Call for Papers — U.S. Prisons, William Mitchell Law Review
Please direct any questions to the contact info below; I am just passing the info along.
Call for Papers – U.S. Prisons
William Mitchell Law Review, Vol. 38, Issue IV (Spring 2012)
The William Mitchell Law Review is proud to dedicate the fourth Issue in the upcoming Volume 38 (Spring 2012) to the topic of U.S. Prisons. We are currently seeking papers that examine a broad range of issues and recent developments regarding this topic, including but not limited to prison medical care, education in prisons, the war on drugs, prison privatization, and prison overcrowding. Submissions may either take the form of shorter commentaries or longer law review articles. The deadline for submissions has been set for November 15, 2011.
The William Mitchell Law Review is highly regarded both regionally and nationally. Our Law Review recently ranked twenty-second in citations by judges and ranked fifty-seventh in citations by other law journals. Over the years, the William Mitchell Law Review has featured the works of various scholars and practitioners such as Congressman Tim Penny, and former Vice President Walter Mondale. The William Mitchell Law Review has also published nationally known legal experts ranging from Philip Bruner, to Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor, Byron White, and Harry Blackmun. Now, we would like to invite you to join us to publish in our upcoming volume.
Please direct inquiries to Executive Editor Leah Graf at leah.graf@wmitchell.edu. Please send submissions to lreview@wmitchell.edu or mail them to our Editorial Office at the address listed below. Please note that the Law Review prefers electronic submissions in Word.
William Mitchell Law Review
William Mitchell College of Law
875 Summit Ave, Suite 159
St. Paul, Minnesota 55105
Prison Law Blog 
I would like to recommend my new ebook as a resource for your reading pleasure, review, and comment. The ebook is intended for use as a “self-improvement” resource for ministries to women’s prisons and/or an inspirational (tell-it-like-it-is) resource for drug rehab/prevention programs. The book is non-fiction (It is what it is!); and the original letters are included as images for authenticity. You can go to http://www.heather-heaton.com to purchase “Her Letters from Prison”.
Heather Heaton is a 34 year old college student trying to better her life, in spite of the baggage she carries from her earlier life. She has been quite successful in accomplishing that goal; and she will use the proceeds from the book to help support herself. Her picture is posted, with her book descriptions, at Smashwords. Heather Heaton can be contacted at heatherheaton@rocketmail.com.
The recently published ebook is entitled (“Her Letters from Prison: Part 1 & Part 2”) by Heather Heaton as published at Smashwords (www.smashwords.com). A brief description of the ebook follows:
Breanna tells the true story of her experiences in prison through her letters to her friend Heath. This is a story of survival and a quest to make a better life. The letters describe the daily shocking events of prison life involving drugs, sex, utter devastation and humiliation, anger, hopelessness, despair, and finally happiness and hope.
Breanna’s “truth” stands still even as the world around her trembles and burns! Bad things do happen to good people; and Breanna is the perfect example of this truth.
Breanna’s inner strengths and principles eventually win out over the corruption and evil that surrounds her. With God’s help, Breanna survives the horrible experiences of prison life and regains her self-confidence and hope for a better life.
“Breanna” was an inmate at Tutwiler Women’s Prison from 2007 to 2009.
“Breanna” benefitted from women’s prison ministries and the LIFE Tech-Wetumpka state-funded self-help program.
The Introduction page of the ebook follows:
Introduction:
The story you are about to read is true. Unfortunately, it’s my story; and the truth is often much more intriguing than fiction. I have had to deal with this story (this situation) for more than the past ten years. I started living out this story with all the hopes and dreams of most (if not all) young American girls; and I will finish this story by realizing most of those hopes and dreams, even though they have been interrupted for a time (in prison) that seems like time and time again. Through it all, I have managed to learn some life lessons that I hope to give to you; and I am hoping that you can pick up on these lessons earlier in life than I have done. I should have learned these lessons long ago. If I had learned these lessons long ago, I assure you that I would not have written the material you are now reading. My hope is that nobody else has to endure what I have endured learning life lessons that should be given to youngsters and adolescents early in life by the ones who truly love them. But here again, there are probably other youngsters and adolescents, much like me, who will have to learn these life lessons painfully for themselves, the hard way – by experiencing them first hand. Well, if you continue to read my story, here’s what you will experience – drugs, sex, violence, prison, utter devastation/humiliation, anger, hopelessness, despair, and finally happiness and hope!
If you don’t take me seriously and you follow in my path, you are going to experience false hope and disillusionment! You are going to experience broken trusts, by those whom you trusted most! You are going to experience pain and agony that brings you to the brink of self-destruction! You will lose your freedom! You will lose the right to think for yourself and to make your own decisions! You will lose your sense of self-worth and self-dignity! You are going to lose your ability to support yourself! You are going to lose your self-confidence! You are going to be victimized; and you can do little to avoid this! You will struggle and struggle and struggle just to get yourself back onto an even keel! But if you can ever manage to muster a tremendous mountain of stubbornness and determination, and if you can begin to think better of yourself, you will be able to recover most, but not all, of your ability to manage your own affairs while regaining some of your self-confidence and feeling of self-worth. I am just about to accomplish this in my life! Being just about able to accomplish this in my life is what has led me to (it has allowed me to) share my story with you. At first, I didn’t think I could ever share my story with anyone. But, I really don’t want you to actually share (live through) my experiences, even if you think you can handle it. Just read this story and do something positive in your own life.
Note: Names have been changed to protect each individual’s privacy.
Dedication:
This work is dedicated to Valrise Bendolf (Clay County Dept. of Corrections Holding Facility), Jackie Ratliff (Kilby – Montgomery Womens’ Facility), Fawn Romie/Mr. Roberts/Gary Parsons (Life Tech) and all of Mr. Robert’s little roses that he so diligently cultivated. For all their good works, these people saved my life!
I hope that you find this ebook both interesting and helpful.
Sincerely,
Heather Heaton
heatherheaton@rocketmail.com
http://www.heather-heaton.com
http://www.herlettersfromprison.com
Customer/Reader Review of “Her Letters from Prison”
Heather, ever since you first contacted me about your ebooks (and when I received them) I have been giving them traction. At least two women on my case load checked them out, (like a library card so I would get them back) and were very moved by the content. I haven’t had another problem with their behavior since they read them. So…I know they are working. They should be required reading, ordered by a Judge before women are sentenced to probation, so that they would fully understand the consequences of their behavior. The coverage by The Prison Art Coalition blog is very good news both for Heather and for those that will read her story.
They (“Her Letters from Prison: Parts 1 & 2) should be used as text books for the next Life Tech facility for Women!!! I wish I had some pull for money to build a better one. I pray for it.
Gary Parsons
Parole Officer
State of Alabama – Board of Pardons & Parole
Heather Heaton
October 21, 2011 at 8:10 am