Jay Chase Denied Care for Huntington’s Disease: Send Letters of Support

From POW Medical Justice:

Political prisoner Jay Chase is currently experiencing rapid progression of symptoms from Huntington’s Disease as he is being denied a diet and supplements that are recommended for his condition.  Navigating any type of chronic health issue within prison is difficult, and HD is no exception.  The symptoms of HD can be described as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – simultaneously, including:

• Personality changes, mood swings & depression
• Forgetfulness & impaired judgment
• Unsteady gait & involuntary movements (chorea)
• Slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing & significant weight loss

At this time, mail and letters to Jay are being requested so he knows he has the support of people who care about him.  Jay will probably not be able to respond to every letter, but it is anticipated that he will appreciate all mail and writing periodic letters, even if he does not respond initially, is welcome.

Support Political prisoner Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin

From Sacramento Prisoner Support:

On September 3rd Jericho Amnesty Movement received a call from a Political Prisoner at USP Canaan concerning Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin. Imam Jamil is in serious need of medical attention. His jaw is swollen to at least twice its normal size, and he is experiencing a lot of pain.

According to his family it is clear that he needed to remain in a medical facility. In addition to his having smoldering multiple myeloma, he has Sjogren’s syndrome, which is another auto immune condition.

The Imam’s family appreciates our continued support and dissemination of information. He has put in a request for a transfer to a warmer climate which he feels may help his condition. In addition, he hopes to be closer to his attorneys and family members.

His family is considering filing a legal action concerning his condition and lack of medical care, but in the meanwhile they ask that we continue to keep him in our discussions.

Please call or fax USP Caaan and ask, demand, that Imam Jamil be given immediate adequate medical attention.

Phone 570-488-8000

Fax 570-488-8130

Let them know you are concerned about Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin 99974-555

You can also write:
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin
99974-555
USP Canaan
PO Box 300
Waymart, PA 18472

Action Needed!

From Support Marius Mason:

July Newsletter of Free Maroon Global Network

From Russell Maroon Shoatz:

Greetings Maroon supporters,

We’re back with our monthly newsletter/e-mail blast on the status of U.S.-held political prisoner Russell Maroon Shoatz. Many thanks for your continued support and solidarity as we push on in the struggle to free our beloved father, grandfather, husband, and mentor.

This month, we bring you an update on Maroon’s recovery from radiation treatment of his prostate cancer, the second installment of our interview series with human rights champion and longtime Maroon supporter Selma James, a letter Maroon recently wrote to the Pope in hopes of having him visit prisoners in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, and a brief reportback on the Spring Maroon Tour’s final event in Oakland, California.

As always, please feel free to contact us directly with your own ideas and connections to support our efforts.

Please also consider contributing to our ongoing fundraising for Maroon. No amount is too little, and all contributions are greatly appreciated.

Connect with Maroon directly by writing to Russell Shoats #AF-3855, SCI-Graterford, P.O. Box 246 Route 29, Graterford, PA 19426 – 0246

Straight Ahead!
The Shoatz Family and Friends

Health Update:
Rebounding From Radiation Treatments

Maroon Writes:

Good News! The radiation therapy that I have been receiving has been successful!

After completing my radiation treatment on June 3, 2015, my oncologist (“Dr. K”), had me seated in a separate “examination room” where, weekly, both he and his physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner (“C.”) would review with me the week’s treatments and my overall condition. He told me that my treatments were completed, asked about my overall feelings, and said something like “From my mouth to God’s ear” what we had accomplished “should do the trick”; which I took to mean rid my body of the cancer. Still I asked him, “Is there any cancer in my body?” And he said, “Any cancer cells in your body are dying,” and that the radiation would continue to attack any cancer cells, that I would begin to feel much better within six to eight weeks, and “get better and better.”

