Beginning July 1st
We must see our present fight right through to the very end.
Bobby Sands – Died May 5th, 1981 The revolutionary spirit of freedom of starvation
Conditions in most of Americans isolated prisoners is bleak, mind bending cruelty and the inmates at Pelican Bay are taking it to a level of starving them selves to death to draw attention to the conditions.
In Tehachapi SHU as well as Pelican Bay the inmates get no phone calls, no mirror, are not allowed a real tooth brush, there is no end to the list. the Recreation time mandated by law is ignored So these Human beings are kept from other people and exercise And unless they can buy a TV there is none.The Hunger strike begins July the 1st. Getting into the SHU is very easy. Once in it’s nearly impossible to get out.
Now I ask you all if some of these men get out of prison after years of being treated like an animal, without skills or programs for rehabilitation what do you think will happen?
We are at 8,000,000 incarcerated or monitored
A friend from prisonforum
wrote me the following from “Makes me nauseous. Its just about jobs- the new slavery- funnel the lower classes into prisons- they are worth 20 to 80 thousand dollars to the system as prisoners. This is the main point of our last newsletter in WI- as long as they keep the myth of MURDERS AND RAPISTS going- there is a free ride for the prison system”
a man living the nightmare in Pelican Bay his girlfriend wrote me the following
“He has not eaten an orange in over 7 years…has not hugged or touched anyone,,, and cannot have a picture taken of him to share with others… he cannot get his basic needs met without outside help and then it is severely and arbitrarily limited”
Continue Reading @Paul Free Weblog
Prison Reform Movement's Weblog- America: Land of the Free, Home of the Incarcerated 
Okay, they are choosing to go on a hunger strike. These are grown men. They have that right. As for the conditions: If being in a cell with meals brought to your door, free television, the best medical money can buy, the best psychological help money can buy, social interaction with at least 6 other people you are housed with, if that is what we call torture now, then most of the world is being MORE than tortured. Probably 50% of the world live in worse conditions than these prisoners, and most people in America cannot have surgery for a $5 copay. Most people in America do not have the luxury of having a psychologist standing by to be able to talk to. Most people do not have guards standing by to protect them (even if it is from themselves). If homeless people knew how good it is in the prison system they would commit a crime just to get there. There is little to compare..what I just mentioned to sleeping in the rain and digging through dumpsters. Most people in the world would say, “If this is torture, sign me up!”
I am sure this is how torture is used to be…. let’s see shall we grow bamboo up their foot, subject them to electrical current, smash various body parts with a hammer?.. no no,, I KNOW WHAT WILL MAKE HIM TALK!! PUT HIM IN A CELL WITH NO WINDOW!! SERIOUSLY? Words like torture, gulags, inhumane and barbaric are extremely inappropriate and flat out misleading in regards to our prison system. Should we give them 2500 SQ. Ft. cells with a hot tub and bowflex in them? How about professionally catered meals by world famous chefs? Final note.. how can you have a cell mate in “solitary confinement”? SHU is NOT solitary confinement. Solitary confinement does not exist in the California prison system.. This whole thing is blown completely out of proportion for the simple reason that people are believing what these inmates tell them. The bottom line is they are manipulating gullible people into trying to get more than what they have. It is just a big game. Most of these individuals are eating the whole time and claiming to be on a hunger strike. Simply feeding misinformation to the media via family members etc. If you want a good cause to get behind how about orphans and widows?
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solitary confinement
–noun
the confinement of a prisoner in a cell or other place in which he or she is completely isolated from others.
isolated
–adjective
separated from other persons or things; alone; solitary.
Um, just not seeing how you can call the SHU solitary confinement. Complete isolation would mean unable to hear, see or communicate with another person. So, if you have another inmate living in the cell with you, explain to me how on earth this is even remotely close to “solitary confinement”. Not only that, even if you do not have a cell mate, there are seven other cells in a pod. Other people can hear you from their cell. They can carry on a conversation. So, maybe you should check out the facts for yourself. I will not belittle you, but it is wise to make sure you know what you believe is true before you put someone else down.
I don’t see this as a very worthy cause. Why not take up the plight of our homeless or orphans? These men made their choice. If you continue in criminal activity, whatever it is, you are not contributing to society. As far as the third strike law is concerned, I think it is a good idea. If you know you might go to prison for the rest of your life for stealing a bike, maybe you should think about working with your hands and living a productive life. The very fact that someone would be willing to steal a bike, risking prison, shows that they don’t think prison is that bad. It is not a deterrent because for most of these individuals, it is better than they had it on the streets. So, for them, there is no down side. Continue a life of crime if you don’t get caught, great! If you do get caught, great! I agree we do spend way to much on our prison system. You don’t see a lot of crime in the Middle East. If you steal, you can lose an arm. If you murder, you are executed. No sitting on death row for 50 years. If you ask me, the whole life sentence thing is cruel and unusual. It should be an eye for an eye. You murder, you get executed, period. The sentence should be carried out within a week. That would be a deterrent. People would then think twice about doing crimes. As it stands, prison is a joke. It is just part of the criminal game.
