RAISE YOUR VOICE AGAINST THE CMU - BREAK THE SILENCE!

It's not too late! Submit your comments!

What’s the latest?

In March 2010, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a
federal lawsuit challenging the policies and conditions of two
Communications Management Units (CMUs) on behalf of prisoners and
their family members.

Just several weeks ago, after more than three years without public
comment and accountability, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has proposed
rules regarding the CMU.

The BOP released their new proposed rules and the public (that means
you, your friends, anyone) is able to submit comments (your thoughts
and opinions) for a 90-day period.

What can you do?

SUBMIT COMMENTS!! GO HERE FOR INFO: http://www.ccrjustice.org/cmu-
comments

Please weigh in on this important issue and comment on these
incredibly troubling and punitive proposed rules.

There is no need to send a very long letter. Comments can be
submitted online or via snail mail*. We strongly encourage civil
rights & liberties groups, legal organizations, and community and
faith-based groups to comment, as well as individuals.

*Please send copies via email to: nzamani@ccrjustice.org or via
regular mail to: Nahal Zamani, Center for Constitutional Rights, 666
Broadway, 7th floor, New York, NY 10012.
**The official deadline for comments is June 7, 2010, no later.

More info at

http://supportdaniel.org/cmu/comment.html

http://www.ccrjustice.org/cmu-comments

Tell the Bureau of Prisons: Stop Isolating Prisoners in Experimental Units

Center for Constitutional Rights June 3, 2010

Synopsis

Join the Center for Constitutional Rights as we flood the Bureau of Prisons with public feedback around experimental prison units.

Noor Elashi, daughter of a man being held in isolation in a CMU (Communications Management Unit), speaks about the difficult and unfair circumstances of her father's treatment.

Description

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) recently opened up a period for public comment around the establishment of two Communications Management Units (CMUs), prison units designed to isolate and segregate certain prisoners in the federal prison system from the rest of the BOP population.

Click here to read the comments that the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) sent to the BOP.

Individuals detained in the CMUs are mostly Muslim and are limited in their communications and contact to the outside world. This occurs without meaningful process or any disclosure of a legitimate reason for CMU designation, but rather in retaliation for their protected religious beliefs, unpopular political views, or lawful advocacy challenging rights violations in prison.

A large coalition including the CCR, concerned family members and friends, CMU prisoners, civil rights & liberties groups, legal providers, psychologists, former corrections officers, environmental advocacy organizations, criminal defense attorneys, and community and faith-based organizations are coming together to flood the BOP.

Tell the BOP: Stop Isolating Prisoners in Experimental Units

You can submit your comments online or through the mail, and you can submit anonymously.
Deadline: June 7, 2010

Submit your comment online:

Click here or visit: http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480ad11c7. Select the "Submit Comment" button. You can upload a document or type in your comments.

Submit your comment through the mail:

If you submit comments via regular mail, please send them to the following address and include the following docket number in your correspondence:

BOP DOCKET #1148-P COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT UNITS
Rules Unit, Office of General Counsel
Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street, NW.
Washington, DC 20534

We encourage you to emphasize the issues that matter most to you. (Click here to download a template letter.) Here's a suggested list of ideas you can raise:

• Lack of due process at the CMU: None of the CMU prisoners have been told why they were designated to the CMU, or what evidence was used to make that decision. They have received no hearing to challenge their CMU designation. Likewise, there is no meaningful review process to earn their way out of the CMU. This lack of transparency deprives prisoners of their due process rights.
• Overrepresentation of Muslim and political prisoners at the CMU: Because there is no oversight procedure of who gets sent to the CMU and why, there has been an unchecked pattern of Muslim prisoners and politically active prisoners being sent to the CMU. Somewhere between 65 and 72% of prisoners at the CMU are Muslim. Others are, and have been, politically active. Their designation to the CMU is both discriminatory and retaliatory.
• Destructive effect of the CMU on families: The meager number of phone calls and visits that CMU prisoners receive, and the blanket ban on physical contact with loved ones – including children – during visits tears families apart and inflicts pointless suffering of the prisoners and their families alike.
• Conditions at the CMU amount to cruel and unusual punishment: The isolation experienced by CMU prisoners, and the ways in which they are prevented from maintaining their family ties, is cruel and serves no legitimate purpose.

Please consider sending us a copy of your comments* as we're collecting submissions to illustrate the depth of collective public outcry over the creation of the CMUs.

---

*Please send copies via email to: nzamani@ccrjustice.org or via regular mail to: Nahal Zamani, Center for Constitutional Rights, 666 Broadway, 7th floor, New York, NY 10012.

A Selection of Submitted Comments

In response to the call for public comment, CCR, CMU prisoners, their family members and friends, civil rights and civil liberties groups, legal providers, psychologists, former corrections officers, environmental advocacy organizations, criminal defense attorneys, community and faith-based organizations and concerned individuals came together to urge the federal Bureau of Prisons to close the experimental prison units.

The following selection of submitted comments represents the breadth of opposition to the CMUs. A full collection of comments will be made available on the Bureau’s website at: http://www.regulations.gov/.

• Comment Submitted by CCR: "CCR submits these comments to advise the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) of the discriminatory, arbitrary, and cruel way the CMUs currently function, and to urge the BOP to fundamentally rethink its plan to continue to segregate and isolate certain prisoners without proper procedural protections. CCR also urges the BOP to immediately cease restricting CMU prisoners' ability to meaningfully communicate with their family and friends without individualized security justifications that are both disclosed and properly reviewed."

• Comments Submitted by Current and Former CMU Prisoners: "As an inmate who spent 2 years at CMU Terre Haute, the CMU is a completely punitive environment where, without justification, inmates are deprived of proper contact (phone & visits) with their families."

• Comments Submitted by Family Members and Friends of CMU Prisoners: "[T]hese units are not only an affront to civil liberties, they defy what it means to be human. They strip human beings of their chances for human connection, to be close to the people they love. They destroy families. They destroy people."

