[Ppnews] Put an End to Experimental Federal Prison Units

[Political Prisoner News]

This week, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=9QCrU9lw5kyINt%2BJKftNZ22QduiOcOc6>submitted 
comments to the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) on behalf of 
prisoners housed in two experimental prison units. The Communications 
Management Units (CMUs) were designed to isolate and segregate 
certain prisoners in the federal prison system and they are located 
in Indiana and Illinois. The Center is working in coalition with CMU 
prisoners, their family members and friends, civil rights and civil 
liberties groups, legal providers, psychologists, former prison 
wardens, environmental advocacy organizations, criminal defense 
attorneys and community and faith-based organizations to urge the BOP 
to close the CMUs. In March, CCR filed a federal lawsuit challenging 
the unconstitutional nature of the units. 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=NPohRfihohX6jWPGbId5y22QduiOcOc6>Learn 
more about 
<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=NPohRfihohX6jWPGbId5y22QduiOcOc6>Aref, 
et al. v. Holder, et al.

The majority of CMU prisoners are Muslim, and other prisoners include 
those with "unpopular" political views, such as environmental 
activists. These prisoners' communications with family, friends and 
the outside world are severely limited, and they are also cruelly 
deprived of physical contact with loved ones during the few visits 
they do receive. CMU prisoners are singled out for harsh treatment 
without any disclosure of the BOP's reasons and without due process - 
a clear example of abuse of power, retaliation and racial and 
religious profiling.

<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=i%2BBSii5gfQC7rlGwRtFgalZ7G3EoquiZ>
Video screenshot of Noor El Ashi interview

Noor Elashi, daughter of a man being held in isolation in a CMU 
(Communications Management Unit), speaks about the difficult and 
unfair circumstances of her father's treatment.

While the BOP secretly created the CMUs in 2006 and 2008, it has only 
just now opened up a period for comments from the public - as 
required by law. The deadline to submit public comments is Monday, 
June 7, 2010.

<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=qK2jxRc%2F45CLABrU21p3PW2QduiOcOc6>The 
time is now to stand for justice and oppose the CMUs. Tell the BOP to 
stop isolating prisoners in experimental units today.

Sincerely,

Annette Dickerson
Director of Education and Outreach




Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/ppnews_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20100603/3ee523ec/attachment.htm>