Protest at California prison demands end to lockdown

September 30 - MIM joined family members of prisoners and other activists outside the walls of California State Prison, Solano to protest the lockdown, denial of visits, and the brutal and unhealthy conditions at that prison. In the second protest since August, protestors gathered at a busy intersection on a road next to the prison because they were kicked off the prison property by the Solano County Sheriffs Department during the first protest.

Many prisoners at Solano have been on lockdown for three years, living in conditions equivalent to control units or Security Housing Units, where they get no visits, no exercise, no canteen, and no telephone calls. Some families have not seen their loved ones for three years. The lockdown appears to be targeted at Mexican prisoners who, by all accounts, have done nothing to even violate prison rules. Many of these prisoners are organizing themselves to fight this repression and called on family and friends to help with the battle. The Barrio Defense Committee, based in San Jose, California, led the call to protest on the outside in support of these prisoners.

After the first protest on August 19, family members were allowed in for a visit and a few prisoners were released from the lockdown. But after a few weeks the prison administration announced another lockdown, claiming that they were responding to a "prison riot." Family members at the protest did not have any information about this supposed riot - their loved ones behind bars had not reported any disturbances. The tactic of allowing a small concession did work to diffuse some of the protesters - the demonstration on September 30 saw smaller attendance than the one on August 19, notably absent were some families who had gained admittance for at least one visit.

The Warden at Solano, Tom Carey, claims the lockdown is in response to a "gang" problem. But prisoners report that the guards released white supremacist prisoners to the yard to instigate a fight with Mexican prisoners, to justify the lockdown. Further, prisoners report lack of medical treatment and family members who did get in to see their loved ones during the brief respite from the lockdown report that the prisoners look very skinny and unhealthy.

Two protestors, the parents of a prisoner at Solano, told of the three years it has been since they have seen their son. Another woman came out with her mother and her kids, and talked about her son who has withdrawn and seems both physically and mentally unhealthy after a long time in isolation. A man whose brother was locked up on his third strike explained that he would be out at the protest even if he was allowed to visit that day because he knows that the prison needs to do a lot more than allow just one visit.

Individual family members got no response from the prison after calling and writing the prison on their own to protest the lack of visits and inhuman conditions faced by their loved ones. The demonstration in August did lead to some reforms, and so we can see that with the force of mass protest, we can win some victories. The key here is united struggle - we can bring a greater force and louder voice against the injustice system by organizing ourselves and working together.

The protest was held in front of a middle class residential area, across the street from the expansive prison. As one activist with the Barrio Defense Committee pointed out, the residents need to take a stand against this prison that is part of their neighborhood. She also questioned the impact the prison has on youth raised in that neighborhood. Protestor's signs forced these people to think about the politics of prisons and possibly recognize the torture going on across the street from their homes.

Consistently those honking in support of the demonstration were Black or Mexican, and those yelling "kill them all" or giving us the thumbs down were white. Several people driving by yelled "this is Amerika" or something similar, presumably to refute the mostly Mexican crowd of protestors. This led to a discussion among some of the demonstrators about whether or not there is an issue of nation here. On the one hand, some people wanted to force the public to see beyond the question of nation and realize that they are citizens of this country and should not be brutalized and oppressed. They also pointed out that prisons affect a lot of white people, even if it is disproportionately Mexicans and Blacks locked behind bars. But these people recognized that fundamentally it is impossible to get away from the question of nation when the criminal injustice system is targeting oppressed nations both on the streets and for lockdown and additional oppression behind bars. And it is because of the importance of this question of nation that one activist held up a Mexican flag at the demonstration.

MIM firmly puts forward the importance of national liberation struggles as a part of the battle against the criminal injustice system. We need to see that prisons are being used as a tool of social control, primarily targeting oppressed nations within u.s. borders. We also can not distance ourselves from our brothers and sisters who are not legal residents of Amerika. Many of them are locked up and then deported, screwed twice by the illegitimate injustice system and then the illegal borders. Fighting for the right of families to visit prisoners is just the first step in a larger battle for liberation from imperialism.

