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Angola 3 Newsletter: August, 2011
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International Coalition to Free the Angola 3 |
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Black August
Summer doldrums have kept much of anything happening with the Angola 3 case these past months. We'll have more news in September regarding both Herman and Albert's cases and the civil suit as well. Meanwhile, we pray that the heat breaks in Louisiana and that we have good news to report in next month's newsletter. |
 Visiting Albert Woodfox . A3 supporter Rebecca Hensley recently visited Albert at the David Wade Correctional Center in Homer, LA, where he is now held. In a letter written shortly after seeing Albert, Rebecca writes: I had a great visit with Albert. He's holding up well and is trying to maintain a more or less positive attitude in the face of temperatures averaging 110 degrees plus heat index. At 8:15 pm Saturday night, it was still 108 degrees in my car! In the cells, Albert and the fifteen fellow sufferers on his tier have four floor fans between them, so they sleep in 20-60 minute stretches on their mattresses on the floor, having given up sheets entirely because they just stay soaked. And this is on the non-punitive tier. Where guys are being punished, there is one fan for sixteen cells.
In addition, when a prisoner on another tier was gassed a couple of weeks ago, Albert's cell trapped some of the gas, making his eyes burn and causing him to vomit. Now, he has a repetitive, wheezy, dry cough. The "doctors" are checking him for "damage" related to disease, rather than admitting that the gas caused the coughing!
Albert says there's a new way to send money to prisoners in Louisiana. Prisoners will only be able to receive money deposited into the JPay system. There will be three ways to do it:
1) Go online to www.jpay.com to leave money for a prisoner using your debit or credit card (a fee will be charged).
2) At some point, deposits to prisoner accounts will be made possible over the phone, but according to Albert's information, the phone number has not yet been set up (a fee will be charged for this, as well).
3) It will be possible to send a money order directly to JPay at P.O. Box 531370, Miami Shores, FL 33153, but you must have completed a "deposit slip." I'm assuming this means you'll have to request or print out the slips online.
For more information, call 866-333-5729.
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 Showdown At Angola: God's Warden vs. Veteran Muckraker
Mother Jones writer James Ridgeway has written a new article about his recent visit to Angola Prison and his many failed attempts to interview Warden Burl Cain. The full article can be viewed here. For several years, Ridgeway has been writing an excellent series of articles about the Angola 3, and this did not make him a favorite of Cain and Angola authorities. He writes that "when I requested permission to visit the prison and interview Cain, back in 2009, Fontenot turned me down flat. Cain, she said, was not happy with what I had written about the Angola Three, a trio of inmates who have been in solitary longer than any other prisoners in America...After more than a year of trying to get into Angola, I...turned to a lawsuit. In March 2010, the ACLU agreed to represent me on a First Amendment claim arguing that to keep government information from a reporter merely on the basis of what he's written is an infringement on press freedom." Then, as "the ACLU prepared to file suit in federal court, Fontenot wrote to them, inviting me down for a tour." Ridgeway, traveling from out of state, writes that he was expecting to finally interview Cain: "When we'd scheduled the tour, she'd promised me an interview with Cain provided he was at Angola when I visited, which she expected him to be. But when I asked, 'Where's the warden?' she said matter-of-factly, 'Oh, he's in Atlanta today.'" Despite Ridgeway's visit and subsequent attempts by telephone and email, he has never been granted an interview with Warden Burl Cain. |
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Illustration of Danziger Bridge tragedy,
Photo by Jordan Flaherty
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New Orleans Police Officers Convicted of Civil Rights Violations for Post-Katrina Killing of Unarmed African Americans
In his recent article, "From Heroes to Villains: NOPD Verdict Reveals Post- Katrina History," Jordan Flaherty writes: In an historic verdict with national implications, five New Orleans police officers were convicted on Friday of civil rights violations for killing unarmed African Americans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and could face life in prison when sentenced later this year. The case, involving a grisly encounter on the Danziger Bridge, was the most high-profile of a number of prosecutions that seek to hold police accountable for violence in the storm's wake. The officers' conviction on all 25 counts...comes nearly six years after the city was devastated by floodwaters and government inaction. The verdict helps rewrite the history of what happened in the chaotic days after the levees broke. And the story of how these convictions happened is important for anyone around the U.S. seeking to combat law enforcement violence. Read the full article here. If you missed our interview with Flaherty last year, be sure to read "The Jena Generation." |
 | | Kilo G. (Keith) Perry and son, Photo by SFBV |
SFPD tightens its chokehold on Bayview Hunters Point since killing Kenneth Harding
In an article published by the San Francisco Bay View Newspaper on August 9, Mesha Monge-Irizarry, of the Idriss Stelley Foundation writes about a frightening escalation of police repression in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood in San Francisco:
"The latest target of a San Francisco police wave of terror is Kilo G. Perry, videographer, freedom fighter, peacemaker and educator and the disabled single father of a 3-year-old boy. Ever since the July 16 killing of Kenneth Wade Harding Jr., 19, at Third and Oakdale by the SFPD thugs in blue, our Bayview Hunters Point community has been threatened, harassed and terrorized by the police more than in recent memory."
