Russell ‘Maroon’ Shoatz Files Lawsuit Protesting 22 Consecutive Years in Solitary Confinement --An interview with Dan Kovalik and Bret Grote

 (PHOTO: Maroon's daughter, Theresa Shoatz, with Chuck D at NYC event.)

Russell ‘Maroon’ Shoatz Files Lawsuit Protesting 22 Consecutive Years in Solitary Confinement

--An interview with Dan Kovalik and Bret Grote

By Angola 3 News

Earlier this week, on Wednesday, May 8, lawyers for Russell ‘Maroon’ Shoatz filed a federal lawsuit regarding his placement in solitary confinement for over 22 consecutive years. The written complaint, directed at Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel and the Superintendents of SCI-Greene, where Shoatz was last held, and SCI-Mahanoy, where he was transferred to on March 28, 2013, states that this “is an action for injunctive, declaratory and monetary relief for violations of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.”

Why Russell ‘Maroon’ Shoatz Must Be Released From Solitary Confinement --An interview with Theresa Shoatz and Matt Meyer

Take action by telling Secretary Wetzel that you want Russell 'Maroon' Shoatz to be immediately removed from solitary confinement!

Why Russell ‘Maroon’ Shoatz Must Be Released From Solitary Confinement

--An interview with Theresa Shoatz and Matt Meyer

By Angola 3 News

This month, a 30-day action campaign was launched demanding the release of Russell ‘Maroon’ Shoatz from solitary confinement, where he has been held for over 23 consecutive years, and 28 of the last 30 years, in Pennsylvania prisons. On April 8, when the campaign began, Maroon’s legal team sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC), demanding his release from solitary confinement and promising litigation against the PA DOC if he is not transferred to general population by May 8.

The action campaign describes Maroon as “a former leader of the Black Panthers and the Black freedom movement, born in Philadelphia in 1943 and originally imprisoned in January 1972 for actions relating to his political involvement. With an extraordinary thirty-plus years spent in solitary confinement…Maroon’s case is one of the most shocking examples of U.S. torture of political prisoners, and one of the most egregious examples of human rights violations regarding prison conditions anywhere in the world. His ‘Maroon’ nickname is, in part, due to his continued resistance—which twice led him to escape confinement; it is also based on his continued clear analysis, including recent writings on ecology and matriarchy.”

A3 Newsletter: Four Score and One Too Many Years

(Artwork by Emory Douglas)

Today, April 17, 2013, marks 41 years that Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace have been unjustly incarcerated in solitary confinement in Louisiana. This is 41 years of living in concrete and metal cages of 6 x 9 feet; 41 years of being separated from their families and loved ones; 41 years of being wrongly accused of a murder they did not commit.

Over 41 years ago, prison officials at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (aka 'Angola'), an 18,000-acre former slave plantation, were first confronted by the Angola 3's challenge to the obscene human rights atrocities that were a daily reality for prisoners there. They responded to these efforts by fabricating a case against Albert and Herman for the tragic murder of prison guard Brent Miller in 1972. Shortly thereafter, when Robert King entered Angola, he was ensnared in the aftermath of that murder and joined Herman and Albert in solitary.

An Injustice Compounded: Amnesty International demands an end to the cruel and inhuman treatment of Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace

(Below, reprinted in full, is a new Amnesty International statement that has just been released. --Reprinted by Angola 3 News)

Herman Wallace (left) with Albert Woodfox (right)

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PUBLIC STATEMENT

AI index: AMR 51/019/2013

16 April 2013

An Injustice Compounded

Amnesty International demands an end to the cruel and inhuman treatment of Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace

On the anniversary of the forty-first year since they were placed in prolonged isolation in Louisiana prisons, Amnesty International demands that Louisiana authorities immediately transfer Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace to a less restrictive prison setting.

Herman's House film to premiere in NYC on April 19, w/ events through weekend

On Friday, April 19, the new film about Herman Walllace and his collaborative art project with A3 supporter Jackie Sumell, will make its debut in NYC, with several events scheduled around the many screenings of the film through the weekend. Read more here.

New photos from a visit with Herman this month are featured below.

On April 19-21, a 41 hour vigil in New Orleans will mark 41 years of solitary confinement for Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3

Next week in New Orleans, on April 19-21, please join us next weekend for stageplays, documentaries and 41 hours in a solitary cell to commemorate 41 years of solitary for Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox.

Upcoming New Orleans and Baton Rouge film screenings of HARD TIME, about Robert King and the Angola 3, April 17-19

Watch and listen to Canadian media coverage from the film's premiere there in February:  CBC Radio  II  Thunder Bay News Watch, TV coverage and written article.



Dr. Ronald Harpelle’s new documentary film entitled "Hard Time," will premiere in Louisiana next week:

--Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge on April 17th (E130 Howe Russell Hall at 7pm)

--The Craige Community Center in Old Algiers, New Orleans on April 18th (1800 Newton Street from 6pm to 9pm),

--The Angola 3 Coalition office in New Orleans on April 19th (2900 Grand Route St. John at 9pm, as part of a 41 hour vigil).

