Volunteers report rampant abuse at L.A. jail.

Good article from the L.A. Times - unfortunately it comes as no surprise, though. Sadly, no one believes it when the prisoners themselves say this stuff goes on all the time. Hopefully someone will actually be prosecuted on the testimony of these folks who took considerable risks to come forward with this information. Check out the background story on the FBI investigation of the jails and the original documents the article links to. We could use a few brave volunteers at the Maricopa county jails, too, since Sheriff Joe's deputies themselves are all too cowardly to report on their abusive colleagues...

- Arizona Prison Watch

-----------------------

Jail volunteers accuse deputies of abusing L.A. County prisoners

Three volunteers at Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles say in sworn declarations that sheriff's deputies abused inmates and that supervisors failed to take reports of the beatings seriously.

By Robert Faturechi
Los Angeles Times

September 28, 2011

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies brutalized inmates on multiple occasions and their supervisors failed to take complaints of the abuse seriously, according to sworn declarations from two chaplains and a Hollywood producer who volunteered in the jails.

Two of the volunteers said they heard deputies yell "stop fighting" as deputies pummeled inmates who appeared to be doing nothing to fight back.

The allegations come on the heels of Los Angeles Times stories detailing FBI probes into deputy misconduct in the jails. The declarations are expected to be filed in court Wednesday as part of a report compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is a court-appointed monitor of jailhouse conditions.

It's not uncommon for inmates to make allegations of abuse, but these sworn statements are noteworthy because all three are from independent civilians in the jails who say they came forward because they were troubled by what they saw. Two have included their names. The third, a chaplain whose identity was learned by The Times, opted to have his declaration filed anonymously at the last minute for fear of reprisal.

Sheriff Lee Baca did not return calls seeking comment.

In one declaration, Chaplain Paulino Juarez said he was ministering to an inmate at a cell inside Men's Central Jail on Feb. 11, 2009, when he heard thumps and gasps. He went toward the sounds and saw three deputies pounding an inmate pressed against the wall. Juarez said he believed the inmate was handcuffed because he never raised his hands to protect his face from the deputies' fists, instead shouting: "I am doing nothing wrong; please stop."

The inmate, Juarez said, collapsed face first. His "body lay limp and merely absorbed their blows." The deputies continued kicking for a minute, the chaplain said.

One deputy eventually turned and saw Juarez. "When we made eye contact, the deputy … had a nervous and surprised look on his face. Then he began making signs to the others with his hands, motioning them to stop the beating," according to the declaration.

Later, the chaplain noticed a pool of blood, 2 feet around. He recalled one sheriff's official yelling: "Check if he has HIV."

The chaplain filed a report at the time — reviewed this week by The Times — and was interviewed by Sheriff's Department investigators. In the weeks after he filed his complaint, he said passing deputies would call him "rat" and other insults. After hearing nothing for two years, Juarez reached out to the department and was granted a meeting with Baca.

The sheriff, Juarez recalled, said he had never heard about the incident.

"This happened two years ago and I'm only finding out about it now?" Baca asked his executive staff, according to the chaplain. Baca looked over the file, about 10 pages, and told the chaplain his investigators had determined the inmate was schizophrenic. Juarez said Baca told him that deputies had to punch the inmate a couple of times to get him into the cell. "Punches are allowed, but kicks are not allowed in my department," Baca said, according to Juarez.

According to the chaplain, Baca said his investigators determined the bruises were the result of being run over by a car before the inmate was incarcerated, not from a beating.

Michael Gennaco, who heads the Office of Independent Review, said in an interview with The Times on Tuesday that the investigation file was inconsistent with the chaplain's account. The inmate's medical records showed he had only a cut on his forehead, burning in his eyes and redness to his left elbow — injuries that don't match up with an extended beating.

Gennaco also said that the inmate told investigators that he was resisting and that he deserved the amount of force deputies used.

"Some of the allegations just simply don't match up with the other evidence," Gennaco said. "We've got to rely on evidence rather than mere allegations."

Scott Budnick, a producer for "The Hangover" movies and a former writing tutor at Men's Central Jail, also gave a sworn declaration about abuse he witnessed.

In 2009, he said he opened the door to the jailhouse chow hall, empty but for three deputies kicking and punching an inmate who fell to the floor. The deputies, he said, repeatedly yelled "stop resisting" even though the inmate wasn't.

On another occasion, in 2008, he said he was standing outside his class, when he saw a deputy stop an inmate for a strip search.

"I then saw the … deputy grab the inmate's head and smash his head into the wall, hard. It was so hard that I could hear an audible crack," Budnick stated.