Read the full article here.
Related articles: SFPD Names Officers in Kenneth Harding Shooting, Indybay coverage
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Photo of Cisco Torres being interviewed by Kiilu Nyasha and Angola 3 News
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Cisco Torres Cleared! The Last of the SF8-related Charges Has Been Dropped.
As announced at the San Francisco Eight website this past Friday, "Judge Philip Moscone signed and filed an order dismissing charges against Francisco Torres late Thursday, August 18, 2011. Cisco was the last of the San Francisco 8 facing charges in this 1971 case about the killing of a San Francisco police sergeant...Cisco Torres, speaking for himself and on behalf of the San Francisco 8, was elated, giving 'Our thanks to all of our supporters for battling with us for so long - our victory is shared!'"
Congratulations Cisco! Your victory is an inspiration for all of us fighting against political repression!
Watch our previous interview with Cisco (and Dylcia Pagan), "Panthers and Independistas" hosted by Kiilu Nyasha, here. |
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Painting of George Jackson by Sundiata Acoli
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Black August and the 40-Year Anniversary of the Assassination of Comrade George Jackson
In a new article reflecting on the 40-year anniversary of George Jackson's assassination, journalist and former Black Panther Kiilu Nyasha writes: "This Black August, let us honor our martyred freedom fighter, Comrade George, as well as those who recently joined the ancestors: Donald Cox, Michael Cetawayo Tabor and geronimo ji Jaga. And let us not forget all those who remain captive after many decades: Mumia Abu-Jamal, Sundiata Acoli, Herman Bell, Romaine 'Chip' Fitzgerald, Ruchell Cinque Magee − sole survivor of the Marin Courthouse Rebellion of Aug. 7, 1970 − Jalil Muntaqim, Albert Woodfox, Herman Wallace, Leonard Peltier, Oscar Lopez-Rivera and exiled freedom fighter Assata Shakur, to name just a few." Kiilu ends the article with a quote by George Jackson: "Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people are dying who could be saved, that generations more will live poor butchered half-lives if you fail to act. Do what must be done; discover your humanity and your love in revolution." Read the full article here, and be sure to watch the new video about George Jackson released by Freedom Archives. |
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Black Panther Party Anniversary Events
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 Release Leonard Peltier From Solitary Confinement! In their recent article, Torture in the US Prison System: The Endless Punishment of Leonard Peltier, film makers Preston Randolph and Dan Battaglia (currently working on a new film about Peltier) detail one more instance of solitary confinement being used against a political prisoner.
They write that "currently Peltier is facing serious health issues, including diabetes, hypertension and, recently, symptoms of cancer. Many of these issues have been directly caused by lack of medical treatment and poor nutrition during his imprisonment. But this does not appear to have prevented the BOP from mistreating - or, more specifically, torturing - Peltier...On June 27, the day after the 36th anniversary of the FBI agents' deaths on Pine Ridge, Peltier was abruptly moved from a cell among the general prison population into solitary confinement...The conditions to which he is subjected are horrific. Lewisburg Prison is a notoriously old penitentiary, and the solitary confinement cells are not properly ventilated or air-conditioned. This raises further concerns about Peltier's health as a major heat wave passes through the Eastern United States."
