HEAL
understands that everything is connected. Mahatma Gandhi said,
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by
the way
its prisoners are treated." He also said, "Freedom is
not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes
my comprehension how
human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in
depriving other human beings of that precious right." What
disturbs us at HEAL
is that there is so much misanthropy in our society. Many of us
narcissistically forgive and excuse our own wrongs while viciously and cruelly
condemning and dehumanizing our fellow human beings.
Human
beings convicted of crimes are equal to those of us who've never
committed a "crime". Those who are living in abject
poverty, homeless, jobless,
and destitute are equal to those with great economic wealth, multiple
residences, CEO positions, and luxurious abundance. Some would
argue that "property is theft". There are cultures
around the world who do not have systems of ownership. We are not
one of those cultures. The
wealthy anarchist who buys his/her way "above the law" is
balanced by the impoverished, enslaved, and oppressed individual.
The wealthy anarchist
purchases absolute freedom from social responsibility at the ultimate expense of the poor and oppressed. We, in the middle, wish for
the wealth, power, and freedom from social responsibility of the wealthy
anarchist. And, we in the middle, fear (and therefore hate) the impoverished,
enslaved, and oppressed.
The
ethical response living in these times is to desire economic and social
equality and justice. There is nearly infinite data showing the
links between
wealth and slavery (see Corporate America and Asia/Juarez,
Mexico/etc.--or Corporate America and U.S. prisons--or Wal-Mart, etc.), slavery
and poverty (see "The Shadow of Slavery" by Pete Daniel),
poverty and crime (infinite data--easy to find and rather
apparent/obvious), crime
and punishment, and punishment and slavery. We must love humanity. We must love freedom. We must love equality.
We must fight for
social and economic justice! If we do not take action for freedom
and equality, we are nothing more than hypocrites.
You
may have noticed that HEAL focuses its energy on Teen Liberty and Prison
Reform. We believe that children and teens are the most vulnerable
people in our society. Because of their vulnerability, they are
subjected to unthinkable abuses, cruelty, and oppression. Their
words often
fall on deaf ears and their pain is usually dismissed by adult
authorities who have been socialized to disbelieve, distrust, and
abuse the
very people (children and teens) most in need of protection and
sanctuary. We see prisoners as one step above in terms of
vulnerability. Most
prisoners (70-80%) are imprisoned on narcotics charges. Most
people using drugs (legal "Prozac" or illegal
"marijuana") are self-medicating.
They cannot take the misanthropy, apathy, and cruelty they face every
day. Instead of working to improve our society and the lives of
the people, we punish our most sensitive, vulnerable, and abused
citizens for not being automatons or apathetic, hard, and delusional like
the rest of us. People learn what they live. If they live in
an apathetic and cruel world, they can become apathetic and cruel.
This explains most
of the violent "offenders". We dropped the ball, we
created a greed-driven, apathetic, narcissistic society and spitefully
and cruelly attack
those who react to our own apathy and cruelty in kind.
We
must HEAL our society! We must cultivate compassion,
understanding, love, and social responsibility in ourselves, in our
families, in our communities,
in our countries, and in our world. As Mahatma Gandhi said,
"We must be the change we wish to see in the world".
"The experience of
the women held in Lexington reveals clearly that the U.S. government
holds political prisoners and has developed
extreme and cruel methods
for punishing them and attempting to break their will. The fact that
such methods have been spreading throughout the U.S. prison system–at a
time when the overall prison population is rising far over one
million–shows how the U.S. government intends to threaten and punish
whole sections of the population."
HEAL
offers a free penpal service to those incarcerated in U.S.
prisons. If you have a friend or relative who would like to be added to the HEAL
penpal
website, please
contact
us. If you would like to "adopt an inmate"
penpal, please visit our
penpal
website.
HEAL'S
INMATE ART PROGRAM
**OPEN POSITION**, Coordinator
HEAL has renewed our temporary
moratorium on our Inmate Art
Program. We are seeking a volunteer to coordinate this program.
Due to lack of volunteer interest, we are unable to actively organize
this project at this time. We have an
online
store with a
storefront specifically for inmate art. We allow
eligible prisoners to send in their poetry, essays, books, drawings, and
other artwork to HEAL. HEAL then applies their artwork to products at
the HEAL shop. We then donate all proceeds for the sales of the
individual inmate/artist's goods to the inmate's commissary fund,
his/her family,
or wherever he/she sees fit. HEAL does not keep any of the
proceeds. We believe prisoners are being unethically enslaved and
our goal
with this project is to help prisoners find an alternative means of
survival that allows their creative spirits to blossom. We
encourage you to
purchase from the "Adopt An Inmate" storefront to help
liberate those we've enslaved. If you know an inmate who would be
interested in this
program,
please
contact
us for more
information.
Action
Alerts are in order of Priority with Newest/Priority Alerts First!
These are older
alerts and most of the actions we now share related to prison reform
are Tweeted. We may add
additional alerts here in the future. But, the ones below are
fairly old. If you find any that are no longer active, please
let us know and we'll update
the page accordingly.
HEAL advises all activists,
regardless of primary cause, to view our advisory on how best to
be effective in creating change. If you are a victim or
survivor, your activism involves your self-advocacy to be
effective. If you are ready to help shut down fraud,
abuse, other crimes and violations, see
http://www.heal-online.org/shutdown.htm
for important information.
HELP FREE Sara Kruzan
From your home, your mailbox, in your town.
* Stay Tuned, updates soon.
Be a Freedom Fighter for Sara... Joining this postcard campaign to Free
Sara is simple!!
It's been 18 years, now it's time for justice!
As we celebrate independence and freedom with our families and friends,
we hope you'll take a just a few moments of your time to help lend a
voice to Sara Kruzan, a child-sex-trafficking victim who has been in
prison for the last 18 years after she killed the man who raped her at
age 11 and forced her into prostitution at age 13. At only 16 years old
Sara was tried as an adult, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison
without the possibility of parole.
Here is what to do:
Please send your postcards in the mail to Attorney General Kamala Harris
and Chief Assistant Attorney General Dane Gillette and ask them to grant
Sara time served, OR, send her case to the Supreme Court.
1) Purchase 2 postcards
2) Address your postcards: one to CA Attorney General Kamala Harris and
the other to Chief Assistant Attorney General Dane Gillette who is
personally handling the case.
KAMALA HARRIS
Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
1300 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814-2919
DANE R. GILLETTE
Chief Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division
Office of the California Attorney General
455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 11000
San Francisco, California 94102
Help convince California's Department of Justice to FREE SARA with time
served. Express your heartfelt support and let them know you stand with
Sara Kruzan.
Please feel free to use this example or create your own:
Hello, my name is _________ from _________, CA and I would like to urge
you to publicly support clemency for Sara Kruzan. She is a human
trafficking victim who has spent the last 18 years of her life in prison
and during that time she has earned a college degree and earned the
recognition of the corrections officers. Today is our National Postcard
Campaing Day to Free Sara and I hope you'll use your power to grant her
freedom. Thank you for your time.
**Note: you can send your postcard from anywhere in the world. You do
not have to live in California!!!
**Help continue to build this public outcry, a movement—for Sara.
3) Before you mail your postcard, take a photo of your postcard, and
share it to the wall here. Lets create a visual documentation of this
call-to-action.
On behalf of Sara, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and say
Thank You for your support!
Lastly, share this with everyone. Invite your friends and please PROMOTE
this call-to-action. Sara's freedom depends on it.
__________________________________________________________
*********Never heard of Sara Kruzan? *****************
"Sara Jessimy Kruzan was sentenced to life without parole in 1995 after
taking the life of the monster (man) who had molested, indoctrinated,
raped, and who had trafficked her as a child sex slave. Sara was 11 when
this grooming process began. She was 16 when she was arrested in 1994.
Instead of being charged with justifiable homicide or a sentence
reflecting the severity of G.G.'s (Howard) abuse, Sara received Life
without Parole + 4 years. Sara has served 18 years in the state of
California in one of the largest women's correctional facilities in the
world. In this time she has both educated herself and has received
honors for her outstanding conduct. With the aid of supporters such as
Human Rights Watch, in 2011, the governor (Arnold Schwarzenegger-R)
commuted her, which reduced her sentence to life with the possibility of
parole in 2020. Still, her release is not promised. And even more
problematic is that California is not known to parole folks."
Let me introduce my friend Sara to you via a u-tube that was created by
the Human Rights Watch. Sara is one of the most amazing human beings I
can honestly say I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGL_p7BcJqk
Please visit these websites for more information, and other ways to
fight for her freedom. At the Save Sara website you will find an
artistic photo petition campaign to CA Gov. Brown, a Change.org
petition, Sara's full story, and more!
http://savesara.com/
FLORIDA DOC THROWS INMATE'S REMAINS
IN LOCAL LANDFILL. SAFE TAKES LEGAL ACTION !!
To All Human Rights and Prison Reform Activists
:
Survivors of Abuse, Fraud and Exploitation (SAFE),
confirmed a report on Tuesday, of the mishandling of an
inmate's remains by the, Florida Dept. of Corrections.
William McCorkle, age 23,
died March 22, 2012, after a long battle with AIDS. William
received a five year sentence - on a first offense, for
theft over $ 500. After his mother, terminally ill with
cancer, was denied continued insurance coverage for her
medicine, William stole $ 800 from his employer, where he
worked as a cashier; to pay for his mother's medications.
