Kinetik Justice Enters 11th Day of Hunger Strike In Protest of ADOC Abuses; Phone Zap Called

Update and information on phone zap to support Kinetik Justice, who is currently on the 11th day of a hunger strike.

The Alabama Department of Corrections is once again targeting and repressing incarcerated hunger striker Robert Earl Council (AKA Kinetik Justice) for exposing the inhumane conditions at Limestone Correctional Facility. This demonstrates just one case in a long pattern of ADOC’s retaliation against Kinetik Justice.

This time, he has been accused guilty on a trumped up disciplinary charge which involved drugs being planted in his cell as an attempt to justify throwing him into solitary confinement. This clear attempt to silence him is directly related to his ongoing organizing efforts to expose rampant corruption and extortion by staff and administration at Limestone Correctional Facility. Council has no history of drug use or possession throughout his over twenty three years in prison, and in fact has a reputation among prisoners and staff alike of being a positive influence on fellow prisoners. He is often called on by prison staff to resolve conflicts between other prisoners.

On October 29, Kinetik Justice began a hunger strike in protest of his transfer to solitary, and is now on his 11th day of refusing all food. He is currently housed in the infirmary at Limestone CF. As one of the founders of the Free Alabama Movement (FAM), Kinetik is known both in and outside of Alabama’s prisons as a peacekeeper, educator, and leader of nonviolent prison strikes. He has many outside supporters who are willing to disrupt business as usual at Limestone CF, in order to demand his immediate transfer out of Limestone into general population at a different facility, and the removal of the fraudulent disciplinary charge.

Kinetik will continue his strike, demanding to speak with the Investigations and Intelligence Division of the ADOC, as well as the lead investigators for the U.S. Department of Justice working on the civil rights investigation of officer on inmate violence.  He also demands unfettered access to his legal counsel, which the ADOC has recently been interfering with.

Through his strike, Kinetik continues working to expose egregious and illegal activities including officer on inmate violence at Limestone CF. Him and his free-world supporters demand accountability and action regarding the following ongoing and uninvestigated issues at Limestone CF:

1.   The illegal use of C Dorm for solitary confinement
2.   Former-Captain Robinson’s use of the ‘bucket detail’ torture practice and role in orchestrating an illegal gambling ring since at least the spring of 2019
3.   The ongoing operation of the illegal gambling ring and extortion by the new Captain Denise McKinsey and Officer Jeremy Pelzer
4.   The complaint against Lieutenant Bright for destroying prisoner’s legal work
5.   The recent lawsuit initiated by incarcerated individual Travis Griggs against officer Jeremy Pelzer

Although the current hunger strike is in response to Kinetik’s situation at Limestone CF, it underscores a larger context of corruption and injustice all throughout the ADOC. While the Alabama Department of Corrections proves itself yet again to be incapable of managing its existing prison facilities, Governor Kay Ivey wants to build 3 new mega prisons in Alabama this year. Kinetik and his supporters know that more prisons are not a solution, and will continue advocating for truth and justice for those incarcerated in Alabama.

Phone Zap Campaign

Our Comrade Kinetik Justice is still at Limestone Correctional Facility, one of the most repressive prisons in Alabama. Kinetik was sent to solitary confinement after drugs were planted in his cell, and has been on a hunger strike since October 29th 2019. He is currently housed in the infirmary at Limestone CF, (the same infirmary where a nurse told him she hoped he would drop dead last time he was on a hunger strike).

Kinetik is a founder of the Free Alabama Movement. He was also instrumental to the founding of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee and the 2016 and 2018 National Prison Strikes. He has put his life on the line to support fellow incarcerated people countless times. For that reason he’s continually targeted and it’s important that we show the system that we have his back.

We ask that you take a moment out of your day to support this incredible human- 

Who To Call: 

• Limestone CF, Warden Estes: (256) 233-4600

• ADOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn: 334-353-3883

• ADOC Intelligence & Investigations, Arnaldo Mercado: 334-353-3883

• ADOC Fax #: 334 353 8922

(Faxing is extremely effective! Here is a 100 page pdf to fax to ADOC:  Tinyurl.com/FreeKinetikPDF )

Call Script: 

“Hello, I’m calling about Robert Earl Council (AIS#181418). I understand he is on hunger strike and being sentenced to segregation on trumped up charges as retaliation for exposing corruption going on at Limestone. I demand his immediate transfer to another facility, the removal of his fraudulent disciplinary charge, and to know what you are doing about the illegal gambling and extortion being promoted by Captain McKinsey and Mr. Pelzer.  I will keep calling until we have answers.

Tips for Making Calls:

• Be firm but polite, insist on speaking to the person you are calling for
• Leave a message if no one answers
• Refuse to give any information that you may be uncomfortable sharing with the state (e.g. full legal name, organizational affiliation, etc.)
• Record phonecalls whenever possible and send recordings to [email protected]
• Send any new information gathered from calls to [email protected] or Tweet @FightXPrisons