Post by CCADP on Jun 2, 2005 9:11:58 GMT -5
Death Row Inmates Give $5,000 College Scholarship
« Thread started on: Today at 09:07am »<br>Press Conference
10 a.m. June 7, 2005
Community Room
Greensboro Police Station
300 S. Swing Road
Greensboro, N.C.
Death Row Inmates Give $5,000 College
Scholarship to Future Police Officer
Death row inmates across the country have raised $5,000 to help the
brother of a murdered 4-year-old complete college and become a law
enforcement officer. Through their bimonthly publication, Compassion, the
inmates are helping Zach Osborne of Jamestown, N.C. pursue a criminal
justice degree at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.
=93Despite our bad choices, we still believe in the concept of right and
wrong, and support what is right,=94 said Compassion=92s editor, Dennis
Skillicorn of Missouri=92s death row.
In April 1992, when Zach was only six, his mother=92s boyfriend raped and
killed Zach=92s younger sister, Natalie.
=93Natalie=92s death has haunted my family since the day she was found,=94=
Zach
wrote in his winning essay. =93=85Through realizing this dream (of becoming=
a
law enforcement officer), I would play a key role in preventing situations
like this from ever happening again.=94
Greensboro Police Department will host a press conference at 10 a.m. June 7
in the Community Room of the police substation at 300 S. Spring Road when
Stephen Dear of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty presents the
scholarship on behalf of the death row inmates.
Death row inmates started Compassion in 2001 to raise money to send
murdered victims=92 family members to college. The inmates donate their own
funds or submit artwork, essays and poems to the publication, which is sold
by subscription. This is their seventh scholarship, bringing the total
amount awarded thus far to $27,000.
Inmates were touched by Zach=92s story and his plans to help prevent similar
events in the future.
=93We would like to support him in realizing his dream of becoming an=
officer
of the law and finding a way to prevent future violence,=94 Skillicorn wrote
in his May 2005 editorial. =93Our intent is genuine.=94
Fred Moor of St. Rose Parish, Perrysburg, Ohio, who oversees publication of
Compassion, will coordinate presentation of the scholarship. Death row
prisoners have authorized St. Rose Parish to handle all money transactions
for their publication and scholarship fund. Inmates receive no compensation
or special treatment for their efforts.
.
Press Conference Contact:
Lt. Brian
James
Greensboro Police
Department
Office: 336-433-7380
Compassion Contacts:
Fred Moor: (419) 874-1333
Editor, Dennis Skillicorn
Potosi Correctional Center, Mineral Point, Missouri
573-438-6000
BACKGROUND
Death row inmates developed Compassion in response to a suggestion by
Siddique Abdullah Hasan, who is on death row in Ohio State Penitentiary in
Youngstown. Through a mutual contact, Hasan connected with Fred Moor of St.
Rose Parish, who agreed to oversee publication. Death row inmates from
around the country collaborated to establish the non-profit organization.
The inmates wanted to publish a newsletter that would develop healing
communication between capital punishment offenders and murdered victims=92
families, and give offenders a forum to express compassionate and
introspective feelings. They also wanted to establish a college scholarship
fund for family members of murdered victims.
=93In no way are the scholarships to the immediate family members of=
murdered
victims meant to atone for the loss they have experienced,=94 Hasan wrote in
his first editorial. =93Scholarships are=85a compassionate gesture to those=
who
have had a significant and unfortunate tragedy befall them.=94
Compassion published its first issue in July 2001. To date, the inmates
have awarded over $21,000 in scholarships and have begun a new award cycle.
The glossy, eight-page newsletter focuses on positive contributions by
death row inmates and their desire to help others. It does not print
accounts of individual cases, complaints about prison or the judicial
system, or opinions on the death penalty.
No inmates receive money or special consideration for their stories,
donations, or editing services. All inmate participation is voluntary.