• Comments Submitted by Community and Faith-Based Organizations: "The isolation and secrecy imposed by the CMU is of the utmost concern to us. This runs counter to our principles of enhancing human dignity and creating effective democracy in our quest for racial and social justice."

• Comments Submitted by Concerned Individuals: "The CMUs...deny children any meaningful relationship with their incarcerated parents. Improving prison conditions and communication for families of prisoners is necessary for the healthy development of children with incarcerated parents. I urge the BOP to abandon the CMUs altogether or to at least allow for regular and direct communication, contact and visitation with families and children of inmates."

• Comments Submitted by members of the NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis: "The proposed regulations impose restrictions on contact between the prisoner and the outside world that create significant psychological and emotional harm for all involved. It is difficult to comprehend what makes such practices necessary other than to compound the already severe punishment those imprisoned are receiving."

• Comments Submitted by the NYU Brennan Center and Former Corrections Officers: "Corrections officials can – and should – limit inmates’ communications as necessary to preserve order in prisons, to protect the safety of inmates and staff, and to block communications that could facilitate crime. Overly restrictive limitations, however, are counterproductive.... they make prisons more dangerous, increase recidivism, and harm inmates and their families."

• Comments Submitted by the American Civil Liberties Union and Civil Rights Organizations: "The proposed regulation's severe restrictions on communications with the news media and with most family members are unprecedented and almost certainly unconstitutional. The ban on confidential communication with consular officials violates US treaty obligations. Moreover, these restrictions will be imposed by prison officials, with no outside review, applying criteria that are so vague as to provide no meaningful limits on official discretion."

Washington Paid Journalists to Spin News against the Cuban Five

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 3 (acn) Washington paid nearly $74,400 to journalists in Miami as part of a smear campaign against five Cuban antiterrorists that remain unjustly imprisoned in the United States since 1998.

The National Committee to Free the Cuban Five ­as Gerardo Hernandez, Rene Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labañino and Fernando Gonzalez are internationally known­ announced in a press conference on Wednesday that the new evidence was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made 18 months ago.

“Fourteen names came back of journalists who it turns out were receiving covertly monies from the US government,” said Gloria La Riva, the coordinator of the committee.

Prensa Latina news agency reports that among those accepting bribes is reporter Pablo Alfonso, who received $58,600 for 16 articles published by El Nuevo Herald newspaper.

“This shows that the US Government was an accomplice to manipulating the jury by bribing journalists that violated the principles of impartiality and accuracy,” said Heidi Boghosian, from the US National Lawyers Guild.

She affirmed that constitutional rights were also violated in the process against the Cuban Five including the Sixth Amendment, which protects the defendant’s right to a fair trial.

La Riva stated that they began a campaign calling on US Attorney General Eric Holder to immediately move to remedy the situation and added that the only remedy can be the freeing of the Cuban Five and allowing them to go home.

She noted that the mission of the Cuban Five ­who were monitoring anti-Cuba extremist groups that were planning and carrying out terrorist attacks against the island­ was to save lives. “Yet they sit in prison while known terrorists and terror groups walk free in Miami,” she pointed out.

*********************************************
Another Look at an Old Case?

http://thehavananote.com/2010/05/another_look_at_an_old_case_1.html

I’ve just been apprised of new developments with
regard to the
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/world/americas/05cuba.html?_r=1&fta=y Cuban
Five. Here is the gist:

According to a complaint in U.S. District Court
for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Government
violated the
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith%E2%80%93Mundt_Act Smith-Mundt
Act, by funding activities to influence public
opinion with regard to the Cuban Five, thus
influencing the jury pool and calling into
question their convictions. It has long been
known that the U.S. Broadcasting Board of
Governors (BBG) paid supposedly independent
journalists to write stories about Cuba and the
Cuban Five in the Miami press during the period
when the government arrested and prosecuted the
Cuban Five. If the U.S. government was secretly
paying supposedly independent journalists to
place stories supportive of the government's
prosecution of the Cuban Five, it is highly
plausible that they would have affected the jury
pool as well as the sitting jury in the case of
the Cuban Five. This raises very serious concerns.

I’m familiar with how Secretary of Defense
Rumsfeld used various contractors to fabricate
stories for the Iraqi press during the early days
of the second Iraq War. Likewise, I know about
how in the run-up to that war, stories about
Iraq’s WMD were placed in foreign newspapers and
then­strangely enough­found their way back, via
the Internet, to U.S. audiences. This, too, is a
violation of the Smith-Mundt Act which constructs
a legal firewall between such activities, i.e.,
the U.S. Government can officially propagandize
foreign audiences but not the American public. My
familiarity with these instances of government
activity leads me to believe that what the BBG is
alleged to have done, may indeed be the case.

The National Committee to Free the Cuban Five is
currently the plaintiff in the committee v
Broadcasting Board of Governors,
http://www.freethefive.org/legalFront/BBGComplaint.pdf Civil
Action No. 09-01713 before the U.S. District
Court in the District of Columbia. The principal
claim is that the U.S. public has a right to know
about matters involving improper domestic
propaganda as well as whether the government
compromised the fundamental right to a fair trial
of the Cuban Five. A petition for habeas corpus
on behalf of one of the Five­Geraldo Hernández,
sentenced to two life sentences plus 15 years in
prison­is due on 14 June 2010; thus, the need for
swift justice if these charges are accurate.

The New York Times, among other outlets
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/09/washington/09cuba.html reported
on the story of reporters taking money from the
US Government back in 2006, but the Committee is
seeking to determine the identities of other
journalists who participated in the program
through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
requests. The BBG, backed by the USG, is trying
to kill any further attempts at exposure.

One of the journalists, Enrique Encinosa, is the
man who in an interview in Miami Beach in 2005
regarding the murder of an Italian citizen in a
series of hotel bombings in Havana supposedly
masterminded by Luis Posada Carriles, had this to
say: “I personally think it’s an acceptable
method. It’s a way of damaging the tourist
economy. The message that one tries to get across
is that Cuba is not a healthy pace for tourists.
So, if Cuba is not a healthy place for tourists
because there’s a few windows being blown out of hotels, that’s fine.”