He had no previous run-ins with the law. He was well-liked
by fellow students and held in high regard by his teachers
at the high school he attended.
During William's incarceration, he was sexually assaulted
by two me; one whom was infected with the AIDS virus. It
is important to note: William's attackers were never
prosecuted. Nor did the Florida DOC take any action to
prevent the spread of HIV and or the AIDS Virus in the
General Population,
knowing both men had prior convictions of sexually-based
offenses, and one was infected with AIDS.
Prison officials notified William's family upon his death
on, March 22nd. Previously
unaware, William had contracted AIDS while incarcerated, and
uninformed by DOC officials, their son was a rape victim,
William's parents, devout Baptists, refused to claim his
remains on the advice of their pastor, due to his "
homosexual lifestyle "....
William formed a bond with a, a pen pal from a pen pal
website - an Adjunct Professor at a community college. The
two exchanged letters on weekly basis over the
coarse of three years. When
she did not receive a letter from William ( after 3 weeks ),
she phoned his counselor at the prison only to learn he
died. She was devastated by the news.... She believes,
William felt ashamed and humiliated as a victim of sexual
assault, and feared rejection had he shared that with her.
Upon inquiring about his final arrangements, she was told
his next of kin was notified
and they refused to claim his remains. Without hesitation
and feeling compelled, she offered. When the DOC inquired
about her relation to William, she stated she was a pen
pal. They refused. " We don't release the remains
of prisoners to pen pals ".. What she was told next,
would give her pause and spark outcry ! When she inquired
what would be done with his remains, she was informed ":
It is standard policy of the dept. to cremate the
unclaimed remains of indigent prisoners, which are then sent
to a landfill ". She pleaded with them to no
avail. SAFE has confirmed, William
McCorkle was cremated at
3: 24 pm, on March 29, 2012. His ashes were sent to a
landfill in Pensacola, FL. that
contracts with the Florida Dept. of Corrections.
We Are Outraged !!!
Wanting to honor William for his achievements, rather than
remembering him for his mistakes, his pen pal and fellow
inmates have shared their stories of inspiration and fond
memories of " Will " as he preferred to be called. In
summation, William was an avid reader and tutored inmates
struggling with illiteracy. Will ' purchased pens and
paper from the commissary for indigent inmates, from his
earnings working in the prison's library, and formed a
creative writing' group appropriately
named, " The PEN "... .In June 2010, an inmate ," Brandon
", wrote a poem, " Chasing Butterflies (in the Wintertime) "
depicting the struggle of terminal illness and the search
for faith. Brandon's poem was
published in a magazine.
SAFE will be making available,
Will 's story and Brandon's poem on its website, in April.
SAFE Is Suing
The Florida Department of Corrections
We need and are asking for your help ?! The actions of
the Florida Dept. of Corrections are reprehensible and
unconscionable. We must draw
the line in the sand and demand the humane ,ethical
and proper medical treatment for victims of sexual
assault in prison and
prisoners infected with HIV / AIDS.
SAFE is preparing for a class-action lawsuit against the
Florida Department of Corrections. If you know an inmate
incarcerated in Florida who was a victim of sexual assault
and or contracted AIDS resulting from sexual assault ; and
whom did not receive proper medical care ( including a
rape kit, HIV testing, counseling, medication and
medicinal services),
please encourage them to get in touch with, Survivors of
Abuse, Fraud and Exploitation (SAFE). We are seeking
changes in DOC policy and compensation for victims of sexual
assault and HIV/ AIDS infected prisoners deprived proper
medical care. Victims may contact us in confidence via
email or the U.S. Postal Service : Inmate should mark
correspondence by U.S. Mail, " Legal Mail " thus
prohibiting the DOC from censoring their correspondence to
us.
Please write to the following about inhumane
conditions and treatment of polunsky offenders:
Below is a sample letter to send to the
following offices and individuals. Please
write separate letters to each of the following,
or fax. Also put your name and address and
sign and date your letters, thank you.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Executive Director
Brad Livingston
PO
Box 99
Huntsville TX 77342
Phone: 936-437-2101
Fax:
936-437-2123
and
Deputy Executive Director
Bryan Collier
PO
Box 99
Huntsville
TX
77342
Phone: 936-437-6251
Fax:
936-437-8925
and
Ombudsman
Debra Booker
PO
Box 99
Huntsville
TX
77342
Phone: 936-437-8035
Fax:
936-437-8067
Sample letter:
Dear
[Officials Name Here]
It
seems that the situation deteriorates more and
more at the Polunsky Unit. The living conditions
are already very difficult and do not respect
human dignity; a minimum right to be accorded to
all. Riots take place regularly every day due to
protests of prisoners certainly, but every day,
a shocking and unnecessary rule is imposed to
oppress some more prisoners. Be aware that some
staff do not accept the idiocy and absurdity of
a person's behavior and excessive unhealthy
named Mc Mullin, the new Major!
It
is time to react and make the right decisions to
curb the escalation of violence and harassment
at the Polunsky Unit. Deprivation of personal
effects, drastic reduction in food, delay in the
mail, excessive use of tear gas, cut hot water,
manic behavior of some staff are... well
recognized. However, it is not necessary to add
more to what is already inhuman. Keep in mind
that these are men and women convicted, innocent
perhaps for some of them, and serving their
sentences or await death, the punishment was
given and is applied. Needless to treat them
worse.
As
an authority, you must set an example to be
credible in the eyes of all. Be aware that the
spotlight is focused on Polunsky Unit more and
more...
I
personally ask you to take immediate actions to
stop this unacceptable situation. I
appreciate your attention to this critical
matter and look forward to hearing from you.
"All human beings are born
free and equal in dignity and rights"
Section 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Sign Petition for Women
Prisoners in CA!
Petitioning
CA's Gov. Brown, CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate & Judge T. Henderson,
Created By
California Coalition for Women Prisoners and Justice Now
About this PetitionPetition LetterPetition Updates
Why This Is Important
"We inside cannot vote. We cannot lobby Sacramento. All we want is to
live... Will you hear our pleas for humanity and dignity?" A statement
written by women in California's prisons.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is
planning to convert Valley State Prison for Women (VSPW) into a men's
prison. Instead of releasing thousands of women who are eligible to go
home, CDCR is planning to transfer them to them to the two remaining
women's prisons: Central California Women's Facility and California
Institution for Women. This conversion and the crowding of
women—including pregnant and elderly women—into facilities that are
already far above capacity will intensify by horrific proportions the
medical neglect and premature death already rampant in women's prisons.
Cells that were designed to house 4 now house 8 and will house 10; the
overflow of people will be packed into day rooms and gyms.
Although California passed an Alternative Custody bill for women in
2010, to date fewer than 20 women have been deemed eligible for release
under this bill. Over 700 people at VSPW and CCWF have already signed
petitions to stop this conversion plan and the transfer of people in
women's prisons to other overcrowded facilities.
To read a statement written by people in women's prisons opposed to the
conversion and demanding relief, visit www.jnow.org.
Other organizations who endorse this petition are:
All of Us or None, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, San
Francisco Bay View newspaper, Redwood Curtain CopWatch, Peoples' Action
for Rights and Community, Community Futures Collective, LEF Foundation,
Coalition to Free The Angola Three, Solitary Watch, The Real Cost of
Prisons Project, California Prison Moratorium Project, Senate Select
Community Committee on California's Correctional System, Prisoners Are
People Too, Inc. (Buffalo, NY) and Community Works West.
If you want your organization listed as an endorser, please email
[email protected]
Mary Maccree
"I have volunteered at Chowchilla prisons as well as men's prisons--the
over-crowding is very bad and has a particularly devastating effect on
the women's health and well-being. The rate of women's incarceration is
rising faster than that of men--converting the prison makes no sense
unless they plan on releasing lots of women."
kit rutter
"The conversion of VSPW into a men's prison poses serious threats to the
health, safety and mental well-being of the women who will be
consolidated into the two remaining women's prisons in California. The
conversion does not address the real issue of overcrowding, it merely
rearranges and reconfigures prisoners. Additionally, the community of
Chowchilla has serious reservations about the conversion. Moving forward
with the project without the consent of the community would be
irresponsible".
"We have no excuse to be fooled by the trickery of CDCR any longer! We
cannot let them get away with deliberate increased abuse while they
claim to be doing the opposite."
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION??
Florida Residents--Please
Read About and Take This Action!
The Florida legislature is currently considering
two fast-tracked bills to privatize around 29 correctional facilities in
south Florida - prisons, work camps, annexes and work release centers.
This would be the largest private prison expansion in U.S. history and a
huge giveaway to the private prison industry (mainly GEO Group and CCA).
For those who are opposed to incarceration-for-profit, and who reside in
Florida (or know someone who does), the time to oppose these bills is
NOW!
They were introduced on January 18, have already had 3 committee
hearings and are headed to the Senate floor as early as next week. They
are being pushed through by the Senate's Republican leadership, and WILL
PASS unless people contact their state senators and express opposition
to the bills.
For more on this, see PCI's original press release, here:
The bills are now numbered SB2036 and SB2038. The justification for the
private prison expansion is that it will result in cost savings to the
state -- which is soundly refuted in a PCI policy brief released earlier
this month, available here:
A list of Florida's state senators is included below. Please contact
them to express your opposition to more for-profit prisons in Florida! A
bill has also been introduced in the House, but is not moving as
quickly.