The inmates=92 focus and ultimate objective is to genuinely foster
reconciliation between prisoners and the immediate family members of
murdered victims. Compassion urges prisoners to set a new standard of moral
decency for themselves.
Hasan stepped down as editor after the March issue, and Dennis Skillicorn,
45, was named as his replacement. Skillicorn, a Missouri death row inmate,
is a member of the Hospice program, Inmate Council and Christian Men=92s
Council at Potosi Correctional Center. He is co-founder of 4-H LIFE (Living
Interactive Family Education) and works for the Set Free Ministry. He is
active in ongoing restorative justice projects at the prison that benefit
youth, the elderly, and crime victims.
Under Skillicorn, Compassion continues to promote restorative justice and
reconciliation.
=93This is an opportunity for us to have a voice and express our=
overwhelming
desire to give back to society,=94 Skillicorn said. =93In the process,
Compassion gives every one of us =AD regardless of our living conditions -=
an
opportunity to restore some of what we=92ve torn down.=94
Submissions to Compassion are written by men and women across the United
States who have been sentenced to death. Editors as well as members of the
editorial and advisory boards are capital punishment offenders from
Missouri and several other states. Past stories have featured positive
programs that involve death row inmates and essays from murder victims=92
family members.
Copies of Compassion are provided free to death row inmates. Subscriptions
are available to readers on the outside. Approximately half of the
donations and proceeds pay for publication and distribution. Along with
designated donations, the remaining half funds the college scholarships.
Members of St. Rose Parish handle all money transactions. No inmate has
access to any of the Compassion funds.
The letters and articles published in Compassion show the humanity of death
row inmates and this is reflected throughout the publication, Moor said.
"Death row prisoners are not the sum of the worst act in their lives and
they have potential to cultivate and achieve good,=94 Moor said. =93Many
[contributors] express that it has helped them in moving forward in a
positive direction and through their writings many are able to help others.=
=94
Victims=92 family members who are interested in applying for a scholarship
should contact Compassion at 140 South Boundary Street, Perrysburg, Ohio,
43551, or call (419) 874-1333.
************
« Thread started on: Today at 09:07am »<br>Press Conference
10 a.m. June 7, 2005
Community Room
Greensboro Police Station
300 S. Swing Road
Greensboro, N.C.
Death Row Inmates Give $5,000 College
Scholarship to Future Police Officer
Death row inmates across the country have raised $5,000 to help the
brother of a murdered 4-year-old complete college and become a law
enforcement officer. Through their bimonthly publication, Compassion, the
inmates are helping Zach Osborne of Jamestown, N.C. pursue a criminal
justice degree at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.
=93Despite our bad choices, we still believe in the concept of right and
wrong, and support what is right,=94 said Compassion=92s editor, Dennis
Skillicorn of Missouri=92s death row.
In April 1992, when Zach was only six, his mother=92s boyfriend raped and
killed Zach=92s younger sister, Natalie.
=93Natalie=92s death has haunted my family since the day she was found,=94=
Zach
wrote in his winning essay. =93=85Through realizing this dream (of becoming=
a
law enforcement officer), I would play a key role in preventing situations
like this from ever happening again.=94
Greensboro Police Department will host a press conference at 10 a.m. June 7
in the Community Room of the police substation at 300 S. Spring Road when
Stephen Dear of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty presents the
scholarship on behalf of the death row inmates.
Death row inmates started Compassion in 2001 to raise money to send
murdered victims=92 family members to college. The inmates donate their own
funds or submit artwork, essays and poems to the publication, which is sold
by subscription. This is their seventh scholarship, bringing the total
amount awarded thus far to $27,000.
Inmates were touched by Zach=92s story and his plans to help prevent similar
events in the future.
