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Apr 23, 18

Phone Zap: Defend Survivors of the Lucasville Uprising

In clear retaliation during the 25th anniversary of the 1993 uprising, the Ohio State Penitentiary administration rolled back communication access and possibly other conditions exclusively for the survivors of the Lucasville Uprising.

Please call Ohio State Penitentiary and ask to speak with Warden Bowen. Then demand that the recent changes be reversed.

– The policy change seems to have impacted Imam Siddique Hasan, Greg Curry, Jason Robb, Namir Mateen (James Were), Keith LaMar and possibly others. Some of these prisoners were actively reaching out to media regarding the 25th anniversary, others weren’t. Some are on special “5A long-timer” status, (something the prison invented to keep them at OSP indefinitely) others are at lower security levels. The common thread is that they’re all survivors of the uprising.

-The move took place late Friday afternoon, so that supporters would be unable to call the prison for more information or to reverse the policy until Monday morning.

-This prevented Imam Hasan from calling in to solidarity events this weekend.

-A new captain on the block has been threatening to return “long-timer” privileges back to “how it used to be.” That might refer to conditions before the series of hunger strikes that won increased contact visitation, phone access, law library, congregate recreation, Jpay kiosk access for email and video visits, and less restrictions on books and music. We’re not sure at this time which of these conditions have changed.

-Greg Curry is not on “long-timer” status, but his communication access is restricted. He was even scheduled to transfer out of the institution last month, until admin canceled the transfer without explanation at the last minute.

-Four of the restricted prisoners are litigants in a media access lawsuit which has been making gains in the courts. This move could be motivated by retaliation for that success.

Call-In Campaign:

330-743-0700

Script:

“Hello, my name is _____. I’m calling to demand you reverse Friday’s policy changes that imposed new restrictions on prisoners impacted by the Lucasville uprising. None of these prisoners violated any rules and there’s no justification for rolling back important policies that help them survive the 25 years of solitary confinement the ODRC has cruelly subjected them to.”

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Central Ohio chapter of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC), part of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

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