Senator John Thrasher
Florida State Senate
400 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
FAX 19047273603 [email protected]
Senator JD Alexander
Florida State Senate
412 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5044
FAX 18504875640 [email protected]
Senator Larcenia J. Bullard
Florida State Senate
218 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
FAX 13056687346 [email protected]
Senator Anitere Flores
Florida State Senate
316 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5130
FAX 18504875904 [email protected]
Senator Don Gaetz
Florida State Senate
420 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
FAX 18508333910 [email protected]
Senator Andy Gardiner
Florida State Senate
330 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5047
FAX 14074285802 [email protected]
Senator Dennis L. Jones, D.C.
Florida State Senate
408 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5065
FAX 18504875182 [email protected]
Senator Evelyn J. Lynn
Florida State Senate
416 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
FAX 13862383179 [email protected]
Senator Gwen Margolis
Florida State Senate
414 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5121
FAX 18504875525 [email protected]
Senator Joe Negron
Florida State Senate
306 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
FAX 17722191666 [email protected]
Senator Garrett Richter
Florida State Senate
322 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100 [email protected]
FAX 12394176207 [email protected]
Senator Gary Siplin
Florida State Senate
205 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
FAX 14075222153 [email protected]
Senator Christopher L. Smith
Florida State Senate
220 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5112
FAX 18504875409 [email protected]
Senator Stephen R. Wise
Florida State Senate
410 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
FAX 19043816040 [email protected]
Senator Thad Altman
Florida State Senate
314 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5053
FAX 13217523140 [email protected]
Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto
Florida State Senate
326 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5356 [email protected] [email protected]
Senator Ellyn Setnor Bogdanoff
Florida State Senate
212 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5100
FAX 18504875296 [email protected]
Senator Mike Fasano
Florida State Senate
406 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5062
FAX 18882634821 [email protected]
Senator Alan Hays
Florida State Senate
324 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5014
FAX 18504875408 [email protected]
Senator Arthenia L. Joyner
Florida State Senate
202 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5059
FAX 18504875442 [email protected]
Senator Bill Montford
Florida State Senate
208 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5004
FAX 18504875086 [email protected]
Senator Nan H. Rich
Florida State Senate
228 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5103
FAX 18504875419 [email protected]
Senator David Simmons
Florida State Senate
320 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5050
FAX 18504875347 [email protected]
Senator Eleanor Sobel
Florida State Senate
222 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5097
FAX 18504875428 [email protected]
Senator Michael S. Bennett
Florida State Senate
404 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5078
(941) 727-6352 fax [email protected]
Senator Oscar Braynon II
Florida State Senate
213 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5116
(305) 654-7152 fax [email protected]
Senator Charles S. Dean, Sr.
Florida State Senate
302 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5017 [email protected]
Senator Nancy C. Detert
Florida State Senate
318 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5081
(941) 480-3549 fax [email protected]
Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla
Florida State Senate
312 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5109 [email protected]
Senator Paula Dockery
Florida State Senate
224 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5040
FAX (863) 413-2902 [email protected]
Senator Greg Evers
Florida State Senate
308 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5000
FAX (850) 595-0214 [email protected]
Senator Rene Garcia
Florida State Senate
310 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5106
FAX (305) 364-3110 [email protected]
Senator Audrey Gibson
Florida State Senate
226 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5024
FAX (904) 359-2532 [email protected]
Senator Mike Haridopolos
Florida State Senate
409 The Capitol
The President's Office
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5056 [email protected]
Senator Ronda Storms
Florida State Senate
413 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5072
FAX (813) 651-2188 [email protected]
Senator Jack Latvala
Florida State Senate
405 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5075 [email protected]
Senator Jim Norman
Florida State Senate
214 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5068 [email protected]
Senator Steve Oelrich
Florida State Senate
418 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5020
FAX (352) 955-6262 [email protected]
Senator Jeremy Ring
Florida State Senate
210 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5094
FAX (954) 917-1394 [email protected]
Senator Maria Lorts Sachs
Florida State Senate
216 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5091 [email protected]
Join the Virtual Vigil to Shut
Down Stewart Detention Center!--Correction
Corporation of America's Stewart facility in Lumpkin, Georgia is the largest
private detention center in the nation. Stewart currently profits close to $50
million a year. As if that weren't enough, CCA often cuts costs by denying basic
services to detained immigrants and by limiting access to their family members.
CCA charges inmates close to $5 a minute to make a phone call. To pay for this,
inmates work in the facility and earn a whopping $1 a day. Five days of hard
work gives them just enough time for a one minute phone call.
Watch the video and take action to shut down Stewart
Detention Center.
Demand Justice for the Englewood
Men!--Twenty
years is a long time to wait for justice, but last Thursday prosecutors
vacated the convictions of five Black men, known as the Dixmoor 51,
who as teenagers were forced to confess to murders they didn't commit.
This is a huge victory and wouldn't
have happened without the activism of 65,000 ColorOfChange members and our
friends at the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth and the Innocence
Project--but the victory remains incomplete. While Cook County State's Attorney
Anita Alvarez did the right thing in the Dixmoor case, more innocent men
remain in prison under her watch. The Englewood 5, who were also arrested and
forced to confess as teens and have been proven innocent by DNA evidence, still
await justice.2 Can you take a moment to thank Attorney
Alvarez and ask her to secure justice for the Englewood men? Your call will
let her know we're not going away and increase the pressure on her to act.
Just click the link to make your call — we'll give you the number and a short
script you can use:
http://act.colorofchange.org/call/AlvarezCalls_2
Urgent Federal Action Alert!
Second Chance Act--As many of you know, LAC and
the National H.I.R.E. Network have long supported the Second Chance Act federal
reentry legislation (please
see our SCA page to learn more). The Second Chance Act authorizes aid to
state, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to support
services that help reduce recidivism and improve public safety, including the provision of
employment training, placement, and other vocational services.With
recent developments in Washington, we need your help to ensure its continued
success.Second
Chance Funding
Most critically,
Congress is working now to decide on funding for the 2012 fiscal year, which
began on October 1. In a potential blow for reentry programs across the
country, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would
eliminate funding for the Second Chance Act in FY
2012. For its part, the House version of the legislation, approved this
summer, would provide $70 million for the Second Chance Act in FY12.
Congressional leaders are expected to meet this week to come to agreement on
funding levels, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy has
pledged to work to restore Second Chance Act funding through the conference
process. That's why we need your help now! How You Can Help
Contact your members in the Senate and House
of Representatives and tell them it’s urgent that they
include $70 million to $100 million in funding for the Second Chance Act for
FY2012. You can easily send a prepared letter
to your members of Congress explaining the importance of supporting Second
Chance and successful reentry through employment by clicking here.
Tell Congress: No More "Drug War"
Spending!--Drug war spending continues to rise as
the government continues implementing the failed policies of the war on drugs.
Now is our chance to demand that Congress stop wasting money on this
catastrophe! Recently, Congress was charged with
cutting at least $1.5 trillion in government spending.
That's why you need to write your representative today and show
your support for cutting drug war funding.
Congress Must Pass Sentencing Reform--Take Action! In
1986, Congress enacted severe mandatory minimum sentences, condemning thousands
of mostly low-level, mostly nonviolent drug offenders to years, sometimes
decades in prison. In part because of these and similar "sentencing guideline"
penalties, the United States now suffers from an incarceration rate
unprecedented in the history of our own country or any other. Last year
Congress took a modest step in the right direction, unanimously passing the Fair
Sentencing Act -- raising the quantities of crack cocaine needed to trigger
certain infamous five- and ten-year sentences, and eliminating mandatory
minimums for crack possession. But much, much more is needed to address these
unjust and exorbitantly expensive sentencing laws.
Please write
Congress today to call for passage of the following important bills:
H.R. 2303, the "Major
Drug Trafficking Prosecution Act," sponsored by Rep.
Maxine Waters (D-CA) -- eliminates mandatory minimums to
reduce the incentive prosecutors have to go after large
numbers of low-level offenders. H.R. 2316 and H.R.
2242, sponsored by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), bills to
make last year's crack sentencing reforms retroactive;
and to continue the reform by eliminating "cocaine base"
from the federal code entirely, thereby reducing
penalties further to reach the same level as powder
cocaine offenses.
When you are done, please
make a call, send a letter or pay a visit to your US
Representative and your two US Senators to urge them to pass
sentencing reform -- you can reach them via the
Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, or look them up
on our web site.
Boycott
Wells Fargo Until They Cease Investing in Private Prisons!--Many
Americans are not aware that that the United States already has the largest
number of incarcerated people of any country in the history of the world. We
account for 5% of the world's population and 25% of its incarcerated population.
Fewer still realize that pushing an agenda of more and longer incarceration -
and the radical upswing in immigrant detention - is a burgeoning and influential
private prison industry that profits from every human being our tax dollars pay
them to imprison.
Today, July 1st, is a national day of action to protest the private prison
industry's role in the immigration detention system, namely in helping draft and
pass unjust and discriminatory legislation such as Arizona's SB 1070.
Demand that Wells Fargo, one of the largest investors in the industry, divest
itself from the private prison/detention industry.
Become a One-Minute Armchair Activist:
Call & email Wells Fargo Vice Presidents & tell them to divest from the private
prison industry (The GEO Group & Corrections Corporation of America)
For more information on how you can turn the tide and stop the private prison
and detention industry,
please email me or visit our website at
www.GrassrootsLeadership.org
We
continue to advocate for Mr. Diaz's physical safety. Please see the update and
sample letter below.
