Category Archives: Justice Chronicles

Writings about crime and punishment, and more punishment.

Eddie Ellis and Criminal Justice Language

Posted on August 3, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

When I think of the life and legacy of Eddie Ellis, I think of his Criminal Justice Language Letter, a short, simple, but seminal letter that began to change the discourse in criminal justice, first in New York State, and … Continue reading →

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Parole, higher education, felony-murder and more

Posted on July 22, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

CPR has been in the forefront, advocating for fair parole practices in New York since it was founded in 1999.  Since then, other advocates and people who care about justice have looked at the issue of parole.  Right now, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles, Life Sentences, Murder, Parole, Politics & Public Affairs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Waiting for Parole — Between Hope and Despair

Posted on July 19, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

One of the most powerful forces is hope, oftentimes counterbalanced by despair.  In the criminal justice system, nothing inspires more hope than the possibility of being granted and being released to parole supervision.  On the other hand, nothing drops one … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles, Life Sentences, Murder, Parole, Politics & Public Affairs, Shawshank Redemption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

REVIEW OF “JAILHOUSE JOURNALISM: THE FOURTH ESTATE BEHIND BARS”

Posted on July 13, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Not much has been written about the history of the prison press. Indeed, until now, according to James McGrath Morris, the author of Jailhouse Journalism: The Fourth Estate Behind Bars, the only book was The Penal Press by Russell Baird. … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Justice & Punishment, Justice Chronicles, Life Sentences, Literature & Cultural Criticism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review of “No Man’s Land”

Posted on July 13, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Prison is a place steeped in mythology, from the outright lies about it politicians tell to promote their “crime-fighting” policies to the propaganda prison officials print in their periodicals to justify its raison d’être; even prisoners, in their writings, contribute … Continue reading →

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Drop the Rock, that is, the argument using people convicted of violent crimes to make the case…

Posted on June 1, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The Rockefeller Drug reform movement argued its case for reform by using people convicted of violent crimes, stating that people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses were being sentenced to the same amount of time if not more than people convicted … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Research & Lived Expertise, Criminal Justice & Punishment, Justice Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We Are All on Trial with Jesus: And We Must Take a Stand (An Excerpt from a Sermon I gave years at Sing Sing Prison, and at Rye Presbyterian Church)

Posted on April 13, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In this age where one sensational trial replaces another, where we greedily consume the latest lurid details in the Lorena Bobbitt trial, the abused woman who took a pound of flesh from her husband, John Wayne Bobbitt, or the trial … Continue reading →

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Andrew the Ambitious

Posted on April 3, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Nearly two months ago, when Andrew Cuomo, New York’s Governor, announced that he would use public money to finance higher education in prison, in some quarters people thought that the state was finally wising up and was going to be … Continue reading →

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No Right More Basic Than the Right to Vote

Posted on April 3, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on political campaign contributions, McCutcheon V. FEC, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote, “There is no right in our democracy more basic than the right to participate in electing our political leaders.” … Continue reading →

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A Comparison of New York State Laws and Regulations and Slave Codes

Posted on February 21, 2014 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

A number of years ago, long before Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow,” while doing research for an essay entitled “From the Plantation to the Penitentiary,” I came across some striking similarities between New York Laws and Slave Codes. From … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Justice & Punishment, Justice Chronicles, Race, History & American Society, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment