Police, prison and abolition

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blindpig
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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by blindpig » Sat Dec 01, 2018 2:46 pm

Outside support grows as prison resistance continues with ongoing strikes and prisoner-led initiatives
November 29, 2018 56 1
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by Amani Sawari

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The extensive participation in the National Prison Strike in Florida, both inside the prisons and outside, must have been a major contributor to the historic victory of the initiative led by former prisoners to give the right to vote to 1.4 million Floridians who had been convicted and served time for a felony.
During the National Prison Strike, Jailhouse Lawyers Speak (JLS) inspired incarcerated and outside activists across the country. Activists on the outside were inspired by prisoners’ leadership on the inside, their ability to work effectively through limited communication and under the threat of retaliation.

After the strike, incarcerated people were even more inspired by the activism that happened across the country on the inside. Prisoners from each corner of the country are realizing the power that they have to influence positive changes in their environments.

Prisoners who had not seen themselves as change makers are beginning to understand that they have the power to influence policy changes and reform the negative practices of those who prey on inmates and their families. While the end date of the National Prison Strike has passed, prison resistance continues as people who are incarcerated continue to fight to protect their human rights, and the numbers of those on the inside committed to supporting incarcerated activists continue to grow.

Expanding the network, extending the call
JLS members continue to encourage supporters to educate policymakers about prisoners’ demands through the petition, emailing, letter writing, social media and other forms of contact and now that selections have been made for representatives it is essential that we hold those elected responsible for any criminal justice reform policies that they’ve committed to during their campaigns.

While we continue to communicate with legislators it’s essential that we solidify communications between one another. One of the main reasons the National Prison Strike did not touch every single state is because of the lack of JLS members in many regions of the country.

Our goal is to have incarcerated activists in communication with JLS in every state so that the next call spreads further. JLS is now focused on expanding the membership base of their group behind the wall. The strike’s call did not reach every state this year so by enlisting new members, JLS will be able to expand their call into more states and more prisons across the nation.

There are a few guidelines for incarcerated folks seeking to become members of JLS. In order for an individual to register as a member, they will need to write the group at Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, P.O. Box 1076, Knightdale, NC 27545 (this is a secure post office box) with their interest in membership.

In order for a JLS member to form a committee they would need to write the group with their interest in membership along with three additional members who would serve in one of each of the following roles: chair, co-chair, secretary and treasurer. Members must include their position in the committee when writing JLS. On the letter, interested members should identify whether they’d like to be a traditional or general member.

Traditional membership – identity is withheld
General membership – identity not withheld

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Regions that participated in JLS’ call for National Prison Strike Aug. 21-Sept. 9, 2018

New prisoner initiatives
In addition to new incarcerated activists joining, JLS is also seeking outside support for those interested in being a part of the Millions for Prisoners Human Rights Committee. This committee will be focused on organizing a Millions for Prisoners march, an event that will take place next year. It’s essential that we gather more outside supporters to form committees for each prisoner-led initiative.

Knowing that prison resistance is ongoing, I’ve been working with prisoners to connect their individual initiatives to organizations who can support them. Prisoner-led initiatives can be found at http://sawarimi.org/support; the newer ones from this past month are highlighted:

Right2Vote Campaign – National with Millions for Prisoners
Reinstate Good Time – Michigan
Rescinding the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) – Michigan and Missouri
Mandatory Staff Training and Psychological Evaluations – Missouri
Satisfactory Medical Care and Sanitary Food Preparation – Georgia
Community/Civilian-Based Parole Board – Maryland and Pennsylvania with Aging People in Prison Human Rights Campaign
Supporting organizers, collaborating on projects
The initiatives listed above require the participation of both incarcerated folks and outside organizers. My hope moving forward is that those who do or who wish to support the National Prison Strike efforts remain connected in order to effectively support those prisoners who’ve risked their lives during the strikes. If you’re involved in an initiative that is not yet on my radar, please contact me via amanisawari@gmail.com so that we can be aware and support you, as well as others in your region.

Whether your focus is on a specific demand, a specific prison or state, or a specific population – or a non-incarcerated population, or non-imprisoned population, or a specific population outside the prison walls affected by incarceration, like homeless people, women or juveniles – a success for one group is a success for us all.

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An example of this can be seen in Pennsylvania where women were restricted from participating in contact visitation due to their use of feminine hygiene products. In response, coalition members and outside supporters participated in an organized phone zap the day that the policy was initiated and were able to demolish that policy by the following day.

Now it is much less likely that this type of discriminatory policy related to the regulation of feminine hygiene products would be enacted. However, if we were to allow such a policy to slip under the rug, the potential for it to spread across state borders is dangerous. So it is essential that we all stay connected and support each other in the work that we are doing.

There are thousands of individuals now seeking to be involved in this movement to end mass incarceration and abolish slavery, especially with the most recent energy that was created by Kanye West and other celebrities highlighting the 13th Amendment’s slavery exception clause. While prison resistance is ongoing – it has been going on since prisons were first built and will continue until their abolition – the fact that new people are coming into the movement is an incredible sign of progress and growth.

While some may feel that the problem is overwhelming, what I try to stress to everyone is the fact that no single person can do everything, but everyone can do a single thing. It’s our responsibility to harness this increased energy and organize people.

Prison Strike Alert in Clallam Bay Corrections Center
In Clallam Bay Corrections Center in Washington state on Nov. 7, Superintendent Jeri Boe stated they will no longer be offering hot meals to IMU inmates. Learning from the situation that occurred in Washington State Penitentiary where inmates’ hot meals were taken away and then reinstated after a four-day hunger strike, inmates at Clallam Bay are on hunger strike. They were inspired by the Solid Black Fist newsletter and prisoners’ actions internationally during the National Strike. Officials have attempted to use elections season to try and establish inhumane policies, but we must let them know that we are always watching.

With election season, prisoners are often skewed out of focus but we must not forget their ongoing struggle. We hope by this time next year that the Right2Vote campaign will be in full swing in every state so that incarcerated members in our community can more directly be involved in the voting process.

For now, we as supporters in protecting prisoners’ human rights must remember to vote for the voiceless by keeping prisoners in mind. Prison Resistance is ongoing and will continue in all forms until all prisons are abolished.

Support our work
Chanton Miles is an activist incarcerated in Michigan who participated in the National Prison Strike phone boycotts, which led in the state’s reduction of phone costs from 23 cents to 13 cents per minute. Michigan’s Department of Corrections also responded to strikers by eliminating the money transfer fee that immediately reduced the amount that prisoners receive in their accounts. It’s bold activism like a phone boycott that pushed GTL and MDOC to change their policies.

Chanton and I have published a calendar which highlights revolutionary characters from history, including a wide range of freedom fighters: political prisoners, outside activists, entertainers and others who have inspired and informed the work we are doing today.

These many figures are featured, along with important and relevant dates, including Juneteenth, Kwanzaa and the independence of African countries.

The funds for this calendar will be used to support the expansion of our social justice work.

For more information or to order a calendar, visit https://sawarimi.org/product/ourstory-calendar or cut out the order form and mail to this address: 14419 Greenwood Ave N., Seattle, WA 98133, Ste A #132.

Reformation of detention centers, jails and prisons isn’t the end goal, but the more that we reform the way that these institutions are currently functioning, the closer we get to abolishing them altogether and replacing them with safe spaces where people can receive the individualized care that they need in order to address the trauma and other negative influences that led to any behaviors that would have contributed to their incarceration. I know that I will see this in my lifetime and I’m excited to be a part of a community that also values and cherishes this goal.

In Solidarity,

Amani Sawari

https://sfbayview.com/2018/11/outside-s ... itiatives/

Sign the petition at the link
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by blindpig » Mon Dec 03, 2018 2:38 pm

We are the revolutionary force that can free the people
December 1, 2018 54 1
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by Kamau Askari (Roscoe Abell)

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“George and the Dragon” (2016) – Art: Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, 264847, Pendleton Correctional Facility, G-20-2C, 4490 W. Reformatory Road, Pendleton, IN 46064

Many New Afrikans (Blacks) for some reason think that the revolution is dead. The revolution is not dead. It is the spirit of the people that is dead. They have forgotten their history. And since their spirit is dead, the revolution is at a standstill or stagnant.

