My Brother's Keeper

The memo signed by CDCR Undersecretary Scott Kernan and the mediators

2011-10-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Bryan sent me his copy of the memo that was distributed to the men as proof that a settlement had been reached and the hunger strike was over. It is the document agreed to by the Prisoner Representatives and then signed by the mediation team..

It is not a CDCR memo, per se, but a summation of conversations. Attorney Carol Strickman spoke with many staffers about the proposed changes that were in the works and saw a document of about 35 pages across the table that they said had the specifics...she did not actually review it, just saw it from across the table. She then asked if she could write a summary of the things she was told that were "in the works" and present that for signatures. CDCR Undersecretary Kernan agreed. So this document was created by Carol, reviewed by the Prisoner Representatives and then signed off by the 4 mediators and CDCR Undersecretary Scott Kernan. Note the "acknowledged & agreed" hand written after his signature

This is the document that was presented to Bryan and the other hunger strikers to convince them to come off the hunger strike. You can see the number 192 showing through on page two. That is because they wrote his cell number, 192, in magic marker on the memo so it would be distributed to his cell. Bryan and the 4 other hunger strikers from Pelican Bay housed in his area were a bit concerned because there were no signatures of Prisoner Representatives, but reasoned that all those attorneys, who are known and respected by all the prisoners, probably wouldn't have signed it if it wasn't OK. But just to be sure, CDCR pulled the four of the five prisoners from Pelican Bay SHU currently staying at Corcoran ASU to conference (# 5 was in the hospital). One of the 4 was a Prisoner Representative and confirmed that he took that phone call reviewing the document and had agreed to it. That was Thursday, Oct. 13. Bryan was enjoying a bologna sandwich by 9 pm that night. He described it as "20 minutes of heaven", which is how long it took him to get it down.

Speaking of Kernan, he just retired after 30 years with CDCR .... according to this interview, under the terms of his contract, 30 years of service means he qualifies for 90% of his annual pay...each year, for the rest of his life. The article says he is 50 years old...you do the math.

I'm hoping that CDCR doesn't use his retirement as a way to wiggle out of honoring this agreement. That's why it is so important for family and friends of prisoners and ALL the citizens of the world to keep the pressure on CDCR and Governor Brown to follow through with the agreements spelled out in the document below:

Angels on the Inside

2011-10-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to see if Bryan had been sent back to Pelican Bay, I determined that he is still at Corcoran. I spoke with his counselor, the CDCR employee who has been assigned to handle his paperwork, programs and other items. He takes the time to tell Bryan when I call, which always comes as a surprise to Bryan. That tells me so much about what life is like in the SHU, that something so simple would be so noteworthy.

Throughout my conversation with his Corcoran counselor today it was very clear to me that he had no idea how exceptionally wonderful Bryan felt about going to yard outside, in the sun. When I told him that for 16 years Bryan has been going alone to a cement area smaller than a shipping container, he seemed surprised. This man also thought it was very strange when I inquired if Bryan was getting mail. When I explained that mail was withheld at PB during the hunger strike, he again expressed surprise and asked," Why would they do that?" When I suggested the reason might be retaliation for going on hunger striking again, it was almost as if he couldn't believe it. I think what happens at Pelican Bay SHU is outside the awareness of many, many, CDCR employees statewide. I can hardly fault them, none of us knew.

I must say that although the situation at Pelican Bay SHU is most desperate, so bleak as to have hundreds, even thousands choose to hunger strike to the death, that there are persons involved here and there who have a bit of compassion. These CDCR employees somehow see past the IGI (Institutional Gang Investigator) propaganda which paints Bryan and men like him as animals, deserving of the most despised treatment.

I just now am remembering that Bryan's Pelican Bay counselor did him the same kindness back in July. Just after Bryan returned from his hospital stay to Crescent City on 7-26, she made a special effort to go and tell him that I had called and informed him that I would visit him the upcoming Saturday. What ever the reason, I am grateful for it. Bryan even more so. Perhaps it because we rallied to reveal the conditions of the SHU that CDCR employees are also seeing the situation for what it is.

Since May, I have had the opportunity to visit with CDCR employees, usually related to their official capacity. But when I was staying in Crescent City this summer, more that once did someone to talk to me about the situation in an informal capacity...like the man who approached me in a Crescent City restaurant to say he was a CO on the Pelican Bay main line (regular part of the prison). He said that he and many COs at Pelican Bay don't like what goes on in the SHU and were supportive of the hunger strike. When I asked him how he knew who I was....he said, "I read your blog, many of us do." How about that!?!

The first blog related event that Bryan shared with me was from July. On Day 13 of the first hunger strike he was at medical for some test or another and a CDCR employee asked him, "Are you Bryan?". Bryan was stunned! Bryan is his middle name, no one knows him by that name at CDCR except friends. At our very next visit he told me about it and stated,"Julie, that had your fingerprints all over it." We had a good laugh about the effectiveness of maintaining a blog.

So to all the CDCR employees who read this blog, I thank you for the small kindnesses you do for the prisoners as you go about your duties. It means more to the men and their families than you will every know.

A letter from Bryan - written 10/13 thru 10/16

2011-10-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

The hunger strike ended on Thursday, 10/13. I just got a letter from Bryan today written 10/13 thru 10/16 and mailed Monday. Delivered in 4 days!

He has this message for everyone:

Please let it be known out there how deeply appreciative everyone is. Without all the pressure y'all put on Sacramento and the overwhelming way in which everyone very publicly rejected CDCr's propaganda of "worst of the worst" and demanded that we were/are much more than the crimes we've been convicted of or prison gang labels, this never would've been achieved.

I think that's even fundamentally changed the way even many of us in here see ourselves now. We've all collectively shattered 30-35 years of CDCr status quo in 3 months. We should be proud of that. Not necessarily with the material gains (though it/they definitely make SHU life better) but proud of truly exposing the inherently wrong and unjust policies of how gang validation is implemented, maintained and ultimately abused by way of keeping men forever housed in solitary confinement.

Other things Bryan shared in the letter:

He lost 35 lbs and was 145 lbs at the lowest.

He is doing well, he said one man he knew of was actually hospitalized "due to his labs being so out of whack." (blood tests)

As of the 16th, they are all medically released so he said they will take the bus back to PB together. He expects to be at PB this week, by the time I got this letter.

From the sounds of his letter, PB SHU guys think the ASU (administrative segregation unit) at Corcoran was like a vacation (relatively). One must remember that Bryan has been in solitary confinement for 16 years, only leaving the windowless cement cell to go to a slightly larger cement room with a cover over it to "exercise". Always alone, never experiencing the grass, birds, or the sun directly. 16 years!

While at Corcoran ASU for medical supervision and treatment, Bryan and the men from the Pelican Bay SHU had a chance to experience things they haven't for decades. For instance, rather than a cement space to exercise, they went to "yard" in wire cages similar to dog kennels. They each had their own cage (with a toilet in it!) and each cage was separated by 2-3 feet so they could SEE each other.. to quote Bryan...

"Going out there was pure BLISS, Julie. Three straight hours of sun in 85 to 90 degree clear Central Valley farm land weather. My buddy was out there a few cages down and I don't think we stopped smiling one time. I have no doubt that as we stood there in our boxers soaking up the sun chatting about how fantastic it was and how cool it would be to do our time here, that ALL of our neighbors in the other cages think we're zip damn nuts."

Geesh, you think he was writing from Acapulco. I guess it's all relative.

He said he wished he could stay at Corcoran... "They run this ASU with a lot of professionalism and don't seem to carry that weird disdainful attitude that seems ever present at PBSP. Everyone just seems like they're simply doing their job... minus that "you're an animal" edge.

Anyway, that's the Bryan report!

Julie

Mail Call - I got a letter from Bryan !

2011-10-18T00:32:00.000-07:00

I sent mail to Bryan the other day....

Saturday 10-15-11

Dear Bryan,

My dear friend! I hope this letter finds you on the mend and feeling proud and happy about all that has been accomplished. I am still walking around in a daze of wonder. I knew that you were not at PB on Wednesday, even before you arrived at Corcoran – I have my ways! Early Thursday morning, I tracked you down at ASU-1 and called Mr. Gonzales, but he was in committee with the other counselors. I was told to try again in late afternoon so I met a friend for coffee. (yum, coffee...won't it be nice to get your coffee back?)

Anyway, the funniest thing happened when I learned the strike was over. I was contacted almost immediately after the mediators signed the memo and I had to dash home to get the phone number for ASU-1. When Mr. Gonzales answered (he was very nice), after brief introductions and an explanation that I was calling about you, I said, “Have you heard the news?” Pause. “What news?” Pause. “That the hunger strike is over?” Long pause. I continued, “I was going to ask several questions, but they have all changed with this new development”. He said, “Why don't you go ahead and ask your questions?” I began going down the list, Is Bryan there? (yes), How is he doing? (fine), etc.

Suddenly, he gets very excited and says, “someone just handed me a memo”, and he just started reading it out loud to me. It appeared to be the memo that they got telling them that the HS was over with instructions to give the hunger strikers the attached papers, 1. the memo signed by the mediators and 2. a document about how to resume eating safely after a hunger strike. Bryan, I think he learned that the HS ended at that moment, while we were on the phone together. I could hear surprise, relief and even happiness in his voice.

After that sunk in, I resumed asking my questions – ”Can Bryan get mail, paper/stamps, visits?” Yes! Yes! Yes! I ended by asking if he would let you know I called. Yes! How about that !?!?!

Today, I got an email from Debbie with their phone number; I immediately called her and she put Pops on the phone. Bryan, I liked him and I think he liked me...we talked for 10-15 minutes about everything that has happened. He is soooo happy that you are OK and looks forward to coming to see you. He just had a checkup and other than being told to lose some weight, he is fine. He is going to fill out the visit form so everything is in place when the opportunity to visit you presents itself. I'm not even sure if you will be sent back to PB or stay at Corcoran. So he's just going to get the paperwork going. How about that !?!?!

You will be very proud of me. Upon hearing you could get visits, I looked up flights from Seattle to Bakersfield (about $500) and had to stop myself and laugh. Of course, including hotel and rental car, that is too expensive, but for the moment I could imagine the look on your face as I strolled into the Corcoran visiting area. Ha ha ha If money were no object, I would already be there. As it is, once you settle in somewhere, there will be plenty of time to schedule a visit. Until then, you will be very busy reading your mail after it all catches up with you. Well, I'm out of room on my large sized postcard. Bye for now.

Your devoted friend,
~Julie

***

When I checked my PO Box, there was a letter from Bryan written on 10-8-11, postmarked in Crescent City, CA 10-12-11, received in Settle, WA on 10-17-11. It took 9 Days. About average.

Mail into prison moves slowly. After I write a letter and post it via US Postal Service, it arrives in the prison mail room to be searched for contraband and other innocent items that are not allowed. After the mail room is finished, SHU prisoners have an additional step...mail goes to the Institutional Gang Investigators who look for secret codes and other things related to gang issues. Then it is delivered to Bryan. When he writes to me, that process is reversed... Bryan, IGI, mail room, USPS then to me.

Postcards don't need to be searched for contraband and get delivered much faster.

Most discouragingly, anytime they want to retaliate against prisoners, individually or collectively, they will hold the mail and not let it through. For instance, during this second hunger strike (Sept 26-Oct 13), they completely cut all mail that was sent to hunger strikers. In Bryan's latest letter he says there has been no mail delivered to them since Sept 23.

Conversely, I have gotten three letters from Bryan since the hunger strike began...(written on 9/27-received on 10/7) (written on 10/1-received on 10/11) (written on 10/8-received on 10-17)

Here is a scan of the mail room restrictions from Pelican Bay. I have never had anything rejected or removed by the mail room.

IGI has only stopped one of my letters. When this happened, Bryan got a notice that a piece of mail was stopped. I also received a notice that my mail was stopped "pending Investigation" (see the form below) I never heard anything else, so the investigators must have not found anything. Bryan could have just requested it be mailed back to me at his own expense (see the DISPOSITION section) but we didn't think of that...he preferred to have a hearing to find out why they were investigating information in the letter.

He filed a 602 (grievance) and got a hearing about the letter. At that hearing (about a month later?) IGI told him that I was "discussing an inmate in Washington State" I probably was telling Bryan a story about Greg, who is in a WA prison. I rarely refer to Greg for this very reason, and only in the most general terms...I can't even remember what I wrote. Note the IGI #1 handwritten on the top...my 1st rejection...

***

He leads by example

2011-10-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

My heart is so full. After experiencing a spiritual or personal milestone, I must retreat to a quiet place and process all that has happened.

To sit quietly with the monumental reality.

To allow the joy of the moment to soak into my soul.

To pray and express my gratitude to the Eternal Source of Love.

Thursday, I needed to reflect upon why things unfolded as they did. What was it about the choice of a hunger strike that made this amazing change actually happen? Why was I drawn so strongly to accompany Bryan on this journey? Why was it so important to me to be present to him, to be a witness of his humanity and sacrifice as he put his life on the line for the common good?

It is because Bryan exemplifies spiritual humility and therefore embodies spiritual power.

Political power is the power to influence others through coercion. It is the power to hire and fire, to punish, to imprison, even to kill. Or to threaten such things. Political power has nothing to do with wisdom or benevolence. It resides solely in money or position. This is why it is often referred to as temporal power, because these things are temporary. They can be stripped away overnight.

Spiritual power is the power to influence others through one's own being -- by example, by kindness, by humor, by wisdom and love. It is exercised at least as often by the poor as the wealthy, by the lowly as the high and mighty. Indeed, its hallmark is humility. The more spiritually powerful people become, the more aware they are that their power is a gift from God and has little, if anything, to do with their achievements -- that it is not theirs, but God's power acting through them. And usually they are surprised by the extent of their influence for the good.

~ M. Scott Peck, A World Waiting to be Born

Political power is not inherently bad, it is just temporary; it can be given, it can be taken away. Political power is a matter of externals and spiritual power a matter of what is within. Spiritual power it can never be taken away.

This is why CDCR moved the 11 representatives, their 2 cellies and Bryan to Ad Seg. The representatives are examples of spiritual humility and power and they also hold political power, bestowed upon then by the men who chose them as representatives. It was important for CDCR to separate them from the others, to cut off that tie.

But why Bryan? Bryan is not a representative, he has no political power. However, he is the embodiment of humility, commitment and willingness to sacrifice. It was his ability to lead by example that made him so dangerous to CDCR. And it was important that he also be separated from the others. I don't know if CDCR knew why they needed to separate him from the men, but I did. I knew exactly why he was moved to AdSeg, he possesses the ability to influence because he has spiritual power.

People are drawn to those who are like Bryan, it is his pure example that draws us to him. Bryan doesn't use the construct of God to express his spirituality, I do. Nevertheless, what I saw in him is a universal truth. I was drawn to be with him and ease his suffering in any way I could from behind glass and in letters. And in being present, I was a witness to all that I have described above...what a blessing. Thursday, I witnessed a miracle. Through out this entire hunger strike, we were all witnesses to a miracle.

oOo

The Hunger Strike is over, read the press release cross posted here.

2011-10-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

For Bryan and the men at Pelican Bay SHU, the hunger strike is over, but a few other prisons will continue their hunger strike for reasons related to their particular institution.....

I spoke with Bryan's counselor at Corcoran, Mr. Gonzales. He said Bryan is doing well and that he will tell Bryan I have checked in and know what is going on. He said Bryan is fine at this time. More on this later, but for now I'll let you read the press release just issued and cross posted from our Prisoner Hunger Strike Coalition -- http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/

Hunger Strikers at Pelican Bay End Strike After Nearly 3 Weeks, Strike Continues at Other Prisons

Posted on October 13, 2011 by prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity

Mediators who met with hunger strike representatives at Pelican Bay, one of whom had been transferred to Corcoran due to the strike, confirm that prisoners there have decided to stop their hunger strike after nearly 3 weeks. The prisoners have cited a memo from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) detailing a comprehensive review of every Security Housing Unit (SHU) prisoner in California whose SHU sentence is related to gang validation. The review will evaluate the prisoners’ gang validation under new criteria and could start as early as the beginning of next year. “This is something the prisoners have been asking for and it is the first significant step we’ve seen from the CDCR to address the hunger strikers’ demands,” says Carol Strickman, a lawyer with Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, “But as you know, the proof is in the pudding. We’ll see if the CDCR keeps its word regarding this new process.”

The mediation team stated that while the memo indicates statewide changes in the gang validation process for SHU prisoners, the CDCR did not address the status of hunger strikers at Calipatria or Salinas Valley prisons, who are not SHU prisoners. All sources say that at this point, these prisoners will continue to refuse food and stand behind the 5 core demands for all prisoners in California. A recent letter from a prisoner at Calipatria states “Men have…placed their lives on the line in order to put a stoppage to all these injustices we are subjected to day in and day out. People would rather die than continue living under their current conditions. …It is a privilege, an honor to be a part of the struggle, to be a part of history for the betterment of all those inside these cement walls… I will go as far as my body allows me to go.”

Gang validation is a practice that the CDCR uses throughout California prisons. Hundreds of prisoners who have been validated at Calipatria have been held in Adminstrative Segregation (Ad-Seg) for as long as four years, awaiting transfer to Pelican Bay.

****

Where's Bryan??? He has been moved, *** UPDATE 10-13-11 - Corcoran Prison

2011-10-12T23:40:00.000-07:00

Knowing other family members who have loved ones in prison is a blessing. To keep connections strong, after I check emails, I usually followup with phone calls to coalition members and then family members. Of course, many of the most informed and productive coalition members are family members.