Please also visit PAPA for a sample letter
easier email links at:
Re: John Anthony Diaz #W62523 Massachusetts Department of Correction Sgt. Keezer Harasses Mentally Unstable Inmate
Dear Sir or Madam:
The Massachusetts Department of Correction has successfully interfered with any
external investigation into the allegations of physical abuse by Sgt. Keezer and
other officers, as it relates to the January 2011 assault of Mr. Diaz. Mr.
Diaz's regular mail and legal mail are being stolen and/or tampered with. Legal
representation has attempted to contact Mr. Diaz, yet their efforts to
communicate with Mr. Diaz are being blocked with the latest orchestrated
harassment on the part of the prison. Sgt. Keezer, appears to act in a
predator-like manner; he has verbally harassed and ultimately discouraged Mr.
Diaz from having his family visit him. Sgt. Keezer has successfully isolated
Mr. Diaz from his family and has now placed him in punitive isolation claiming
that Mr. Diaz (who fears repeated physical harm by Sgt. Keezer) has threatened
him. Sgt. Keezer, who physically assaulted a restrained Mr. Diaz, has taken the
ridiculous stance that he is now a victim of Mr. Diaz.
How much more mental and physical torture is the
State of Massachusetts willing to inflict on a mentally unstable inmate in its
custody?
Clearly, the Massachusetts Department of Correction has exhibited that it
continues to place its mentally unstable inmates at further risk of harm due to
untrained staff and insufficient access to a licensed psychiatrist.
Again, we are notifying you of the substantial risk of harm that Mr. Diaz is
subjected to when inadequate psychiatric care is compounded by correctional
officers such as Sgt. Keezer, when exhibiting a thug mentality, go out of their
way to physically and mentally torment a mentally unstable inmate. Mr. Diaz has
lost a significant amount of weight. Mr. Diaz requires a transfer to a section
at the Souza Unit that does not expose him to physically abusive guards.
Sincerely,
Please write/fax/email to the following
officials:
FBI Boston
One Center Plaza
Suite 600
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 742-5533
Fax: (617) 223-6327
E-mail: [email protected]
Office of the Inspector General
John W. McCormack State Office Building
One Ashburton Place, Room 1311
Boston, MA 02108
Ph: 617-727-9140
Fax: 617-723-2334
Email: [email protected]
Deval Patrick, Governor
Massachusetts State House
Office of the Governor
Office of the Lt. Governor
Room 280
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617.725.4005
888.870.7770 (in state)
Fax: 617.727.9725
Email: [email protected]
Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, Senate Chair
Joint Committee on the Judiciary
State House
Room 416-B
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-1639
Email: [email protected]
Senator Gale D. Candaras, Senate Vice Chair
Joint Committee on the Judiciary
State House
Room 309
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-1291
Fax: 617-722-1014
Email: [email protected]
Representative Eugene L. O'Flaherty, House Chair
Joint Committee on the Judiciary
State House
Room 136
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-2396
Fax: 617-722-2819
Email: [email protected]
Representative Christopher N. Speranzo, House
Vice Chair
Joint Committee on the Judiciary
State House
Room 136
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-2396
Fax: 617-722-2819
Email: [email protected]
Representative Gloria L. Fox
167 State House
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: (617) 722-2810
Fax: (617) 722-2846
Email: [email protected]
Senator Patricia D. Jehlen
513 State House
Boston, MA 02133
Fax: 617-722-1117
Email: [email protected]
Senator Katherine Clark
313 A State House
Boston, MA 02133
Fax: 617-722-2821
Email: [email protected]
Therese Murray, President of the Senate
State House
Suite 332
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-1500
Fax: 617-722-1076
Email: [email protected]
Robert A. DeLeo, Speaker of the House
State House
Room 356
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-2500
Fax: 617-722-2008
Email: [email protected]
ACLU of Massachusetts
211 Congress St, 3rd Flr
Boston, MA 02110
Ph: 617-482-3170
Fax: 617-451-0009
Email: [email protected]
Special Litigation Section
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530
Phone (202-514-6255 or 877-218-5228)
Fax (202-514-0212 or 202-514-6273)
Email - [email protected]
Disability Law Center of Massachusetts
11 Beacon Street, Suite 925
Boston, Massachusetts, 02108
(617) 723-8455 / (800) 872-9992 Voice
(617) 723-9125 Fax
NAMI of Massachusetts
400 West Cummings Park Suite 6650
Woburn, MA 01801-6528
Phone: (781)938-4048
Fax: (781)938-4069 [email protected]
Martha Coakley, Attorney General
Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
Fax: 413-784-1244
Email: [email protected]
Luis S. Spencer, Acting Commissioner
Massachusetts Department of Correction - Central Headquarters
50 Maple Street
Suite 3
Milford, MA 01757-3698
Fax: 508-422-3386
Email: Unable to locate
MEDIA
The Boston Globe - Spotlight Team
Re: The Prison Suicide Crisis
Ph:617-929-3208 / 617-929-7483. [email protected]
Take Action Against Over-Charging
Families to Speak with Their Incarcerated Family Members!--Mary
picks up the ringing phone, knowing it is time for a call from her dad.
The auto-operator starts its
message “Will you accept a collect call from...” Mary's dad speaks quickly
“Better be doing that homework. Love you.” Mary can only mouth back her answer,
unable to accept the call since her dad is being held in one of our nation’s
detention centers where the cost of prison phone calls include an outrageous
cash kickback that most cannot afford.
A damning new report on prison phone kickbacks was released this week by Prison Legal News. Read
more about the report and join a national campaign to end prison phone
kickbacks.
Listen to Kelly’s story about how prison phone kickbacks have hurt her family.
Become a
Prison Phone Justice Champion today and join the campaign for justice and
human rights. Tweet this:
Prison phone kickbacks takes
dollars from families that could go for groceries & school supplies. #prisonphone http://bit.ly/dLI3hb
In prison slang to "shoot a kite" is to send a message.
Link For
Petition -- Please Sign and Forward--http://www.change.org/petitions/please-grant-compassionate-medical-release-for-patricia-wrightPatricia
Wright CDC#W79941, is wrongly convicted and currently
housed at Central California Women's Skilled Nursing
Facility. Patricia was convicted in 1998 of her
ex-husband’s murder that occurred in 1981, even though
no physical or forensic evidence or eyewitnesses tie her
to the crime, she adamantly denies any involvement, and
crime scene fingerprints exclude her. Read about her
story at,
http://justicedenied.org/issue/issue_38/patricia_wright_jd_issue_38.pdf
Patricia has
been diagnosed with terminal fourth stage breast cancer
and would like to spend her limited days at home with
her family. The Board of Parole Hearings and Dept. of
Corrections has stated they have no problem with
releasing Patricia on medical Parole. The only
obstacle is Patricia's sentence - life without parole -
(LWOP) The
sentencing Judge, Curtis Rappe, has stated that he will
not consider reducing Patricia Wright’s LWOP sentence
unless he receives a recommendation from one or all of
the following individuals: The Board of Parole Hearings,
Governor Jerry Brown, or Matthew Cate- Secretary of
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Link For
Petition -- Please Sign and Forward--http://www.change.org/petitions/please-grant-compassionate-medical-release-for-patricia-wright
Tell Ohio that Enrolling Children in
Better Schools is Not a Crime!--Kelley
Williams-Bolar wanted to give her children a better life by sending
them to school in the nearby majority-White school district where
her father lives — and she went to jail for it. Now, as a
convicted felon, helping her children will be even harder — she had
been studying to become a teacher, but that dream may have ended as
well. Real justice requires that the punishment fit
the crime; by any measure, this is cruelly unjust. Please join
us calling on Governor Kasich to take a public stand and do
everything he can to right this injustice (including making sure
that Williams-Bolar has the opportunity to become a teacher in
Ohio). And please ask your friends and family to add their voices as
well — it takes just a moment:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/ohioschools
Stop Behavior Modification Units (aka
High Security Units, Special Offender Units, Programming Units) in
State Prisons:
Washington State
had adopted a model after the defunct and scientifically disproven
theories regarding "therapeutic
communities" (i.e. cults). This is an extremely disturbing
trend and becoming a large part of the American culture. It is
neither something we should welcome nor embrace. The
ACLU is
challenging these Special Units (aka Communications Management
Units, etc.) in Washington, D.C. And, we need to challenge
these practices in Washington State and throughout the country.
If in Washington State, please contact your district's state
representative and ask that they vote no on any funding for behavior
modification units such as those discussed in the video below.
For contact info, visit:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/Pages/default.aspx. Please
contact your representative today and ask that funding go into job
training and educational services as opposed to cults and scams who
make up their own rules and answer to no one as is detailed in the
video below.
Stop Execution of Battered Woman in
Tennessee!--Gaile
Owens, a 54-year-old woman from Tennessee, whose life was filled
with abuse, and whose legal case has been dominated by an appalling
series of grave injustices, is scheduled to be executed on September
28. Please act now to stop this execution. Ms. Owens is
seeking to have her death sentence commuted to a sentence of life in
prison and only Governor Bredesen has the power to do this. We need
your help in urging Governor Bredesen to commute Gaile Owens’
sentence from death to life in prison.