On behalf of my family and myself, I again want to extend my deepest thanks to everyone who has helped in any way. Cancer is simply an exceptionally trying condition to deal with, and when a political prisoner like myself suffers that condition, without strong support from the streets there are many elements within the criminal UNJUSTICE establishment who may very well take that opportunity to interfere with the medical professionals who are willing to help heal you. A tragic history that continues to unfold.

Straight Ahead!
Maroon

To read Maroon’s full detailed health journal follow this link.

Selma James Interview

Selma James, writer, activist, co-founder of the International Wages for Housework Campaign, and coordinator of Global Women’s Strike, is interviewed by Raphael Cohen, for the campaign to free Maroon, in Oakland, California, April 25, 2015. In part 2 of this 4-segment series, James discusses her impressions of Maroon’s recent writings regarding sexism and patriarchy in the racial justice movements of the 1960s and ’70s. She applauds Maroon’s critical self-reflection, supportively questions some of his conclusions, and shares her thoughts on the potentially transformative implications of his and other male prisoners’ commitment to naming, condemning, and ending violence against women.

As the #SayHerName movement to seek justice in often overlooked police killings of black women intensifies following Sandra Bland’s tragic death last week, James’s thoughts on the importance of men’s solidarity in the struggle for women’s liberation couldn’t be timelier. Watch the interview segment here, and stay tuned for parts 3 and 4 in the coming months.

Maroon’s Letter to the Pope 

In the lead-up to Pope Francis’s trip to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families in late September, Maroon has written the Pope an open letter, inviting him to visit with prisoners in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections during his stay, and to hear directly from prisoners about their vision for true rehabilitation and an end to mass incarceration, a topic that now seems to be on the U.S. public’s consciousness more than at any point in the previous few decades.

As Maroon states in his letter: “… while I seek forgiveness and work towards reconciliation with those I have wronged and hurt, the bigger picture urges me to also strive towards laying a foundation to help younger people extract themselves from a generations-old racial, economic, and historical set of contradictions that not only led to my imprisonment, but has since metastasized into the criminalization of millions based on their racial and/or economic standing – an unjust, unethical, and ultimate poisoning of society that is at odds with the compassion and broadness of vision that Your Holiness is held in such high esteem for championing.

Society has everything it needs to rescue itself from the MASS INCARCERATION fallout that has resulted from these failures. And by overcoming this part of our problems, we place ourselves in a position to challenge others to fashion solutions to other social issues that have been eating away at us for so long.

A way forward in uprooting MASS INCARCERATION rests with offering every prisoner – as well as every prison employee – an opportunity to obtain the type of education and skill-sets needed by society in the 21st century, all of which can be accomplished by joining the global online revolution in higher education.”

To read Maroon’s full letter to the Pope follow this link.

We’ve received indication that the Pope will, in fact, visit Philadelphia’s Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (CFC) while in town, and we invite you to reiterate the importance of such a visit, and express your support for it, by tweeting the official Papal Twitter account, @Pontifex, with a message echoing Maroon’s sentiments. We ask that you not specify Maroon by name, but rather, use the slogan he’s put forth in his letter. One such tweet tweet might read: “@Pontifex Please take time to meet Pennsylvania prisoners. MASS EDUCATION–YES! MASS INCARCERATION–NO!” If you do choose to tweet, please also include the hashtags #PopeVisitPAprisoners and #PopeInPhilly.

Spring Maroon Tour Concludes

Lastly, the Spring Maroon 2015 Book and Culinary tour concluded this month in Oakland, California, with an event entitled “The 4^th of the Lie,” a panel discussion “about the importance of independence and self-determination for colonized peoples,” hosted by the Qilombo Cultural Center. Maroon’s son, Russell the III, joined Shaka At-thinnin, founder of the Black August Organizing Committee, on the evening of July 4^th, to expound on some of his father’s ideas from the essay collection Maroon The Implacable.

