The mail doesn't go through
By Brandon Astor Jones
Green Left Weekly has lately not been finding its way to me here at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison. I have no doubt that it is being sent to me as regular as clockwork.
In fact, when and if my newspapers and magazines do make it to me, as often as not they arrive all beat up and otherwise abused (three years ago, a copy of the Village Voice arrived saturated in a liquid that obviously was urine).
A dependable source strongly suggests that the United States Post Office in Jackson, Georgia, is the cause of my mail problems. I would not be at all surprised if the gentlemen and (gentlewomen) at the Jackson post office are inclined to resent the anti-racist, anti-sexist content of Green Left Weekly.
Okay, you guessed it. I am putting the beg on you again. I need your immediate help. The people who run the Jackson post office have no fear of prisoners' complaints, but they do fear the possibility of people around the world knowing their faults, which are many.
If a hundred or so Green Left Weekly readers were to call, telegram or post their words of protest about this matter, I am sure that things would change for the better. Will you please help us? Let the people there know, in your own well-chosen words, that you are aware and concerned.
In advance, the men at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison thank all who honour this request. Address your communications to: The Postmaster, United States Post Office, Jackson, GA 30233, USA.
[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, G3-77, Georgia Diagnostic & Classification Prison, PO Box 3877, Jackson, GA 30233, USA. Brandon and his friends are trying to raise funds to pay for a lawyer for his appeal. If you can help, please make cheques payable to the Brandon Astor Jones Defence Account and post to 41 Neutral St, North Sydney NSW 2060, or any Commonwealth Bank, account No. 2127 1003 7638.]