[Ppnews] Leonard Peltier Writes from Solitary

Mon Aug 15 08:25:47 EDT 2005

Copied and pasted from LPDC website:
http://lpdcinc.blogspot.com/2005/08/update-from-leonard-peltier.html

*UPDATE FROM LEONARD PELTIER*

July 30, 2005

Aho my relations,

As I sit here in my solitary confinement cell at USP Terre Haute, and 
reflect over the past month’s events, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming 
sense of love and gratitude for each and every one of you who have so 
diligently stood by me in this time of crisis. As you already know by now, 
on June 30, 2005, I was transferred from Leavenworth Facility, to Terre 
Haute USP. The reason for my transfer, according to the Federal Bureau of 
Prisons Administrative staff was that the Leavenworth Facility was 
downgraded from maximum security level to medium, and therefore I could not 
remain at Leavenworth due to my illegal sentencing and consequent maximum 
security rank.

I was transferred without notification to my attorney, Barry Bachrach, and 
my family. Upon my arrival to Terre Haute I was placed in solitary 
confinement and was told that I would remain in solitary confinement until 
my personal file arrived. My personal file arrived, but I remain in 
solitary confinement allegedly for security reasons. I am confined to a 
cell that is 8’X 8’, it has a window that is covered from the outside with 
an elaborate shield that allows me to see 2-3 inches of the sky out of the 
top and 2-3 inches of the ground. All prisoners are supposed to get at 
least one hour of sunlight or outdoors and so I am taken from my cell to 
what is called a Recreation Room (Rec Cage), and the only sun or outdoors 
that I see is from some windows high up in this large room with a few air 
holes in them. I am able to walk up and down and this fulfills the one hour 
of sunlight or outdoors recreation time.

Whatever the system’s logic is, it seems that I won’t stay in Terre Haute 
for much longer and will be transferred again. I do not know when and 
where, nor do I know if this cruel game will be over after another 
transfer. After all, removal and relocation have been used to break our 
people from the beginning of this country’s history. This keeps my Defense 
Committee from taking the necessary steps to re-establish an office, but 
they are doing everything they can to help me in this most precarious and 
uncertain situation.

Before this situation developed, I asked Russ Redner to be the 
National/International Executive Director of the LPDC. Russ is a brother 
from our original Northwest AIM crew, a long time ally, and one of the 
original founders of the LPDC. I have trusted Russ with my life many times 
and he’s proven himself at every turn. I want him to be the last person I 
ever have to ask to guide the LPDC, and as such I have given him full 
authority to do whatever is necessary to prevent problems that have plagued 
us in the past from ever surfacing again. He and his wife, Paula, bring a 
renewed energy to the LPDC. It is essential that Russ, Barry Bachrach, Mike 
Kuzma, and the new team at the LPDC be supported so they can work most 
effectively to achieve my freedom and accomplish the things that need to be 
done for my people. I have confidence that all of you who truly support me 
will extend your vote of confidence to Russ and my new team.

A month in solitary is beginning to take a toll on me but your letters give 
me much hope and encouragement. Many of you have written, e-mailed and 
called USP Terre Haute, and other organizations. This has brought some 
improvement to my solitary confinement. I am now getting my medications on 
a daily basis, I can write out, I am receiving my mail, and I am allowed 
one phone call a month. I am allowed contact visits for those persons 
authorized on my visiting list. The contact visit is restricted to a two 
hour period, and is conducted through a glass pane and a phone. I am 
allowed to visit with my attorney without those restrictions.

At this time I am asking that you continue to call/write/e-mail the 
contacts below requesting that my security level be downgraded to medium 
due to my health, age and good behavior and that I be transferred to a 
medium security institution with all my hard earned prisoner privileges 
restored. In case I am transferred please add the new facility (keep 
checking our official website: http://www.leonardpeltier.org) to your 
contact list and ask them to respect my human rights and prisoner 
privileges. Again, I thank you for your support and prayers and hope that I 
may one day soon be among you.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,

Leonard Peltier

CONTACT LIST:
U.S. Penitentiary4700 Bureau Road SouthTerre Haute, IN 
47802Phone-812-244-4400Fax----812-244-4789THP/EXECASSISTANT at BOP.GOVFederal 
Bureau of Prisons320 First Street NWWashington, DC 
20534202-307-3198info at bop.gov

Amnesty International
5 Penn Plaza  14th Floor
New York
NY 10001
Phone: 212-807-8400
Fax: 212-463-9193 / 212-627-1451
admin-us at aiusa.org

Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floorNew York, NY 10118-3299 USATel: 1-(212) 
290-4700, Fax: 1-(212) 736-1300hrwnyc at hrw.org

Senate Judiciary Committee:

Arlen Specter, Chairman
711 Hart BuildingWashington, DC 20510Tel: 202-224-4254
Senator Patrick Leahy, Ranking Member
433 Russell Senate Office Bldg Washington, DC 20510(202) 224-4242
senator_leahy at leahy.senate.gov

Senator Edward Kennedy
317 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510
202/224-4543 FAX: 202/224-2417
Senator Joseph Biden
201 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 
202-224-5042 Fax: 202-224-0139

Senator Dianne FeinsteinUnited States Senate331 Hart Senate Office 
BuildingWashington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3841Fax: (202) 228-3954

Senator Richard Durbin332 Dirksen Senate Bldg.Washington, DC 20510Phone: 
(202) 224-2152Fax: (202) 228-0400

Senator Herb Kohl
330 Hart Senate Office BuildingUnited States SenateWashington, D.C. 
20510Phone: (202) 224-5653Fax: (202) 224-9787

Sen. Charles E. Schumer313 Hart Senate BuildingWashington, DC 20510Phone: 
202-224-6542Fax: 202-228-3027TDD: 202-224-0420

Congressional Judiciary Committee:

Honorable John Conyers, Jr. 2426 Rayburn Building Washington, DC 20515 
(202) 225-5126
John.Conyers at mail.house.gov

Honorable Robert C. Scott 1201 Longworth House Office Building Washington, 
DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-8351
Fax: (202) 225-8354
bobby.scott at mail.house.gov

Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee 2435 Rayburn Building Washington, DC 20515 
(202) 225-3816

Honorable Maxine Waters2344 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 
20515202-225-2201 phone202-225-7854 fax

Honorable Martin Meehan2229 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, DC 
20515Phone: (202) 225-3411Fax: (202) 226-0771TTY: (202) 225-1904

Honorable Bill Delahunt 2454 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3111
Fax: (202) 225-5658
William.Delahunt at mail.house.gov

Honorable Anthony Weiner 1122 Longworth House Office Building Washington DC 
20515 (202) 225-6616
weiner at mail.house.gov

United Nations:

Louise Arbour, U.N. High Commissioner for Human RightsUnited Nations Office 
at Geneva
1211 Geneva 10SwitzerlandFax: 41-22-917-9022E-mail: tb-petitions at ohchr.org
U.N. Working Group on Indigenous PopulationsUnited Nations Office at Geneva
1211 Geneva 10SwitzerlandEmail: WGindigenous at ohchr.orgFax: 41-22-917-9008

The Special Rapporteur on human rights and fundamental freedoms of 
indigenous peoples: Mr. Rodolfo StavenhagenHis contact person is: Pablo 
Espiniella, Human Rights Officer: Tel. 41-22-917-9413 Fax 41-22-917-9008; 
email: indigenous at ohchr.org

U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions
c/o Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
CH-1211, Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: 41-22- 917-9006

*FREE LEONARD PELTIER!*
*FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!*
*http://www.leonardpeltier.org*
*http://www.peltiersupport.org*

The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
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