What
we want you to do: Sign the on-line petition in support
of clemency for Ms. Owens.As of May 2, the petition had
almost 5,000 signatures. We want to double that amount and get over
10,000 signatures. We can only do this with your help. We need you
to sign the petition now. It will take less than a minute of your
time. Go to the Friends of Gailewebsite and sign the
petition at:
http://www.friendsofgaile.com/phpPETITION/index.php
Stop Sentencing Disparity!--Every
year, thousands of people are put away for long prison terms because
of arcane and racist sentencing laws. They punish people caught with
crack cocaine — who are often Black and poor — 100 times more
harshly than those caught with powder cocaine. These laws have
broken up families while doing nothing to make our communities
safer, and they’re part of the reason 1 in 15 Black adults is behind
bars.1 Last week, the members of the Senate
Judiciary Committee had a chance to advance a bill to eliminate the
disparity. Instead, they chose to reduce it2—with
no good reason other than to please “moderate” Democrats and
Republicans. And President Obama, who for years has championed
ending the disparity,3 is supporting the bill —
apparently because it’s bipartisan.4 It’s shameful.
Can you take a moment to sign our letter to President Obama and
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding they show leadership and push
for the House version of the bill, which would eliminate the
sentencing disparity?5 It only takes a moment:
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/cpsenate/?id=2298-57723&akid=1379.51093.OIj2WS&t=4
Lynne Stewart ordered to Prison: The
Criminalization of the US Justice System
by Claude Jacqueline Herdhuin, Global Research, December 3, 2009
On Thursday, November 19th, long time civil rights attorney
Lynne Stewart was ordered by Judge John G. Koeltl to turn herself in
to begin serving a 28-month prison sentence for her 2006 conviction
for conspiracy and providing material support to terrorists. This
70 year old woman has devoted her life to the poor, the
underprivileged, the black community and to cause of social
justice.
Anyone who could not afford for a lawyer could knock at her door.
Today, Lynne Stewart is fighting not only for her freedom but for
any American’s freedom.
Lynne Stewart did not benefit from the US justice system. Her case
became important after 911. Let me remind you that her only mistake
was to ignore the US Bureau of Prisons Special Administrative
Measures (SAMs) she had to sign in order to defend Sheik Omar-Abdel
Rahman. The SAMs are unconstitutional and constitue a violation of
both the First Amendment and the Sixth Amendment right to legal
counsel.
The Clinton Administration did not consider Lynne Stewart as a
terrorist and a traitor. Her case was merely considered as an
administrative violation. She received a letter to that effect, and
could not visit her client in prison for some time. Then, she was
allowed to visit him and pursue her work as a lawyer. It is only on
April 9th 2002 that she was arrested, in the aftermath of 911, when
the legal environnment in the US became almost hysterical. So
hysterical that the attorney general John Ashcroft went to David
Letterman's Late Night show to tell America that Lynne Stewart is a
traitor to the Nation.
Today, in the US media, Lynne Stewart is presented either as a
terrorist or a traitor, who deserves the worst punishment. The
truth
is she is doing her job as a lawyer. She is a 70 year old woman
with years of life experience as mother, a grand-mother, an
activist and a lawyer. As a young white American, she fought for
the cause of African Americans, because she believed in justice.
Decades latter, she defended Sheikh Omar-Abdel Rahman, because she
still believed in justice.
Today, she is in jail, and she still believes in justice. Even if
her trial brings us back to the worst period in America, namely
the
McCarthy era.
In her November 17th press conference, Lynne Stewart said she is
too old to cry but it hurts too much not to.
She also warned the other defence lawyers: "This is a warning shot
for other lawyers. Don’t advocate for your clients in a vigorous,
strong way."
I have known Lynne Stewart for five years now. The first time I
heard about her as al defense attorney was in the newspapers, in
2004. They described Lynne Stewart as a terrorist and, with my
husband, we decided to contact her to see what really happened and
who she was. We decided to make a documentary and find out what
happened. We have been very cautious to be as neutral as possible.
Years latter, I can say that Lynne Stewart’s only error was to be
overconfident. She had confidence in justice, and the government of
United States betrayed her:
By attacking the First Amendment right of free speech, free press
and petition;
by attacking the right to effective assistance of counsel by
chilling the defense; (and)
by invading the private conversations, private-attorney-client
meetings, faxes, letters and e-mails to gather the 'evidence'.
Help Free Jailed Activists in Mexico!--As
governments and their police forces continue to crack down on
resource rights activists, Grassroots International's allies are
more frequently finding themselves in serious danger, often
criminalized for organizing for justice. That is the case once
again for Sara Lopez and Joaquín Aguilar from Campeche, Mexico. On
July 10th, Sara and Joaquín were arrested, along with three other
members of the Mexican Alliance for People's Self-Determination (AMAP).
In addition, twenty-eight other members of their community face
possible arrest.
Your past support of Sara and Joaquín has been instrumental in
protecting their human rights -
and I hope you will step up once again to appeal to authorities on
their behalf now.
At the time of the arrest, none of the AMAP members were informed
the reasons for their detention, and they were not allowed to report
their whereabouts to their relatives or lawyers until six hours
later. On July 16th, all five were ordered to state prison, where
they still remain. While in prison, Sara has been denied adequate
medical treatment for fever and conjunctivitis.
The targeting of Sara and Joaquín is a result of their leadership in
opposing an increase in the price of electricity services, which has
sky-rocketed alongside climbing oil prices and the construction of a
hydroelectric dam. While the government subsidizes the cost of
electric power for large, energy-dependent agribusiness
corporations, the people are left to foot the bill. At the same
time, increasing privatization of land and water resources -
including our common resources - to produce agrofuels and
hydropower diminishes the capacity of rural and indigenous families
to produce food and income.
Thanks to letters you sent on behalf of Sara, Joaquín, and other
members of AMAP earlier this year, the electric company sat down to
negotiate with them. Unfortunately, the terms were one-sided,
essentially promising to stop targeting Sara and Joaquín if they
would stop organizing. Clearly, they refused and are now paying the
price, imprisoned as a result of unfounded and politically motivated
criminal charges that resulted from complaints filed by the electric
company.
Just as these activists refuse to set aside their demands for
justice, we must continue to take action and stand in solidarity
with them. Please send your letter now - and also mobilize
friends to send letters to the Mexican authorities. As always, thank
you for your ongoing commitment to social justice and resource
rights.
Take Action to Support the Cuban 5!--The
Popular Education Project to Free the Cuban 5 has drafted a petition
asking President Obama to grant Visas to the families of the Cuban
5. With his recent decision to close
Guantanamo Prison and his public
statements in support of changing travel restrictions on
Cuban Americans, we
feel now is a good time to bring up the
US government’s
continual denial of visas for the Cuban 5 families; which has kept
both Rene Gonzalez and Gerardo Hernandez from seeing their wives for
the past ten years. If President Obama is really pro-family
and wants to improve the reputation of the United States, as a
"beacon of justice and democracy", then then we need to demand he
end this horrible separation of families and this psychological
torture. Please sign this petition and forward this link to
all your friend and families. We will be emailing this petition and
mailing it in hard copies to President Obama every time we reach a
100th milestone.
SIGN IT AND FORWARD IT OUT FOR THE CUBAN 5:
http://www.petitiononline.com/ObamaC5V/petition.html
Take Action to Stop Police Brutality!--Too
many police officers still have attitudes like this toward the
communities they are patrolling, highlighting the problems we still
need to address: ending racial profiling, the high rate of unsolved
murders in African American communities, police brutality and other
forms of unequal justice for African Americans and Latinos.
Working with the NAACP, you can help change this situation:
First,
e-mail Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott and
ask him to order an immediate independent investigation into the
practices and policies of the Erie police department and to
establish an independent civilian review board to investigate
citizen complaints. Second,
ask your member of Congress to co-sponsor legislation
to provide long-needed regulation of harsh and careless police
actions throughout the United States, the End Racial Profiling Act
and the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act. These bills
are designed to curb outrages like the New Year's Day shooting of
unarmed Oscar Grant by transit police in Oakland; the police
shooting of Robert Tolan on his front lawn in Bellaire, Texas; and
the questionable death of high school football player Billie Joe
Johnson, killed in what was described as a "routine traffic stop" in
Lucedale, Mississippi. NAACP branches are grappling with each of
these cases. The Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act also
includes provisions to assist local law enforcement agencies in
doing more effective screening of candidates for law enforcement
jobs before they are given the power to use deadly force and then
during in-service reviews. It also supports the creation of local
police accountability and review boards with subpoena power,
independent investigatory power, and staffing and other resources
needed to provide local community oversight of their law enforcement
officers.
While most police officers are courageous public servants, continued
police abuses are harming our communities and eroding the trust
needed to both prevent and solve crimes.
Take action now and help us do
something about it.