Robert H. King responds to Louisiana Attorney General James Caldwell

Watch MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry tell AG Caldwell to "lay off the Angola 3 already." 
 

(The statement below from Robert King was released as part of the March 27 issue of the A3 Coalition newsletter, which you can read in full here.)

Many thanks to all of you who have aided our cause and added your voices to our quest to free Albert from an obviously unjust imprisonment of more than 40 years. Please continue to make your voices heard and your dissent known, especially in light of the recent email response by Louisiana's Attorney General, James Caldwell. One wonders: Why in the face of so many mitigating facts and circumstances would the Attorney General persist in his unethical efforts to pursue the persecution of Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace? Is it really justice he seeks, or is there something else he wants? The following may add some light to the subject.

Amnesty International responds to AG James Caldwell: "Louisiana's 'justice' keeps man locked up in isolation for over 40 years"

Reprinted below is a statement from Amnesty International, made in response to an email released last week by Louisiana Attorney General James Caldwell, where among other things, he claimed that the Angola 3 "have never been in solitary confinement." Please support Amnesty's campaign urging Caldwell to not appeal last month's ruling that overturned Albert Woodfox's conviction for a third time. Take action here!

Louisiana’s “justice” keeps man locked up in isolation for over 40 years

By Amnesty International

March 26, 2013

Albert Woodfox has spent more than half his life in a cell just three paces wide and four paces long.

The 66-year-old man was convicted in 1972 of the murder of Brent Miller, a prison guard.

He claims he is innocent and organizations including Amnesty International have said his case raises serious legal and human rights concerns.

Robert H. King: End 41 years of cruel and inhuman solitary confinement for Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3

Photo of Robert H. King

**Please support Albert Woodfox by sending an email to Attorney General Caldwell, via Amnesty International's online action page!

My name is Robert H. King. I was released on February 8, 2001 after spending 31 years in prison - 29 of them in solitary confinement at the infamous Louisiana State Prison also known as 'Angola'.

Confined there with me were Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace, the other two friends who make up 'the Angola 3'. Herman and Albert have now spent 41 years in prison. And though they are no longer housed at Angola, both remain in solitary confinement at another prison - a punishment Amnesty has described as 'cruel, inhuman and degrading'.

Solitary Watch on today's statement by AG Caldwell that the Angola 3 "have never been in solitary confinement"

A sketch by Herman Wallace of his solitary confinement cell

(March 21, 2013 article by James Ridgeway and Jean Casella, reprinted from Solitary Watch)
 
James “Buddy” Caldwell, attorney general of the state of Louisiana, has released a statement saying unequivocally that Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox, the two still-imprisoned members of the Angola 3, “have never been held in solitary confinement while in the Louisiana penal system.”

In fact, Wallace, now 71, and Woodfox, 66, have been in solitary for nearly 41 years, quite possibly longer than any other human beings on the planet. They were placed in solitary following the 1972 killing of a young corrections officer at Angola, and except for a few brief periods, they have remained in isolation ever since.

Amnesty International Launches New Online Campaign for Albert Woodfox --Please Take Action

Please take action here!
 
Today Amnesty International launched an online campaign asking Louisiana Attorney General James Caldwell to not appeal the District Court's ruling to either release or retry Albert Woodfox, declaring: "After decades of injustice, let the Angola 3 ruling stand!"

Please support Albert by taking action, forwarding it to your email list and asking your networks to spread the word. Now is a critical time in the fight for Albert's freedom. We want Caldwell's office to be inundated with emails so he hears it loud and clear that the cycle of injustice and cruelty must end.
 
Introducing their online action campaign, Amnesty writes:

Albert Woodfox has spent nearly 41 years in solitary confinement in conditions that are cruel, inhuman and degrading. In 1972, he and two others were convicted of murdering a guard at Angola prison. The "Angola 3" were sentenced to life imprisonment - although no physical evidence linked them to the crime and serious legal flaws came to light.

BREAKING: Judge Brady overturns Albert Woodfox's conviction for a third time!

NEWS COVERAGE:  Democracy Now interviews Robert King and Mwalimu Johnson (featured by the Havana Times) II  Amy Goodman's Truthdig column  II  The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)  II  The Root (Katti Gray)

On February 26, District Court Judge Brady released a 34-page ruling that granted habeas to Albert on the issue of racial discrimination in the selection of the grand jury foreperson for his 1998 retrial. This decision now overturns Albert’s conviction for a third time (view/download a PDF of Judge Brady's ruling here).

The new film about Robert King, entitled 'Hard Time' screens in Canada w/ TV news coverage

You can watch the TV segment by Thunder Bay News Watch, and read their separate written article, both of which feature an interview with Robert King, while the video presents archival video footage from the day of King's release from Angola in 2001.

The news coverage marked the February 12 screening of the new documentary film about King by Lakehead University professor Ron Harpelle, entitled Hard Time. The following day, King spoke at both the Thunder Bay Public Library and at Lakehead University.

Watch the trailer for the new UK film entitled: Who are the Angola 3?

