Comments on: Chat with America's most dangerous prisoner

By: john

john — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:41:13 +0000

so they should let him out of confinement and risk him killing another person? yeah.......

By: Jessica, Waco, Texas

Jessica, Waco, Texas — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:30:39 +0000

I completely agree that solitary confinement without serious and immediate threat of harm is cruel and unusual punishment and thus unconstitutional. On the same token, does this man know what goes on in general population? The infliction of harm by inmates on inmates is also cruel and unusual. The prison system needs intense modification to prevent such turf wars and attacks on human integrity.

By: Roger

Roger — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:05:27 +0000

Carol, I do agree with most of your post, however, u want us to believe that every inmate is a con and out to screw people and none of the inmates are innocent? Look at all o the prisoners that are being freed now to DNA which was not available 20 and 30 years ago. I think your job might be getting to you and u might be a tad biased against all inmates. The system is far from perfect and I am sure some of the inmates u listen on will one day walk free due to being innocent and over zealous prosecutors trying to make a name for themselves and by the way without inmates u would not have that great job am i correct.

By: danielle, nh

danielle, nh — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:00:27 +0000

I understand he killed a prison guard I am not supporting that, My grandfather was a corrections officer for the state of Connecticut for 26 years, and if this had happened to him I don't know what I would do.. but this man has been in solitary confinement for 23 years.. most people who get sent to solitary don't spend a tenth of that time... He killed, he's serving his time... after 23 years I think he has learned his lesson... what if this was you? A terrible decision that took someones life, who are you to say he doesn't feel remorse, that he doesn't think about what he did... I am not standing up for a murderer, yet I am standing up for prisoner rights.

By: toni

toni — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:38:36 +0000

i understand where everyone is coming from, but at this point there is nothing Tommy can do to really change the way yall feel about him. He is not asking for anything, you guys choose to read it, so it is all on you, dont blame Tommy. He was just sharing with people is years on the lockdown.

By: Claytoni

Claytoni — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:32:09 +0000

This guy is just a piece of worthless nothing. The only thing he deserves is exactly what he is getting now. No one has the right to take any life. That poor family of the guard who was murdered in cold blood. I think any prison is right with this decision. If you are willing to kill a guard, then you are very dangerous and a threat to the general population. I think the Warden would be personally liable if he allowed scum like Tommy to be released into the general population and the scum commited another murder. In the old days, they sent murderers of guards right to the chair. That is what Tommy really deserves, the chair, a needle, or a noose. May Satan take him as soon as possible.

By: Michael Stewart

Michael Stewart — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:23:43 +0000

I say his life should be taken, the same way that he took that gaurds life. CNN, please pass that on.

By: steve W

steve W — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:43:58 +0000

the other comments are all spot on. this guy is a ruthless killer. He should have been put to death years ago. He is wasting tax payers money with his very existence.
We are all intrigued to get a glimpse of what prison life is like so I guess that is why most of us visited this site. I do think it serves a purpose- much like many of the true crime shows and prison life shows on the history channel A/E etc...
however publicity does not mean sympathy. Let him rot -Too bad we cant kill him

By: kayla

kayla — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:35:24 +0000

If you wiki this guy, you can see he's actually been convicted of FOUR murders, one of which was overturned. He did confess to killing the guard and another inmate from a rival gang. Let's KEEP him in solitary confinement!

By: JudyL

JudyL — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:44:50 +0000

Shame on you Gabriel Falcon; and shame on the CNN editors! This story could have been told without incl. the e-addresses for the convicted killer.
Your decision to incl. them, shows a lack of objective journalism; and instead shows tabloid-type-thinking.
On your behalf, I apologize to Ted Turner. I doubt this is what he had in mind when he created CNN. What a shame.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:25:46 +0000

This guy serious?

Inhumanity? The love of his life is art...
Well he took someones life...
An eye for an eye buddy!!

You my friend are lucky!

By: Steve in Las Vegas,NV

Steve in Las Vegas,NV — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:21:03 +0000

And just why does he even have access to a computer in the first place? This is so wrong on so many levels!!! And he has a blog too?

