Pelican Bay prisoners: ‘This fight is far from over!’

GRAPHIC: RASHID JOHNSON

The following excerpted statement was issued by the Pelican Bay prisoners who went on hunger strike in 2011 to protest conditions in the “high-security” supermax housing units.

A shout-out of respect and solidarity from the Pelican Bay State Prison Short Corridor Collective to all similarly situated prisoners, subject to the continuing torturous conditions of confinement in these barbaric SHU and Ad-Seg [Special Housing Unit and Administrative Segregation] units across this country and around the world.

This is our update of where things currently stand and where we’re going with this struggle for an end to draconian policies and practices summarized in our “Formal Complaint” (and many related documents published and posted online since early 2011).

Beginning in early 2010, the Collective initiated action to educate people and bring widespread exposure to the 25+ years of ongoing progressive human rights violations going unchecked here in the California Department of Corruption. Via dissemination of our formal complaint to hundreds of people, organizations, lawmakers, [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Matthew] Cate, etc., we also sought support and meaningful change.

The response by Secretary Cate was, “File an inmate appeal” (collectively, we’d filed thousands). Therefore, after much consideration and dialogue, the Collective decided to take the fight to the next level via peaceful protest in the form of hunger strike.

In early 2011 we again sought to educate people about the ongoing torture prevalent in these solitary confinement units, pointing out our position that the administrative grievance process is a sham, and that the court system has [ignored] blatantly illegal practices — leaving us with no other meaningful avenue for obtaining relief, other than to put our lives on the line and thereby draw the line via collective action.

We believed this was the only fully advantageous way for us to expose such outrageous abuse of state power to the world and gain the outside support needed to help force real change.

We requested support in the form of asking people to write letters to those in power. We received more support than we ever expected, in the form of letters, rallies and hunger strike “participants” — more than 18,000 similarly situated prisoners, and some people on the outside!

All united in solidarity, with a collective awareness — that the draconian torture practices described in our formal complaint are prevalent across the land; and that, united in peaceful action, we have the power to force changes.

The hunger strike actions of 2011 achieved some success, in the form of mainstream worldwide exposure; solid, continuing outside support; some small improvements to SHU/Ad-Seg unit conditions; and assurances of more meaningful, substantive changes to the overall policies and practices regarding basis for placement and amount of time spent in such units; a substantive review of all prisoners’ files per the new criteria; and more changes to the actual conditions in such units.

However, this fight is far from over! The second hunger strike action was suspended in mid-October in response to a top CDCR administrator’s presentation that the substantive changes would be finalized and provided to the “stakeholders” within 60 days for comment. To date, CDCR hasn’t produced anything regarding SHU/Ad-Seg policy changes; and PBSP’s warden has not even replied to the two memos we’ve sent him concerning additional issues.

Naturally, many people are not happy about CDCR’s failure to abide by their word — again — and are asking, “What’s the next move in this struggle?”

Based on our collective discussions, our response is that people need to remain focused and continue to apply pressure on CDCR via letters, emails, faxes, etc., summarizing the continuing core demands. There’s real power in numbers!

It’s important for everyone to stay objective and on the same page. Remember — united we win, divided we lose. If we don’t see real substantive changes within the next six months, we’ll have to re-evaluate our position.

Additionally, now is a good time for people to start a dialogue about changing the climate in these level IV mainlines [general prison populations]. As it stands now, these lines are warehouses, with all the money meant for rehabilitation programs going into guards’ pockets.

It’s in all of our best interests to change this in a big way, and thereby force CDCR to open these lines up and provide all of us with the programs and rehabilitative services that we all should have coming to us!

Respect and solidarity,

T. Ashker, A. Castellanos,
Sitawa (s/n Dewberry), A. Guillen

Visit prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com.