Tuesday, July 26, 2011

WE RIDE Tour Hits the Bay! + Exclusive showing of the new “Free Leonard Peltier Free ‘Em All!” DVD‏

WE RIDE Tour Hits the Bay! + Exclusive showing of the new “Free Leonard Peltier Free ‘Em All!” DVD

P.O.C.C. Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. in San Francisco.

++Free Leonard Album Hip Hop's Contribution Official Listening Party
With special invited guests, Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., Aaron Mirmalek, a family member of Leonard Peltier, Antonio Gonzalez, AIM West and
artists from the Free Leonard Peltier Album.



WE RIDE for Leonard Peltier . . . WE RIDE For Mumia . . . WE RIDE For Cinque Magee WE RIDE For ‘em all!
Wednesday July 27, 2011
8:30pm (Doors open at 8:15)
Twin Space
2111 Mission St. (between 17th and 18th)
Suite #300
San Francisco, CA 94110

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Peltier Update on BlogTalk Radio, July 22

LPDOC Board Members Dorothy Ninham and Gina Buenrostro will be interviewed and give an update on Leonard Peltier at noon (Eastern) on July 22. Listen online at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/talkingfeather.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

August 6 and 7: Vigil/Rally for Leonard Peltier in Lewisburg

Solitary Confinement is Torture!

Free Prisoners from Solitary! Free Leonard Peltier!


What: Candlelight Vigil and Rally
When: Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7, 2011
Where: Corner of Route 15 (N. Derr Drive) and William Penn Drive, Lewisburg, PA

Join us at 7:00 p.m. on August 6th for a candlelight vigil to protest the use of solitary confinement in the U.S., and in solidarity with prisoners at the federal penitentiary at Lewisburg — in support of Leonard Peltier, in particular.

Gather at 10:00 a.m. on August 7th for a Free Peltier Rally. Native American activist and political prisoner Leonard Peltier is currently being held in solitary confinement at USP-Lewisburg. Rally for his freedom — from solitary, from prison. Demand clemency for Leonard Peltier!

Bring posters and banners, drums, candles, water, food-snacks, etc.

For updates and information on lodgings, visit http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/vigil.htm.

Donations welcome. Send a check or money order to the LPDOC, PO Box 7488, Fargo, ND 58106 or donate electronically. Click on the "Donate" button on our home page at http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/index1.htm.


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Peltier Art Exhibit: 13 Moon Walk 4 Peace, Williamsport, PA





13 Moon Walk 4 Peace, Engaging Communities Across America, Brings its Universal Message of Peace to Williamsport



The 13 Moon Walk 4 Peace will be in Williamsport, PA, August 1-7.


While in Williamsport, peace walkers in cooperation with the Campbell St. Community Center, will be planting a “Peace Pole” at The Center on Aug. 3rd at 1:30 pm and the community is invited to attend. In addition, walkers will host a “Walk A Mile 4 Peace” at the Riverwalk on Saturday, Aug. 6th, beginning at the Water Tower Square Parking Lot, from 12 noon to 2:00 pm. Additional activities include a water healing ceremony at the river during the walk. “We encourage communities to come out and join us as we show up for peace and healing in our communities.”


The 13 Moon Walk 4 Peace will also give a free screening of the film, For the Next Seven Generations (a film about the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers) on Wednesday, Aug. 3rd at the Community Arts Center from 7:30pm – 9:30pm. Donations are welcome to support the 13 Moon Walk 4 Peace and the International Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. The peace walkers will also have a vending table during the First Friday activities on Aug.5, as well as, sponsoring the artwork of Leonard Peltier at the Ankleroot Art Gallery at 38 W. 4th St. from Aug. 3 to Aug. 7.

Read the full press release here.



For more information, contact Mary Woods • marymargaretwoods@gmail.com • 570-494-3643 or David DeFebo – eagleram13@gmail.com – 570-220-9249 -
www.13moonwalk4peace.com
.




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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Native American Activist Leonard Peltier “in the Hellhole” of Solitary Confinement

Native American Activist Leonard Peltier “in the Hellhole” of Solitary Confinement
July 19, 2011
Sal Rodriguez
solitarywatch.com


American Indian Movement activist Leonard Peltier has been removed from general population and placed into solitary confinement at USP Lewisburg since June 27th. The 66-year old inmate has been ordered to spend 6 months in solitary stemming from various petty infractions, according to his attorney, Robert R. Bryan.

Peltier, in a letter to his attorney, described the cell as a “cement steel hotbox” with little ventilation (a 1.5 inch slot under the door is the primary source of cool air). Due to the lack of suitable ventilation coupled with the heat of the summer, he has been “drenched in hot sweat” and indicated he had to stop many times while writing the letter due to difficulty concentrating in the cell. “My client has been put in the hellhole,” said Bryan.

Allotted five one-hour periods of exercise, Peltier spends 23 hours in a cell five days a week. The exercise is “in a cage” where water isn’t allowed. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he is allowed to shower. For the other two days, he is in his cell 24 hours. He is not allowed any personal visits.

