Recipe For Prison Pruno

What is Pruno? For those of you who don't know (and I hope it is most) it is basically a concoction of smuggled fruit and juice that inmates add yeast and sugar to. Once it starts turning rancid the yeast and sugar produce alcohol. Think "prison Moonshine" only it tastes like rancid sewage. Yum, pour me some!!

So what is the point of this? Well, you know I'm googling "prison" and "pruno" just to see what life is going to be like for Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. Anyway, I come across this poem written by a death row inmate in San Quentin. Now I'm no literary genius but this poem effected me in a way nothing I've ever read has. It is so powerful it just knocked the wind out of me. Read for Yourself.

Recipe For Prison Pruno
Jarvis Masters

Take ten peeled oranges,
Jarvis Masters, it is the judgment and sentence of this court,
one 8 oz. bowl of fruit cocktail,
that the charged information was true,
squeeze the fruit into a small plastic bag,
and the jury having previously, on said date,
and put the juice along with the mash inside,
found that the penalty shall be death,
add 16 oz. of water and seal the bag tightly.
and this Court having, on August 20, 1991,
Place the bag into your sink,
denied your motion for a new trial,
and heat it with hot running water for 15 minutes.
it is the order of this Court that you suffer death,
wrap towels around the bag to keep it warm for fermentation.
said penalty to be inflicted within the walls of San Quentin,
Stash the bag in your cell undisturbed for 48 hours.
at which place you shall be put to death,
When the time has elapsed,in the manner prescribed by law,
add 40 to 60 cubes of white sugar,
the date later to be fixed by the Court in warrant of execution.
six teaspoons of ketchup,
You are remanded to the custody of the warden of San Quentin,
then heat again for 30 minutes,
to be held by him pending final
secure the bag as done before,
determination of your appeal.
then stash the bag undisturbed again for 72 hours.
It is so ordered.
Reheat daily for 15 minutes.
In witness whereof,
After 72 hours,
I have hereon set my hand as Judge of this Superior Court,
with a spoon, skim off the mash,
and I have caused the seal of this Court to be affixed thereto.
pour the remaining portion into two 18 oz. cups.
May God have mercy on your soul.

1992, California State Prison-San Quentin
San Quentin, California

I guess this poem affected me so powerfully because beyond the briliant counterpoint of a mundane recipe interspersed within a legal death sentence, it made me realize how we in America distance ourselves from the fact that every crime has many, many victims. It is a long road and the confluence of many tragic events that creates a death row inmate. Its easy to just say "monster" and lock them away. It is more complicated than that. However, we mostly choose to turn away from the problems that create these "monsters" in the first place. By doing so we have helped create the very criminal society we are so desparately trying to fix (by locking up more and more people). To think otherwise is to take the easy way out and perpetuate an environment that fosters the continuation of this broken, dysfuntional society. It reminds me of the mantra, do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?