The chaplain who opted to be anonymous described an incident on Feb. 9. He said he was on the third floor of Men's Central Jail filling his cart with Bibles and Christian literature when he heard deputies running and keys jangling. He then saw a group of deputies kicking an inmate face down on the ground with his hands behind his back. One deputy, the chaplain said, held the inmate's feet and legs, another had a knee on the inmate's neck, while the other deputies kicked his torso, the chaplain alleged.

"Chaplain, go inside!" he said one deputy yelled.

"I didn't go inside because I had heard too many inmates tell me about beatings that the deputies had inflicted on them and I wanted to observe what was happening with my own eyes," the chaplain said.

The allegations come as new details emerge about a flurry of federal scrutiny into the jails. The FBI has confirmed that it is looking into at least two inmate allegations of abuse. The bureau is also investigating a January incident in which an ACLU monitor said she witnessed two deputies beat an unconscious inmate for two minutes. According to sources, federal agents recently paid off a deputy in an undercover sting to smuggle a cellphone to an inmate who was secretly serving as an FBI informant.

Along with the jails, the feds are investigating a sheriff's captain suspected of being overheard on a wiretap of an alleged Compton drug ring. The U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights division also recently announced a wide-scale "pattern and practice" investigation into allegations that deputies in the Antelope Valley discriminated against minority residents who receive government housing assistance.

robert.faturechi@latimes.com

Rally and Protest Wednesday October 5, Noon to 2 Sacramento

RALLY & PROTEST, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5
NOON to 2 pm -- CDCR Headquarters, 1515 S Street, Sacramento
for more info and ride info: 415-238-1801

Hunger Strike Resumes, Hundreds Estimated to Join at Calipatria
prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com

September 26, 2011: Today, Prisoners at Pelican Bay’s Security Housing Unit (SHU) & Calipatria’s Administrative Segregation Unit (ASU) resume their hunger strike.

The strike this past July exposed the conditions and practices of Pelican Bay’s SHU. Referring to the first round of the hunger strike, Mutope Duguma (aka, James Crawford), a strike representative in Pelican Bay’s SHU writes, “This is far from over and once again, hopefully for the last time, we will be risking our lives via a peaceful hunger strike on Sept 26, 2011 to force positive changes. For 21 1/2 years we have been quietly held in Pelican Bay State Prison solitary confinement under some of the most horrible conditions known to man. So we continue to struggle to be treated like decent human beings.”

Now over 100 hunger strikers at Calipatria State Prison, in solidarity with the hunger strikers at Pelican Bay, are risking their lives to expose the conditions of the ASU at Calipatria. According to Calipatria ASU prisoners, roughly 80% of the prisoners in the ASUÂ have been given indefinite SHU terms, and are placed in this isolation unit to await transfer to one of California’s three other SHU’s for men, namely Pelican Bay. Most of the prisoners currently in Calipatria’s ASU have been waiting transfer for 3-4 years.

ASU prisoners at Calipatria have also reported that prison officials have not been implementing the changes addressed by the five core demands written by the hunger strikers at Pelican Bay even though the demands refer to all SHU-status prisoners throughout CA, not just at Pelican Bay. The prisoners at Calipatria are furthering the struggle to stop the torture and mistreatment of SHU prisoners by insisting the five core demands be effectively implemented for all SHU-status prisoners no matter what prison they are located in. Since many of the programs and privileges for prisoners varies from prison to prison, Calipatria hunger strikers have amended Demand #5 to include TV & radios as well as P.I.A soft shoes, privileges not already in place at Calipatria’s ASU.

In preparation for the hunger strike, Calipatria ASU prisoners have sent in medical requests for liquids while on strike, after having been denied liquids during the first round of the hunger strike in July. ASU Prisoners have also prepared by sending Calipatria’s warden their five core demands with their amendment to the 5th demand. According to letters from Calipatria ASU hunger strike participants, who prefer to remain unnamed, the strike is “a peaceful protest against CDCR’s inhumane solitary confinement and their insufficient and abusive [gang] validation process.”

A new way of life: VIsions of Abolition.

This woman rocks. Check out Susan Burton and A New Way of Life on the new Critical Resistance video: Visions of Abolition. Here's a preview:

------------via the Real Cost of Prisons' listserve--------------------

Women's prisons closures good fiscal, social policy
Timothy P. Silard, Jean Ross
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
San Fransisco Chronicle

After the death of her 5-year-old son, Susan Burton turned to drugs and ended up in California's criminal justice system.

Over the course of two decades, Burton's addiction caused her to cycle through California's prison system six times for drug offenses. She finally got help and turned her life around at a local rehabilitation center, not in prison. Today, Burton helps other formerly incarcerated women to permanently exit the system through A New Way of Life, a nonprofit in South Central Los Angles that she founded.

