A big part of Tommy Silverstein's life has been art. Slowly through the years he earned himself privileges included having the art supplies he needed. Upon his transfer to Florence, All privileges have been taken away and he has no art supplies. Here are some of his past works.
Update January 2015: Since FFUP posted this Tom and I found sharing our art a real form of love , creativity and therapy. He never has started painting again but past to me the techniques he uses. And his medium is mostly pencil and chalk. BUT NOW the B.O.P. has taken away the privilege of him sharing his art with me or anyone. Now they say after 5 years of allowing it, that he can not send art to someone not on his visiting list.
Now in order to be on his visitors list you have to have known him before incarceration.
The new warden (his name escapes me atm) may make an exception for me.We hope and pray.
after reading this, you would like to help him join the general prison population, contact Tommy directly or write or email FFUP. Addresses below. If you do decide to write Tommy, feel free to use our PO Box for your address. Just be sure you give us your real address so we can forward his letters to you. Also, we are always available to answer questions or provide support as needed.
Tommy Silverstein 2-13-030-L;14634-116 USP Max; Box 8500; Florence, CO 81226
FFUP(Forum for Understanding Prisons); PO Box 285; Blue River, Wi 53518 pgswan3@aol.com
more art
Update January 2015: Since FFUP posted this Tom and I found sharing our art a real form of love , creativity and therapy. He never has started painting again but past to me the techniques he uses. And his medium is mostly pencil and chalk. BUT NOW the B.O.P. has taken away the privilege of him sharing his art with me or anyone. Now they say after 5 years of allowing it, that he can not send art to someone not on his visiting list.
Now in order to be on his visitors list you have to have known him before incarceration.
The new warden (his name escapes me atm) may make an exception for me.We hope and pray.
after reading this, you would like to help him join the general prison population, contact Tommy directly or write or email FFUP. Addresses below. If you do decide to write Tommy, feel free to use our PO Box for your address. Just be sure you give us your real address so we can forward his letters to you. Also, we are always available to answer questions or provide support as needed.
Tommy Silverstein 2-13-030-L;14634-116 USP Max; Box 8500; Florence, CO 81226
FFUP(Forum for Understanding Prisons); PO Box 285; Blue River, Wi 53518 pgswan3@aol.com
more art
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| panda art link |
18 comments:
It is heard to believe that we are living in the 21st century, at a time where mankind is considered to be advanced, compassionate, thoughtful and kind.
Instead the actual truth, at heart, many of us are savages in disguise. When a prison warden has total power over a prisoners life, he should have the wisdon and intelligence to not use that power to continuously punish, hurt and virtually destroy the mind of a fellow human being.
I am not advocating blindness to crime, nor do I think that criminals should not be punished. To the contrary, puishment should be just. Isolation for 23 years, with 23 hours a day kept in a cage would even drive a wild animal to insanity. Humans need to communicate with others, to share ideas, to partake in acts of kindness. Without that connection, no man or society can progress.
As a culture, we are judged by our actions. Germans said that never new what the concentration camp killers were doing. We have been told what is happening to this man, we now know therefore we cannot ignore nor keep silent.
If Tommy was barbaric, does that justify our being even more barbaric.
Put this man in the General Prison population. He will still die in prison, but he is not an animal. What has happened to our concept of civilization, compassion, and cultural advancement.
I have to agree with bbasil. While I agree for this man to be punished for doing an atrocious crime of taking the life of a human being. what is being done to this man is also atrocious. Justice has been serve by this man spending his life in prison, why torture him by not allowing him getting out of a cell like that for such a long time. Death is better than the punishment he is receiving. 23 year in isolation is inexplicable, because of an aparent vendetta. While I condenmed the action this inmate took against another human being, I also condenmed what is being done to this human being. You do not threat a dog this way, why threat a human being like this and be able to go to sleep at night. give him a chance, at least for a few hours at first.
I have to agree with bbasil. While I agree for this man to be punished for doing an atrocious crime of taking the life of a human being. what is being done to this man is also atrocious. Justice has been serve by this man spending his life in prison, why torture him by not allowing him getting out of a cell like that for such a long time. Death is better than the punishment he is receiving. 23 year in isolation is inexplicable, because of an aparent vendetta. While I condenmed the action this inmate took against another human being, I also condenmed what is being done to this human being. You do not threat a dog this way, why threat a human being like this and be able to go to sleep at night. give him a chance, at least for a few hours at first.