Today, when I was on one of these calls, I was able to determine that one of the representatives who was in ASU (Administrative Segregation) with Bryan has been moved....or I should say "on the move". Confirmed with PBSP Public Information Officer Lt. Chris Acosta by the prisoner's wife, this man was on his way to a location/facility for "high level care". The thought immediately hit me, "Is Bryan being moved?"

To determine the location of any inmate in CDCR, I go to the "Inmate Locator Page" and enter the person's CDCR number or last name. Then the information pops up like so....I have done an example with the name "Carpenter"

Name	CDCR #	Age	Admission Date	Current Location	Map Link
CARPENTER, ALBERT VAUGHN	AC5074	52	03/12/2010	San Quentin	Directions
CARPENTER, ANTONIO DANTE	AH4539	25	05/25/2011	San Quentin	Directions
CARPENTER, BARRY WAYNE	F08840	30	01/10/2006	Deuel	Directions
CARPENTER, CHAD MICHAEL	F13094	33	01/23/2006	Chino	Directions
CARPENTER, CHAD THOMAS	G33910	23	09/26/2008	Tehachapi	Directions
CARPENTER, CHARLES LOREN	V08580	41	10/02/2003	Ironwood	Directions
CARPENTER, CHARLETTE DENISE	X19911	26	08/10/2006	Valley State Prison	Directions
CARPENTER, COREY LANCE	E92898	39	04/16/1991	Salinas Valley	Directions
CARPENTER, CURT CARY	H76137	44	05/07/1993	Susanville	Directions

The inmate locator said Bryan was still at Pelican Bay.

Being familiar with the system means there are many legitimate ways to get information. For instance, after talking to a second family member who has someone in ASU being moved, I tried to call Acosta to find out about Bryan. I couldn't get through to Acosta and the inmate locator said Bryan was still at Pelican Bay. So I called visiting to try to set up a visit with Bryan this weekend, as is my right as an approved visitor. I was told that because he was a hunger striker, all visits would be denied until he began eating. When I inquired whether the denial of visits was due to not eating or being in ASU, this CO looked that up and determined that "he is no longer housed there" -- clarifying that he was no longer at Pelican Bay at all. When I told her that the inmate locator showed him at PB, she said the website takes a while to catch up.

OK, so I'm doing the math...three of the prisoners moved from the SHU to ASU are now on the move again. About this point (day 15) in the July HS, CDCR moved the most physically compromised to Corcoran prison, where there is an accredited hospital. They said it was because some of the older/sicker hunger strikers were failing, and they decided to move those who had lost 30 lbs or more. Last time, Bryan lost 29 lbs, so he didn't go.

Here's how I think this is playing out, and this is speculation on my part, but it is the "put two and two together" reasoning that serves me so well....

Pelican Bay only has an infirmary, and feeding by nasal tube to the stomach is a procedure that can't be done there....but it can be done at the hospital section in Corcoran. I believe that CDCR plans to throw out the explicit instructions of the men NOT to receive artificial nutrition (known as force feeding when it is done against your will) and/or get a court order allowing them to override the Advance Directives the men signed refusing said measure. There are several layers of CDCR policy that all contradict each other and legal injunctions can be obtained, but the bottom line --- we are coming to the situation that was averted last hunger strike.....men, including Bryan, are going "to the tube".

I cannot stress enough how terrified Bryan is of force feeding, even more than death. In visit, he told me that the legal right to invade his body under the ruse of "force feeding" allows the opportunity for incredible torture. Personally, I have two friends who had a tube put down their nose for medical purposes and even with the most gentle approach, it was horrible and painful...imagine if a mean-spirited, "let's break this prison hunger strike" application of this technique were used! Under prison force feeding protocol, they "get the tube", are fed, unhooked, then chained to a restraining chair so they won't vomit. After a period of time, they are thrown back in their cells... only to be fed again every three days. That's a lot of cramming tubes into their already fragile bodies.

It is lose/lose... torture by the feeding tube, or death from starvation. Wouldn't it be better for CDCR to just address the reasonable demands of the men? To follow through on the promises made which led to the suspension of the hunger strike in July?

This is how Bryan told me things would evolve. He said, "we have to 'get to the tube' against our will or die before it will disturb politicians and the general pubic enough to support us"

This next development it isn't good, but it is how it must be before CDCR will budge from their "no negotiations" position.

A letter from Bryan - written Oct. 1 from AdSeg

2011-10-12T01:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got a letter from Bryan written on October 1, which was day 6 of the hunger strike. I will type it out here so it is easy to read...he writes so small. I put an scanned image below.

Sat 10-1-11
Julie,

First of all I send you my utmost love & respect. Obviously I have no idea if you will even receive this and will be shocked if you actually do. Thursday they came to my cell around 10:00 am and told me I had an interview concerning the hunger strike. Instead, I was led out into the hallway along with 4 other prisoners from my block and escorted out of SHU over to ASU. I was then placed into an empty cell with 2 blankets, 2 sheets, some filthy worn out ASU laundry and a fish kit (tooth powder/brush, cleanser, forms, 3 pieces of blank paper & 3 blank envelopes.) Half of which is/was missing. They brought over all 11 representatives, 2 of their cellies and me.

This is blatant retaliation for our participation in a peaceful, constitutionally protected, protest. We have now been here for 3 days completely isolated in these empty cells. We have received no paperwork, have not gone to committee in the required 72 hour time limit, and it's clear that all of the COs here were ordered to keep us in the dark, as they "know nothing". We are now on day 6 of this protest and have not been weighed or seen any medical staff. Several men are without their glasses and one man was never issued his 12:00 o'clock medication yesterday. So here we sit in these strip cells, isolated and punished for our demand for humane conditions. We expected NOTHING LESS from CDCR and its policy makers.

Julie, you know my heart and you've seen my will, this was a grave mistake. These attempts to further brutalize my mind and isolate my body have only set my resolve in stone.

Please contact my family and let them know I am alright despite the circumstances. I will not be broken. Also please try to ASAP me some paper, 5 envelopes & stamps. I have nothing here apart from one more blank envelope and a trust withdrawal slip to cover the postage. I would really appreciate it. As for my health, I am holding up fine. My body is tired but it's early. Love you my friend, please try not to worry too much.

Love always,
Bryan

(Misspoke, I was seen on day 3 by a doc, weighed 178, but none of the rest of the guys have seen anyone.)

Note: he wrote his letter on the back of a page from the ASU orientation handbook. The vertical gray streaks in his scanned letter are the words showing through.

Chief Medical Officer of Pelican Bay, Dr. Michael Sayre... medical neglect and abuse of prisoners

2011-10-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I just sent this email to an investigative reporter for the New York Times....

***

Hi there,

Julie Tackett here, Ron Ahnen of California Prison Focus introduced us via email. We spoke briefly by phone about letters sent to me by Pelican Bay hunger striker Bryan.

I believe that there is an investigative story surrounding the credentials of Dr. Michael Sayer, Chief Medical Officer of Pelican Bay State Prison (CA) and the medical care provided there.

Below is an excerpt from Bryan's June 21, 2011 letter to me, providing detailed information about disciplinary sanctions Sayre has received over the years. Bryan stresses over and over how the inmates are terrified of this man. In visit he told me that the legal right to invade his body under the ruse of "force feeding" allows the opportunity for incredible torture. Personally, I have had two friends who had a tube down their nose for medical purposes and even with the most gentle approach, it was horrible and painful...imagine if a mean-spirited, "let's break this prison hunger strike" application of this technique were used!

Here is the information Bryan sent me on June 21 as we were preparing for the upcoming July hunger strike. I had told him about my being in Crescent City camping during the hunger strike and that all family and friends could to contact me for support, etc. We also spoke of my growing connection with the coalition, etc. He went back to the pod and shared all that with the guys in his area. Here is what the men discussed and asked him to share with me.....

6-21-11 letter from Bryan to Julie

".....They also really wanted me to press our concern regarding "Doctor" Michael C. Sayre, "M.D." We think it could be helpful to you to look into the Dept. of Health Professional Licensing Services Medical Investigations Unit's, Confidential Investigative Report, Prepared for the Medical Disciplinary Board, Case #92-11-0022MD.

On 7-7-92 an inmate at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary (Washington State) sustained a fractured right ankle and Dr. Scott Hutson scheduled him for surgery. In short, Michael Sayre was the anesthesiologist at St. Mary Medical Center and ended up being directly responsible for the inmate's death. According to hospital Quality Assurance reports (pg.83), mechanical ventilation of this patient did not occur because the machine was never turned on resulting in sever hypoxic cerebral damage. This story was reported in the Union-Bulletin as well on Sun, Sept. 20, 1992. The victim was Leonard Stephens.

It would also be diligent to ask CPF if they have any information on Sayre's involvement in the forced feeding of a mentally ill man here which drew a complaint and if they have a copy of the declaration of Everett D. Allen, MD? Believe me when I tell you that any person who cared even in the slightest about basic human decency would be shocked at two or three of these complaints but the totality of it all floors me that this man still works in health care.

We're horrified at the inevitability that this man will be directly responsible for our care once we reach the depth of the strike. (emphasis mine) But I personally will not be deterred from my commitment to prove to this administration that I've taken my last meal under these conditions, as of the 1st, even if it means almost certain physical abuse and disregard of humane care at this man's hands. All I can do is hope that your voice at that point is heard. It could really make the difference we've discussed. But I'm not fooling myself...this will be brutal. Soft handed or hard...."

At that time, I tried to look up the news article andthink I passed on the info to someone at the coalition, but this was June, and no one really knew what was happening at that time. I'm regretting that I dropped the ball on investigating Sayre, but perhaps now is the time to do it and there are better investigative minds who can followup on the information Bryan provided.

Additionally, there have been many substantiated reports that Sayre is denying medical care to inmates at the direction of the Institutional Gang Investigations Unit and that he is withholding medication from the hunger strikers of Pelican Bay. An update posted October 7 at the “Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity” website stated that “medical conditions are also worsening for strikers throughout the state. We’ve received reports that after 12 days of no food, prisoners are once again losing severe weight and fainting. One hunger striker at Pelican Bay was denied his medication and consequently suffered from a heart attack and is now is an outside hospital in Oregon.”

Bryan required a 5 day stay at the hospital due to complications from the July hunger strike and is one of the hunger strikers who has recently been moved to Administrative Segregation, with only a jumpsuit, thin mattress and thin blanket. With temperatures in Crescent City in the low 50's, Pelican Bay is running the air conditioner full blast in AdSeg.

It is getting late in the game, the hunger strikers will be reaching conditions requiring artificial nourishment with a week so we are going to be confronted with this soon. I'm hoping you find this a timely and newsworthy investigative piece.

Regards,
Julie Tackett

***

Update on Bryan...he's strong!

2011-10-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

I spoke with the person who was able to interview Bryan and she said he is looking very strong physically (considering). Some of the men are so deteriorated physically that they will literally lay their heads on the table after 5 minutes of talking and say, "I need to take a break". Not our Bryan!

He is strong in his body and in his heart. He has a "fire in the belly" for justice and is totally committed to the moral correctness of this peaceful protest. She said he was in good spirits and appreciated all the love we sent his way. He sends his love to all of us.

As for the conditions in AdSeg, they are as have been reported. He has a jumpsuit, a mattress and a blanket. The air conditioning makes it freezing cold. Oh, they also have the watch caps (knit beanie type hat) that were given to them as a concession after the last hunger strike. I don't know if he has one, he threw his away when they gave it to him in July.

He has received no mail since the hunger strike began. Their property has been packed up from their SHU cells and put into the property room (storage). Legally, their legal paperwork is to be available to them, but there are reports that that is not happening, so it sounds like legal mail is not getting through, either. Or if it comes through, it is speculated that it is being examined first, which is illegal but par for the course at Pelican Bay.

They are told that all they need to do is eat and they can go back their SHU cells, get their mail and resume visits. So the battle lines are still drawn between CDCR and the hunger strikers. No negotiations, and CDCR is coming at them hard, legally and illegally, in any way to break them. Bryan is up for the continuation of this action until things move in the right direction. Period.

Here is a link to an article from Oct.7 in the New York Times, the mainstream media is starting to pick up their coverage of the hunger strike.

I have spoken with his mom and close friends and we are all much relieved to learn that Bryan is OK. It is very draining to fear for him and all of the others who are suffering so much at this time, but I try to remember that I need to stay strong as well. Fear only saps energy and if Bryan can stay strong, so can I.

Bryan sends his love...

2011-10-08T01:20:00.000-07:00

I had a day-long commitment which kept me away from the phone, I just checked my voice mail:

1. Dr. Sayre, chief medical officer for PBSP, called in response to my request for Bryan's weight. As of today, Bryan's weight is 153, down 22 lbs from his regular weight of 175.

2. I also had a voice mail from the legal person who interviewed Bryan today. She said he appreciates the messages of support and that he sends his love. She also said, "he looks great" and "he looks like he is really hanging in there". Her message said we could talk tomorrow as she is recovering from the all night drive to Crescent City and a full round of interviews today. A well deserved rest !!!!

That's all I have for tonight, I know I will sleep much better than last night. My very first question will be about their mail. But that is just extra credit, what I/we all really wanted to know is that he is OK, and for now he is... :-)

I will update this post tomorrow when I have more detailed information.

Ad Seg...Good thing, Bad thing, Who knows

2011-10-07T02:45:00.000-07:00

Before I begin posting about Bryan's situation, which appears to have gone from very, very bad to even worse, I want to share this story about remaining in the present moment and avoiding stress and worry.

Good thing, Bad thing, Who knows

There was once a farmer who owned a horse and had a son.

One day, his horse ran away. The neighbors came to express their concern: "Oh, that's too bad. How are you going to work the fields now?" The farmer replied: "Good thing, Bad thing, Who knows?"

In a few days, his horse came back and brought another horse with her. Now, the neighbors were glad: "Oh, how lucky! Now you can do twice as much work as before!" The farmer replied: "Good thing, Bad thing, Who knows?"

The next day, the farmer's son fell off the new horse and broke his leg. The neighbors were concerned again: "Now that he is incapacitated, he can't help you around, that's too bad." The farmer replied: "Good thing, Bad thing, Who knows?"

Soon, the news came that a war broke out, and all the young men were required to join the army. The villagers were sad because they knew that many of the young men will not come back. The farmer's son could not be drafted because of his broken leg. His neighbors were envious: "How lucky! You get to keep your only son." The farmer replied: "Good thing, Bad thing, Who knows?"

*****

To repeat, Bryan's situation appears to have gone from very, very bad to even worse. But I can promise you that he is still drawing breath. I have word that he is one of 15 men who have been moved from their SHU cells to AdSeg (Administrative Segregation.) It is a hole even deeper than the SHU...no property, or any items other than t-shirts, boxers and a thin blanket. Currently, the temperature in Crescent City is 45 degrees and there are reports that CDCR is running the air conditioners full blast.

Since the hunger strike resumed on Sept. 26, all visits for hunger strikers have been denied, but for those in AdSeg, there are rumors that the mail is cut completely... conversely, there is also some word that they get three envelopes and a few sheets of paper. Not that that does them any good, at this point in the last hunger strike, Bryan was too weak to even write.

Here is the good news. Tomorrow, legal representatives from the Bay Area have interviews scheduled with several prisoners. Bryan is on the list to be interviewed!! One of the lawyers who knows that Bryan is my friend, called and said he was on the list. I then called the person doing the interviews and she said she would request to interview Bryan and report back to me on his condition, which I will post here late tomorrow (no earlier than 10 pm). So, things look bad, but at least we will know what is going on.

Now I will get into some information about the hunger strike and share with you a conversation that Bryan and I had before the July HS started. If you are faint of heart, be forewarned, this is a very hard position he is taking:

Bryan was convinced that it would be a small number of strikers from the Short Corridor willing to go to the death, who would be key to the success of their peaceful protest. There was some discussion/disagreement among the collective about taking this to a mass HS level as shrinking numbers might be perceived as CDCR breaking the strike. As a group, although there was discussion, they did agree with the concept that large numbers could go as long as possible out of solidarity. With an estimate that 12,000 men were not eating last week and the numbers going down, it is important to remember that is was the original intent... to keep it small but intense.

At this point, the men know that the next step is for several of them to "get to the tube" or be force feed. This horrible procedure is painful in the best of circumstance, but with retaliatory intentions, force feeding will give CDCR the ability to inflict tremendous pain and suffering. Bryan knows this and it is his greatest fear, even greater than the fear of death. As his emergency and medical contact, Bryan designated me on his Advance Directive (DNR) to carry out his wishes when he is in a diminished capacity and can no longer speak for himself. When the CDCR calls me to ask for permission to force feed him or provide medical care, I will say no. Bryan's mother, sister and other family members have all been informed by Bryan of this fact and understand what must be done and why. It is a hard thing to do and perhaps Bryan wanted to spare his mother. I am sharing this now so you won't be shocked or angry when the time comes.

Bryan also told me that in order for enough people to become aware of the tortuous situation in the SHU, it may take several deaths to get the mainstream media to cover the story adequately. Bryan knows this and expects to be one of the first to fall. He was sent to the hospital in town for 5 days of life-saving treatment after the last hunger strike and almost died. He doesn't write of "if" but "when". I pray he is wrong.

This site is about the truth of what is happening to Bryan and what he is choosing to do. He is willing to lay down his life on the hopes that someday he can get out of the Shu and that no one else ever has to live is such torturous conditions. I have intentionally left out many brutal truths about what he expects in these coming days, because I do not want to speculate or cause any unnecessary concerns about things that may not happen. But be prepared, if the CDCR does not make some progress towards meeting the reasonable demands of the prisoners this will get very, very ugly. I am hoping for the best, but given the hard line CDCR is taking, we must prepare for the worst.

.

