Wasted Honor -

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the Wasted Honor Trilogy [Wasted Honor I,II and Gorilla Justice] and his newest book From the Womb to the Tomb, the Tony Lester Story, which is a reflection of his life and his experiences as a correctional officer and a correctional administrator retiring with the rank of deputy warden in the New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems.

Carl also wrote a book on his combat experience in the Kindle book titled - Combat Medic - Men with destiny - A red cross of Valor -

Carl is considered by many a rogue expert in the field of prison security systems since leaving the profession. Carl has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans including double bunking max inmates and enhancing security for staff. He invites you to read his books so you can understand and grasp the cultural and political implications and influences of these prisons. He deals with the emotions, the stress and anxiety as well as the realities faced working inside a prison. He deals with the occupational risks while elaborating on the psychological impact of both prison worker and prisoner.

His most recent book, Gorilla Justice, is an un-edited raw fictional version of realistic prison experiences and events through the eyes of an anecdotal translation of the inmate’s plight and suffering while enduring the harsh and toxic prison environment including solitary confinement.

Carl has been interviewed by numerous news stations and newspapers in Phoenix regarding the escape from the Kingman prison and other high profile media cases related to wrongful deaths and suicides inside prisons. His insights have been solicited by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and various other legal firms representing solitary confinement cases in California and Arizona. He is currently working on the STG Step Down program at Pelican Bay and has offered his own experience insights with the Center of Constitutional Rights lawyers and interns to establish a core program at the SHU units. He has personally corresponded and written with SHU prisoners to assess the living conditions and how it impacts their long term placement inside these type of units that are similar to those in Arizona Florence Eyman special management unit where Carl was a unit deputy warden for almost two years before his promotion to Deputy Warden of Operations in Safford and Eyman.

He is a strong advocate for the mentally ill and is a board member of David's Hope Inc. a non-profit advocacy group in Phoenix and also serves as a senior advisor for Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council in Chino, California As a subject matter expert and corrections consultant, Carl has provided interviews and spoken on national and international radio talk shows e.g. BBC CBC Lou Show & TV shows as well as the Associated Press.

I use sarcasm, satire, parodies and other means to make you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
































































































































Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Open Letters – What purpose do they serve?

Reading one ‘open letter’ in particular, it prompted me to seek the answer as to why someone in a most powerful position would write an open letter to the masses that are under his command. Seeking to find his motive or his issue with those matters listed within this letter, it is important to look beyond the words and thoughts printed inside these letters that are circulated to an unlimited number of people and sometimes a nationwide effort to express their thoughts on paper.

The main reason for writing such a letter would be to put the ink to the paper and state or express the author’s position on a particular matter or a range of different subjects listed in the order of preference to the writer. In this case, the order is a significant indicator how the author perceives his interest versus those of his readers and makes it clear that his priority on these matters are clearly written and expressed. Unconsciously, this writer might have opened up a Pandora’s box situation that allows the readers to infer that although he is expressing his thoughts in an open letter format, he is attempting to get his message out there beyond those addressed and interested in his position or take of those matters listed.

Thus an open letter is an attempt to begin or initiate a mass communiqué with others outside the title of the heading on the letter. This is purely for political reasoning and is a passive attempt to attract the support or ideology of others not intended as the target group but rather a support group. This could of course backfire if the message is received by a opposing group that can use these contents of the letters as ammunition to fire back with a message that contradicts or conflicts with those words written in the open letter. Secondary reason for this attempt to begin a wider stroke of the pen to others is to diffuse thoughts of those ready to initiate harmful action against the man or the matter at hand. Thus this conscious awareness of the opposition’s stand on those issues written are more or less a way to express their credibility is valid and he is doing something about it with those steps outlined in his letter.

The open letter can and often used to criticize others points of view or their actions. This is a another way to avoid a slander or libel position and express those views as being false and untruthful comparing his own data versus those he seems as adversary to his position or management style. This opposition of ideology is intended to implant confusion and deflection to these matters put to ink and causes either a sense of dissatisfaction or a level of apathy creating a barrier or hesitation to participate in the controversy giving the author the psychological “high road” to establishing credibility and truth. Regardless of what is printed, the reader must be led away from other points of view in a sense of controlling the message and elevating the messenger to a more convincing level.

Reading many open letters, it may be pure conjecture that their attempt is to implant humor or some sort of simple attempt to announce a publicly endorsed message. For the most part, it is my understanding that an open letter is a high profile attempt to focus a broader sense of attention to the recipient(s) and asking them to follow the message contained within the letter, prompting these readers to take some kind of action. In many cases, this action would consort to some sort of collusion between the author and the readers stabilizing and solidifying his stand on those matters expressed.

My only recommendation to reading open letters is to consider the source and its credibility and purpose for writing such a message to begin with. At times, open letters are often a result of frustration, anger and disruption to the normal manner business is taken care of and those actions requested by the reader are mere attempts to stop these interruptions of conflicting ideas and conform to the one message written to all concerned.

This letter is posted on the website of the Thunder Rolls - it does not reflect the opinion or position of this group. The link is merely an attempt to access the letter referred to in this blog:

Link to letter -

http://www.thunderrolls.net/Directors_Open_Letter_to_ADC_Staff_2011-05-09.pdf

No comments:

Post a Comment