Deaf in Jail – Mistreatment of the Deaf.

By Supporter Contributor Melisa Marzett Deaf people belong to one of the most vulnerable layers of society for obvious reasons. They cannot hear. Deaf people in jail are even more insecure. Some might say that if a person is in jail, this person deserves it and deserves the mistreatment, despite any physical disabilities like Deafness.

Jill’s Dilemma

By Jean F. Andrews In a southern state in a Federal prison, Jill is serving a 10-year term.  While sign language interpreters are provided for her when her attorney comes to visit or during her hearings with the judge, she does not get interpreting services within the prison. For example, she does not fully understand

Inmate Speaks Out on Prison-Dog Program

By BitcoDavid An attorney who has written for us in the past, informed me that he recently acquired a canine graduate of the prison-dog program in his home state. He tells me that he couldn’t be happier with the dog, who’s well  behaved and well mannered. Further, he relayed to me that not only was

ICED and Interpreters

By Jean F. Andrews Surrounded by the Acropolis and other stunning Greek monuments, the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf held their 22nd annual conference, titled Educating Diverse Learners; Many Ways, One Goal, on July 6 to July 9, 2015. It was the stage for more than 700 researchers. It was a revitalizing

Jack’s annual Independence Day Plea

By Supporter Contributor Jack A common drug user. That’s right. That’s what I’ve become, and it’s all your fault. See, I get afraid of some things. Especially fireworks. I hear them, but I don’t know what they are. I get all kinds of scared. I shake – I shiver – I try and hide under

Amy Elkins Parting Words Exhibit

By Jean F. Andrews A Photography Exhibition by Amy Elkins at the Houston Center for Photography, May 8th to July 5, 2015 Amy Elkins, photographer examines capital punishment and solitary confinement through her powerful, haunting and evocative exhibition. For many years, Ms. Elkins had a personal relationship with many inmates on death row through letter

More on Si5S

By BitcoDavid A few months ago, we did a piece on Si5S, a written form of ASL. Si5S deserves your attention because it nullifies the argument that ASL isn’t a language due to the fact that it has no written form. But its relevance goes beyond that. For one thing, it can help non-Signers learn

Fox 13 Tampa Bay: Updated Felix Video

By BitcoDavid The following links are to the newest extended special broadcast on Felix’s case, by Florida Fox News outlet WTVT Fox News Channel 13, Tampa Bay. Here’s the link to the video from their page. http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/29151635/special-report-florida-justice-uncovered Here’s the video with a transcript by TVEYES media monitor. http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=88450b25-5e00-44c7-87f5-377db74dfa62 And here’s the Vimeo version. https://vimeo.com/128326681 BitcoDavid

How Fox News Became Involved with Felix

By Pat Bliss The day before Felix’s parole hearing in November 2014, a photojournalist representing FOX News interviewed attorney Reggie Garcia and me, in his office. The next morning at the parole hearing he filmed us both, advocating for Felix’s parole. It was an exciting and dramatic time. There were cameras and microphones everywhere.  After

A Word on Police Militarization

By BitcoDavid On May 18th, President Obama signed an Executive Order, effectively banning the transfer of military equipment by the Federal government, to community police departments. This is a step in the right direction, and will help to end what has become nothing short of a war between the police, and the communities they are