Tell the Obama Administration you demand Constitutional
Justice Now for Mumia Abu-Jamal-- Initiated by the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC)
SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION AT
http://www.iacenter.org/mumiapetition
Release Wall Street
Protest Arestees Now! Drop All Charges! Arrest Criminal Bankers, Not
Workers!--Sign
the online petition
Read About and Sign Petition to Free Angola 3!--After
a week of intense public pressure, officials at Angola prison moved
Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox out of solitary confinement for the
first time in 35 years. But they're still locked up, for a crime
everyone knows they didn't commit. ColorOfChange.org members
have helped turn things around by making it a political liability for
the authorities at Angola to keep Wallace and Woodfox in solitary
confinement. I've joined them to keep the pressure on by forcing federal
and state authorities to intervene and
release these innocent men who have been punished for challenging the
violence and segregation at Angola.
http://www.colorofchange.org/angola3/?id=1693-875126
Take Action for Justice!--On
December 8th, 17-year-old Billey Joe Johnson died from a gunshot wound
to the head. Police say he killed himself with a shotgun after being
stopped for a simple traffic violation in Lucedale, Mississippi.1
Several things seem to cast doubt on the official story, including an
independent investigation that concluded it would have been impossible
for the shot that killed Johnson to have been self-inflicted. Many on
the ground smell a murder and a cover-up. We don't have all the answers,
but it's clear that in the racially divided town of Lucedale, all the
ingredients exist for a miscarriage of justice. Your voice can help
ensure that the District Attorney feels the presence of a national
spotlight when he presents his findings to a grand jury on Monday. Let
him know that anything short of a thorough investigation will result in
massive attention and a call for outside intervention. Can you
lend your voice to demand justice for Billey Joe? Take Action:
http://colorofchange.org/billeyjoe/?id=2298-57723
Sign Petition to Free Michael Hamilton!--With
over 24 years of a clean record at CMF (CALIFORNIA MEDICAL FACILITY
c22546), after being found suitable three time by the California parole
board, why has the governor continued to deny his release? Michael is
the perfect example of how the prison system works and how it can change
your life for the better. He is a changed man, who now deserves to live
his life. With his wife, daughter
and loving supportive family. Michael is no threat to society, he would
BETTER society with his lifetime of knowledge and life changing
experiences of the prison
system, that he would be able to share with the youth of today. Why has
the governor even hesitated to release a man that has done nothing but
given back to society and eager to continue? Petition: Please
support Freeing Michael Hamilton. Let him finally live a life with him
and his family. Let him be released and voice his experiences with the
youth of today. He can better our society. Please let him enjoy adult
hood with his now 19 year old daughter, and retirement with his wife of
20 years. It's time to look past the prison label and see this man
for what he truly is. That is a human being who has spent the last 29
years giving back to society for what he did at the age of 18. Let him
live the years he has left out side of prison walls and blue uniforms.
Please help free Michael Hamilton.
Sign the petition
http://www.gopetition.com/online/17068.html
Sign Petition for
Families and Loved Ones of Death Row Inmates in Ohio!--Please
sign petition requesting in-person visits for families
and loved ones of death row inmates in Ohio. Read
and sign at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/OSPvisit/petition.html
Take A Stand Against
Unjust Prosecution of Activists in Mexico!--Families
in Campeche, Mexico are being pushed to the edge of
desperation. Privatization schemes and mega-projects -
like the construction of large hydroelectric dams and
massive agrofuels plantations - threaten their access to
basic food and water resources. Now, simply for
opposing the policies that jeopardize their livelihoods,
activists face increasing repression and unjust
prosecution, often without access to legal resources for
their defense. Please
lend your voice now to call on Mexican authorities to
stop the unjust prosecution and repression of resource
rights activists.
Please Write Gov.
Strickland and the Ohio Parole Board asking for Clemency
for Innocent Grandmother, Keenya Curry!--Following
is a sample letter and contact information for Gov.
Strickland and the Ohio Parole Board:
Dear Gov. Strickland/Ohio
Parole Board,
Keenya Curry was wrongfully
convicted. Her defense attorney has signed an affidavit
swearing he did not provide her with appropriate defense
or counsel. Ms. Curry is innocent of the charges against
her resulting in her current imprisonment. The charges
and defenses are as follows:
* Kidnapping of her 2 minor grandchildren--Ms. Curry was
granted custody of her granddaughter and her grandson
was abandoned at her home by Keenya's daughter, mother
of the child in question. She in no way kidnapped or
illegally withheld children from, their parents,
Keenya's children.
* 3rd Degree Child Endangerment--In regards to the care
of her two minor grandchildren… Charges resulted from
false reports by Dr. David C. Minor, Ms. Curry's and her
grandchildren's physician, regarding concerns about the
children's welfare. Dr. Minor has mental health issues
and has subsequently lost his license to practice
medicine. All concerns reported by Dr. Minor were
baseless. He, allegedly guilty of malpractice, advised
over-medicating of children with Ritalin, which,
directly caused the welfare concerns of and for which
Ms. Curry was accused and is currently serving time.
I ask that you grant clemency and free this dedicated
Grandmother, guilty of nothing more than trusting the
wrong doctor.
Ohio Parole Board (Or online at:
[email protected])
1050 Freeway Drive N
Columbus, OH 43229
Take Action for
Commutation and/or Pardon for George Martorano!--Some
of you may have already read that President Bush has
started his "exit" pardons and commutations. WE NEED TO
GET EMAILS AND CALLS TO THE WHITE HOUSE SUPPORTING
GEORGE'S COMMUTATION. Below are the phone and email
contacts for the White House-PLEASE, just a 2-3 line
email stressing your support for George's release.
George and I know, that this is a longshot, but heck,
LONGSHOTS CAN AND DO WIN--please pass this email along
to any and all you feel will help.
[email protected]
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
For more info on this case and travesty, visit:
http://www.freegeorge.us/
Take Action on the
Campaign to Promote Equitable Telephone Charges!--Most
prisoners and their families are double or even
quadruple-billed for any phone calls. Prisoners
are often required to purchase phone cards which they
can only use to make a collect call. They phone
card is billed for the call and the person called
collect pays 2-3 x what they would pay for a
direct call. This is absurd and needs to stop.
Learn more and take action at:
http://www.etccampaign.com/etc/eccostep1.php
Stand Up Against Prisoner Abuse:
1/4/07 People Against Prison Abuse aka PAPA received this email
asking for some help.I would like to add
that I have been receiving numerous calls from the Love-Ones of the
Inmates housed at this unit with some most disturbing in-humane
stories. Can you please help the Inmates by investigating what is
going on at this unit. Is the uprising due to brutality, lack of food,
medical, recreation, or out of control TDCJ Employees?When the Wardens
do NOT control and properly handle issues and problems with staff then
it flows down to the Inmates especially when the
Wardens do NOT appear on the job daily. I know of incidents where the
Wardens are not seen on the premises for weeks at a time, they stay
home, on their
computers they run the prison units or I should say attempt. They are
paid to be on that job daily, the Wardens need to walk through the
prison units to let
people know he/she is there. I have never understood why the Wardens are
allowed to make their own procedures at the unit when there is written
policies,
regulations, codes, rules, laws to say how the units are to
operate. This needs to be resolved before another ''SMITH UNIT
RIOT'' happens.That is the rumble.Thank you for your help, Flo,
PAPA. Address and sample letter for action below:
January 2, 2008
Attorney General Greg Abbott
PO Box 12548
Austin TX 78711-2548
Dear Attorney General Abbott:
I am writing to express my deep and urgent concern about the dangerous
situation prevailing in Texas prisons and jails.
In particular, I am concerned about the Clements Unit on the outskirts
of Amarillo. From our inmate correspondents, I have just learned that
you will soon
visit Clements because of a very recent incident in which prisoners
attacked and badly injured some officers and another attack last month
by different
prisoners on different officers. Our correspondents report that more
trouble is brewing at Clements.
After each such incident, state and TDCJ officials take what they
consider a “tough line.” They punish the inmates involved, others in
the dorm or cell
block, and sometimes everyone in the unit or system.
But here’s the problem: TDCJ is already incredibly punitive. The food
is cheap and terrible; the units are bare and ugly; the opportunities
for recreation
are narrow and few; the men often have no clean or warm clothes — even
in the terrible heat of a Gulf Coast summer or the biting cold of a High
Plains
winter. Add to that the high turnover rate of guards, not to mention the
unpleasantness and unprofessionalism of all too many staff members. The
predictable result is a buildup of prisoner frustration. As one inmate
put it to us, “You can only kick a guy so many times before he kicks
back.”
I urge you to work with TDCJ management to improve conditions within the
prison system. All of us know that Texas imprisons and otherwise
punishes a larger proportion of its population — and a far larger
proportion of its minorities — than any other state or any so-called
civilized nation.
Please assure us that you are working to make Texas prisons themselves
more decent and “civilized.”
Sincerely,
(Your Name Here)
Show A Little Compassion!--URGENT
REQUEST!--Hi all! I am so blessed to have found this group! I am
posting an excerpt of a letter I just emailed to
the Editor of the Charleston Post & Courier."My son has called
CCDC "home" for the past 11 months. Do I feel sorry for him?
NO. Do I care that he has to
sleep on the floor with23 other men in an 8-man cell? NO. After all, he
is in jail, not on vacation at the Omni Hotel. Am I worried that he is
being fed sub-par food? NO. His father is a chef. If he were at home,
believe me he would be eating mighty well! His actions led him to his
stay on Leeds Avenue. He alone is responsible for being locked
up. However, I am outraged after I received a call from him
Tuesday night, and I spoke to him a couple other inmates housed along
with him. These men were awoken in the middle of the night as two
toilets overflowed in their cell. The men on the floor were lying in
inches of sewage, complete with floating tapeworms, feces, urine, and
pieces of used toilet paper, etc. They were told by a correction officer
to put socks on their feet to protect against the bacteria. The men who
normally sleep on the floor had to spend the remainder of the night
sitting upright on benches because nobody came to clean up the
disgusting mess that continued to flow. To make matters even more
horrific, these men were actually served 2 meals in this cell! Can you
imagine having to eat a meal while standing around in floating
sewage???? I can't, and I am furious! Enough is Enough!! Isn't there
someone in a position of authority, perhaps a compassionate
councilman/woman, the Mayor of N. Charleston, local church officials...