Posted by
http://thehavananote.com/lawrencewilkerson.html Lawrence Wilkerson on May 30, 2010 1:51 PM |
http://thehavananote.com/2010/05/another_look_at_an_old_case_1.html Permalink

Support Mumia Abu Jamal - Call the DoJ Today

STAGE III OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR A CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION OF THE
CASE OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL.

We are continuing the grassroots/mass work of this campaign as we did
on April 26 in Washington, DC, and on May 14 at Columbia University
when Eric Holder addressed the law school graduating class. We ask
you to continue getting petitions signed and sending them to us at
FMAJC, PO Box 16, College Station, New York, NY 10030, and to call
the DoJ every Thursday.

CALL THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TODAY, THURSDAY, JUNE 3. THE HOTLINE
IS OPEN 24 HOURS BUT BEST TO TIE IT UP BETWEEN 9
AND 5. TAKES ONLY 2 MINUTES. 202-353-1555. DEMAND A CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION
OF MUMIA'S CASE!

Politely but forcefully, demand a civil rights investigation into the
case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Sound logical and knowledgeable: that you
know the Department of Justice has the jurisdiction to conduct a
civil rights investigation when egregious violations of civil rights
have taken place. Explain that Mumia never got a fair trial, and that
there is extensive evidence of police, prosecutorial,and judicial
misconduct, as well as strong evidence of Mumia's innocence that
was systematically excluded by the courts from the record.

If the hotline, 202 353-1555, doesn't answer, call the main
Justice Dept. switchboard number, 202-514-2000 and tell them what
you're calling about. KEEP THOSE LETTERS COMING TO: FMAJC, PO BOX 16,
COLLEGE STATION, NEW YORK, NY 10030. IF YOU CAN'T DOWNLOAD A PETITION
FROM THE WEBSITE, PLEASE LET US KNOW BY LEAVING A MESSAGE AT 212 330-8029.

ONA MOVE!

INTERNATIONAL CONCERNED FAMILY & FRIENDS OF MUMIA ABU-JAMAL AND THE FREE MUMIA
ABU-JAMAL COALITION (NYC)

Lynne Stewart ill

Dear Friends of Lynne Stewart,

Forgive this hasty note updating Lynne's situation.

A regularly scheduled follow up test to check on whether Lynne's
breast cancel had reappeared revealed that Lynne now had a spot on
her liver. Lynne struggled with prison authorities to have a required
biopsy and related tests conducted at her regular, that is,
non-prison, Roosevelt Hospital. Her requests were denied and she was
compelled to have the biopsy done in a notoriously inferior facility
where the results could not be determined for a week as compared to
the almost immediate lab tests available at Roosevelt.

During Lynne's prison hospital stay she was shackled and handcuffed
making rest and sleep virtually impossible. A horrified doctor
ordered the shackles removed but immediately following his departure
they were fastened on Lynne's feet and hands once again.

She is now back in her New York City prison cell. Her attorneys have
filed for a postponement of her scheduled July 15 court appearance
where Federal District Court sentencing Judge John Koeltl is to
review the original 28-month jail sentence that he imposed last year.

This sentence was appealed by government prosecutors, who sought to
order Koelt to impose a 30-year sentence. The U.S. Court of Appeals,
Second Circuit, was sympathetic to the government's position and
essentially stated that Koeltl's 28-month sentence exceeded the
bounds of "reasonableness." Koeltl was ordered to reconsider. A
relatively recent Supreme Court decision granted federal district
court judges wide discretion in determining the length of internment.
Koeltl's decision took into consideration many factors that the court
system allows in determining Lynne's sentence. These included Lynne's
character, her service to the community, her health and financial
history and more. He ruled, among other things that Lynne's service
to the community was indeed a "credit to her profession and to the nation."

Contrariwise, the government and prison authorities see Lynne as a
convicted terrorist. Lynne was the victim of a frame-up trial held in
the post-911 context. She was convicted on four counts of "aiding and
abetting terrorism" stemming from a single act, Lynne's issuance of a
press release on behalf of her client, the "blind" Egyptian Shreik
Omar Abdel Rachman. The press release, that the government claimed
violated a Special Administrative Order (SAM), was originally ignored
as essentially trivial by the Clinton administration and then
Attorney General Janet Reno. But the Bush administration's Attorney
General John Ashcroft decided to go after Lynne with a sledge hammer.

A monstrous trial saw government attorney's pulling out all the stops
to convince an intimidated jury that Lynne was associated in some way
with terrorist acts across the globe, not to mention with Osama bin
Laden. Both the judge and government were compelled to admit in court
that there were no such "associations," but press clippings found in
Lynne's office were nevertheless admitted as "hearsay" evidence even
though they were given to Lynne by the government under the rules of discovery.

It is likely that Lynne's request for a postponement will be granted,
assuming the government holds to the law that a prisoner has the
right to partake in her/his own defense. Lynne's illness has
certainly prevented her from doing so.

In the meantime, Lynne would like nothing more than to hear from her
friends and associates. Down the road her defense team will also be
looking for appropriate letters to the judge on Lynne's behalf. More
later on the suggested content of these letters.

Please write Lynne to express your love and solidarity:

Lynne Stewart 53504-054
MCC-NY
150 Park Row
New York, New York 10007

In Solidarity,

Jeff Mackler, West Coast Coordinator
Lynne Stewart Defense Committee

A Post-Sentencing Statement From Dave Solidarity

On June 1, I was sentenced to a 1 month stay in a Federal Prison,
starting June 22nd, after being convicted of a 'violation of the terms
of my supervised release.' To give a little bit of background, in
2006, I was convicted of 'damaging United States property' after
setting fire to an Army recruiting center in the Bronx, and served 6
months in a federal prison, followed by 3 years of 'supervised
release.' Last year, a few months before this term of supervised
release was set to expire, I was arrested outside of the second
occupation of the New School, and charged with assaulting an officer,
rioting, resisting arrest and maybe a couple other things.