Burton and the women she works with are among the key groups that could be helped by the impending "realignment" of the corrections system, a groundbreaking effort to give counties - rather than the state - responsibility for managing low-level, nonviolent offenders. If implemented effectively, restructuring could result in one significant yet often overlooked solution to California's economic woes: closing one or more of the prisons used to house women.

California warehouses one of the largest populations of female prisoners in the world and also has the dubious distinction of being home to two of the world's largest women's prisons. Both in Chowchilla, these prisons cost our cash-strapped state $278 million a year. This reform presents an unprecedented opportunity to rapidly reduce the number of women sent to state prison and to shutter one or both of the women's institutions in Chowchilla.

More than half of the state's 9,500 female prisoners are classified as low risk, locked up for nonviolent and non-serious offenses. Under AB109, signed into law this year to implement the governor's plan for restructuring corrections as part of the budget agreement, these women would not be sentenced to state prison, but would instead be placed in county jail, drug-treatment programs, community service or other alternatives to state custody.

California desperately needs the savings that would be realized by closing down these facilities. For instance, saving a significant portion of that $278 million could offset a sizable share of the $650 million in budget cuts made to the California State University system in the recently passed state budget.

Reducing the state's population of female prisoners and closing down the facilities used to house them is not only fiscally prudent, it is also good public policy. These are women who often do not belong in state prison in the first place. Research shows that they are more likely to be victims of violent crimes than perpetrators, and 4 out of every 10 women behind bars have histories of being physically or sexually abused. Most of the women in California state prison are mothers, and many are single parents. Without the support these women need to successfully re-enter their communities and get off drugs, nearly 60 percent of them end up back in prison within three years. It's a frustrating revolving door that comes at an enormous cost to our budgets and to the lives of tens of thousands of women and children. The restructuring of corrections lays the groundwork for counties to pursue treatment, education, home detention and other alternatives to incarceration.

Now is the time for California to make a novel and bold move. A recent survey shows that a large majority of Californians are tired of bearing the burden of the "lock 'em up" approach to public safety that has driven criminal justice policy in California for years. And, after a nearly 40-year prison boom, 13 states - including Texas - have closed or are planning to shutter such facilities.

Let's commit now to full and effective implementation of realigning public-safety programs by providing treatment-based solutions for female offenders. Let's start planning to close state prisons that are no longer needed.


Timothy P. Silard is a former prosecutor and president of the Rosenberg Foundation, a statewide grant-making foundation based in San Francisco. Jean Ross is executive director of the Sacramento-based California Budget Project.

This article appeared on page A - 10 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Tortured SHU prisoners speak out: The struggle continues, hunger strike resumes Sept. 26

In: SF Bay View
September 13, 2011

CDCR not only refuses to meet hunger strikers’ demands but intends to condemn street gang members – in addition to alleged prison gang members – to SHU torture.

by Pelican Bay State Prison SHU hunger strike representatives

For the past 10-40 years, thousands of California prisoners have been confined in California Department of Corrections Security Housing Units (CDCR SHUs) indefinitely based on status – a gang label or active gang classification, based on innocuous association activity and allegations from confidential inmate informants. They have been demonized as the worst of the worst in order to justify decades of human rights violations – including state sanctioned torture for the purpose of breaking the prisoners and coercing them into becoming known informants for the state – thereby placing such prisoners and their families in serious danger of retribution, as well as the severe permanent physical and psychological pain and suffering to these long term SHU prisoners and their families – directly related to CDCR SHU policies and practices, all of which violate U.S. constitutional and international legal principles, as summarized in the prior formal complaint [2] and five core demands [3] available online.

As of September 2011, these SHU prisoners continue to be subjected to CDCR’s torturous human rights violations, in spite of the July 2011 peaceful protest via hunger strike, wherein thousands of prisoners of all races and groups united in their effort to bring mainstream exposure and force an end to such barbarous policies and practices. CDCR has responded with more propaganda, lies and vague double talk promises of change – in time.

SHU prisoners are dissatisfied with CDCR’s response to their formal complaint and five core demands and therefore will continue to resist via peaceful protest indefinitely, until actual changes are implemented as summarized below.

1. The Formal Complaint and Five Core Demands
Beginning Feb. 5, 2010, dozens of PBSP-SHU prisoners and their family members and friends began sending copies of the formal complaint to numerous lawmakers, CDCR Secretary Cate, and to many organizations. CDCR’s response was, “File an inmate appeal.” In May 2011, the formal complaint, “Notice of the Hunger Strike for July 1, 2011, and Five Core Demands,” was served on CDCR Secretary Cate and Pelican Bay Warden Lewis. There was no response. Notably, these documents were all posted online in March 2011.

2. The July 1 Hunger Strike and CDCR’s Responses
The hunger strike began on July 1 at PBSP SHU and quickly spread to other prisons. At one point more than 6,600 prisoners participated at 13 prisons across the state!

