By Katrina vanden Heuvel 
 

Looking for some good news this holiday season? Check out Martha
Stewart's Christmas 2004 message. The old Martha would have been
instructing America's women how to wrap those presents, trim their
trees and bake those holiday cookies. The new Martha has issued a
different tip: a smart call for sentencing reform.

A realist might say that battlefield conversions don't last once the
war is over. But Martha is no fool and her eyes seem to have been
opened to the reality of how our society has come to use prisons.
 
Millions have followed Martha's advice when it comes to recipes. I
hope some of them will listen to her call for a makeover of the
criminal justice system.
 
Her statement, which deserves at least as wide a circulation as her
recipes, is posted below.

An Open Letter From Martha Stewart

Dear Friends,
 
When one is incarcerated with 1,200 other inmates, it is hard to
be selfish at Christmas--hard to think of Christmases past and
Christmases future--that I know will be as they always were for
me--beautiful! So many of the women here in Alderson will never
have the joy and well-being that you and I experience. Many of
them have been here for years--devoid of care, devoid of love,
devoid of family.

I beseech you all to think about these women--to encourage the
American people to ask for reforms, both in sentencing guidelines,
in length of incarceration for nonviolent first-time offenders, and
for those involved in drug-taking. They would be much better served
in a true rehabilitation center than in prison where there is no
real help, no real programs to rehabilitate, no programs to
educate, no way to be prepared for life "out there" where each
person will ultimately find herself, many with no skills and no
preparation for living.
 
I am fine, really. I look forward to being home, to getting back to
my valuable work, to creating, cooking, and making television. I have
had time to think, time to write, time to exercise, time to not eat
the bad food, and time to walk and contemplate the future. I've had
my work here too. Cleaning has been my job--washing, scrubbing,
sweeping, vacuuming, raking leaves, and much more. But like everyone
else here, I would rather be doing all of this in my own home, and
not here--away from family and friends.
 
I want to thank you again, and again, for your support and
encouragement. You have been so terrific to me and to everyone who
stood by me. I appreciate everything you have done, your emails, your
letters, and your kind, kind words.

Happy holidays,

Martha Stewart