=93We would like to support him in realizing his dream of becoming an=
officer
of the law and finding a way to prevent future violence,=94 Skillicorn wrote
in his May 2005 editorial. =93Our intent is genuine.=94
Fred Moor of St. Rose Parish, Perrysburg, Ohio, who oversees publication of
Compassion, will coordinate presentation of the scholarship. Death row
prisoners have authorized St. Rose Parish to handle all money transactions
for their publication and scholarship fund. Inmates receive no compensation
or special treatment for their efforts.
.
Press Conference Contact:
Lt. Brian
James
Greensboro Police
Department
Office: 336-433-7380
Compassion Contacts:
Fred Moor: (419) 874-1333
Editor, Dennis Skillicorn
Potosi Correctional Center, Mineral Point, Missouri
573-438-6000
BACKGROUND
Death row inmates developed Compassion in response to a suggestion by
Siddique Abdullah Hasan, who is on death row in Ohio State Penitentiary in
Youngstown. Through a mutual contact, Hasan connected with Fred Moor of St.
Rose Parish, who agreed to oversee publication. Death row inmates from
around the country collaborated to establish the non-profit organization.
The inmates wanted to publish a newsletter that would develop healing
communication between capital punishment offenders and murdered victims=92
families, and give offenders a forum to express compassionate and
introspective feelings. They also wanted to establish a college scholarship
fund for family members of murdered victims.
=93In no way are the scholarships to the immediate family members of=
murdered
victims meant to atone for the loss they have experienced,=94 Hasan wrote in
his first editorial. =93Scholarships are=85a compassionate gesture to those=
who
have had a significant and unfortunate tragedy befall them.=94
Compassion published its first issue in July 2001. To date, the inmates
have awarded over $21,000 in scholarships and have begun a new award cycle.
The glossy, eight-page newsletter focuses on positive contributions by
death row inmates and their desire to help others. It does not print
accounts of individual cases, complaints about prison or the judicial
system, or opinions on the death penalty.
No inmates receive money or special consideration for their stories,
donations, or editing services. All inmate participation is voluntary.
The inmates=92 focus and ultimate objective is to genuinely foster
reconciliation between prisoners and the immediate family members of
murdered victims. Compassion urges prisoners to set a new standard of moral
decency for themselves.
Hasan stepped down as editor after the March issue, and Dennis Skillicorn,
45, was named as his replacement. Skillicorn, a Missouri death row inmate,
is a member of the Hospice program, Inmate Council and Christian Men=92s
Council at Potosi Correctional Center. He is co-founder of 4-H LIFE (Living
Interactive Family Education) and works for the Set Free Ministry. He is
active in ongoing restorative justice projects at the prison that benefit
youth, the elderly, and crime victims.
Under Skillicorn, Compassion continues to promote restorative justice and
reconciliation.
=93This is an opportunity for us to have a voice and express our=
overwhelming
desire to give back to society,=94 Skillicorn said. =93In the process,
Compassion gives every one of us =AD regardless of our living conditions -=
an
opportunity to restore some of what we=92ve torn down.=94
Submissions to Compassion are written by men and women across the United
States who have been sentenced to death. Editors as well as members of the
editorial and advisory boards are capital punishment offenders from
Missouri and several other states. Past stories have featured positive
programs that involve death row inmates and essays from murder victims=92
family members.
Copies of Compassion are provided free to death row inmates. Subscriptions
are available to readers on the outside. Approximately half of the
donations and proceeds pay for publication and distribution. Along with
designated donations, the remaining half funds the college scholarships.
Members of St. Rose Parish handle all money transactions. No inmate has
access to any of the Compassion funds.
The letters and articles published in Compassion show the humanity of death
row inmates and this is reflected throughout the publication, Moor said.
"Death row prisoners are not the sum of the worst act in their lives and
they have potential to cultivate and achieve good,=94 Moor said. =93Many
[contributors] express that it has helped them in moving forward in a
positive direction and through their writings many are able to help others.=
=94
Victims=92 family members who are interested in applying for a scholarship
should contact Compassion at 140 South Boundary Street, Perrysburg, Ohio,
43551, or call (419) 874-1333.
************