While fireworks and car alarms were going off every couple minutes right outside of Qilombo’s doors, Russell shared his thoughts with a multi-generational audience on the importance of coalition-building across movement sectors, even and especially when said sectors may be unfamiliar with one another’s mores and norms; the importance of men challenging sexism and supporting the aspirations and self-determination of women; and the crucial role of localized food production in the midst of large agri-business expansion, coupled with lack of access to healthy food and chronic health problems in working class communities of color.

This last point proved especially timely, as Qilombo community members have recently been involved in a struggle to preserve the Afrika Town Garden they established for the purpose of providing healthy, locally-grown produce to their neighborhood. After years of neglecting the lot on which Afrika Town was recently born, its owner has threatened to evict volunteers and raze the garden, in a clear attempt to make his property more appealing to potential well-off buyers in a rapidly gentrifying part of town. Read more about the struggle to defend the Afrika Town Garden.

As always, we offer you our profound gratitude for your support, and our hope to celebrate greater victories with you in the days to come…

The Shoatz Family and Friends

 

Russell Maroon Shoatz: Continued from May 3, 2015 – June 10, 2015

Free Russell Maroon Shoatz:

Chronology of Major Health Problems

(Continued from May 3, 2015)

Note: Good News! The radiation therapy that I have been receiving has been successful! So I will keep this short, just highlighting the main aspects of what has occurred so that we can turn our attention to some of the other problems that confront us.

43. From Mondays to Fridays, from May 4, 2015, until May 29, 2015, with the exception of Memorial Day, I received radiation therapy. It continued from June 1, 2015 until June 3, 2015.

44. Nothing out of the ordinary to report concerning the treatment by the guards that transported me to the cancer center: always three guards, supervised by a lieutenant, although usually different guards each trip; while normally two regular guards accompany other prisoners on these hospital trips, and on most days my party would see such occurring within the same hospital.

45. After completing my radiation treatment on June 3, 2015, my oncologist (“Dr. K”), had me seated in a separate “examination room” where, weekly, both he and his physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner (“C.”) would review with me the week’s treatments and my overall condition. He told me that my treatments were completed, asked about my overall feelings, and said something like “From my mouth to God’s ear” what we had accomplished “should do the trick”; which I took to mean rid my body of the cancer. Still I asked him, “Is there any cancer in my body?” And he said, “Any cancer cells in your body are dying,” and that the radiation would continue to attack any cancer cells, that I would begin to feel much better within six to eight weeks, and “get better and better.”

46. It’s well established that a cancer is a group of cells (usually coming from a single cell) that has uncontrolled growth. Thus his answer satisfied me; especially since he had told me during an earlier examination that I had to continue to drink a lot of water, since “the cancer is not going to evaporate into the sky,” but would be passed in my urine, something the “dying” cancer cells in my body will hopefully do.

47. Dr. K then had me sign discharge papers, and handed the guard typed instructions to deliver to the Graterford medical staff concerning my follow-up care, which Dr. K. told me would consist of periodic blood tests and prostate examinations that I have become very familiar with. And that I would remain on this regiment for the rest of my life, along with taking certain medications.

48. I thanked him, as well as “A.” and “B.,” the two radiation therapists who were busy monitoring another patient I caught a glimpse of on the desktop monitors as the guards were wheeling me away in a wheelchair, since I was always required to be moved around the hospital in that manner.

49. Since then I had a visit with one of my lawyers, who said he would move to acquire the balance of my medical records so that we could review what has been written since the last batch of medical records we obtained.

50. It’s been exactly one week since my last radiation therapy treatment, and up until two days ago, the fatigue from those treatments was almost overwhelming! That particular side effect accompanied most of over two months of treatments. Yesterday and today I have been feeling a little more energy, and Dr. K said that I must view the ending of the radiation treatments and my recovery in the same manner; meaning, one would not expect to immediately recover after undergoing surgery. Though psychologically I am less stressed, obviously…

Major Eye Problems

8. During the visit with my lawyer, mentioned above, he told me to submit a request to the Chief Health Care Administrator here concerning the cataract surgery on my right eye that the outside specialist recommended after examining my eye on May 1, 2015. And if there is an anymore undue delay, my lawyer will follow up with a notice to begin legal action towards getting that taken care of as well.