My entire life I have believed that if you choose to commit a haneous crime; ie: murder, rape, child molestation, etc. etc. that you give up or forfeight your basic human rights. However, I also believe that God doesn't even presume to judge us before we are dead, so who are we that we have this "right to judge" and put ourselves above the almighty? I agree with the other posters that he did commit a crime and deserves punishment, however we are not savages and should show compassion in the face of barbaric violence. I do believe that what this man is being put through is worse than death. Is there a "just" punishment for murder? Is it death? Is that all we can see as just? An eye-for-an-eye?
I have taken an interest in the case of Tommy Silverstein after seeing a programme about him in the UK in approximately 1997. Every so often I look on the internet to see whether there has been any progress. I cannot believe that he is still being held in solitary confinement after all these years - and instead of being able to work towards sanctions he has been moved to even more inhumane conditions. For the Governor To be so petty as to take his art equipment away from him beggars belief. I am sure that if there is a 'day of justice' it wont only be Tommy who has to face his demons but many who have kept him caged like an animal. Thank goodness our justice system is more about rehabilitation than punishment in the UK. God pity America! I fully pledge my support for him to be moved from solitary confinement. He will go down in history as even Nelson Mandella was able to talk to fellow prisoners!
Dostoyevsky said "You can judge a society by the way it treats its prisoners." Why is Tommy Silverstein still in total isolation after 30 years, when thousands of murderous Nazis who slaughted women, children and men were allowed to go back to their "normal" lives" after WW2?? (By the American government)
Dostoyevsky said " You can measure the worth of a society by the way it treats its prisoners." Why is Tommy Silverstein still caged like an animal after 30 years while thousands of Nazis, who slaughted women, babies, children and men were allowed to go back to their "normal lives" after WW2 by the American government?
Dostoyevsky said "A society can be judged whether it is good or evil by the way it treats its prisoners. Tommy Silverstein has been caged like an animal. Thirty years in isolation is an abomination
Dear Tommy, I got so shocked by your story, and I really hope you see this comment even though I'm not quite sure you will. Somebody once said you are only given as much as you can take and you are given this because you are strong and you won't break but become stronger and better when this whole thing is over. I don't know your whole story but from those pieces I've read I assume you always were a fighter with great amount of pain and resentment to fuel you, and you are where you are now because you refused to break and bow (I might be idealizing this whole thing but, well...)
Now, I am not trying to tell you to cheer up because the situation you are in means that you are special but what happened, happened and that is how your life turned and you have to deal with it now. And whether you understand this or not you have done a great job so far: it looks like you have changed a lot, became really a much better wiser person than you were and it seems to me that you have great potential to do much more good for the World then you have done bad in the past if only you are given an opportunity:)
Also I think that BOP refuses to ease your conditions even a slightest bit because their real goal is to crush you. I always believed that everything that happens to us happens for a reason and if the prison officials are so cruel to you that means you made them really mad. I think they let you out once they see that your soul is dead and they won. I bet it really pisses them off that not only you’re not breaking under their pressure/ torture but becoming better (doing yoga, painting etc.) and that is why they are pushing harder. It’s terrible, but, hey now it looks like you are stronger than them: 20+ years have passed and you are not broken:) I know it’s hard and I know I am not able to understand the whole depth of your suffering but I ask you not to give up. Please don’t break and don’t let your heart to drawn in pain and resentment. I don’t know what you have (really) done in the past, but after all you’ve been through you deserve to be happy, and I ask you to keep fighting for your happiness.
It probably sounds unrealistic for you now but surviving solitary no-human-contact confinement for 23 years and keeping hope is unrealistic and yet you have done it. You don’t look broken on the pictures ;) however it ends please don’t loose yourself, hang in just a little longer. And don’t apologize for all you have done these are just words, redeem yourself in actions. I wish you all the best and I know that power of the will can do miracles. Godess Bless You
Dear Tommy, I got so shocked by your story, and I really hope you see this comment even though I'm not quite sure you will. Somebody once said you are only given as much as you can take and you are given this because you are strong and you won't break but become stronger and better when this whole thing is over. I don't know your whole story but from those pieces I've read I assume you always were a fighter with great amount of pain and resentment to fuel you, and you are where you are now because you refused to break and bow (I might be idealizing this whole thing but, well...)
