Death Letters

In 1990, Charles Dean Hood was convicted of murder and sentenced to die. Twelve years later he began writing to senior editor Michael Hall. Here, in three of his letters, he describes in extraordinary detail his two decades spent awaiting execution and reveals what it’s like to be taken to Huntsville for the lethal injection only to receive a stay at the last possible minute—not once, but twice.

September 2008

(Page 3 of 6)

It was loud in the section because the sound echoes. Concrete & Iron mix! I heard someone yell out, “TV change,” expressing that at Ellis, you would yell out “TV change” for the officers to change the TVs on the row. Well, there is no TVs over here at the new death row. Someone was just trying to get a laugh, and it was funny, yet it made you face reality. No TVs!

We were all isolated now. No more walking down to the commissary, no more playing sports together, no more church services.24 Chow came to you by a tray courier, and the first thing you clearly noticed about it was the food was cold. And the state food really doesn’t taste good warm or hot, but cold you don’t want to even eat it.

It’s like night & day, when you look at both units. Everything was good over at Ellis Unit, except the heat. Yet many of us always have said over the years, I’d rather have the hot summers over at Ellis Unit than this unit any day. The main difference is the freedom, for sure. I’ll elaborate. At the Ellis Unit, you were able to be outside your cell from 6 am till 9 pm and till 10:30 pm in the dayroom. Here you’re locked down 22 hours each day. You are allowed on your scheduled days to go to the dayroom or outside rec yard. That’s 5 days a week. Dayroom consists of a table, pull up bar, toilet & sink, and mat to exercise on. That’s it! Outside rec yard consists of a basketball goal, pull up bar, sink & urinal. Picture a small cage with glass on one side surrounded by two walls and then bars. All it is missing is a rope with a tire hanging from the ceiling. It would look just like a cage at the zoo for gorillas. If a dog was locked in it, a thousand people would be protesting out front of the unit yelling cruel & unusual punishment.

No more moving around by ourselves. You only move now being escorted. You are cuffed no matter where you are going. The only human contact you have over here is if a TDCJ guard touches your hands as they cuff.

I would love to attend church service again. I attended both over at Ellis Unit, Protestant & Catholic. Why, you may say. You can’t get enough of ‘GOD.’ Yes there is a slight difference, but both believe in ‘GOD’ and the son ‘Christ Jesus.’ Here at Polunsky, you have neither. No church service, no fellowship, unless you are extremely lucky to have a neighbor who is a fellow believer. Once every two weeks Mr. Ray Harrison does come around to give you two communion cups to last you two weeks and sometimes voluntary chaplains come by. What’s it like not attending church service? A big horrible feeling. You need the church services in a terrible place like this.

The food is nasty! You are fed greasy food every day. Always some type of greasy macaroni with some type of processed meat. Always beans on the tray. And you are supposed to get dessert every other day. Not true! At Ellis you got it every lunch. It’s like night and day when it comes to the food you get at both units. Just look at the pancakes. Ellis pancakes looked & tasted like you ate at “The Waffle House.” Polunsky Unit look like they wiped the floor with them.

Work program was suspended because of the escape. What I don’t understand is the TDCJ officials suspended it to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. That was in 1999. How come there hasn’t been a new program started back up? After 8 + years what is going on? Not a damn thing. They refused to fix it. They don’t want us moving around by ourselves. We are in cells that a man is only supposed to be in for 6 months, an inmate who received disciplinary action. But we’ve been in these cells for over 8 years now. The work program was important. It meant Freedom, more movement, less anxiety, stress on your case, life, etc. Work is important regardless what type it is.

I’ve noticed the guards “Gassing” the inmates.25 A lot of times, if you don’t come out of your cell they gas you. Men being Gassed! I can only remember two times in all the years at Ellis that this ever happened. Men are tired of being treated like scum here, so they do things to get into trouble. Some guys do it because it’s a game to them. Have I ever been gassed? NO! I don’t get into trouble. I know how to do what is right and mind my own business.

