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Dec 22, 16
Filed under: Editorials, Incarceration, Midwest
From Dying To Live
1) For a long time our only news from hunger strikers within the prison came from Cesar De Leon, the stalwart lone survivor of the torturous force feeding techniques used by the prison. Then the prison started forced feeding him only every three days making the process as painful and physically traumatic as is possible. Our information came from a IWW member visitor. his family, and his letters. Here is one letter date the third of December.
2) Norman Green, Uhuru to his friends, and a man who has endured 18 years of solitary confinement, has filed a petition to end this kind of retaliatory forced feeding. He cites national and international experts and organization all who roundly condemn practices that the WI prison system utilizes daily.
3) Letter from Tommy Carter outlines the abuses 6 hunger strikers are undergoing in the seg unit at Waupun Correctional Institution WCI. Here is his letter in pdf form as written and then typed.
Tommie Carter 389297
WCI,PO Box 351; Waupun , Wi 53963
December 18, 2016
Ms Swan, On December 1, 2016, the Department of Corrections was granted a one year order for involuntary evaluation, feeding and hydration of me. I have continuously refused to voluntarily consume any nutrition or hydration in protest of the constitutional violations here at Waupun
In addition to being deprived of minimal civilized measure of life’s necessities as described in “the nature of the hunger strike” that I submitted in case no 16-cv-572 as we are experiencing unrelenting and crushing mental anguish, pain and suffering as a result of the inadequate mental health treatment and many years that we have spent without normal human interaction, in stark and restrictive conditions, without any hope of release from this living nightmare that does not end and will not end.
Ms Swan, the devastating psychological and physical effects of prolonged solitary confinement here at Waupun is well documented to cause mentally ill inmates significant mental harm and places them at grave risk of even more devastating future psychological harm.
As evident of this, me and Mr Cesar DeLeon endure beatings every single day. Because we will not allow WCI officials to weaken and undermine us or break us , as they have claimed, we are causing problems by brainwashing other inmates to go on hunger strikes in support of the protest. Additionally, we were told, that if we continue ti not come out our cells to be forcibly feed or hydrated by WCI nursing staff we would be beaten, So we are beaten, tased or sprayed with substances that are capable of causing death, These agents affects your ability to breathe or see for long periods of time. Dr Salam U Syed recently testified that my health is still deteriorating and that my urine specific gravity show very large amounts of ketones and that my blood work for electrolytes are not normal which could cause metabolic acidosis, electrolyte imbalance, cardiac complications, coma and death.
I believe these are scare tactics because if my gluconeogenesis(?)were in full effects by producing energy from non-conventional sources in my body, I would have been hospitalized already(if it were not in full effect?)
These are the following prisoners at WCI who are on an active hunger strike:
Tommy Carter
Cesar DeLeon
Jose Soto
Brion Nash
Walker
Redmond
Davis
I am also placing you on notice that these people are fabricating these meal monitor logs claiming that we are eating in an attempt to get us off our strikes. It’s just another tactic they use. Please call up here to WCO and inquire about us see what they tell you. I believe another round of protest outside WCI should be done ASAP but this time turn the heat up,
Please send me all the information that you have on the use of force and hunger strikes here at Waupun. Excessive force is still being use on prisoners here at Waupun every day. Please do not forget to let your media and legislative contact know what they are doing to us,
In November to December 2016 we were on modified lock down because officer Nelson was stabbed several times for purportedly(?) provoking and harassing a mentally ill prisoners. Please write me back ASAP to let me know if you get this letter.
Sincerely yours, Tommy Carter
Note: Supporters have looked up these inmates he has noted and found all but two whose names are too common to narrow down. Soon we will have profiles and photos of all and you will be able to write
them encouraging letters
4) Hunger striker in CCI in trouble. This we just received also – is it that suddenly the mail is coming through?
5) LaRon McKinley Bey has been in segregation for over 15 years. He is one bright light here for he is now undergoing treatment at Wisconsin Resource Center and will be transferred soon to another state and to general population. He has a suit in the courts challenging the WI DOC over sue and abuse of solitary confinement, Below in PDF form is a list of demands we recently received. N a recent letter he said he would like to take up his art work again. This man is a fine artist but could not think of anything but survival since his transfer to WCI (links to his art and case other docs coming).
