news

We received word from Gary Tucker that he was taken to the infirmary on Friday, July 11th as a result of sustained pressure from those of us on the outside. He was attacked with chemical weapons, electro-shocked with a stun shield, and then forcibly extracted from his cell prior to being taken to the infirmary.

You may recall that Leonard suffers from diabetes. To date,
his diabetes has been managed by diet but this is difficult to do
when the prison won't give Leonard a test kit by which to monitor
his blood glucose level. Two weeks ago, I wrote to the warden at
Lewisburg asking that Leonard be given a diabetes test kit. I even
offered to purchase an approved kit if the prison cannot provide one.
I haven't received a response from the warden.

Yesterday, Leonard called--later than the norm. He's suffering
with a severe headache and other symptoms and is in a bad way.

When most of us think of torture in the U.S., we envision people trapped in Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib, forced into black hoods and waterboarded. But the frightening truth is that torture is far more pervasive than Bush’s latest imperial quest. You don’t need to travel to outsourced detention centers in foreign countries. In fact, torture might be happening at the Supermax prison on the outskirts of your Pennsylvania town.

The Human Rights Coalition – FedUp! Chapter has been addressing abuses in high-level security prisons in Pennsylvania since the fall of 2007, and Virginia since 2005. Based in Pittsburgh, we are an unpaid group of concerned citizens, people in prison and their loved ones. We are dedicated to upholding the rights of prisoners through providing resources and support, exposing injustices, and building relationships with people in prison and their advocates.

Distribute
this far and wide and take action please
please
let us know if you want to be removed from this list 
On
January 10, 2007 at SCI Fayette, Correctional Officers Friend and Collings came to the cell door of Michael Edwards #CM8086 in
an effort to intimidate the prisoner into dropping a lawsuit. 

When Mr. Edwards refused C/O Friend pulled three
photographs of lynched black people from his pocket and threw them in
the prisoner's cell.  This took place in the presence of Sgt. Ruvo. 

RECEIVED WORD FROM JOE JOE THAT THE HEART PAIN HE WAS SUFFERING FROM WAS DIAGNOSED AS CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE, WITH ONE OF HIS MAIN ARTERIES BLOCKED WITH A PLAQUE BUILDUP. LAST WEEK HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO AN OUTSIDE HOPSITAL WHERE HE HAD A STENT INSERTED INTO THE BLOCKED ARTERY. HE SAID HE IS DOING OK.

PEOPLE WISHING TO SEND LETTERS/CARDS TO JOE JOE CAN REACH HIM AT:

JOSEPH BOWEN
AM-4272
1 KELLEY DRIVE
COAL TOWNSHIP, PA 17866-1021

Hi Everyone!

Here is our quartely newsletter from the FedUp! Chapter of the Human Rights
Coalition. Below is the table of contents... Below that is news from Resource Info and Help for the Disadvantaged. If you don't want to get these emails -Please let respond to this email.

Love and Happy New Year,
etta

Letta From the Etta-der--------------à 1

Letter From Lizzie ------------------à 1

2008 Reasons to be FedUp!----------à2

Discrimination Report from AFSC-à3

StopMax Conference------------------à4

Info from The Sentencing Project---à5

HRC-FedUP! recieved word last week that the 3 Correctional Officers - Dutton, Taylor and Brown, that were cited repeatedly in recent assault reports from Red Onion State Prison have been split up. Prisoners claim that when these guards work together they are a violent trio and welcomed this development. Attached is a more in depth article about the recent abuse at Virginia's notorious supermax. Thanks to everyone who took action in reponse to the initial call.

Your efforts are making a difference

New Afrikan Political Prisoner/POW Russell "Maroon" Shoatz suffered from
chest pains for weeks while prison officials repeatedly ignored his demands
for appropriate medical attention. On April 26 outside pressure at last
forced SCI Greene to allow him to see a heart specialist. An
echocardiograph test did not show any problems. Medical staff at Greene
attributes the pains and other symptoms to angina, which they believe to be
controllable by a change in diet, a daily dose of aspirin and, in the case
of an emergency, nitroglycerin tablets.

FRIDAY, JAN. 26, 2007 Poems Not Prisons Open Mic/Featured Reading 7:30 p.m. The A-Space 4722 Baltimore Ave, West Philly Free—Donations benefit political prisoner Sundiata Acoli (www.freemumia.org/sundiata) Featured Reader: Walidah Imarisha aka the Bad Sista www.poetryoffthepage.com Will also include a prisoners' family update from the Human Rights Coalition Bring your poems, stories, songs, rants, etc. for the open mic.