California Prison Hunger Strike Update
there was a post about this yesterday, but the situation is deteriorating fast and i thought it warranted another post.
this mother jones piece has a good explanation of the circumstances that precipitated thousands of prisoners throughout the state going on hunger strike, and there's more at the website of the Prison Hunger Strike Solidarity coalition.
Hunger Strikers' Health Rapidly Deteriorates
photo from the original mother jones reporting on the hunger strike.
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity coalition received an urgent update from medical staff at Pelican Bay State Prison that the health of at least 200 hunger strikers in the SHU is rapidly worsening. A source with access to the current medical conditions who prefers to be unnamed reported:
“The prisoners are progressing rapidly to the organ damaging consequences of dehydration. They are not drinking water and have decompensated rapidly. A few have tried to sip water but are so sick that they are vomiting it back up. Some are in renal failure and have been unable to make urine for 3 days. Some are having measured blood sugars in the 30 range, which can be fatal if not treated.“
SHU prisoners at Pelican Bay have said they are willing to risk their lives and will continue to strike until their demands are met. The CDCR continues to refuse to negotiate.
Prisoners across CA continue to refuse food in solidarity with the Pelican Bay SHU hunger strikers.
This past weekend, families and friends sent encouragement and support to their loved ones during weekend visits at prisons across the state, witnessing the toll the hunger strike is taking on their bodies. Families have said their loved ones are extremely pale, shaking and have already lost 20-30 pounds. Some families of prisoners who have only been drinking water for 12 days now witnessed their loved ones faint or go into diabetic shock in visiting rooms over the weekend.
People locked up across the state have been telling their friends and families about the tactics prison officials have been using to break the strike.
Many prisoners have said that medications are being denied to prisoners on hunger strike.
Prisoners have reported that guards in at least Pelican Bay General Population and Calipatria State Prison have been calling throughout blocks and units: “The Hunger Strike is over! The 5 demands have been met!” which is not true. According to family members of prisoners at Calipatria, participation at Calipatria was huge-at least 1,500 prisoners throughout that prison alone joined the hunger strike- until the guards spread rumors of the strike ending. Some prisoners at Calipatria remain on hunger strike, however.
While the CDCR released it’s estimate of 6,600 prisoners participating in the hunger strike during the 4th of July weekend and declared the numbers dropping to over 2,100 in the following days, of course the CDCR failed to mentioned how and why that happened. The decline in numbers in no way demonstrates a lack of support or dedication to this struggle from the prisoners, rather how eager the CDCR is to make this issue go away quickly and quietly.
Families and community organizations like Prison Moratorium Project continue to rally support outside of striking prisons like Corcoran, sharing information and trying to visit their loved ones as regularly as possible. Families and community members are also supporting the strike outside Pelican Bay.
source
as a good friend of mine, who first brought this to my attention, so eloquently put it: "when a society chooses to use incarceration as a punishment, it assumes responsibility for the lives of the persons it incarcerates -- it is obligated to treat its prisoners fairly and humanely. that's all the men of Pelican Bay want."
californians can help by contacting your representatives and Governor Brown to put pressure on the CDCR to come to the table. there's also a petition for signatures.
this mother jones piece has a good explanation of the circumstances that precipitated thousands of prisoners throughout the state going on hunger strike, and there's more at the website of the Prison Hunger Strike Solidarity coalition.
Hunger Strikers' Health Rapidly Deteriorates
photo from the original mother jones reporting on the hunger strike.
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity coalition received an urgent update from medical staff at Pelican Bay State Prison that the health of at least 200 hunger strikers in the SHU is rapidly worsening. A source with access to the current medical conditions who prefers to be unnamed reported:
“The prisoners are progressing rapidly to the organ damaging consequences of dehydration. They are not drinking water and have decompensated rapidly. A few have tried to sip water but are so sick that they are vomiting it back up. Some are in renal failure and have been unable to make urine for 3 days. Some are having measured blood sugars in the 30 range, which can be fatal if not treated.“
SHU prisoners at Pelican Bay have said they are willing to risk their lives and will continue to strike until their demands are met. The CDCR continues to refuse to negotiate.
Prisoners across CA continue to refuse food in solidarity with the Pelican Bay SHU hunger strikers.
This past weekend, families and friends sent encouragement and support to their loved ones during weekend visits at prisons across the state, witnessing the toll the hunger strike is taking on their bodies. Families have said their loved ones are extremely pale, shaking and have already lost 20-30 pounds. Some families of prisoners who have only been drinking water for 12 days now witnessed their loved ones faint or go into diabetic shock in visiting rooms over the weekend.
People locked up across the state have been telling their friends and families about the tactics prison officials have been using to break the strike.
Many prisoners have said that medications are being denied to prisoners on hunger strike.
Prisoners have reported that guards in at least Pelican Bay General Population and Calipatria State Prison have been calling throughout blocks and units: “The Hunger Strike is over! The 5 demands have been met!” which is not true. According to family members of prisoners at Calipatria, participation at Calipatria was huge-at least 1,500 prisoners throughout that prison alone joined the hunger strike- until the guards spread rumors of the strike ending. Some prisoners at Calipatria remain on hunger strike, however.
While the CDCR released it’s estimate of 6,600 prisoners participating in the hunger strike during the 4th of July weekend and declared the numbers dropping to over 2,100 in the following days, of course the CDCR failed to mentioned how and why that happened. The decline in numbers in no way demonstrates a lack of support or dedication to this struggle from the prisoners, rather how eager the CDCR is to make this issue go away quickly and quietly.
Families and community organizations like Prison Moratorium Project continue to rally support outside of striking prisons like Corcoran, sharing information and trying to visit their loved ones as regularly as possible. Families and community members are also supporting the strike outside Pelican Bay.
source
as a good friend of mine, who first brought this to my attention, so eloquently put it: "when a society chooses to use incarceration as a punishment, it assumes responsibility for the lives of the persons it incarcerates -- it is obligated to treat its prisoners fairly and humanely. that's all the men of Pelican Bay want."
californians can help by contacting your representatives and Governor Brown to put pressure on the CDCR to come to the table. there's also a petition for signatures.