Call-In Campaign for Arizona Prisoner Adrien J Espinoza on Hunger Strike

Friends and family of longtime Arizona prison rebel Adrien J Espinoza, are requesting your assistance in supporting Adrien on hunger strike in A.S.P.C. Florence – Kasson Unit (located in Florence, AZ) to win some basic demands from the prison. Adrien began his hunger strike on 12/8, and has requested that supporters call the prison and urge them to grant him some basic demands for his strike.

The number to ASPC Florence is (520) 868-4011. The Warden is Kevin Curran, and Deputy Warden is Ruben Montano. The Chief of Security is Rodrick Williams.

Please call and pass this information along any support networks.

The following is a correspondence from Adrien, which we have permission to share, of his demands when he initiated his hunger strike in September:

I urge you to call daily to push ADOC (Arizona Department of Corrections) to resolve my issues before my strike severely affects my health and safety. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

List of Hunger Strike Resolutions:

1. Allow me to resume taking my paralegal correspondence course

2. Rescind the ban on all my incoming magazines and books.

3. Give me my TV from property office

4. Give me my prescription eyeglasses from property (Resolved 10/4/17)

5. Allow me to receive sunglasses in accordance with my special needs order

6. Remove me from Protective Custody status

7. Provide me unfettered access to grievance forms

8. Provide me with regularly scheduled legal calls to my attorneys

9. Conduct legal box exchanges in accordance with policy. (Resolved 10/1/17)

10. Allow me to do book exchanges with my personal books in property

More Info:

1. ADOC allowed me to begin the course, via Blackstone career institute. I aced the first exam. My tuition sponsor (my mom) and I entered into an $800 enrollment agreement, only to be told by ADC I could not continue the course because maximum custody prisoners cannot take correspondence courses. I am no longer a max custody inmate; I’ve lowered my score. I am now close custody, but ADC still wont allow me to resume the course. This course will help me. It will improve my life, my chances at staying out of prison upon release. I guess the prison doesn’t want that.
2. In Jan 2017, the mail room began enforcing an illegal ban on all my incoming books and magazines because I would regularly appeal their censorship of publications. Presently, I subscribe to more than 20 magazines and newsletters. ADC returns all to sender without giving me a chance to appeal. The same is done with books.
3. I am serving over 3 years of disciplinary loss of privilege sanctions, including loss of appliances. ADC is withholding my TV in property. But, I am the only on in Kasson Unit Wing One being subject to Loss of appliances. Everyone else on LOP is allowed to retain their TV and appliances. They single me out because I file so many grievances and some civil rights lawsuits, which other prisoners are scared to do.
4.  AD said my mom could sending prescription eyeglasses the withheld them upon arrival. They’ve been held in property since May 2017 and are medically necessary. They comply with all ADC policies. (Resolved 10/4/2017)
5. In retaliation for my grievances on mail room, mail room staff keep returning to sender my medical sunglasses under false pretexts. I have a medical Special Needs Order for them. And I’ve previously had sunglasses here and at browning unit, both max custody units.
6. ADC placed me under protective custody without notifying me, violating due process. They put me in PC without cause, as an insult to my integrity and pride. There is no need or justification to put/keep me under PC Status.
7. The prison staff refuse to provide me with the grievance forms I require to proceed in the grievance process in isolation of their own policy. (D.O. 802) and my first amendment right to redress of grievances. My CO III (counselor) Mr. A Oswald refuses to provide me with the forms, as do all staff, who tell me they’ve been ordered not to give them to me.
8. My CO III who’s backed by ADC administration on this, refuses to provide me with any legal calls to my two criminal attorneys and my civil rights counsel, all of whom are attorneys of record. This violates my constitutional rights to speak with and consult with my lawyers, and is causing irreparable damage to my cases
9. Kasson property officer Ms. T Williams repeatedly violates policy (DO 909) by not allowing me to do legal box exchanges. Property is to conduct exchanges within 3 days of the request. I submit weekly for the past 5 months. She has allowed only 1 exchange. Because I am only permitted to possess 4 of my 16 legal boxes in my cell, this violation prohibits me room accessing vital legal documents, and thus hinders my ability to adequately litigate my cases. I’ve filed many grievances on Williams, and this is her retaliation. (resolved 10/1/17)
10. I have several personal books in property. Williams superiors at central office have ordered her to allow me to do book exchanges but she refuses t let me. This has been going on for one year, since my September 7 2016 arrival to Kasson. I simply wish to read my books.

Write to Adrien J Espinoza At:

Adrien J Espinoza #212698
ASPC-Florence/Kasson
PO Box 8200
Florence, AZ 85132