12,000 prisoners hunger striking, family visits denied, prisoners' legal team barred

2011-10-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got a post card that Bryan wrote on 9/27, day two of this hunger strike. On that date, he was in good spirits and stronger than ever in his resolve to "see this thing through". After 5 days off-line for a personal retreat, I decided it was time to turn on my computer. Imagine my surprise to find out that 12,000 prisoners are now on hunger strike over conditions in CA prisons. CDCR, not content to horrify us with their treatment of prisoners, has retaliated by cutting family visits (my visit with Bryan was denied last week) and now has decided to bar the prisoners' legal team from Pelican Bay State Prison.

No press, no family visits, no attorneys....their fear is palpable. CDCR can no longer hide the brutality they have been engaged in for decades. Don't they realize? It is too late. The truth can no longer be hidden. We are aware, we are disturbed, we are speaking out, we are acting in solidarity with Bryan and men like him to say NO MORE!!!

To quote the press release printed below,

..." People on the outside have the moral responsibility to act in a way commensurate with the justness of the prisoners’ demands and the urgency of the situation. What people do on the outside of prison will be a big factor in what happens now that the prisoners resumed their hunger strike...."

I am so overwhelmed. This blog is about Bryan, but I feel some responsibility to keeping readers informed about the nature of events. But things are changing so fast....I just have to turn this over and redirect you. If you wish to get information about the latest developments, go to: The Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity website. To keep myself informed, I set up in a Google alert which searches for news related to "Pelican Bay" and "Hunger Strike". All the news comes related to these items comes straight to my in box.

Give me a day to gather myself and reflect on these newest developments. Until then, Call the Governor of CA to insist that he put pressure on CDCR to stop the torture, then please read the press release below.

***

You can make a difference right now, take a moment to call:

Governor Jerry Brown
Phone: (916) 445-2841

Sample Statement:

“Hi my name is _________ . I’m calling about the statewide prisoner hunger strike that resumed on Sept 26th. I support the prisoners & their reasonable “five core demands.” I am alarmed by the CDCR’s refusal to implement these demands. I urge you to make sure these demands are implemented for all SHU-status prisoners in CA immediately and in good faith. I also urge you to lift the CDCR’s ban on lawyers from the prisoners’ mediation team, and ensure the CDCR ceases all retaliation on the hunger strikers. Thank you.”

***

For Immediate Release – Media Advisory

Press Conference – Unprecedented CA Prisoner Hunger Strike!

Wednesday, October 5, 10am sharp

West Hollywood City Hall – 1^st Floor Lobby

8300 Santa Monica Blvd. (Sweetzer and Santa Monica Blvd. )

West Hollywood, CA 90069

Support the Unprecedented CA Prisoner Hunger Strike --

Stop Torture in the CA SHU’s and Stop Retaliation on the Prisoners and the Targeting of Legal Advocates

Contact: 213-840-5348; CA Prison Hunger Strike Action Network

Speakers and Participants:

· ACLU of Southern California ; Peter Eliasberg, Legal Director

· National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT);

Virginia Classick, Member, Board of Directors, NRCAT

· Progressive Christians Uniting; Peter Laarman, Executive Director

· Ed Asner, actor, a statement

· Wayne Kramer, Jail Guitar Doors

· Clyde Young, Revolutionary Communist and Former Prisoner

· National Lawyers Guild, UCLA Law Chapter

· Family members with loved ones in CA SHU’s (Security Housing Units)

· Moderated by Michael Slate, KPFK radio host and writer for Revolution newspaper

***

Following 20 days in July when 6,600 prisoners in CA participated in a hunger strike to stop torture in the Security Housing Units (SHU) at Pelican Bay and other state prisons, over 11,800 prisoners resumed the hunger strike in at least 8 CA State Prisons beginning September 26. This extraordinary, historic action and upsurge of prisoners is the one of the most important since Attica 40 years ago.

Courageously, in the face of threats of disciplinary sanctions by prison officials -- including the threat of being thrown into solitary confinement if a prisoner in the “general population” dares take part in the strike -- an unprecedented number of prisoners have become even more united in their demands to end the inhumane, barbaric torture of long-term solitary confinement in the SHU’s.

As this hunger strike has grown and taken on an even more determined character, so must our efforts to expose the torture in the SHU’s and to support the prisoners’ just demands to end long term solitary confinement and the sham of “gang validation” that lands prisoners in the SHU for years and often decades (see 5 core demands below).

Torture is unequivocally unacceptable under any circumstances. But what has been unfolding in the SHU’s is a systematic use of torture by the state for years and decades: torture of both the minds and bodies of many thousands of prisoners to “break them” and to either have them die in long term solitary confinement or be driven insane through the psychological torture of years and decades of isolation. Such torture is an affront to human dignity. People on the outside have the moral responsibility to act in a way commensurate with the justness of the prisoners’ demands and the urgency of the situation. What people do on the outside of prison will be a big factor in what happens now that the prisoners resumed their hunger strike.

Moreover, not only has there been steady stream of reports of intimidation and retaliation against prisoners (and their families), the CDCR has now sent expulsion orders to two key mediation team lawyers, notifying them they have been banned from the prison pending an investigation into whether they had “jeopardized the safety and security of the CDCR.” On top of serious threats against prisoners by prison officials and the recent denial of family visits, the actual cutting off of contact with the prisoners legal team adds to the tremendous urgency to act in support of the prisoners and stop further efforts to isolate the hunger striking prisoners – isolation which has potentially ominous implications unless a giant spotlight shines on this new outrage and the situation as a whole.

***

Briefly the five core demands of the prisoners are:

1. Eliminate group punishments. Instead, practice individual accountability. When an individual prisoner breaks a rule, the prison often punishes a whole group of prisoners of the same race. This policy has been applied to keep prisoners in the SHU indefinitely and to make conditions increasingly harsh.

2. Abolish the debriefing policy and modify active/inactive gang status criteria. Prisoners are accused of being active or inactive participants of prison gangs using false or highly dubious evidence, and are then sent to longterm isolation (SHU). They can escape these tortuous conditions only if they "debrief," that is, provide information on gang activity. Debriefing produces false information (wrongly landing other prisoners in SHU, in an endless cycle) and can endanger the lives of debriefing prisoners and their families.
3. Comply with the recommendations of the US Commission on Safety and Abuse in Prisons (2006) regarding an end to long term solitary confinement. This bipartisan commission specifically recommended to "make segregation a last resort" and "end conditions of isolation." Yet as of May 18, 2011 , California kept 3,259 prisoners in SHUs and hundreds more in Administrative Segregation waiting for a SHU cell to open up. Some prisoners have been kept in isolation for more than thirty years.

4. Provide adequate food. Prisoners report unsanitary conditions and small quantities of food that do not conform to prison regulations. There is no accountability or independent quality control of meals.

5. Expand and provide constructive programs and privileges for indefinite SHU inmates. The hunger strikers are pressing for opportunities “to engage in self-help treatment, education, religious and other productive activities..." Currently these opportunities are routinely denied, even if the prisoners want to pay for correspondence courses themselves. Examples of privileges the prisoners want are: one phone call per week, and permission to have sweatsuits and watch caps. (Often warm clothing is denied, though the cells and exercise cage can be bitterly cold.) All of the privileges mentioned in the demands are already allowed at other SuperMax prisons (in the federal prison system and other states).

6,000 back on hunger strike, a friendship is the first casualty

2011-09-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

I'll say straight out... Yes, Bryan is back on hunger strike. More on that in a bit

Two days ago I got a nice card from Bryan written on 9-15-11 in which he expresses deep appreciation for our friendship. He also was devastated by the fact that CDCR had moved one of his closest friends to another area. This man has been in the same area as Bryan for almost 15 years. This is part of a stated CDCR policy to break the hunger strikers, they randomly reassign men to different cells in an effort to tear apart support structures between friends. Make them go it alone, crush their wills.

Imagine if your best friend, brother/sister or even spouse was whisked away in the middle of the night, and you could never speak to them again. Now imagine that you are in solitary confinement, where the likelihood of building another trusting friendship in this world of misery and pain is slim.

How did these two men become friends? It was nearly impossible. As seen in the picture above (click on it to enlarge), each pod or area contains 8 cells with the guards monitoring the area sitting in a control area. At exercise time a button is pushed and Bryan's door opens automatically. He then walks through the pod area (picture on the right) into the exercise area, know as the dog run, which you can see in the picture on the left. Inside this bare, concrete box, there is a steel door, welded shut, that connects to another dog run for the neighboring pod. If you bend very low or crane your head to place your ear upon the door, you can hear and talk to the man in the next exercise area. Sometimes you never even know what they look like. That is how he and his friend met.

They exercised together, calling out a set of calisthenics, going individually to do the sets, then coming back to the door to decide on the next exercise. Two guys working out together, what could be normal than that? In prison, even in solitary confinement, friendship finds a way.

Bryan and his friend learned Spanish together (I don't know who taught who) and supported each other though trials related to prison, family, heartache, and just trying to stay sane for another day. For 15 years, this friendship was a great comfort to both.

This is a minuscule example of how ugly this hunger strike is going to be. CDCR is going to be relentless in crushing this peaceful protest for basic human rights. In the press release below, issued by www.prisonerhugnerstikesolidarity.wordpress.com, you can read about how horrible this battle is going to be. CDCR is going for the jugular. Expect death....many deaths.

Bryan knows all of this and still remains committed to the fact that this hunger strike is the only way, the very last attempt prisoners can make to draw attention to the horrible, inhumane conditions of life in solitary confinement. He has been there for 16 years, he has nothing to lose but his life, and it is going to take a "body count" to get the public and government officials to put the extreme pressure required upon CDCR to force them to change the torturous conditions of the SHU.

It is very clear to me that only when the bodies of hunger strikers start to pile up will CDCR even think about changing things. During the last 20 day hunger strike, Bryan lost 29 pounds, and due to seizures and heart arrhythmia, nearly died during a 5 day hospital stay in Crescent City.

These men are committed, determined, strong of will and thoughtful as they begin this hunger strike, but they will be forced to go the distance. Bryan is willing to lay down his life so that others will never know the torturous conditions he has lived with for 16 hears. I know in my heart that it will probably come to that.

*****

For Immediate Release – September 28, 2011

6,000 California Prisoners Resume Hunger Strike

CDCR Threatens Disciplinary Action

Press Contact: Isaac Ontiveros

Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity

Office: 510 444 0484
Cell: 510 517 6612

California – Lawyers and mediators received confirmation from a reliable source today estimating that 6,000 prisoners statewide are taking part in a second wave of a massive hunger strike against inhumane conditions in California Secure Housing and Administrative Segregation (Ad-Seg) Units. While California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has not yet disclosed which prisons are participating, family members have confirmed that up to 1,000 prisoners in both the Calipatria State Prison general population and Ad-Seg units as well as prisoners at CCI Tehachapi, CSP Centinela and West Valley Detention Center are refusing food. “The CDCR is very tight-lipped about the numbers of prisoners known to be on hunger strike,” says Molly Porzig, a member of the Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition, “During the July strike, it took persistence by journalists to get accurate figures on how many people and in which prisons. We assume the same will be true of this strike.”

The prisoners are refusing food to protest what have been characterized by human rights groups as torturous conditions in California’s Securing Housing Units (SHUs) at Pelican Bay, CCI Tehachapi, CSP Corcoran and Valley State Prison for Women. Prisoners continue to rally around 5 demands, originating at Pelican Bay, which include an end to the practice of long term solitary confinement as well as the policies of gang validation and debriefing. A prisoner at CCI Tehachapi recently described the conditions and reasons for striking: “The only clothing we are given in here are socks, boxers and a t-shirt. To be honest they’re filthy. Now just imagine being locked in that bathroom for 24 hrs, 7 days a week, year after year after year for no legitimate reason. We have only been allowed to have fresh air for four hours in the past eight months.”

In a September 27 memo signed by Deputy Director Scott Kernan, the CDCR has threatened disciplinary action against any prisoners taking part in the strike as well as placement in Ad-Seg and the removal of canteen items. The CDCR recently stated that it had sufficiently addressed the prisoners’ demands and that any future hunger strikes would not be treated in the same fashion as the July strike, which lasted for nearly four weeks. The prisoners maintain that while they have received some privileges such as sweat pants, colored pencils and proctored exams, the CDCR has yet to move on the demands related to solitary confinement and gang validation. “Though promises were made at the end of the last hunger strike, and some progress has been made, it is painfully slow for people who have lived under conditions of torture for years, and often decades in California’s prison system,” says Laura Magnani, a member of the prisoners’ mediation team and a representative of the American Friends Service Committee. “While the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tries to paint the prisoners as nothing more than ‘dangerous gang members,’ we see this strike as a courageous effort to work across all cultural and ethnic divisions through time honored non-violent actions.”

Many of the prisoners have stated that they intend to continue their hunger strike until all of their demands are met, despite the possibility that they might suffer serious health consequences. Reports from the July hunger strike indicated that many of the strikers lost 20-30 pounds and experienced dizziness, fainting and heart arrhythmia.

For more information and continued updates, please visit: www.prisonerhugnerstikesolidarity.wordpress.com.
###

Bryan's 9-12-11 letter reflecting on the past and upcoming hunger strikes

2011-09-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Julie, Mon. 9-12-11

Hello my friend it’s me again. As always I send you my utmost love and respect and hope that these words find you well and strong. This will be rather brief because I’m unfortunately in scramble mode. Not sure with your recent job hunt if you’ve had time to stay informed of the recent events or not. In brief, CPF came back up and did a round of interviews and took stock of what everyone thought of CDC's concessions as far as the small property gains and more importantly the proposed step-down program.

The only complaints on the property have been that the prison never notified the vendors about the sweats and therefore they won't process the orders and that CDC has put the one year clean restriction on the photo and art supplies. You and I both know and understand that CDC was going to use these concessions as behavior based incentives. The majority view these items like canteen, as things we have coming period. I personally view it all as small in the overall picture.

As for the step-down program we here in my area viewed it as a very positive step forward that it was even being worked on in a serious way. I immediately voiced our opposition to the length and the "catch" excluding certain prisoners even if they complete it...us. Well, it's been voiced that the way the entire program has been drafted that its viewed not as a way to get out of the SHU but an actual escalation of locking guys (more guys) up into this new four year program because it vastly broadens the scope in which they can label people. Therefore, it has been roundly rejected and many men have decided to go back on strike as of the 26th this month.

Undersecretary Kernan kept his word on most of the material gains to improve our conditions but we are STILL here with NO end in sight. It would be ludicrous to give up our fight of freeing ourselves of these conditions for a few material gains. What you and I initially viewed as getting sold out during the stoppage of the strike was indeed an honest good faith effort to work with the Undersecretary and Tom Ammiano... regardless of the fact that it was clearly a tactical error and regardless of how a few may have conducted themselves during the strike. I'm told the new strike will have zero mediation with CDC (Kernan) and will only be mediated through the chosen mediation team on the streets directly with the governor's office. All have been warned that this will be a long protracted strike that will inevitably lead to great risk due to the lack of mediation this time around. I have great fear in the pit of my stomach because I know all too well the
misery that is about to be confronted by those who choose the path. Starvation does not lie and I've stressed that to all of those within hearing distance.

You know my stepmother and Pops were supposed to send me a package. It still has not shown up. Not sure what is going on but can you do me a favor and call them and tell them not to send it if they have yet to do it as you get this? I will send them a postcard as well. I do not want to receive a package at such a time of uncertainty. I’m also including a postcard for you so you can let me know you received this. I fear I may be too late on the package...hope I don’t end up having to return it.

I’ve received everything you’ve sent except the 9-5 short letter with 4 cards. And to answer your question, I did write Fritz back along with all who are kind enough to write. THANK YOU SO MUCH for the two cut-out groups of flowers and short 9-3 letter. :-) You’re crazy ! Glad to hear your guy is out of the hospital as well. And THANK YOU for sending the visiting forms to Pops and Debbie.

I know this is short and not very personal but you will have to forgive me, my friend. I send you all of my love Julie. You take care up there in the big city. November is going to be interesting to say the least.

Love always,
Bryan

Later.... Just received the 5 cards and short letter along with the great picture of the crows. Thank you! :-) Also, as far as being an honest friend, you know I’d never make you cry. So don’t worry, I know how to relay the message of one’s being a jackass without hurting their feelings! :-)

Samples of Bryan's Artwork

2011-09-13T00:46:00.000-07:00

I got a letter from Bryan today, he is doing well...I will post an update here soon to include more information, but for now here are a few samples of Bryan's art.

SHU Inmates are not allowed colored pens, art paper or any other types of art supplies. They only are allowed to purchase the flexible refill part of an ink pen. Bryan has to roll up a piece of paper into a little tube and insert the pen refill into it so it is firm enough to write and draw with. These pieces are done on regular paper with an ink pen.

Click on the picture for a full screen view

Mexican Singer V. Villareal

Bryan's friend Tommy - bass fishing

Celtic Woman

A look back at the letter I sent Bryan after our very first visit

2011-08-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

I was going through my computer files and found a letter I wrote to Bryan that wasn't hand-written, but saved in a document. It was the letter I sent right after our very first visit in September 2010, reflecting on my favorite parts of our first in-person conversation. This is a fun look down memory lane and evidence of the power of a visit in experiencing the humanity of a prisoner in the Pelican Bay SHU.

Dear Bryan,                                        10-10-10

OMG..... a coffee crisis???? Hopefully by the time you get this you will be enjoying a mug. Yes, I was exhausted by the whirlwind trip, but was all worth it. I always plan recovery time into my schedule just after a major road trip.

Bryan, I had an absolute blast hanging out with you for the weekend. You are really fun and as you have learned, I like to reach out into unconventional places and find treasures where others might not choose to look. And you, Bryan, are a real treasure !!

