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We, the Undersigned, endorse the following petition:

Ensuring a Fair Grievance Process for all Prisoners on Texas Death Row

Target: Keith Clendennen, Administrator of Offender Grievances, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Sponsor: Maayke Derks, DRIVE Movement
  • Signatures: 856
  • Goal: 500
  • Deadline: 12-31-2006
Prisoners at Polunsky Unit on Death Row are presently engaged in a nonviolent protest against the deplorable conditions they are forced to endure. These are not only horrible, it is a feat just to get their grievances picked up, let alone filed.

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Number Date Prefix Name Country
856 9:43 am PDT, Mar 18 Mr. hassan anas France
855 7:25 am PST, Feb 18 Ms. Alvernhe Nathalie France
854 1:00 pm PDT, Oct 20   Laura Alvarez United States
853 12:11 pm PDT, Aug 26   Texas Warrior Germany
852 12:12 am PDT, Jul 9 Ms. BRIAND JOULIA France
851 4:43 pm PDT, Jun 21   Anonymous United States
850 3:39 am PDT, Jun 21 Ms. Pamela Hansson United Kingdom
849 9:34 pm PDT, Jun 10   sophie szeferowicz France
848 3:32 pm PDT, Apr 6   Chum Richardson Canada
847 7:29 am PST, Feb 18 Ms. Jennifer Bland United States
846 7:54 am PST, Feb 9 Mrs. Terttu Kirjavainen Finland
845 6:50 pm PST, Jan 29 Ms. Victoria Mary Stong / Civil Rights Activist United States
844 7:23 am PST, Jan 1   Simos Tarabatzis Greece
843 6:11 pm PST, Dec 17   anita ball United States
842 10:43 am PST, Dec 12   michael rabasco United States
841 6:00 am PST, Dec 11   Anonymous France
840 7:48 pm PDT, Sep 11 Ms. stevie kolonich United States
839 9:40 pm PDT, Sep 10   Rob Sinyard United States
838 5:33 pm PDT, Sep 7   Chris Washington United States
837 3:09 pm PDT, Sep 7 Ms. Marina Diehl United States
836 7:10 am PDT, Sep 2   Valentina Zama Italy
835 5:27 pm PDT, Sep 1   Omare Kinsey United States
834 2:26 pm PDT, Sep 1   Will barker. United Kingdom
833 7:16 pm PDT, Aug 31   robin ringrose United States
832 7:46 pm PDT, Aug 30 Mr. Anonymous United States
831 3:01 pm PDT, Aug 30 Mrs. Emilie Mullins United States
830 2:58 pm PDT, Aug 30 Mr. Istvan B Hungary
829 1:56 pm PDT, Aug 30   Martin Zdra¾il Czech Republic
828 12:30 pm PDT, Aug 30   Fabiola Ulloa United States
827 11:21 am PDT, Aug 30   Lelah Santana United States
826 10:57 am PDT, Aug 30   Eli Conley United States
825 9:45 am PDT, Aug 30   Rebecca Gardner United States
824 9:30 am PDT, Aug 30   Anonymous Italy
823 8:51 am PDT, Aug 30   Serisha Boyett United States
822 8:48 am PDT, Aug 30 Mr. Chacotah Thlocco United States
821 8:35 am PDT, Aug 30   Anonymous Italy
820 8:04 am PDT, Aug 30 Ms. Tanisha Douglas United States
819 7:50 am PDT, Aug 30   pasquale della pietra Italy
817 6:39 am PDT, Aug 30 Mr. philipe remi France
816 6:28 am PDT, Aug 30   Danisha Nazario United States
815 6:08 am PDT, Aug 30   Simona Mogni Italy
814 5:28 am PDT, Aug 30 Mr. Francesco Maria Narcisi Italy
813 4:59 am PDT, Aug 30   Andrea Nevi Italy
812 4:30 am PDT, Aug 30   Don Stephens New Zealand
811 4:13 am PDT, Aug 30   Leshell Hatley United States
810 3:07 am PDT, Aug 30 Mr. Nicola LARICCHIA Italy
809 1:43 am PDT, Aug 30 Ms. Barbara Deleo Italy
808 11:17 pm PDT, Aug 29 Mrs. Virginia Fujioka United States
807 8:29 pm PDT, Aug 29   Lynne Cordova United States
806 6:50 pm PDT, Aug 29 Mr. nathaniel x vance United States
805 5:48 pm PDT, Aug 29   Brent Turpin United States
804 4:12 pm PDT, Aug 29 Mr. Matthew Mahaffey United States
803 4:01 pm PDT, Aug 29 Ms. Lauretta Ali United States
802 3:56 pm PDT, Aug 29   Regina Marino United States
801 3:43 pm PDT, Aug 29 Ms. Maria Gabriella Visone Italy

Ensuring a Fair Grievance Process for all Prisoners on Texas Death Row

Dear Administrator of Offender
Grievances,



Death Row prisoners at the Polunsky
Unit are presently engaged in a non-violent, impassive protest against the
deplorable conditions they�re forced to endure.�These prisoners have
documented these repressive and suppressive conditions on www.drivemovement.org.�
Conditions, I believe, deserves sincere investigation.



The Grievance Procedure
provided to these prisoners is ridiculous!� It�s not enough that the
general conditions on Death Row are abhorring, but it is a feat for these
prisoners just to get their grievances picked up (by grievance officers who
rarely make their rounds), let alone filed.



These prisoners are accorded
15-days from the time of an incident to file grievances.� These 15-days may
fall anywhere within the week (Mon-Sun), yet, grievances are never picked
up on Saturdays nor Sundays, and rarely Mon-Fri.� This practice clearly
undermines this -15-day- grace period.� What if this 15th day
falls on the weekend?� What if the 15th day falls on a day
(Mon-Fri) when the grievance officers still fail to make their rounds?



Furthermore, if prisoners
manage to get their grievances picked up, there is still no guarantee their
grievances will be filed.� If filed, they may never receive their
grievance (step-1) back; and if received, they have to repeat this same process
just to appeal the decision of the first grievance (step-2), if need be.�
This grievance process (if it can be called that) only gives rise to the
validity of the overall mistreatment claimed to be suffered by these prisoners.



The Grievance Process is
essential to giving the prisoner an avenue to address grievances in a
pro-active manner; yet it seems, these prisoners are being mistreated by the
very process designed to prevent it!� Every effort should be made to
secure this process, not only to ensure prisoners grievances are given voice,
but to encourage prisoners to address their grievances in a pro-active manner;
yet it seems Polunsky Unit death row Grievance Procedure is not only trying to
discourage prisoners from filing grievances, but encourage them to engage in
disruptive behavior as an alternative means of addressing grievances; as the
ongoing protest demonstrates.



Please see that these
prisoners are afforded adequate access to a reliable grievance procedure.�
These prisoners should not have to protest and place grievances on a website
just to be heard.



Thank you for your time.



For humane treatment,

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