From IWOC.NoBlogs.org
As of Monday, April 18th, prisoners in Texas have been a labor strike for two weeks. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is retaliating by locking the prisons down and depriving prisoners of even the standard abysmal human necessities they are forced to provide. Retaliation against people who refuse to work for free is one of the tools prison administrators use to assure that prisoners can continue to be exploited in today’s modern day slave system.
If you have a minute, please call the following administrators and read the scripts below:
*Brad Livingston, Executive Director, TDCJ, (936) 437-2101 or (512) 463-9988
*Bryan Collier, Deputy Executive Director, TDCJ, (936) 437-6251 or (512) 463-9988
*Jay Eason, Deputy Director, TDCJ, (936) 437-6318 or (512) 463-9988
*TDJC Ombudsman Office (936) 437-4927 ombudsman@tdcj.texas.gov
*TDJC Office of the Inspector General (936) 437-5030 oig@tdcj.texas.gov
*TDCJ Executive Director (512) 463-9988 exec.director@tdcj.state.tx.us
EASY Script: “Hi I’m calling in support of striking prisoners in Texas and their demands for good time, an end to $100 medical copay, an independent grievance procedure and an end to human rights abuses. Stop enslaving our brothers and sisters, eyes on Texas!”
CHALLENGING Script: “Hi I heard about the prisoners labor strike and I’m calling to find out what sort of progress you are making toward meeting the prisoners demands.” Here is the list of demands for you to discuss.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rgmhxemd9kfORLVnXgl-vWTPH0qwLLcY81dukdXzv7A/edit
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If you have a little more time and want to have an even more significant impact we need help determining which prisoners are being retaliated against on any given day. The list of prisons on lockdown seems to change every couple of days.
There are nearly 100 prisons on the list below. Please add comments to the list so that we are better able to track what is happening and hopefully get at least a couple of calls in to every facility.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EpBkDopALaaVlN7dBtGPtRaljnKBrC1psbm-eluiYMs/edit#gid=0
Script: “Hello, I’m calling to see if this facility is on lockdown right now.”
If they say no, say “I have heard that some prisons in Texas are on lockdown because of a labor strike associated with a list of demands from the prisoners”. Then start reading them this list of demands and letter from a prisoner.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rgmhxemd9kfORLVnXgl-vWTPH0qwLLcY81dukdXzv7A/edit
If they say yes, they are on lockdown, ask them about the conditions the prisoners are facing and also ask them what directives they are relying on to guide their actions in this matter. Here are some of the reported conditions:
– The locked down prisoners are not receiving the hot meals. This means hundreds or thousands of prisoners have had nothing to eat but bologna or peanut butter sandwiches since April 4th.
– Mailroom staff is delaying or interfering with the delivery of inmate mail.
– There are reports of lights being left on during the night or left off during the day, other examples of petty harassment from trifling guards and threats that the lockdown treatment will extend for weeks or even months.
– Interfering with the prisoner’s access to basic necessities like food, sleep and connection with their families and the outside world is inhumane.
– Please stop punishing the prisoners for asserting their basic humanity, if you want them to come off the workstoppage, you should meet their demands.
The prisoners need sustained pressure on these institutions, so please call on Monday and then make plans to follow up at least once more later in the week, if not every day. Thank you!!!
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Also, Looking ahead to May 1st, we are asking people to carry the prisoners voices with them to whatever May Day events they may be planning or attending. Alabama prisoners have called for a month-long workstoppage starting on May 1st. If you’re already getting rowdy May Day, please also consider throwing a jail demo or a protest at the public face of a prison-labor exploiting corporation.