In Memory of Susan Denise Atkins-Whitehouse
Messenger
In Susan's works
The Dove's Nest Newsletters A Collection of Christian Newsletters
by Susan Atkins-Whitehouse,
within Susan's 32nd Christian newsletter,
November 1999,
Susan tells us of many changes
being made within the prison within the last month or so.
Susan reminds us she had told us earlier
that the evidence of prayer changing the situations
and circumstances in which they lived
had been made very clear
at the California Institute for Women.
Susan spoke of how many,
both inside and outside the prison,
had been praying for revival to break out there.
And not just for the prisoners,
but for all prison personnel as well.
In Susan's works
The Dove's Nest Newsletters A Collection of Christian Newsletters
by Susan Atkins-Whitehouse,
within Susan's 32nd Christian newsletter,
November 1999,
Susan tells us of many changes
being made within the prison within the last month or so.
Susan reminds us she had told us earlier
that the evidence of prayer changing the situations
and circumstances in which they lived
had been made very clear
at the California Institute for Women.
Susan spoke of how many,
both inside and outside the prison,
had been praying for revival to break out there.
And not just for the prisoners,
but for all prison personnel as well.
Susan told us of how the Office of Internal Affairs
within the California Department of Corrections
investigates the activities of prison personnel,
and removes from their positions those they find to be lawbreakers.
At the same time,
the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation
was focusing on violations of their policies as they relate to the inmates.
Susan tells us that the biggest change going on at the moment
was bringing the prison population into compliance
with 'property procedures'.
Susan says the Departmental Operational manual
specifies what an inmate is allowed to have
in their possession while incarcerated;
it amounts to six cubic feet of property.
Susan explains that each prison within the system
is then permitted to specify what
that personal property is to consist of.
Susan says this is called a 'property matrix',
and that for many years the women
at CIW had not been required
to comply with this CDC regulation;
now they had to.
(All quotes that follow are from
The Dove's Nest Newsletters A Collection of Christian Newsletters
by Susan Atkins-Whitehouse.
In some instances,
the breaks in paragraphs are our breaks for ease of reading)
within the California Department of Corrections
investigates the activities of prison personnel,
and removes from their positions those they find to be lawbreakers.
At the same time,
the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation
was focusing on violations of their policies as they relate to the inmates.
Susan tells us that the biggest change going on at the moment
was bringing the prison population into compliance
with 'property procedures'.
Susan says the Departmental Operational manual
specifies what an inmate is allowed to have
in their possession while incarcerated;
it amounts to six cubic feet of property.
Susan explains that each prison within the system
is then permitted to specify what
that personal property is to consist of.
Susan says this is called a 'property matrix',
and that for many years the women
at CIW had not been required
to comply with this CDC regulation;
now they had to.
(All quotes that follow are from
The Dove's Nest Newsletters A Collection of Christian Newsletters
by Susan Atkins-Whitehouse.
In some instances,
the breaks in paragraphs are our breaks for ease of reading)
"...When the prison was built back in 1953,
it was built with rehabilitation of prisoners in mind.
As the political climate changes,
the direction and the intent of the CDC also changes.
For nearly 35 years since the prison was built,
female prisoners were encouraged to
maintain their femininity, learn a vocation, get an education,
and return to society with some esteem and marketable job skills.
In the late 1970's and up to the present time,
the Department of Corrections in conjunction with current
political trends has been moving far away from rehabilitation
to a purely punitive method of incarceration of all felons.
As we move into this new millennium,
as never before the CDC is geared toward
punishment with no thought toward rehabilitation.
I'm so grateful to God that
even with all of these changes at this prison,
I'm able to Praise the Lord in the midst of it..."
"...The 'property matrix' limits the number of pictures we can have.
Presents their families [the prisoners' families] have sent them
through the years, nick nacks (not allowed anymore),
and the little things that can mean so much to someone
cut off from their family, they all have to go.
I have to send home my Engagement ring from my Wedding set.
We are now only allowed a plain wedding band..."
"...The Word of God contains encouragement
for absolutely every situation in human affairs..."
it was built with rehabilitation of prisoners in mind.
As the political climate changes,
the direction and the intent of the CDC also changes.
For nearly 35 years since the prison was built,
female prisoners were encouraged to
maintain their femininity, learn a vocation, get an education,
and return to society with some esteem and marketable job skills.
In the late 1970's and up to the present time,
the Department of Corrections in conjunction with current
political trends has been moving far away from rehabilitation
to a purely punitive method of incarceration of all felons.
As we move into this new millennium,
as never before the CDC is geared toward
punishment with no thought toward rehabilitation.
I'm so grateful to God that
even with all of these changes at this prison,
I'm able to Praise the Lord in the midst of it..."
"...The 'property matrix' limits the number of pictures we can have.
