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How to Submit a Story for an InmateSee Notices, Prisoner Mail UPDATED
PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY HAND-WRITTEN STORIES OR LEGAL PAPERS TO MELISSA SANDERS. SHE ONLY ACCEPTS STORIES SENT THROUGH EMAILS AND SHE HANDLES SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY. PLEASE CHECK THE STATE YOU'RE CURRENTLY IN AND FIND THE LISTING OF THE PERSON WHO HANDLES STORIES FROM YOUR STATE. SEND YOUR STORY TO THAT PERSON AND TO NO ONE ELSE. JUSTICE DENIED CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, NOR HAS ANY CONTROL OVER DECISIONS FROM PRISON MAIL ROOMS UPON INCOMING MAIL. ONCE IT LEAVES OUR OFFICE AND GETS TO THE PRISON MAIL ROOMS, IT IS THE PROPERTY OF THE STATE AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO DELIVER IT OR NOT. PLEASE INQUIRE DIRECTLY TO THE PRISON AND DISCOVER THE REASON FOR NON-DELIVERY, AND THEN CONTACT US TO LET US KNOW THE REASON. PLEASE DO NOT SEND REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION TO CLARA A. T. BOGGS OR MELISSA SANDERS, LOOK UP THE PERSON WHO CORRESPONDS TO YOUR STATE AND SEND YOUR REQUEST TO HIM OR HER. WE ARE UNDERGOING SOME CHANGES DUE TO CHANGES AMONG THE STAFF, AND AN INCREASED WORK LOAD FOR OTHERS. BECAUSE OF THIS, OUR NEXT FEW ISSUES MAY NOT BE ON TIME UNTIL THE NEW PROBLEMS ARE WORKED OUT.
Please see Prisoner Mail Team for updated info on where to send your story.
(v) Innocent Prisoner: How to write Your Story for Justice Denied http://www.justicedenied.org/ (Rev. 4/23/2000)
by Clara A. Thomas Boggs
Justice Denied is an internet magazine dedicated to help prisoners who have a valid claim of innocence. We accept case accounts from inmates only in the United States. Study this guide for ideas and directions to write your account.
Write your story legibly on 8½ x 11 unlined paper with at least half-inch margins. A TYPED copy spares us work but is NOT necessary. Sharp type "scans" into a computer, but even neat printing won't scan. If typed, do not underline or insert words: list corrections separately. Write up to 5 single-spaced pages to cover all facts. Longer accounts are rejected. "Brief and effective" is your standard. Write a longer account to include everything to prove your innocence for later use. The short account can attract people to your story. Send it first. Do not send us originals. Keep a copy. You may request a copy of your edited account for your supporters to use to aid you.
Give us all the details you can, but do not reveal your strategy if you have an appeal in progress. To simply say, "I am innocent" is useless. Back your claim with details and evidence or we can't use your story. Consult a lawyer or use your good sense if you have no lawyer. Relate the state's case against you, for people will find out anyway. We'll publish your case if your claim seems valid. We know all the truth doesn't come out in court and that the state may conceal facts so it can win. Tell your side of it in Justice Denied -- it's your chance to give proof of your innocence.
Take your reader into your story step by step in the order it happened. Give dates, names, times, places of events. Be clear. Tell exactly what facts point to your innocence: include every mistake the lawyers made. Do not soft-pedal the truth: Explain if needed, but don't leave it out or it may come back to haunt you.. However, don't treat your story as a "true confessions." Do not repeat yourself. Cover the "motive" angle: why didn't you have a motive? If the prosecutor said you had one, disclose what that was. Spare nothing. Do not complain about the system or the injustice to you: let the facts speak for you. (Raging about the system is OUR job!) At the end relate the current status of your case.
If you overcome the biggest hurdle of reliving painful details, writing your story can help your defense if we use it or not. Those who did it say a clear account was the strongest factor in getting support. That may happen for you.
We offer no guarantee that our efforts will help, but will do our best for you. You can help this project of funding defense of the innocent by telling people about us and encouraging them to contribute time, skills, effort or finances. If you know other innocents fighting to be heard, they may also send us their stories for this project. We have more work than we can handle, so please be patient.
If you can, send us the name and phone number or email address of an Outside Contact Person to speed acceptance of your case and so we can call to clarify any question we have. We publish on a first-come, first-served basis. Do not ask us to help you with motions, finding a lawyer, pen-pal, or anything except publishing your case if accepted.
Praying for and desiring Justice for YOU,
Clara Alicia Thomas Boggs
(for the Staff at Justice Denied) http://www.justicedenied.org/See Notices, Prisoner Mail
Prisoner Mail -- ATTENTION: Do NOT send certified mail, or any mail that needs a signature to retrieve. Unsolicited large packages of cases will be returned to the sender. We will not be responsible for returning anything sent to us.
Do NOT send us your motions, legal papers or any other unsolicited material. It costs you money, and we don't have the staff to read it all. If we want material from you, we will ask for it. We cannot be responsible for the unsolicited large packages of material you send to Justice Denied Magazine.
Please see Prisoner Mail Team for info on where to send your story.
Email Contact: Clara A. T. Boggs -- Producer, Editor-in-Chief: JD-General-Corres@SBCglobal.net
Stormy Thoming-Gale -- Co-producer, Site Developer, Editor: JDWebmaster@juno.com
Send Photos for your story to: Stormy Thoming-Gale PO Box 86219 Portland, OR 97286
Subscribe: We publish "desk-top" copies of Justice Denied. We seek sponsors so prisoners may get free copies, but only have a few now. Each copy costs $4.00 to produce and mail. For a 6-month subscription send an $24.00 check or money order. Click here for full rate information. Make your check or money order (PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH) payable to:
Justice Denied Magazine
Melissa Sanders-Rivera
P.O. Box 708
Waukegan, Illinois 60079
e-mail justiceseaker@yahoo.com
NOTICE: Please be advised that if you are sponsoring an inmate and he or she is moved or transferred, it is your responsibility to contact Melissa Sanders - Rivera with the inmate's current address information.
Melissa Sanders-Rivera
P.O. Box 708
Waukegan, Illinois 60079Via Email: justiceseaker@yahoo.com
If your friends have internet access, please share the site with them: http://www.justicedenied.org/ Please note correct address for each thing you mail.
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