While ultimately all of the State charges were dropped, my
'supervision' status allowed the federal government to pick up the
slack and ultimately take me to trial on the same charges, only with a
lower standard of proof ('a preponderance of evidence' as opposed to
'beyond a reasonable doubt') and with rules allowing hearsay, in this
case, from the pigs called in to testify. The prosecution recommended
a sentence of 9 months, plus 2 years of supervised release and some
other stuff that I'll go into later, but ultimately I got the 1 month
in, plus 1 additional year of supervised release, plus 200 hours of
community service.

Okay, so that's the bare bones boring stuff. Now I get to take this
opportunity, as someone who already is one of the usual suspects, and
unquestionably under surveillance, to say some wild shit that others
trying to preserve their relative freedom would be unable to.

Let's go point by point.

1. I am a crazy motherfucker.
When I was first sentenced for setting fire to that Army recruiting
center, part of the judge's sentence was that for the entire three
years I was on supervised release, I attend weekly therapy sessions,
so that "I could understand why I did what I did". At the time, I
remember thinking 'it's pretty fucking obvious why..." but didn't go
much deeper than that. After I got back to NYC, my PO sent me to my
assigned therapist and the goal of state-mandated therapy became more
clear.

After a month of these 'sessions', I realized that not only was this
therapist reporting everything I said to my PO, but my PO was telling
the therapist what areas to 'probe deeper into.' Most of this
involved him trying to get to the bottom of why I really had problems
with authority. 'Because I'm an anarchist?- But what about your
relationship with your Dad..?' So that had to end. When I got a
little bit of money together to switch to a therapist of my choosing,
who refused to tell my PO anything about what happened other than the
fact that I showed up, the probation department took me to court, a
battle that I eventually won.

In that case, my lawyer argued that my political beliefs were being
looked at as a pathology, and that the probation department was using
therapy as political re-education camp. Now I am in exactly the same
position-Once again, I've been sentenced to weekly therapy. At the
sentencing hearing, the prosecution stressed the need for this
therapy, because "I had exhibited an extreme problem with authority,
particularly police officers." While at first I got angry about their
characterization of me, I realized that they're right.

The past 10 years of my life have been dedicated to fighting authority
in general, whether they be the pigs, politicians or bosses. They all
have to go. So, if that makes me crazy, fuck it. When I hear about
cops getting attacked in Seattle, I get all jittery and excited. When
I read about French workers taking their bosses hostage, I wanted to
catch the next plane over. The best part: I'm not the only one who's
crazy like this. Most people are 'crazy', and every day, more and
more people are starting to do something about it.

2. We need to step up our game. One of the benefits of being an
anarchist 'usual suspect' in NYC, is that it allows me a rare glimpse
into the mind of the government, and I've found that there's not much
going on in there. Every time something gets blown up around these
parts, (you know, annually, when one of those cute little packages
gets delivered from everyone's favorite cyclist) the Feds show up at
my house (I'm never there) or follow me around everywhere, or call me
into my PO's office, because they know I have to show up there. And
every time they start asking questions, it becomes abundantly clear
that they are unable to understand how anarchists operate. They keep
trying to find leaders, or try to make dubious connections between
above ground groups and actions that occur. Their obvious frustration
is what leads to the kind of prosecution that put Eric McDavid away,
which will hopefully be overturned on appeal.

But what we need to recognize is that this shows our strength! When
we stop squabbling with each other for long enough to extend our
struggle, it turns out that fighting without leaders and without
hierarchy actually works. Given that we're still in a period of
'crisis', this is the time we need to be hitting the hardest.

Now, some people have been leading the way(see Mayday 2k10). Much of
the negative response towards those actions falls into the 'it's only
going to bring greater repression' category. Of course it is, but
what the hell did you expect when you decided you were an 'anarchist'?
This is the point where I get to pull out my 'former/pending political
prisoner' card, and say people are going to catch some heat, but guess
what-there's over 2 million fucking people in prison. My whole
neighborhood is under police occupation. I'm going to prison for a
violation-level charge of 'resisting arrest'. Shit is bad, and anyone
who fights back is going to potentially subject to consequences. We
have to understand this, and take calculated risks, but when they take
some of our people, we hit back harder.

3. Hitting Back. I mean this literally. Solidarity means attack,
remember? There have to be real, tangible consequences for the state
or capital attacking us. However, the only way this can be
sustainable is if we get out of the anarchist ghetto. This means
putting our energies towards helping out with other peoples struggles,
and building real relationships in the places that we live. Is your
neighbor getting evicted? Well, guess what, landlords have addresses.
The police are running up on your block to grab somebody? You and
your neighbors have to let them know there's gonna be consequences.
The point, however, isn't just to fight for the sake of fighting.
We're trying to create some kind of liberated spaces, right? This
means actually creating spaces, and then militantly defending them.
Look at how Portland is doing it-they're getting a little wild in
their battle against the cops. NYC needs to catch up...

4. ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK. The only way we're going to be able to
maintain any of our efforts at creating liberated spaces is if we go
on the offensive. If by day we're running community centers, doing
alternative education, fixing bikes, or growing our own food, by night
we're attacking the police stations, the business owners, the real
estate agencies. There is no conflict between these two ends, because
guess what, Capital with the assistance of the State is going to come
down hard these projects sooner or later, and if we've been on the
offensive this whole time, we'll be much better prepared to fight
back. We'll be building alliances and through those connections
finding people with whom to go on the attack. And when the shit hits
the fan? We won't be 'those crazy anarchists'; people will know who
the fuck we are.

From where I stand, what you get out of building things up in your
neighborhood or town is necessary to be a complete person, whether
it's helping out with childcare or whatever. The same is true of
striking back against the forces that make our lives miserable in a
million different ways, both large and small. The point is to make
these two goals complement each other.

5. Don't get all worked up about a cracker being locked up. So, I
gotta end this by pointing out the obvious-as a white man from a
relatively "privileged" background, I'm getting a slap on the wrist.
But there's over a hundred prisoners in the US from less privileged
backgrounds who have been sitting in prison for literally decades.
Many of these folks were part of liberation struggles in the 60s and
70s who took part in actions that make anything we've ever done look
tame in comparison. Millions of dollars taken to fund revolutionary
activities? Check. Assassinating cops in response to the police
murdering Black people? Check. Busting comrades out of prison?
Check.