Presents their families [the prisoners' families] have sent them
through the years, nick nacks (not allowed anymore),
and the little things that can mean so much to someone
cut off from their family, they all have to go.
I have to send home my Engagement ring from my Wedding set.
We are now only allowed a plain wedding band..."
"...The Word of God contains encouragement
for absolutely every situation in human affairs..."
Now the inmates had to decide,
with the 'guidance' of officials,
what stays,
and what goes.
Susan tells us how scripture helped her
to maintain her strength during this trying time for her.
Susan's strength inspires us -
Susan's strength propels us -
We are with Susan...
"...Has this been an easy process? Absolutely not.
Because I'm only allowed now to have two appliances,
I've had to choose between four that have been a comfort
and a blessing to me.
I am saying goodbye to a
wonderful gift from my husband,
a clock radio that plays CDs,
and the very typewriter I'm writing this letter on.
I decided it is more important
for me to keep my fan,
as the temperatures here can reach
over 110° in the summer,
and I'm keeping my little TV.
It is my window to the outside world..."
Later, in the last paragraph, Susan says,
"I will continue to write my monthly letters.
As long as I can use a pen and paper,
I will continue to bring you encouragement, strength,
and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ..."
Susan will continue -
Susan completed and signed off on her letter.
with the 'guidance' of officials,
what stays,
and what goes.
Susan tells us how scripture helped her
to maintain her strength during this trying time for her.
Susan's strength inspires us -
Susan's strength propels us -
We are with Susan...
"...Has this been an easy process? Absolutely not.
Because I'm only allowed now to have two appliances,
I've had to choose between four that have been a comfort
and a blessing to me.
I am saying goodbye to a
wonderful gift from my husband,
a clock radio that plays CDs,
and the very typewriter I'm writing this letter on.
I decided it is more important
for me to keep my fan,
as the temperatures here can reach
over 110° in the summer,
and I'm keeping my little TV.
It is my window to the outside world..."
Later, in the last paragraph, Susan says,
"I will continue to write my monthly letters.
As long as I can use a pen and paper,
I will continue to bring you encouragement, strength,
and hope in the Lord Jesus Christ..."
Susan will continue -
Susan completed and signed off on her letter.
Susan's next letter, her 33rd,
is dated December 1999.
Susan tells us,
"...As I shared with you last month,
I've learned how to be abased and how to abound.
No matter what is going on around me,
particularly in the environment of prison with its shifting
and ever-changing rules and regulations,
I'm coming to understand more and more exactly how
precious the gift of eternal life really is..."
Susan shares more with us...
"...Perhaps it is because I've recently suffered and endured
the loss of many little precious items of personal property.
God has used this temporal loss of things to show me even
more clearly what is really precious in His sight.
I was experiencing a very strange sensation after I packed up
and mailed out my possessions so I would be in compliance
with new prison rules.
I could only describe the sensation
as a hollow feeling
in the depths of my being.
I admit, I had become attached
to many of those items.
Having to let them go
left me with an empty place inside"
Yet with this event,
Susan inspires us still...
"When I recognized that feeling,
I asked the Lord to fill it with more of Himself.
It was shortly after I prayed that
and began to seek the Lord for comfort and wholeness
in the midst of the transition from comfort and prosperity
(as much as one could have in prison)
to a position of colorless minimal ownership of life's necessities,
these verses of scripture came to my heart..."
is dated December 1999.
Susan tells us,
"...As I shared with you last month,
I've learned how to be abased and how to abound.
No matter what is going on around me,
particularly in the environment of prison with its shifting
and ever-changing rules and regulations,
I'm coming to understand more and more exactly how
precious the gift of eternal life really is..."
Susan shares more with us...
"...Perhaps it is because I've recently suffered and endured
the loss of many little precious items of personal property.
God has used this temporal loss of things to show me even
more clearly what is really precious in His sight.
I was experiencing a very strange sensation after I packed up
and mailed out my possessions so I would be in compliance
with new prison rules.
I could only describe the sensation
as a hollow feeling
in the depths of my being.
I admit, I had become attached
to many of those items.
Having to let them go
left me with an empty place inside"
Yet with this event,
Susan inspires us still...
"When I recognized that feeling,
I asked the Lord to fill it with more of Himself.
It was shortly after I prayed that
and began to seek the Lord for comfort and wholeness
in the midst of the transition from comfort and prosperity
(as much as one could have in prison)
to a position of colorless minimal ownership of life's necessities,
these verses of scripture came to my heart..."
"...How many times have I said,
'Life is more than the accumulation of things,
of the obtaining of desires of my heart,
life is truly knowing Jesus,
allowing him to abide in my heart,
and walking with him every day'
Well, when all is well externally, those can be easy words to say.