Its getting worse and worse to cope with things. We are fed nasty ass Johnny bags, consisting of wet pancakes and peanut butter. Only shower every other day. They come in and shake your house down daily to mess with you. Everyone gets stressed out. It gets louder in here, just totally chaos. Men are even killing themselves. One guy took his life at Ellis in the years I was there. But here at Polunsky I believe there has been 10 or more who have committed suicide since coming over here.26 Why? Being in this solitary confinement, not being able to handle this way of life, etc. They lose their minds. I hear a lot of guys say, I don’t want to live life this way. You have nothing basically. Suicide is a way to escape.

My friend Chucky cut his wrist a few years ago and now is on some type of depression drugs. A lot of Men ARE! I remember him telling me, “Hood, every crack in the wall and spot, I’ve given a woman’s name to.” I thought to myself, dude, you are losing it for real. This is the same guy who played sports, made jewelry boxes and clocks that looked bad ass.

Here is my daily Routine: I get up, say my prayers, read the bible and try to spend time with ‘GOD.’ I fix a cup of coffee and usually start a letter or two. Also depends on when it is time for me to go to either dayroom/rec yard. I work out one body part twice a week. I do pushups, pullups, curls, squats, etc: It is extremely important to stay healthy. Stress can really eat at you and cause health problems. You keep your house clean, because it’s the rules to keep a clean house (cell).

It’s loud, so you sleep when you can. You got guys talking, and other guys are talking louder to be overheard. At night also some crap goes on. There isn’t any respect. You can ask people to keep it down, but you get either ignored or disrespected by someone cussing you out. You better buy some ear plugs. You got also psychiatric patients back here, guys who have lost it. Well, they are always yelling, beating on the doors, tables, etc. Then you have those who play that damn chess day and night. They number their board with numbers and letters so each person has the right sequence, and each person makes a move. You just get sick and tired of hearing “pawn to echo 4,” etc.

If you are lucky your family or friends send you a little commissary money. You are allowed to spend $75.00 every two weeks. You can buy a radio, typewriter, fan, hot pot, headset, watch. Also hygienes, cause they do not offer you deodorant, shampoo, shower shoes, mouth wash, lotions. Also food, because the food is so bad. You definitely want to buy a case of ramen soups for $6.00, cause you can survive on them babies. A lot of men buy them. I also buy tuna, jalapeno peppers, cookies and vitamins. A lot of guys fix Prison Tacos, mixing different types of food together to place on flour tortillas. You take a pouch of chili, beef pot roast, or beef tips, throw in some chips, ramen soup, peppers and cheese, and you have something really darn good. Beats the tray every day. You place everything in a bag, yell at the guy you offered on eating with that night or day, and he shoots his fishing line down to you.27 You fish the end in, place the bag on his line, he pulls it back to his cell. We have a little open space at the bottom of the door, big enough to pull some food in, or newspaper. You even got Tuna tacos: Tuna, ramen soup, salad dressing, peppers, pickles, cheese, and chips. There is some really good cooks back here.

I have an execution date now.28 And I set in what is called a Death Watch Cell. Am on video camera 24/7. If I take a pee (urinate) or defecate, a woman can see you do it.

Being on death watch sucks. You’re already at your wits end, stressed out, and you got to cope with so much yet remain positive and don’t sweat the small shit.

This is my fourth execution date, last one in 2005, June 30. I received a stay June 28 that Monday evening and heard it on KDOL. When you get a date, they play the music you want and family & friends call. I requested the same music I did in 2005.29

What will happen to me? Will the state put to death another man on the 17th? I remain positive that the corruption will come out and I’m given a stay and a new trial to be given a fair chance to put forth evidence.30 Am I scared? I walk by faith. ‘Jesus’ said don’t lose heart. I believe that things will work out.

June 25/08

What I remember of the events that happen this day and night, Mike.
It mentally and physically wore me out.
Look forward to hearing/seeing you when you can.
Thanks for talking to my brother, appreciate that. “God Bless You.”
Respectfully,
Charles!
P.S. Yes! A gut wrenching experience!

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