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Column
On Prison Life An Accurate Perspective
Published on
12/17/2005
Letters To The Editor:
I would like to salute The Day for publishing the column by Andy Thibault.
(“A call for justice for Bonnie Foreshaw,” Dec. 11.)
As a previous resident of York Correctional Institution for a murder I
committed, I am acquainted with the staff members who serve the citizens
of our state. If you notice, I did not use the word professional, since
that is not how I would describe the way they do their job.
Yes, there are many who are professional, but let's be truthful. York
Correctional Institution was the theme of a segment of “60 Minutes” in
May of 2004 based on an unwarranted attack on the inmates of a writing
group who did nothing more than express their First Amendment fight to
freedom of speech through the written word. The writing group members paid
dearly through harassment of staff for trying to better themselves.
An assistant attorney general came to York to investigate this harassment,
which eventually led to the removal (transfer) of the York school
principal.
The Department of Correction was less than truthful to the citizens of our
state through its media comments. It made agenda-driven, reckless and
irresponsible comments.
Hats off to Mr. Thibault for accepting there are two sides to every story.
And the road to justice is not always the truth.
Barbara Parsons Lane
Kent