So, take a second to check out listing of prisoners done by the
Anarchist Black Cross Federation, at abcf.net. Start up a
correspondence with one of these folks, throw a benefit for them,
figure out a way to get them the fuck out of prison. Also, check out
the work done by local ABCs, especially those in Denver, NYC and
Toronto at denverabc.wordpress.com and nycabc.wordpress.com or
4strugglemag.org(Toronto).


So, in closing, I'd like to address a few words directly at the
federal employees who will be reading this, particularly those in the
Probation Department and our friends in the NYC Joint Terrorism Task
Force (especially those fat motherfuckers that keep showing up at my
court dates):

First and foremost, fuuuuuuuuucccckkkkk you. It doesn't matter how
many times you try and get my ass up in that court, or how many times
you lock me up, or how many times you show up at my house (I will
never be there). I'm never gonna stop. But guess what, much as you
wish this were the case, I'm not a lone wingnut. There's thousands of
us, all over the place, and this shit's just gonna keep growing, and
we'll keep fighting.

Finally, remember when you brought up in court that part of the
communique I wrote when I was like 18, about how I was trying not only
to bring down the United States, but to abolish the idea of the state
itself? Yeah, I'm still on that shit.

Can't Stop Won't Stop,

Dave Solidarity


As soon as Dave's address in jail is available, it will be put out
widely.

Oscar Lopez Rivera Needs our HELP!

The ProLibertad Freedom Campaign
www.ProLibertadWeb.com

Oscar Lopez Rivera's sister is very ill. Faxing the enclosed letter asking for
furlough so that Oscar can travel to P.R. to see his sister. If there are more
family members in the home please have them sign also.

May 17, 2010 URGENT
Harley G. Lappin Via facsimile 202/514-6878
Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First St., NW,
Washington, DC 20534

re: emergency furlough

Oscar L¨®pez Rivera, 87651-024
FCI Terre Haute

Dear Director Lappin:

We write to ask that you allow Oscar L¨®pez Rivera an emergency furlough, to travel
to the bedside of his sister, Clara L¨®pez Rivera, who is in the intensive care unit at
Hospital Buen Samaritano in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. At age 73, she has just suffered two heart attacks, which is significant given that she underwent open heart surgery in 2007, and given that she has diabetes. She is in a very delicate state.

Mrs. L¨®pez has been a formative force in his life. The two siblings were the first
of the family to migrate to the United States, when she was the oldest, and he was the
baby. It has been her wish to live long enough to enjoy life with her little brother upon his release from prison. Since his release date is 2023, and since her health is precarious, this furlough may be the last time she will get to see her brother. The family, which is very close, and has managed, beyond all odds, to maintain very close relations with Mr. L¨®pez throughout his 29 years in U.S. custody, is prepared to pay for his travel as well as the expenses for staff who would accompany him.


We strongly urge you to extend to this family the humanitarian gesture of allowing Mr.
L¨®pez to see attend to his sister¡¯s hospital bedside. Time is of the essence.

Very truly yours,

Name

City/State

Daniel McGowan asks for help against proposed new regulations

Dear friends,

Below you will find an appeal from the Centre for Constitutional Rights
to make comments on the proposed new regulations for Communications
Management Units, which are a secretive and particularly punitive forms
of prison, where Daniel is currently serving his sentence. If the rules
for these Communications Management Units change it will greatly
diminish daniel's quality of life as well as all others housed there
and make it more or less impossible to visit him. Please read daniel's
appeal below and send your comments to influence this policy change by 7
June 2010. At the very bottom of this email is the appeal from CCR which
is organizing a day of comments tomorrow June 2, 2010.


More info at
http://supportdaniel.org/cmu/comment.html
http://www.ccrjustice.org/cmu-comments/
/

------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Letter from Daniel:


Friends,

It has just come to my attention that after two plus years, the Bureau
of Prisons has proposed rules regarding the unit I have been held in the
last 20 months-the Communication Management Unit or cmu. The way it
works is that the BoP proposes these rules publically and then accepts
public comments. I am asking that you weigh in on this important issue
and comment on the proposed rules.

I should say that if these rules pass, my life will change rather
dramatically for the worse. Whereas I currently have one phone call a
week, two visits (8 hours) a month and can receive and send unlimited
correspondence, the new rules would limit me to:

-one phone call a month-to a member of my immediate family

-one 3 page letter a week

-one hour of visiting a month.


While I can go on and on about these changes and why they are so
incredibly punitive, I'd rather not. They speak for themselves.


* You can read the rules online and comment at
http://www.regulations.gov http://www.regulations.gov/

* You will need the docket number in the subject line to do so. It is
BOP DOCKET #1148-P COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT UNITS.

*Comments are due by June 7, 2010 and should be civil and concise. There
is no need to send a super long letter.

* You can read the rules online also and send written comments to Rules
Unit, Office of General Counsel, Bureau of Prisons, 320 First Street NW,
Washington DC 20534.

I would very much appreciate if you could help me out with this. It
should not take more than 20 minutes.

Very gratefully yours,

Daniel


------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Appeal from Center for Constitutional Rights:

*RAISE YOUR VOICE AGAINST THE CMU - BREAK THE SILENCE ON JUNE 2,
2010!*

*_What’s the latest?_*
In March 2010, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a
federal lawsuit http://ccrjustice.org/cmu challenging the
policies and conditions of two Communications Management Units (CMUs) on behalf of prisoners and their family members. Just several weeks ago, after more than three years without public comment and accountability, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has proposed rules regarding the CMU. The BOP released their new proposed rules
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?
R=0900006480ad11c7> and the public (that means you, your friends, anyone) is able to submit comments (your thoughts and opinions) for a 90-day period.