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SHU is very much solitary confinement! and let me tell you- there have been MANY who have been inside to see the conditions, from lawyers,activists & advocates as well as family members….while you make some valid points, your comments indicate how little you really know of the 10 BILLION dollar a year CA prison industry…..and if your a CA resident-thats where your tax dollars are going….since your here, continue to read…..and maybe gain some insight……
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I noticed something. All of these claims are from prisoners. Prisoners said this, prisoners said that. So we are to take their word for it? If they said the guards were pulling them out of their cells every hour and beating them for being on a hunger strike would this be taken as gospel? I have yet to see an article from a non- prisoner who has seen the prison conditions for themselves. These individuals are not in prison for being honest, kind, gentle, moral, etc. If being in a cell with meals brought to your door, free television, the best medical money can buy, the best psychological help money can buy, social interaction with at least 6 other people you are housed with, if that is what we call torture now, then most of the world is being MORE than tortured. Our military does not eat as well as these prisoners. If homeless people on the street knew how well they would be taken care of in prison they would commit a crime just to get there. Should I live on the street going through dumpsters or should I go to prison with a roof over my head, and meals brought to me? Probably 50% of the world live in worse conditions than these prisoners, and most people in America cannot have surgery for a $5 copay. Most people in America do not have the luxury of having a psychologist standing by to be able to talk to. Most people do not have guards standing by to protect them (even if it is from themselves). Inside prison you do not hear the cries of ones being “tortured” you hear laughter and lively banter in the pods. You hear cheering as their sports team score on the television. You hear conversations of life on the streets etc. Most people in the world would say, “If this is torture, sign me up!”
Final note.. how can you have a cell mate in “solitary confinement”? SHU is NOT solitary confinement.
Torture seemed to be a little more harsh in the past. Now I guess torture is redefined. I can see it in a movie now. “Talk or I will put you in a cell with no window!!” Boy oh boy that should do it!
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Susapena
James 4:6 “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:12 “There is one Lawgiver (God), who is able to save and destroy. Who are you to judge another?”
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July 14, 2011
In reply to the comment re “murderers, molesters and rapists” starving themselves, well, that is just a general, blanket stereotype statement given by someone who obviously is biased and ignorant of facts. My brother rec’d a 35-year sentence in accordance with the Third Strike Law. His third strike offense was stealing a bike from an open garage, which was charged as a burglary instead of petty theft. At his trial he had incompetent counsel and was denied a change of attorneys at a Marsden Hearing. My family did not own property to use as collateral for the hiring of private counsel. There was a law that almost passed a few years back that would have allowed prisoners with non-violent felonies such as my brother’s to be let free. But advocates of the three strikes law, including former Governor Wilson who signed into law the Three Strikes Law, and Governor Schwarzenegger aired on TV a commercial showing very seedy looking characters behind bars, saying: Do you want to let “these people” out into society. This is how that law that almost got my brother released was voted against by the public.
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I took a look at the prisoner’s demands on Wikipedia. Most of their demands seem reasonable, and in some cases likely mandated by existing law. Yeah, there’s some BS in there (e.g. “More TV channels”). Some demands such as the end to all long-term solitary confinement go too far, and ignore the reason why these measures exist in the first place. For the most part they seem reasonable, and I believe there are significant problems forcing the inmates to react in this manner.
I think most people realize that, even though inmates have committed crimes, they are still human beings. Some inmates will change their behavior in prison, and some will not. Long-term isolation is probably necessary in some cases to protect staff and inmates, but it should only be used for that purpose. If people are being confined to SHU for any reason other than this, it is unjust. Solitary confinement should only be used as a last resort.
Their most important (realistic) demand centers on the process where inmates are classified as gang members. Although the debriefing process must be frightening to inmates, if properly classified as a gang member in the first place, it would be a situation they put themselves in. However, if innocent inmates are wrongly classified as gang members and forced to debrief, the justice system has now placed an innocent person (possibly their families) in a potentially life threatening situation. That is unacceptable.
I understand some of the challenges related to the pervasive influence of prison gangs, but the solution isn’t to throw everyone into segregation. There are also larger issues here. Education, poverty, racism, and the inequities in the broader justice system are just some of the issues that need to be addressed. Something is deeply wrong with a first-world nation that confines as many of its citizens as our does, and under such conditions.