SOMEONE who can oversee what is happening at CCDC??? These are human
beings that are being treated worse than the animals at the Leeds Avenue
SPCA. At least there, the cages are hosed clean every day!"MY
URGENT REQUEST IS FOR LETTERS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO MY 21 YR OLD
SON. NOT ONLY IS HE AWAY FROM HIS YR OLD SON THIS CHRISTMAS, BUT
HE IS LIVING IN UNBEARABLE CONDITIONS! HE IS SO DISCOURAGED AND
DEPRESSED,AND I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR HIM. By the way he is being held
on charges of kidnapping & armed robbery. He actually robbed a 16 yr
old weed salesman with a pellet gun. PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER
WRITING TO HIM (For more penpals, see:
www.heal-online.org/adopt.htm):
Joshua L.Frazier #1173367
Charleston County Detention Center
3841 Leeds Avenue
North Charleston, SC 29405
THANK YOU SO MUCH & GOD BLESS!
~~~Kitty
Learn About and Take
Action for Mike Heston and the Prisoners of NY--Federal
prisoner says he is forced to take psychiatric drugs
by
David W. Oaks
—
last modified 2007-12-10 17:56...Mike
Heston says he is a prisoner who is experiencing involuntary psychiatric
drugging. He is locked up in the Federal medical Center in Rochester,
Minnesota. Mike asks people to make civil complaints on his
behalf. Many
prisoners experience involuntary psychiatric drugging.
Here are some excerpts from letters from Mike Heston to the MindFreedom
office: ~~~~~~~~"Dr.
Hart won't let me out of the hole unless I take pills... it only makes
me sicker and even more nervous. My nerves are shot as I have
claustrophobia and need I tell you how I feel right now: my heart is
racing." "I live in mortal fear, the needle has me
terrified, they just keep sticking me every two weeks and I feel like
death." "Please someone end this torture. I am
tormented, I am being tortured and terrorized (dreaded fear of that
needle). Please let me out of here. Someone help me, end this
injection." "I have to have say over what goes into my
body or life itself is a big sham. Help me. Forced psychiatry has
destroyed me." Mike continues to hold on: "You'd think
after so many years of these horrible treatments it would do me under
for good but the heart keeps on ticking." ~~~~~~~~~~
ACTION: Please contact
the Minnesota Governor's Office, and ask for an investigation of Mike
Heston's allegations. Let them know that forced drugging is absolutely
unacceptable.
SAMPLE MESSAGE
"Please investigate
allegations of human rights violations against Mike Heston who is a
prisoner at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minnesota. Mr.
Heston states that he is being forcibly injected with powerful and
hazardous psychiatric drugs. I oppose the forced psychiatric
drugging of any citizen."
~~~~~~~~~~
Use this web page to contact Governor of Minnesota:
You can write to Mike
Heston to let him know he is being heard, here:
Michael Heston
Reg. No. 06525-067
Federal Medical Center
PO BOX 4000
Rochester, MN 55903
Funding
Received for Musical Instruments for Prisoners--The
Prisons Foundation, in conjunction with the England based Jail
Guitar Doors project (
http://www.
jailguitardoors.
org.uk/
),
has received funding to purchase guitars to be sent to prisons
and jails in the United States where they will be utilized by
prisoners. If you know of any jail or prison whose prisoners
could benefit from participation in this program, please ask a
representative of that institution to email Joe Shade,
coordinator of the program at
joeyshade@gmail.
com
Take
Action to Stop Prisoner Abuse in Gatesville, TX:
This
request concerns prisoners and a terrifying outbreak of prison abuse at
the Alfred
D. Hughes prison in Gatesville, TX. We have no doubt
that there are youth in this facility along with the adults who do not
know how to defend
themselves.
Justice for Juveniles is asking for letters or for phone calls to
officials to expose these abuses which include prisoners being beat up
by several guards, sexual assaults, guards paying off prisoners to beat
up other prisoners, and guards stealing personal belongings from
prisoners while they are out of their cells.
Once Prisoners refuse to beat up other inmates for the guards, guards
make it clear that the prisoner is now a target causing terrifying fear
among all inmates in the institution. This
type of barbaric inhuman behavior and intimidation must be stopped
immediately. Please contact the following officials in Texas. You
may or may not state your name. PLEASE
take a few minutes to compose a letter and send it to any or all of the
below officials, Or just pick up your phones and call right away! Thank
you for taking some time from your
busy life to help fellow human beings
in a dire situation!!
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL:
John M. Moriarty ,
Office of Inspector General, P.O. Box 13084,
Austin, TX 78711-3084
Write the problem/issues
to:
LEGISLATORS Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, President
of the Senate and Joint Chairman of Texas Legislative
Council, The Capitol, Austin, TX
78711-2068, 512-463-0001, 1-800-441-0373, Fax:
512-936-6700
Tell
Montana Corrections to Stop Discrimination and Abuse of Native American
Employees and Inmates: A
Native American female guard had to quit because she was told by Officer
D Smith and Unit Manager Lamey she wasn't a "team player",
meaning she wouldn't join in the harassment of prisoners. She was
harassed by guards till she finally quit. One
of the inmates is being labeled, and a guard told his family that something could possibly happen to him for ratting on guards and an
inmates. This is not true of the inmate, yet the guards are labeling
him. Mr. Bartosh, the Program Manager, was led off the property for having sex
with a women inmate (women were temporarily housed at Shelby), and
getting one pregnant. Yet he is allowed to stay because he is a
"team" player. Mr.
Edmunson, an African American inmate who was held at CCC was openly and
bluntly called a nigger by Officer Erickson and who also called another
African American a nigger while both were in Administrative Segregation.
Officer Lamey was led off the job for coming to work intoxicated on
pills. Yet, he is also still there.
Unit manager Sturchio classifies minorities and Native Americans to C
pod as close custody inmates, even though they are low or medium level
inmates. The inmates are kept there for extended periods, far longer
than normal. Mr. Edmunson was transferred back to Deer Lodge and placed
in SHU (Security housing unit); he was targeted because he had
documentations and
filed against CCA for discrimination. C-pod
was told to police their own units, but when something happens, they
lock inmates down blaming the minorities for the problems, while the
same unit manager is walking around with a giant Iron Cross on his
T-Shirt. A
State Representative was sent a packet by a Native American inmate with
specific incidence of
this behavior (of Unit manager Sturchio).
Both of them are not supposed to be on the property. Other Native
American guards have left after the Native American female guard left.
The facts above
follow a long list of discriminative, abusive acts committed against
Native American inmates in this facility. In
July, 2006, in front of the Native American inmates, Officer Abbott made
very disrespectful, demeaning comments about the sweat lodge blanket and
the behavior of the inmates during the sweatlodge.Officer Lindy made
derogatory comments referring to Native American religious beliefs while
the inmates were requesting buckets of water for the ceremony. Such
comments are very common, and due to this type of behavior a meeting was
held to help address and resolve such behavior and attitudes toward
Native Americans and their religion. However the situation is not any
better. Officer
Abbott was reported to use vulgar language and holler during the sweat
lodge ceremony. He said he could do this because he claims he has Native
American blood somewhere in his family. A Captain was called by the
inmates, and an informal resolution was written and submitted. Native
American inmate Octave Finley was pulled into intake where Lt. Stewart
told another officer to leave, and in an intimidating manner asked the
inmate if he was a spy and how he got the job. Also
Lt. Stewart and Program Director Ms. Baer were both taking turns having
inmate Finley, who is about 5" tall and 105 lbs, face the
wall and pat search him for no reason at all. Later,
while the same Lt. Stewart brought the sweat lodge botanical to the
sweat lodge area, he made disrespectful remarks concerning the ceremony.
He only apologized because a native inmate said he would file a prior
informal resolution on him and document the remarks. A
few months earlier, the
same Lt. Stewart had ordered a federal inmate to
go back to his pod after the latter told him he was suicidal. A few
hours later the inmate
attempted suicide by cutting his own throat.
This type of
discriminatory harassment, derogatory statements, and disrespectful
treatment of
Native Americans was supposed to stop after the May
2006 meeting with state officials. But, as was stated in the meeting, it
would be business
as usual at CCA, regardless of any MT DOC policies.
To support the Native
American inmates, please send a respectful letter to the MT Department
of Corrections requesting their assistance to put an end to the
harassment and discrimination at CCC in Shelby. MT
DOC Director Mike Ferriter
governor@mt.
gov Administrative
Officer
tward@state.
mt.us or Ted Ward.
PLEASE
HELP FREE GEORGE MARTORANO:
George is one of the longest serving non-violent offender in the
federal prison system to date.He
has served over 23 years in prison. Learn more about George's case at:
www.freegeorge.us
and
http://freegeorgemartorano.blogspot.com
Also, see the news article at:
http://tampa.
creativeloafing.
com/gyrobase/
Content?oid=
oid%3A268555
Federal
inmate George Martorano will be going
in front of a judge in the near future- we need letters that support
his release- if you don't know who George is or enough about him, you
may visit the
www.freegeorge.
us or
www.webelievegroup.
com websites - we ask that any and all letters be mailed to
the...