Revolution means to bring about a change. A revolutionary is one who is dedicated to bringing about that change. We can all agree that change in these times is indeed needed. Revolution is needed! The people’s spirit is only dead because those of us who claim to be revolutionaries haven’t sparked their interest.

Education is much needed in the New Afrikan communities. But this education has to be directed towards the people’s needs. Not only education is needed; we need to demonstrate through our actions.

This is what made the Black Panther Party so popular: On May 2, 1967, 20 armed Panthers out of 30 stormed the state capitol in Sacramento, California. They were leading by example.

Today, no one is leading by example, except a small few. We must put theory into practice.

Armed struggle
Armed struggle is needed when advocating the overthrow of capitalism. We cannot expect to succeed in revolution without an armed struggle. Words and education will not free the people.

It all goes hand in hand. No one surrenders their power without resistance. There has to be a showdown between the oppressed and the oppressor!

We cannot sit and hope that the imperialists will come to their senses and give the people freedom. Freedom comes with a price and it’s very expensive. Freedom has to be taken and it’s only through struggle that one can achieve it.

People who fight righteously can never be a slave. They will either win or die. The founding fathers of this nation understood this well. They knew the power of the gun!

This is why they make sure that their former slave children receive harsh sentences whenever they are caught with one. They understand that political power grows from the barrel of a gun. This is how they gained their independence.

It was with guns that the Amerikans defeated Great Britain during the Revolutionary war in 1776. Since then, Amerika has been taking over the world by using forced intimidation through their powerful military.

Imperialists are constantly buying and making weapons and advancing their technology. This is to keep them in power. In 2014, the Amerikan government gave out $5.9 billion in foreign military aid, with Israel getting over half of it, $3.1 billion. Egypt received $1.3 billion, Jordan received $300 million, Pakistan received $280 million, and Iraq received $300 million.

Amerika spends more money on war than any other country. Within imperialist society, there are about 1,000 billionaires with a net worth of $4.5 trillion. This money is earned off the backs of the proletariat, lumpen proletariat and Third World countries who are being economically enslaved through the exploitation of the bourgeois elite.

It is the duty of the vanguards to lead the people and to educate them on the political spectrum so that they will know who their enemies and friends are. All true revolutionaries must take the lead and organize. There hasn’t been a strong party in Amerika since the early ‘80s.

Malcolm X was right when he stated: “Revolution is like a forest fire. It burns everything in its path. The people who are involved in a revolution don’t become a part of the system – they destroy the system.”

I agree! A revolutionary war is to bring about a change in the system by destroying it and then rebuilding it in accordance to the people’s needs, which is socialism. I understand that the revolution involves more than just armed struggle. It involves art and education as well.

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“Imperialism: Destroying the entire world to enrich a tiny few” (2016) – Art: Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, 264847, Pendleton Correctional Facility, G-20-2C, 4490 W. Reformatory Road, Pendleton, IN 46064

But damn! How many more decades are going to be spent on education? There is never a right moment to spark a revolution. The right time is when the vanguards make it right. This means one must take the initiative and push forward.

How many more Ndugus (brothers) and Da Das (sisters) must be tricked into giving up their freedom by going to prison because they broke a so-called law to feed their families? The poor are forced to commit crimes to obtain the basic needs for survival. This is a biased economic structure that was designed to exploit the innocent with the false allusion of free enterprise of the means of production which only keeps the elite rich.

As New Afrikans (Blacks), our Luta (struggle) has only begun. We must continue fighting as our ancestors did. Our Luta (struggle) started from the time we were captured in Afrika and brought on the slave ships of brotherhood, Jesus, Othello, John the Baptist, and many others that were used to bring us to the shores of Amerika.

We fought every step of the way. We were strong Bomani (warriors). More than 150 revolts on the slave ships have been reported. We continued to fight. We refuse to give up because we are Juba (fearless).

After landing in Amerika, our struggle continued. Gumu (strong) and hodari (brave) Askaris (soldiers) sacrificed their lives to liberate our people from slavery. One such courageous warrior was our beautiful sister, Harriet Tubman.

Harriet escaped from slavery by running to Philadelphia. She made her first trip to Baltimore in 1850 to free her sister and two children. Within 10 years Harriet Tubman freed over 200 slaves, including her entire family. She always kept the gun on her. It was said that whenever a slave she was helping became frightened and wanted to go back she would pull the gun and threaten to kill them. “Live North or die here!” she told them.

Another Hodari (brave warrior) was Denmark Vesey, who was born in the Danish Virgin Islands and spoke four languages. He became a free man after buying his freedom for $600. Vesey had won a lottery worth $1,500.

He was living in Charleston, S.C., when he organized 9,000 slaves in 1822 to help seize the U.S. arsenal and ships at harbor in Charleston. He contacted the president of Haiti and asked for his help. The majority of Denmark’s followers were members of the Afrikan Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.

At this time, Charleston had the largest Black population – and was the fifth largest city – in the U.S. and the largest Black ethnic groups directly from Afrika. Muslims made up 10 percent of Charleston’s population.

Denmark’s plan was to kill the governor and other important officials in their sleep. Also, he planned to take all the money from the banks and then kill the entire white population (except for a few white women and the captains of the ships) and burn the city to the ground.

Vesey’s plan failed after a slave messenger was captured with the letter that was supposed to be sent to President Boyer of Haiti. The slave, Monday Gell, gave up the plans to the authorities who used him as a witness at Denmark’s trial.

Before the Revolutionary was captured, he and his captains destroyed all the names of the slaves that were part of his clandestine army. Vesey and 77 of his followers were captured in the summer of 1822. In the spirit of a true general, Vesey told his men: “Do not open your lips! Die silent, as you shall see me do!”

Vesey’s right hand man, “Gullah Jack,” had escaped arrest and tried to recruit Angolan and Ibo slaves to arm themselves and help them to rescue Denmark Vesey. Gullah Jack was arrested two weeks after Vesey.

On the day of his execution, Denmark Vesey stated it was “a glorious cause to die for.” Vesey told his men at that moment, “Die like a man!” As they were being led to their hanging, two of them laughed.

Denmark Vesey was hanged on July 2, 1822. It is said that if his plot had not been betrayed, it would’ve been the most violent and bloodiest slave revolt in Amerika’s history. Vesey died for the people.

Nat Turner was also a Gumu (strong) Askari (soldier). He fought for the liberation of the New Afrikan nation. On Aug. 21, 1831, the same month and day that George Jackson was assassinated 140 years later, Nat Turner sparked a revolution by killing his so-called master first. Within 24 hours, 60 whites had been killed.

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“Amend the 13th Amendment” (2016) – Art: Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, 264847, Pendleton Correctional Facility, G-20-2C, 4490 W. Reformatory Road, Pendleton, IN 46064

Nat Turner and his comrades were overpowered by state and federal troops. More than 100 of Turner’s men were killed. Nat Turner was captured on Oct. 30, 1831, and was hanged on Nov. 11. He died for the people as well.

As one can see, the New Afrikans have always fought against capitalism, which was and is in power through slavery. Capitalists, by definition, have always used slavery as a means to boost their economy. This is why in 1863, when the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves, the Southern capitalists had to find another way to increase their economy, since it was the Blacks who elevated it as chattel slaves.

The Southerners feared the collapse of their economy because a lot of their money was put into the war they lost and a lot more money was needed to rebuild all the damage. Now that the slaves were free, they could be considered citizens.

The 13th Amendment forbad the holding of any citizen as a slave – unless tried and convicted in a court of law. The whites came up with a plan to put the Blacks behind bars.