On behalf of my family and myself, I again want to extend my deepest thanks to everyone who has helped in any way. Cancer is simply an exceptionally trying condition to deal with, and when a political prisoner like myself suffers that condition, without strong support from the streets there are many elements within the criminal UNJUSTICE establishment who may very well take that opportunity to interfere with the medical professionals who are willing to help heal you. A tragic history that continues to unfold.

Straight Ahead!

Maroon

Anarchist prisoner Eric King; NAABC Conference; Trouncing KKK in Columbia, SC

AshevilleFM:

The Final Straw

Airs on WSFM-LP 103.3 in Asheville / streaming at AshevilleFM from 3am EST on July 20th through July 26th, 2015, then podcasting at radio4all.net. Also airing this week on KOWA-LPFM in Olympia, WA, KWTF in Bodega Bay, CA, KXCF in Marshall, CA, and WCRS-LP Columbus Community Radio 98.3 and 102.1 FM. The show will later be archived at TheFinalStrawRadio.NoBlogs.Org. Drop us a line at thefinalstrawradio(aT)riseup(dooot)net for suggestions or comments.

We can be reached by snail mail at:
The Final Straw
c/o AshevilleFM
864 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806

This week we spoke with a supporter of Eric King. Eric is a 28 year old vegan anarchist in Kansas City, Missouri, who’s facing possibly life plus 20 years in federal prison for allegedly attempting to molotov a Senator’s office. No one was inside the building or in danger of direct injury. He has been held in Solitary confinement at CCA Leavenworth in Kansas for 6 months as a July 14th due to his potential life sentence. Eric’s trial has been pushed back to October 26th,

2015. More on Eric’s case can be found at support e r i c king.wordpress.com . We also speak about the upcoming North American Anarchist Black Cross conference which is currently in it’s fundraising phase. The NAABC conference brings together advocates of political prisoners, prison abolitionists and other troublemakers once a year in order to better share skills and network. More on fundraising for this event can be found at http://www.youcaring.com/north-american-political-prisoners-366217

Click here for a firsthand account of anti-KKK actions that occurred Saturday, July 18th in Columbia, South Carolina that we received and wanted to share.

Interesting video and pictures from this event can be found at It’s Going Down, a new anarchist news site focusing mostly on North American struggles.

Now, an update from the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee about the complaints of forced medicalization and medication of concerned prisoners at SECC outside of Charleston, Missouri. Sadly, time constraints made it so we couldn’t announce this in the episode, but here it is anyway:
“Update 7-15-15 ~ FINALLY!! A month and a half after receiving the first letter of complaint about psychological and medical torture, we received a letter from one of the people involved saying that things are getting better and they are working their way off the forced medication now. Many, many thanks to everyone who has participated in this calling campaign. This would not be getting better without all of your help. Please continue to stay in touch with us by liking the IWOC fakebook page here https://www.facebook.com/incarceratedworkers ”

Also from IWOC:
“You may be familiar with Ricky Kidd’s case of innocence and his request to have DNA from the crime scene tested is being considered in Jackson County Courts. To find out about his case you can go to http://freerickykidd.com

In the meantime, Ricky is fighting another battle with the MO Department of Corrections that could lead to losing a leg or even his death. Ricky is a diabetic and has a soft tissue sore that has gotten into the bone of his leg and created a condition that is potentially life threatening. He was diagnosed with Osteomyelitis about four months ago, a condition that if it had been properly treated at the time would have healed by now. The proper treatment is a 6 week course of very strong antibiotics administered via an IV. The DOC has been giving Ricky an Oral antibiotic every other week and now the infection has moved from the tissue to the bone and is putting him at risk of losing his leg. The medical personnel have told him his situation is dire and must be properly addressed immediately as there is not only the risk of amputation but a risk of death if this infection migrated to his bloodstream.