WeBelieveGroup
Po Box 41491
Saint Petersburg Fl 33743
we will wait for word from the lawyers as to what we do with them, but
we really want to be ready ahead of time. They don't have to be
2-3 pages by any means, just a paragraph or two about why you think 24
years is enough, and/or how George would be of no threat, and/or how
George could help with youth on the outside-- how are prisons are full
and guys like George that should be released, should be. You can talk
of the disparities of sentencing-etc etc
SUPPORT
THE CHRISTOPHER BILL - THE JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM ACT:
In SC and other US states, children as young as 10 are being
arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced as adults under mandatory
sentencing mandates. Children are being sentenced to mandatory terms
created to net young people involved in gang violence and the drug
trades. Children are being sentenced to life without parole. Often
under the
influence of prescription drugs, otherwise average and above average
children commit unthinkable crimes. These children are then thrown
into a
court and sentencing system designed for hardcore adult criminals.
Mandatory sentencing does not take into consideration the past
non-violent social
history or the effects strong prescription drugs have on young minds.
The results are ruined young lives. We need your support. Please
sign this
petition and lend your name to the pursuit of Juvenile Justice.Your signature will affirm the belief that we need this
slightly major problem corrected.
Immediately. Please give a moment of your life so
that children will retain many moments for their own lives. You
do make a difference.
Sign petition at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/429258617?ltl=1114901126#
SIGN
PETITION TO BAN THE CRUEL AND UNUSUAL LETHAL INJECTION:
This
petition is to stop the use of lethal injection, and the use of
pancuronium bromide, to execute human beings. Pavulon, which was a brand
name for pancuronium bromide has been taken off the market in the USA,
and the American Veterinary Medical Association for the euthanasia of
animals does not allow it's use, and is banned for the use of
animals in
at least 19 states, although it's used for inmate executions. This drug
can cause extreme suffering and act like a "veil" to witnesses
because of it's
paralyzing effect. This drug can make it impossible to be able to tell
whether an animal is in fact conscious or unconscious. Pancuronium bromide
can render an inmate conscious and aware but unable to speak or move.Please sign petition today at by visiting:
http://www.petitiononline.com/needles/petition.html
SIGN
PETITION DEMANDING CLEMENCY FOR VICTIM OF VIOLENCE:Please
read and sign the petition demanding clemency for Robert Shelley.Shelley was convicted of murder and has served the last 30 years
in prison.He was 19 years
old at the time of conviction.Suspected NAMBLA
member, Mr. Dubbels (the victim), preyed on young men and boys.He was under investigation for child rape at the time of his
death.Dubbels
met Shelley at and pursued intoxicating Shelley with licquor.When Shelley was inebriated beyond coherency Dubbles attempted to
rape him.In self-defense, Shelley used “excessive” force, which
resulted in the death of Dubbles.Please
sign the online petition today to free the real victim
in this case, sign at:
www.petitiononline.com/FreeRJS/petition.html
SIGN
PETITION TO BAN CENSORSHIP IN TEXAS PRISONS:
Texas legislators
have instituted a ban on free speech, free expression, and certain
books and publications.Please
sign petition in support of democracy, visit
http://www.petitiononline.com/1stamend/petition.html
now!
SUPPORT
LEONARD PELTIER NOW!--
Hey folks--Check it out! The underground classic Just re-released!!The Words of Leonard Peltier in a Spoken-Word
Performance by Harvey Arden with haunting original music by Rev. Goat
Carson, George Ingmire, Harry Lenz and Michael Voelker--'New
Orleans Light'.Listen
at
http://cdbaby.com/cd/harveyarden
And be sure to check out
www.haveyouthought.com
for signed books.
Also Leonard's
own website:
http://www.leonardpeltier.org/
WRITE
TODAY TO SAVE A YOUNG AUSTRALIAN WOMAN’S LIFE!:
This
is a call for action to help save a young Australian woman's life who
is currently facing
the death penalty in Bali for allegedly being caught with marijuana in
a Balinese airport:A 27
year old Australian woman named Schapelle Leigh Corby, is facing
the death
penalty in Bali for being caught with 4 kilos of marijuana in her
luggage at an airport in Bali. Ms Corby claims the marijuana was not
hers and many of her supporters believe
the marijuana may have been planted in her bag because marijuana tends
to be smuggled out of Bali, rather than into Bali & because the
prices for cannabis in Bali are
much lower than the prices for cannabis in Australia. Balinese
authorities are asking for the death sentence for Ms Corby, who's
trial could begin in just a couple of months.
Balinese authorities wish to sentence Ms Corby to death by a firing
squad.To learn more
about her case
click
here.*Please Take a
moment to help save this poor woman's
life. Here is what you can do:
Write to
the Australian Prime Minister and email the Australian Foreign
Minister of Affairs and ask them to take action to place pressure on
the Balinese Government to release
Schapelle Leigh Corby and to encourage Australians & the rest of
the world to publicly boycott traveling to Bali until they set this
woman free.I urge you to
also contact
the Indonesian Consulate in Australia and let them know you plan to
boycott traveling to Bali unless they set Schapelle Leigh Corby free.
(I have not had luck finding a
direct contact to the Indonesian Consulate within Indonesia. If anyone
out there happens to know, please email it to me at: [email protected]
and I will circulate this as well.)
Write to: The
Australian Prime Minister: John
Howard House of
Representatives Parliament
House Canberra
ACT 2600 Australia
Email: The
Australian foreign affairs Minister: Alexander
Downer [email protected] Write to: Consulate
General - Republic of Indonesia 72 Queens
Road Melbourne 3004 Victoria,
Australia
Email the
Indonesian Consulate in Australia: [email protected] to
approve Flozelle's parole is October 23rd.
SIGN
PETITION DEMANDING 2ND CHANCE FOR VIRGINIA INMATES: A
retroactive law was created (sounds unconstitutional to us) that makes
inmates once eligible for parole ineligible.It is a law that has outlawed the possibility of parole for many
nonviolent offenders.Please
sign this
petition and demand that people get a 2nd chance at life.Visit
http://www.petitiononline.com/noparole/petition.html
and sign today.
SIGN
PETITION DEMANDING THE FREEDOM OF ROBERT GABRIELSON!--
Bev Gabrielson [email protected] loves
her husband very much.
She has done a petition to try to stop the extradition of her husband to
another state for a probation violation nonviolent offense. He is
very loved
and much needed at home. She would needs any and all help if
possible to make his coming home a reality.Sign petition now at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/duima/petition.html
SIGN
PETITION DEMANDING CLEAN WATER FOR WOMEN IN PRISON NOW!--
Please take a moment to read and sign the petition below.Hobby
Unit, Texas is an all female prison with a long documented history of contaminated
water being given to the prisoners.In summer heat of 120
degree temps easily reached ...this is life threatening situation
between the heat and contaminated water supplies for these women.Please sign
at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/badwater/petition.html
SIGN
PETITION DEMANDING PROPER MEDICAL TREATMENT AND CLEAN WATER FOR U.S.
CONVICTS/PRISONERS NOW!—West Nile
virus is spreading in epidemic proportion among the nations prisoners.Please take a moment to demand proper medical care forprisoners and
the public by visiting and signing the petition at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?westnile
SIGN
PETITION DEMANDING THAT CONGRESS TAKE ACTION AGAINST PRISONER ABUSE
NOW!—Please take a moment
to sign the petition
against prisoner abuse and demand action now!Sign petition at
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/PA2004/petition.html
SIGN
PETITION TO STOP TORTURE IN U.S. PRISONS!—Please
take a moment to sign the petition that exposes the torture within
U.S. borders
of prisoners and demands change now!Sign petition at
http://www.petitiononline.com/safety04/petition.html
SIGN
PETITION DEMANDING THE RELEASE OF PAROLE ELIGIBLE INMATES IN VIRGINIA
NOW!—Please
take a moment to read and sign
the petition demanding that Governor Warner enforce humane parole
standards in the state of Virginia.Visit
http://www.petitiononline.com/vacure01/petition.html
and sign today!
SIGN
PETITION DEMANDING THAT THE DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS REINSTATE PAROLE, GOOD
TIME EARNINGS, AND EARLY RELEASE
FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR FOR NONVIOLENT CRIMINALS!—Please
take a moment to read and sign the petition demanding that the
Dept. of Corrections treats families and incarcerated nonviolent
citizens with humanity and respect.Visit http://www.petitiononline.com/lazizkmu/
and sign today!
SIGN
PETITION DEMANDING THE REVOCATION OF UNFAIR PRISON LAWS, INCLUDING
FLORIDA’S THREE STRIKES LAW!—Please
take a moment to read and sign the petition demanding the end to unfair
prison laws, including Florida’s Three Strikes Law.Visit
http://www.petitiononline.com/reoffend/petition.html
and sign today!
INNOCENT
WOMAN ON DEATH ROW IN TEXAS, SIGN PETITION TO RE-EXAMINE CASE NOW!—Darlie
Lynn Routier was found guilty of murdering
two of her children as well as nearly fatally stabbing herself to death
and slashing her own throat.Her
husband, remaining child, family, and
community think she is innocent.However,
the police are believed to have tampered with evidence to frame her.Please take a moment to sign
the online petition at
http://www.petitiononline.com/RLHayes/