Prisons
The first prison was built in 1829 in Cherry Hill, Philadelphia. At this time, the prison was filled with whites who had committed crimes. There were no Blacks in prison during these times.

But, after the Emancipation Proclamation, Blacks began filling up the Southern prisons for breaking petty laws that were designed to keep them subordinate. These laws, called the Black Codes, limited the rights of the Blacks. The codes became law in 1865.

By 1868, Blacks made up 33 percent of the prison population. Since then, Amerika has been putting money into prisons. The Amerikan government spends far more money on prisons than education. This is why Amerika has the largest prison population.

The U.S. has only 4 percent of the world’s population and a grotesque, extravagant 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Amerika is No. 43 in the world when it comes to education and No. 1 when it comes to prisons.

In 2016, there are over 2.5 million people locked up in the U.S., “land of the free.” Blacks are locked up at six times the rate of whites and make up over 40 percent of death row inmates. Also, there are more Black people in prison today than there were slaves in 1850!

In 2011, there were 61,423 children in custody – 2,500 of them sentenced to life. All of them are children of color! There is no justice for the Black man in Amerika. “All Black people, wherever they are, whatever their crimes, even crimes against other Blacks, are political prisoners because the system deals with them differently than with whites,” wrote* George Jackson.

The only way to receive justice is to fight. The comrades in prison will have to fight from a different position. They will have to build cadres to take on different tasks. All collectives will organize the masses around the problems of their particular prison. Every cadre should have different responsibilities.

For example:

1) There should be a cadre responsible for studying the psychological warfare that is implemented by the correctional officers and finding ways to combat it peacefully.

2) Another would study and know the prisoners’ rights and be ready to challenge all violations.

3) A cadre would write down all injustice that is manifested by the officers and pass information on to the cadre leaders.

4) A cadre should be in contact with outside sponsors that can help our struggle by bringing to light our problems to the public. All cadres are just components to the machine.

These are only examples.

We must continue the fight, especially on these plantations. However, we have to be on point and tighten our security to protect ourselves from agent provocateurs who claim to be on our side but are actually on the side of the oppressor.

Be mindful of those who are always showing up at all religious services, hoping to identify radical prisoners who may speak at these gatherings. These agents are only there to ear hustle so they can report back to their masters (prison administrators).

You will be able to identify some of them through their actions. They’re always preaching about Black history and Blacks uniting, but they are never doing shit to protect the rights of the prisoners.

They speak out against those who are true vanguards of the people and try to turn the masses against these warriors by spreading false rumors and hopes to destroy these men’s work and character. Please do not be fooled! They will stop at nothing until their mission for “massa” is completed.

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“It should never be easy for them to destroy us” (2004) – Art: Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, 264847, Pendleton Correctional Facility, G-20-2C, 4490 W. Reformatory Road, Pendleton, IN 46064

They are not only working against their own people; they’re against the entire prison population! You will see them trying to cut in or befriend every group, organization or nationality to learn what they can about them. Be very mindful, comrades.

There have been many strong Black revolutionaries who have died in prison for the Luta (struggle) and they must never be forgotten. Comrades like George Jackson, Hugo Pinell, William Christmas, Howard Tole, James McClain, W.H. Nolen and the many unknown but dedicated warriors who fought and never gave up until their deaths should always be loved and remembered.

These brothers taught and trained others to carry on the torch so that the struggle will continue behind these walls. And in response, many have suffered and remained in lockup since the ‘90s, ‘80s and even the ‘70s because they refused to denounce George Jackson!

The majority of the comrades are locked down in the “holes” called SMU, ADX and Pelican Bay SHU, not because they have incident reports, but because they are carrying the torch and fighting against the injustice of the federal and state prisons that our fallen freedom fighters gave their lives trying to destroy.

We are not terrorists! We are revolutionary freedom fighters striving to free the Amerikan people (Black & white) from the bloody claws of the imperialist monster. All committed liberators should join among their own kind and work together in solidarity.

Let’s use the comrades that pave the way as examples and continue fighting together, united with one clenched fist! Can’t stop! Won’t stop! Long live the guerrillas!

Power to the people.

Umyawa! (Black power!)

Writer’s note: This essay was written with the intention that others will begin to take the initiative to challenge all injustice and oppression and be guiding examples as a revolutionary force in the spirit of Comrade George Jackson.

Editor’s note: Time didn’t allow for thorough fact checking of every statement in this scholarly article. If you find the need for a correction, tell us and we’ll revise the online version. And we thank you, Kamau Askari, for sharing your extraordinary lived and learned history and vision.

Kamau Askari (Roscoe Abell) is a student in the W.L. Nolen Mentorship Program and asks us, “Please continue to push the agreement to end all hostilities.” Send our brother some love and light: Roscoe Abell, 13305-058, United States Penitentiary-Hazelton, P.O. Box 2000, Bruceton Mills WV 26525.

https://sfbayview.com/2018/12/we-are-th ... he-people/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by blindpig » Sun Dec 09, 2018 5:55 pm

We've Forgotten the "Human" in "Humane"
Inmates in solitary confinement have far fewer protections than the nonhuman species we use in lab experiments

By Kristina Penikis on November 29, 2018

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Credit: Edwin Remsberg Getty Images

As I rode the subway this morning to my job in a research lab at N.Y.U., my phone buzzed with a barrage of e-mails from the veterinary staff, discussing how to deal with the temperature of the animal suite. It was 76 degrees—a mere four degrees above the normal range. This level of concern for the housing conditions of our lab animals is typical.

At the same time, prisons in the United States commonly hold people in jail cells the size of a parking space for 22-plus hours per day, with no windows, no human contact and no specified end date for the isolation. Unlike lab animals, which are protected by law when it comes to their health and well-being, the treatment of people in solitary confinement requires no reporting to, let alone consulting with, any oversight committee.

It’s fantastic that lawmakers, scientists, and the public are beginning to acknowledge the devastating impacts of solitary confinement. But before getting lost in details about what kind of damage accrues after how long, let’s consider the striking differences between the regulatory structure overseeing the housing of humans in prison as compared to that for animals in research labs.

Back in the 1960s, the federal government passed the Animal Welfare Act, which set up a formal structure for creating and enforcing rules for the care of animals in research. The Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, casually referred to simply as “The Guide,” is a 200-page document that specifies each detail of animal care. For many species, social housing is mandated: “social interactions … are essential to normal development and wellbeing.” An animal may only be housed alone in extenuating circumstances—if it’s sick, for example, or if the project requires isolation as an experimental variable. In these cases, a veterinarian has to monitor the animal and keep solitary confinement to the minimum period necessary. The Guide even suggests that when social housing is not possible, the lab provide “visual, auditory olfactory, and tactile contact with compatible [companions].”

These guidelines are not just for show. There are multiple layers of oversight, to ensure labs treat animals in accordance with these standards. In order for an institution to perform animal research, it should obtain accreditation from an international organization called AALCAC (the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care) which is an extensive process. As part of maintaining accreditation, each institution must have a local regulatory body called the IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee). For every experiment, investigators must write an animal-use protocol, describing any detail related to the treatment of animals, for the IACUC to review and approve. All new hires, even undergraduate volunteers, must complete training before they can touch an animal.

But wait—there’s more. Grant applications require an entire section dedicated to proving that proper care standards exist at the institution. Both the IACUC and AAALAC audit the labs regularly. Some visits are scheduled, and some are unannounced. Violations are treated seriously; they can endanger the institution’s funding and permission to do research.

So why can’t we similarly oversee the quality of life for people in prison? People who oppose increased regulation for solitary confinement argue that it is necessary for deterring misbehavior and controlling the most violent people in prisons. But data do not support these arguments. After South Dakota and Mississippi reduced the use of solitary confinement, rates of violence actually decreased.

The body of empirical evidence demonstrating the impact of solitary confinement on human health is relatively new and still building. Interestingly, the impetus for passing the Animal Welfare Act came not from data but from strong public opinion. Only subsequently did we confirm the effects on animals’ behavior and the changes in their brains. In fact, scientists also discovered that solitary housing is a reliable and powerful method for creating research models of psychological disorders like depression and anxiety.