One of the best things about meeting face to face is that I can now write to you in a more relaxed style. We spoke about letters being hard to communicate in because things can be misinterpreted. I have heard that up to 70 % of communication is non-verbal, meaning inflection, facial expression, even what people wear can tell you something about what they are trying to “say”. In just one meeting, so many unknowns have been answered and a foundation of trust established for our future friendship. Little things, like what you look like and how I sound and big things, like our senses of humor, our fears and hopes. So..... you have to put the smiley faces back into your letters. I miss them terribly. Please bring them back as you will. I love all the emoticons you shared with me... I’m not cool, I didn’t know about most of them.

Back to our visit.... some of my favorite moments:

What you said that made me laugh the hardest: When you told me about how you take your Sunday breakfast menu items, mix them all up with peaches and mayonnaise and spread them onto your bread into a “breakfast sandwich”. Ughhh... you are such a “guy”. LOL

What I remember saying that made you laugh the hardest: When I was asking you about the kind of things the men in your pod might ask you about our visit, you said things like “how was your visit”, “have a good time?”, etc. I shared with you about a visit involving bacon cheeseburgers that resulted in a friend asking if it would be ok to smell that yummy bacon-scented breath. I remember that had you laughing so hard you pulled the phone away from your mouth out of consideration of my hearing.

The thing you said that gave me the most to think about on my drive home:
“You are the first woman other than my mom and sister that I have seen in a long, long time.” At first this seemed very straight forward, but then I pondered that it only was said at the end of day two. As I thought about that I realized that on day one I had to get my XL white t-shirt and gray sweats to wear as a back up because I had worn blue jeans. So basically, I was wearing my pajamas, and pretty drab ones at that. Interestingly, on day one it was easy to just focus on getting to know each other, I was a visual blank slate, or at least as “blank” as a woman like me can get! LOL Then on day two, you noticed my attire almost right away. Probably not fair of me to wear pink, my best color!

Bryan, it is ok to enjoy the “girliness” of me. When I was a Red Cross volunteer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, wounded soldiers just days off the battlefield would hold my hand and just look at me. One told me that he loved to smell me, that when he smelled my perfume, he knew he was home and safe. Sometime the feminine should just be enjoyed for what it is and it doesn’t necessarily mean anything untoward or overly sexual to comment about the female qualities that I bring into your world. I kind of expect that when I interact with men in prison or the military and I assume the most benign intentions until a person proves something else. So if you have any questions, just ask. But, you may get a totally nonsensical, overly detailed answer, like when I told you how foils are used to dye hair. :-)   Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Nice things I can say about the CDC Staff:
The visiting room staff was friendly and professional, and tried to make the screening process easy, even if I had to run out to my car three times the first day - all my own fault, of course.
(1) I had to go get more clothes to replace my jeans, then (2) I had to return the jeans to the car and (3) I had to go back to look up your CDC number when I filled out my form because I didn’t have it memorized.

A nice thing you told me about CDC staff: was that on day two when we were in booth 7, that the staff apologized to you about taking so long to get you out, saying that they were understaffed and doing the best they could. As they walked by with inmates going to booths down the line I could tell they were doing their best.

Worst thing about the trip: That Damn Fog Horn!!!!! Every 10 seconds, all night long !!!!

The thing I wished I had explained more about when we were together:
I wish I could have explained further about why I looked into your eyes and said,” Promise me trouble won’t follow me home”. We kind of skirted around that issue and by the time I felt I could talk about it, it was the end of day two and there really didn’t seem to be time or a need to explore that further. But I want to explain a bit more because from my perspective, it feels like the only unresolved conversation from our visit. Plus we can get to know each other better. Please assume the best of me as I try to get out my thought process down here.... in hind-site, it is pretty funny what I was thinking and what the facts turned out to be....

Remember, I had done some research about Pelican Bay, watched some videos on YouTube and chatted on prisontalk.com with people about gangs, the hole, etc. I kind of thought that maybe you were this AB kingpin who could snap your fingers and reign terror down upon me and the motley crew that I know from the facility I visit -- who are a mish-mash of psychotics, SOs, debriefers and other “special” prisoners. - I am friends with their mothers and sisters.    I understand that the sensors at your facility will be looking at everything we write or say for hidden codes and I should be careful about what I share. But my thinking was that I should be careful about what I shared with you, that you might learn something that compelled you to followup on my innocent ramblings.

I can just feel you and your Gang Investigations censors all cringing at this point... relax... this was a misconception on my part.

Of course, Bryan, I learned so much more about you, the hole, gangs, debriefing and your Pelican Bay world during the visit and understand that you were worried that your Gang Investigations might call back to WA state and cause me trouble. Don’t worry about the CDC calling WA DOC, there’s no trouble to find. And of course my misconceptions about fearing you are now resolved :-D

And here’s a final thought:
Thank you for telling me about the SHU and how and why people are there. I now understand that the purpose is to get you to debrief...and here are my thoughts on that:

I have no opinion about what you should do about all that Bryan, I am your friend and support you because you are Bryan. That holds true whether you never leave Pelican Bay because you have nothing of value to say or choose not to say what you might know or if you just refuse to talk about anything in protest of the system of indefinite SHU. But I will also support you if you choose to debrief....because if you could figure out a way out of there you could take me to lunch eventually....but that’s just selfish of me, isn’t it?   LOL   ;-)

Til next time,
Julie

0 :-) I like the “angel”

Pictures of the rally at the Sacramento Hearing on conditions in the SHU

2011-08-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

We were all in Sacramento

to tell the TRUTH about TORTURE in California Prisons.

Wives & Husbands - Moms & Dads - Brothers & Sisters - Children

Formerly Incarcerated - Friends - Activists - Supporters - Attorneys - Experts

Members of the Public

Sacramento, CA August 23, 2011

Rally on the Steps of the Capital

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Chair of the Committee on Public Safety, addressing the crowd.

Family members, formerly incarcerated and supporters all spoke.

Signs and Banners created by supporters

Thanks to Virginia for the pictures :-)

Article from solitarywatch.com about Bryan and me

2011-08-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

“Give Us in Here the Strength to See This Thing Through”: A Chronicle of the Pelican Bay Hunger Strike

August 17, 2011

by Sal Rodriguez

In March 2010, Julie Tackett, a Seattle-based activist inspired by her religious faith, began exchanging letters with Bryan, an inmate in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay State Prison in northern California. Neither could have anticipated the astonishing direction their correspondence would take.

Bryan has been in solitary confinement in the prison’s Security Housing Unit (SHU) for 16 of 21 years he has been in prison, for a crime committed when he was a teenager. Determined “not to let the place crush him,” Bryan learned Spanish and German while in lockdown, and has kept himself busy over the years through artwork, writing a novel, and having international pen pals. He has described his life as a “quiet small Japanese garden.”

Bryan’s extended placement in solitary is a result of his being named 16 years ago by various anonymous inmates as a gang member. This “debriefing” process requires that inmates effectively “snitch” on other inmates and reveal gang activity in return for a release from solitary. Many inmates implicated by this process, including Bryan, were never written up for or noted to have any gang affiliation whatsoever either in or out of the prison. Yet once they are “validated” as gang members and placed in the SHU, they are likely to live out the rest of their sentences in solitary confinement. Every six years, a review process examines validated inmates’ status. According to Bryan, in 2008 his cell was searched, and officials found a drawing and poetry done by a validated gang member; prison officials also accused Bryan of writing a card and sending it to a validated gang member, although the card was never produced. Based on these incidents, Bryan was condemned to another six years in solitary.

In Bryan’s own words regarding his placement in extended solitary:

I take full personal responsibility for being a young violent prisoner who got myself thrown in the SHU. I make NO excuses nor do I try to blame others or justify my actions. But it has to be recognized that my validation as a gang member was based solely on the confidential debriefing reports of inmates who could no longer continue to suffer under these condition of perpetual isolation in solitary confinement. There is no individual accountability under the current CDCR policies. I have now been in solitary confinement for over a decade, not based on a CDCR rules violation but rather for a false label put on myself by inmate informants broken under SHU conditions. Now in the ultimate form of group punishment I am to be housed in solitary confinement, not based on my actions but based on this gang label.

Initially, Julie and Bryan corresponded about once a month. Julie said she was unprepared for what she learned of the hellish circumstances that had been Bryan’s life a decade and a half. In May 2010, Bryan first told Julie about his placement in the Secure Housing Unit:

I’ve been in the SHU for 15 years (solitary confinement) and as you can imagine, one either comes to know his/her self or breaks. I have my ups and downs just like everyone else but I “freed” my mind years ago. So I actively reach out to the “world” and try to stay engaged through my writing.

In the May 2010 letter, Bryan also revealed that in the 15 years of incarceration at Pelican Bay, he had only had two familial visits—his family lives in Texas, where he grew up. Upon learning this, Julie decided to visit Bryan in September of 2010. She recalled that she found Bryan to be, in person, just as he was in his letters and postcards: very intelligent, spiritual, good-humored, thoughtful, and an excellent conversationalist. Over time, the soft-spoken, reserved Bryan would become more open, and Julie would describe her in-person meetings with Bryan as very animated, often delving into esoteric topics, and very enjoyable.

In May 2011, Bryan indicated to Julie that there would be a hunger strike in the Pelican Bay SHU beginning July 1:

You know me well enough to know that I am in NO WAY suicidal, nor do I wish to harm myself in any way. But collectively we feel as though we are already dead under these conditions of extreme isolation and deprivation. I’m personally willing to go to this extreme in order to prove my desire to live. This is not life Julie…period. We are here for one reason only, our refusals to debrief. I’ve had no serious write ups in almost a decade. I have friends here who have 20-25 years in clean. Why are we here? Because we’re “labeled” as gang members? What about the other 100,000 labeled gang members on Cal. main lines?

Bryan then asked Julie to serve as his “monitor” during the hunger strike. Up to this point, Bryan hadn’t told his family what life was really like in the SHU, instead reassuring them over the years that he was doing fine and keeping himself busy. Julie and Bryan agreed to share news of the hunger strike with his family, and a mutual understanding was established.

Julie made the decision to drive the 500 miles from Seattle to Pelican Bay, just south of the Oregon-California border. She would remain there from June 24th through the end of the hunger strike. Striking a tent in a campground a mile outside Crescent City, California, Julie embedded herself in a growing support network. Over the next several weeks, she would meet and befriend family members of hunger strikers, supporters, and even sympathetic correctional officers. She would also maintain a blog, called “My Brother’s Keeper,” detailing her experiences and sharing excerpts from her correspondence with Bryan.

On day one of the strike, Bryan wrote:

Now it’s 4:05….I spent that minute asking your god, my god….whatever positive guiding force there may be…to look out for you all out there and give us in here the strength to see this thing through.

On the third day of the strike, Julie and Bryan met. Julie was sure to keep Bryan informed of the growing support network outside of the prison, and he wrote:

It was great to hear that the Native Americans were out protesting for us. I sure hope you let them know that we could hear them and that we truly appreciate their support. It was good for morale to share that and the news that Folsom had participants as well. Collectively we are not as optimistic that this will end any time soon but either way we are committed.

By day six, Bryan noted a lack of medical care for hunger strikers:

Still haven’t seen a lick of medical care a full 6 days in. They threw that Ch. 22 Hunger Strike protocol right out the window and “doctor” Sayre pulled all strikers off their meds en mass. So the MTAs are real happy, no protocol on checking on we strikers and half the meds they were used to delivering are now gone.

On day seven, Bryan reported, medical care was finally made available. He had already lost 17 pounds. Bryan had signed a medical directive indicating: “Do not attempt resuscitation (DNR), Comfort measures only and NO artificial nutrition by tube.” He also gave Julie Power of Attorney.

On Saturday, the ninth day of the hunger strike, Julie was able to visit Bryan. Bryan had begun to experience difficulty sleeping and came off as very tired. Julie updated Bryan of the growing support on the outside. Bryan would apologize in a letter dated the July 10th for not being “more on my game.”

On the 11th, Bryan’s condition became more trying:

REALLY long day. I had zero energy and couldn’t get warm all day. We were on lock down so I couldn’t take a little walk to break up the day. I tried to pace my cell but it didn’t make any difference. I know the guys in here are hurting. It was dead quiet all day and when we did speak I could hear it.

I have to do something with my time. I feel like I’m just wallowing in the misery…minute by minute. I have to find a way to pull my mind away from it. My problem is how hard it is to concentrate. Tomorrow I’m pulling out a book and forcing it. The isolation is 10 times worse than the hunger.

On the 12th, Bryan found solace and inspiration in the story of Bobby Sands, the Irish republican hunger striker who died of starvation in a British prison in 1981:

I reread the chapter in “Nothing But An Unfinished Song” (Ch.22) when Bobby Sands starts his hunger strike and eventually dies and it was a good wake-up call. Eleven days ain’t squat! I was laid up in bed for the last 3 days as if death was already upon me. I had to break that and keep moving.

Julie visited Bryan on the 16th and 17th. By the 16th, he had lost over 25 pounds. In their meeting, Julie said, Bryan wasn’t himself. He was withdrawn and seemed very depressed. The usually engaged and good-humored Bryan was unfocused and quiet. Their meeting on the 17th was no different. Bryan had been nauseous and, as Julie put it, he “went from being Bryan to being a hunger striker.” He was, however, still very committed, and insisted that he would see the strike until the end.

The hunger strike ended on July 21^st, with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation making a few token concessions, and indicating that it would review its debriefing and gang validation policies.

On July 23rd, Julie was denied a visit to Bryan. After some calling around, she found out that Bryan had been removed from his cell on the 21st due to complications from the hunger strike. Monday the 25th she was informed that Bryan was diagnosed with hypophosphatemia, a low level of phosphorous in the blood resulting in, according to Bryan, “several major seizures and a series of other serious medical issues due to chemical imbalances from starvation.”

Julie learned later that Bryan had been rushed to Sutter Cost Hospital in Crescent City for vital, life-saving care. His heart had been in tachycardia (dangerously high heart rate) and he’d had seizures. For seven hours doctors in the emergency room worked frantically to stabilize his system with numerous IV administrations.

Bryan would be transferred to the Intensive Care Unit for an additional two days. During this period he was repeatedly pressured to debrief: “[I was] asked by every new shift of COs if it was worth it and asked if I was ready to debrief yet. I expected that but not the level at which they came at me.”

He would spend an additional day at Sutter Coast Hospital and then a day at the prison infirmary before being sent back to his cell. The prison infirmary is located in an area that holds psychologically troubled inmates, who were, according to Julie’s recounting, “screaming, yelling, kicking doors.”

“He looked ragged on Saturday and a bit better by Sunday so he seems to be on the mend,” Julie wrote on the 2nd of August. She had returned to home in Seattle the day before.

“I am so proud to be his friend. He was willing to lay down his life for the well-being of others,” Julie says. “I want people who read this story to walk away with an understanding of the situation in prisons across the country. During this hunger strike, ethnic groups all came together for the common good. I really hope that the CDCR follow through with good faith to bring about changes in their policies.”

Bryan will be up for review regarding his placement in solitary confinement in 2014.

Reflecting on her befriending of Bryan and all that had happened, Julie posed the question: “Should I continue on my well-worn path of interests or should I commit to work for positive change on behalf of thousands of men and women suffering within America’s prisons?” Fortunately for Bryan and the tens of thousands of inmates in solitary confinement, she has chosen the latter.

Julie Tackett outside her tent at the campground near Pelican Bay State Prison. The tent, she notes, is “larger than TWO cells in the SHU.”

Testifying in Sacramento about conditions in the SHU

2011-08-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended the Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing on CDCR Secured Housing Unit conditions. It was so amazing that I can not find the words to describe the events, and I don't have to because you can read the Solitary Watch article below.

But, I will tell you that the families who came from all over California to stand up and testify about the conditions their loved ones have experienced in the SHU...they were the true rock stars in my eyes. These wonderful family members PACKED the hearing room, and when the balcony area was opened.. that was packed, too. The hallway had spill over and groups gathered around to watch the hearing on the TV posted there.

In addition to the large number of family members, the Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition (made up of about a dozen prisoner rights organizations) were in full attendance. Their members organized the entire day... starting with a lobbying blitz at 9:00 am, a rally on the steps of the capital at 11:30 and then the hearing. Some of the coalition members provided expert testimony during the formal part of the hearing, and the rest lined up with the families to speak during the public comment section. Another amazing group I am so proud to be associated with.

I can confidently say that there were over 300 people there. And as we were all wearing pink, heart-shaped post it notes on our shirts, I could see exactly who was there to support our cause. Except for the experts who would testify, members of the press, Assembly members there to observe and about 10 CDCR officials...that room was full of supporters with pink hearts !! It was BEAUTIFUL.

After the expert panels spoke, these brave families lined up at the mike during the public comment section and told the TRUTH about what they have experienced and witnessed as they stood by their loved ones who have been in the SHU for 5-10-15-20-25 and even 30+ years. Their experiences, along with the powerful testimony by coalition members and supporters... It was AMAZING!

I would like to give a big "shout out" to State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, the Chair of the CA Committee on Public Safety, for convening the hearing... and to the Committee members who stayed and listened until EVERYONE who came had a chance to speak during the public comment section. Thank you for giving us a voice.

Assemblyman Ammiano said this was just the first of many hearings about conditions in the SHU, validation policies and other abuses by CDCR. With the families, friends, supporters and the public at large continuing to push for reform, I am confident that things will change.

You can read an article about the hearing here: Historic California Assembly Hearing on Solitary Confinement

Or better yet, watch the hearing here: Assembly Public Safety Committee: Dept. Corrections Rehabilitation Secure Housing Unit (1 of 2)

ENJOY !!

