When one looks at a word a mental image appears to help identify the
meaning of the word. In today’s fast-moving world of changing
consciousness, not everyone is aware of new meanings for old words.

Usually one would associate the word 'volunteer' with someone who gives
of himself or herself for the benefit of others. However, this same word
has also come to be synonymous with the death row inmate who gives up
what is left of his or her appeals, and 'volunteers' to be executed. The
question needs to be asked: does any benefit accrue from such a
situation? There is no doubt whatsoever that as far as the overwhelming
majority of the general public in the USA is concerned, any execution
most certainly is perceived as being a beneficial event, regardless of
whether it is due to the exhaustion of an inmate’s appeals or the
decision to volunteer. Obviously it is widely seen as being 'a good
thing'.

When I came to death row in the early 1980s there were no executions
taking place in Arizona. The prisons were not as crowded as they are now
and the political atmosphere both in this state and in the country as a
whole was not as bloodthirsty and right wing conservative as it is
today. Politicians in the early 1980s had not yet realized the political
rewards stemming from the adoption of ‘get tough on crime’ policies,
together with the strategy of advocating the use of the death penalty
for an increasing number of crimes that were seen to shock the voters.

When I arrived on the row the last execution had taken place in 1963
when Manuel Silveas was put to death in the gas chamber. So when Donald
Harding suffered the same fate in 1992, a new era was under way. Twenty
nine years had passed without an execution in Arizona. From now on
nothing would be the same. During those twenty nine years the prisoners
were able to win a number of lawsuits in the Federal District Court
concerning poor prison conditions. This did not inhibit the Arizona
Department of Corrections (ADOC) from embarking upon a 'Master Plan' to
make life as miserable as possible for all inmates.

In the late 1980s ADOC started chipping away at the prisoners by
changing policies and taking away lots of personal property. Personal
items such as jeans, shirts, shoes, pyjamas, robes, slippers, jackets,
hats and boots were confiscated, despite the fact that these items had
been purchased by the prisoner, or by members of the prisoner’s family.
The strategy was gradually to impound almost all personal property.
There were only a few old timers who were able to figure out what was
going on. The reality was that ADOC had a plan to make life as
uncomfortable as possible for all prisoners. From 1987 to the present we
lost more than had been gained during the previous two decades. Items
such as: all personal clothes; hot pots; all foodstuffs that were sold
at the commissary for use in hot pots; fans; hair dryers; tape recorders
with a recording facility; CD players; memory typewriters; lamps. New
rules came into force that severely restrict the people to whom a
prisoner can send money from his or her prison account. Just when it
appeared that conditions could not possibly deteriorate further, the
prison closed the law libraries. To rub salt in the wounds, the
authorities also eliminated all the inmate legal assistants who helped
others with disciplinary hearings as well as assisting with the filing
of lawsuits. Additionally, the disciplinary policy was changed so as to
make any meaningful relief impossible. A three dollar fee is now charged
for all medical visits. The grievance system is a total farce.
Hobbycraft is no longer allowed.

On 7 December 1995 the prison initiated the death row chaingang. Those
who refused to go were maced and roughed up by the goon squad, after
which they were taken out to the field to work. If anyone still refused
to work he was locked in a phone booth-sized enclosure. If thereafter an
order to work was disobeyed a disciplinary write-up would follow
together with a loss of privileges and appliances.

In the past month or so three prisoners committed suicide by hanging
themselves. A prisoner in Tucson and one man in Eyman hung themselves
with a sheet and with shoe laces respectively. A third man in Florence
used shoe laces. It did not take but a few days for the goon squad to
come to our cells and take away our personal tennis shoes. All that they
really wanted was our shoe laces. But what better opportunity to take
the shoes as well!

Not even the food was spared. The ADOC contracted food services in their
entirety to an outside company. Instead of improvement, it got worse. No
longer do we receive hot lunches. Seven days a week we are given a sack
lunch of sandwiches.

It is not surprising that numerous suicides occur behind these walls.
Every individual has a breaking point. Depression plays a big part in
most prison suicides. The mean spiritedness of AODC is a major factor in
destroying a human being’s will to live. Last year a death row prisoner
committed suicide. There is no doubt that the majority of these deaths
result from the pressure of the circumstances heaped upon us all by the
'Master Plan'. A further question must be asked. When someone is pushed
to suicide, is he or she a volunteer? The state would like to be free of
any blame, so that their hands are bloodless. Yet they have assisted,
even if involuntarily, due to their actions and policies. Such
inhumanity comes with a price.

Most states, including Arizona, do not permit physician- or state-
assisted suicide. The official stance is that human life is far too
valuable for citizens to be given the right to choose to end their lives
with dignity. No matter how much depression, pain and suffering a person
may be enduring, the state will not allow him or her to end their
existence. The state does not want to be seen as the 'harbinger of
death'. No volunteers accepted.

However, when it comes to a death row prisoner who decides to forego his
or her appeals and be executed, the state is more than happy to assist.
They actually fall all over themselves in the process. No shoe laces are
needed. Just say the magic word 'volunteer' and a state-assisted suicide
will promptly be provided. After all, this is the fruit of the 'Master
Plan'. It is designed to break a human being down to the point where
self-sanctioned death is more appealing than dying a little more each
day on the row.

In recent times, three death row inmates volunteered for a state-
assisted suicide. The first was John Brewer, then Daren Bolton, and  in
May of this year it was Arthur Ross. One has to assume that these three
men are not perceived as having any value and that they were therefore
allowed a state-assisted suicide even though they enjoyed perfect
health, whereas a dying citizen in society - no matter how poor their
health - would be denied this.

Only a very small percentage of prisoners eventually receive the death
penalty. The majority of those who are sentenced to death are guilty of
having insufficient funds to pay for a competent attorney. Consequently
an overworked and underpaid public defender is appointed. There is truth
in the comment that has been made concerning capital punishment - that
being ‘if you have the capital, you don’t get the punishment!’

One must assume that since the state considers those on death row to be
the lowest of the low in respect of murderers, therefore it is quite
alright to provide state-assisted suicide on demand. However, the
proposition that everyone on the row represents the dregs of society is
sadly incorrect. The reason why it is incorrect is that the death
penalty is unfairly administered. Forget the aggravating and mitigating
factors - there are too many outside influences and politics involved.
There are many worse murderers not on the row. Trust me on this. After
fifteen years on the row you get to see things first hand.

Before the 'Master Plan' began to tighten the screws on every aspect of
life in prison I used to think that any prisoner who would give up his
or her appeals and consent to a state-assisted suicide had to be a weak
person. This has always been a widely-held opinion on the row. Only
recently I have changed my opinion. Certainly every individual has a
breaking point, as I have said. The worse the prison conditions become,
the more volunteers will step up to check out. I can not fault an inmate
who has had enough of this madness, enough of the depression and pain.
Once a person loses his or her self worth and pride, little else remains
save primal survival. My only resentment is that every time someone
volunteers to be put to death by the state it sends a message to the
attorney general and ADOC that their 'Master Plan' is alive and well.
They derive such perverse pleasure and satisfaction from their deeds. It
is true that there is a price to be paid for everything in life - and
also in death.

Richard Rossi, #50337, Death Row, ASPC Eyman, PO Box 3400

Florence, AZ 85232, USA   June 1998