Ever wondered why people come out of jail crazier than they went in? Well now we know!
A group of about 600 inmates out of a total 1,100 inmates, more than half the population, at Pelican Bay State Prison on Friday, July 1, 2011 said enough is enough.
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A revolution is boiling in the cells at Pelican Bay, 6,600 inmates are staging a hunger strike in protest of how they are being treated when it comes to solitary confinement. The movement has gained momentum and has now expanded to 11 prisons, one third of the total 33 prisons in California.
Protests in support of the strike range from the West to East. Demonstrations have been held in Oakland, L.A., Montreal, St. Louis, Philadelphia and even here in NYC. Prisoners and citizens alike have united across racial, generational and geographic lines to combat this torture and put an end to SHU.
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SolitaryWatch.com has already gathered 7,500 people to sign their petition requesting what they call the “5 Core Demands.”
These men have vowed to not eat a bite until the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) changes its policy. The strike has already lasted three weeks and there are no signs of reform on the CDCR’s part. Inmates have already reported losing from 25-35 pounds each. They have yet to receive the vitamins or salt tablets advocates have requested for them and are growing weaker and weaker.
Is it too hard to grant five simple demands? Take a look at what the inmates want and watch as people on the outside are riding with the prisoners.
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1. “Eliminate group punishments” and instead enforce individual accountability.
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2. Abolish debriefing policies, which dictate that inmates in SHU can only be released into the regular prison population if they provide information on gang activity.
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3. Make prisons comply with the recommendations of the US Commission on Safety and Abuse in Prisons (2006) to end longterm solitary confinement.
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4. “Provide adequate food” and sanitary conditions in solitary confinement.
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5. Have the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation expand and provide education programs and other privileges for SHU inmates.
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Supporters protesting in support of the Hunger Strike at Pelican Bay State Prison.
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A noise demo outside of North County Jail in Oakland, CA. in protest of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Security Housing Unit.
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The City Of Brotherly Love supports their brethren in Pelican Bay.
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Hunger Strike inmates at Pelican Bay have gathered support from Cali to Canada.
The youth raise their fist in support of the Hunger Strike at Pelican Bay State Prison.
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Protestors outside the CA. Governor Edmund G. Brown’s office in support of the Pelican Bay Hunger Strike.
