Prisons in the "free world" (as led by amerikkka, at least), are shitholes used to torture prisoners who refuse to bow down, or who have been trained to truly live by the laws of the free market. Of course, not everyone in jail is an innocent victim, but there are a very small percentage who are rapists, killers, or child molesters. Most are in due to the workings of the system, or property crimes. How many times have you seen the cops pulling over kids for riding their bikes on the sidewalk, or ticketing jaywalkers, or harassing kids for doing nothing? Too fucking many. In fact, last summer, I was walking up Pandora St., and the fuckers were giving these young kids shit for riding their bikes on the sidewalk, when there was dealing and using going on all over the fucking place. The kids looked freaked out, and only wanted to get the fuck away from there. Priorities.
Emergency Call! Join Us in Stopping Torture in U.S. Prisons!
May 12, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Tens of thousands of people imprisoned in the U.S. are being subjected to torturous, inhumane conditions. Many are:
- Held in long term solitary confinement; locked in tiny, windowless, sometimes sound proof, cells; cut off from fresh air and sunlight for 22-24 hours every day and given small portions of food that lacks basic nutritional requirements.
- Denied human contact and violently taken from their cells for petty violations.
- Put in solitary arbitrarily, often because of accusations of being members of prison gangs based on dubious evidence, and have no way to challenge the decisions of prison authorities to place them in solitary.
Many are forced to endure these conditions for months, years and even decades! Mental anguish and trauma often result from being confined under these conditions. Locking people down like this amounts to trying to strip them of their humanity.
These conditions fit the international definition of torture! This is unjust, illegitimate and profoundly immoral. WE MUST JOIN IN AN EFFORT TO STOP IT, NOW!
People imprisoned at Pelican Bay State Prison in California have called for a Nationwide Hunger Strike to begin on July 8, 2013. They have also issued a call for unity among people from different racial groups, inside and outside the prisons. People who are locked down in segregation units of this society's prisons, condemned as the "worst of the worst," are standing up against injustice, asserting their humanity in the process. We must have the humanity to hear their call, and answer it with powerful support!
A nationwide and worldwide struggle needs to be launched NOW to bring an end to this widespread torture before those in the prisons are forced to take the desperate step of going on hunger strikes and putting their lives on the line!
To the Government: We Demand an Immediate End to the Torture and Inhumanity of Prison House America—Immediately Disband All Torture Chambers. Meet the demands of those you have locked down in your prisons!
To People in this Country and Around the World: We Cannot Accept, and We Should Not Tolerate This Torture. Join the Struggle to End Torture in Prisons Now!
To Those Standing Up in Resistance Inside the Prisons: WE SUPPORT YOUR CALL FOR UNITY IN THIS FIGHT, AND WE WILL HAVE YOUR BACKS!
June 21, 22 and 23 Will Be Days of Solidarity With the Struggle to End Prison Torture!There will be protests, cultural events, Evenings of Conscience, sermons in religious services, saturation of social media—all aimed at laying bare the ugly reality of wide spread torture in U.S. prisons and challenging everyone to join in fighting to STOP it.
Tim Baldauf-Lenschen, student activist, University of Maryland
Fanya Baruti, Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People's Movement
Blasé Bonpane, Ph.D., Director OFFICE OF THE AMERICAS
Rev. Richard Meri Ka Ra Byrd, KRST Unity Center of Afrakan Spiritual Science
Susan Castagnetto, lecturer, Scripps College*, So. Cal.
M.J. Christian, Los Angeles
Marjorie Cohn, Professor, Thomas Jefferson School of Law and editor, "The United States and Torture: Interrogation, Incarceration, and Abuse"
Solomon Comissiong, Executive Director of Your World News
Randy Credico, impressionist and social comedian, NYC
Carl Dix, Revolutionary Communist Party, USA
Ever Ivan Florez, A victim of CDC
Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
Nicholas Heyward Sr., Father of Nicholas Heyward Jr., who was murdered by the NYPD in 1994
Robin D.G. Kelley, Professor of American History, UCLA
Wayne Kramer, Jail Guitar Doors USA
David Kunzie, Distinguished Professor, UCLA Emeritus
B.M. Marcus, Community Director, Community Advocate and Development Organization, Brooklyn
Marilyn McMahon, California Prison Focus
Travis Morales, Stop Mass Incarceration Network
Oscar Grant Foundation
Annabelle Parker, Prison Watch Network*
Joseph V.A. "Joe" Partansky, MBA, Former U.S. Army Mental Health Specialist and current advocate for persons with mental disabilities
Aidge Patterson, artist and activist, New York
Brian Pike, Universal Life Church rabbi
Prison Watch Network
Belinda Ramos, son serving life in a California State prison
Mary Ratcliff, SF Bay View
Roman Rimer
San Francisco Bay View, national Black newspaper
Peter Schey, President, Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
Zadik Shapiro, attorney
Dan Siegal, National Lawyers Guild*
Temitope S
Scott Trent, Guilford County, NC October 22nd Coalition
Uncle Bobby, Oscar Grant Foundation/Committee
Jim Vrettos, Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Robin Woerner, New Haven
Fanya Baruti, Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People's Movement
Blasé Bonpane, Ph.D., Director OFFICE OF THE AMERICAS
Rev. Richard Meri Ka Ra Byrd, KRST Unity Center of Afrakan Spiritual Science
Susan Castagnetto, lecturer, Scripps College*, So. Cal.
M.J. Christian, Los Angeles
Marjorie Cohn, Professor, Thomas Jefferson School of Law and editor, "The United States and Torture: Interrogation, Incarceration, and Abuse"
Solomon Comissiong, Executive Director of Your World News
Randy Credico, impressionist and social comedian, NYC
Carl Dix, Revolutionary Communist Party, USA
Ever Ivan Florez, A victim of CDC
Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report
Nicholas Heyward Sr., Father of Nicholas Heyward Jr., who was murdered by the NYPD in 1994
Robin D.G. Kelley, Professor of American History, UCLA
Wayne Kramer, Jail Guitar Doors USA
David Kunzie, Distinguished Professor, UCLA Emeritus
B.M. Marcus, Community Director, Community Advocate and Development Organization, Brooklyn
Marilyn McMahon, California Prison Focus
Travis Morales, Stop Mass Incarceration Network
Oscar Grant Foundation
Annabelle Parker, Prison Watch Network*
Joseph V.A. "Joe" Partansky, MBA, Former U.S. Army Mental Health Specialist and current advocate for persons with mental disabilities
Aidge Patterson, artist and activist, New York
Brian Pike, Universal Life Church rabbi
Prison Watch Network
Belinda Ramos, son serving life in a California State prison
Mary Ratcliff, SF Bay View
Roman Rimer
San Francisco Bay View, national Black newspaper
Peter Schey, President, Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
Zadik Shapiro, attorney
Dan Siegal, National Lawyers Guild*
Temitope S
Scott Trent, Guilford County, NC October 22nd Coalition
Uncle Bobby, Oscar Grant Foundation/Committee
Jim Vrettos, Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Robin Woerner, New Haven
*For identifications only
For more information and to join in this struggle contact the Stop Mass Incarceration Network at (347) 979-SMIN (7646) or at stopmassincarceration@gmail.com.