Knowing all of this, it’s shameful that we as a society are not at least as thoughtful about ensuring healthy housing conditions for humans in prison as we are for animals in the lab.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/ob ... 03440057=1
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by blindpig » Sun Dec 16, 2018 9:05 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- December 16th, 2018
Press Contact- Mei Azaad (206) 409 5390 fighttoxicprisons@gmail.com

Nikki Davenport – (256) 221-7658
Nikkid2583@gmail.com

Alabama Department of Corrections has once again acted in retaliation against Robert Earl Council, which is nothing new.
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/0 ... ganiz.html

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Robert Earl Council, who is one of the founders of the Free Alabama Movement (FAM), and known inside of Alabama’s prisons as a leader of the peaceful prison strikes, teacher of peace, education and spiritual development, among his peers. Council has once again been placed in solitary following the riot, and homicide at Holman Correctional Facility on December 2nd.
Council was placed in solitary on trumped up disciplinary charges by Lt. Thrasher at Donaldson Correctional Facility on December 7th for “failure to obey a direct order”, after Lt. Thrasher entered the cell block conducting a routine inspection. Council brought to Lt. Thrashers attention the fact that the cell blocks water fountain was out of order, and needed repaired by the institution maintenance. Thrasher being aware of “who” Council is and his involvement of Alabama’s and the national prison strikes immediately seized the opportunity to become aggressive with Council and gave Council a direct order for him to “fix” the water fountain. Council then pointed out to Thrasher that, he (Council ) was not assigned nor qualified to do repairs to the institution nor was it his belief to do labor without being compensated for his work. At that time Thrasher became verbally aggressive with Council and voiced threats, while Warden Pickens (who was present) stood by and failed to intervene.
Council then asked the above mentioned lieutenant his correct name in order to properly file a complaint. Thrasher immediately asked Council if he was threatening him.



Council was later placed in solitary once again, facing two institutional disciplinary infractions. However the purpose of this was simply to remove Council’s influence from bringing peace within the prisons following the riot at Holman.
ADOC is guilty of strategically removing all confined citizens who are influential in maintaining peace, allowing and promoting chaos within ADOC prisons.

Retaliation also runs deep within ADOC and this is a perfect example of how ADOC carries these acts out daily.

The FAM Queen Team and Unheard Voices OTCJ (both being civil rights activist organizations) release this press release, and demand ADOC end all retaliatory acts against Robert Earl Council (Kinetik Justice), and any others in his class confined in ADOC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- December 16th, 2018
Press Contact- Mei Azaad (206) 409 5390 fighttoxicprisons@gmail.com

Nikki Davenport – (256) 221-7658
Nikkid2583@gmail.com

https://unheardvoicesotcj.wordpress.com ... ssion=true
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by blindpig » Sat Dec 22, 2018 1:40 pm

‘How long can we keep our sanity?’ Some SC prisons locked down 8 months after riot
BY EMILY BOHATCH

DECEMBER 20, 2018 12:00 AM

Here is a brief history of Lee Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison housing South Carolina's most violent criminals.
By Ashlen Renner
COLUMBIA
Since the deadly April riot at Lee Correctional Institution, some inmates across South Carolina have spent eight months locked in cells for up to 24 hours a day for a prison riot that most had nothing to do with, more than 25 inmates told The State.

“I have not been outside or seen the sun in six months. Hundreds of inmates are being punished for nothing,” an inmate in a central South Carolina prison wrote to The State in October. Two months later, he is still waiting out the days in a cell, he said in a follow-up letter.

The inmate, along with more than 25 others who contacted The State, requested to remain anonymous because of fears for his safety.

The state Department of Corrections confirms that several prisons have been on lockdown for up to eight months. But it says inmates are removed from cells at times for showers, programming and other reasons. The inmates, the ACLU and a federal lawsuit dispute tha

The inmates who reached out to The State via letters say they have been denied showers for weeks at a time, have been denied regular educational programming and haven’t seen the sun in the 249 days since the riot.

As of Dec. 19, dorms in eight of the 21 institutions run by SCDC were on lockdown, the corrections agency said. After seven inmates were killed at Lee Correctional, eight facilities across the state were initially placed on lockdown, SCDC spokesman Dexter Lee said.


A ninth institution — Trenton Correctional — is also under restrictive protocols, but because of the style of the prison’s dorms, SCDC does not consider it to be under lockdown, SCDC spokesman Dexter Lee said.

The institutions affected by the lockdown include Broad River Correctional, Lee Correctional, Lieber Correctional, Evans Correctional, Kershaw Correctional, McCormick Correctional, Ridgeland Correctional, Turbeville Correctional and Trenton Correctional.

Inmates in Trenton Correctional live in an open dorm setting, though, so they are not confined to individual rooms, Lee said.

Five of those institutions temporarily were removed from lockdown status for about a month and placed on “modified release,” allowing inmates to “operate normally,” Lee said.

That status was revoked because of “critical” staffing levels caused by the holiday season, Lee said.

The lockdowns were “implemented as a safety and security measure,” he said.

All institutions affected by the lockdown are medium- or maximum-security prisons. A total of 6,604 inmates were under lockdown as of Dec. 19, Lee said. That’s more than 35 percent of the 18,716 inmates in the system that day.

Three inmates who wrote to The State said guards claimed the lockdown was due to chronic understaffing, which has been an issue acknowledged by the department, according to documents produced by SCDC. In a report released in June 2018, the department said it did not have enough staff to reach “safe-levels” and it was struggling with “tremendous turnover.”

SCDC admitted this week the staffing shortage is partially to blame for the long-lasting lockdown. Lee declined to explain why under-staffing, which the department has said for at least three years is a problem, warranted an eight-month lockdown this year.

In his response to a question about the lockdowns, Lee also said “we have continued to take the necessary critical security measures relating to contraband and gang violence.”

When asked about the lockdowns in September, Lee said, “Lockdowns are a means of securing the prisons and not a form of punishment.”


In September, the ACLU of South Carolina called for an end to the lockdown. “We definitely have concerns in the way that the inmates have been treated and are continuing to be treated,” ACLU Director Shaundra Scott said in September.

In an statement to The State this week, the SCDC spokesman said prisons are offering mail, visitation, telephone calls, showers, food service, programming and medical care to all inmates, including those affected by the lockdown.

The State also asked how much time on average inmates spend in their cells a day during the lockdown. On two different occasions, SCDC declined to answer. Lee did say, though, that inmates were released for showering, programming, medical needs and visitation. In other words, if inmates did not receive visits, participate in educational or vocational training or require medical care, they may not leave their cells at any time except to shower.

Twenty-three people with close ties to South Carolina’s prisons — including inmates and their family members — said prisoners have been denied access to showers for weeks at a time during the lockdown. Some inmates had been allowed to shower once a week, six said. Others were made to wait two weeks or more, 11 inmates said.

A federal lawsuit filed against SCDC Director Bryan Stirling also said inmates were receiving only one shower a week.

“In society, normal people clean themselves daily, not bi-weekly,” an inmate said in a letter to The State.

Lee refuted those 11, saying inmates are offered showers once or twice a week.

“Again, thus depending on the appropriate level of staffing available, there may have been times when showers were only offered once a week,” Lee said.

Inmates said they were told to clean themselves off in the sink provided in their cells, which have also not been cleaned for long periods of time, according to seven inmates.

Those seven said SCDC has not provided inmates with cleaning supplies to disinfect the areas they’ve spent nearly 24 hours a day in for several months. The federal lawsuit also makes this allegation.

“Seven months living in filth,” an inmate said to The State in November. “Straight inhumane and no one on the street will give us no help.”

Lee said SCDC “routinely” gives inmates supplies to clean cells. He did not specify how often that happens.

