prison.
        • Prison Papers:Excerpts from a proud history of California prison papers.
        • Prison Writing:Bruce Franklin's anthology of prison writing brings alive voices from the other side of the wall.


     


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    Articles posted on ths site do not necessarily reflect the views of any person, organization, or office other than the author. No article on this page is intended to provide legal advice. Questions about individual prisoners cannot be answered.

    © 1995-2004. Material on this site may be copied for individual use, but may not be distributed to the general public, reprinted, or reposted without permission of the Prison Law Page or the individual author.







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