They are no less true because they are easily spoken,
but when hardship comes, when persecution or suffering
occurs through no fault of your own, those words and the truth
contained in them drop deeper into one's soul and spirit"
The new year,
and the 21st century,
brought good news to Susan!
Susan shares her good news with us
in her 34th Christian newsletter,
January, 2000.
This letter began Chapter 5 of Susan's book.
It also began the 'Fifth Year' of Susan's Christian newsletters;
'Life is more than the accumulation of things,
of the obtaining of desires of my heart,
life is truly knowing Jesus,
allowing him to abide in my heart,
and walking with him every day'
Well, when all is well externally, those can be easy words to say.
They are no less true because they are easily spoken,
but when hardship comes, when persecution or suffering
occurs through no fault of your own, those words and the truth
contained in them drop deeper into one's soul and spirit"
The new year,
and the 21st century,
brought good news to Susan!
Susan shares her good news with us
in her 34th Christian newsletter,
January, 2000.
This letter began Chapter 5 of Susan's book.
It also began the 'Fifth Year' of Susan's Christian newsletters;
"...I want to share with you that since my last letter,
in December, the prison officials here have put a moratorium
on the implementation of their proposed 'Inmate Property Plan.'
That simply means the Administration here at this prison
and the Director of Corrections was inundated with opposition
to their Property Plan by family members of the prisoners
at this prison. There was also pressure by some of the
California legislators..."
Susan goes on to say...
"...So, until further notice, nothing more is being done
to take away our personal property.
I had all of my property boxed up and was going to mail it out
of the Institution on the Monday before the deadline.
I sensed in my heart to wait just one more day,
so I followed the wisdom from above.
That evening the Warden sent out notices to the
prison population about the moratorium.
Thank You, Jesus!
I still have my typewriter,
which for me was what would have been the greatest loss.
I may still have to relinquish it,
but until then,
I'm a very grateful child of God,
and so I shall continue to be,
no matter what men may do to me.
Glory to God"
in December, the prison officials here have put a moratorium
on the implementation of their proposed 'Inmate Property Plan.'
That simply means the Administration here at this prison
and the Director of Corrections was inundated with opposition
to their Property Plan by family members of the prisoners
at this prison. There was also pressure by some of the
California legislators..."
Susan goes on to say...
"...So, until further notice, nothing more is being done
to take away our personal property.
I had all of my property boxed up and was going to mail it out
of the Institution on the Monday before the deadline.
I sensed in my heart to wait just one more day,
so I followed the wisdom from above.
That evening the Warden sent out notices to the
prison population about the moratorium.
Thank You, Jesus!
I still have my typewriter,
which for me was what would have been the greatest loss.
I may still have to relinquish it,
but until then,
I'm a very grateful child of God,
and so I shall continue to be,
no matter what men may do to me.
Glory to God"
Susan was an author.
For some authors, a typewriter is a tool of the trade.
Susan had chosen to give up her typewriter,
and she explained why.
Anyone would know how important Susan's
typewriter is to her,
and to us.
Losing her typewriter would have been a tremendous deprivation,
but Susan would have persevered.
We know that of Susan.
Susan was forced into a position
where she had to choose one treasured possession over another.
We understand why Susan chose to keep what she did.
We want Susan to take care of herself,
and be as comfortable as possible.
Having a little fan to swirl a hot breeze in the
California summer heat is not asking a lot.
A fan just swirls a hot breeze around,
but a hot breeze is better than none at all.
For some authors, a typewriter is a tool of the trade.
Susan had chosen to give up her typewriter,
and she explained why.
Anyone would know how important Susan's
typewriter is to her,
and to us.
Losing her typewriter would have been a tremendous deprivation,
but Susan would have persevered.
We know that of Susan.
Susan was forced into a position
where she had to choose one treasured possession over another.
We understand why Susan chose to keep what she did.
We want Susan to take care of herself,
and be as comfortable as possible.
Having a little fan to swirl a hot breeze in the
California summer heat is not asking a lot.
A fan just swirls a hot breeze around,
but a hot breeze is better than none at all.
Susan didn't lose her typewriter after all,
and we are grateful for that,
but she almost did,
and Susan thought that she had.
Do you think that would have stopped Susan from
getting her message to us?
It would not have.
Susan said she still had pen and paper.
If Susan had to give that up as well,
do you think that would have stopped Susan from
getting her message to us?
It would not have.
If all means of written communication
were taken from her,
Susan would have found a way -
Susan will continue,
Susan is a messenger...
home
and we are grateful for that,
but she almost did,
and Susan thought that she had.
Do you think that would have stopped Susan from
getting her message to us?
It would not have.
Susan said she still had pen and paper.
If Susan had to give that up as well,
do you think that would have stopped Susan from
getting her message to us?
It would not have.
If all means of written communication
were taken from her,
Susan would have found a way -
Susan will continue,
Susan is a messenger...
home