In the federal lawsuit, one inmate claimed the unclean conditions had caused a rash.

Though classes or vocational training could provide a reprieve, 15 inmates say they and others have not had access to programming during the lockdown. Lee said inmates are still offered programming.

In addition to being denied recreational opportunities, 17 inmates said they haven’t seen the sun in months. SCDC officials have said in internal agency documents that they painted over exterior windows in cells or installed a metal plate.

On two different occasions, The State inquired about the coverings on exterior windows, but on both occasions, SCDC did not provide a response.

In a report published in 2018, SCDC said the facilities department was covering windows to “deter inmates from being able to see outside activity (such as contraband thrown on the yard) from their cells.”

In the federal lawsuit filed against Stirling, an inmate said he and others were denied recreational time outside of the cell, spending 24 hours a day in the small space. In an attached letter from SCDC to the inmate, an SCDC warden said policy allowed staff to suspend recreation during a lockdown.

The inmate was told he would be issued “in-cell exercise information,” which The State requested a copy of. That form has not yet been provided to The State.

“How long can we keep our sanity?” one inmate asked.

https://www.heraldonline.com/news/state ... 55825.html

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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by blindpig » Tue Mar 05, 2019 5:40 pm

Four Imprisoned Rhode Islanders Punished With Solitary Confinement at the ACI for Possession of Legally-Protected Union Literature

Providence, RI March 5th, 2019 - The RI DOC (Department of Corrections) has held four men for over ten days in solitary confinement at the ACI (Adult Correctional Institution) for allegedly possessing union literature, according to a statement provided to the press. The four men — Joseph Shepard, Ryan Callahan, Anthony Meo, and a fourth whose name is unknown — were transferred from the general population of the ACI’s John J. Moran Medium 1 Facility into solitary confinement between February 21-22, in an apparent attempt by the DOC to prevent legitimate and legal efforts towards addressing the inhumane conditions at the ACI. As of Friday March 1st, at least two of the four men have yet to even be booked for the alleged violations on which they are being held.

While under solitary confinement — or “disciplinary confinement”, as it’s referred to by the DOC — all four are being denied access to legal documents, rehabilitative and therapeutic programs, adequate medical care, and contact with their families and supporters is limited to a single ten-minute phone call each day. A lawyer with knowledge of the case said,

“A filing deadline in one of the men’s cases against the Department of Corrections has already been missed for lack of access to legal documents, and the restrictions will almost certainly interfere with the individual’s ability to show up in court. “

In a preliminary statement about the situation, Callahan comments:



“I was [brought] down here without any answers, without any [of my] property. I’ve been down here for over a week now and have not been booked. [...] I have not been able to speak with the psychiatrist whom I have an appointment with and missed. That appointment has not been rescheduled. The orthotic insole to my shoe has not been provided to me. As far as medicine, I have been receiving just the medicine that I’m prescribed. I have basically been kicked out of all the programs I was attending (Providence Center, 9 Yards, CCRI, College Unbound, and parenting).”



Prior to this current solitary confinement, two of the people being held - Joseph Shepard and Ryan Callahan - had filed separate federal lawsuits against the RIDOC. In one of those lawsuits, among other grievances, Shepard cites prison conditions and disciplinary practices that he argues amount to “cruel and unusual punishment” in violation of rights that are supposed to be protected by the 8th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Shepard also recently sent an extensive 150 page letter to various RIDOC officials with detailed grievances about conditions at the ACI as well as problems with DOC policies such as the official grievance process itself and arbitrary requirements which severely restrict access to core rehabilitative programs that many inmates need for parole - programs which Shepard and the other three people are at risk of losing access to due to their placement in solitary confinement. That 150 page letter also included clear requests and proposals for how to address the problems outlined in the grievances.

When Joseph Shepard asked the the Warden about the letter of grievances, “he said that I wouldn’t be getting a response then he smiled and continued to walk off when I further asked him about the progress of the investigation.“ This has led Sheard to view his being placed in solitary as retaliatory in nature “because I continue, in a positive way, to directly address the harsh confinement of prison conditions not only on behalf of myself, but on behalf of the prison population.”

In 2011, The United Nations UN Special Rapporteur on Torture “called on all countries to ban the solitary confinement of prisoners except in very exceptional circumstances and for as short a time as possible … saying the practice could amount to torture.” The Rhode Island DOC plans to hold the men for up to 90 days while investigating them, where the same UN report recommended an “absolute prohibition” of “solitary confinement in excess of 15 days”, citing scientific evidence for lasting mental damage beyond a few days of social isolation. The 90-day detention policy also flies in the face of RI’s own 2017 legislative commission report recommending that “only those who commit the most serious predatory offenses will be subject to segregation for more than 31 days [..] Non-predatory Class 1 offenses would be limited to 30 days and Class 2 offenses would be capped at 20.”

The four individuals stand accused of attempting to ‘organize a demonstration’ because of their alleged possession of literature produced by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), an NLRB-certified labor union with a significant membership in prisons across the country. Additionally, they are also being accused of ‘signing into an illegal contract’ for filling out union membership forms. Others at the facility report having been threatened with the same “disciplinary confinement” if they are found in possession of IWW or IWOC literature, or caught talking about the union, indicating that the union’s literature is being treated as contraband by the RIDOC.

Shepard expressed further thoughts in his statement to the press:



“I use my words on paper to articulate these harsh conditions of confinement and here I sit in segregation, wasting away. My programs have been taken away from me, my CCRI classes, my phone calls, my rec, my visits. I’m on 23 hour lockdown. I deal with PTSD and anxiety and I feel as the days go by that it’s just getting worse. I’m trying to change things for the better but they are specifically trying to deter me and other inmates from filing grievances and from being outspoken about the conditions of confinement.”

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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by blindpig » Wed Mar 13, 2019 5:23 pm

Alabama leader Kinetik Justice in fifth day of hunger strike, refusing all food and liquids
March 11, 20190875

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by Unheard Voices of the Concrete Jungle

March 11, 2019 – Robert Earl Council, a prison leader nationally known as Kinetik Justice, was recently placed in a solitary housing unit (SHU) at Holman Correctional Facility despite the lack of any altercation, investigation or disciplinary infraction from the ADOC (Alabama Department of Corrections) to justify it. Solitary confinement is torture, according to the United Nations, and is justified only in the most extreme cases and even then for no longer than 15 days.

As a last resort to protest the Alabama Department of Corrections’ unlawful use of solitary confinement, Council notified Warden Cynthia Stewart, at 3 a.m. on March 7, 2019, that he is on an official hunger strike, refusing all food and liquids. Now his hunger strike continues into a fifth day, and he will continue until he is released back into general population and the ADOC is held accountable.

As Council explained, “ADOC’s actions amount to a violation of our due process rights and the Eighth Amendment’s ‘Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause.’” Council was transferred to the SHU at Holman following a major shakedown at St. Clair Correctional Facility on Feb. 28, where ADOC had brought in more than 300 law enforcement officers from seven state and local agencies to track down contraband.

As a last resort to protest the Alabama Department of Corrections’ unlawful use of solitary confinement, Council notified Warden Cynthia Stewart, at 3 a.m. on March 7, 2019, that he is on an official hunger strike, refusing all food and liquids. Now his hunger strike continues into a fifth day.

While plenty of officers were available for the shakedown, the Montgomery Advertiser points to chronic understaffing of both prison guards and mental health staff throughout ADOC. “At Holman prison, where a man was stabbed to death in early December and multiple others wounded in a spate of violent incidents, more than 60 percent of security positions were unfilled,” the Advertiser reported on Feb. 28.

Council was inside his general population cell at St. Clair Correctional Facility around 2 a.m. on the 28th, when a platoon of ADOC’s emergency response team members and local law enforcement SWAT team members entered his cell. Council was handcuffed and immediately escorted to an awaiting bus to be transported to Holman.

