I am one of many who stays on the E-beds [as pleasant Valley State Prison]. The E-beds are beds that are in the dayroom. What a place to do 4 years. Thank god all I have to do now is 20 more months.

I don't know how often you pick up a local newspaper but for the past 3 months all the newspapers statewide tell a story on how overcrowded our prisons are. The evening news has been telling stories also. A Federal judge in San Francisco named Thelton Henderson has taken an interest in our well being, and he is saying he will make some major changes. This system is very dysfunctional and the people who run it are very dangerous. They are professional liars. They have been killing inmates for years and continue to get away with it while others go to prison for killing human lives.

I guess you sent me a newsletter this past week, well the mailroom staff here decided to keep it so I filed a complaint. Let's see what excuse they give for not letting me receive it. You should call here and ask why they aren't allowing me to have it. By working together we can win this.

For the last 2 days we have not had any water to shower, they claim a line busted and won't be fixed until Tuesday. They have enough money to call an emergency crew to fix it but why do it? We are only convicts. We don't deserve showers, right?

-- a California prisoner, January 2007