Phone Zap!: Corcoran Warden Reneges on Pledge to Meet Demands of Hunger Strike

On January 9, 2019 an estimated 250 prisoners initiated a hunger strike within California State Prison – Corcoran’s 3C facility in response to an indefinite lockdown. On January 28 after three weeks of refusing food trays, the warden met with representatives, granted full canteen privileges and promised to work out a separate yard schedule. The strikers suspended their hunger strike and were ready to continue negotiations in good faith.

Over the last two weeks there has been NO PROGRESS on receiving full canteen or separate yard time. The warden has reneged on all pledges so the strikers of 3C refused breakfast trays on Monday and held a day long noise demo banging on doors and windows. The initial demands remain and strikers insist that they be dealt with in good faith.

BACKGROUND: All units within 3C have been on “modified program” for 4 months now. This essentially means a “lockdown” in all meaningful aspects – no visitation, no canteen, no packages, no educational, rehab or vocational programming, and little yard time. The pretext for this indefinite lockdown by CDCr of hundreds of prisoners for months on end is an altercation on Sept 28th which saw three prisoners from their grouping attacked and put into the infirmary. Group punishments and indefinite isolation are standard practices by CDCr and must stop. In addition, guards have been setting up “dogfights” or “gladiator matches” on the yard between hostile groups: They hand pick a pair of prisoners from the group that intitiated hostilities for yard time then release another pair of targeted prisoners onto the yard to be attacked. These practices only escalate trauma and conflict, and ultimately only promote violence and destabilization within facilities. This effects are not an accident or “regrettable by-products”. This is how CDCr interprets its mission: control by brutalization and division.

Representatives of the unit have composed and relayed their demands to the outside as follows:

Corcoran State Prison (3C YRD)

6 Core Demands Are As Follows:

1. Lift Lock-Down.
2. Allow Visits.
3. Allow Us To Attend Educational Vocational & Rehabilitation Programs That We’re Enrolled In
4. Allow us to Receive Commissary & Packages
5. That We Be Given Our Weekly 10 hrs Mandated Of Outdoor Exercise Yard
6. That We Are Treated Fairly

***WE’VE BEEN ON THIS PEACEFUL HUNGER STRIKE SINCE JANUARY 9TH, 2019 AND HAVE YET TO SEE CHANGE…
WE WILL CONTINUE THIS HUNGER STRIKE UNTIL OUR VOICES ARE HEARD.”

PHONE-ZAP THIS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, 2/13-14

The hunger strike representatives have requested phone calls be made to officials in Sacramento to amplify the demands. Put aside some time this Wednesday and Thursday, 2/13-14 to make some calls!

SAMPLE SCRIPT and PHONE NUMBERS

“Hello, my name is ***_________. I’m calling to insist that you meet the demands of hunger strikers in Facility 3C at Corcoran State Prison. I understand that this strike is the result of at least four months of an effective lockdown which must end. I demand that you lift the lock-down, and reinstate visits, educational, vocational, and rehabilitative programs, as well as safe yard time. Reinstate access to commissary, packages, and their allotted 10 hrs of yard time. This is the MINIMUM level of fairness that you are required to provide to people in your care. Thank you.”

PHONE NUMBERS in order. If you can’t get through on one, you can move on to the next.

1) Regional Director, Dave Baughman – (916) 445-2165 (or email at [email protected])

2) CDCr Division of Adult Institutions – (916) 445-7688 (ask for Director)
3) CDCr Secretary Ralph Diaz – (916) 324-7308 [main CDCr line; ask to leave message for Sec. Diaz]

Don’t worry about staff or representatives giving you the runaround or denying that anything is happening at Corcoran. Denial and obstruction are standard operating procedure for them.

Please report back in comments right here!

*** You aren’t obligated to give your name if you don’t wish.