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    Hunger Strike in protest of conditions at the Polunsky Unit:
Roy Pippin is doing his own personal non-violent protest of increasingly punitive conditions
on death row in Texas.  Roy ate last on November 26, 2001 at 5 PM.  He began his protest by
allowing himself to be cuffed and escorted to rec or the shower and then sitting down and
announcing politely that he was waging a non-violent protest.  As a result of this protest Roy
is now on Level 2 and has been given several cases.  He was not given a hearing.  Roy has
never had a disciplinary reclassification in the 6 years he has been on death row.

This is a point of honor to Roy to make a statement that he is no longer willing to be treated
as less than a human being.  When the men were transferred from Ellis to Polunsky they were
told that when everything settled down from the move there would be improvements.  There
was even talk about the resumption of the work program.  I have a direct quote from Carl
Reynolds responding to questions posed to the Texas Board Of Criminal Justice at the
May 27,1999 meeting.

5.  Will the work program be resumed?

Answer:  Yes.  The current plan is to have a work program for eligible Death Row offenders.  The details concerning eligibility and implementation of the program are under review.

Instead things have steadily worsened.  Special visits for men on Levels 2 and 3 were eliminated, more strict enforcement of rules supposedly in existence but never before
enforced such as the "2 bag rule" were imposed resulting in a brutal lock down period.
Phone privileges were canceled.  The list goes on.

There have been difficulties with Roy's protest.  Although some of the guards have honored
his request to record that he verbally refused (VRed) his meals, others have thrown the sack
in the bean chute and walked away.  Some guards will say "Why are you refusing food now
when you ate this morning?'  indicating no record was made that he did not eat.  Others are
laughing, saying "Are you hungry?"  He is being subjected to a lot of ridicule.

Roy is not asking that anyone join him in his protest.  He is doing this for himself.  It has actually bolstered his self esteem that he has taken a stand for personal dignity.

I would like for everyone to know what Roy is doing and for all of you to let your friends
on the inside to know Roy is standing up for his dignity and for theirs.

I would also like for you all to write Roy letters of encouragement or at least a card.  His address is  Roy Pippin,  Polunsky Unit 999170, 12002 FM 350 South, Livingston, Tx 77351.  Please be aware that Roy has very little in the way of stamps now that he's on Level 2,
so you may not hear back, but be assured he will appreciate the letters.

Thank you.

Nancy Bailey, TX
 

" 15 cards and letters of encouragement.  It helps more than you could ever imagine...  Please put a general  BIG THANK YOU on the internet, and let everyone know it gives me the strength to keep going. "   -  ROY PIPPIN

                  August 10, 2001 - Roy Pippin on Texas Death Row #999170 writes .......
   " I write to allow people in the free world to understand that Texas prisons
      are using "CELLS DESIGNED TO PUNISH" to house death row inmates. "

A TYPICAL DAY IN HELL - KNOWN AS TEXAS DEATH ROW

                             ROY PIPPIN - More info. on the case . . .

The Case Against Me - (My Brief Statement of What Happened)

 " I need assistance yesterday, last week, last year.  Can you help me or point
me in the direction of someone who will ?  . . . Time is running out.
I have copies of my direct appeal brief, state writ, supplemental writ, transcript
of trial, and anything else concerning my case.  I need someone that will fight
for me before it is too late.  Any records they would need should be easily
accessible.  Once again, time is of the essence.  My writ has been in front
of the state for three and a half years.  It could be ruled on at any minute. "
                                                                                                 -  Roy Pippin, 2001

    
    A Summary of My Case and Unjust Conviction

I have been on Death Row in Texas since November 3, 1995.
I have made numerous attempts to locate anyone or any organization that would help me.
I have written Miracle Ministries, the Carter Foundation, Texas Bar Association, and individual
attorneys.  Every one of them politely refused to assist me due to work overload and under
staffing or due to the fact that I was involved in criminal activity. I’m totally in shock that this
system has convicted me of capital murder and say I deserve to die for a crime I did not
commit.
I never portrayed myself as an angel.  In my trial I admitted my involvement
with an organization in the drug business.
I was in the money carrying part of that business.  When a large amount of money disappeared, people from that organization came to Houston to investigate. This lead to three deaths.  After reading in the paper that I was wanted for capital murder, I fled the country and contacted the people I was working for. Of course they knew I was not responsible for the deaths. I  hoped they would somehow make that known. The head of the organization told me that although no one in their organization was after me or my family, members of the family of the men killed were looking for anyone involved to pay for the deaths.  He said he had no control over their actions.  He recommended that I remain a fugitive, and offered no further help.
 Although I knew I would get some time for my involvement in the drug business, my home was in Houston, and I needed to clear my name of the murders.  I came back to turn myself in and face charges. I believed the justice system in Texas would treat me fairly.  I contacted an attorney and described in detail what had happened.  He told me I should be cleared of the capital charges.  He asked if I would turn evidence against the responsible parties.
I said I could not do that because crossing them would put my family in danger.
I explained that this all started because I called the people I was working for after one of the workers threatened me and my family if I refused to help them cheat the organization.    After my arrest my attorney managed to get me out on bond after 63 days in county jail.  The district attorneys files were sealed by the court and my attorney was not allowed to see the evidence against me.  However, he assured my that if my description of the events was accurate,
I would not be found guilty.  I had been out on bond 7 months when I was informed the state had decided to seek the death penalty.  I couldn’t believe it. My attorney told me deals were being made with other parties arrested to testify against me. I became despondent, and after nearly a year of staying away from drugs, I began using them again, and as a result I lost my bond.  My attorney was so disgusted, he stepped down from my case.
I was given court appointed attorneys.  The case went downhill from there.
 I was in jail 7 months awaiting trial.  The other parties arrested had indeed given statements that I was the leader of the drug dealings and that I had killed the victims.  My attorneys did not adequately  investigate my case.  An investigator never came to me even after I made numerous requests for certain  persons to be interviewed.  I felt those people would testify that I was just a front, certainly not a key person.  In the end I became a scapegoat.  Everyone else walked free in exchange for testifying against me.

One of them even gave evidence that was totally in conflict with the testimony of the prosecution’s ballistic expert. The jury was still willing to believe the prosecution’s version of what happened.  Because I took the stand and admitted that I was involved with drugs, they did not even have REASONABLE DOUBT  that I was guilty of capital murder.
 I need help.  My court appointed appeal attorney  did not hire an investigator, and I do not have funds to hire one myself.  My attorney does not answer my letters or calls from my family. With my family’s help I filed a supplemental state habeas writ along with the incomplete one filed by my attorney.  I don’t know
if it will be considered at all by the court.  This was done over three years ago.
All I can do is wait.  I do not have the resources to fight this myself, and my time is running out.    I need legal help.  I need advice.  I need moral support.
All I want is to be punished for what I actually did, so that I can salvage
what is left of my life and try in some way to repay those who have stood
by me and believed in me.

Roy Pippin