*_What can you do?_*
*SUBMIT COMMENTS!! GO HERE FOR INFO:
http://www.ccrjustice.org/cmu-comments*
Please weigh in on this important issue and comment on these
incredibly troubling and punitive proposed rules.
There is no need to send a very long letter. Comments can be
submitted online or via snail mail*. We strongly encourage civil
rights & liberties groups, legal organizations, and community and
faith-based groups to comment, as well as individuals.
Please consider joining CCR as they *collectively submit
comments to
the BOP on Wednesday, June 2, 2010**.*
/*Please send copies via email to: nzamani@ccrjustice.org or via
regular mail to: Nahal Zamani, Center for Constitutional Rights,
666
Broadway, 7th floor, New York, NY 10012./
/**The official deadline for comments is June 7, 2010, no later./

More info at
http://supportdaniel.org/cmu/comment.html
http://www.ccrjustice.org/cmu-comments/

Support the Eco-Prisoners (June, 2010)

Spirit of Freedom
(June 2010)
Produced by
EARTH LIBERATION PRISONERS SUPPORT NETWORK

"The whole experience has been tough, but all the kind and strengthening words and
wise thoughts from strangers made it much easier!" (Former Swedish Animal Rights
Prisoner)

Welcome to the June 2010 edition of Spirit of Freedom.  As we go to print so a
number of people, around the world, are awaiting trial, wondering what their trials
hold for them.  Being on remand is like having your life put on hold.  You can’t
plan for the future as you don’t know what your future holds.  We therefore
encourage everyone to write letters of support to all of those prisoners who are on
remand. 

But as well as writing to the remand prisoners, please do not forget the other
prisoners who remain locked up away from their friends and loved ones. All of the
prisoners listed below welcome letters of support. So please, regardless of what
languages you speak and regardless of where you live in the world, please support
the eco-prisoners and no compromise in defence of Mother Earth!

If anyone notices any of ELP's prisoner details is out of date or we do not list a
prisoner who we should list, please let ELP know as soon as possible. ELP is run by
a small group of volunteers and although we try to ensure our lists are accurate, we
admit we do make mistakes. So help us help keep the lists accurate by letting us
know of any changes we need to make.

ECO-DEFENCE PRISONERS

Grant Barnes #137563, San Carlos Correctional Facility, PO Box 3, Pueblo, CO 81002,
USA. Serving 12 years for setting fire to a number of SUV vehicles. The letters ELF
were spray painted onto all of the vehicles. (Grant is a vegan).

Luca Bernasconi, c/o Bundesanwaltochaft, Stawa Stadler, Tavbenstrasse 16, 3003 Berna
- Switzerland.  On remand accused of possession of explosive materials.  Luca is
Swiss and is a known animal rights and prisoner support activist.  Although not
linked to Il Silvestre himself, other defendants in this case are linked to Il
Silvestre (Luca is a vegan)

Nathan Block, #36359-086, FCI Lompoc, Federal Correctional Institution, 3600 Guard
Road, Lompoc, CA 93436, USA. Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF arson against a
Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership. Also admitted his role
in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Diet unknown).

Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143, CH-8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland. Serving 18 years.
1) Ten years for using explosives to destroy electricity pylons leading from nuclear
power stations. 2) Eight years for the murder of a Swiss Boarder Guard whilst on the
run. In '02 Marco completed a 12-year sentence in Italy for destroying electricity
pylons in Italy. (Marco is a meat eater who encourages organic living).
Silvia Guerini, C c/o Bundesanwaltochaft, Stawa Stadler, Tavbenstrasse 16, 3003
Berna - Switzerland.  On remand accused of possession of explosive materials.
Silvia is an Italian linked to Il Silvestre.  (Silvia is a vegan)

Leonardo Landi, Carcere San Michele, Via Casale, 50/A, 15122 San Michele (AL),
Italy. Il Silvestre activist awaiting trial accused of robbery. (Leonardo is a
vegetarian).

Marie Jeanette Mason, #04672-061, FCI Waseca, Federal Correctional Institution, PO
Box 1731, Waseca, MN 56093, USA. Serving 21 years and 10 months for her involvement
in an ELF arson against a University Professors Office as the Professor was linked
to Genetically Modified crop testing. Marie also admitted destroying logging
equipment.  She also pleaded guilty to conspiring to carry out ELF actions and
admitted involvement in 11 other ELF actions and 1 ALF action. (Marie is a vegan).

Abraham López Martínez (Jailed in Mexico). E-mail letters of support to
cna.mex@gmail.com On remand accused of a series of ELF style activities against
various trucks and businesses. (Abraham is a vegan)

Eric McDavid, 16209-097, FCI Victorville, Medium II, Federal Correctional
Institution, PO Box 5300, Adelanto, CA 92301, USA. Serving 19 years & 7 months for
planning to destroy the property of the U.S. Forestry Service, mobile phone masts
and power plants. At the point of his arrest no criminal
damage has actually occurred. (Eric is a vegan).

Daniel McGowan, 63794-053, USP Marion, US Penitentiary, PO Box 1000, Marion, IL
62959, USA. Serving 7 years for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm and an ELF
arson against an old growth logging corporation. Also admitted his role in an
ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Daniel is a vegetarian).

Steve Murphy 0910300841, Central Detention Center, 630 East Rialto Ave, San
Bernardino, CA 92408, USA. Awaiting sentencing after admitting Conspiracy to Commit
Arson following an attempted arson at a town house construction site in 2006. The
action was claimed under the banner of the ELF. (Steve is a vegan).

Jonathan Paul - See details in Animal Liberation Prisoners List.

Costatino Ragusa, c/o Bundesanwaltochaft, Stawa Stadler, Tavbenstrasse 16, 3003
Berna - Switzerland.  On remand accused of possession of explosive materials.
Costatino is an Italian linked to Il Silvestre.  (Costatino is a vegan)

Justin Solondz (Address Unknown - China). American Green Scare defendant accused of
direct action activity in America. Serving 3 years in China for drugs related
offences then due to be deported back to America. His exact prison location is
currently unknown. (Diet unknown).