Council arrived at Holman later that day to an all-too-familiar scene. He was placed in Holman’s solitary housing unit (SHU) once again, after previously spending 54 months in solitary from 2014 to 2018 for leading a peaceful work strike at the same facility.

Council was finally released from solitary in late 2018 after attorney David Gespass filed a motion for habeas corpus on behalf of Council in the court, challenging the ADOC’s unconstitutional practice of holding of him in solitary confinement for 54 months without just cause. However, in August of last year, the ADOC released Council right before a court hearing on the motion, making the case moot. (see Robert E Council vs. Warden Bolling Cv.-2017-101 filed in the Bessemer division of Jefferson County, Alabama.)

In response to the hunger strike, all three wardens at Holman CF – Stewart, Raybon and Mitchell – have stated that they are simply following orders from ADOC Commissioner Jefferson Dunn. Dunn has not given any public statement on the matter.

Council’s current confinement is reflective of the ADOC’s retaliatory actions in anticipation of state-wide protests to stop new prison construction, instead of using that money to expand education and rehabilitation programs. This hunger strike is part of an escalating movement both in and outside of prisons, including the 2018 National Prison Strike, drawing attention to the rampant corruption and abuses.

In response to the hunger strike, all three wardens at Holman CF – Stewart, Raybon and Mitchell – have stated that they are simply following orders from ADOC Commissioner Jefferson Dunn.

On March 7, activists, students and community members from all over the country initiated a national call-in campaign to demand an explanation from the ADOC that is now being intensified. Supporters are calling to demand Council’s release from solitary confinement, and an end to retaliation against Council and other prisoners. Support for the hunger strike is steadily growing.

If the demand to return Robert Earl Council back to general population is not met by Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jefferson Dunn by March 15, 2019, a protest will convene at Holman Correctional Facility.

Unheard Voices of the Concrete Jungle can be reached at Unheardvoices78@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/unheard.voices.79. Visit their website, at https://unheardvoicesotcj.wordpress.com/. Bay View staff contributed to this story.

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Kinetik and other Free Alabama Movement prisoners had fought the censors last year, and with this photo of Kinetik holding his June Bay View, they declared victory!

Phone zap for Kinetik Justice
Robert Earl Council, aka Kinetic Justice Amun, writes: “I have personally questioned all three (Holman) wardens – Stewart, Raybon and Mitchell – in regards to why I have been placed and continue to be held in solitary confinement indefinitely. All three affirmed that they are just following orders from the commissioner.

“Therefore, I am on a hunger strike until the commissioner provides justification for the illegal placement of over 30 men in solitary confinement, indefinitely without a charge. Then, if no justification is provided, we seek ACCOUNTABILITY.”

Kinetik Justice has committed no infraction and is being punished simply because he is an effective educator and leader. So long as he is on hunger strike, folks need to call and help pressure the prison administration.

“I am on a hunger strike until the commissioner provides justification for the illegal placement of over 30 men in solitary confinement, indefinitely without a charge. Then, if no justification is provided, we seek ACCOUNTABILITY.”

Sample script:

Hello, my name is __________________ and I’m calling from ________________. You should be aware this call is being recorded. I just learned that Robert Earl Council, #181418, is on hunger strike in response to being placed in a solitary holding unit with no infraction or disciplinary charge. Council has been singled out following a raid at St. Clair’s last week and I am very concerned about his health and safety.

I demand Robert Earl Council’s immediate release from solitary confinement and an end to further retaliation against him.

Are there plans to release him to general population as soon as possible? (If not) Who can I speak to about that? I will keep calling until Council is released.

Note: Be stern with the individual who answers the phone. Insist to speak to who you call for. Give no more information to the secretary other than your name. RECORD YOUR PHONE CALL IF POSSIBLE. Forward any and all updates or recordings to our email, unheardvoices78@gmail.com.

Call and/or email the following:

ADOC Commissioner Jefferson Dunn, 334-53-3870 or Jefferson.Dunn@doc.alabama.gov
Public Information Officer Bob Horton, bob.horton@doc.alabama.gov
Holman Warden Cynthia Stewart, cynthia.stewart@doc.alabama.gov
Holman Correctional Facility, 251-368-8173
The Facebook event page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/349342515922611/?ti=ia.

Send our brother some love and light: Robert Earl Council, 181418, Holman CF, 3700 Holman, Atmore, AL 36503-3700.

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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by blindpig » Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:58 pm

US government uses several clandestine shelters to detain immigrant children
By Aura Bogado and Patrick Michels / March 18, 2019

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The federal government is relying on secret shelters to hold unaccompanied minors, in possible violation of the long-standing rules for the care of immigrant children, a Reveal investigation has found.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement, the government agency that cares for unaccompanied minors, has never made the shelters’ existence public or even disclosed them to the minors’ own attorneys in a landmark class-action case.

It remains unclear how many total sites are under operation, but there are at least five in Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Virginia, holding at least 16 boys and girls for the refugee agency, some as young as 9 years old.

Minors being held at the clandestine facilities initially were placed at known shelters around the country but later were transferred to these off-the-books facilities that specialize in providing for youth with mental health and behavioral challenges.

The refugee agency’s standards for transferring youth in its care state that the agency “makes every effort to place children and youth within the ORR funded care provider network,” but makes room for out-of-network transfers, adding that “there may be instances when ORR determines there is no care provider available within the network to provide specialized services needed for special needs cases. In those cases, ORR will consider an alternative placement.”

Under the Flores Settlement Agreement, a 1997 pact that sets the standards for how unaccompanied minors are treated while detained and calls for their swift release, the federal government is supposed to provide attorneys representing detained children with a regular and detailed census of each minor in the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s custody. The practice appears to violate the long-held agreement.

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Holly Cooper, who represents the class of unaccompanied minors in the agency’s care, says the government failed in its obligation to report every minor’s location – and believes the refugee agency still is withholding information about other locations, even after being pressed to do so.

“Detained unaccompanied children with mental health issues are some of the most vulnerable children, and when the government does not provide access to their whereabouts, it calls into question the basic underpinnings of our democratic institutions,” Cooper said.

Cooper learned about one of the facilities months ago. After requesting information about additional sites, she learned about several others. Now, she told Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, she’s still getting credible information that the list the government provided to her is incomplete.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement acknowledged a request for comment but hadn’t yet responded to specific questions by the time this story was published.

Robert Carey, who directed the agency during the final two years of the Obama administration, said that as far as he knew, no such arrangements were in place before Donald Trump became president.

“If that was happening, it was something that I was not aware of,” he said.

Some facilities, he said, occasionally would subcontract specialized medical or educational services. But Carey said he wasn’t aware of children being housed outside of publicly disclosed shelters.

“We had pretty exhaustive oversight procedures and monitoring procedures,” he said. “If any of those standards are being lessened or compromised, that would obviously be cause for concern. These systems are in place for a reason. There’s an inherent vulnerability in the care for children.”

One of the care providers, Millcreek Behavioral Health in Fordyce, Arkansas, operates as a residential treatment center and is holding at least eight children in the refugee agency’s custody, according to information obtained by Reveal. Inspection reports obtained by Reveal do not suggest any serious state violations; 911 service call records to the facility were requested by Reveal in December, but the local office of emergency management hasn’t decided whether to release the documents.

Another provider, Rolling Hills Hospital in Ada, Oklahoma, is a facility for children and adults that is holding at least one minor in the refugee agency’s custody. An investigation by The Oklahoman published earlier this year revealed that patients complained of broken bones, along with “allegations of sexual harassment and physical abuse” at the hospital. A 2017 inspection report reviewed by Reveal describes multiple violations, including employees who said the hospital failed to provide staff orientation, patient records that indicated registered nurses had not provided necessary assessments, and a facility where patient deaths went unreported to the governing body for oversight.

Officials with the care facilities either declined to comment or did not respond to emails and phone messages from Reveal.

“I don’t have anybody that needs to comment,” said Pam Burford, an administrator at Millcreek Behavioral Health.

