[Ppnews] After Mediation with Federal Judge, Pelican Bay Hunger Strikers: “We have to put our lives on the line to force CDCR to do what's right.”

[Political Prisoner News]

*For Immediate Release—June 20, 2013*

*After Mediation with Federal Judge, Pelican Bay Hunger Strikers: “We 
have to put our lives on the line to force CDCR to do what's right.”*

Press Contact:
Isaac Ontiveros
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition

Oakland—After a mediation meeting yesterday ordered by a federal judge 
between prisoners being held in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay 
State Prison and the California Department of Corrections and 
Rehabilitation (CDCR), prisoners issued a statement saying their 
protests will “resume on July 8, 2013, consisting of a hunger 
strike/work stoppage of indefinite duration until CDCR signs a legally 
binding agreement meeting our demands, the heart of which mandates an 
end to long-term solitary confinement (as well as additional major 
reforms).”

Wednesday’s mediation stems from a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of 
prisoners at Pelican Bay State Prison who have spent between 10 and 28 
years in solitary confinement.   The class action suit alleges that 
prolonged solitary confinement violates Eight Amendment prohibitions 
against cruel and unusual punishment, and that the absence of meaningful 
review for SHU placement violates the prisoners’ right to due process. 
During Wednesday’s mediation, the prisoners and their lawyers exchanged 
settlement proposals with the CDCR via a federal magistrate. Prisoners, 
their lawyers, and the Court are now awaiting reply from the CDCR.

Yesterday also marked the confirmation of new CDCR chief, Jeffrey Beard. 
During his tenure as head of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, 
Beard oversaw a dramatic increase in Pennsylvania's prison population 
and the opening of two new state prisons. Advocates supporting the 
demands of potential hunger strikers claim Beard and Governor Jerry 
Brown hold the power to make changes and to rectify the history of human 
rights abuses in California’s prisons. Meanwhile, prisoners from at 
least four additional prisons in California have vowed to go on strike 
on July 8.

*Today’s full statement from prisoners being held in solitary 
confinement at Pelican Bay reads:*

The principal prisoner representatives from the PBSP SHU Short Corridor 
Collective Human Rights Movement does hereby present public notice that 
our nonviolent peaceful protest of our subjection to decades of 
indefinite state-sanctioned torture, via long term solitary confinement 
will resume on July 8, 2013, consisting of a hunger strike/work stoppage 
of indefinite duration until CDCR signs a legally binding agreement 
meeting our demands, the heart of which mandates an end to long-term 
solitary confinement (as well as additional major reforms). Our 
decision does not come lightly.  For the past (2) years we've patiently 
kept an open dialogue with state officials, attempting to hold them to 
their promise to implement meaningful reforms, responsive to our 
demands. For the past seven months we have repeatedly pointed out CDCR's 
failure to honor their word—and we have explained in detail the ways in 
which they've acted in bad faith and what they need to do to avoid the 
resumption of our protest action.

On June 19, 2013, we participated in a mediation session ordered by the 
Judge in our class action lawsuit, which unfortunately did not result in 
CDCR officials agreeing to settle the case on acceptable terms. While 
the mediation process will likely continue, it is clear to us that we 
must be prepared to renew our political non-violent protest on July 8^th 
to stop torture in the SHUs and Ad-Segs of CDCR.

Thus we are presently out of alternative options for achieving the long 
overdue reform to this system and, specifically, an end to 
state-sanctioned torture, and now we have to put our lives on the line 
via indefinite hunger strike to force CDCR to do what's right.

We are certain that we will prevail.... the only questions being: How 
many will die starvation-related deaths before state officials sign the 
agreement?

The world is watching!

Onward in Struggle and Solidarity.

Todd Ashker
Arturo Castellanos
Ronald Dewberry, aka Sitawa
Antonio Guillen


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863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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