Please call the Missouri Department of Corrections at 573-751-2389 and request to speak to Adrian Hardy in the Medical Division. You must reference Ricky Kidd # 528343, he is housed at Crossroads Correctional Center. They probably will not transfer you and will tell you that Harriett Clark is the contact person for this case. Register your concern and then call again the next day. We cannot allow this innocent man to be maimed or killed by the DOC by neglect or malfeasance.

Please forward this to your friends, associates and State Representatives, as well as post to FB where you can. We need a flood of calls to help get Ricky proper treatment.

Find out more about Osteomyelitis at this link – Osteomyelitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment at http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/osteomyeltis-treatment-diagnosis-symptoms”

Playlist: http://www.ashevillefm.org/node/13059

Here is that account of the KKK getting trounced in South Carolina on July 18th:
“Yesterday in Columbia SC the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan assembled in order to protest the removal of the Confederate flag from the state house. I’m told that their permit was originally set to accommodate 100-200 people. However, this pathetic organization has dwindled in numbers since its heyday in the 1920s, and there were fewer than 75 klan present at any given time. This event happened on the same day as an anti-colonial and antiracist event was held in Tuscon to protest an islamophobic and white supremacist group, and is happening in the wake of a resurgence of white supremacist rhetoric and actions in this country. People came out in droves and showed the racists that they are not welcome in Columbia, or anywhere!

Despite the almost 100 degree weather and at least the 100 cops, paramilitary, and state troopers swarming the grounds, I’d say that there were at least 2,000 anti racists, anti-fascists, and community members present ranging from concerned clergy to the much maligned out of town anarchists of all races. I was in a group of caucasian folks and non black people of color, and it felt vibrantly good to show our faces in the midst of this crowd, which I’d say consisted primarily of black people of all ages and the remaining third were folks of other races. The solidarity in the crowd was palpable, with people starting conversations with strangers, helping others out with water, and looking out for each other in the face of police violence.

When I rolled up to the event, the anti conf flag counter rally on the other side of the state house was starting to wrap up. This seemed to be mostly made up of New Black Panther Party and Nation of Islam members. The KKK harrassed these people with racial slurs when they themselves paraded up minutes later through a funnel of their cop protectors, brandishing confederate flags and Nazi swastikas and screaming “white power”.

They were instantly met with jeers and heckling from their numerous enemies, which reached such a pitch that it made one of the racists burst into tears. At one point, one racist got separated from his group and was surrounded by the crowd, which screamed at him to go the fuck home and things like that. One man got arrested at this point and carted off to the crowd yelling “let him go”.

The KKK then stood in the baking sun on the steps of the state house for about an hour. They roasted in the heat and waved their flags behind a phalanx of their pig handlers, all the while making pitiful attempts to engage the antiracist crowd, which had them outnumbered almost 27 to one. Some of their sympathizers who were dressed in confederate flag apparel were chased off the premises during this time, including one homophobic preacher and one Nazi peace police who was attempting to verbally shame people into leaving the racists alone. Several of the klan passed out from heatstroke during this time, including one old racist who had to be carried away by the cops wrapped up in a confederate flag.

The police cut their flag waving rally short by an hour due to the numbers of antiracists, which were growing steadily. The real fun began when the klan began to move out to the parking garage where their vehicles were being guarded by even more police. The cops attempted to hoodwink the crowd into focusing on one exit of the garage, while the klan was exiting out of another around the back. When the crowd got wind of this, we took to the streets and ran around the building to confront the klan as they drove out of town. They mostly had their windows up, staring forward and looking beaten. One klansdude however became so enraged at the verbal attacks he was recieving that he drove his SUV into a pole, crushing the front end of the car which leaked radiator fluid all over the pavement. The cops were unprepared for this, and the car was surrounded by antiracists who pounded on the windows and hurled rocks at the damaged vehicle. The cops then forceably surrounded the car and drove the antiracists back. Several people got detained briefly by the police and then violently unarrested by their comrades at this point. After about half an hour of tussling between cops and antiracists, a perimeter was established around the car and it drove away amid more heckling.

