Update on Bryan...he's strong!

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...

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

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

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

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.
 ###

Samples of Bryan's Artwork

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

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

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

“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

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 !!