Cleaning Out The Mailbox

I’d like to clean out the VIC mailbox and acknowledge some incarcerated veterans and prison programs. The VIC appreciates your efforts to organize and be a positive influence in the country’s prison system.

In perhaps an early Christmas present from the Supreme Court, in Porter v. McCollum the Court threw out the death sentence for a decorated Korean War veteran, ruling for the first time that combat stress must be considered by a jury before it hands down the harshest punishment. So the New Year gives hope to many veterans who are imprisoned with life sentences: They can cite this Florida case in their bid for clemency and release.

Craig R. McLaren of Chapter 190 at the Holman Veterans Group at the W.C. Holman Unit in Atmore, Alabama, for keeping up the Eagle Speaks and working for veterans in Alabama. We hope your Christmas stocking had some writing tablets in it.

“Doc” Piper and Ed Munis at the very impressive Soledad Veterans Service Office at the Correctional Training Facility. These incarcerated veterans are accredited by the Monterey County Office of Military and Veterans Affairs to represent some 17,000 incarcerated veterans in California.

John Tidwell and The Veterans Action Group and their efforts at the Men’s Colony State Prison in San Luis Obispo, California. May the New Year find the Noise From Inside functioning at its best.

Chairman Hagan, David Leavitt, and Ron Singler and the Vietnam Veterans Group of San Quentin and their “Brothers Helping Brothers” approach in the Yard at California’s oldest prison.

Robert Christiansen, editor of the Voice of the Vet newsletter of Chapter 745 and the Veterans Action Group at the Monroe Correctional Complex.

William Kissinger and the Camp F Vets at Angola, who are blessed to have Warden Burl Cain. Derrell Nettingham of the East Jersey Incarcerated Veterans Group in Rahway and Darell Parks of the Trenton Incarcerated Veterans at the New Jersey State Prison.

CB Roberts and the Veterans Incarcerated Group at the Stiles Unit in Beaumont, Texas, the only incarcerated veterans organization in the country’s third largest prison system.

Vincent Ritchie of Chapter 559 at the Grafton Correctional Institution and George A. Hames of Chapter 616 at the Mansfield Correctional Institution. Steve R. Gordon, editor of The Cresson Veteran of James A. Crew Chapter 359 in Pennsylvania.

Ray McMahon and “Path Finders” of Chapter 195 at Zephyr Hills Correctional Institution and their sponsor, former VIC chair John Koprowski. Daniel S. Hicks and the IVOR veterans at Roxbury Correctional Center in Hagerstown and the Incarcerated Veterans of JCI in Jessup, Maryland.

Ellis McComb, commander of the Veterans Club at the James Crabtree Correctional Center in Helena, Okla. Andrew Restive and the members of Chapter 205 at the Auburn Correctional Facility in New York.