Jonatan Strandberg, anstalten storboda, 19595 Rosersberg, Sweden. Serving 15 months
imprisonment after admitting damaging a communication tower used by the Department
of Defence, cutting the cables on a crane used in creating urban sprawl, and
damaging a vehicle used in the logging industry. (Jonatan is a meat eater).

Michael Sykes 696693, Michigan Reformatory, 1342 West Main Street, Ionia, MI 48846,
USA. Serving four to ten years for anti-sprawl arsons, criminal damage to a utility
pole, spray-painting political graffiti and burning the American flag. (Diet
unknown)

Fermín Gómez Trejo (Jailed in Mexico). E-mail letters of support to
cna.mex@gmail.com On remand accused of a series of ELF style activities against
various trucks and businesses. (Fermin is a vegetarian)

Briana Waters 36432-086, FCI Danbury, Federal Correctional Institution, Route 37,
Danbury, CT 06811, USA. Serving six years for involvement in an ELF arson on a
University. (Diet unknown).

Joyanna Zacher, #36360-086, FCI Dublin, 5700 8th St.- Camp Parks- Unit F, Dublin, CA
94568, USA. Serving 7 years & 8 months for an ELF arson against a Poplar Tree Farm
and an ELF arson against an SUV dealership. Also admitted her role in an ELF/ALF
conspiracy. (Diet unknown).
Renata Zelazna 7138606 cel 1/10, P.I. Ter Peel, Paterstraat 4, 5977 NM Evertsoord,
The Netherlands.  Polish activist on remand accused of attempted murder.  She was
initially arrested for throwing a rock at a machine on a building construction site
but then during her arrest an altercation occurred resulting in the outrageous
attempted murder charge.  (Renata is a vegan).

ANIMAL LIBERATION PRISONERS
(All Animal Liberation Prisoners follow a minimum vegetarian diet and most are vegan).

Jonny Ablewhite TB4885, H.M. Prison, Hewell Lane, Redditch, Worcs B97 6QS, England.
Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied guinea pigs for
vivisection. (Jon is a vegan).

Diego Alonso (address unknown, jailed in Mexico– E-mail letters of support to
rabiayaccion@mac.hush.com) On remand accussed of targeting banks, slaughterhouses
and other institutions.  (Diego is a vegan)

Dan Amos A6987AN, HMP Guys Marsh, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 0AH, England. Serving 4
years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Dan is a vegan)

Gregg Avery TA7450, HMP Coldingley, Shaftesbury Road, Bisley, Woking, Surrey GU24
9EX, England. Serving 9 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences.
(Gregg is a vegan).

Natasha Avery NR8987, HMP Send, Ripley Road, Woking, Surrey, GU23 7LJ, England.
Serving 9 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Nat is a
vegan).

Adrian Magdaleno Gonzales (address unkown, jailed in Mexico – E-mail letters of
support to libertadparaadrian@hushmail.me).  Serving 5 years 10 months for
detonating a gas bombs against various targets including banks and against targets
whose actions were claimed by the Frente de Liberación Animal (ALF).  (Adrian is a
vegan).

Alex Hall, Inmate #2009-06304, Davis County Jail, 800 West State St., Farmington, UT
84025, USA. On Remand accused of raiding a mink farm. Also accused of breaching bail
conditions whilst on bail. (William is a vegan).

Kevin Kjonaas #93502-011, FCI Sandstone, PO Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072 USA.
Serving 72 months imprisonment for helping organise the SHAC-USA campaign. (Kevin is
a vegan).

Marie Mason - See details in Eco Defence Prisoners List.
Daniel McGowan - See details in Eco Defence Prisoners List.

Gavin Medd-Hall WV9475, HMP Coldingley, Shaftesbury Road, Bisley, Woking, Surrey
GU24 9EX, England. Serving 8 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life
Sciences. (Gavin is a vegan).

Heather Nicholson A3158AJ, HMP Foston Hall, Foston, Derby, Derbyshire, DE65 5DN,
England. Serving 11 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences.
(Heather is a vegan).

Kevin Olliff, #1300931, TTCF 161 D-Pod, 450 Bauchet St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, USA.
On remand accused of stalking as well as conspiracy and criminal threats towards
UCLA vivisectors and a company linked to vivisection. (Kevin is a vegan).

Jonathan Paul, #07167-085, FCI Phoenix, Federal Correctional Institution, 37910 N
45th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85086, USA. Sentenced to 51 months for an ALF arson on a
horse meat plant. Also admitted his role in an ELF/ALF conspiracy. (Jonathan is a
vegan).

Lewis Pogson A6454AK, HMP Lincoln, 106 Greetwell Road, Lincoln, LN2 4BD, England.
Serving 3 years for rescuing 129 rabbits from Highgate Farm. (Lewis is a vegan).

Sergio Stefani - See Other Political Prisoner List.

William James Viehl, Inmate #15909-081, FCI Terminal Island, Po Box 3007, San Pedro,
CA 90731, USA. Serving two years for his role in an ALF raid on a mink fur farm.
(William is a vegan).

Nicole Vosper VM9385, HMP Bronzefield, Woodhthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx, TW15 3JZ,
England. On remand accused of blackmailing Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Nicole is a
vegan).

Dan Wadham, A5705AA, HMP Camp Hill, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5PB, England.
Serving 5 years for conspiracy to blackmail Huntingdon Life Sciences. (Dan is a
vegan).

Kerry Whitburn TB4886, HMP Lowdham Grange, Lowdham, Nottingham, NG14 7DA, England.
Serving 12 years for attempting to blackmail a farmer who supplied guinea pigs for
vivisection. (Kerry is a vegan).

Sarah Whitehead, VM7684, HMP Bronzefield, Woodthorpe Road, Ashford, Middx, TW15 3JZ,
England. Serving two years for: 1) rescuing a puppy from horrific conditions. 2)
rescuing over 100 animals from a pet breeder who was later prosecuted for animal
abuse. Also awaiting trial for SHAC activity. (Sarah is a vegan)

PLOUGHSHARES PRISONERS

Helen Woodson, 03231-045, FMC Carswell - Admin. Max. Unit, POB 27137, Ft. Worth, TX
76127, USA. Serving 8 years 10 months for actions that focused on the
interrelationship of war & the destruction of the natural world. The actions
included pouring red paint over the security desk of a federal court and making
threatening communications. Previously Helen had served 20½ years for: 1) Using a
hammer to disarm a nuclear missile silo. 2) Burning $25,000 on the floor of a bank
whilst denouncing war, environmental destruction & economic injustice. 3) Mailing
warning letters with bullets attached to Government & corporate officials. (Diet
unknown).