Now, I am not trying to tell you to cheer up because the situation you are in means that you are special but what happened, happened and that is how your life turned and you have to deal with it now. And whether you understand this or not you have done a great job so far: it looks like you have changed a lot, became really a much better wiser person than you were and it seems to me that you have great potential to do much more good for the World then you have done bad in the past if only you are given an opportunity:)
Also I think that BOP refuses to ease your conditions even a slightest bit because their real goal is to crush you. I always believed that everything that happens to us happens for a reason and if the prison officials are so cruel to you that means you made them really mad. I think they let you out once they see that your soul is dead and they won. I bet it really pisses them off that not only you’re not breaking under their pressure/ torture but becoming better (doing yoga, painting etc.) and that is why they are pushing harder. It’s terrible, but, hey now it looks like you are stronger than them: 20+ years have passed and you are not broken:) I know it’s hard and I know I am not able to understand the whole depth of your suffering but I ask you not to give up. Please don’t break and don’t let your heart to drawn in pain and resentment. I don’t know what you have (really) done in the past, but after all you’ve been through you deserve to be happy, and I ask you to keep fighting for your happiness.
It probably sounds unrealistic for you now but surviving solitary no-human-contact confinement for 23 years and keeping hope is unrealistic and yet you have done it. You don’t look broken on the pictures ;) however it ends please don’t loose yourself, hang in just a little longer. And don’t apologize for all you have done these are just words, redeem yourself in actions. I wish you all the best and I know that power of the will can do miracles. Godess Bless You
Dina it is now 30 years of isolation I will copy this and make sure he gets it
Namaste
Wow...
How is this even possible??
Can you imagine if this man wasnt white. The amount of publicity it would get.
He's literally treated worse than an animal.
Hang in there Tommy you have been through many years in confinement it's hard to fathom.Brother I know how isolation can alter one's mental health but looks like you have upheld for now 31 years now.I agree enough is enough.and the ADX in Florence Colorado is were they claim the"Worst of the Worst" are housed.I believe you should of been out of the Hole years ago.
BOP is like all Prison System's prisoners do not have rights.
Your story I have been knowing for sometime know.
I myself was freed 4 years ago in 2011.After doing 10 years in 6 NEvada Prisons brother so I most definitely can relate to your circumstances and in California I did another 10 years from 1985 to 1995 and was paroled from the Adjustment Center from having a indeterminate Security Housing Units Program for being accused of an attempted Murder they say I stabbed one of my homeboys 7 times.I never endured as much as you have brother but I understand isolation.I also appeal my SHU program in San Quentin and they told me to debrief. I told they how I don't know anything to tell you.So still to this day 20 years later I still have a indeterminate Security Housing Units Program if I was to ever return I would be placed in Administration Segregation as soon as I arrived.I never look back just forward.I was saved by grace when I was 8 years old.He never left me nor forsaked me.I turned my life around in 2011 and now help mentor troubled Youth in Sacramento, California.I support your efforts to get released from confinement 100% I wrote a book last year and got it published.I first entered California State Prisons 30 years ago in 1985.By the grace of God I'm in the free world today.Your story is very interesting from what you have endured.I pray and hope they will release you from confinement after all these years brother.What they don't understand it is survival in prison.we stay in that mode to protect our being.You have been through 40 years incarcerated and over 31 years in segregation. Wow that is the longest time anyone has been confined for 23 hours a day over 10,000 days.I truly applaud your Strenghth.I see you keep your mind busy and if anybody knows you do .It's phsycology 101 to keep the mind occupied so you don't go insane.I was diagnosed with PTSD after my release and now due to my condition I'm disabled..My mental health is not the same.I continue to strive and reach out to the Youth in Gangs out here in Sacramento, California "Street Gangs" to give back.I got into street gangs at a early age of 12 in the East bay area of Northern California. So Im familiar also with there mind set.Well hopefully you will recieve this post.I pray daily for ypur release and your hands my brother stay strong.Your friend till the end Richard Bumper Hartley Jr.
@Shawna and Rick. I appreciate the comments and Tom appreciates them sincerely
Tommy,i love your art work.You are truly a talented man.I absolutely adore the one of the kittens in a basket and the panda bear.Beautiful!!!
Tommy,i love your art work.You are truly a talented artist.I love them all and especially the one of the kittens in a basket and the panda bear.Beautiful.
@Maria, Now that T has past and I am slowly coming to terms with it, I will be selling some of his art feel free to inquire, God I miss him. "kittens" is in someone else's collection
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