Help Damon Anderson, a Prisoner Inside SATF-CSP, Corcoran, Purchase a Typewriter
Damon Anderson, a prisoner inside SATF-CSP, Corcoran, and a veteran of jail and prison hunger strikes who has contributed commentary to this newsletter before, is in desperate need of a typewriter. Previously, Damon wrote about being locked up in a cell without it, and he also authored a piece for Waywards highlighting how prison authorities confiscated his primary means for completing college coursework, for filing grievances and for his pro se legal work.
Below you’ll find Damon’s edited appeal for assistance in purchasing a new typewriter. He’s only permitted to buy one from the Walkenhorst’s website, which is the only place sympathetic persons outside prison can purchase him one as well. The company doesn’t sell them for cheap. The Swintec typewriter Damon needs costs $339.90. For a typewriter!
As Damon explains in brief below, you can purchase a typewriter for him by going to walkenhorsts.com, selecting “California” where it asks you to “Choose a State,” entering his CDCR number (BM0221) where it asks for “Inmate ID,” and then clicking the SEARCH button. From there you should see a window with his ID, his name, the name of the facility where’s currently incarcerated, the city where the institution is located, and the state. If you click the SELECT button there, you’ll then be asked to “Choose package type,” and you can select “Special Purchase,” and then click the BEGIN SHOPPING button. You can then search for “typewriter” at the top of the page. If you do that, you should see the Swintec 2410 Clear Typewriter in the search results. You can click that item and then add it to your cart for purchase.
From there you just need to go to your SHOPPING CART so you can proceed to complete the purchase by clicking the SECURE CHECKOUT button and then entering your billing information.
If you would like to help Damon get another typewriter so he can do the coursework he’s assigned and so he can continue to challenge abusive jails and prisons through grievances and lawsuits, but — like Damon, like most persons in prison, and like many on the outside — you cannot afford the full $339.90, you can contribute to the fundraiser Damon started to bolster support for his legal activism on the inside, and funds received from there will go toward a Walkenhorst’s typewriter purchase if Damon doesn’t receive the Swintec as a gift and gesture of solidarity.
If you’re in a position to be able to buy Damon a typewriter without putting a dent in your own bank or credit union account, you’re also welcome to write Damon to let him know about the purchase. You can send him a letter via postal mail at this address: Damon Anderson, #BM0221, SATF-CSP, P.O. Box 5248, Corcoran, CA 93212.
Alternatively, you can contact him on JPay.com. If you set up an account and buy e-stamps, you can select the state of California and input his number (BM0221) to message him. At some point, Damon will no longer be able to send or receive messages on JPay. When that switch occurs, you can add him as a contact and message him on gettingout.com.
I’ll also update this page at the top if/when Damon gets the typewriter he needs.
You can read his edited write-up about why he needs a typewriter below.
One day in April I woke up to two correctional officers telling me to step out of my cell so they could search it. They ripped my cell apart and threw my property all over the place. An officer took the one thing that I use all the time in my fight against the prison. MY TYPEWRITER.
The biggest issue for me soon became being unable to write very much because my hands are messed up and I haven’t had access to a typewriter. It just messes everything up.
This prison is shitty. I just heard from the investigating officer about my grievance pertaining to the COs taking my typewriter and, although I proved that the cop broke policy, I was told, “Oh well. You will have to buy another one.” They are 360 dollars. I don't have that kind of money.
The reason why the typewriter costs so much is because it has to be made in a clear case and made to meet prison security standards.
And we an only buy the SWINTEC TYPEWRITER from WWW.WALKENHORSTS.COM. That company has a monopoly on the thing.
What’s the importance of a typewriter?
Well, in litigation, the court rules require a certain font, and when I'm doing discovery requests it can end up being 30 or more typed pages for each defendant. Can you imagine how many pages that would be if I had to hand write them??? We are talking about 70 to 90 pages at least.
For one defendant I have to write request for production of documents, request for admissions, Interrogatories and written depositions; then I must respond to all the same. That is only the discovery phase. I still have motions to the court and more to do.
Then as for writing 602s (part of the prison grievance system), I am only given a page and a half to explain my problem. The lines are so small that if I was to write eight times out of 10 it would be returned as not legible.
Now my college assignments also require massive amounts of writing, which I really cannot do without a typewriter.
My hand starts cramping after I write a paragraph.
The guards taking my typewriter effectively put a halt to my litigation. I'm lucky that the defendants did not oppose my motion for extension of time.
Again, the only place a typewriter can be purchased for a prisoner in my position is through https://walkenhorsts.com/. If you’d like to help out, you can go that website, enter my info, select the Swintec and send it to me.
Thanks for your consideration and for any assistance you can offer.