Statement from Calipatria Segregation Hunger Strikers

"From Calipatria ASU: SOLIDARITY IN PROTEST:

We are currently housed in Calipatria State Prison, in Southern
California, where hundreds of men are going on day 8 of a "solid food
hunger strike" in protest of the cruel and unusual punishment and the
abuse of authority this prison has been doing.

For over 20 years CDCR (California Department of Corrections and --
"so called" - Rehabilitation) has been targeting all races amongst
its prison population and handing out "indeterminate sentences" in
segregation like it's the thing to do. This means that we're being
placed in solitary confinement against our will secluded from the
world - isolation. We are labeled as validated gang members who are
alleged to have ties with prison gangs.

CDCR has their institutional gang investigators (I.G.I.) determine
whether a person's a "validated gang member" or not. They have been
known to be conspiring with one another and fabricating evidence to
falsely prove a validation. Their main sources are debriefers
(snitches) who will sell out their own mother if they had to once
validated, one can only find their way out of this "torturous and
inhumane" act of punishment by breaking people down by giving us
three options - "Parole, Debrief, or DIE".

It costs tax payers $56,000 to house an individual in segregation
annually and there's over 3,000 "clients" confined in isolation., do
the math. What we have here is CDCR's vague and misconstrued
justification of their interpretation to their policies. Their
objective to validating us as "prison gang members" isn't to protect
the General Population, rather to insure and guarantee that Hotel
California's Segregation Units have no vacancies so CDCR can keep
those fat checks rolling in.

Like we mentioned in the beginning, we write this with inspiration
from reading about the men and women standing up in unity to
peacefully protest for what they believe in. As the world revolves so
does the generation of human rights. It doesn't always take war to
get your point across, which is why we stand strong in solidarity on
this hunger strike.

We have three options... and if our voices aren't heard the third
option will be the likely one.

Respectfully,

Fellow hunger strikers at Calipatria State Prison ASU unit, 10/2/11"
******************************************
I just saw your post and it said "63" hunger striking at Calipatria.
Which is wrong. This is the same exact thing CDCR did previous hunger
strike in July when they stated till the very end in July only 39
were hunger striking when around 200 were still in July.

I can confirm from numerous letters i have received within the last
few days from Calipatria men in ASU segregation unit that the
officers are putting the liquids on the men's trays on purpose (when
it is supposed to be given to them separate) therefore when the men
take the liquids and no food the officers mark them off as 'partial'
hunger strike, which does not count as a full hunger strike if the
officer marks down 'partial'. Some men are forced to deny liquids in
order to keep it marked down as a full hunger strike and some are
tempted so much to just take the liquids off the trays to survive.

There are MORE than 63 inmates currently on hunger strike in
Calipatria. Close to 150.

The men at Calipatria segregation are also being denied medical
treatment, being denied Medication and Calipatria Administration
Staff is threatening the medical staff that they will lose their jobs
if they help inmates.

Men are falling to the ground as other men are screaming and calling
out "MAN DOWN" and their yells and screams are ignored by staff
therefore there could be men already dead in segregation but medical
is not allowed to help them.

I can confirm this is what has been written since day 8 of the hunger
strike at Calipatria State Prison. The men are going until they die
they have said. and i have a statement from them (above) which i will
email you in a separate email which please pass along.

It hurts so much because my loved one is one of those men in there...