Our
condolences go out to Nolan's mother, family and friends, and all
those folks whose hearts may have sunk, as mine did, at the news of
yet another homicide in the state prisons. Please feel free to contact
me if I can be of any support (Peggy Plews / 480-580-6807 or prisonabolitionist@gmail.com).
Everyone else with a loved one still alive in Arizona's state prisons: tell your people they need to stop killing themselves and each other, and have them write to me (PO Box 20494, Phoenix 85036) if they're struggling to make it through their sentence because they think they'll be hit next. I swear I'm doing everything I can to get help in there to them, and to get Chuck Ryan out. If they're ordered to hurt someone else in order to stay alive, tell them to stand down and contact me immediately instead - no more of these senseless deaths, people, please. Even horrible, hardened criminals have turned their lives around and done good for their communities - there's a world of possible miracles that await us, if we can survive long enough to realize them...
If anyone has any information about how this fellow died, I'd appreciate hearing from you, too. We can't count on the Az Department of Corrections to give us the straight scoop. If you knew Nolan at all, and can tell me what kind of guy he was outside of being involved in criminal activity, please let me know.
Everyone else with a loved one still alive in Arizona's state prisons: tell your people they need to stop killing themselves and each other, and have them write to me (PO Box 20494, Phoenix 85036) if they're struggling to make it through their sentence because they think they'll be hit next. I swear I'm doing everything I can to get help in there to them, and to get Chuck Ryan out. If they're ordered to hurt someone else in order to stay alive, tell them to stand down and contact me immediately instead - no more of these senseless deaths, people, please. Even horrible, hardened criminals have turned their lives around and done good for their communities - there's a world of possible miracles that await us, if we can survive long enough to realize them...
If anyone has any information about how this fellow died, I'd appreciate hearing from you, too. We can't count on the Az Department of Corrections to give us the straight scoop. If you knew Nolan at all, and can tell me what kind of guy he was outside of being involved in criminal activity, please let me know.
------------from APW Facebook (Posted March 21, 2012)------------
Leo wrote:
"This
young man was my nephew, my sister's only child. It's impossible to
articulate the devastation the family's been feeling trying to navigate
through this tragic event. It can be challenging to embrace "the
higher view" spiritually while absorbing the "weight" of this
horrendous experience humanistically. He lost his freedom because
because of his choices. We don't know why he lost his life. I've been
struggling through posting anything on FB regarding this, but being a
person who attempts to gravitate toward "the learning" of every
experience, I'm passing it on for others to potentially benefit from. My
feeling is that maybe we all could learn to be more responsible &
accountable in some area of our lives (I know I could) that would
enable us to ascend to greater heights of FREEDOM.... a place where I'm
sure my nephew Nolan Pierce is now.... smiling down on us. We'll be
celebrating his life in Phoenix at the end of the week. May God Bless
Us All...."
---from the AZ Prison Watch blog, left under the Comments section 3/22/12--
Mackenzie wrote:
"my name is mackenzie smith, nolans girlfriend.. there arent words that
can explain this feeling, nolan was amazing, he had the biggest heart
with tons of love to give. nolan always had a smile on his face and no
matter how upset someone was or what a hard time they were going threw,
nolan knew how to turn that attitude right around and make anyone smile,
either from his goofy dancing, his endless jokes, or just seeing the
smile on his face. Nolan did some things in his past yes.. but what
teenager doesnt?! He didnt get the chance at making things right, he got
a 25 yr sentence that resulted in taking his life, The man that did
this should not have been in a cell with nolan let alone anyone..
comsidering he was many charges or assulting the staff in 09'... there
will never be anyting we can do to bring nolan back but we can stop this
from happening to other families. may his memory live forever just as
my love from him will. ill be seeing you in heaven baby.. i love you
with all that i am"