The conditions being protested at Solano mirror what we see at prisons across the state of California and in fact across the United $tates. In 2006 we have heard from prisoners across the state:

From Calipatria: "Currently Latinos here in Calipatria prison are on lockdown. We have been for almost a year. We get no program at all. Our mail is read and held back. Our books are not given to us. We can get no visits (only 1 hour behind glass for by appointment visits). As far as beatings, just recently a few inmates (4) were in boxers and sandals. They got into an argument with a cop and the outcome was the inmates were beat down. One got beat unconscious. Then around 10 more inmates were cell extracted and beat. As far as access to the legal library we must have a court deadline. Those of us who wish to research our cases before going to court cannot."

From Corcoran: "The prisoners here at Corcoran are deprived of adequate medical and mental health care. The medical policy is that once you turn in a health care service form you are supposed to have a face to face interview with the nurse. But here it takes prisoners 2 to 3 weeks to see a physician. We have mentally ill prisoners banging and screaming all night because they are not receiving proper mental health care. .In March staff deliberately set two prisoners up to assault one another."

From Kern: "We have no access to a phone to talk to loved ones, and I haven't seen the library clerk but once in the time I've been here. The system has cut the means of educating, using the excuse that it is a reception yard. I still haven't found an honest answer if we can have books sent in or not. Most days we run 23 hours in the cell, 1 hour out. Twice a week yard is for 1.5 to 2 hours. Wednesday is 24 hour lock down except 15 minutes for breakfast and 15 minutes for dinner. North Kern State prisons medical situation is horrible. It takes between two and three weeks to be seen if that happens at all."

From High Desert: "HDSP has recently installed timers on the toilets all owing only 2 flushes per hour. This ploy is cruel, unusual and unsanitary. In response to this action, inmates participated in a mass demonstration (non-violent) against HDSP administration. However, reprisal was immediately taken by HDSP in the form of lockdown and searches to smash any further resistance. Annually since arriving at HDSP on 2-12-03, Black inmates were subjected to extended lockdowns for allegedly plotting to assault corrections officers. However, assaults never occurred, isolated or orchestrated. HDSP segregation unit (Z unit) where I am currently housed, keeps inmates from transferring by fabricating rules violation reports (115s). . Once inmates are housed in BMU, they are on no work, no privilege status. HDSP will then force inmates to send all of their personal property home. Moreover, inmates will then have to reorder all appliances at CDC and pay imposed restitution by CDC of 44%."

From Lancaster: "Each day of this prison confinement it becomes more blatant that we have been, and still are, subjected to modern day slavery as well as these klancaster prison guards constantly and consistently subjecting the prisoners to all forms of terrorist tactics, psychological warfare, intentional de-humanizations, unlawful brutality and deprivations of the most basic human needs (e.g. medical, cell cleaning supplies, adequate foot attire, etc). I've personally witnessed on numerous occasions, prison guards over stepping their bounds of authority by using chemical agents (MK-9 O.C. pepper spray) on incapacitated/mentally ill administrative segregation prisoners who suffer from severe bouts of dementia (e.g. schizophrenia). The use of such chemicals by these corrupted prison guards are for retaliation, terrorist tactics and sadistic cruel and unusual punishment. The prisoners are left in the cells and sometimes all of their water is completely shut off. These intentional atrocities violate the universal declaration of human rights. I am appalled at the sight I see each and every day. But I continue to fight for justice for those who can not defend themselves."

These are just a few examples of the injustice system that is violating prisoner's humyn rights and destroying humyn beings through isolation and torture throughout California (and across the United $tates). Join MIM to fight the criminal injustice system, and the entire imperialist system that requires these prisons.

Notes: There was some media coverage of the event, including a decent story on KPFA which can be accessed at www.kpfa.org (6pm news of September 30, 2006).