Featured above is the trailer for a new film from the United Kingdom, entitled "Who Are the Angola 3?" It is directed by Hugo Levien, and produced by Sian Smith. Read more here.

Strategizing to Defeat Control Unit Prisons and Solitary Confinement --An interview with author/activist Nancy Kurshan

Buy the new book Out of Control here.

Strategizing to Defeat Control Unit Prisons and Solitary Confinement

--An interview with author/activist Nancy Kurshan

By Angola 3 News

Author and longtime activist Nancy Kurshan’s new book, entitled Out of Control: A Fifteen Year Battle Against Control Unit Prisons, has just been released by the Freedom Archives. Kurshan’s book documents the work of The Committee to End the Marion Lockdown (CEML), which she co-founded in 1985 as a response to the lockdown at the federal prison in Marion, Illinois. It quickly turned into a broader campaign against control unit prisons and human rights violations in US prisons that lasted fifteen years, until 2000.  The following excerpt from Out of Control details CEML’s origins:

Two-part article on Albert Woodfox, the Angola 3 and the broader epidemic of solitary confinement in US prisons, written by Katti Gray, The Root

(Herman Wallace, left, with Albert Woodfox, right.)

We are reprinting in full, two recent articles by Katti Gray, writing for The Root. Part one, entitled "Freedom After 40 Years in Solitary?," focuses mostly on the pending decision from US District Court Judge James A. Brady, who in 2008 ruled to overturn his conviction. That ruling was ultimately reinstated on appeal by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Part two, entitled "Reforming Prison's Harshest Tactic," focuses mostly on solitary confinement in US prisons. You can read parts one and two at The Root, or you can read the two articles reprinted below, with our own photos added (quick link here).

Robert King Speaks at Michigan Journal of Race and Law Symposium and at anti-solitary events in NYC and Chicago

RELATED: Coverage of the recent Cage Prisoners event in the UK w/ Robert King: Video and Writeup II Wanda's Picks Radio Show interviews Robert King: Listen here.

On February 2, 2013, the Michigan Journal of Race and Law hosted a symposium at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, entitled "Inhumane and Ineffective: Solitary Confinement in Michigan and Beyond." As described by the flyer posted below and the Journal's website, the all-day event featured a keynote address given by James Forman, Jr.

In November, 2012 following his visit to the UK, where he received an honorary law degree, Robert H. King of the Angola 3 was a featured speaker at two US events focusing on solitary confinement:

Nov. 9:  King spoke in Chicago at a conference focusing on solitary confinement and human rights, organized by the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights (read their report of the event here).

Nov. 17:  King spoke in New York City as part of an all-day event at New York University, entitled "Should You Ever Happen to Find Yourself in SOLITARY:  Wry Fancies & Stark Realties," that was covered by the NY Times.

See event flyers below.

The Black Panther Party’s Living Legacy --Touring Oakland and Berkeley with Billy X Jennings (part one)

(Watch the full-screen, high definition format here.)

The Black Panther Party’s Living Legacy

--Touring Oakland and Berkeley with Billy X Jennings

(Part One)

By Angola 3 News

This month, over twenty students enrolled in the “Dismantling Racism” class offered by St. Catherine University in Minnesota traveled to the San Francisco Bay Area. The class focused primarily on California’s prisons and what anti-prison activists are doing to challenge the human rights violations and racism endemic to California’s infamous prison system.

Last week, the class was taken around on a Black Panther History Tour in Oakland and Berkeley, led by Billy X Jennings from It’s AboutTime BPP Alumni & Legacy. Along with ongoing BPP history exhibits at the Alameda County Law Library in downtown Oakland and the window of Rasputin Music on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley is a new photo exhibit running until February 28, entitled Louder Than Words, at La Peña Cultural Center (3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley).   An important friend and ally of the International Coalition to Free the Angola 3, Billy X Jennings’ work was previously spotlighted in an interview with Angola 3 News, entitled We Called Ourselves the Childrenof Malcolm.

San Quentin Six Declare Solidarity with CA Prisoners’ Agreement to End Hostilities

The authors dedicate their essay to Marilyn Buck (1947-2010).

San Quentin 6 Declare Solidarity with CA Prisoners’ Agreement to End Hostilities

by Sundiata Tate, Bato Talamantez and Giappa Johnson – three of the San Quentin 6

(Reprinted in full by Angola 3 News. Watch the video of our April 6, 2012 event, featuring Bato Talamantez at the end)

We strongly support the statement issued by the Pelican Bay prison Short Corridor Collective calling for the end of racial and factional hostilities inside California prisons and in county jails. We believe that this along with our struggle for human rights is a most righteous cause which will have a tremendous impact on changing the perception that the Security Housing Units (SHUs) house only the worst of the worst.

The truth is that the SHUs are filled with those who have transformed themselves into socially conscious men and women who desire to live more productive and constructive lives while working to bring an end to their tortuous living conditions. These comrades who have issued the agreement to end hostilities demonstrate their commitment to changing not only their conditions but themselves. Furthermore, they seek to change how prisoners are treated and how prisons are currently run.