From Ghost Inmates to Felon’s Right to Vote

Prisonpath has posted hundreds of articles since prisonpath.com was launched in September of 2012. Five popular articles discussed various important issues such as felon’s right to vote, true prison stories–the laughing inmate, John Dillinger Syndrome, no more letters for inmates, Martha Reed-the Rosa Parks of prison phone calls, and the ghost inmates of California. All of the issues discussed in the five articles are still relevant – nothing has changed.

1. Felons: The Right to Vote? Disenfranchised Voters– (Infograph)
Over five million Americans are disenfranchised from voting even if the former inmates are again productive members of society who pay taxes. Several states do not restore the right to vote upon completion of the sentence…

2. PRISON PATH BOOK EXCERPT: The Laughing Inmate—Baltimore DOC
The new inmate was white, slightly bald, with a bit of a stomach. He was always laughing. The night after he arrived, several of us watched television. At one point, I sat next to the new inmate. He was laughing…

3.The John Dillinger Syndrome:
John Dillinger went into prison as a young man. Before his imprisonment, he had a petty criminal record. While in prison, he became the student of famous depression era bank robbers. After Dillinger’s escape from prison–the rest of his life became history. Some argue that prison teaches inmates to be better criminals…

4. Postcards vs. Letters:
The Hillsborough County jail, in Florida, starting Sept. 1, will not allow the county’s inmates to receive letters, unless sent from an inmate’s attorney. All other letters will be returned to the sender. Inmate’s families and friends can only send postcards…

5. Martha Wright Reed: The Rosa Parks of Prison Phone Calls:
In 2003, ten years ago, Martha Wright-Reed filed a petition  asking the FCC to regulate the excessive inmate phone call rates. The petition was filed on behalf of  inmate families after a judge had dismissed a lawsuit filed by her against a private prison company. She had filed the lawsuit because it was impossible to keep up with the high phone bills with her grandson who was incarcerated. The judge had referred  Martha Wright-Reed to the FCC…

6. Ghost Inmates of California:
California has ghost inmates. We are referring to the inmates held in solitary confinement for years and even decades. For twenty-five years, California has outlawed personal photographs of inmates held in solitary confinement.