Hunger Strike Launched Inside Sterling Correctional Facility in Colorado

The following report was forwarded to It’s Going Down after being first sent to people within the Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) network, who received correspondence from an inmate being housed in the MCC (ad-seg) unit of Sterling Correctional Complex in Sterling, CO and details a hunger strike. 

The report details a current hunger strike taking place there in that unit. In the letter, the contact listed the inmates’ 5 demands/points for the hunger strike and requested that supporters try to spread the information as much as possible.

As you know, the State wants nothing more than for these vital sacrifices to be silenced, and it feels very important that we have been able to receive this correspondence considering security measures and his report that communications are being suspended.

Statement from Inside Sterling

First I want to send to you and all at the Denver ABC my love, respect, and appreciation. Organizations like the ABC are the lifeblood of the struggle inside these tombs. I also like the quote. “They tried to bury us, they didn’t realize we were seeds.” So true. Which brings me to this next topic.

Right now as I write you this myself, as well as 38 other men here in Sterling’s “MCC” (another name for Ad-Seg) are on 24 hour lockdown for 2 weeks and counting. Some have been on this lockdown for 3 months and counting. At the moment there are 10 engaged in a hunger strike and by the time you receive this letter that number will have doubled.

I do not know what sort of assistance you could provide but what I am sending you here below are our 5 demands/points of the hunger strike. And we need help getting this out to the following people: – Governor Hickenlooper’s office – The Warden of Sterling Correctional Facility – Director of Prisons Rick Raemisch – The New York Times – The Denver Post – All Local Denver News Stations ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX

THE 5 DEMANDS/POINTS OF HUNGER STRIKE

#1.) End of group punishments. Especially the “off the record” policy known as “redtag” used at Sterling. This is in reference to Colorado’s prisons locking down entire groups for one person’s actions. And it is almost exclusively used to lockdown groups of Hispanic inmates, which can force anywhere between 20-100 Hispanic inmates to be held indefinitely in solitary (for no action of their own) for months at a time. At any given moment.

#2.) Abolish solitary confinement, but especially as a punishment to retaliate against inmates who refuse to attend/participate in intel/ICC interviews.

#3.) C.D.O.C must comply with all parts of the settlement reached in Decotuex v. Raemisch as well as adhere to the statements made by Rick Raemisch himself in a Nov. 2017 New York Times article and statements where he stated “solitary confinement and extended restrictive housing have been abolished in Colorado. No inmate will be held in RH [restrictive housing] longer than 15 days.”

#4.) Refund all inmates; money for outstanding subscription and GTL Linkunit accounts due to tablets being recalled.

#5.) Expand educational programs to include some correspondence courses and programs to help build and strengthen family unity between inmates and their families in the outside world.