SAN FRANCISCO (Aug. 4) - A convicted killer who sold postcard-sized paintings he created with dye from M&Ms and brushes fashioned from his hair was disciplined for running an unauthorized business out of his Pelican Bay cell.
While Donny Johnson hasn't profited from his art - all the money is being used to start a program for children of inmates - prison officials said he was wrongfully engaged in a business without the warden's permission.
Johnson, 46, has been locked up since 1980 for second-degree murder in a drug-related killing. In 1989, he was convicted of assaulting one guard and slashing the throat of another. He's now serving life without parole in the most secure unit at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, about 10 miles south of the Oregon border.
At least some good is coming out of his tenure at Pelican Bay. It also shows that we should allow inmates to contribute positively to society in more ways than just by stamping license plates and picking up trash.
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