Pittsburgh: Call In Campaign for Striking County Jail Prisoners

On March 18th at 7 AM about 80 prisoners at the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh launched a 24 hour sit-in strike, refusing to leave their cells for work, meals, or anything else. They are demanding the following:

1. Permit the Justice Project to have immediate access to the ACJ as volunteer interns, with designated areas within the jail to conduct inmate interviews and generate reports.
2. Expand unit management staff to include more case workers or assistants to better manage the affairs of inmates.
3. Change the method in which medical services are provided to inmates and ensure adequate meds are dispensed.
4. Provide inmates to a legitimate grievance procedure.
5. Require the DOC and Prison Board to ensure that all administrative rules and DOC policies are accessible to inmates.

Please call the jail and the Allegheny County Executive’s office to express your support! It is important to let the administration know that the striking prisoners have significant support on the outside in order to minimize retaliation as much as possible.

Don’t neglect that fax number either. Faxzero.com will let you send free faxes. Use a black background with white text to help the county administration dispose of all those excess toner cartridges cluttering their office supplies closet…

Orlando Harper, ACJ Warden
Phone: 412-350-2000

Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive
Phone: 412-350-6500
Fax: 412-350-6512

Sample script: Hi, I’m calling in support of the prisoners who held a sit-in protest recently. Please meet all their demands and refrain from any retaliation against them.

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