by Antwann Johnson
A Call for Action!!!! whomever maybe reading this, I want to thank you first and foremost for taking the time to read this open letter. for those of you in a position of power and who can bring about change. ” I ask you to what extent do prisoner’s lives have any meaning? ask yourself honestly, do you feel that there has been real change and or commitment concerning prison and criminal reform? Is there anyone who’s taking statistics on recidivism on inmates who’s 35 years and older with great institutional adjustment? if not………. who’s fooling who! It is only righteous and fair that I give you the benefit of doubt, that you may not be fully aware of the underlying ” Issues”, that are taking place behind these walls. I fully blame those in your chain of command sincerely for not informing you. Throughout the years of my incarceration, I’ve seen things that I thought were just ” Hollywood” dramatization in the movies. I used to catch these thoughts. ‘ This can’t be right; I’d say to myself. but of course, there was the possibility I was biased, living in the middle of all this, but now, I’m not so sure. in May of 2013, the Economist magazine had an interview with the director of California’s department of corrections. even he reaches similar conclusions, that Americas approach towards those who get released from prison is ‘ Flawed’ and can be corrected. Yet little has changed! I was forced to ask myself why it is, that when a director of D.O.C. unable to gain support in fixing such an obvious problem. so has the judicial system adopted the mantra, “convict at all costs and let the truth fall where it may? I thought to myself to challenge the moral ethics of those who say they have compassion for another human’s life! It is not enough to stand by in the shadows and comment about these injustices. words or not enough. Someone must step up and do something about it. We are not cogs in a wheel or pawns on a proverbial chess board to be sacrificed by whatever means to secure the success of the king. I think even though ” Ladies Justice’ is to be blind to whom it is she’s dealing with (weather rich or poor). that it does not mean society should adopt any blind eyes to the manner in which the scales of justice are being interfered with. such blind eyes will only allow injustice to go unnoticed. I Antwann Johnson #524659, fully understand what it feels like when justice is ignored. rarely or the incarcerated spoken for! I’ve went over and beyond to cry out for help concerning my wrongful conviction, but every ” knock on the door” continues to go unanswered. What do I need to do! let’s just say someone like Kim Kardashian give a statement to the Press that she is pursuing justice for Antwann Johnson, it seems I would get more attention and justice would come swiftly because of her influence. but what about the many inmates who don’t have an influential voice. I’ve literally watched these men suffer in the mist of trying to get something as simple as adequate medical care, only to be told ‘ I’m sorry sir, there’s no easy way to say it, you have cancer. Do you have any idea what this does to an inmate psychologically? So yes, I’ve continued to make my voice heard through their stories! imagine being told by a staff,” nobody cares about you, you might as well kill yourself’. What’s even worse, imagine you just received a letter from the courts, and it was the denial of your last appeal! only to be confronted with the traumatic news that this inmate actually hung himself! but yet and still you question my anger! and ask why we get so mad! It’s from years of neglect, being step on, and treated less than anything but human. It’s my hope that we experience some sense of justice other than this dark cloud that’s over us. that’s why I’m hoping whoever is reading this open letter, will be the one who give hope and confidence to those the ‘ Missouri department of corrections’ told upon entry “Leave all your hopes and dreams behind”! THIS IS A CALL FOR ACTION!!!!!! God bless you all! Antwann