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Oh yes they are starving as they stuff their mattresses with $130 a month canteen consisting of hoe hoes and zingers. Give me a break what crap. Murders, molesters, rapist going hungry oh my, boring. The warden should charge them for their waste of food and feed the hogs. I am more concerned about the trail of victims behind them, they are attorney fodder nothing more. Wake up you Marin County, Berkley, San Francisco libs if you really want to help pick them up at the gate when they parole feed them and cloth them and let them play with your kids and you will learn more after you become a victim. PS the 49ers will loose…
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Christine….. i feel your pain!!!! It’s a mutual feeling in my case it’s my brother and haven’t seen him in almost 10 years…. the last time i did was through glass window can’t hug him hold him it’s so unfair!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😦 Im finally going up there to visit him wow almost 10 yrs and still can only see him through that darn glass window…. depresses me I feel like im gonna die before i can even get to feel him and hug him again like i have in over 16 years….
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Yes i agree with Lenora Benton… hhmmm interesting you mention this!!! my brother is in the same situation i think it’s all Bull and not right the way they’re being treated in there like if they’re not human!!!! My brother’s release from the shu was coming up and they give him another 5-6 more years saying the SAME thing that he’s in some sorta gang or mafia in there which of course it’s Bull!!!!!!!!!!! so not true it dissapoints me how they can just say things like this when my brother asked for proof cus from what they say “supposedly they have it” but it’s all bunch of lies they won’t provide to him… why??? cus they’re only making it up!!!! PLEASE LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD…. SHARE YOUR STORIES AND HOPEFULLY WIN SOMETHING OUT OF THIS NONSENSE!!!!!
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Thanks for sharing this info & please check out: http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com for updates & ways to show support from the Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity coalition–these folks are in contact w/ prisoners on a weekly basis & working to build support for prisoners at Pelican Bay and Corcoran.
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Why is it my newphew got wrote up on a 1030 just 1 year before being released on his 6 year SHE program ? 5 years he has had no visits, no phone calls, and can not recieve a letter without it being read by some idiot sitting behind a desk, being paid by us the tax payer. My newphew has lost 60 lbs in 5 years, and the prison claims to take care of them ! My newphew got wrote up some claimed he was actived in ” gang acitivy ” (NOT) how could it be ? frist off, they the inmate are locked in there cell 24/7, and when out of cell, 9 WHICH RARELY HAPPENS, they are SHACKED down, and lead by 2 CORRECTOINAL OFFICERS. So my question would be, how or if, a inmate is written up on a 1030 and given 6 additional years, how could this activity be going on ? I think the WARDEN should look into to this matter, seems to me the gaurds are the ones that should be written up !The SHE is a death sentenceed, once there, there is “no way” out. I think we all need to write the WARDEN and ask him that very question. Pray for our boys and hope the word gets out.
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We are told that the prison system is the DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS…..what a lie. The whole premise of “corrections” means to provide inmates with the skills and tools and mindset they need to become an educated and fully employable/functional human being. Clearly, the lack of programs and the horrendous conditions (SHU’s, CMU’s and solitary confinement cells not to mention the abuses by both inmates- with encouragement by guards- and guards on inmates produces nothing “corrective” much less “positive” for an inmate. We, taxpayers, are being shafted by our taxes as private corporations cash-in on human misery!
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Laurie
who said Prison was a vacation? obviously you didnt comprehend what you read IF you did read the post. People like you seem to believe the myth that only murderers or rapists are in prison- and that is pretty damn naive, Laurie. But Im not going to take the time to type out facts & figures when a google search will provide you with the same…you already have made up your mind.
thanks for stopping by!!
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Oh what a shame.. Prison being a horrible place? Myth of murderers and rapists? If they were convicted of murder or rape, where is the “myth”? If your husband/bf/significant other wants an orange, or a hug or pictures, maybe they shouldn’t have done the crime to GET into prison. Since when are prisons supposed to be “vacations”?
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Everything is so horrible in that place especially people like “bill” being in charge of there well being.
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Bill do you happen to be employed by CDCR and a member of CCPOA? hmmmmm??!!!
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Seriously? Three meals delivered to your cell… the best medical money can buy…. no worries.. free TV.. the list goes on and on.. These convicted criminals live better and have more rights than most honest citizens.. wake up people.. if you knew the half of how good it is in prison you would be outraged!
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This is so true and sad. My husband has been in shu 5 years and counting. Review is every 6 years. He may die before I ever get to touch or hold him. Its sad thye are treated like not even animals.
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