After this time the crowd marched back up to the state house, where the few remaining klan supporters were confronted and driven out of Columbia. I’m not sure how many people got arrested, but I think it was at least 5 people, for disorderly conduct and assaulting an officer. I’d urge people to keep up with that news, and help with people’s bail however they can. Since this happened on a Saturday, I think people should be out by Monday.

Throughout all of this, it seemed very clear that the crowd had pinpointed their real enemies as being the police. While people were mad about the klan they were even angrier at the cops for protecting these Nazi racist scum. The weak attempts by cop sympathizers on the AR side to focus the crowd’s anger at solely the KKK were entirely unsuccessful. I think that this event will be one in a series of many active and vibrant displays of anti racist and anti white supremacist actions in this country. I hope that people are staying safe and keeping their friends close.

Toward a world without racism, without police, without jail cells, and without the klan.

Solidarity from a comrade in Columbia, South Carolina.

Robert Seth Hayes Medical Justice Campaign

As previously noted, Seth Hayes finally began to receive medical intervention for both his Hepatitis C and poorly-managed diabetes roughly a month ago. This development is no doubt thanks to many people who made calls on his behalf. Unfortunately, Seth is still suffering from undiagnosed and untreated chronic bleeding and abdominal growths. Many calls have been made to Health Services in regards to these conditions that warrant urgent assessment, and there has been no response. Please join in calling and faxing Health Services this week, stating that you are calling about Robert Seth Hayes, #74-A-2280, at Sullivan Correctional Facility, and requesting:

For coughing up blood, that he be given the results of the chest Xray he was given in May, as well as a PPD (TB skin test), and (if chest Xray was unrevealing) a chest Cat scan. Additionally, if there is any concern about heart failure from the chest Xray, that he be given an ECHO.

For the lump on his abdomen, an abdominal ultrasound or Cat scan. For the ones on his chest wall, a Dermatology consult where they do a biopsy if it is appropriate next step or advise Seth as to what the lesions are.

We must be persistent, insistent and consistent in order for Seth to get his needed medical care, so please continue to call and fax:

On Monday 7/20, Tuesday 7/21 and Wednesday 7/22 please call:

Dr. Carl J. Koenigsmann, Chief Medical Officer, DOCCS Division of Health
Services at (518) 457-7073

Holly, Health Services Supervisor, at (518) 445-6176

On Thursday 7/23 and Friday 7/24, please fax (you can use a free online
fax service like faxzero.com if needed):

Dr. Carl J. Koenigsmann M.D. at Fax: (518) 445-7553

Holly at Fax: (518) 445-6157

To contribute to ongoing efforts supporting Robert Seth Hayes, please donate online at: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/810a58

Write to Seth and let him know he is in our hearts and on our minds.

Robert Seth Hayes #74A2280
Sullivan Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 116
Fallsburg, New York 12733-0116

July update on Seth Hayes: Call for support

powmedicaljustice.com:

As previously noted, Seth Hayes finally began to receive medical intervention for both his Hepatitis C and poorly-managed diabetes roughly a month ago.  This development is no doubt thanks to many people who made calls on his behalf.  Unfortunately, Seth is still suffering from undiagnosed and untreated chronic bleeding and abdominal growths.  Many calls have been made to Health Services in regards to these conditions that warrant urgent assessment, and there has been no response.  Please join in calling and faxing Health Services this week, stating that you are calling about Robert Seth Hayes, #74-A-2280, at Sullivan Correctional Facility, and requesting:— For coughing up blood, that he be given the results of the chest Xray he was given in May, as well as a PPD (TB skin test), and (if chest Xray was unrevealing) a chest Cat scan.  Additionally, if there is any concern about heart failure from the chest Xray, that he be given an ECHO.