OTHER ANTI-WAR PRISONERS

Elija Smith VP 7551 HMP Lewes, 1 Brighton Rd, Lewes, Sussex, BN7 1EA, England. On
remand accused of disarming a weapons factory, which, amongst other things, makes
Hellfire Missiles. The action was in protest at Israel military action against Gaza.
(Diet unknown).

ANTIFA PRISONERS

Aleksey Bychin, FBU OIK-2 IK-7 otryad No. 12, ul. Karnallitovaya d. 98, g. Solikamsk
Permskiy Kray, 618545 Russia. Serving 5 years for defending himself against
neo-nazis. (Diet unknown).

OTHER PRISONERS

Pavel Delidon, ul. Timiryazeva-1, FGU IK-7, 309990 Valuyki Russia.  Anarchist/Animal
Rights activist jailed for attempting to obtain wages owed to him, but which had not
been paid to him by his employer. IMPORTANT: Pavel can only receive letters written
in Russian. He is punished by the prison
if he receives a letter not written in Russian so please, only send letters written
in Russian. (Pavel is a vegetarian).

Alessandro Settepani, Carcere San Michele, Via Casale, 50/A, 15122 San Michele (AL),
Italy. Co-defendant of Sergio Stefani on remand accused of car theft and subversive
association. (Alessandro is a vegan).

Sergio Maria Stefani, Carcere San Michele, Via Casale, 50/A, 15122 San Michele (AL),
Italy. Former ALF prisoner on remand accused of car theft and subversive
association. (Sergio is a vegan).

Fran Thompson, #1090915, CCC, 3151 Litton Drive, Chillicuthe, MO 64601, USA. Serving
Life for killing, in self-defence, a stalker who had broken into her home. Before
her imprisonment Fran was an eco, animal & anti-nuke campaigner. (Fran is a vegan).

MOVE
MOVE is an eco-revolutionary group who carried out protests in defence of all life.
All move prisoners describe themselves as vegetarians. There are currently eight
MOVE activists in prison each serving 100 years after been framed for the murder of
a cop in 1979. 9th defendant, Merle Africa, died in prison in 1998.

Debbie Simms Africa (006307), Janet Holloway Africa (006308) and Janine Philips
Africa (006309) all at: SCI Cambridge Springs, 451 Fullerton Ave, Cambridge Springs,
PA 16403-1238, USA.

Michael Davis Africa (AM4973) SCI Graterford, PO Box 244, Graterford, PA 19426-0244,
USA.

Edward Goodman Africa (AM4974), SCI Mahanoy, 301 Morea Rd, Frackville, PA 17932, USA.

William Philips Africa (AM4984) and Delbert Orr Africa (AM4985) both at SCI Dallas
Drawer K, Dallas, PA 18612, USA.

Charles Simms Africa (AM4975), SCI Retreat, 660 State Route 11, Hunlock Creek, PA
18621, USA.

Mumia Abu Jamal, (AM8335), SCI Greene, 175 Progress Drive, Waynesburg PA 15370, USA.
In 1981 Mumia, former Black Panther and vocal supporter of MOVE, was framed for the
murder of a cop. He was originally sentenced to death but is currently awaiting
re-sentencing following a court hearing in
2001.

STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE
Some people listed in this newsletter have carried out violent actions including
assault and murder. 'Spirit of Freedom' does not condone violence. But we are also
against censorship & believe people can decide
for themselves who they wish to support.

ABOUT E.L.P. SUPPORT NETWORK
ELP is an international eco-prisoner support network founded, in Britain, in 1993 to
support jailed eco-activists. We support the prisoners by producing various regular
prisoner lists:

Spirit of Freedom is ELP's international monthly prisoner listing which is
circulated by e-mail.

Urgent ELP! Bulletin is an e-mail service that distributes the names of any new
eco-prisoner as soon as ELP gets their details. For more info e-mail
ELP4321@hotmail.com

On-Line Newsletters - ELP has a number of websites that provide news, prisoner lists
and additional info about ELP & the prisoners.

English language ELP Website
www.spiritoffreedom.org.uk

Greek language ELP Website
http://greekelp.blogspot.com

North American ELP Website
www.ecoprisoners.org

Turkish language ELP Website
www.geocities.com/yesilanarsi/elp.htm

ELP Extra is an e-mail group that circulates the details of political prisoners, ELP
learns about, who do not fall within the remit for support by ELP. To subscribe to
the list e-mail ELP4321@Hotmail.com

Australian ELP.SN is our Australian contact. For more info e-mail elp4321@hotmail.com

Belgium ELP.SN is our Belgium contact. For more info e-mail elp_bel@hotmail.com

German ELP.SN is a prisoner led initiative run by eco-prisoner Marco Camenisch. For
more info contact Marco Camenisch, Postfach 3143, CH-8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland.

Greek ELP.SN is our Greek contact. For more info e-mail greekelp@yahoo.gr

North American ELP is our North American contact. For more information e-mail
info@ecoprisoners.org

Turkey ELP.SN is our Turkish contact. For more info e-mail yesilanarsi@yahoo.com     

Donte arrested outside of denver

Our fabulous and amazing friend Donte was arrested this afternoon in Morgan County
Colorado on their way home, when a traffic stop revealed an outstanding warrant.
The warrant was for a violation of probation related to the 2008 Holy Name Six case.

Bond is set at $100,000, and Donte will appear in court tomorrow (Tuesday) for an
extradition hearing, where it will be decided if they’re going to be extradited to
Illinois or released.

To find out where to send money, please call Denver ABC @ 720-328-3431, and we will
hook it up.

And please spread the word!