============================================================ Amazing Breakthrough: Lose 20 lbs in 30 Days! Lose weight fast and easy. All natural products and Dr. recommended. Click Here to lose weight Now: http://click.topica.com/caaadogb1ddNBb2HgmNa/VivaVita ============================================================ I think prisoners in AD/SEG should be allowed the right to an education also, and who knows what little or big thing can change some one elses heart??? Their past is what put them in prison, their future is what needs the education, not abuse and torture...... ~Carol~ Subject: Claiming a Quick Victory PLEASE POST WIDELY FROM IRONHOUSE/Support Barbara Fortier, Coordinator [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.ironhousesupport.f2s.com POB 262 / Villa Rica, GA 30180-0262 9-25-01 TX Hunger Strike -- Claiming a Quick Victory Dear Friends, As far as my efforts go the hunger strike is over. I have just written Hawk [Sid Byrd #872404 / POB 16 / Lovelady, TX 75851] asking him to consider halting the hunger strike on his end. I have a broader perspective than he has so I think that he will agree. Even though the strike was slated to commence on 9-13 it had been going on since the beginning of July. Within these last 3 months approximately 90 prisoners that I know of participated in the strike. Many lost alot of weight, Hawk losing about 40 lbs., some were hospitalized, some attempted suicide, and the strike stirred up much attention from the suited men from Huntsville. At Estelle the prisoners reported that the food handling procedure was improved by warmer food service and the wearing of plastic gloves for the handling of the food. At Eastham the warden has agreed to change the food service to a buffet system which would offer fresher food and to provide cleaning supplies for the prisoners' cells. It is better to claim a quick victory now, as these seem to be some very slight improvements, rather than continue the struggle in this particular manner doing more harm than good. The reasons for halting this action are many. The terrorist attack is not one of the reasons, as I have never banked on media attention for any of the campaigns that I have ever coordinated. I have always relied on my own letters to the powers and the letters from supporters en masse. The automatic mail denial from me to the prisoners is the main factor. I have been worried about losing contact. Also I have been aware of too many prisoners going without food for days and longer, with their hunger strike status being completely ignored and not reported by the prison staff, which resulted in no medical attention for them. There are many unpleasant tasks in trying to help prisoners. One of my least favorites is talking with prison officials, themselves. I have to suppress my own feelings of sadness, anger and frustration, as I am made aware of the lack of rapport between us and can feel them slamming the steel doors right in my face. Arguing with them is never a productive option, as they have their own personal convictions, scripts to adhere to and job to protect. My telephone conversation with the warden at Eastham stirred these familiar feelings: I began by asking him whether he was willing to make any improvements at his prison. He wanted to know what my specific concerns were. So I began with Hawk's list of grievances and he responded with each an answer as why they would remain. There is an off switch to the 24/7 bright lights, but they will remain on because it has been known for men to make weapons out of the cell infrastructure and murder another man in another cell (by, I guess, shooting this weapon through the bars and across the aisle in the dark.) The mobile phone service that is in operation in other prisons (I don't know which TX prisons have them but Atlanta Federal prison has this successful service, whereby a guard comes around with a phone and allows anyone who wants to make a call to do so.) will not happen because of TDCJ's staff shortage. When I asked the warden if the staff shortage problem was because of the low pay he said no, that it was because Texas has such a strong economy that other great jobs are in competition with TDCJ. (It is a well-known fact system-wide that the reason for the shortage of guards is because of the low pay. Guards are complaining about it all the time and the powers are very much aware of these complaints. When I pointed out that there is a sign at the welfare office that states that no one can receive welfare unless they have a rejection note from TDCJ he thought that that sign should come down. But when I asked guards if they thought it should come down most who replied said that they thought it should stay up as a statement for their low-paying situation.) Radios are sold in the commissary but TVs are not approved by the board members to be sold so the warden has nothing to do with allowing TVs to be sold. The odd feeding times are not so odd to him and will remain in place because there is so much that needs to be done in a prison and these times are the most convenient in order for everything that needs to be done to get done. (Although it's the understanding by the prisoners that these odd hours are such so that the prison can save money in all of the meals not served because of the many meals missed.) I didn't want to hear what he had to say about tables being provided in the cells or contact visits, so I passed those issues up, but he said that the grievance process is fair. The good news is that he unveiled his buffet system plan to me that would insure better food service and he agreed to correct the cell sanitation problem. I wanted to know the details of what he would approve of regarding cell cleaning. From this part of the conversation I wrote up a cell cleaning guideline and sent it to him. I emphasized the fact that the prisoners should have decision-making power regarding when to change the water and when the cleaning tools should be replaced and other details pertinent to a successful cell cleaning program. I am hoping that he will adapt my guideline. I dreaded asking the warden about the suicides / attempted suicides. But when I did he stated that no medication or improved living condition would prevent a man to commit suicide if a man is suicidal. When I expressed that education was the key for these men, my heart sank when the warden did not agree with me. "Education is not going to help them," he said. I feebly asked what was the key if education was not. "A change of heart," was his reply. I asked him, "What would a change of heart get these men? It's the past that keeps him in segregation." He explained to me that a change of heart isn't going to change their past nor would it change their present or necessarily their future either right away. I asked him what helps change a man's heart and he replied that he is a god-fearing Christian and that religion would change a heart and that he had plenty of chaplains to help them in this needed change of heart. "And being exposed to different thoughts through education will not help in their change of heart?" No was the emphatic answer. But he did give me the name of a place where I could find out about educating them. So I called this place and was informed that according to a legal statute, House Bill 1, General Appropriations Act, 2001 Legislation Session, that prisoners in administrative segregation are not allowed an education. When I asked the women why men in seg were not allowed an education she replied that no teacher should have to put up with feces being thrown at them and that they should learn to behave appropriately and that education is a privilege and needs to be earned. (Well then it came back to me that I had read in the famous Ruiz vs TDCJ-ID court opinion that a well known doctor from Stanford University studied men on Level III segregation and concluded that extreme deprivation causes a man to feces smear [which would include throwing his feces at teachers] and that a man who is mentally disabled becomes completely crazy and that a man who is average becomes a mental case under these inhumane conditions.) The men, however, are allowed correspondence courses and when I receive the pertinent information about these courses I will create an Adopt-a-Prisoner Program and ask that you support education for the segregation prisoner. The last disheartening words that I heard the warden speak was when he was denying that there was a hunger strike going on. "There is no hunger strike. Everyone is eating here. Are you aware of that?" (I've already told you there is no arguing with a warden.) Everyone who participated in this hunger strike, in whatever capacity, from the sacrifices of the prisoners to letter-writers to outside fasters should feel very good about themselves. Everyone did the best that they could. As I recommend, claim a quick victory here and regroup to continue the struggle in another manner. Thank you for your support. In the Struggle, Barbara Fortier http://groups.yahoo.com/group/THUNDERINGDRUMS http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IRONHOUSEDRUMS http://www.angelfire.com/wy/nainmatessupportgrp/IRONHOUSE ============================================================ You have been selected to get a 1000 Free AwardMiles from Topica. The process takes less than 30 seconds... Click here and join Milesource for your Free AwardMiles! http://click.topica.com/caaadsvb1ddNBb2HgmNf/Milesource ============================================================ Visit and show your support for the Grass Roots Oyate http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate Clemency for Leonard Peltier. Sign the Petition. http://petitiononline.com/Release/petition.html ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?b1ddNB.b2HgmN Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
