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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCA Prisoner HUNGER STRIKE DAY 16: CDCR Refuses to Negotiate, Strikers Issue New Statement
(from yesterday)
http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/hunger-strike-day-16-cdcr-refuses-to-negotiate-strikers-issue-new-statement/
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity
Oakland, July 23, 2013 With the California prisoner hunger strike in its 3rd week, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and medical receiver officials agreed to meet with a mediation team working on behalf of the hunger strikers. While the mediators were hopeful that the CDCR would discuss negotiations around the strikers demands, they were quickly disappointed and dismayed by the CDCRs conduct.
The CDCR refused to let family members of strikers who are part of our team join in the discussions, they refused to negotiate or even address the strikers five demands, and they failed in any way to appreciate the urgency of this situation, said mediator Ron Ahnen. The mediation teams meeting with the federal health receivers office overseeing the California prison system left some assurances that the strikers would receive due medical care and left open prospects for future communication and discussions.
This is a matter of life and death for both the strikers and their families, said mediator Barbara Becnel. We object in the strongest possible terms to the complacency of the CDCR. Mediators have urged CDCR Secretary Beard to meet with them as soon as possible. His office has yet to respond.
Meanwhile strikers being held in Administrative Segregation at Pelican Bay Prison are reported to be feeling strong and in high spirits. They issued a statement today, which reads:
Greetings of solidarity and respect to all of our supporters, all people of conscience around the world, and all similarly situated prisoners. You should know that once again our peaceful protest is making history, bringing international attention to our collective efforts to bring an end, once and for all, to the inhumane conditions and torture of indefinite solitary confinement.
We are being tortured each day by state officials (Governor Brown, his appointee CDCR Secretary Beard, and all his underlings). Increased retaliation has been perpetuated upon defenseless and starving prisoners who only seek what any human being strives forhumane treatment, dignity, equality, and justice for our families, loved ones, and ourselves.
These are the fundamental rights of all people, including those incarcerated by the state.
We are doing all we can, together with our outside supporters, to bring about a positive changes.
Gov. Brown is not above the will of the people of California, and if he refuses to recognize the legitimacy of our human and civil rights struggle against the practices of this prison system, then it is the responsibility of the federal government and President Obama to use their powers to stop the harm being done to thousands of prisoners being held in solitary confinement.
CDCR officials are attempting to undermine the voluntary actions of prisoners who truly want better treatment and living conditions by wrongfully accusing us of forcing tens-of-thousands of prisoners across California, along with our supporters in the free world, to participate in our protest. Prisoners across the state are participating because of the inhumane conditions they are being subjected to. As HUMAN BEINGS prisoners are collectively resisting such treatment, and they are doing so peacefully. The attempted repression of our protest has not broken our spirits. In fact it has only helped to strengthen each of usindividually and collectively. Despite CDCRs retaliations and propaganda, we remain steadfast in our commitment. We will see our peaceful hunger strike through to victory, even if this requires us to endure the torture of force-feeding. We believe at this point in our struggle we are prepared to do what is necessary in order for Gov. Brown and the CDCR to realize how serious we are, and how far and long we are willing to go to have our reasonable demands implemented.
We are hopeful that all those brave men and women across the state who are participating in this strikeall who are able health-wisewill be encouraged to issue public statements of their own, via media outlets across the country, letting the world know why they have taken part in this historic, collective struggle.
In closing, we want to inform the world that this hunger strike is far from over. We are in it for the long haul. Thus, we strongly urge Gov. Brown to return from his get-away vacation overseas and deal urgently with this crisis before more prisoners suffer serious health damage or death. If any deaths do occur, the responsibility for them will fall squarely on Brown and the CDCR in their callousness and inaction.
We believe that we will prevail.
In Solidarity,
PBSP-SHU Short Corridor Representatives
- Todd Ashker, C-58191, PBSP-SHU, D4-121
- Arturo Castellanos, C-17275, PBSP-SHU, D1-121
- Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa (Dewberry), C-35671, PBSP-SHU,D1-117
- Antonio Guillen, P-81948, PBSP-SHU, D2-106
Share this:
Call the Department of Corrections new public hotline number to voice your concerns and support
of the hunger strikers: 916-324-3397.
CALL GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN
Phone: (916) 445-2841, (510) 289-0336, (510) 628-0202
Fax: (916) 558-3160
Suggested script:
Im calling in support of the prisoners on hunger strike. The
governor has the power to stop the torture of solitary confinement. I
urge the governor to compel the CDCR to enter into negotiations to
end the strike. RIGHT NOW is their chance to enter into clear,
honest negotiations with the strikers to end the torture.
************************************
California holds nearly 12,000 people in extreme isolation at a cost of over $60 million per year. The cells have no windows, and no access to fresh air or sunlight. The United Nations condemns the use of solitary confinement for more than 15 days as torture, yet many people in California state prisons have been encaged in solitary for 10 to 40 years!
In 2011, over 12,000 prisoners and their family and community members participated in statewide hunger strikes protesting the inhumane conditions in the SHU. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) promised meaningful reform. In February 2013, prisoners announced that another hunger strike would begin July 8th because of CDCRs failure to fulfill that promise.
Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)I have absolutely no doubt in my mind. It is a technique used by many despots throughout history.
annm4peace
(6,119 posts)from
http://solitarywatch.com/
"Meanwhile, media outlets are reporting that CDCR has denied media access to the hunger strikers, a policy it followed during the hunger strikes of 2011. On Tuesday, according to the LA Times, CDCR officials met with outside advocates of the hunger strikers, though the meeting was purely informational and was not a negotiation, leaving advocates frustrated."
Solitary Watch has received a confirmation of a previous report that sandbags are being placed at the doors of hunger strikers at California Correctional Institution, Tehachapi. They have placed sandbags and milk crates with sandbags in front of cell doors, writes a family member of a hunger striker, those participating in hunger strike were placed on canteen restriction for next month. The Public Information Officer at California State Prison, Corcoran, also confirmed this practice at his institution. Pelican Bay State Prisons PIO has repeatedly refused to answer questions, telling Solitary Watch to refer to Terry Thornton. Folsom State Prisons PIO responds to emails from Solitary Watch with the terse Please contact OPEC at (916) 445-4950.
stranger81
(2,345 posts)and he's not in good shape, but nowhere near ready to quit. Prison staff has the A/C cranked up to keep the strikers as uncomfortable as possible. Instead of being weighed and having vitals checked every day, strikers are being evaluated by medical professionals only once every 4-5 days. As has been reported, staff has also confiscated all food and beverage items from the canteen from strikers' cells. Some are already too weak to even make it to the yard or leave their cells.
Solidarity with the strikers, and hoping for a good outcome without any loss of life.