According to a note that Peltier had written at the time, he had been preparing to eat breakfast the morning of June 27th when guards entered his cell and began “disrespecting my religious items” and “threatened to lock me into solitary.”

According to the prison’s first incident report, dated 06/27/2011:

[T]his officer reviewed a letter being sent by inmate Peltier…In this letter, inmate Peltier has enclosed a bank note of 20 pounds, in Scottish currency. In the enclosed letter, inmate admits to receiving the bank note in the mail. It is obvious that inmate Peltier was in possession of money that was not authorized.

Peltier received a letter the previous day from a supporter in Scotland that contained a 20-pound note and had been inspected by the mailroom. Peltier had asked the mailroom to send back the enclosed money, but this request wasn’t followed up. He then addressed a letter to a friend and enclosed the note so as to send the money out of his cell and out of the prison, knowing that possession of unauthorized money was a violation of prison rules. This letter was intercepted at 8:00 a.m., prompting guards to search his cell at 9:45 a.m.

According to a second prison incident report, written the same day by a guard who searched Peltier’s cell:

[W]hile performing a search…I observed two wires protruding approximately 2 inches from the wall of the cell….The wires were located on the wall above the corner post of the upper bunk.. I attempted to pull the wires out of the wall. …As I attempted to pull the wire out of the wall my grip failed, my fingers slipped on the wire and contacted the bare ends of the wire. At that time I received an electrical shock through my right hand and forearm.

Peltier was deemed guilty of “destroying, altering or damaging government property having a value in excess of $100.” Peltier, however, did not sleep on the top bunk and the wiring was manipulated by a former cellmate. In addition, because of the guard’s decision to attempt to pull the wires out of the wall, Peltier was found to have engaged in “conduct which disrupts or interferes with security or
orderly running of the institution (Most Like) assaulting any person.” “Most Like” is a provision in the Federal Bureau of Prisons Program Statement that reads: “This charge is to be used only when another charge of greatest severity is not accurate. The offending conduct must be charged as ‘most like’ one of the listed greatest severity prohibited acts.”

Prison officials deemed Peltier responsible for the shock the guard received while pulling out the exposed wires, and deemed it an act “most like” an act of assault committed by Peltier. This is a “greatest severity level” violation, meaning an inmate can be placed into segregation for up to a year. The charge of destruction of property is a “high severity level” act which can result in up to six months in segregation, and the possession of unauthorized money is a “moderate severity level” violation and could result in up to three months in segregation.

Peltier’s punishment for possessing money he had refused and attempted to send away, for being deemed guilty for the actions of a prior cellmate, and for “assaulting” a guard who chose to touch live wires is only the latest of the injustices that Peltier has faced.

Peltier was convicted of the 1975 killing of two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, which took place at the height of the American Indian Movement’s efforts to gain public attention regarding the plight of Native American tribes, the abuses of the United States government against Native Americans, and a wave of unsolved murders in tribal territories. The subject of a 1992 documentary and a European Parliament resolution of support, Peltier has always maintained his innocence. Critics have raised serious questions about the fairness of his trial, and he is considered by many to be a political prisoner.

The United States Penitentiary at Lewisburg is the oldest prison in the federal system, and one of the most notorious. Since 2009, it has also been one of the most heavily locked-down. In the words of the Bureau of Prisons, Lewisburg is now being “run entirely as a Special Management Unit (SMU) institution to operate as a more controlled and restrictive environment for managing the most
aggressive and disruptive inmates from USP general population.” Peltier was sent there in 2008 not for any disciplinary infractions, but
because he was the victim of a beating by younger prisoners at another federal facility. “They’re hoping he’ll die there, that he’ll be forgotten there,” maintains his attorney.”

Peltier has been in poor health in recent years, suffering from hypertension, diabetes, and exhibiting symptoms of cancer. This is of particular concern given the vast literature pointing to significant detrimental effects of solitary confinement on both psychological and physical health, particularly when there are pre-existing conditions.

Peltier’s attorney has indicated that the placement into solitary confinement has slowed correspondence. A legal call has been delayed for several days and the prison has been slow to providing Peltier with the instruments necessary to write and send letters necessary for his legal proceedings.

Says attorney Bryan: “Prison officials are using this as an excuse to punish and torture my 66-year-old client. His health is poor because of decades of imprisonment. He needs to be placed back into the general population.”

[More information on Leonard Peltier can be found at http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/.]




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Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Proof: BOP Railroads Leonard Peltier

On June 27, the 66-year-old Leonard Peltier was thrown in "The Hole" at USP-Lewisburg where he purportedly will stay for the next six months. According to what is currently known, Leonard's cell was searched that day. A guard allegedly was shocked by a wire(s) in the cell, placed there a long while ago by one of Leonard's former cellmates. The guard claimed "assault" (apparently he didn't know better than to touch an electrical wire). Leonard wasn't present during the search, having already been removed to "The Hole".