Statment I will submit for Bryan to the Committee on Public Safety

2011-08-23T01:25:00.000-07:00

I am on my way to Sacramento. I will be lobbying in the morning, attend the rally and then the hearing on Conditions in the SHU. If possible, I will make a 1 minute statement during the public comment period. This is the written statement Bryan asked me to submit to the committee on his behalf.

Testimony for the Committee on Public Safety

Conditions in the Pelican Bay SHU Hearing

Aug 23, 2011

Submitted by Julie Tackett, whose loved one Bryan is an inmate who has been in solitary confinement for 16 years in the Pelican Bay SHU, Short Corridor . (Bryan’s identity will be made available upon request . Contact info: tackett.julie@gmail.com)

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your time. My loved one, Bryan, has been in solitary confinement at the Pelican Bay SHU, Short Corridor for 16 years. Bryan was willing to go to the lengths of the hunger strike as a form of peaceful protest in an effort to shine a light on conditions in the PBSP SHU. These are Bryan’s words.....sent to me in letters. Let this document be his voice.

This is an excerpt from his letter explaining why he would be participating in the hunger strike:

You know me well enough to know that I am in NO WAY suicidal, nor do I wish to harm myself in any way. But collectively we feel as though we are already dead under these conditions of extreme isolation and deprivation. I’m personally willing to go to this extreme in order to prove my desire to live. This is not life Julie…period. We are here for one reason only, our refusals to debrief. I’ve had no serious write ups in almost a decade. I have friends here who have 20-25 years in clean. Why are we here? Because we’re “labeled” as gang members? What about the other 100,000 labeled gang members on Cal. main lines?

Bryan’s own words regarding his placement in extended solitary:

I take full personal responsibility for being a young violent prisoner who got myself thrown in the SHU. I make NO excuses nor do I try to blame others or justify my actions. But it has to be recognized that my validation as a gang member was based solely on the confidential debriefing reports of inmates who could no longer continue to suffer under these condition of perpetual isolation in solitary confinement. There is no individual accountability under the current CDCR policies. I have now been in solitary confinement for over a decade, not based on a CDCR rules violation but rather for a false label put on myself by inmate informants broken under SHU conditions. Now in the ultimate form of group punishment I am to be housed in solitary confinement, not based on my actions but based on this gang label.

Bryan’s 6 Year Inactive Review Process experience:

I fully participated in the “6 Year Inactive Review Process” but it is NOT a meaningful review process. I was photographed and given a list of debriefing statements to refute as well as having my cell thoroughly searched. I refuted every source item used against me relying on the language adopted in the Castillo agreement which established the 6 Year Inactive Review Process. Not one piece of information (source item) used against me could meet the evidentiary standard of being less that 6 years old and criminal activity in furtherance of a gang, as established in the settlement of the Castillo case. Yet all source items were accepted.

I 602’ed the finding on every level and was denied on every level. Again, the 602 process also offers no meaningful review. CDCR’s own experts testified in open court in Lira vs. Cate that the 602 is only viewed as a review of procedural error and due process, that the actual merit of the prisoner’s appeal are not made part of the process.

Bryan’s states his options for release from the SHU:

Debrief, parole, 6 year inactive review, go insane or die. I will never be tortured into becoming an informant based on perpetual isolation and frankly nor should I even be forced with such a choice. As a lifer I am not eligible for parole for years to come. As stated above, the 6 Year Inactive Review has shown itself to be a sham. I have been blessed by God to have a sound enough mind to survive all of these years in solitary confinement without becoming totally insane. However, I do suffer from many side effects of long term isolation under these conditions and I fear what another decade here will do to my mental health. As for dying, I’ve never given up my hope of living long enough to see my release from SHU and hopefully my eventual release from prison....and I never will abandon this hope. But it is not lost on me that without any meaningful way out of the SHU, under these current policies, that I will absolutely die here.

Bryan’s request of this Committee:

All I ask is for a meaningful way to program my way out of the SHU. A fair shake to prove that I’m no longer the 24-25 year old screw up but a 38 year old man who is far more wiser and mature enough to use my time in a productive way. But this day will never come if the members of this body do not establish some form of oversight to ensure that we have meaningful 6 Year Inactive Reviews, meaningful committee hearings and meaningful appeal reviews. We are at the mercy of CDCR’s closed system. And it was under these conditions that we came to view the hunger strike as our last ditch effort to hopefully shine a light on such a destructive and hopeless environment. Thank you for your time and I pray we come to see some type of productive changes.

A glimpse of our friendship...

2011-08-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Bryan, Aug. 13, 2011

Greetings, my friend! I hope this letter finds you recovering swiftly, both physically and spiritually. You are in my thoughts daily, especially at 4 pm every day, when my cell phone chimes reminding me to say a little prayer for all of us.

Sorry to type this, but there is so much swirling around in my head that I want to share….I know you will read this in your auditory way, making it nice and slow :-) even if my fingers are flying across the keyboard. LOL

I got a message from your mom confirming that she got your letter. I have also exchanged many texts with Kristi, who sends her love to you and me. Yvonne checks in regularly, she’s the only non-family person I have heard from (other than Trey), but she’s a keeper, that’s for sure.

I also am very involved with ongoing efforts on behalf of everyone and have booked my ticket to San Francisco, CA. I will spend 8 days working on location and of course be in Sacramento on 8/23 for the hearing. If I get a chance to testify, in my limited allowed time my main comments will be on the 6 year inactive review process and the improper way you were revalidated based on the way your cell was searched and the use of insignificant items (drawings and poetry) and/or made up things (the card you allegedly sent) to deny you inactive status. I will also mention that it was inappropriate that they recycled debriefing statements made by others from years past (prior to the current six years). I will also mention the “By Pass” review injustice. I think others will hit on other various topics, this just feels like something I can speak about with confidence. Having your paperwork gives extra power and validity to what I have to say…Thanks for the ammunition! I will state that without changing a single policy, the situation would be better if the CDCR would just actually follow their six year inactive review process in good faith.

Personally, I am enthusiastically being represented by the premier nanny service in Seattle and they are setting up interviews with excellent families interested in having me start after Labor Day when school starts. I’m very excited to be with a new family and am confident that the situation and compensation I choose will be first class. So don’t worry about this remaining segment of time and small amount of resources I am spending with the rest of my summer. You are worth it !!! Also, little financial “miracles” keep showing up from unexpected sources. I haven’t seen your $50 yet, but I know it is on the way, so don’t worry.

Sadly, on August 11, Todd had a serious self-harm incident necessitating another surgery. I don’t have the specific details yet, other that it involved him pushing another sharpened paperclip into his abdomen and he was again sent to the hospital for surgery to retrieve it. At this point, two days later, I have confirmed that he is back at the prison facility in the infirmary, which means he is under observation and not in any real immediate danger. Of course, possible infection and long-term repercussions of the cumulative effects of so many surgeries are always a concern. It was particularly difficult to get this news on the six year anniversary of my friend Rusty’s suicide in Iraq (8/12). I accept Todd’s ongoing struggle with his self harming issues. Even with this reality always present, families support each other...I can’t imagine abandoning him. So don’t worry about me, I am in an accepting space and feel centered and strong. All any of us have is one day at a time and it doesn’t help to stress too much about what the future may bring.

Bryan, that is why you play such an important part in my life right now. I really can’t share the day to day difficulties I have or express distressing feelings to him at this time as it might upset his mental balance. His mental health counselor called me once asking that I not share news that might upset him, if possible. I can do this because I have a support network of friends and now you as my emotional confidante. I feel that you know me so well, and we have established a friendship of such honesty and trust that I can rely upon you to support me as I go through the ups and downs of understanding his prison reality. You are my only close friend who truly understands the effects of long-term incarceration and too many years in the SHU. Just having you in my corner makes life easier.

At this point, I would like to restate that I understand that any choices you make that might put you in harms way are made thoughtfully with a clear mind. I believe in the reasons for originally going on the HS, and will continue to walk with you on any path that your conscience tells you is right and just. I am strong in my support for you, so don’t let your affection for me inhibit any choices you might make. Don’t be concerned that my fears for you will be unbearable, God helps me in the face of all things. Again, we only have one day at a time and as my friend, I will hold you dear for every day I have..

So, Bryan, it is time to close this long letter. I know that I will be seeing you in person sooner or later, and until then keep your chin up and be strong,

Much love,

Julie

From Zero to Work for Change

2011-08-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

I’ve been home in Seattle for a week now. I’m planning to be in Sacramento for the Legislative hearings on August 23.

Because of this hunger strike, Bryan has finally told his family and friends about the truth of life in the SHU, but I doubt their ability to comprehend exactly how horrible it is. Even with my previous exposure to prison life though my advocacy work with Washington State prisoners, I still had a hard time really believing descriptions of the SHU at Pelican Bay. But being at Bryan’s side and hearing it directly from him, I was able to listen and resign myself to his reality. That helped me to see why he was willing to go to the lengths of a hunger strike and risk possible death.

So how to communicate to my Seattle friends and associates about what is going on there? How do I bring their consciousness from zero to work for change? As I pondered this, a friend of mine asked me to join her to catch a movie while her kids were at a play date. On a whim, she asked if “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” would be OK?

As I watched this movie about apes being used for research purposes and then contained and warehoused at a “reserve” for primates, my horror increased. I watched as apes were isolated and subjected to all types of torture, having gruel slopped into their cages, being degraded by the men in charge of their care, being attacked by high power water hoses, it went on and on. The descriptions that Bryan and others personally have told me about life in the SHU were being depicted right there on the screen. Really, what that movie depicted as horrible treatment for the apes, was no worse that what SHU prisoners say they endure on a regular basis…and from Bryan’s description, the worst of it all is the isolation.

I’m really not sure where this post is going, other than I know that we MUST work for change. I think I will recommend that you read a blog by Jerome Nathaniel:

Here’s a small quote:

"When we hear demands and see prisoners protest, we shouldn’t get too lax and fall into the passive role of the empathetic spectator-they are actually demanding us to get up and do something. Awareness is their victory; change is our responsibility.”

Please read his blog, I'm at a loss for words but he had great thoughts and ideas...and I felt inspired after reading it.

Jerome Nathaniel - Pelican Bay strike is over, but the hunger continues

The Road Less Traveled

2011-08-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the Orman Ranch and Campground...

I last posted on July 26, after learning that Bryan was finally back in his cell after a stay at Sutter Hospital in Crescent City... First the ER, then the ICU, then a regular room and finally back to the PBSP Correctional Treatment Center.

Based on his description of events, the short version is he suffered from several major seizures and a series of other serious medical issues due to chemical imbalances from starvation. A "touch and go" situation from the sounds of it. He looked ragged on Saturday and a bit better by Sunday so he seems to be on the mend.

I know I haven't blogged in a week. Once I determined that Bryan was back in his cell and on the mend, I entered into a peaceful space of regrouping and healing from this ordeal. Being in the natural setting of the Orman Ranch and Campground, I found great comfort in just "being".

I reflected on all that has happened that led me to this place ... befriending Bryan ... choosing to be present for him during the hunger strike ... joining with the efforts of prisoner advocates. During this time of reflection, I realized that I stood at a place of decision. Should I continue on my well-worn path of interests or should I commit to work for positive change on behalf of thousands of men and women suffering within America's prisons?

I am already on my way....please walk with me...

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

~Robert Frost

Bryan' medical update...CDCR responds with information

2011-07-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Good Morning all,
I'll start out by saying...Bryan is fine... Here is the timeline and description of events for today..

I will update this post as information becomes available, so just scroll to the bottom for the latest.

8:20 am - I called Medical this morning and left a message requesting a return call with Bryan's condition. I then called Lt. Acosta, PIO of PBSP. Lt. Acosta did confirm that Bryan was having chest pains, taken to the hospital for testing/treatment and has been returned the the prison Correctional Treatment Center (CTC) for observation. He stated that Bryan should be back in his cell in a couple of days... that puts me on schedule for visits with Bryan on Saturday and Sunday.

9:08 am I spoke with Bryan's CCI (counselor and person responsible for handling his paperwork, etc) Amanda Hernandez, who just returned from vacation. She was helpful, but behind the curve due to her absence. My main question to her (related to her function as his counselor) was about his mail, would it be forwarded to the CTC? She said that CTC stays are very short because they are being monitored just prior to returning to the unit. If he needed longer or more detailed care, he would be in the hospital. So that was good to learn :-). She said his mail would be waiting for him in his cell.

Keep those postcards coming as they get through faster than letters. For his address, email me at tackett.julie@gmail.com. Get well wishes from around the world would lift his spirits!

10:50 am I called Lt. Acosta asking for his assistance in contacting Medical. He transferred me to Medical Department, resulting in a phone conversation with Dr. Sayer, the Chief of Medical at PBSP. He confirmed Acosta's approx. time line as to the events. He said Bryan was fine and was scheduled to return to his cell today.

As I spent last night educating myself about heart conditions and other complications of starvation, I was ready with specific questions, which once asked, he was required to answer. If I didn't know what to ask, it would have been enough to say he was fine, but when I did ask for specific information , he was forthcoming with answers. I will list the question and his answer:

Did Bryan have a heart attack, if not what was his diagnosis? No, he had no heart damage, he was diagnosed with Hypophosphatemia, a low level of phosphorus in the blood, a side effect of starvation. Dr. Sayer put it into layperson's terms as his electrolytes were out of balance.

Is Bryan on any medication? No, none required.

What is Bryan's general condition? He is ambulatory (walking), eating, talking and returning to his cell sometime today.

Was there a Vitamin D deficiency? What did his blood workup show? He didn't have that right at hand but knew that it was a pertinent question (!). I said if I needed that specific info later, I would call back.

What is Bryan's current condition and what is his prognosis? He kept insisting Bryan is fine and it is a closed issue. That Bryan was going back to his cell and it is over. I politely said, "Yes, I understand at this moment, based on available information, he is fine. But it was all fine on Thursday, and then it wasn't." I politely asserted that I just wanted to interface with his staff in a appropriate way... kind of "will I call you or will you call me if something changes".

Given the original CDCR protocol of "Persons with medical release of information for a particular inmate may call Medical and they will respond to our requests" , I said, I would call in to check as needed and promised not to make a pest of myself. (!)

12:20 pm I am still here in Crescent City, planning to stay through Sat and Sun (7-30/31) or until I can look Bryan in the eye at visit and see he is OK.

I am a nanny, I have the summer off - I will not leave until I can visit with him and assure myself and all of you that he is out of medical danger...but remember,...

We must all continue pressuring for the needed changes. Read the 5 core demands and sign the petition.

Serious Medical Complications- Heart Attack?

2011-07-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

8 pm update at the end of this post....

When I was denied visit yesterday I did some calling to various sources who confirmed that on Thursday, due to complications of the hunger strike, Bryan had a heart attack. Bryan is 38 and had no underlying health conditions when the hunger strike began.

He is not in his cell, and I have received no "emergency" calls, so I assume he is under medical care somewhere. Tomorrow, I can call CDCR Pelican Bay for more information.

After church today, I will edit this post with more information about how this played out...Again - no news is good news at this point.

8:00 pm update

I have no additional information. Tomorrow (Mon) I will call medical to get as much information as possible. I will check in Lt. Acosta, PIO and the Receivers Office, if needed.

If the situation warrants it, I will write a request to the Warden asking for permission to visit Bryan at the hospital or for a phone call if he is back at the prison infirmary.

Bryan was so concerned about the possibility of needing medical care for any reason, given the the track record of CDCR medical...so I will be advocating for him in every way possible. Again, at this point, no news is good news.

Visit Denied Today

2011-07-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

I am sorry to report that when I went to visit today it was denied due to "security concerns". There is no definitive news to report to the family... no news is good news at this point.

Upon the recommendation of Officer Alanis, visiting room staff member, I will show up for visit tomorrow and see if anything has changed. Perhaps I will have more to report about Bryan at that time.

.

Hunger Strike Leaders confirm that the Hunger Strike is over.

2011-07-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with Carol Strickman (staff attorney for Legal Services for Prisoners with Children) and she confirmed that lawyers had inperson interviews with the leaders of the strike today. She said the leaders did call off the Hunger Strike and consider it a success.

Some concessions were made, and a good faith statement by CDCR to review more changes to policy was accepted by the four leaders. They felt that CDCR and it's treatment of prisoners has been exposed and that the people with continue to press for reform. The leaders knew that the men were at a critical point, facing death and felt that needed reforms could be attained with out risking their lives.

I will visit with Bryan on Saturday and let everyone know how he is doing. At 11:26 this morning Lt. Acosta, Public Information Officer of Pelican Bay, informed me that Bryan was taking nutrition at a medically appropriate pace to ensure he comes off the fast safely. I thought it was just spin/a lie, but I now believe him.

Thank God!

This is your brother...Bryan

2011-07-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

I found this picture of Bryan in high school posted to facebook by his sister.... Take away the hair (he shaved his head) and add a lovely mustache/clean goatee and he still looks as handsome and young as in this picture. Because of policies prohibiting any pictures being taken at the Pelican Bay SHU, this is about how far back we have to go to get a picture of Bryan.

Take a moment to remember that each Pelican Bay SHU prisoner is someone's son...brother...husband...father...cousin... friend......

Did I miss the Miracle?

2011-07-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

I write this from my home in Seattle, having come home for a few days to attend to commitments. I will return to Crescent City, my tent and Bryan by week's end.

This weekend was a blur to me... it was racing by time wise, but it seemed to move slowly. There were reporters doing interviews and I did some radio call in shows. It was encouraging and exhausting at the same time.

Saturday, Bryan was quiet but rallied as the visit went on. He is most interested in negotiations, is there any movement? But, when I told him that "they are sometimes at the same table, the lips are moving, words are coming out...but that's about it", he nodded and seemed to expect it.

