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<div align="center"><h2><b>Angola Three Cheers Common Ground Relief
Efforts </b></h2></div>
<font size=4>We are not surprised that Malik Rahim is being hailed as one
of the heroes of Hurricane Katrina. In 1997, Malik
rediscovered information on our case and made it his mission to bring
attention to the plight that Albert, King, myself and so many other
Louisiana prisoners have endured in being unfairly convicted and
sentenced. The Angola Three went from obscurity to
international recognition thanks to Malik's efforts. <br><br>
Malik has brought the same energy and vision to his groundbreaking work
with Common Ground Collective. His vision has expanded to
meet the magnitude of response required to deal with the crisis at hand.
A lifetime of service beginning with the Black Panther Party and
continuing with programs for ex-offenders and housing advocacy are the
strong background that Malik draws from. Joined by a remarkable array of
young, skilled professionals and activists, together they are creating a
model for cooperative community needs-based service programs and
collective action. <br><br>
The Angola Three are proud to be affiliated with Malik and Common Ground
and join in their call for legal assistance in assessing the cases of
numerous individuals arrested and imprisoned after the hurricane, many of
whom have not yet been charged and sit in limbo while the state continues
to keep its court system closed post-Katrina! Angola, a 5000-capacity
facility, has had an increase of 3,000 prisoners, mostly men, but some
women as well. This has caused severe overcrowding. Many prisoners are
living in tents and all are being double bunked – even CCR is not
exempt. <br><br>
At the same time, Govenor Blanco is calling for a special session of the
legislature to address the prison situation in Louisiana, which
incarcerates more individuals per capita than any other state in the
union. Faced with a $4 billion deficit, Blanco is looking to
the prison industrial complex as a place to start cutting dollars. Blanco
is reportedly reviewing the elimination of the life sentence laws and
wants to change life sentences to fixed sentences so that prisoners have
a chance at parole. She is soliciting proposals from groups
doing prison work in Louisiana. <br><br>
The Angola Three would like to see Common Ground Relief submit a proposal
to this forum. We have long believed that the life-without-parole
sentences presently being served by thousands of Louisiana prisoners are
inhumane, not to mention financially senseless. The Louisiana
legislature should enact changes in the law that would allow lifers to
rehabilitate themselves and earn release from prison. This would be a
humane and realistic approach to sentencing reform in
Louisiana. <br><br>
Additionally, the current fiscal and structural crises in Louisiana
appear to provide an appropriate time to raise the issue of eliminating
the death penalty and substituting fixed sentences as an alternative
cost-saving strategy. We look forward to working with Common Ground in
their continued efforts to provide services and strategies in the
rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. As Malik has stated, it is
time to supplant the slave syndicate that has prevailed for so long in
this state. Malik also talks about the spirit of Emmett Till saving New
Orleans from total destruction. We believe it is the spirit
of Loubertha Johnson, Malik's mother who passed from this life in
September of 2004 that is blessing the efforts of Common Ground Relief!
<br><br>
Power to the People, <br><br>
Herman Wallace, <br><br>
Angola 3 <br><br>
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<img src="cid:6.2.5.6.2.20051114123035.02596ed0@freedomarchives.org.0" width=175 height=117 alt="[]">
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</font><font size=4>New Orleans: covert operations underway?
<a href="http://www.sfbayview.com/091405/covertoperations091405.shtml">
http://www.sfbayview.com/091405/covertoperations091405.shtml</a><br><br>
Back inside New Orleans by Jordan Flaherty (with a beautiful photo of
Malik Rahim)
<a href="http://www.sfbayview.com/neworleans/backinside091405.shtml">
http://www.sfbayview.com/neworleans/backinside091405.shtml</a><br><br>
Malik Rahim and medics from SF to DC set up health clinic in New Orleans
<a href="http://www.sfbayview.com/neworleans/healthclinic091405.shtml">
http://www.sfbayview.com/neworleans/healthclinic091405.shtml</a><br><br>
New Orleans: Prisoners abandoned to floodwaters,
<a href="http://www.sfbayview.com/092805/prisonersabandoned092805.shtml">
http://www.sfbayview.com/092805/prisonersabandoned092805.shtml<br><br>
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