On July 14, 2011, CDCR Undersecretary Kernan spoke to the inmate representatives via phone conference, promising them that the five core demands would be addressed, with positive changes occurring over time. The reps asked Kerman to put details of the changes on paper for their review.

On July 15, 2011, the reps reviewed the documents provided by Kernan and determined the documents were not satisfactory because they were very vague and did not specify any changes of substance in relation to the five core demands.

On July 20, Kernan and additional CDCR administrators met with the inmate reps in the PBSP SHU parole board hearing room. Kernan made more assurances about positive changes to SHU policies being in the works and stated he would meet with the reps again in a couple of weeks in order to provide specifics as to each of the five core demands re changes and progress made. As well as agreeing that, other than adding an extra day of visiting each week, the rest of the demands re programs and privileges were reasonable and would be granted as a show of good faith on CDCR’s part.

All 14 of the hunger strike reps then met and discussed the proposals from Kernan and then decided to temporarily suspend the hunger strike, in order to give CDCR “a couple of weeks” grace period to keep their word on the five core demands, per Kernan’s request and assurances.

On Aug. 19, Kernan and other CDCR administrators met with the reps again to follow up on the July 20 assurances re specifically addressing the five core demands in detail.
[4] [photo: This protest against SHU torture was held in downtown San Francisco in 2002.]

Kernan did not have anything on paper to specifically address any of the five core demands. The meeting consisted of Kernan’s words – in very vague, general terms – about CDCR staff working to come up with some type of step down program for inmates to get out of SHU, which does not require debriefing or informant status, and Warden Lewis stating SHU inmates would soon be allowed to purchase sweat suits and have the use of a handball on the yard.

The reps pointed out that Kernan’s verbal, vague presentation was not what was agreed to on July 20. Kernan responded that “a step down program will be operational by the end of this year or early next year.”

The reps asked for specific details to be provided on paper to all SHU sections so all inmates can have something tangible in their hands, and Kernan eventually agreed to begin providing this documentation within two weeks. Instead, on Sept. 2, a memo dated Aug. 25, entitled “Gang Mgt. Proposal,” was only issued to the four principle reps; this document is again extremely vague and general. It is not adequate nor acceptable!

On Aug. 23, Kernan appeared before the California Assembly Public Safety Committee to answer questions re SHU policies and practices that were exposed to the world via the hunger strike. According to the transcript of this Aug. 23 hearing, Kernan was very vague, general, non-responsive and focused on propagating CDCR’s outright lies about PBSP SHU policies and the inmates subject to the torture therein. Examples are:

a. “The courts have found PBSP SHU policies meet constitutional standards.” This is false; see, e.g., Madrid v. Gomez 889 F. Sup. 1146, at 1270, fn 217; see also, Griffin v. Gomez; Lira v. Cate, cases cited in formal complaint! And Chambers v. Florida, 309, U.S. 227, at 237-328 (1940).

b. “SHU houses 3,000 prison gang generals, who spend 24/7 engaging in gang activity which threatens prison and public safety; and we need to isolate them in harsh conditions to prevent them from ordering other inmates to kill staff on sight,” etc., etc., etc. This is also false. There are no rule violation reports or criminal charges to support this claim!

c. When asked directly by the Assembly if “debriefing places the inmate and his family in danger,” Kernan failed to respond! Notably Kernan stated that one certainty is CDCR’s plan to expand the number of prisoners subject to solitary confinement torture by applying the policies and practices currently reserved for some suspected gang affiliates to encompass all inmates categorized as party to any type of “disruptive group”1 [5] – e.g., the tens of thousands of street gang affiliates in CDCR prisons as well as CDCR’s intent to continue to rely on information from “debriefing” inmates to keep other inmates in SHU indefinitely!

One certainty is CDCR’s plan to expand the number of prisoners subject to solitary confinement torture by applying the policies and practices currently reserved for some suspected gang affiliates to encompass all inmates categorized as party to any type of “disruptive group” – e.g., the tens of thousands of street gang affiliates in CDCR prisons – as well as CDCR’s intent to continue to rely on information from “debriefing” inmates to keep other inmates in SHU indefinitely!

On Aug. 31, PBSP SHU staff issued four memos addressing the allowance of the following: handballs on the yard; ability to purchase sweat suits; and, with one year free of disciplinary action and committee approval, the ability to get a yearly photo taken and purchase art pens and drawing paper from the prison canteen. While said memos were being passed out, a sergeant was loudly telling staff to start writing up all prisoners for any type of reason they can think of in order to prevent prisoners from getting their newly won privileges!