On August 7, supporters organized a protest outside of the federal prison in Lewisburg, PA where Peltier is being held. Take action here.
For more information, visit the LPDOC's main website and blog.
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Protest in Sacramento, July 25,
Photo by Indybay.org
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Angola 3 News Coverage of the California Prisoner Hunger Strike
The two recent interviews by Angola 3 News have focused on the recent statewide hunger strike initiated by inmates held in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay State Prison. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), at least 6,600 prisoners in at least 1/3 of California's 33 prisons participated in the July hunger strike.
Our first interview with Solitary Watch about the Pelican Bay hunger strike examined the broader issue of solitary confinement in prisons throughout the US. In the follow-up report, an interview with Critical Resistance, we place the strike in context, alongside a statewide grassroots movement calling for cuts in prison spending to address California's budget crisis, and a recent US Supreme Court ruling that calls for the reduction of California state prisoners by at least 30,000, in response to overcrowding.
In response to the hunger strike, Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and the Public Safety Committee in the State Assembly of California will hold an informational hearing on August 23 regarding conditions and policies of the Security Housing Units at Pelican Bay. Activists have initiated a statewide mobilization around this hearing, in order to pressure state legislators and the CDCR to make substantial changes.
These prisoners need our support. The Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition website explains the many ways that we can help:
If you're in California or on the West Coast:
--Join the Statewide Mobilization to Sacramento! Come to Sacramento on August 23rd for a day of action to support the hunger strike! If you need a ride, contact prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity@gmail.com as soon as possible.
--Pressure your Legislators! Call and/or visit your legislators and urge them to attend the hearing on August 23rd, as well as visit the hunger strikers at Pelican Bay and other prisons
--Make Some Noise! Organize demonstrations, events, rallies in a city near you targeting your legislators' local offices leading up to the hearing or during (if you're legislators are not attending)!
--Support Transportation for supporters across the state!
--Contact prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity@gmail.com if you can drive a car from where ever you are in CA to Sacramento and have room for more passengers.
--You can also donate funds to Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity so that families and community members across CA can get to Sacramento on August 23rd. Donate by going to California Prison Focus' website, on the left-hand side there's a donate button that will link you to CPF's paypal account. Or, write a check and mail it to California Prison Focus/ 1904 Franklin Suit 507/ Oakland CA 94612. Make sure to put a note on your check or paypal transaction "hunger strike" or "coalition."
If you're outside of California:
--Support transportation for supporters across the state! Donate funds to Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity so that families and communities members across CA can get to Sacramento on August 23rd. Donate by going to California Prison Focus' website, on the left-hand side there's a donate button that will link you to CPF's paypal account. Or, write a check and mail it to California Prison Focus/ 1904 Franklin Suit 507/ Oakland CA 94612. Make sure to put a note on your check or paypal transaction "hunger strike" or "coalition"
--Pressure your Legislators! Contact your state legislators and urge them to get every CA state legislator they know to attend the Legislative Hearing on the 23rd, as well as visit hunger strikers at Pelican Bay and other prisons.
--Make some Noise! Organize local rallies, demonstrations and events in solidarity with the hunger strike near or on August 23rd to help spread awareness about the strike, the hearing, and local struggles against imprisonment.
**For Supporters Everywhere: We encourage all supporters to continue spreading the word about the strike and the upcoming hearing, through emails, facebook, text-messages, twitter-all tools of social media and communication. We also encourage supports to continue writing prisoners and sharing words of support, encouragement, and updates on the strike and statewide mobilization to Sacramento for the hearing. Click here for more info to write to the hunger strike leaders.
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Albert & Herman
 Herman Wallace #76759 CCR - D - #11 EHCC Po Box 174
St Gabriel LA 70776 Albert Woodfox#72148 David Wade Correctional Center
N1 A3 670 Bell Hill Rd.
Homer, LA 71040 |
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