Néstor Dubón, a sponsor for an asylum-seeking cousin who’s being held at Millcreek, hasn’t visited the site but describes it as a better alternative to the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center, a shelter whose federal contract came to an end in 2018, where Dubón’s cousin previously was held. Dubón was told that his cousin would be transferred to Arkansas but was unaware that the facility’s use as a shelter wasn’t public. No matter where his cousin is being held, Dubón’s chief concern is his cousin’s release. He said he’s met all the requirements asked of him by the Office of Refugee Resettlement to gain his cousin’s freedom.

“I’ve given my fingerprints three times – three times!” Dubón said. “I’ve obtained and shared birth certificates and powers of attorney from Honduras and for what? He’s still there.”

Dubón’s 16-year-old cousin has been in the agency’s custody since he first entered the United States more than two years ago.

Both Millcreek and Rolling Hills are owned and operated by Acadia Healthcare. Reveal has determined that 50 of Acadia’s facilities – operating in 23 states and Puerto Rico – provide residential care for minors, but it’s unclear how many of those facilities serve youth in the refugee agency’s custody.

Acadia has been publicly traded on the NASDAQ for nearly a decade. With hundreds of facilities and a capacity of over 18,000 beds, it is one of the largest treatment networks in the country. Its services include care for behavioral health and addiction.

In November, a critical investor detailed a litany of abuse allegations at Acadia-run facilities, including Rolling Hills. A December 2017 lawsuit accused Acadia and Rolling Hills of permitting ongoing sexual abuse inside a facility for children, destroying video evidence and refusing access to a state investigator.

Former Acadia CEO Joey Jacobs has acknowledged that regulatory problems led some states to temporarily stop referring people to Acadia facilities. But Jacobs announced those problems had been resolved, at least in a call with investors in November 2018.

“We’re a large company with a large number of facilities,” he said. “So at any time, we can have an inspection go bad or an incident occur or an investigation be instigated.”

Jacobs left the company in December. Acadia has accumulated $3.2 billion in debt from buying up local care centers, prompting critical attention from investors who doubt that it can be paid off.

Acadia Healthcare did not return a call for comment for this story.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement also hasn’t disclosed that it houses children at Devereux, a nonprofit behavioral health organization based in Pennsylvania that operates in multiple states, Reveal has confirmed. One of its facilities in Florida is holding at least five minors for the federal agency. The previously undisclosed care network also includes residential treatment centers operated by KidsPeace and Youth For Tomorrow. These two organizations already contract with the government as shelter providers, offering general care. But they don’t have public agreements to provide the more intensive behavioral and mental health care of a residential treatment center.

KidsPeace communications director Bob Martin told Reveal that there were “a very small number of cases” in which his organization has accepted children from other refugee agency shelters for placement in its residential treatment center. In those cases, he said, no new contracts were signed, beyond what he called a “letter of agreement” with the agency.

“It’s been an extremely rare occurrence,” Martin said.

Martin said any questions about government oversight in those cases should be answered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Courtney Gaskins, director of program services for Youth For Tomorrow, confirmed that the refugee agency has requested that her organization take children in its residential treatment wing.

“We’ve gotten requests for those,” she said. But Gaskins declined to say whether her organization has ever agreed to do so. “I wouldn’t comment if we did,” she said.

Reveal reviewed federal contract and grant awards to Youth For Tomorrow and KidsPeace but found no mention of residential treatment center services.

Some of the nonprofit organizations involved in this network are well-monied and hold powerful connections in the media and government. Devereux’s board includes James H. Schwab, who, according to his LinkedIn profile, was the president of Vice Media until December and remains a board member and senior adviser at Vice. Oliver North and Fox News analyst Brit Hume sit on the Youth For Tomorrow board of directors.

In a statement to Reveal, Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, called the arrangement “incredibly disturbing.”

“Imagine being a child in a strange country, hundreds or thousands of miles from where you grew up, surrounded by people who may not speak your language. You would be incredibly vulnerable – which is exactly why ORR is supposed to follow strict regulations governing where these children can be held and what child welfare standards must be met.”

Merkley has introduced a bill that would require shelter operators to grant access to members of Congress.

“ORR needs to provide answers immediately about where they are holding asylum-seeking children, and what, if any, child welfare regulations those facilities are meeting,” he said.

The lack of disclosure of facilities where unaccompanied minors are held leaves a vacuum of public oversight. It’s unclear how the refugee agency regulates and inspects these facilities. For its publicly listed shelters, the agency sets a minimum staff-to-children ratio and training requirements and conducts announced and unannounced inspections. One possibility is that shelter providers are subcontracting the care of certain children to another care provider.

According to cooperative agreements between the refugee agency and residential care providers, which Reveal acquired after filing a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act, shelters may subcontract services to other entities. In those cases, the federal agency holds the shelter responsible for ensuring that “sub-recipients” maintain the same standards of care required by law.

Reveal filed FOIA requests in the fall for information about any subcontracts or out-of-network care contracts to care for unaccompanied children. The government has yet to respond.

This story was edited by Andrew Donohue and Matt Thompson and copy edited by Nikki Frick.

Aura Bogado can be reached at abogado@revealnews.org, and Patrick Michels can be reached at pmichels@revealnews.org. Follow them on Twitter: @aurabogado and @PatrickMichels.

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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by blindpig » Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:08 pm

Lawsuit: Conditions horrific for women at south Fulton County jail
AJC Digging Deeper: South Fulton Jail 15 hours ago
By Bill Rankin, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Mentally ill women are being held in isolation at a jail in south Fulton County under horrific conditions that increase their risk of serious psychological harm and strip away their human dignity, a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges.
The unsanitary and degrading conditions “can result in dramatic worsening of symptoms, decompensation, psychosis, self-mutilation and suicide,” the suit said. The women are being denied necessary health care and are kept in “an environment that deprives them of meaningful social interaction and therapeutic activities.”The lawsuit was filed by the Georgia Advocacy Office, which protects the legal and human rights of people with disabilities, and two women being held at the South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail in Union City. The lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of all mentally ill women being held under similar conditions.The two women plaintiffs, identified only as M.J. and K.H., are homeless, have psychiatric disabilities and have been held for at least five months on criminal trespassing charges. Both were unable to post $500 bonds because they couldn’t afford it, the suit said.The plaintiffs are represented by the Southern Center for Human Rights, which warned county officials last summer that it would file a civil rights lawsuit if the “barbaric” conditions at the south Fulton jail were not addressed and improved.“It is unacceptable in our modern era to isolate anyone with a psychiatric disability in prolonged solitary confinement,” said Southern Center for Human Rights attorney Sarah Geraghty, who represents the plaintiffs. “But to keep women charged with low-level misdemeanors in these wretched conditions for months on end is particularly pointless and cruel.”


Some inmates at the South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail use their issued bedding to soak up water that floods the cell floors, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, April 10, 2019, by the Georgia Advocacy Office and two women being held there. Inmates who use their bedding to clean up flooding are left with no sheets or blankets to sleep on, the lawsuit says. This image is included in the federal lawsuit.

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Photo: Georgia Advocacy Office

The suit was filed against Fulton Sheriff Ted Jackson, chief jailer Mark Adger, medical director Meredieth Lightbourne and other detention officials.
Fulton sheriff’s spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said her office had no formal response because it has yet to receive a copy of the complaint. She added, “We’ve been transparent and we’ve been working with the parties to make improvements.”In past statements, representatives on both sides of the litigation have acknowledged that some of the mentally ill women inmates are difficult to manage in a jail setting.

Meat served at the South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail is often contaminated with “blue-colored, mold-like spots,” such as this meat that was seen during a recent visit, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, April 10, 2019, by the Georgia Advocacy Office and two women being held at the jail. The lawsuit says that women at the facility often experience symptoms of food poisoning. This image is included in the federal lawsuit.

