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mined by the warden.” The prison offered him a “Black Hebrew Israelite” diet, which did not include eggs, dairy products or any food item containing these. Goodman filed a case against the Illinois Department of Corrections. Jason Marks and Steve Malitz of Arnstein and Lehr took up Goodman’s case. Marks contacted me and several others as expert witnesses. The institution attempted to justify their decision, stating that “Tarot cards present a potential danger to prison security because they may be used to manipulate and control other prisoners, and could lead to unpredictable behavior and violence because they are highly symbolic”. In his affidavit, Kenneth Briley, Warden of Stateville Correctional Center, stated that “Inmates with tarot cards would be able to convince vulnerable inmates that they have special powers to predict events or to cast spells, and would, thus, achieve power over them. In my experience in various security positions and as a correctional administrator, I have seen numerous examples, of inmates holding some degree of power over other inmates, convincing the more vulnerable inmates to give them their commissary or to hold weapons for them, or to attack other inmates, or to undertake other actions. I would, thus, anticipate that inmates will use tarot cards to obtain favors or property from other inmates, to intimidate other inmates or staff, to persuade other inmates to commit an act of aggression or violence against another inmate or staff member compromising security, or to cause the inmate to harm himself.” However the institution had no evidence that Goodman had ever engaged in subversive activities of the sort they were concerned about. Briley went on to claim that he had “reviewed some literature on tarot cards” and that he had “reviewed some images of tarot cards.” “Many of the images on the tarot cards depict acts of violence,” Briley claimed, “For example, one tarot card depicts an individual hanging from the neck by a rope from a tree. Another card portrays an image of an individual using a club to strike animals. These images could present a security concern that inmates would attempt to copycat or mimic the actions…” It was pointed out to their defense team in depositions by myself and Darla Kaye Wynne of WARD that there are many different types of types of Tarot cards, many of which include no violent images at all. In my deposition I pointed out that the image of the crucifixion of Christ was an extremely violent image, but permitted within the IDOC. Given the warden’s stated concerns, wouldn’t they be concerned that “that inmates would attempt to copycat or mimic the actions” and start crucifying people? The Bible and the Torah are full of violent imagery. Despite their stated concerns about Tarot, the prison’s chaplain handed out Icon cards to Christian inmates. One Icon card, “The Crucifixion of our Lord”, depicts Christ crucified, stabbed in the side and dripping blood on a human skull. The reverse side of this card describes the systematic beating, torture, crucifixion and impalement of Jesus. The defendants countered that the image of the crucifixion was “one that was commonly understood and which already has broad exposure in society. Thus, it does not have the same potential for intimidation through misunderstanding as a tarot card image” and that “the crucifixion is generally accepted as a historical happening to a religious leader from about two thousand years ago… the tarot card images are meant to portray the current situation or the future of a living person.” Contrary to his assertions, Briley could not have taken that close a look at Tarot images, given his description of the “Hanged Man” card: Briley’s affidavit had photocopies from M. J. Abadie’s The Everything Tarot Book attached. This included a picture of the Rider Waite “Hanged Man” card, which clearly shows the man hanging by his ankle, not his neck. The picture of the man with the club that Briley referred to in found on page 70 of Abadie’s book: It depicts a card from the Pierpont Morgan-Bergamo Visconti-Sforza tarrochi deck. Next to this image is another “Hanged Man” card from the Pierpont deck, which also shows a man hanging by his ankle. In any case, Goodman had submitted a set of Tarot cards to both the Court and the defendants in which neither image is depicted in the manner described by Briley. I examined photocopies of Goodman’s cards, a Dragon Tarot Deck. The Major Arcana card which corresponds to the “Hanged Man” card of a Rider/Waite deck in this Dragon Tarot Deck is “The Hanging Dragon”, which shows a dragon hanging from its legs from a tree. Many tarot decks don’t have a “Hanged Man” card in their Major Arcana. For example, the deck that I use now, The Sacred Circle Tarot, doesn’t have a hanged man card: Instead it has a picture of a corn dolly made of woven grain stalks hanging on a string by one leg with the caption “Sacrifice”. Goodman’s counsel pointed out that the “Defendant’s own security expert has admitted that he has no evidence that tarot cards have been used in the Illinois Department of Corrections (‘IDOC’), or in any other states’ department of corrections for any of defendants proffered security concerns.” Lee Hendrix, Religious Services Administrator for the Colorado Depart |
Careful What You Ask For, pg 2 |
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Sacred Circle Tarot deck used by Kerr Cuhulain |
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Hanged Man card from the Rider Waite tarot deck |
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Pierpont Morgan Bergamotarot |
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Dispatches: Official Newsletter of Officers of Avalon |