Bryan is strong as a rock and has not wavered in his commitment to seeing this all the way through. We talk of the body digesting its own organs, DNRs, refusal of force feeding. I am on board to carry out his wishes to the letter should it come to that.

Our conversations are very intimate and strengthening. We speak of beliefs, family dysfunctions, the phases of our personal growth. I am Bryan's witness as he talks of his humanity, something that the Pelican Bay SHU has striven to destroy for almost 20 years. He is a beautiful and gentle man, thoughtful and caring, intelligent and brave --- he is a human being who does not deserved to be subjected to the tortuous conditions of PBSP SHU.

Next weekend, Bryan said that they can wheel him to visit if he is unable to walk...I am making arrangenents today so there is no "confusion" or "gosh, if we had known we could have had something ready" when I show up on Saturday for our visit.

We spoke of his family a lot this weekend. As I am their link to Bryan, I am getting to know his family members and am able to carry their messages of love into him.

I had some time to reflect on issues involving this hunger strike, and spending time with a variety of people gave me new perspectives.

Did I miss the miracle?

I grew up in a small rural community in SE Minnesota of about 2000 people. It was near Rochester with the Mayo Clinic and an IBM plant about 15 miles away. Our community was the typical mix of people whose families who had been there generations and of the professionals who commuted to work - townies and farm kids.

The first ethnic variation in our school was when Don joined our class as a Senior...he was Jewish. The only change I remember his presence causing was that we couldn't sing Christmas Carols of a religious nature at our choir concert. He was/is a great guy.

Growing up, my father was the college football coach at Rochester. He recruited black young men from Washington, DC, to play at the school. I remember talk about them dating the local white girls (1978) as there were "no black girls to date"..;, more of concern that they might leave the team and go back home than racial fears. I had been around these black player as they often lived in the apartment in our basement...they were the stars of the team. I can sum up my childhood feeling towards them in one word...they were GODS.

The 1980's found me in Seattle, WA which has a large Asian population. I may have been unexposed to the racial tensions of the era, but neither was I predisposed to having negative feelings to people of other races. I just met people and judged them on their individual merits.

So, the whole importance of "the hunger strike is a show of racial unity" just didn't resonate with me in the beginning. During my time in CA, I have visited with other families about what their lives ares like in So CA where race determines so much. Bryan tells me about prison life and over time I have begun to see that, truly, the unity that this hunger strike has created is almost a miracle.

The more I ponder this new understanding, the more I have come to believe that the hard part is done. The unity and faithfulness between the prisoners on strike is an example to all of us that only when there is combined effort toward the defeat of a common enemy can there be success.

Or in the words of Benjamin Franklin...."We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

****

I was in prison and you came to visit me

2011-07-15T02:02:00.000-07:00

As a little child attending Mass with my family, one of my favorite hymns was written around the theme found in Matthew Chapter 25. "Whatever you do for the least of my people, you do for me."

Jesus was very specific: I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

The lesson, as I understood it, was to offer what was needed with love, no matter the circumstances and without judgment. And in doing so, I was showing my love for Jesus.

Jesus embraced the most despised members of his society, people considered too evil, soiled or broken to be considered part of the community. I have opened my heart to many types of persons with a variety of needs, but never in my life have I had direct contact with a more hated and abandoned class of people than Pelican Bay SHU prisoners. These men are so hated that we are allowing an institution to strip them of every dignity and in our name engage in all manner of inhumane treatment.

My friendship with Bryan isn't about what he did or who he was...it is about a man who is my brother and deserves to be allowed to be fully human, even as he serves out his punishment for his crimes. I have read most of Bryan's file, which he mailed to me in full disclosure. I have read his six year inactive review paperwork, I have read his appeal to the courts, I have a clear understanding of his original crime and his prison activity. And yet, in all of this, I see no justification for the conditions he endures in the Pelican Bay SHU.

As I go in to visit with Bryan on Saturday, day 16 of the hunger strike, I want to put aside thoughts about rallys, core demands, CDCR policies, retaliation and the horrors of the SHU. I just want to visit my friend in prison and show him that he is worthy of love, compassion and humane treatment.

Turned Away at the Gate -or- Legal Representative Refused Entry

2011-07-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

The law student scheduled to do two days of interviews with prisoners texted me last night when she arrived in Crescent City. She and her friend had hitchhiked all the way from Portland, Oregon, where she attends law school.

I picked them up at McDonald's, brought them back to the horse ranch/campground where I have a "guest tent." We got to know one another and I showed them the amenities available at the Orman Ranch. After they settled in, we visited about the HS, Solidarity Coalition actions, her upcoming interviews, and of course, Bryan.

Preparing for a prison visit is a delicate process: no underwire bras, no jeans, no cell phones-so I loaned her my watch, and all layered items must open in the front, so I loaned her my cardigan sweater. I think I should just put together a Prison Visiting Kit in one size fits all to keep handy. With no car of her own, I drove her to PBSP.

We arrived at the gate at 8:45 am where, again, a CO who is familiar with me was working. They took our IDs and asked us to park while they made a few calls. As I am on Bryan's visiting list and not a legal representative, I am not allowed on the facility property except on visit day. That is completely understandable and the same in Washington State DOC.

After about 15 minutes (9:00, the time her first appointment was to begin), a CO from the visiting staff came in a car to pick her up but still they were making calls. At about 9:15, the visiting staff member came over and told her there was a discrepancy in her presented ID and the paperwork she filled out. The standard student dilemma....permanent residence in California, going to school in Oregon. She had filled out the CDCR paperwork presenting her CA information, but had technically surrendered her CA ID when she applied for an Oregon drivers license.

A huge disappointment to all, but as explained, this is a maximum security institution and all visiting paperwork must check out. A slight hint of intimidation when a CO spoke the words, "you were not forthcoming with the information you presented on your paperwork," making the student feel that she was being accused of misrepresenting her identification intentionally.

All in all, the truth is that I have heard many stories from families that CDCR will deny visiting privileges for the smallest thing. One mother said she was denied because she left off a misdemeanor that was dismissed over 35 years ago. When she got a notarized copy proving it was dismissed, she resubmitted her application recently, and is still waiting for its approval. Her son is on hunger strike and she can't visit him...all because of this small discrepancy.

In the interest of safety and security, the denial today was reasonable, but it is so intimidating and disheartening to families who just want to visit their loved ones and others, like this student, who want to assist. I think my presence and knowledge of how the system works was helpful in explaining all of this as we drove away. She was crying and upset that this unintentional error meant the men, expecting to be interviewed, would be disappointed. I explained...they are used CDCR toeing the hardest line, often resulting in disappointment or worse.

Holding vigil for Bryan across the road from Pelican Bay State Prison

2011-07-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

I just didn't know what to do with myself today, having heard the news about men refusing water. I know that Bryan is one of them. So I drove to PBSP and with a few daisys picked from the ditch, just stood there holding vigil. I watched the entire afternoon group of CO come to work and the 1st shift leave. I also stayed until all the administrators, who left at 5:00, could see me . I had no hatred, but I would quietly wave at them and more than half (my guess) waved in a friendly, supporting way back.

How the Day Unfolded

At about 1:45 p, I went to the gate, where a member of the visiting staff was working. As he sees me whenever I visit, he knows me as well as any up there. I just showed him my ID, told him the men were refusing water and that in all probability Bryan was dying. I reminded him that I had passed a security check in order to visit and that I was going to be on public property and would not block traffic. I promised to be quiet and peaceful. He had no problem with me being there, but he did ask for me to remind him who I visit.

About 45 minutes later, a couple of cars with some guys in SWAT team looking uniforms got out and set up a tripod with video camera and made a big show of taping me. Hmmm, Capitol Hill police on horse-back couldn't scare me off in 2004 , so their "show" had little effect. When they saw that I didn't leave, they just left the tripod under the care of the gate staff and left.

Someone driving to work shouted out the car window, "HEY JULIE" and gave me a big wave. One of the visiting staff ?...that made me smile. Also an employee stopped and asked who I was holding vigil for. This employee didn't know that the men had begun to refuse water. The sympathetic response given was a much needed kindness that late in the afternoon.

Several family members of men in the SHU called, very upset about the men refusing water. I just listened and comforted. I also spent some time on the phone with Bryan's Mother. She is so strong and supportive.

Tomorrow I'll go back from 1:30 - 6:00, with a sign. Hopefully some friends? Also, California Prison Focus has lawyers, etc. at Pelican Bay on Wed and Thurs interviewing prisoners. They might stay at the tent, I can give them a ride to the prison and just be at their disposal, whatever they need.

I felt powerless, but now I feel that I took an action that let everyone from the prison who saw me know ...This is where I stand, in solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike.

He's Dying.......

2011-07-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is Bryan !!! PLEASE READ

I received this update directly from Ed Mead, the editor of the California Prison Focus paper, with whom I have been in direct contact from the beginning:

Updated News Item on Hunger Strike:
Tuesday 8:30 AM: According to a SHU nurse, things are bad at Pelican Bay. The prisoners have not been drinking water and there have been rapid and severe consequences. Nurses are crying. All of the medical staff has been ordered to work overtime to follow and treat the hunger strikers. As of Monday, there were about 50 on C-SHU and 150 on D-SHU. They are not drinking water and have decompensated rapidly. Some are in renal failure and have been unable to make urine for 3 days. Some are having measured blood sugars in the 30 range, which can be fatal if not treated. They have refused concentrated sugar packs and ensure. The staff has taken them to the CTC and given them intravenous glucose when allowed by the prisoners, but some won't accept this medical support. As of Monday, no one has been force fed with a nasogastric tube. A few have tried to sip water but are so sick that they are vomiting it back up. Some of the medical staff is freaked out because clearly some of these guys seem determined to die. Not taking the water is crushing the staff because the prisoners are progressing rapidly to the organ damaging consequences of dehydration.

****

I know for an absolute fact based on my in person conversations with Bryan that he is refusing water at this phase of the hunger strike.....

May God have mercy on us all for allowing this to happen.....this is is our doing..... our elected officials used our tax dollars to create the SuperMax prison system, and the evil of that place has driven the men to this change the system or die situation .... and my friend Bryan is dying now.

****

Also from Ed Mead via email to me:

Below is a letter from a PBSP Hunger Striker. Here is the letter from Chad Landrum:

“It’s been a difficult and uphill battle, a lot of brow-beating and direct debate, but as it stands all are participating on a limited basis. Some, including myself, are going “indefinitely”… victory or death! I ask that you and those necessary are aware of our participation. Geographically we are isolated from the main SHU facility and PBSP will try to isolate and restrain our info from getting out. We are in A-Z. Also, as you know, I’m sincerely sick with end stage liver disease (ESLD) and a severe case of related diabetes. I’m going to end up in the hospital almost immediately and will be effectively isolated. Due to my dedication to the struggle I will continue with my strike. I won’t know when to stop. If the demands have been met in whole, negotiated part, etc. I will not take the cops’ word for the pigs have proven their word to be hollow. I will need the word of you or your outside support. Likewise, please keep those convicts at the heart of this struggle in D short [corridor] abreast of my circumstances (most know me as ‘Ghost’ or ‘Landale’). Hopefully the situation doesn’t deteriorate to this. What that I end this letter with the words of Ulrike Meinhof [of Germany’s Red Army Faction], ‘Protest is when I say I don’t like this or that. Resistance is when I see to it that things I don’t like do not occur.’”

Chad Landrum #J-53747
Pelican Bay State Prison
A-2-114 – MED/SHU
P.O. Box 7500
Crescent City, CA 95531

****

My friend, Bryan is in the D2 Short Corridor...one of 150 who are dying at this very moment...Please call the Governor Brown and CDCR Sec. Cates...

Call Every Day!

Gov. Jerry Brown (his line is always busy)

(916) 445-2841

Secretary Matthew Cate (I always get through on this number....and called just now, call him first)

(916) 323-6001

Call and say this:

“Hi my name is _____. I’m calling about the statewide prisoner hunger strike that began at Pelican Bay. I support the prisoners & their reasonable “five core demands.” I urge the CDCR to negotiate with the prisoners immediately & in good faith. Thank You.”

__________________
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.
-Matthew 25:36

Day 11 - We Are the Government

2011-07-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

A recent postcard from Bryan:

*****

"When one spends each day naked and crouching in a corner of a cell resembling a pigsty, staring at such eyesores as piles of putrefying rubbish, infested with maggots and flies, a disease ridden chamberpot or a blank disgusting scarred wall, it is to the rescue of one's sanity to be able to rise and gaze out of a window at the world...." Bobby Sands, Republican News, Nov.25, 1978

It was not by accident that the men and women who designed and built this place, did so with the elimination of windows. Every aspect of this place was designed to break the spirit and the mind. I haven't risen and gazed out of a window at the world in over 10 years....others here in over 20 now. Is it really 2011? ~Bryan

*****

And so it begins...no more cheery attempts to distract him from prison reality, no more chatty conversations about esoteric topics, Bryan wants to hear news about his family/ friends and about Hunger Strike events and progress.

Bryan is in this hunger strike until the organizers call it off because there is reasonable movement towards the meeting of their demands or he dies. He will not consent to force feeding, but they will probably do it anyway. But still he will resist...and I will stay by his side.

Because I am in Crescent City, our mail has been fast, about 4-5 days for postcards, so I communicate during the week on 4x6 index cards. The visiting process has been normal so far. That's the good news.

The bad news....They saw no medical attention at the SHU until HS Day 7, and by Day 9 Bryan had lost 17 lbs. The CDCR is already failing to follow their own HS policies. He is suffering from sleep deprivation as starvation can cause insomnia. He hasn't even enough energy to pick up a pen to write. He just lies there and waits....and suffers. His kidneys and back hurt, his head aches... but he is emotionally strong and committed. Bryan is willing lay down his life so that this insanity called solitary confinement/sensory deprivation will come to an end.

The CDCR is starting to move towards "conversations" that hopefully will lead to negotiations with prisoners. This matter is in the hands of an elected governor and the secretary he appointed. As our public servants, they institute policies and spend our tax dollars. Is this what "we the people" want?

The men are doing their part, now we must do ours...we must apply political pressure to get CDCR to negotiate by calling Governor Brown and CDCR Sec. Cates...EVERY DAY.

Here is the script suggested by California Prison Focus (www.prisons.org) , part of the Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition:

Governor Brown (916-445-2841)
CDCR Sec. Cates (916-323-6001)

Call Every Day!

Call and say something like this: “Hi, my name is _____. I’m calling about the statewide prisoner hunger strike that began at Pelican Bay. I support the prisoners & their reasonable “five core demands.” I urge the CDCR to negotiate with the prisoners immediately & in good faith. Thank You.”

Please call today. Post to facebook, text or tweet and ask your friends to call......do what you can to flood the phone lines of Gov. Brown and Sec. Cates.

Please -- Bryan's life depends on it. I thank you.

You Are Not Alone -or- Let Me Entertain You

2011-07-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

When times are hard, there is something comforting about having a loving soul just willing to be present, to walk beside you as things unfold.

I have learned from working with wounded soldiers, families in crisis and now hunger striking prisoners that often I can’t change the reality of their situations, but I can taking their minds away from the pain. I can make things a little better, just for the moment.

Sometimes I entertain, just by tell stories of my life, my kids, my pets and the like. I actively take the lead in providing something else to think about other than the situation. Usually things start this way with shy people. Bryan let me do a lot of talking in the beginning, he had so many questions.

Another way to help suffering people is to distract by getting them to tell me stories about their lives. For instance, I asked Bryan what he used to do on the 4^th of July when he was a kid. He launched off into a wonderful story of the huge family celebrations in Texas, complete with homemade ice cream and the kid’s fishing contest. All I had to do is listen, smile and prompt with a question every once in a while. The most wonderful thing about this is that for the duration of the story, his mind was back there, once again that happy 10 year old, frantically trying to catch the most perch.

As a continuation of my last post, here are the pictures that I took to visit to share with Bryan. I am also able to send them in by mail. He feels guilty that I am here, investing all this time and effort for him, but I explain that it is my calling to be where I can make a difference, even if that difference is only to one person…. And Bryan is my one person at this moment in time.

Through these pictures, I wanted to give him a glimpse of my reality here in Crescent City so he would know that I not at all put out. This is not my first road trip/camping adventure in support of a worthy cause!

Here are the pictures I shared with Bryan on Monday and the approximate commentary:

My tent is about 24’x16’ plus a screened vestibule, larger than TWO cells in the SHU.

My cot and teddy bear.

Tiffany, the Birthday Hamster. She is my dwarf hamster, who is along for support. I call her the “Birthday Hamster” because as a nanny, I would bring her to the house for the kids to play with, but only on the occasion of a birthday. They love her! So do I!

Here I am at Pebble Beach, just outside of Crescent City, CA

A view from Pebble Beach Road, Crescent City, CA

This is my Cellie, as in cell mate.

Here is the fun part of this blog. This is my teddy bear….Who needs a name. I asked Bryan if he would come up with a name for my bear…perhaps talk through the steel door to his friends (they can do that with difficulty) and take suggestions. He looked amazed and shocked - like any typical man asked to engage is some sort of female silliness - and said he could never do that! I have it on good authority from some of the other wives visiting their husbands that their men would almost certainly submit names. So we’ll see.

Getting men to name a cellie is easier than getting them to name a teddy bear, so the contest is called, “Name Julie’s Cellie".

It is this sort of “out of the box” activity that distracts and entertains my incarcerated friends, they always seem amused…which is good because they are usually laughing with me and not at me…either way, while they are laughing, they are free.