3. SHU Prisoners’ Dissatisfaction with CDCR’s Response to the Formal Complaint and Five Core Demands
PBSP SHU inmates have considered all facts and circumstances summarized above and remain united in our dissatisfaction with CDCR’s lack of specific substantive action on our five core demands. Our dissatisfactions are summarized below:

A. Re Core Demands Nos. 1-3

Our problem with CDCR’s response to core demands 1, 2 and 3 is this:

No. 1. We remain in SHU indefinitely, deprived of our basic human rights – based on illegal policies and practices that amount to torture; torture of us, as well as our family members and loved ones on the outside. CDCR remains in denial and continues to propagate the lies re “worst of the worst” 3,000 gang generals, etc. – in order to dehumanize and demonize us so as to maintain the status quo and “continue to hammer us,” per Secretary Cate’s press statement earlier this year and subject us to “harsh” conditions, per Kernan’s Aug. 23 testimony. These terms, “hammer” and “harsh” conditions, are used in place of the word torture – and the fact is, CDCR’s intent is to break us down, and coerce us into becoming state informants! A violation of international treaty law, period! This is not acceptable!

These terms, “hammer” and “harsh” conditions, are used in place of the word torture – and the fact is, CDCR’s intent is to break us down, and coerce us into becoming state informants!

CDCR has failed to produce any documentation re details of how their so called “step-down” program will work, who it will apply to, exceptions, exclusions etc.; and our problem is, “step down from what?” When someone has been in SHU deprived of normal human contact, especially the lack of any physical contact with family and loved ones for 10-40 years based on a “label” without being charged and found guilty of illegal gang activity; yet CDCR is dragging it out, coming with nothing but words and vague “proposals,” which indicate we will have to remain in SHU, jumping through a bunch of CDCR’s security hoops, to advance through “steps” in spite of three to 25-plus years free of any serious rule violations!

Plus, we’re certain that CDCR administrators have no intention of ever giving most of us in PBSP short corridor any real chance for general population!

No. 2. CDCR has made clear that one certainty is their plan to substantially expand on the use of “solitary confinement” via targeting all prisoners deemed “disruptive groups” (security threat groups), which is defined as “two or more inmates who are collectively deemed to be a security threat” – e.g., all street gang affiliates, prisoners deemed political-revolutionary etc., etc., etc. (see also CCR Title 15; sec. 3000 “Disruptive Behavior”), even those participating in a peaceful hunger strike. With CDCR’s history of abuse of policies re “prison gangs” in solitary confinement, it’s clear things will get worse, not better. This new policy is a way CDCR plans to maintain their staff and funding status quo, in response to the Plata order to reduce prison population. It costs nearly double to house prisoners in solitary confinement!

CDCR has made clear that one certainty is their plan to substantially expand on the use of “solitary confinement” to all street gang affiliates, prisoners deemed political-revolutionary, even those participating in a peaceful hunger strike. With CDCR’s history of abuse of policies re “prison gangs” in solitary confinement, it’s clear things will get worse, not better.

Our position is CDCR’s “plans” to date are not acceptable and are another example of their intent to maintain and expand on “solitary confinement” and demonstrate a failure of the entire CDCR management to make positive reforms! And all long term SHU inmates should be released to general populations! ASAP!

No. 3. Also, the medical care problems re core demand No. 3 have not been resolved! All PBSP SHU inmates suffering from chronic disease and denied adequate care at PBSP due to deliberate indifference and efforts to coerce them to debrief should all be transferred to New Folsom Medical SHU while waiting to be released to general population!

B. Re Core Demand No. 4

This issue concerns our poor diet, small portions – all watered down, dirty trays, etc. and has not been fixed. In fact, it’s gotten worse since we came off the hunger strike on July 20! This lack of adequate nutritional food and vitamins causes all of us to lack energy and harms our mental and physical health – which greatly increases medical care costs! Plus our lack of sunlight and related lack of vitamin D is a problem too. We need better food and portions, clean trays and ability to purchase healthy food items and nutritional supplements ASAP!

C. Re Core Demand No. 5
[6]
[This drawing by a prisoner in the Pelican Bay SHU shows the corridor where he lives. Mutope Duguma (s/n James Crawford), who wrote several stories published by the Bay View, including “The Call” that announced the hunger strike and “Pelican Bay SHU prisoners plan to resume hunger strike Sept. 26,” published on Sept. 1, lives in cell 117, which appears to be at the lower left. – Photo courtesy California Prison Focus]

There remains a problem with many of our program and privilege examples listed on demand No. 5 not being implemented – e.g., phone calls, canteen and package issues, TV and radio channels, extra visiting time. What about the ability to get photos in visiting room, wherein c/o (correctional officer) takes picture of inmate and visitors thru the glass? And the ones that have been implemented in PBSP SHU have been done in a way that it makes it real hard for most inmates to get a photo or art pens and drawing paper because the warden has stated via memos that inmates have to have one year free of disciplinary write-ups, and they must first “have to be approved by committee.” Kernan’s Aug. 29 memo to all SHU wardens does not say inmates “need to go to committee” for these!

