Background on Dallas 6 here.

Jury refuses to convict prisoners charged with riot and aggravated harassment in landmark “Dallas 6” prisoner whistleblower trial.
Defendants, family members and supporters declare victory and call for an end to prison abuse and corruption brought to light in testimony

A hung jury in the trial of the three remaining prisoner whistleblowers of the “Dallas 6” led Judge Gelb to declare a mistrial today in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in a closely-watched case that has dragged on for six years. The three men, Andre Jacobs, Carrington Keys, and Duane Peters, defended themselves against charges of “riot” and (for Mr Keys) aggravated harassment, while exposing rampant abuse and corruption at SCI Dallas prison and in the Pennsylvania prison system generally.

The men were supported in their courageous and sustained efforts by their mothers and other family members, a wide range of supporters from the Justice for the Dallas 6 Support Campaign who came regularly to trial, and by the legal team consisting of Andre Jacobs and Carrington Keys who, according to onlookers, did a fantastic job of representing themselves, Attorney Michael Wiseman who was invaluable as counsel for Duane Peters as well as standby counsel for Carrington Keys, and Mary Deady also invaluable as standby counsel for Andre Jacobs.

Supporters say their view is the judge was fair and vow to continue their fight against the abuse that the prisoners sought to expose, as well as to protest the waste of taxpayer money prosecuting the men instead of investigating the abuse.

Attorney Michael Wiseman, Mr Keys’ mother Shandre Delaney, and other family members as well as supporters are available for interviews about the Dallas 6 case.

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Who are the Dallas 6?  On April 29, 2010 six courageous African American prisoner whistleblowers and jailhouse lawyers at SCI Dallas staged a peaceful protest against the widespread abuse, violence and torture by guards against Black, Latino and white prisoners which they had documented and took a stand against, with the support of Human Rights Coalition.  The abuse they documented included: beatings; mental abuse; foreign objects in food such glass, metal, feces, spit, semen and urine; mail and legal document tampering; deprivation of human contact; withholding medication; starvation and cutting off water; and coerced suicide.  When they covered their cell doors and windows in non-violent protest, prison authorities responded with vicious so-called “cell extractions” and four months later charged them with “rioting” after the criminal complaints they had filed were publicized.

Reports from each day of the trial can be found on the Dallas 6 webpage: http://scidallas6.blogspot.com