He calls me Kind Lady

2011-07-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

Update from yesterday (Day 2): After visit yesterday I saw Native Americans dancing in regalia directly across the the street from the Pelican Bay State Prison gate. I shouted out the window that I was taking a picture to send in to the men inside and the dancers all cheered. Today, Bryan said he could hear the drumming and singing from his concrete yard yesterday but didn’t know what it was all about. I have discovered we can bring up to 10 pictures into visit, so I am taking this one in Monday plus others to be posted here tomorrow.

Just for interest and to get a glimpse of Bryan and his writing style, I would like you to see a postcard he sent to me last January. Note the PBSP stamp and date stamp Jan. 7, 2011

Early on Bryan began calling me Kind Lady. I would say that is pretty close although I like to pretend I have an “edge” to me. Maybe being an advocate for prisoners and their families in the Washington State Department of Corrections makes people in my social circle look a bit sideways at me, but Seattle is the land of the proverbial activist so for the most part, folks just smile.

Day Three of the Pelican Bay SHU Hunger Strike: Bryan was in a chatty mood today, opening up more and more as he realizes that I am here for him, to provide companionship and support for the duration. Given that the last 16 years the CDCR has been dehumanizing him in every way possible, he finds it hard to accept any nice things I say about him and even seems shy about feeling worthy of any human kindness.

One fear that Bryan voices to me is that I am inconveniencing myself or hurting my life in order to be here. So I always share with him that I take time to enjoy myself and keep telling him that being here isn’t dragging me down. I told him that when I’m not visiting with him, I do what I normally do. It makes him feel better, knowing I am having a vacation and treating myself right. I don’t feel guilty about having beauty, fun and joy in my life.

Day Two of the Hunger Strike...My Visit with Bryan

2011-07-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

In 1989, Pelican Bay State Prison was cut out of a dense forest near Crescent City, CA. The highlight of the new super-max prison was the Security Housing Unit (SHU), the X-shaped building at front, where 1,300 prisoners are kept in long-term solitary confinement, under conditions of extreme sensory deprivation.

Image from : www.sfbappa.org

I just came from visiting Bryan...he is looking strong and is totally committed to staying on this hunger strike. He has a sense of focus and is at peace with this action. This is day two of the hunger strike and yesterday, day one, he was interviewed by a representative of California Prison Focus. He told me he was nervous while waiting and spent his one hour of yard pacing back and forth and also when he was in his cell, until the interview time at noon.

Today, he said he was wiped out from that exercise and had learned his lesson about physical activity during a hunger strike. He has a plan to stay hydrated...he put himself on a strict hydration schedule of one pint of water every two hours for a total of eight pints per day. That's one gallon per day or 3.78 liters for his European friends.

I suggested to him that he apply the same forethought to his exercise/exertion. Perhaps allow himself small amounts of walking as needed, maybe even schedule it out. The "How to Hunger Strike" info I sent says to keep moving around to a bare minimum to conserve energy. He said when he goes to yard instead of walking he will bring a book and sit down to read after his 15 minutes of walking. Good!

I know this blog began with printing Bryan's letters, but I need to bring this up into real time so I will be putting his previous letters into a new blog called "Skin in the Game". I have found when I want to understand a different culture, whether its a foreign country, the military or prison, the best way to get a real glimpse into a new world is to get a pen pal. Most of the letters up until May 8 were, "what did you think of that book" type of chatter between friends getting to know one another, but slowly he would reveal here and there the truth about his situation in the SHU. In the letter below, he drops it all on me. I would like you to hear in his own words a description of why he is joining the hunger strike. After the letter below, I will probably excerpt past letters from time to time here, but for the most part, the focus of this blog will be on the here and now.

This is the 5-8-11 Letter in which Bryan finally told me the whole truth:

Sun. 5-8-11

Dear Julie,

Wanted to write you a quick letter and thank you for the Easter card and letting me know everything that was going on in the life of Julie. :-) Hope you had a nice Easter Vacation and a fantastic time in the heart of the old Confederacy. And as a Mother with a capital “M” I hope you had a really nice Mother’s Day today. I’m sure my dear ol’ ma had a terrific day as she is a HUGE Dallas Maverics fan and they crushed the Lakers by 36 this morning on their way to a series sweep. I know I just spoke in a foreign language right there to you but trust me it was a good thing for moms. :-)

OK, on a much less upbeat note I’m very sorry to hear that your loved one had such a set-back. I’m glad to hear that you found the right place within your faith to find peace with it all. I know from our visits and letters that it is your rock. I tend to lean inwards, Mr. Macho, but will admit that I’ve been “all over the place” for the past couple of months. Several of us were litigation our denials by the prison (I.G.I. – Institutional Gang Investigators / Sacramento) to release us from SHU on the six year inactive review process. The Courts have denied every one of them. I just got mine back not too long ago for failure to show cause.

So where to now? We honestly thought that the Courts would see how corrupt the 1030 system is (a 1030 is a confidential informant’s or debriefer’s statement saying you “did” this or that). So no relief here with the institutional appeal process, no relief in the Courts and CDCR’s deaf ear to any public outcry behind keeping men in solitary confinement under these type of severe conditions for decades on end…literally. We’re right back to debrief or die here.

Therefore after long and serious deliberation a large group of us have decided to go on a hunger strike as of July 1^st. You know me well enough to know that I am in NO WAY suicidal, nor do I wish to harm myself in any way. But collectively we feel as though we are already dead under these conditions of extreme isolation and deprivation. I’m personally willing to go to this extreme in order to prove my desire to live. This is not life Julie…period. We are here for one reason only, our refusals to debrief. (emphasis mine) I’ve had no serious write ups in almost a decade. I have friends here who have 20-25 years in clean. Why are we here? Because we’re “labeled” as gang members? What about the other 100,000 labeled gang members on Cal. main lines? They can’t justify this Julie.

So why am I dropping this on you? Well, frankly I have no plans on telling my family that I’m about to participate in this protest…fully committed. CDCR has a policy of force feeding , but we are prepared to carry on unbroken even through such an extreme measure for however long it takes to change these conditions. If I hadn’t already went deep within myself to know that my mind was prepared to take on this responsibility (to see it through) and that I was one hundred percent committed, I would never write to you in this way. But I am ready. So I’m asking you if you would be willing to be my “monitor”? I have no idea what lies at the end of this road, but I do know that between here and there I will need someone in my corner who’s willing to call and monitor my condition and make sure that I am treated right once I’m reduced to a weakened state. I need to know if you would be willing to do this for me. If so, I’d be forever grateful but on the other hand I also fully understand that it is a lot to ask of a friend and that you may very well be philosophically opposed to such an action or religiously opposed. In which case I certainly would understand and would never allow your denial to harm our friendship. Please let me know how you feel about it in case I need to start looking for a second or third.

Ok kind woman, I know this one was probably a shot out of the blue but the go date for this peaceful protest is just around the corner now and I really need to start getting my ducks in a row. I’m including a postcard for you so you can let me know you received this letter. As always I send you, your girls and loved ones my utmost respect and best wishes. Know that I am well and strong.

With Utmost Respect,

Bryan

Pelican Bay State Prison

2011-06-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Image from : www.sfbappa.org

This is where the CDCR keeps Bryan . Although I didn’t think I would ever visit Bryan, I filled out the visiting form, just in case. My first visit was September 2010. After a background check and other processes taking about 4-6-weeks, I was approved. For each visit, I must call on a Monday and leave a message requesting a reservation for a visiting booth that coming weekend. His section is allowed a two hour visit on Saturday and a two hour visit on Sunday.

After driving the 15 minutes from Crescent City, I enter the gate at the bottom of the picture (near that blue tower in the lower left) and drive clockwise to the parking lot (at the top of the picture). I enter the Visiting Processing Area at 10:00am (the top, center building), fill out my form and give the VR staff my ID. The CDCR Visiting Room staff is friendly in a professional way, I never feel bad about visiting a prisoner.

There are strict rules about what to wear, but it really comes down to no under wire bras and no blue jeans or blue shirts as they resemble the prisoners’ uniforms at most CDCR facilities. We then remove any metal items like jewelry, take off our shoes and pass through a very sensitive metal detector…. Exactly like the airport.

My information is entered into the computer and Bryan’s Section is called and told to prepare him for visit. At 10:45 I get on a small bus with about 20 other visitors for the ride to the front of the SHU (the black shadowed area where the X-intersects.)

Once in the SHU visiting area, I give the processing staff my paperwork and am assigned a booth where Bryan is waiting. Only once did I arrive first and see him brought into his side of the booth in shackles, which were removed and the door closed. I wasn’t too bothered by this…chains are the price one pays for a visit.

A box of hand and leg restraints at Colorado State Penitentiary. When moved out of their cells, inmates are restrained by hand and leg cuffs.

What I don’t see and Bryan has never mentioned is that he must undergo a complete strip search, probably into and out of visit. Here is an image and description of a Pelican Bay SHU strip search, also from the www.sfbappa.org webpage:

An inmate in the Security Housing Unit at Pelican Bay State Prison removes all his clothing, spreads his toes and buttocks and is handcuffed without coming into physical contact with prison guards before a visit to the prison dentist.

After our visits, I leave the booth and Bryan is returned to his isolated cell, without even a window in the door.

Imagine being locked up in a windowless concrete cell the size of a small bathroom for 23 hours a day, without any face-to-face contact with another human being. You never see sunlight or a blade of grass. Whenever you leave your cell you’re handcuffed and shackled, hands-to-waist, ankle-to-ankle. Imagine being locked in these conditions for years. This is what it’s like to be in the Pelican Bay SHU.

This has been Bryan’s reality for 16 years.

A Pelican Bay Prison Guard carries a rifle in the control room of the ultra-maximum Security Housing Unit, known as the SHU, whenever a guard enters one of the groups of 10 cells.

I have a new friend! Bryan's 5-5-10 letter telling me all about himself....

2011-06-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

I am printing all of Bryan's letters to me in the order that I received them....

Having received my letter, entertainment packet and “bio”, Brian is responding with his first real letter. As far commenting on the difficulties of life in he SHU, he only mentions the SHU mail delivery being slow and not being able to have pictures taken. In this letter Bryan is focusing on introducing himself and commenting on all the things that I sent to him. Note his list and respond style, common when prisoners write letters.

This letter was seven pages of very, very, tiny writing, about the size of this 12 font lettering – single spaced! I can see that he protected me from the torture that is his life, but to reveal it at this point would have horrified me and frightened me away. I guess we all self monitor what we share with new friends.

***********************************************

Written Wed. 5-5-10

Mrs. Julie,

Hello friend! It’s 4:58 and I can hear them pushing the chow carts in this direction and my stomach is growling but I am smiling from ear to ear as I just finished reading your really nice letter. Thank you so much for taking the time to write a complete stranger and I really hope that you know that your willingness to open up the door and invite me in as a friend is not lost on me. With that said, allow me to get ready for whatever it is that they’re pushing this way and then I’ll jump into your letter.

Wow…that was brutal. :-) Processed turkey. It looked like a piece of white sponge but I got it down and I appreciate the little guys sacrifice.

Glad to hear that you received my postcard. I was just trying to return the smile. Eight days to reach you is no surprise. What do you know about the SHU? (Security Housing Unit) All of our mail here goes through I.G.I (Institutional Gang Investigators), incoming and outgoing. And whether it’s a simple post card or a 10 page letter, it’s going to land there for a while. To receive your 4-29 letter in six days is frankly stunning. The norm is 12 to 20 days. So please keep this in mind during our future correspondence. I’m a faithful pen pal who will ALWAYS write back, so when you feel that little internal clock going off that says I should’ve written by now, just know that it’s the mail situation here. It’s been as bad as 30 to 45 days in the past. That one had all of our loved ones up in arms.

You….First of all, congratulations on your one full year of sobriety. I’ll speak more on this later in this letter but New Years was my tenth year and for those of us who recognize the importance of this in our lives, that was a big one for both of us. That first one is tuff but I promise you that it gets easier as you not only grow stronger but you also grow prouder of your sobriety. Especially the more times that you say no. I wish you nothing but STRENGTH.

I enjoyed reading your short bio that you had posted. As is normal with all people, we share some things in common and are polar opposites in others. One thing that we have in common is openness. You really put yourself out there…this is me, let the world see. I can’t say that I’m “that” open but those who I share my life with are free to know me on every level. I still live with a tremendous amount of guilt, I suffer from self-doubt and worry what others will think of me and my past…BUT…who doesn’t? I look it all in the eye and don’t allow it to cripple me or socially stunt me to the point to where I shrink away from allowing others to really know me. So feel free to ask anything that you’re interested in learning about me and don’t worry about stepping over any lines.

A little about me, mirrored with your summary: You have to be careful in prison as to the level of trust that you can give other men but it is in my nature to give others the benefit of the doubt. I like to assume the best in people as well. We’re all flawed and I find it ridiculous to look down one’s nose at others…though we’re all guilty of it at times.

My work ethic is go-go-go, “bored” is not even in my vocabulary. :-) Who has time for that! I’m not even remotely materialistic, if I see the same generosity, I’ll give he shirt off of my back. But like you, I still like to have nice things. Here, that’s just the little things that make day-to-day a little more comfortable but when I’m free I’ll hold myself to a certain standard. I love to give, too, if I were rich, it probably wouldn’t last very long. :-) On the flip-side, I’m terrible about receiving and asking is like pulling teeth. Not sure why…pride, maybe a bit of ego but I’m getting better at it.

Country boy to my bones but I’m at home in any environment. I grew up in small town East Texas, great parents and grandparents, Methodist on one side Baptist on the other. I spent every waking hour in the woods as a kid until I discovered girls and then unfortunately drugs. But my bond to nature is deep. Working hard is natural to me as well. My dear ol’ ma works as hard as any man that I’ve ever know and my Pops works just as hard as she does. I couldn’t possibly be any other way! I truly admire this about you.

Not a father and have to come to terms with the fact that I never will be. My father is hands down the most honorable, loving, tuff ol’ guy that I’ll ever know. I was blessed beyond words and to never have what we have, with my own son or daughter, is a knife straight to the heart. But on the other hand what if I would’ve been a teen father and never raised my child because I was locked up? That would’ve been far worse. I wouldn’t wish that on any child or parent. It sounds like you must have done a great job with both in college.

Never been married and never would in prison. But I’ll definitely be looking when I get out! :-) I think I’ll be a good husband, even if I’m an old fogey then.

I’m no goody two shoes but I’m dead set against drugs and that whole scene. When I’m free and settled I’d like to find the right cause to help as well. It would mean a lot to me to actually be a positive force in whatever circle I found myself.

Politically informed but highly disgusted. Very close to losing my faith in the system, Julie. Are we a democracy or a corporate state pretending to be a democracy? Believe me, when I’m free, you’ll find me in the street with a sign marching. I’m pro-choice too, you can’t legislate a woman’s body. I also believe in equal pay. But I’m dead set against quotas and affirmative action. The fed up young white male who’s done apologizing!

OK, back to your letter. Hope that begins to paint a little picture of myself for you. I appreciate your sharing all of this with me. As far as a positive attitude goes, I truly believe that we have to take ownership of our lives. Don’t want to sound too much like Dr. Phil but we have to own where we find ourselves in life. It’s a lot easier to find balance and happiness once you get rid of all the baggage that we all impose on ourselves. I can honestly say that I’m happy 90% of the time. And when I do get down on myself or po’ed at some external force, it’s brief.

As a Catholic I hope you are not too put off by this but I lost my faith in my early 20s which rocked my world as I’m sure you can imagine. But in the end it gave me a true love of LIFE. I stopped looking for heaven and started looking around me for the first time. And I realized how beautiful the world is, right here, right now. And I began to value every minute of every day in a really different way. Once I viewed life as finites and almost fleeting in comparison to the life of our universe, it just made me appreciate it so much more.

Well Mrs. Julie it’s already 9:16 now. I’m a slow writer huh! :-) I’m on old fart status. 37, eating diner at 5:00, bed time at 9:00 and I get up at 4:15. If I’m super old by the time they allow me to parole I’ll transition nicely into some senior care facility, hopefully co-ed! With that I must brush my teeth and call it a night. I’ll finish this up for you tomorrow.

Guten Tag, Mrs. Julie! Its 11:12 and absolutely gorgeous outside, about 55 degrees and sunny. I’ve had a good morning. Got up early and knocked out my vocabulary studies during my workout and abs, cleaned up and waited for breakfast (2 boiled eggs, 2 pieces of bread, fruit and a milk). We’re feeling the budget crisis here. Anyway I was first out to the “yard” and I can look up through the mesh and see the sky. It was already a nice pale blue and I could tell that it was going to be super nice out today. I’m the only white in my section in this building but I have a good friend that I talk to each Thurs. morning through a thick steel door that’s welded shut which separates his “yard” from mine. So we talked for a while. This may sound crazy but we both started writing this year and one of our projects is together so we stand there at that door (my ear on my side, his on his side) and take notes and read what we’ve written. Not very efficient and terrible on my neck but we manage. :-)

I think it’s seriously cool of you as a person to have volunteered in the military hospital. The older I get, the more anti-war I become but I accept that there’s a time and place when men and women have to make an armed stand. But my personal feelings on the war aside, I watch the roll call each Fri. on PBS of the fallen young men and women and I feel that. Not all, but most are so young and the skeptic in me can’t help but to wonder what Afghanistan will look like in 10 or 20 years and whether the current policies will have asked for this level of sacrifice in vain or not. Let us hope not.

Was “A Gift of Time” your concept? So you’re basically a Jill of all trades. Have you been in business for long? With two daughters in college I’m assuming that you’re definitely making a good go of it. Scholarships or not, that can’t be easy on the purse strings. Professional mom, I like that. :-) There’s great pride in hard work.

