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Here I sit on California's Death Row awaiting my death, knowing that I'm innocent, knowing that I didn't get the opportunity to get a fair trial because I had an attorney who was so poorly paid to give me a defense that he refused to spend the pennies he did make to work on my case. I won't and will not give my trial attorney the opportunity to even think that I'm on his side because he never tried to help...only snatched the pennies to keep him going. There is no way I can sit here in this hell and say "Well, everyone up here is innocent." I'd be a fool, but I can say that if you ask the men and women on Death Row or even on the mainlines in prisons all over this country, I know at least 50% to 60% will tell you that they had lawyers who didn't give a fuck about them and didn't even attempt to defend their clients the way they were taught in law school. I know that by my even making these statements some of society will say that we must be guilty of something or we wouldn't be in prison. Well let me tell you, yes, we are guilty, guilty of being POOR, guilty of being a minority, guilty for not having the education to fight for justice in this country of revengeful, blood thirsty individuals.

You know, maybe there ain't nothing wrong with being bloodthirsty, but having a man live 19 years of his life in this hell and then the law tells him that they made a mistake...you can go home, here's $200. What the hell do you say to him?

As a society we pass laws that we don't even know what or whom they will effect until it's too late. We, as a people, should be ashamed of ourselves to think that we can send a hungry man to prison for life because he stole a slice of pizza. And then can we actually say that we're not a bloodthirsty country?

So after you read this I will still be up here on California's Death Row, and you, as a society, will still have the illusion that every man, woman and child that you have sent to prison is guilty.

Are you upset now? Why? Because I sit on Death Row and I have the audacity to offend your feelings? Well you know what they say...only the truth hurts.

Comments may be written to:
Dellano Cleveland
H-20500
San Quentin Prison
San Quentin, CA 94974

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Send Email to Charla Greene at Welcome to Hell

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