Just who monitors all this?, Who is paying for this? This must be shut down right now! Prison is for punishment, not for luxury like this!

THIS WHOLE THING IS BEYOND BELIEF!

By: Rod Bradley

Rod Bradley — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:57:11 +0000

Well, I know I'm in the minority here but prisioners have rights too. His ability to communicate with the outside world should be no different than any other prisioners.. After all Peterson and Manson both do it!!

By: large marge

large marge — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:42:59 +0000

what a total waste of live(s) and talents. It is clear that this Tommy person has a gift for artwork. It is clear he is intelligent and has not lost his desire for privileges and to fight for what he perceives are his rights. Unfortunately, his rights were lost when he originally got sentenced, and were compounded and proved to be true and accurately applied when he was sentenced for taking the life of the prison guard and put in solitary confinement. I remember in school, there were certain kids who were simply "trouble". They represented chaos and how they were dealt with was an important message to all the other "would be houligans" in the wings. Tommy should have learned this long ago.

By: dds

dds — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:39:07 +0000

I understand that sometimes prison guards can take there authority to another level but at the same time tommy you killed a innocent man. So you are going to have to understand that you are in prison there is no freedom in there. I am surprised that you even have internet access. Someone i know that is very close to me that is in prison and he can barely watch television let alone get internet access. But don't get me wrong i do understand that you have been confined in that small cell for 23 years and i think it is about time that they let you go into society.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:26:51 +0000

What a disgrace. I have no pity... ROT.

By: e.

e. — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:25:36 +0000

this was really stupid. first of all why should prisoners be given computers in the first place??????? they could be somehow plotting to escape by contact with someone else on the internet. second, his "story" does not deserve to be on the news. you're in prison. big whoop. nobody cares. third, his artwork is not even that good.

By: Jewel

Jewel — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:01:37 +0000

Just some more of Anderson Coopers bleeding liberal heart at work. I read about this case 25 years ago it's not new news. When I was reading about it it was the news of how he basically butchered Merle Clutts a Marion IL prison guard. There was no mention of Tommy Silverstein having any regard for Mr Clutts civil rights. Tommy Silverstein deserves nothing better than what he has. However Anderson and all his little mini-coopers are wasting government dollars (and in this day they are precious government dollars) making sure this animal is being treated properly. He's alive isn't he that's more than the prison guard he killed has going on. TOMMY SILVERSTEIN STABBED 51 YEAR OLD MERLE CLUTTS OVER 40 TIMES WITH A SHANK.. His original sentence was for armed robbery (not his first conviction on those charges) and he has been charged with 4 separate murders since his incarceration. Exactly what kind of lifestyle does that kind of criminal behavior entitle one to. Who in their right mind would waste 1 dollar or 1 minute of 1 day to make sure Tommy is being treated ok. And those of you that think Tommy deserves a break; you should have to personally look into the eyes of Mr Clutts Spouse, Children, Grand children, Brothers and Sisters and explain to them why Tommy deserves anything any better than what he has. And if you can do that and keep moving forward with your worthless cause and sleep at night .. you have no soul. - Jewel, Lincoln, IL

By: J

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:00:26 +0000

Dangerous prisoners do not have internet access in ANY US prison. This prisoner is writing someone who posts online for him.

If he actually has been in solitary confinement for 23 years despite good behavior, then he does indeed have a legitimate 8th Amendment complaint, regardless of whether or not he shows remorse for his crimes.

By: David S

David S — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:59:50 +0000

As an ex-offender this was not a perk that was there when I paid my debt to society. The inmates in question DO NOT HAVE ACCESS to the internet, the only thing that they have is access to an e-mail account. There is a BIG difference in e-mail access and full internet access. Some do, I agree, use the pen pal route as a huslte to get finance for commissary. Some, however, do not. (Sounds relative to a real society to me) While I am not entirely convinced that blogging would be an acceptable form of communication, the programs are quite new to the inmates. Most prisons do not even have them.

BTW, the debt I paid? Paid in FULL!