Prison hunger strike for humane treatment

[duhneece]

On July 1, 2011, Pelican Bay prisoners began an indefinite hunger strike to protest the conditions in the prison. Across prison-manufactured racial and geographical lines, prisoners came together behind five core demands to force the prison officials to end the use of “group punishment”; abolish a “debriefing policy and the current criteria for determining who is and who isn’t a gang member; comply with the US Commission 2006 Recommendation Regarding an End to Long-Term Solitary Confinement and end conditions of isolation, make segregation a last resort, end long-term solitary confinement and grant access to adequate healthcare and sunlight; provide adequate food and stop using it as a tool to punish inmates; and expand constructive programming and privileges for indefinite SHU inmates.

SHU stands for “Security Housing Unit.” In some prisons, the SHU is called “the hole.”

http://my.firedoglake.com/kgosztola/2011/07/11/pelican-bay-prison-hunger-strike-shines-light-on-true-character-of-us-prison-system/

ou may contact Governor Jerry Brown by mail at:

Mailing address:

Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/medical-conditions-of-hunger-strikers-worsen-strikers-supporters-keep-fighting-back/

Medical Conditions of Hunger Strikers Worsen, Strikers & Supporters Keep Fighting Back
Posted on October 7, 2011 by prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity

Numbers of hunger strikers began to drop this week after the CDCR intensified retaliation on the strike. The hunger strike representatives at Pelican Bay who were kept in the D Corridor of the SHU were moved to Administrative Segregation at Pelican Bay. Lawyers who were finally able to have one visit last week (after some lawyers of the prisoners’ mediation team have been banned) report that the CDCR has the air conditioning on high in 50 degree weather. The hunger strike representatives continue to be willing to risk their lives in order to win the 5 core demands.