And having to get sweat suits in yearly packages equals another 40-50 ounces of weight, which means less food items! This weight for non-food items takes a lot out of food amount; then you add all the packaging (e.g. box etc.), and we will end up with very little food items in our packages – e.g. packaging (50 ounces), tennis shoes (50 ounces), sweat pants, shirt, shorts (40 ounces), thermals (18-20 ounces) equals 158 ounces of a maximum weight of 480 ounces! An easy fix for these non-food items is that PBSP can return to their old policy of allowing us to purchase all “non-food” items through special purchases, just like we continue to be allowed to do when ordering books and periodicals. Note: The old policy was that we were allowed to order non-food items from an approved vendor once a year through Special Purchase.

In closing, to all SHU prisoners and all our outside supporters,2 [7] we wanted to let you know, as you can see from this, that this fight is far from over. And once again, hopefully for the last time, we will be risking our health and lives via a peaceful hunger strike, starting on Sept. 26, 2011, to force positive changes. None of us want to go on another hunger strike, but we are forced to by CDCR’s actions and non-actions as described herein. Thus, more than ever, we still need your support to contact the governor etc. to force CDCR to make fair and reasonable changes to their policies as indicated here. Thank you all very much!

Respectfully and in solidarity,

From all PBSP SHU hunger strike representatives

Note from Penny Schoner, who received and typed this letter:

This is a letter we received Sept. 9, 2011, “Tortured SHU Prisoners Speak Out.” Sept. 8 and 9 last week, a recent law school graduate and I went on a legal visit to Pelican Bay and interviewed 15 men over two days. We were given the attached letter by two of the hunger strike representatives, showing that there is solidarity among short corridor prisoners to resume the strike on Sept. 26, because the abuse by prison staff has become so extreme. As we talked with men from other blocks, they also told us of how conditions are worsening in the SHU and that they back the five demands and are ready to strike. We interviewed all races of men.

At the end of the “Tortured SHU Prisoners Speak Out” letter it says, “From all PBSP SHU hunger strike representatives,” and from other communications we know that there are 14 of them. The letter is an analysis of the recent memos that were issued by the CDC and explains how the changes that the CDC is proposing will allow them to keep their budget intact.

What made this hunger strike a major action was that all races came together in the SHU, and then at least 6,600 prisoners over the state agreed and joined in. It really challenged the CDC on the contrived ways they divide people in order to justify high salaries by accusing them of gang associations. This is the first time, since the Panthers urged people to forget racism, that these false, destructive ways to divide prisoners have been exposed and fought against on such a broad scale.

The cruelty at many of the large prisons has increased terribly in the last two years. At Pelican Bay, it has gotten much worse this year, and the men decided to strike because they could not live in these conditions any longer.

The blog to watch is www.prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com [8] and it needs to be publicized.

The prisoners are asking that we send the “Tortured Prisoners Speak Out” letter to the Legislature, the press and any other entity to bring attention to the widespread abuse in the California state prisons. Write letters and include a copy of the letter and the five demands.

Note from Marilyn McMahon, executive director of California Prison Focus
This is a new declaration from the Pelican Bay prisoner representatives, announcing their intention to resume the hunger strike on Sept. 26. The stakes are even higher than they were in July, as these prisoners are more determined than ever to end the torture of long-term isolation, and I believe some will endure forcefeeding or even continue fasting to the death if necessary for their cause.

CDCR, too, has signaled that “round 2” will be different. Secretary Matthew Cate has said CDCR will “hammer” the prisoners if they hunger strike again; many if not all hunger strike participants have received write-ups documenting their participation and promising “progressive discipline” for any “reoccurrence”; participants have suffered apparent retaliation such as destructive cell searches at 4 a.m., blocking of incoming and outgoing mail, and false assault charges.

One thing this means is that California Prison Focus is going to be busier than ever in the days to come, and your involvement is very welcome! We need volunteers to read and log prisoner correspondence, to visit prisoners at Pelican Bay and perhaps other prisons, to do legal and other research, to help plan prison visits, organize events and rallies, write leaflets, arrange carpools, update our website, write reports, make copies, file stuff – you name it, we need help with it! If you have some extra time and energy (or money, also accepted!), please be in touch. You can contact me directly at marilyn@prisons.org [9].

There will be upcoming trainings for volunteers handling prisoner correspondence and for legal volunteers to do prison visits. These two areas are our communications lifelines to know what is happening inside. Email me to get notifications of these trainings.

