Call-In Day & Petition for NC Hunger Strikers

 Call-In Day and Petition for NC Hunger StrikersJuly 23, 2012 

First, we are announcing and encouraging people to participate in a call-in day to support NC prison hunger strikers on Wednesday, July 25th. You can find phone and fax numbers here.

Robert C. Lewis, Director of Prisons
phone: 919.838.4000
fax: 919.733.8272

Central Prison Warden Ken Lassiter
phone: 919.733.0800
fax: 919.715.2645

Bertie CI Warden Renoice Stancil (The Receptionist Says Stancil Is Replaced With A Man Named Anderson)
Phone: 252-794-8600
Fax: 252-794-4608

Scotland CI Warden Sorrell Saunders
Phone: (910) 844-3078
Fax: (910) 844-3786

PRISONERS’ DEMANDS

1. Law Libraries. We are tired of being railroaded by the courts, and having our rights violated by prison staff and officers. NC Prison Legal Services are inadequate and oftentimes do not help us at all. A law library is needed to enable us to legally defend ourselves.
2. An immediate end to the physical and mental abuse inflicted by officers.
3. Improve food, in terms of quality and quantity.
4. A better way to communicate emergencies from cells; many emergency call buttons are broken and never replaced, and guards often do not show up for over an hour. At least one prisoner has died this way.
5. The canteens that serve lock up units need to make available vitamins and personal hygiene items.
6. An immediate stop to officers’ tampering or throwing away prisoners’ mail.
7. Education programs for prisoners on lock-up.
8. The immediate release of prisoners from solitary who have been held unjustly or for years without infractions; this includes the Strong 8, sent to solitary for the purpose of political intimidation.
9. The immediate end to the use of restraints as a form of torture.
10. The end of cell restriction. Sometimes prisoners are locked in their cell for weeks or more than a month, unable to come out for showers and recreation.
11. The theft of prisoners’ property, including mattresses and clothes. When on property restriction, we are forced to sleep on the ground or steel bed frames naked, with no bedding.
12. Medical privacy and confidentiality. Guards should not be able to listen in on our medical problems when on sick call.
13. Change our cell windows to ones which we can see through. The current windows are covered with feces and grime. Not being able to see out is sensory deprivation, and makes us feel dissociated from everything that exists outside of prison.
14. An immediate repair of cell lights, sinks, toilets, and plumbing.
15. Toilet brushes should be handed out with cell cleaning items.
16. The levels of I-Con, M-Con, and H-Con need to be done away with altogether. When one is placed on Intensive Control Status (I-Con), one is placed in the hole for six months and told to stay out of trouble. But even when we stay out of trouble, we are called back to the FCC and DCC only to be told to do another six months in the hold, infraction free.

Because the strike may have spread to facilities we don’t yet know about, folks are especially encouraged to call the Division of Prisons HQ in Raleigh.

Second, the Asheville Prison Book Program has set up a petition for the strikers which supporters can sign here.

Third, a poster made for public distribution can be found here; feel free to put this up everywhere in your town, as a general reminder that prison struggles are happening.

Fourth, please write to prisonbooks@gmail.com if your group would like to be mentioned as supporting the strike. Feel free to also write your own statement of support like these folks. As soon as that list starts to come together we will post it.

Fifth, prisoners have called for solidarity actions and boycotts (the latter largely intended for other prisoners) against companies that exploit prisoners and their families via the canteen. A list of companies involved can be found here.

A weekly anarchist radio show out of Asheville, NC, called the Final Straw, recently did an hour long interview regarding this hunger strike. You can hear the interview here.
As soon as more news emerges from prisoners we will be sure to post it. Also, please send us by email or comments any news on your end about solidarity actions, demonstrations, etc.