Unacknowledged Victims of the DOC*

The link leads to a summary of Senate Bill 72 (SB72), proposed by Senator Walter "Skip" Campbell. If passed, it would be a dramatic change for the way kids are dealt with in Florida's criminal justice system. However, the bill needs to go through three criminal justice committees before making it's way to the senate floor. If passed it will become effective July 2003. I have included the website address which outlines the specific language of the bill.

SB72 - Juvenile Law Resubmitted this term

"A Child is a terrible thing to waste!"~Jeb Bush

FAMILY INDEX

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IS THERE ANY HOPE?

QUIT BEING A MOM?

UNACKNOWLEDGED
CHILDREN

TODAY I WALKED
WITH MY DAD

THE OVERCOMERS

COOKIES FOR GUARDS

BIG CRIME
LOVING MY SON

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SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

DANNY, MY BROTHER

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BEHIND BARS
AND FORGOTTEN

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PREJUDICE AND PASSION

GIVE ME A BREAK

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LONG AWAITED VISIT

A CRY FOR HELP

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COURAGE IN
THE FACE OF FEAR

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A GUARD'S VALIDATION

STANDING WATCH

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WE'RE NOT DONE YET!

TELEPHONE CALLS

HEARTBREAK OF THE FAMILY

DOC, FAMILIES, AND INTENSIVE CARE

WHY THE FAMILIES?

HOPE

THANKSGIVING

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ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

HOPE

THANKSGIVING

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ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

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THE PRISON CHAPLAIN

SUPPORT 1

SUPPORT 2

SUPPORT 3

SUPPORT 4

SPECIAL PROJECTS

DOC FACTS

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BOGUS DRs
How to Reverse Them

RESOURCES

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FBI CITIZEN COMPLAINT

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CHALLENGES

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SMUGGLER'S TALES

FLORIDA PRISONS

PRISON WORKERS'

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OUT-OF-STATE

THE CHILDREN
On both sides of the fence

Unacknowledged Victims

Sitting on the front porch, when she was 11,
Lawyers coming around, no biggie to her.
Then someone says' "that's your father"
And all is lost in her world.

For years she's been wondering who he was.
Now she knows, her father,
a Man on Florida's Death row.
Her father now has a name, and a DC #.

To her, the truth that was supposed to make her happy
as brought another trial and great sadness in her life.
The same moment she found him,
he was taken from her.

Bittersweet isn't even a word for how this child felt.
This child felt anger, betrayal, hatred, to all those
responsible for taking the life she wanted to know.

On this day this girls
dreams and hopes were shattered.
Her grades in school
went from honor roll to straight F's.
This little girl quit caring...

And by the time she was 12 years old,
she herself had been in trouble with the law,
and they were quick to condemn her for 
her crimes of "running away" and "skipping school".

But they never bothered to find out why,
by the time she was 14 years old,
she had been in and out of Juvenile Detention centers,
and placements for troubled children.
To them she was a trouble maker:
To her, they were her problems.

She moved in with her boyfriend at the age of 15,
and had her first child at the age of 16,
her second child  at the age of 18.
Her boyfriend was abusive in every way,
and her life  was literally over....
All because of that fateful night when she found out
who her father really was...

Now she is 24, attending college, she has grown up,
is an active citizen in her community,
and is not the "trouble maker"
they claimed her to be as a child.
But the past of her childhood haunts her
every single day....

From the heart of "Wayne (Graycloud) Tompkins Daughter"
Thursday, October 24, 2002

The important lesson for us here is the understanding that the families of prisoners should be a vital concern. Just as we all do, they hurt, they love, and they tend to take on the burden of someone else's actions. Even the children. These unacknowledged victims are not castaways - they are part of the "We-The-Whole". We must not condemn them for loving anyone, even and especially if that someone committed a crime, for "what you do unto the least of them, you do unto me" is the ultimate truth. Love is our salvation. Our support, understanding and validation is needed to save the families and children of our two million prisoners from self-doubt and self-destruction.

And the second lesson is for the victims. Believe in the healing, look for it to happen, for with the wisdom of age and experience, you can get past the traumas caused by someone else's actions.  Your life is never "over" until it's Over. As for the memory of your father, try to take it into your heart that every human being is greater than his worst deed. For that reason, even on death row, I'm sorry you didn't get to know him.

SB72
Senator Walter "Skip" Campbell

Senator Walter "Skip" Campbell
Email:
campbell.walter.web@ flsenate.gov
On The Web

Capitol Office:
Room 414
Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL
32399-1100

(850) 487-5094
SunCom 277-5094
 

District Office:
10094 McNab Road
Tamarac, FL 33321
(954) 346-2813
SunCom 429-2813

Legislative Assistants: Michael Kaplan, Kayla Montanaro and Amy Chamberlain

You can show support for Senator Campbell's bill by writing to the senators who chair each of the committees the bill must pass through. The legislative session runs from March 10th to May 10th.  See website for committee senators

click here> SB72

HAUNTING IMAGES

CHILDREN IN FLORIDA SYSTEM

FLORIDA MOMS WITH CHILDREN IN PRISON

*The family section of Making the Walls Transparent is devoted to all non-prisoner victims of the DOC.

Kay Lee, MTWT In Florida
Pacific Institute of Criminal Justice
2683 Rockcliff Road S.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30316
404-12-0690
kaylee1@charter.net

"EVERY MAN IS GREATER THAN HIS WORST DEED!"
Realizing Enlightenment and Visualizing Professionalism!

Making The Walls Transparent