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Photo: Georgia Advocacy Office

More activists are taking notice of the issue. On Wednesday, protesters interrupted the Fulton County Commission meeting to urge the county to close the South Fulton jail.About a dozen members of the group Southerners on New Ground brought recordings of interviews they had made with women held at the jail and played part of one during the meeting. They chanted, “Mama, Mama, can’t you see what the system’s doing to me,” as they marched toward the front of the auditorium.“Women are sitting there who haven’t seen a judge in a year,” said Mary Hooks, co-director of Southerners on New Ground. “It’s urgent.”The Georgia Advocacy Office lawsuit includes graphic photos and details unimaginable conditions for the women detainees.

One inmate at the South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail wrote this plea for help, which was seen during a recent visit to the facility. A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, April 10, 2019, by the Georgia Advocacy Office and two women being held at the jail alleges horrific conditions that only serve to worsen the inmates’ psychoses. This image is included in the federal lawsuit.
Photo: Georgia Advocacy Office
Some women were found lying on their floors with feces or food smeared over their bodies, the suit said. Many of the women were unresponsive, and some communicated by writing messages in feces or food on their cell walls, the suit said.
Pools of urine were found on cell floors, and broken toilets leaked or were overflowing, the suit said. It added that an overwhelming smell of feces, urine and vomit made it difficult for people to breathe.The photos, taken early this year, show some cells with rusting metal fixtures or mold on the walls. They also include pictures of filthy conditions inside some of the cells, with women sleeping on cold metal bunks without bedding.

This scum-covered shower mat is among the unsanitary conditions observed during a recent visit to the South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, April 10, 2019, by the Georgia Advocacy Office and two women being held there. The lawsuit includes graphic photos and details unimaginable conditions for the women detainees.
Photo: Georgia Advocacy Office
The responsibility for overseeing the roughly 200 mentally ill women held at the South Fulton jail is given to overworked and undertrained detention officers, the suit said. Their interactions with the women “amount to nothing more than distributing word puzzles through a tray slot and asking a few cursory questions through a locked door.”Many of the women at the jail are held for months at a time after having been arrested for nonviolent, low-level offenses. Some are unable to post nominal bonds, while others have been found incompetent to stand trial and are waiting to be admitted to Georgia Regional Hospital-Atlanta or a similar state hospital, the suit said.

Rusted metal fixtures and unsanitary showers were observed during a recent visit to the South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, April 10, 2019, by the Georgia Advocacy Office and two women being held there. The lawsuit includes graphic photos — among them this one — and details unimaginable conditions for the women detainees.

People with psychiatric disabilities are particularly vulnerable to enduring greater psychological harm and a more pronounced mental deterioration when kept in isolation, the suit said. It noted that many of the women are held in their cells for up to 23 hours a day, causing them to care little about personal hygiene and to do little else but sleep or stare at the cinder block walls.The lawsuit seeks a court order demanding that the women be held in safe and sanitary conditions. It says the women should be allowed to get out of their cells at least four hours a day. And it says the jail should provide the women with the same “restoration services” offered to male inmates — with health care providers making sure they are taking the medications they need — so they can be found competent to stand trial and released from custody.

This corroded cell door flap — used to deliver food and medication to inmates — is typical of unhealthy conditions at the South Fulton Municipal Regional Jail, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, April 10, 2019, by the Georgia Advocacy Office and two women being held there. The lawsuit includes graphic photos from a recent visit to the jail — among them this one — and details unimaginable conditions for the women detainees.

Image
Photo: Georgia Advocacy Office

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/lawsuit- ... L08WOOvGL/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

chlamor
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Re: Police, prison and abolition

Post by chlamor » Fri Apr 12, 2019 1:11 pm

America the Barbaric
6 April 2019

Rapes, murders, beatings, stabbings, mutilations and arson are rampant. Pleas for help, scrawled in blood, stain the walls from prisoners held in solitary confinement. Fifteen suicides have been recorded in the last 15 months.

This is not the description of a torture chamber in el-Sisi’s Egypt or Bin Salman’s Saudi Arabia. Nor is it about the abuse of detainees at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay or a CIA black site.

These are the nightmare conditions in the Alabama state-run prison system, described in a Justice Department report released this week. They constitute a gross violation of the US Constitution’s Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

More than 2,000 photos of abuse in one Alabama prison given to the media by the Southern Poverty Law Center in advance of the report’s release depict the gruesome reality of the conditions detailed in hundreds of interviews with prisoners and their families conducted by federal investigators over more than two years.

While particularly horrific, such conditions are by no means unique. They are repeated in different forms in the prisons of every state, county and city across the United States. More than 2.3 million people are packed like cattle into America’s overflowing system of state and federal prisons, local jails and immigration detention camps. Including those on probation or parole, nearly seven million Americans are caught up in what is absurdly called the “criminal justice system.”

The US accounts for more than one-quarter of the world’s incarcerated population. For every 100,000 residents, there are 698 people in detention. More than 540,000 of those held in jail on any given day have not been convicted of any crime. Many are kept in detention simply because they are too poor pay to pay the median bail of $10,000. Another half a million, one in five inmates, are serving long prison sentences for nonviolent drug convictions.

Researchers estimate that 61,000 prisoners are held in solitary confinement on any given day, a form of incarceration that the UN has declared to be tantamount to torture. At least 4,000 of those held in complete isolation from the outside world suffer from severe mental illness. Confinement to these living coffins is known to drive prisoners to suicide.

While debtors’ prisons are officially outlawed, poor workers are routinely held for their debts. A mother in Indiana was detained for three days in February in a squalid jail alongside convicts because of an unpaid ambulance bill, which she had never received in the mail. Such stories are common.

Under the Trump administration, extending the policies developed by Obama, the federal government is waging a war on immigrants, holding thousands of men, women and children in degrading conditions. Some 77,000 people were detained in February for seeking to cross the southern border. Immigrant workers are being hunted down and arrested in their homes and at their work places.

The cruelty of the American government was on full display this week when 280 undocumented workers were detained by federal agents in Allen, Texas. It was the largest such raid in more than a decade.

Then there is the unending wave of police killings, with more than 1,000 people shot, tased or beaten to death every year on the streets of American cities. Criminal charges for police killings are rare and convictions almost unheard of. Cops are given a green light to kill, maim and brutalize with impunity.

With boundless hypocrisy, Democrats and Republicans proclaim their outrage over alleged human rights violations in whatever country the American ruling class is targeting for regime change or invasion. They proclaim one of the most cruel and unequal societies in the world, where the three richest Americans control more wealth than the bottom half of the population, to be a beacon of democracy to the world.

If the conditions that exist in US prisons were exposed in Russia or China, there would be a hue and cry in the press and the halls of Congress for economic sanctions and “humanitarian” military intervention that would resound in the media.

Fifty years ago, a report such as that exposing the conditions in Alabama prisons would have been met, even within sections of the political and media establishment, with shock and demands for action, but today it passes with barely a murmur.

The Democratic Party is silent because it is complicit in the vast retrogression in conditions in US prisons. President Bill Clinton signed the legislation that paved the way for a historic increase in the prison population. The Democrats oversee a prison system in California that was found by the Supreme Court in 2011 to be “cruel and unusual” and in violation of the Constitution.

The upper-middle class, self-obsessed layers in and around the Democratic Party are disinterested. The promoters of the #MeToo campaign in the media and academia have nothing to say about sexual violence in American prisons, nor about the violence inflicted on immigrants fleeing to the United States.

The media has made as little as possible of the report, with no coverage on the major nightly news programs. As with the photos of abuse at Abu Ghraib and the Senate report on CIA torture, there has been an effort to suppress information of what is happening in Alabama. The New York Times and other media outlets have chosen not to publish most of the photos documenting abuse and death.

In the end, this is their state. The conditions of American prisons, and the overall apparatus of violence, is a noxious expression of the reality of American “democracy.” The state apparatus will be utilized in the suppression of social and political opposition to the demands of finance capital. It is the real face of American capitalism.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/0 ... s-a06.html

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