[Pnews] Support Corcoran SHU prisoners - demand an end to destructive and retaliatory cell searches

Tue Apr 1 15:43:05 EDT 2014

Emergency Response Network
(www.prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com)

*CORCORAN SHU ALERT*

Greetings,

We're calling for solidarity activists to call and email Corcoran Prison 
and CDCR authorities to
demand the end to destructive and retaliatory cell searches.

The 2013 hunger strikes are over, but the retaliation against peaceful 
protesters exercising their
first amendment rights continues. For the last month or so, the 
Institutional Gang Investigators
(IGI) have been staging invasive and destructive "cell searches" in the 
torture units at Corcoran
Prison, with a focus on people who participated in last year's hunger 
strike.

When CDCR staff conduct these searches, they are supposed to keep a 
record of anything
removed from the cell and return all items unless they allege them to be 
contraband. Instead, they
have thrown away or destroyed basic personal items that people in these 
units have difficulty
obtaining, as well as sentimental items like family photos or letters.

Here's what people imprisoned in the Corcoran SHUs are saying about 
what's happening:
"The Institutional Gang Investigators (IGI) came in here Friday morning 
(2/21/14) [..] someone
upstairs allegedly getting caught with some kind of electronic device, 
and tore up every cell in
the section ....They tossed out one full bag of our canteen items, a 
pair of my cellie's
headphones, his radio antennae and all of his boxers. They tossed out my 
long-sleeve t-shirt, and
just basically disrespected us in a major way."

"For the second time this month...only our section was searched. This 
time, unlike the first one,
we stayed outside in our cages -- dog kennels -- all day long. We 
weren't even given toilet paper
in case we needed to use the facilities or given any lunches. And no 
reason was given as to why
this Gestapo-style cell search was taking place."

"Since we didn't get our cell search receipts until two days later, we 
don't know what to make of
it. On all our receipts, they've marked "trash" for everything that was 
taken. Even though
personal property was trashed, we can't be compensated because on our 
602s they're going to
deny everything due to the receipt not documenting what all was taken."

"They just returned my property they confiscated it for about 5-6 weeks. 
It looks like a tornado
hit all my legal documents. My case files are so messed up it will take 
days to sort it out. A lot
of stuff is missing.... It looks like a bunch of racist, unprofessional 
cops went through my stuff
on some kind of retaliation mission. I/we don't disrespect these cops. 
We conduct ourselves as
principled men. I am always civil, even when some don't deserve it."

It's possible that Corcoran Prison authorities may believe that all the 
attention is now on Pelican
Bay as the lawsuit there unfolds -- so let's show them we're paying 
attention to Corcoran too.
Please call or email the following people, and send a snail mail letter 
if you can. See sample
letter and phone message for wording.
*****************************************************
Corcoran Warden
Ms. Connie Gipson
phone: 559-992-8800 ext. 5008
email: connie.gipson at cdcr.ca.gov
Corcoran State Prison
PO Box 8800
Corcoran, CA. 93212

Office of the Ombudsman
Cherita Wofford
phone: 918-324-6123
email: cherita.wofford at cdcr.ca.gov

CDCR Oversight
Mr. Michael Stainer, Director of Adult
Institutions
Phone: 916-445-7688
email: michael.stainer at cdcr.gov

Office of the Inspector General
Mr. Robert Barton
Phone: (800) 700-5952
Email: bartonr at oig.ca.gov
Office of the Inspector General
10111 Old Placerville Road, Suite 110
Sacramento, CA 95827
******************************************
Dear ______,
I have recently learned that the IGI at CSP-Corcoran, on Feb. 21st, 2014 
and other dates since
then, has thrown away the personal property of people imprisoned in 
sections of the Corcoran
SHUs during cell searches that turned up no contraband. Please 
immediately put a stop to this
type of retaliatory action and complete disregard for CDCR regulations, 
and return or
reimburse people for their property.

The property thrown out or destroyed was purely practical and could not 
in any remote way
threaten institutional security , including things like hygiene items, 
shoes, food and coffee,
dentures, headphones, appliances and clothing items. Irreplaceable 
property was also destroyed --
legal papers, family photos and other items with purely personal value.

These mean-spirited actions are alarming to me, because the people in 
this unit already have so
little, and what they do have has been purchased by family and friends. 
The officers responsible
kept no record of property removed from cells, as they are supposed to 
do. This kind of wanton
destruction of property is against CDCR regulations, as you know.

Sincerely,
(Name)
(City & State)
*****************************
PHONE CALL:
"I demand that you:

1. Stop all destructive cell searches of prisoners in the Corcoran SHU 
by the I.G.I. (Institutional
Gang Investigators) and prison guards.

2. Immediately return all confiscated property to prisoners whose cells 
were searched; account
for all property taken; and reimburse all costs for destroyed property."
-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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