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<h2
style="margin: 0pt; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-size: 20px;"
class="post-title"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
style="text-decoration: none ! important; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);"
href="http://solitarywatch.com/2012/08/01/north-carolina-prisoners-launch-hunger-strike/">North
Carolina Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike</a></h2>
<span
style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);">by <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://solitarywatch.com/author/sal2329/"
style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136) ! important; text-decoration: underline;">Sal
Rodriguez</a></span> </td>
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<p
style="margin: 0pt 0pt 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"></p>
<p
style="margin: 0pt 0pt 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">On
July 16th, inmates at Central Prison, Bertie Correctional Institution
and Scotland Correctional Institution launched a hunger strike in
protest of various prison conditions, including solitary confinement.
North Carolina Department of Corrections currently holds over 7,000
inmates out of approximately 36,000 in "Close Custody." Among these are
inmates are those held in Maximum Control, Protective Custody,
Disciplinary Segregation and Intensive Control. Maximum security units
are described this way by the <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.doc.state.nc.us/dop/custody.htm"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);">DOC</a>:</p>
<blockquote
style="border-left: 3px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 1em 1em 1em 2em; font-family: Times,serif; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: italic; color: rgb(135, 135, 135); padding-left: 1em;">
<p
style="margin: 0pt 0pt 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Inmates
confined in a maximum security unit typically are in their cell 23
hours a day. During the other hour they may be allowed to shower and
exercise in the cellblock or an exterior cage. All inmate movement is
strictly controlled with the use of physical restraints and
correctional officer escort.</p>
</blockquote>
<p
style="margin: 0pt 0pt 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Prison
officials at Central Prison indicated on <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2012/jul/28/wsmet07-raleigh-prison-administration-monitors-hun-ar-2470476/"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);">July 28th</a>
that only seven hunger strikers remained, but that the number
fluctuated with inmates joining and stopping. The strikers are all
Close Custody inmates and are held in their cell for 23 hours a day in
isolation. As many as <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/11347108/"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);">100
inmates </a>were reported to have participated since the launch of the
strike.</p>
<p
style="margin: 0pt 0pt 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://prisonbooks.info/2012/07/18/prisoners-begin-hunger-strike-at-three-facilities/#more-1334"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);">Demands </a>of
the strikers include:</p>
<ul
style="margin: 0pt 0pt 1em 1em; padding: 0pt; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<li
style="margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">"The
end of cell restriction. Sometimes prisoners are locked in their cell
for weeks or more than a month, unable to come out for showers and
recreation."</li>
<li
style="margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">"An
immediate end to the physical and mental abuse inflicted by officers."</li>
<li
style="margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">"Education
programs for prisoners on lock-up"</li>
<li
style="margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">"The
levels of I-Con, M-Con, and H-Con need to be done away with altogether.
When one is placed on Intensive Control Status (I-Con), one is placed
in the hole for six months and told to stay out of trouble. But even
when we stay out of trouble, we are called back to the FCC and DCC only
to be told to do another six months in the hold, infraction free."</li>
<li
style="margin-left: 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">"The
immediate release of prisoners from solitary who have been held
unjustly or for years without infractions; this includes the Strong 8,
sent to solitary for the purpose of political intimidation."</li>
</ul>
<p
style="margin: 0pt 0pt 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Central
Prison in Raleigh was the site of a strike by inmates in December 2011.
The inmates were protesting conditions in their kitchen employment. The
strike leaders, referred to as the "Strong 8" were placed in solitary
confinement for launching the work stoppage. According to one of <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://solitarywatch.com/2012/03/13/north-carolina-prisoners-say-they-were-placed-in-solitary-confinement-for-going-on-strike/"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);">the
strike leaders </a>placed in the Intensive Control unit, "I-Con is an
intensive form of segregation, typically 23 hours a day in a small
solitary cell, with few if any resources available, constantly censored
mail, and little recreational activity. Sentences on I-Con often last 6
months or longer."</p>
<p
style="margin: 0pt 0pt 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Central
Prison currently holds over 600 inmates in Close Custody. In March, an
inmate with a history of self-harm was found <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/11347108/"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);">dead </a>in
his solitary confinement cell. In North Carolina, self-harm can be
punished by up to 30 days in <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.doc.state.nc.us/dop/policy_procedure_manual/b200.pdf"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);">isolation</a>.</p>
<p
style="margin: 0pt 0pt 1em; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">According
to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2012/jul/28/wsmet07-raleigh-prison-administration-monitors-hun-ar-2470476/"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);">local
media</a>, it is the intention of the DOC to address the concerns of
the inmates after the strike ends.</p>
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class="meta"> <strong><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://solitarywatch.com/author/sal2329/"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);"></a></strong>
URL: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://wp.me/pKbGK-1F2"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(37, 133, 178);">http://wp.me/pKbGK-1F2</a>
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