URGENT ACTION ALERT ~ PLEASE DISTRIBUTE BROADLY !!!
They Spoke Up for Us and
Now it's Time That We Speak Up for Them!
On July 12th, 2002, a federal court in Georgia found 36 SOA Watch
activists guilty and sentenced them for speaking out against the
School of the Americas (SOA) in a nonviolent protest on the Fort
Benning military reservation. Twenty-nine received prison terms
ranging from three months to the maximum of six months - one more
attempt to silence the movement to close the SOA, and to prevent
others from speaking out. Toni Flynn, 56, a Catholic Worker and
mother of four from Valyermo, CA, Peter Gelderloos, 20, an
activist from Harrisonburg, VA, and Father Jerry Zawada, 65, a
Franciscan priest from Cedar Lake, IN were taken to Crisp County
Jail in Georgia. It was assumed that this was to be a brief stop
in transit to a federal prison near their homes. Now, the Federal
Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has designated Crisp County Jail as the
location where the three will serve the remainder of their
six-month sentence. The three have reported deplorable conditions
in this jail including dangerous medical neglect (see an excerpt
of a letter from Toni below). The Crisp County Jail does not
comply with federal standards for the treatment of prisoners. The
Crisp County Jail does not permit visits on weekends and the
visitation facilities do not meet the BOP criteria (see federal
code citation below).
Here's what you can do:
- Write a letter to the Southeast Regional
Director of the BOP to demand that the SOA
Watch Prisoners of Conscience be moved to a facility near their
home and that the situation at Crisp County Jail has to change
for all prisoners! In doing research on the net it appears that
there has been more litigation concerning Georgia County Jails
than any other state.
Please fax and snail-mail your letter to:
R.E. Holt
Southeast Regional Director
Federal Bureau of Prisons
3800 Camp Creek Parkway, S.W.
Building 2000
Atlanta, GA 30331-6226
Fax: (678) 686-1229
- Contact your Congressperson. Point
out that while SOA-trained killers continue to act with impunity,
nonviolent people of conscience are in prison under harsh
conditions. Urge your Congressperson to contact R.E. Holt to
inquire about the conditions in Crisp County Jail which are in
violation of federal law, and to demand that Peter, Toni and
Jerry be moved to a facility in compliance with federal
standards. If your representative is a co-sponsor of HR 1810 (the
bill to close the SOA), thank them for their support. If not,
take this opportunity to ask them to sign on. Click here for more
legislative information and a list of co-sponsors.
- Come to Fort Benning,
November 15-17, 2002 and take the place of those who have been
incarcerated.
A letter from Toni Flynn dated August 13th includes the
following: "Day # 16 here at Crisp County Jail and no sign
of the U.S. Marshals. Things have worsened: A woman in my cell
block has for weeks complained of "sores and bugs" on
her body. She and I and the other 5 women have all complained and
asked for intervention. The only response was to be given a can
of Lice Spray for us to use on our bodies. Upon reading the
label, it says 'dangerous for humans & animals' and further
instructs that it is toxic if inhaled or absorbed. Our cell was
nonetheless sprayed & some women sprayed their bodies. The
infected woman was isolated for 1 day and then returned, still
infected.
We are all at risk and the woman is as yet untreated or at best
treated ineffectively. I filled out a complaint and everyone
signed it. The woman has voiced that she has "lice, crabs,
and canker sores as well as a rash that has spread (neck and
wrist). I feel this is gross negligence and that the Health Dept
needs to know. I really (underlined twice) want out of here! Is
there anyway to nudge the Feds?..."
Federal Code citation:
28 Code of Federal Regulations Sections 540.41 and 540.42 provide
requirements for proper visitation facilities and visiting times
for inmates. "At a minimum, the Warden shall establish
visiting hours at the institution on Saturdays, Sundays, and
holidays." (Section 540.42(a)) It is the policy of the BOP
"to encourage visiting by family, friends, and community
groups to maintain the morale of the inmate and to develop closer
relationships between the inmate and family members or others in
the community." (Section 540.40)
Thank You for Your Support and Solidarity!
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