Please be in touch with CPF and/or the coalition, Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity. Our websites are good sources of information. For background and ongoing updates on the hunger strike issues, see prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com [10]. For info on CPF events, volunteering, and the hunger strike, see www.prisons.org [11].

See California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Section 3000, “Disruptive Group-1 means any gang, other than a prison gang.” [↩ [12]]
“People,” what’s right is right, and we the people should not and will not compromise ours and families’ health, safety and security to let CDCR continue to violate our human and constitutional rights and U.S. international law. This is wrong, and we the people need to end these evil inhumane violations! If not now, when? The time is now! [↩ [13]]

Article printed from San Francisco Bay View

URL to article: http://sfbayview.com/2011/tortured-shu-prisoners-speak-out-the-struggle-continues-hunger-strike-resumes-sept-26/

URLs in this post:

[1] Image: http://sfbayview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Pelican-Bay-hunger-strike-rally-CDCR-HQ-Sacramento-071811-by-Grant-Slater-KPCC.jpg

[2] formal complaint: http://www.prisons.org/documents/CPF-37.pdf

[3] five core demands: http://sfbayview.com/2011/the-call-hunger-strike-to-begin-july-1/

[4] Image: http://sfbayview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/SHU-protest-2002.jpg

[5] 1: #footnote_0_23901

[6] Image: http://sfbayview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Pelican-Bay-SHU-prisoners-drawing-from-Cal-Prison-Focus.bmp

[7] 2: #footnote_1_23901

[8] www.prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com

[9] marilyn@prisons.org: mailto:marilyn@prisons.org

[10] prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com

[11] www.prisons.org

[12] ↩: #identifier_0_23901

[13] ↩: #identifier_1_23901

[14] This hunger strike is far from over: http://sfbayview.com/2011/this-hunger-strike-is-far-from-over/

[15] URGENT: Hunger strikers’ health rapidly deteriorating: http://sfbayview.com/2011/urgent-hunger-strikers-health-rapidly-deteriorating/

[16] Hunger strike in the supermax: Pelican Bay prisoners protest conditions in solitary confinement: http://sfbayview.com/2011/hunger-strike-in-the-supermax-pelican-bay-prisoners-protest-conditions-in-solitary-confinement/

[17] Strike updates: Stop prison torture at Pelican Bay: http://sfbayview.com/2011/strike-updates-stop-prison-torture-at-pelican-bay/

[18] Action update: California admits 6,600 prisoners are on hunger strike: http://sfbayview.com/2011/action-update-california-admits-6600-prisoners-are-on-hunger-strike/

Voices From Solitary: Pelican Bay Hunger Strike Was “the Only Way to Get the Word Out” About Prison Abuses

From: SolitaryWatch:
Sept 6, 2011

by Sal Rodriguez

The following is excerpted from a letter from Alfred Sandoval, a Pelican Bay SHU inmate and one of the original leaders and participants in this summer’s three-week hunger strike. Addressed to “All Media, Prisons Supporters, etc.,” it was written on June 26th, a few days before the strike began. Sandoval describes his own experiences, and outlines a series of abuses and factors that he feels made the hunger strike necessary.

Let me begin with a quote “The degree of civilization may be judges by entering its prisons.”

As a prisoner housed in the isolation control unit known as the “Short Corridor” of Pelican Bay State Prison, D-Facility SHU, I decided to write and expose and hopefully bring attention to the daily abuses being committed by administrators and correctional officers as part of a concerted effort lead by the Office of Correctional Security (OCS) to psychologically and physically “break” prisoners by any means.

In 2001 I was transferred to this gulag from San Quentin’s Death Row where I had spent approximately 15 years in the adjustment center. On the first day I arrived, I was told in no uncertain terms that I would “die here one way or another” and that I was “a cancer to be cut out.” I went out to court and was returned in 2003. When I got my property I happened across a confidential memorandum that had somehow got mixed in with my legal materials. The title read “The Function of the Control SHU units” and went on to outline a plan of attack for prison administrators and “Investigation” units. ISU, IGI, LEIU to follow. Cited was “the function is to reduce prisoners to the state of submission essential for their ideological conversion…that failing, the next step is to reduce them to a state of psychological incompetence sufficient to neutralize them as efficient self-directed antagonists…That failing, the only alternative is to destroy them. Preferably by making them desperate enough to destroy themselves.”

In approximately 2005, before the OCS was formally created, the then secure state security unit (SSU) and various members of gang investigation units throughout the State of California compiled a list of alleged prison gang members to be targeted for various degrees of abuses to be “broken.”

