Silvia Baraldini wins a transfer to Italy; A Masschusetts prisoner describes the control units in that state These stories and more Italian outrage over U.$. military leads to Baraldini return Silvia Baraldini, a revolutionary anti- imperialist incarcerated for her political beliefs and alleged roles in political actions will finally be returned to her native Italy. Among the things Silvia is accused of is aiding in the escape of Black Liberation Army leader Assata Shakur. (Assata now lives in exile in Cuba). A movement in the U.$. in Italy was organized around the plight of this revolutionary leader of the people. Silvia has been imprisoned since 1983. Five times since 1989, Silvia and the Italian government have requested she be returned to Italy under a treaty that allows prisoners convicted abroad to serve their sentences at home. Each time Amerika said no, fearing that this leader of the people would not be adequately tortured by the Italian prison system. But Italian anger at the United States over the U.$. Marine killing of 20 at an Italian ski resort might force the United States to consider letting Silvia return home. On Feb 3, 1998, a Marine jet flown by Richard Ashby sliced through a ski gondola cable 300 feet off the ground, sending the gondola and 20 people to their deaths. Area residents near the Avano air base had long complained of U.$. military planes flying too low and too fast. Rules at that time required the planes to be much higher than 300 feet. At the time, the Italian government demanded that Ashby be tried in Italy. This request was refused by Amerika, and Ashby was recently acquitted of murder charges, although he was more recently convicted of obstructing justice by destroying evidence of his flight. Although this will not bring back the 20 Italians murdered by the U.$. Marines, RAIL celebrates that the u.s. is forced to return Silvia Baraldini to Italy. By taking advantage of the mistakes of our enemies, the revolutionary forces can sometimes win small victories while building strength to take on the larger battles. What follows is the statement from Silvia's Defense Committee at www.justice-for-silvia.org from July 3, 1999: VOICE: VICTORY! It's official. The Italian and US governments have finally reached an agreement that will allow for the transfer of Silvia Baraldini to Italy. The timeframe in which the transfer will occur is not clear but it could happen within a month. This victory, which was announced in Rome this morning, is testament to the unwavering support of activists in Italy, the US and around the world, the hard work of Silvia's attorney Elizabeth Fink, the tireless efforts of Journalists like Patricia Lombroso and Gianni Mura and to everyone who let their voices be heard in support of her case. It is, nonetheless, a bittersweet victory. Silvia will be transferred to a prison in Rome where, according to the agreement reached, she will have to serve out her full term (which means jail until 2008). Although it is hard to believe, the US government has also apparently dictated the precise terms of her incarceration and reportedly has the power to demand her return if the Italian government fails to meet the conditions of the transfer. The depth of the vindictiveness of the US government towards Silvia, and the arrogance of the US government towards the Italian authorities, is evident in a clause in the agreement which reportedly denies her access to medical treatment outside the prison in Rome. Over the course of her incarceration in the US Silvia was repeatedly denied access to medical treatment for very serious conditions including cancer - apparently the US government wishes to assure that that violation of her basic human rights continues even while she serves her time in her home country. The good news is that Silvia will be back in her homeland, close to her ailing mother who was unable to travel to the US, and will no longer be under the direct control of the US Justice Department or the Federal Bureau of Prisons. We will make more details about this agreement available over the coming days. VOICE Again, the United Snakes has agreed to let revolutionary leader Silvia Baraldini serve the remainder of her sentence in her native Italy. As more information becomes available, we will share it with you via this program. [break] Mumia Abu Jamal is a former Black Panther, who was framed for the righteous killing of a police officer engaged in an act of police brutality. He was sentenced to death in 1982 after a bogus trial. His appeals are now in the much quicker federal courts and an execution could happen in the fall. The struggle to get a new trial for Mumia and to free him has now reached critical urgency. Prior to his arrest, Mumia was a radio journalist who exposed police brutality. From within the walls through books, articles and radio commentaries, Mumia continues to be an outspoken leader of the oppressed. This effective political work has earned increasing support from the people, while also earning increasing hatred from the imperialist establishment. Over the years, Mumia Abu Jamal recorded a number of radio commentaries about prisons and the oppression of Blacks by Amerika. He was even briefly hired National Public Radio. But political pressure from the police lobby forced NPR to fire Mumia before airing the commentaries. Mumia is an effective advocate of the oppressed, and the government didn't want to see strong commenataries like this one aired: Here is the kind of reporting that has earned Mumia the hatred of the Amerikan government: [Track 4 Man is the Bastard. About womyn whose home was bulldozed. Internationalizes the issue.] Assata Shakur was a Black Panther and leader of the Black Liberation Army Leader. She escaped a bogus prison sentence and now lives in exile in Cuba. She has recorded a number of messages about the importance of the effort to free Mumia Abu Jamal. [Assata Track 4 on Man is the Bastard] Prisoner in Massachusetts exposes isolates prisoners in I am a prisoner confined in the state of Massachusetts at M.C.I. Walpole State Prison and has been confined in the state as well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons since October 27, 1974 for various crimes. When I was first sent to M.C.I Walpole in 1974 I thought [...] it was one of the worst prisons in the country along with San Quentin, Attica, Michigan, etc. There was nothing but rebellion against the oppressor (the guards) who was assaulted, maimed, and forced out of the prison by way of injury acquired on duty or retirement because we as solid convicts could not be controlled. In August 1979, Ax-Handle Fenton who was the warden at the federal prison at Marion and Lewisburg was found guilty of beating prisoners off the bus at Lewisburg. He became a consultant for the Department of Corrections and thereafter locked up the whole prison and shipped out a lot of the incorrigibles, un-desirables and not wanted convicts to other state segregation units and as far as to various Federal prisons. This tactic of shipping convicts out of Walpole state prison on four (4) separate periods within 1979, 1980 and through 1995. [...]The way it is now Massachusetts has a control unit which is called the Department Disciplinary Unit (DDI) and I would like to hear if there is any other state or federal control unit where convicts is not allowed to purchase any canteen with the exception of stamps. We are not allowed to purchase food from the canteen, and the maggot officers is the only ones who passes out the food trays. And due to the facts convicts be working out in the cells or has to eat what little food they are given. The swines is taking it upon thereself to adulterated our food trays with spit, mice droppings, human feces, un-authorized medications (this is only being done to certain convicts) in retaliation because there might be grievances filed against them, assaults them, or the reasons of the placement in the DDU. There is some inmates, prisoners, convicts that is aware that these swines officers is tampering with the food and some of the responses is that "oh it aint happen to me" well how would you know? If there is a swine that dont like you or be accident given anyone the wrong tray then you got it. Its time to stop and allowing tub swine cops to do whatever they want and nothing is not being said or done. They already had took the contact visits, personal cloth, canteen items, yard- recreations. Its time to wake up and stop the maddness that there doing because it affects us all. --a Massachusetts prisonerReturn to Under Lock and Key RAIL Radio Program page