SOA Watch Prisoners of Conscience
Prison witness has been a core element of the SOA Watch movement since its beginning. In the tradition of Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King and countless others, SOA Watch activists have used peaceful, nonviolent resistance to expose the horrors of the SOA and express solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Latin America. As a result, nearly 70 SOA Watch human rights defenders have cumulatively spent some 40 years in prison, serving sentences ranging from 2 to 18 months. Their sacrifice and steadfastness in the struggle for peace and justice provide an extraordinary example of love in action and have given tremendous momentum to the effort to close SOA.
26 Sentenced!
After two days of incredibly moving and powerful testimony (May 22-23, 2001) from each of the 26 human rights activists - - putting the School of Assassins on trial - - U.S. Magistrate G. Mallon Faircloth handed down the maximum sentence allotted (six months in federal prison) for most of the defendants... while Steve Jacobs received a 1 year sentence.
Brief Bios / Sentences for the 26:
Steve Jacobs
46, Columbia, Missouri. Member of the St. Francis Catholic
Worker, veteran and folksinger.
Sentence: One year in
prison
88110-020
Federal Prison Camp
P.O. Box 1000
Leavenworth, KS 66048
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Projected release date: 7/17/02
Eric Robison
21, Spokane, Washington. Social justice activist.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $500 fine
#45033-083
Federal Prison Camp
PO Box 6000
Sheridan, OR 97378
Incarcerated: 7/30/01
Projected release date: 1/30/02
Miriam Spencer
76, Bellevue, Washington. Member of Sisters of St. Joseph of
Peace, actively retired, 75.
Sentence: 6 months in prison
#90294-020
FPC Pekin
PO Box 6000
Pekin, IL 61555
Incarcerated: 8/10/01
Projected release date: 2/10/02
Mary Lou Benson
56, Brainerd, Minnesota. Homemaker, married, mother of four,
sister of Martha, aunt of Rachel.
Sentence: 6 months in prison
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Josh Raisler
Cohn
24, Portland, Oregon. Social and environmental justice
activist.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $1000 fine
Incarcerated: 5/23/01
Released: 11/23/01
David Corcoran
67, Des Plaines, Illinois. Hospital chaplain, married
priest, father of three adopted Korean children.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $1000 fine
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Russell De Young
54, Newport News, Virginia. NASA senior research scientist,
married, father of two.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $1000 fine
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
John Ewers
66, Dayton, Ohio. Retired manager at NCR Corporation, Habitat
for Humanity volunteer, married, father of four.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $1000 fine
Unit
B-2
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Jack Gilroy
65, Endwell, New York. High school teacher, married, father
of four.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $500 fine
Incarcerated: 5/23/01
Released: 11/23/01
Clare Hanrahan
52, Asheville, North Carolina. Freelance writer/journalist,
gardener, mother of one.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $500 fine
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Martha Hayward
56, Negaunee, Michigan. Middle school teacher, married,
mother of four (including Rachel--see below)
Sentence: 3 years probation, $3,000 fine
Martha
was sentenced to three years probation and a $3000 fine.
Despite... Her daughter Rachel and twin sister Mary are currently
serving 6 months at the Pekin IL federal prison camp.
103 A Buffalo Road
Negaunee, MI 49866
Rachel Louise
Hayward
19, Negaunee, Michigan. Student at Kalamazoo College, majoring in
biology and Spanish, daughter of Martha Hayward.
Sentence: 6 months in prison
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Dorothy M.
Hennessey
88, Dubuque, Iowa. Dubuque Franciscan, peace worker, sister
of Gwen Hennessey (see below).
Sentence: 6 months in prison
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Gwen Hennessey
68, Dubuque, Iowa. Dubuque Franciscan, peace worker, sister
of Dorothy Hennessey.
Sentence: 6 months in prison
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Rita Hohenshell
76, Des Moines, Iowa. Retired, mother of four, grandmother of
five.
Sentence: 3 months in prison
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 10/17/01
William Houston
72, Yellow Springs, Ohio. Retired professor, father of two,
husband of Hazel.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $1000 fine
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
John Alfred Hunt
Jr.
33, Boone, North Carolina. Community educator and activist.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $500 fine
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/17/02
Rebecca Kanner
43, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Environmental educator, UAW member.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $500 fine
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/17/02
Joel Kilgour
24, Duluth, Minnesota. Baker in cooperative bakery, member of
Loaves and Fishes Catholic Worker.
Sentence: 1 month in prison
1712
Jefferson Street Duluth, MN 55812
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 8/17/01
Richard John
Kinane
51, Boulder, Colorado. Teacher and contemplative
psychotherapist.
Sentence: 6 months in prison, $500 fine
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Elizabeth Anne
McKenzie
71, St. Paul, Minnesota. Retired teacher, Sister of St.
Joseph of Peace.
Sentence: 6 months in prison
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Karl Meyer
63, Nashville, Tennessee. Member of Nashville Greenland
Community, activist with Catholic Worker movement for 44 years.
Sentence: 6 months in prison
Incarcerated: 5/23/01
Released: 11/23/01
Lois Putzier
69, Tucson, Arizona. Union organizer, married.
Sentence: 6 months in prison
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02
Kathryn Temple
28, Asheville, North Carolina. Artist, writer, feminist.
Sentence: 2 years probation, $500 fine
95
Houston St.
Asheville, NC 28801
Kathryn was sentenced to two years probation and a
$500 fine. She continues to use her art as a way of educating
people about the SOA issue.
Hazel Tulecke
77, Yellow Springs, Ohio. Retired, mother of four, wife of
William.
Sentence: 3 months in prison
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 10/17/01
Mary Alice
Vaughan
68, White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Retired elementary school
teacher, former Sr. of St. Joseph of Peace. Sentence:
6 months, $150 fine
#90296-020
FPC Pekin
PO Box 6000
Pekin, IL 61555
Incarcerated: 7/17/01
Released: 1/14/02