— For the lump on his abdomen, an abdominal ultrasound or Cat scan.  For the ones on his chest wall, a Dermatology consult where they do a biopsy if it is appropriate next step or advise Seth as to what the lesions are.

On Monday 7/6, Tuesday 7/7 and Wednesday 7/8 please call:

***Dr. Carl J. Koenigsmann, Chief Medical Officer, DOCCS Division of Health Services at (518) 457-7073

***Holly, Health Services Supervisor, at (518) 445-6176
On Thursday 7/9 and Friday 7/10, please fax (you can use a free online fax service like faxzero.com if needed):

***Dr. Carl J. Koenigsmann M.D. at Fax: (518) 445-7553

***Holly at Fax: (518) 445-6157

To contribute to ongoing efforts supporting Robert Seth Hayes, please donate online at: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/810a58

Updated Action Alert for Robert Seth Hayes

powmedicaljustice.com

Monday, May 18:

Seth’s medical condition continues to worsen, and he has not been evaluated or treated for potentially life-threatening symptoms despite following formal medical care request procedures within the prison.  Because the medical staff at the prison and Health Services of the Department of Correction continue to neglect his medical needs despite numerous calls from concerned medical providers and other citizens, we are urging both Commissioner Annucci and Governor Cuomo to exercise oversight and see to it that Seth finally receives proper medical care.

*Talking points and sample letter below*

THINGS YOU CAN DO:

1) On Tuesday, 5/19 and Wednesday, 5/20 please call:

*Governor Andrew M. Cuomo at (518) 474-8390 x2

*Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci, NYS Department of Corrections at (518) 457-8134

2) On Thursday, 5/21 and Friday, 5/22, please fax (you can use a free online fax service like faxzero.com if needed):

*Governor Cuomo at Fax: (518) 486-4466

*Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci at Fax: (518) 457-0076

***Suggested talking points***

State who you are calling about and include his prisoner #: Robert Seth Hayes, #74-A-2280, at Sullivan Correctional Facility;

Say that you are requesting oversight of the medical team at Sullivan and DOCC Health Services as well as:

1) an immediate work-up of his cough and shortness of breath;
2) an assessment of his weight loss to have potential malignancies ruled out;
3) modification of his insulin regimen to better control his diabetes and prevent low blood sugars; and
4) a physician’s order for a diabetic diet.

Please email nycjericho@gmail.com and let us know what response you receive so that it can be given to Seth’s legal team.

A SAMPLE LETTER to fax, mail or submit online:

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Fax: (518) 486-4466

Dear Governor Cuomo,

I am writing in regards to Robert Seth Hayes, #74-A-2280, DOB 10-15-48, who is currently at Sullivan Correctional Facility in Fallsburg, NY.

Mr. Hayes suffers from poorly controlled diabetes mellitus with frequent bouts of hypoglycemia, as well as weight loss of 40 pounds (22% of his original body weight) in a short time. These health concerns have not been addressed by medical staff at Sullivan Correctional Institute despite numerous requests by the patient, family, concerned medical providers, and the general public. He has not even been prescribed a diabetic diet.

In addition, Mr. Hayes’s medical situation has worsened dramatically recently. He has had a cough with shortness of breath and is coughing up blood tinged mucus. He needs an evaluation of his cough and shortness of breath urgently.

I am writing to register my grave concern about the health of Mr. Hayes and to request that he receive the following immediate and appropriate medical care:

1) an urgent evaluation of his cough and shortness of breath;
2) a work-up of his weight loss to assess for potential malignancies;
3) a modification of his insulin regimen to better control his diabetes and prevent episodes of hypoglycemia; and
4) a diabetic diet.

I thank you for your prompt attention to these medical matters.

