by Robert Saleem Holbrook
When I was a child I used to often walk past the old Eastern State Penitentiary on Fairmount Avenue in North Philadelphia and stare in awe at its high walls and ramparts seemingly towering into the sky believing naivety that the old prison was an ancient castle from the days of knights and kings. There were times myself and other kids my age used to try and scale the walls to get a glimpse of what was inside, how ironic it is that now for the past 18 years I've been trying to figure out how to scale out of the numerous prisons I've been imprisoned in since the age of 16.
I've often sat in my cell in total isolation and solitude attempting to figure out what bought me to this point in my life where at the age of 34 I've been imprisoned for 18 years with the rest of my life destined for the same thing. During 3 years of confinement in the state's control unit (Special Management Unit) at SCI-Greene I had the unique opportunity to actually back track practically every poor decision. I made in my life that eventually culminated in my imprisonment. When you are locked down for 23 hours a day 7 days a week you have the ability to engage in such personal adventures in discovery.
by Robert Saleem Holbrook
A couple of months ago while in my cell during a routine shakedown of the prison for a drill I indulged in a guilty pleasure and watched an old episode of “All in the Family” while waiting for the shakedown team to get around to searching my cell. During one of his infamous ignorant bigoted rants the lead character, Archie Bunker, in a nutshell delivered one of the most accurate observations of the U.S. Supreme Court: “What the Supreme Court says ain’t got nothing to do with the law.” I had to smile because to anyone who has observed and studied the history of the “highest court in the land” the observation is all too true. The U.S. Supreme Court has never been grounded in law and with the exception of a few “landmark” decisions has served as a “protector” of privilege and of the status quo and as opposed to the protector of the rights of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged citizens within Amerikan society.
by Robert Saleem Holbrook
Reading about all the murders of children within the city of Philadelphia this summer I can’t help but reflect back to another long hot summer in Philly’s history, the summer of 1989 and the death of 15 year old Stephen Crespo. To the city of Philadelphia, its press, and police department the young child murdered on July 4th, 1989 was known as Stephen Crespo. To his family he was “Steve” and to his neighborhood homeboys he was known as “Raze”. To his murderer he was just a “fucking rican.” I knew Stephen Crespo. We both lived in the Feltonville section of Northeast Philly that summer and we were both the same age. though Stephen was a bit shorter. He wore his baseball cap up high on his head and brushed his hair forward so that it banged out under the brim of the cap “prettyboy” style. I preferred to wear mine pulled down tight and low. Stephen always had a smile on his face though some could consider it a smirk or conceited expression but I think it was just the confidence and arrogance of youth that we all at one time had.
Saleem reading "What More Does it Want" over the phone on Pittsburgh's Rustbelt Radio March 31st,2008
And now for this week's report on the prison industrial complex, produced by Fed Up, the local chapter of The Human Rights Coalition.
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Produced by Fed Up, the local chapter of The Human Rights Coalition.
The title of this organization shall be One Hood. One Hood will be a bridge for resolving gang and neighborhood disputes through dialogue and negotiation within the prison and by extension on the streets as the culture of prison is increasingly influencing the culture of the streets. One Hood will serve to unite neighborhoods, end gang warfare and make men responsible defenders of their neighborhoods. One Hood will develop new and innovative concepts to address gang and neighborhood violence using conflict resolution initiatives.
by Robert L. Holbrook
In Pennsylvania prior to the passage of legislative statutes governing the automatic transfer of juvenile offenders charged with murder into Adult Court, juvenile offenders charged with murder were protected from automatic transfer into Adult Court. They were routinely subjected to a hearing before a judge to determine whether or not, based on their maturity and capacity, they would be transferred into Adult Court. Transfers of juvenile offenders charged with murder were rare and typically reserved for heinous crimes in which the juvenile offender was the actual perpetrator or when the juvenile offender had an extensive arrest/detention record.
Senator Stewart J. Greenleaf
Senate Box 203012
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3012
RE: Juveniles Sentenced To Life Without Parole in Pennsylvania
Dear Honorable Stewart J. Greenleaf:
Pennsylvania presently leads the nation in the amount of juvenile offenders sentenced to life without parole according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "How Pennsylvania Teens End Up Put Away For Life" (2/19/07) and Human Rights Watch annual national statistics.
by Robert Saleem Holbrook
I decided to write this article in response to the endless criticism that is being directed against the "Stop Snitching" movement by critics claiming Hip Hop is responsible for the "Stop Snitching" movement and the "Us vs. Them" mentality youth of color have towards law enforcement agencies. As a former gang member and street combatant of the drug wars that dominated the streets of Philly in the late 80's and a member of the generation that came of age listening to Hip Hop I believe I am qualified to offer a frontline perspective from the other side of the issue, especially as one who was sentenced to life without parole as a juvenile because of the testimony of a snitch co-defendant that was close to 10 years older than I.
by Robert Saleem Holbrook
Imprisonment in the United States is distinguished from imprisonment in the rest of the world by one enduring trait = the total and complete humiliation and de-humanization of the prisoner. This trait demonstrates why the U.S. prison system is a total failure and shunned by the rest of the world. While other countries prison systems may toil under brutal and inhumane conditions, particularly in the developing world, that are not up to American standards these countries "treatment" and "conditions" of their prisoners and prisons owes more to the lack of funds available or a unwillingness to invest in their prisons systems as opposed to a government philosophy guiding their treatment of prisoners. So while conditions in Mexican prisons are brutal and inhumane it is not owed to a specific government policy rather it is because as a developing country Mexico does not have the funds to invest in the upgrading of its prison system. However even if Mexico had the surplus money to invest in its prison system it is unlikely, based on regional and international trends, that Mexico would adopt the United States imprisonment model. Why? Because it simply does not work.
by Robert X. Holbrook 26 Dec 2004
When it comes to observing the rules and norms of international law the United States, far from being its protector, is one of the greatest and most habitual offenders. In 1989 the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child which established international standards for the treatment of children. The convention covers everything from thc state's protection of children to its punishment of children. Article 37(a) of the Convention states that State Parties shall ensure
(a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Neither Capital Punishment nor Life imprisonment without the possibility of release shall be imposed for offenses committed by persons below eighteen years of age.