So you do karaoke. Does this mean that you’re a big music lover? You mention the choir as well. I love music and I listen closely to the lyrics. M favorite is classic rock but I love country, jazz, folk, Irish… pretty much everything but rap and real bubble gummy pop. I have to admit that for the first time I’m listening to some of what the kids like these days and just shake my head. Now I know how Pops must have felt when my sister and I would torture him in the car with early Madonna and Wham! :-) I’m more Bob Segar / Johnny Cash now.

This leads me to why I wrote. I’ve been in the SHU for 15 years (solitary confinement) and as you can imagine, one either comes to know his/her self or breaks. I have my ups and downs just like everyone else but I “freed” my mind years ago. So I actively reach out to the “world” and try to stay engaged through my writing. I write 7 people in Germany, a couple in the U.K. and Spain and of course my family in Texas. In my early years here I had “disengaged” and just disappeared behind these walls. That’s the worst thing a young guy can do in prison. So with so many friends out there I feel alive (even here). I have a future to strive for that I couldn’t see when I was 22-23-24. I’ll never let myself crawl back into that hole.

So being so far away from home, I have only had two visits in 15 years. I just can’t ask my family to spend $1000 on airfare and hotel cost for two hours. I let them know that I’m just as happy with their letters as I would be with a visit because I in no way want them feeling bad about not coming out. And I mean that Julie. Therefore when I briefly had the chance to speak to this friend of mine about you I jumped at the chance to meet someone right here. Seattle is still a nice journey but it’s not Texas or Europe. I’m sure you can understand my motivation here.

In my letter, I had explained to Bryan that the woman I drove down with and planned on driving down with again,( making it possible for me to visit him)…we had a horrible falling out and I informed him that I would never take a road trip with her again. Therefore, I was only able to be a pen pal, not a visitor. I described the situation in detail, which he is responding to here.

As for your trip down here… I was mortified when I read that paragraph. I’m asking you straight-out to please not let that reflect on me. I don’t know the gal and if I had the chance to pull her up and check her for putting you in that spot believe me I would. I don’t even have that chance with my friend. That’s a conversation that we would have to have face to face so as not to put his business out there for others to hear and that’s not possible here either or I would definitely have this talk with him. So let me apologize to you for such an unpleasant experience. I mean that from the heart. Not cool at all.

So don’t worry yourself for one second about not turning that form in or coming down here with her. I totally understand and support your decision Julie. I would be honored to stay in touch with you and see what kind of friendship grows out of our correspondence. Visit or no visit, it’s easy to see that you’re good people. :-)

Your packet of fun things. Vielen Dank! The art history stuff is right up my alley. We’re not allowed any art supplies here, not even paper but I always have 2 or 3 pen drawings going at all times. My Granny oil painted and put me through lessons when I was 7,8,9 and I’ve always drawn. Do you do any kind of artwork? Franz Marc I am familiar with, thank you for the fantastic print!! I must admit that my taste tends to lean more towards realism or naturalism. Are you familiar with Caspar David Friedrick? I write a really good young friend in Bayern Germany and she introduced me to his work. Check him out. I hope you’ll keep the art history stuff as a regular part of our correspondence and if you send future prints please don’t write on the back because they’re perfect little future canvases for my work. Is that cool? If you’d like to check out some of my old work look at www.celticreigh.com (this site is now closed-Julie). I haven’t sent anything there in years but they have a few of my old pieces.

Wow, this is getting CRAZY long. Just bear with me a moment longer! :-) The pictures are fantastic. Do people tell you that you look familiar?? You do. :-) Maybe it’s the Susan Sarandon similarity. I just saw her the other night on that genealogy show. I have a single picture of myself from when I was 18 or 19 in CYA and clueless. You’re welcome to see it if you can send it back (it’s my only one). They don’t allow taking photos here, not eve to just mail directly home to our loved ones so I haven’t taken one since pre 1995.

FORTUITOUS. The way we met was a fortuitous bounce of fate. :-) I like the word of the day. Do you know any languages? I’m fully fluent in Spanish and about 80% of the way there on my German. Spanish is a cake walk, the German was BRUTAL.

Have a cup of freeze dried Folgers, luke warm, sitting on the coaster. (I sent a cardboard coaster from a restaurant) Yeah, that was crazy. I sat here looking at it trying to figure out how you could’ve possibly put that in this envelope by accident. At least until I got to this part of your letter. A little surprised that I got it because they don’t give us any thick cardboard or even paper that exceeds a certain thickness. What you did Franz Marc’s “Blue Horse” on is about the limit. Anything thicker would probably get stopped. By the way, wasn’t Marc’s death (the manner/timing) almost Shakespearean?

Well Mrs. Julie, my new friend, that brings me to the end of this insanely long letter. Please don’t feel obligated to respond to all of this. My motto is to just simply let it flow. Whatever is on your mind, whenever you sit down to type. And I’ll reign in the length now that I’ve given you a little bio. You take care out there and let us all keep our fingers crossed that the oil spill in the Gulf isn’t quite the disaster that this is looking like it may be. Bis bald (until soon).

With Utmost Respect,

Bryan

Curling league for 5 years & being from “Minnesota”… Hmmm…..Minnesota, Manitoba. That sounds like “probable cause” to check your green card. You better stay out of Arizona! :-)

P.S. As an ex military wife you have knowledge (first hand) in an area of a fictitious story that I’m writing in which a soldier receives bad news form home. I’m basin it on email but I have no first hand knowledge of how the process works. Rule number one in writing fiction, get your facts straight. Would you be open to answering some of my questions in this area in future letters? It no, it’s no biggy. I have a friend who’s brother is in the Marine Corps who will eventually help me but he’s young and terrible about writing.

Last but not least, I can’t believe I almost forgot to ask, but are you a big reader? I know with work and the normal flow of life that a lot of people flat out don’t have the time. I love to read, it’s my great escape.

Images of Bryan's 4-21-10 postcard and 5-5-10 letter

2011-06-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

So I took the time to learn how to post images.... :-)

Here is the postcard I referred to in a previous post...note the Pelican Bay State Prison Stamp, which indicates it has been inspected for gang codes, topics, etc. and approved for mailing. Every surface of every letter, postcard, picture or other items has this PBSP stamp. Also note the time/date stamp.

I explained in an earlier post that I am transcribing Bryan's letters because they are difficult to read as they don't scan well due to his small writing on both sides of the paper. Here is a sample of his writing.

Our visits this past weekend...

2011-06-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

I’m writing this from Crescent City, CA. I arrived Friday and pitched my tent in the Shoreline RV Park and Campground. I announce this so if you come to town you can wander over to my big blue tent and say “hi”. I am at an RV park in the center of town with about 200 RVs and 3 tents. My neighbors are already looking out for me – I feel very safe.

When my friends expressed concern that I was making my name and location available on the internet, I told them that being an advocate/activist requires one to be recognizable and available. I am primarily here for Bryan but I’m also here for families coming into town to visit their loved ones who are on participating in this hunger strike. Because we are all in this horrible situation together, it is important that we provide companionship and support for each other.

Anyway, I got a good night’s sleep Friday and saw Bryan Saturday morning for the two hour no-contact visit (in a booth, glass between us, using phones, conversation taped, camera in the corner watching/recording). He looked well and is totally committed to the upcoming hunger strike. We got a two hour visit Sunday morning again and that’s it until next weekend.

Our Sunday visit was much more peaceful. The logistics of what will be happening and the big picture issues of the strike and conditions in the SHU were discussed on Saturday. On Sunday, Bryan and I spent a lot of time talking about the physical dangers of being on a hunger strike and the specific ways his body would begin to degrade as the weeks went along. He doesn’t have access to any of this information, so I shared what I learned at “How to Go on a Hunger Strike Safely” from WikiHow and “Starvation” from Wikipedia. As the strike progresses, I will be documenting Bryan’s physical and psychological condition.

Bryan is aware that I am posting his letters and we hope that by reading them you will learn about him and life in the Pelican Bay SHU. In his early letters, he softened the truth about the harsh conditions of the SHU and focused on telling me about himself. As we got to know one another and became friends, his letters became more honest and graphic in depicting the horrors of life in the SHU.

I will be keyboarding his letters into this blog as quickly as possible over the next few days….I tried to scan his letters, but he writes so small and on both sides of the paper so they don’t reproduce well. On every surface of every letter, envelope and item is stamped in big red letters: (this is a little smaller than the actual size)

PELICAN BAY STATE PRISON

SECURITY HOUSING UNIT

UNIT D-2

to indicate that it has been review and approved. (and scanned for future review?). The postcards do scan well… I’ll put them up as soon as I figure out how to post them.

I am my brother's keeper

2011-06-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Having received Bryan’s 3-27-10 introduction letter, I sent a postcard letting him know that I got his letter and planned on writing to him as soon as I looked up the CDCR rules for mail at Pelican Bay.

He sent this postcard back I(Dated 4-21-10) :

Julie,

Just a quick thank you for the nice Mt. Rainier post card and the heads up that all is well. :-) Sending you the mailing rules from here totally slipped my mind. It's fairly straight forward...no glitter, lipstick, perfume, paper-clips, stickers, rubber bands, guns, knives, explosives or terrorist manifestos. Oh, and no newdy flicks. ;-) I say most of that with a wink and a smile but in all seriousness it's not my style to ask anyone for anything, so just hearing from you will be great. And I won't hold it against you that you're almost Canadian. I promise. Aye. All my best, Bryan

Hahahaha… his humorous style already had me chuckling so I sent along my “introduction letter”.

For the most part, I can’t put my letters into this blog because they were all handwritten. But it doesn’t matter because the prison style of correspondence requires a lot of repeating and listing. Letters take time to be screened and often cross in the mail so Brian always lists what was said in my letter, then responds to each item. Also, he is very careful to list every little item I send, whether it’s a picture, puzzle or other. I learned that he did this so I would know that those were the items the mail room and/or the Institutional Gang Investigators let through. If he didn’t mention something, I knew it was removed. Nothing has ever been removed yet, a testament to my ability to read and follow the mail rules. :-)

Given this list and respond style, you will learn a lot about me just reading Bryan’s letters. But I do have this tidbit to give you an idea of who I am. As a way of introducing myself to Bryan, I also included a profile I had previously written about myself:

Julie Tackett:

I assume the best of people and am rarely disappointed. I bring my best self to any situation and am rarely bored (or boring). Although I am not materialistic, I appreciate fine things. I enjoy sharing what I have with others and graciously accepting their gifts of time and self.

I defy description, but in the past you may have labeled me....

Farm Girl I grew up in Minnesota on a farm which means time spent baling hay, milking cows, butchering chickens(!) and the like... hard work is second nature to me. Thankfully, I escaped to the big city and love urban life.

All-American Over-Achiever In school, I was an athlete, musician, thespian - I joined everything...but, hey, it got me off the farm!

Catholic School Mom a variation of soccer mom, minivan included. With both daughters in college, I'll have to get a zippier car. (August 2009 update - I just bought a new Jetta! Got some cash for that clunker minivan...)

Military Spouse If you have served, I understand that commitment and sacrifice... I appreciate those who serve and those who love them.

Goody Two Shoes I volunteer all the time....coaching kids, making sandwiches for the homeless, helping friends out.... I spent two years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a Red Cross Volunteer providing companionship and support to families attending to their severely wounded warriors. Seriously, I love making a difference by just giving my time

Liberal Politically informed and active, I volunteered for the John Kerry, Hillary Clinton and then Obama campaigns. I believe we are all accountable to each other and that government, with proper oversight, can serve the common good. I now go by "progressive" LOL.

Uppity woman I am a pro-choice, feminist Catholic and serve as a cantor (song leader) for our parish. As nice as I am, I'm not afraid to speak my mind when it's important. Although I'm not judgmental, my friends usually know where I stand. God forbid you pick on the underdog in my presence.

***

In addition to my introduction letter and the above profile, I sent him one of my “entertainment packets”. These packets usually include crossword puzzles, a “word of the day”, a wikipedia article on an artist along with 8 ½” x 11” color prints of that artist’s work and other such items.

Bryan's first letter to me - March 27, 2010

2011-06-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

Friendships begin in the most unusual ways. I would have never have believed that offering to help someone drive on a road-trip to visit her man at Pelican Bay State Prison would result in my being involved in a hunger strike. After our first trip in Feb. 2010, I suggested that her man give my PO Box address to someone who might enjoy a pen pal and/or visitor. It was that simple. Here is the first letter I received from Bryan in March of 2010.

Note: As an artist, Bryan loves to use emoticons, creative “smiley faces”, etc. that personalize and provide shades of humor to his letters, which cannot be recreated in this transcription, but I’ll do my best. :-)

Sat. 3-27-10

Dear Julie,

Let me start this letter off first by sending you my utmost respect and hopes that this introduction finds you in the best of health and spirits. It’s never easy to write out of the blue but I’ll do my best to give you a general idea of who I am.

As you know, we share a mutual friend who mentioned that you may want to visit and obviously that is where I got your name and address. If you were not expecting this letter…wow, I’ll feel like a real donkey’s butt. :-) But I’m going to trust that that is not the case and forge on ahead.

My name is John B. Ellis, my family and close friends all know and call me by my middle name Bryan. I hope that I spelled your name right. I wasn’t sure if it was July or Julie.

I’ll be 37 next month. I’m 5’ 11”, 170.5 with brown eyes and a dark brown mustache. I love my parents beyond words but unfortunately they passed me down the balding gene. :-) But hey, I consider myself more Sean Connery in my appearance and bearing than George Castanza! And despite all of these years in prison and slammed here in Pelican Bay I still feel 20 at heart and always try to keep a positive attitude and a smile on my face. I honestly believe that life is too short to pass it by in a state of feeling sorry for myself or “being mad at the world”, no matter what our conditions.

This year will be my 20^th year in prison. I was a worthless teenage drug addict hooked by 15 – 16. Myself and a couple of friends were doing robberies at gunpoint and an innocent person was killed. I take full responsibility for it and I’ll go to my grave with that on my heart. My youth and immaturity, the drugs…. I’ll make no excuses and I get out of bed every morning not being that guy. I don’t have anything to with drugs and even 19 years later I still carry a lot of shame that I ever went down that road.

I realize that that’s pretty “heavy” information to share in an opening letter but I believe honesty and openness are best in introducing myself from prison. If you choose to write back and especially if you were kind enough to visit me in the future I don’t want something that big to be sitting there unsaid like a third wheel between us. If you ever have any questions about it or about life here please feel comfortable in asking.

On a lighter note…. Not sure how much you know about life here in the SHU but I keep myself very busy. I read a lot. I taught myself Spanish and German. I have a lot of friends and family that I write to regularly. I do a lot of drawing (you can see some of my work on www.celticreign.com)( note: this site is now closed). I also recently bought a handful of books on learning how to write your first novel. So you can see that I’m kind of all over the place as far as my interests go.

I don’t have any family on the West Coast. All of my family and the majority of my friends live in Texas. That’s where I was born and raised. It would be nice to get to know you and establish more friendships in the general area. Not that Seattle is right up the street but it’s certainly closer than East Texas. :-)

I really hope that you choose to write back and let me know what your thoughts are on all of this. I’m including two visiting forms first in case you mess up one while filling it out. You just put it in with you return letter to me and when the mail room searches the letter they will automatically remove it and send it over to visiting for approval or denial.

I know that this is short but until I hear from you and know that you’re open to hearing from me again I’ll go ahead and close. I wish you and those you care about nothing but the best Julie. You take care out there and know that we are well and strong here.

With Utmost Respect,

Bryan

2011-05-31T02:34:00.000-07:00

I got a letter from my pen pal a couple of weeks ago. Bryan is an inmate at Pelican Bay, a supermax state prison in California. This blog about is how I have come to know Bryan as a person, how his friendship and stories of his experiences in prison have changed me and of my ongoing efforts to advocate for his improved quality of life. A wide scope, but there is so much to tell.

Bryan and I began corresponding in March of 2010 and after a couple of months I learned that in the 16 years he has been in solitary confinement (known as the Security Housing Unit or SHU) Bryan has had two visits with his mom and sister..... 16 years, two visits. Bryan has a loving and involved family, letters and love flow back and forth regularly, but the distance from their home in Texas and the difficulty and expense of traveling to this remote northern California prison make visits nearly impossible for his family. I, on the other hand, can hop in my car on Friday, drive the 500 miles from Seattle, pitch my tent at the campground in town for $18 per night and be home by Monday morning in time for work. So in September of 2010, that's what I decided to do.

SHU inmates are allowed no phone calls and cannot have pictures taken of themselves to send to their families, so I knew that if I was to connect with my new friend in a meaningful way I would just have to go there. It was amazing to meet Bryan in person . We had a great visit that cemented our friendship in ways only someone who has been in solitary confinement for 16 years can understand. Bryan was no longer a "pen pal", he was a friend, and my intention was to provide companionship and entertainment through letters and an annual visit each September.

Imagine my surprise when I got his letter in mid-May explaining that conditions in the SHU, being at the level of human rights violations, were no longer tolerable and that since all avenues of working for change had failed, he and the others in the Short Corridor (the even MORE isolated area of the SHU) were planning a hunger strike. And my even greater surprise when he asked if I would I be willing to serve as his "monitor". He described a monitor as someone who is "in my corner and who's willing to call and monitor my condition and make sure I am treated right once I am reduced to a weakened state".

Stating his reluctance to tell his family what he was about to embark upon, and knowing he really didn't have any where else to turn, he reached out to me. Of course I immediately sent a postcard saying yes, and began planning a trip to California to meet with him to ask the obvious questions: What's going on? What do they hope to accomplish?, Why a hunger strike?. And most importantly, Why won't he tell his family? By the time I got home last night, those questions had been answered and although he still felt I was best able to be his primary advocate, he agreed with me that he had a responsibility to tell his family about his participation in the upcoming hunger strike, scheduled to begin July 1, 2011.