Click on these images to read the official Incident Report. Please note that the prison failed to detect the money sent to Leonard by a supporter and now blames Leonard for being in possession of the 20£ note. Also please note the placement of the wires in the cell as described by the guard. Leonard does not sleep on the top bunk and while the guard indicates that Leonard currently does not have a cellmate, it is also true that Leonard has had a cellmate in that particular cell from time to time.










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Liberate Leonard Peltier

Ironically, on this day in 1789, Parisians liberated an infamous French prison known as the Bastille. The fortress-prison often held people jailed on the basis of arbitrary royal indictments and had been known for holding political prisoners whose writings had displeased the royal government. Sound familiar?

Friends and supporters, in the spirit of Bastille Day and the promise of justice for all, we must liberate Leonard Peltier.

Read our latest call to action:

http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/alert.htm.

Take action now and don't stop until Leonard Peltier is free!

Thank you for all you do on Leonard’s behalf.

-----

Launched into cyberspace by the
Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
PO Box 7488, Fargo, ND 58106
http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info
contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info


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Imprisoned Native American Activist Leonard Peltier Moved to Solitary Confinement

On Democracy Now, Air Date: 12 July 2011

Imprisoned Native American Activist Leonard Peltier Moved to Solitary Confinement

Supporters of the imprisoned Native American activist Leonard Peltier are condemning a decision by prison authorities in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, to send him to solitary confinement in late June for two minor infractions. Peltier’s attorney Robert Bryan said, "Officials are using this as an excuse to torture my 66-year-old client. His health is poor because of decades of imprisonment. It is an attempt to break and intimidate him." Peltier has been in prison for more than 35 years, convicted of killing two FBI agents during a shootout on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. Peltier has long maintained his innocence and has been widely considered a political prisoner who was not granted a fair trial.



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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Damaging Effects of Solitary Confinement

Interview with Psychriatrist Terry Kupers on the Damaging Effects of Long-Term Solitary Confinement on Prisoners




Listen to this interview with Psychiatrist Terry Kupers. Dr. Kupers has served as an expert witness on several cases in which the use of solitary confinement in United States' prisons is placed in critical focus. Namely, he has been asked to testify in U.S. courts on the damaging effects of solitary confinement on prisoners for such organizations as the ACLU and on behalf of Black Panther Party members.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Leonard Peltier in "the Hole" at Lewisburg Prison

Leonard Peltier in "the Hole" at Lewisburg Prison
Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Briefs
http://www.nativenewsnetwork.com/leonard-peltier-in-the-hole-at-lewisburg-prison.html


NATIVE BRIEF: LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA - Leonard Peltier, the American Indian activist, who has been in federal prison for over 35 years has been in Administrative Detention - "the hole" - since June 27 for two minor infractions.

Peltier was placed in solitary confinement for allegedly "a woman in the UK mailed a silver coin which was actually delivered to him by prison officials, and a light switch that had been tampered with by a cellmate some time ago," according to his attorney, Robert R. Bryan of San Francisco.

Peltier is serving a life sentence in the US Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He was convicted of murdering two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Peltier is considered to be a political prisoner of war by many American Indians throughout the United States and others worldwide.

"I wonder if it would be different if Leonard were not a prominent American Indian activist who keeps fighting after decades of imprisonment," said Bryan in an email to the Native News Network late Wednesday night. "This present situation is greatly exaggerated by the prison officials. I view this as another attempt to break and intimidate Leonard."

Eariler on Wednesday, Bryan was advised that the lesser of the two charges has been heard and sanctioned. He was not fully apprised of the details. A hearing for Peltier is pending with the Discipline Hearing Officer as to the other allegation, but Bryan did know when that will be. Bryan will be in contact with the Warden's office today.

Peltier's health is poor because of decades of imprisonment.

"He needs to be placed back into the general population, but there is no way of knowing at this point what will happen," continued Bryan. "He cannot presently call me so communication is slow."

Is Solitary Confinement Torture?



View the above video and read this disturbing piece by Atul Gawande in The New Yorker two years ago which unequivocally answers the question whether this is torture. Make no mistake about it. Solitary confinement is a despicable form of torture because it appears so benign.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/30/090330fa_fact_gawande?printable=true

Supporters have asked what "the hole" is. It's segregation; solitary confinement. No contact with anyone other than the guards. Leonard is currently in a tiny hot cell with a window high above... no air, no view, hot and miserable. He gets one hour of "recreation" time a day. At that time, he is removed from the tiny cell and taken to another cell. No equiment, no track... nothing.. Just another cell that he walks around in.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Call to Action: Return Leonard Peltier to General Population!

On June 27, Leonard Peltier was removed from the general population at USP-Lewisburg and thrown in the hole. Little else is known at this time. Due to his age and health status, please join us in demanding his return to general population.

Make reference to Leonard Peltier #89637-132 and contact:

Thomas Kane, Acting Director
Federal Bureau of Prisons
E-Mail: info@bop.gov
Web Site: www.bop.gov
Phone: (202) 307-3198
Fax: (202) 514-6620
Address: 320 1st Street, NW
Washington, DC 20534