Friends
"Try to imagine a large frog on a poster, smiling a huge smile. Around his head are tracks of insects whizzing by. A caption under the frog reads: 'Time's fun when you're having flies!' "— The Reverend Greg Skala
Have you ever noticed how thoroughly wonderful having friends can be? In prison there is nothing to compare with a prisoner having real friends, on the outside, who really care. My recent move from one prison to another caused more than a little hardship not only for me, but for a lot of my friends on the outside as well. It is easy to fall into a state of utter hopelessness in prison.
When I got to Reidsville, I managed to get a pen, a scrap of paper, a stamp and an envelope through a fellow prisoner. He was a man I knew nothing about — except that in an environment where the acceptance of gifts (from someone you do not know) can be a mistake you make but once, he gave in my time of need simply because he could. Those items might seem to amount to very little, but such things can be worth a whole day of meals; some prisoners have died for a lot less.
Despite the well-intentioned humour at the head of this article (which was shared with me recently), time does not fly at Reidsville, and we do not have fun here, ever. Of course, I know that the good reverend meant only to give me a laugh, but I was struck by the irony of his mention of flies and the fact that there are so many of them still flying around here so late in the year. This cell house is situated directly downwind of the prison's pig farm. Only a hog could like the stench that now permeates this building. The stink has sidetracked me a bit.
After about a week, I saw that prisoner again and tried to give back to him the things he had so kindly given me. The man refused to accept anything more than my appreciation. That does not happen very often in a Georgia prison. He went on to say, "Man, I got a few writing supplies mostly because I don't have anybody to use them up on". For a while we talked and listened to each other — really talked and really listened. What I heard, for the most part, is that he is alone. He does not get any mail, and he did not remember when he last had a visit.
A few minutes ago, when he walked by this cell, I asked him if he would mind if I wrote about him and put his name in this article. Hesitant at first, he asked where and how did a man from death row manage to, "get a newspaper column". I explained that I had been writing for Green Left Weekly for nearly four years, and that most of its readers are people seeking change. I told him about the warmth of the Australian people, and before too long he said, "Yeah. You convinced me. Go ahead."
In the same way that his gift to me caused so many of my friends and correspondents, old and new, to rally in support of me recently, I now ask that each of my friends and correspondents encourage other readers to rally in support of this man. I said "other readers" because neither he nor I would want those of you who are my friends and correspondents to write to him. One of the many unwritten rules among prisoners — that is, amongst those of us with interactive integrity and respect for one another — is that we do not communicate or correspond with other prisoners' friends and correspondents.
With that said, I hope that the prison mail officer needs a wheelbarrow to haul in your letters and offers of friendship to this man. The more I talk to him, the more I feel that not only does he need your friendship, he also deserves it. His name and address are: James Terry Blackmon, EF-103989, Georgia State Prison, HCO1; C-1 #4, Reidsville, GA 30453, USA.
I hope I have not built up his hopes for outside friendships for nought.
[The writer is a prisoner on death row in the United States. He welcomes letters commenting on his columns. He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G2-51, Georgia State Prison, HCO1, C-1-30, Reidsville, GA 30453, USA. Australians Against Executions is raising funds to pay for a lawyer for Brandon's resentencing trial. If you can help, please make cheques payable to the Brandon Astor Jones Defence Account and post to 10 Palara Place, Dee Why NSW 2099. Donations to the Brandon Astor Jones Defence Account may also be made at any Commonwealth Bank, account No. 2127 1003 7638.]