First isolation: Control and restrict all information. In January 2006 approximately 200-2500 prisoners were “rehoused” into a special isolation control unit which is the “Short Corridor” of D-Facility and then the underground confidential restrictions began; all mail, including legal…are rerouted to the IGI unit. Legal mail is routinely opened illegally and regular generally mail is stopped, delayed or …even retuned to sender without notification. Numerous family members and friends of these prisoners have received anonymous letters and phone calls warning them of “being used by gang members” in an attempt to create friction and further isolate the prisoners.

Another underground “regulation” is no talking. Prisoners are routinely disciplined via 115 Rule Violation Report, the alleged violation is “refusing a direct order” and 128 Information Chronos are written and cite “gang activities” which can be just saying hello to a neighbor and these fabrications are used to deny inactive status, deny visits, take canteen privileges or television for up to 90 days. These punishments depend on everything and nothing. Arbitrary is the word…Even visitors lose their right to speak to other visitors and the IGI and ISU routinely goosestep through the visiting room and even ride in the visitors bus as an intimidation tactic.

Second, medical care is intentionally denied and withheld under the “debrief or die” doctrine and the gang unit oversees medical procedures with the chief medical officer, medical hardships are denied and prisoners are routinely questioned while under anesthesia by members of the IGI because of this many prisoners refuse necessary medical procedures. Even the psyche visits are monitored by the IGI unit and I was told by a psychologist that the IGI had asked him to disclose our conversation, he stated that he refused, but I believed that was because it was a court ordered observation. But the chief medical officer allows the gang unit to review prisoners confidential medical files…

Third, food is routinely served on dirty trays, portions are small and a lot of the food is spoiled, overcooked-burnt and undercooked, beans and rice is often crunchy. Since January an average of five days a week some of the prisoners can be heard yelling that the bread is green, the SHU cook told prisoners to notify the C/O serving the meals and the C/O will decide if the food should be replaced. If you were to read the menu, you would be led to believe that prisoners are being served government meals but in reality most is inedible. For example vegetarian meals are basically three items, beans, cheese and peanut butter. The baked beans are also called canned vege beans, seasoned beans, the pinto beans are also Mexican beans, refried beans, seasoned beans also, chili beans and just beans. The portions can be ridiculous! At times you can actually count the number of beans, vegetables and even noodles and the C/O will refuse to notify the kitchen or replace the food. One C/O testified on behalf of a prisoner’s civil rights complaint and the court ordered PBSP to serve proper portions in accordance with federal guidelines of caloric daily intake. Even after that court order, PNSP routinely serves small or spoiled portions on a 602 complaint one prisoner was actually told that it’s the “weekly” caloric intake that matters, so prisoners can go hungry for a day or to and good a good portion of greasy food which will add calories. I am one of the fortunate prisoners that is able to supplement by meals with canteen items such as beans and top ramen-cup-a-soup. Actually, those prisoners that can’t are extremely thin. But their weight loss will rarely be documented because the weight scale in the D-Medical clinic is off by at least ten pounds.

Code of Silence; prisoners submit 602 grievance forms on a daily basis. I have over one hundred documented with approximately two being granted but I am sure that you may have heard of the code of silence which was exposed in California Senate Hearings on Abuse within the CDCR. Well it does exist and prisoners who file complaints can expect the 602 form to be routinely denied, rejected or just disappear. The Appeals coordinator will and does refuse to even process complaints….This is a department wide problem but here at PBSP there is an underground order to all staff to deny 602’s or “partly” grant them thereby guaranteeing litigation.

You must remember that this is the prison that actually boiled a prisoner, the Madrid V. Gomez case, had officers… orchestrating assaults and murders of inmates and these and much more incidents were investigated by the Internal Affairs of PBSP and in 2006 the Office of Inspector General cited that the Internal Affairs of PBSP would turn a blind eye to abuses and mistreatment of prisoners by C/O Staff which is the code of silence. Since 2006, when the “Short Corridor” was unofficially created, there have been hundreds of incidents of cell doors being opened ”intentionally” and “accidentally” but only those where prisoners fought are mentioned and documented and used as “evidence” of the worse of the worst. I believe that most of these “incidents” have been orchestrated because I have overheard C/O’s talking about how they were unable to shoot prisoners because they only stood at their assigned cell doors.

Assaults on restrained/handcuffed prisoners by C/O staff is routinely covered-up by actually charging the prisoner with battery. Assault on staff, resisting or any of a handful of possible charges. Usually if the assaulted prisoner has the audacity to submit a complaint, he will be charged and targeted for more harassment by other C/O staff. Here in this block there is a “crew” of C/O’s who tell us “You fucked up by filing that 602,” and proceed to tear up the cells. That’s just the way it is.

Personally I expect all kinds of harassment during and before the planned hunger strike, as the department does not want the exposure and bad press. But it’s the only way to get the word out and expose the filth that is the administration of Pelican Bay State Prison.