Sincerely,

Updated Action Alert for Mumia Abu-Jamal

Sunday, May 17:

The following is a statement released by: International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, International Action Center, Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC), Campaign to Bring Mumia Home, Educators for Mumia Abu-Jamal

Mumia once again taken to hospital outside SCI Mahanoy; held incommunicado from family, attorneys and doctor.  We need to act now!

Political prisoner and internationally renowned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal has once again been taken from the prison infirmary at SCI Mahonoy in Frackville , Pa. this time to Geisinger Medical Center in Dansville , Pa. about 3 hours from Philadelphia .

Having received no phone calls from Mumia, including on Mothers’ Day when he always calls, Mumia’s wife Wadiya Jamal called the prison infirmary on Tuesday, May 12 and learned of the transfer.  Since then Mumia has been out of communication with his immediate family and doctor, despite the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ obligation and agreement to keep Mrs. Jamal informed of his medical condition.

State regulations also prohibit prison officials from blocking attorney’s access to their clients however visits by his attorneys have also been denied.

On Wednesday, May 13 Wadiya was told that immediate family visitation was approved by Superintendent John Kerestes and the DOC.  This was confirmed by Laura Neal of the DOC Legal Counsel’s office.

Wadiya prepared to visit Mumia at the hospital on Wednesday, May 13, however she was then told by Neal that Geisinger Hospital would not permit the visit because Mumia was not in critical condition and the hospital has a policy of not allowing visits to prisoners.

Mumia’s family and attorneys have been given conflicting reports that updates on his medical condition were released to authorities at SCI Mahonoy.  Wadiya was told repeatedly by medical officials at SCI Mahonoy that no medical updates were given to them.  However Donald Zaycosky, Litigation Counsel at Geisinger told Rachel Wolkenstein, an attorney representing Wadiya Jamal, that a medical update had been provided to infirmary doctors on Thursday, May 14.

Wolkenstein reported that on Friday May 15, Zaycosky stated that under the circumstances an exception could be made to the hospital’s “no visitors” policy.  He explicitly stated that Geisinger did not object to phone calls or family or legal visitation, but wanted to make sure it was OK with the DOC.

On 9:30am Friday, May 15, Wolkenstein forwarded Zaycosky her correspondence with Laura Neal that stated the DOC approved family visitation.  Since then, despite phone calls and emails, there has been no communication from either the prison infirmary or the hospital regarding either medical updates on Mumia’s condition or to confirm or deny family visitations.

Mumia’s family, attorneys and supporters are extremely worried about his current medical condition and alarmed that he is being held incommunicado while his wife, legal counsel and his private doctor are being denied any access to him.

When Mumia was first rushed to the emergency room this March in diabetic shock, a global network of supporters sprang into action to inundate phone lines of prison and hospital officials demanding that they allow visitation from his family and attorneys.  Once again it’s time to activate that support.

Just last week supporters delivered a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf calling on him to release Mumia from prison in order to get the proper medical care he needs.  It was signed by numerous world dignitaries, including South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Former President of the UN General Assembly, Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, New York  Congressman Charles Rangel, President of Local 1199 SEIU, George Gresham, Danny Glover, Alice Walker and many more.  For the full letter and list of signers, click here.

Please call the officials below to demand:

-Unrestricted hospital visitations by Mumia’s family,
-Demand access for his attorneys
-Let Mumia call family, supporters and doctors
-Stop state’s attempt to murder Mumia by medical mistreatment
-Release Mumia from prison to be able to obtain needed health care.

Use these demands appropriately for each of these venues.  So with the hospital, we want to emphasize the access and communication issues, the first three demands.

Geisinger Medical Center – 570-271-6211
DOC Secretary John Wetzel – 717-728-2573;  ra-crpadocsecretary@pa.gov
PA Gov. Tom Wolf –717-787-2500; fax: 717-772-8284; governor@pa.gov

Note:  The hospital has Mumia on a “confidential” list so the operators will say they have no one named Mumia Abu-Jamal or Wesley Cook at the hospital. People should tell the operator that their call should be reported to the hospital administration and use both names.