I've worked with adult and juvenile incarcerated folks. Almost to a person, they all say: when I get out, I'm gonna do such-and-so about conditions in here.
They get out. They go on their merry way.
Dwight didn't
In 1977, he was in The Hole (solitary) in the Main Facility at the NM State Prison just south of Santa Fe. He somehow obtained paper and a writing implement. (Foks in The Hole have nothing, no books, no TV/radio, no computer, often no clothes, rarely a blanket and then probably only in the dead of winter. No one talks to you. You talk to no one. Complete total separation from the world in small small room often with no plumbing, just a bucket for body waste.)
And Dwight, self-educated, prison-schooled, wrote the appeal to the Federal District Court that would result in the Duran Consent Decree under which the Court took control of NM's prisons. A Master was appointed who *guaranteed* that the State adopted, followed and continued the guidelines of the Decree. It was settled several years ago since supposedly the state had made all the required changes. Not so. But now each complaint must be handled on its own merits.
The appeal was smuggled out. Dwight *never* said who supplied him with paper and writing implement nor who smuggled the appeal out.
Very shortly after his release, the 1980 Prison Riot exploded. It has the dubious distinction of being the *worst* prison riot in U.S. history. When prison riots are discussed, the riot at Attica is always given precedence and place as The Worst. The one here made Attica look like a cake walk. Serious.
The prison paralegals at the firm repeatedly offered to let me watch the raw video of the re-take of the prison. No. No. No. Not me. Not now. Not ever. After hearing first-hand reports from ex-inmates and State Police and affiliated law enforcement folks, I can't even bring myself to read "The Devil's Workshop", the definitive book on the riot.
One small factoid to demonstrate what I'm talking about: there are still body parts missing bodies and identification. Or: a combat photographer friend of a close friend of mine who had done much work in Vietnam was with the first group of police to re-enter the prison. He said it was worse than *anything* he had ever seen in 'Nam.
Main has now been closed, except for Hollywood film work. The latest Cool Hand Luke (the one *without* Paul Newman, LOL!) was filmed there.
One day, I was in the office early, Dwight was there late for a meeting; and he was alone in the conference room -- this was important to me, I wanted to say what I said without embarrassing him in front of others. Dwight was oddly shy. I shook his hand and told him how honored I was to know him and how much I admired what he had done. (Told him I had worked in juvie and adult prisons - just so he'd know I knew what I was talking about.)
He was all embarrassed but pleased.
Yesterday, when I read of his death, I was saddened that such a warrior no longer rides among us. But a small part of me was pleased that I had been able to honor him *before* he died.
Here's the Las Cruces paper article. The three major state dailies all took their story direct from the AP wire. That annoys me. Dwight deserves better coverage. But then he never was popular with the PTB.
Prison lawsuit plaintiff Dwight Duran dies at 68
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 11/13/2008 08:25:06 AM MST
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Dwight Duran, a former inmate whose landmark lawsuit on New Mexico prison conditions in 1977 led to sweeping reforms in the state's corrections system, has died. He was 68.
Duran died Tuesday. Friends said his health had been failing for some time.
Duran was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that challenged living conditions at the Penitentiary of New Mexico's Main Unit.
The lawsuit led to the Duran consent decree, a list of requirements that governed living conditions for prisoners in New Mexico from shortly after the deadly riots of 1980 until a judge lifted most of the conditions in 1998.
Duran spent much of his early life in prison, starting when he was 16. Before his death, he told the Albuquerque Journal he served a total of about 16 1/2 years for charges including robbery, larceny and forgery.
When he filed the lawsuit in 1977, he was serving a four-year sentence for forging a $35 check. He was released from prison 12 days before the bloody riots that broke out in February 1980.
After that, Duran returned to prison only as an advocate. With a self-taught knowledge of the law, he spent the rest of his life advocating for improved prison conditions, both in New Mexico and nationally.
"Many prisoners who experience unfairness while they're incarcerated vow to fight for improvement of the system when they're released. Dwight actually did," said attorney Ray Twohig, who represented Duran in the original case.
