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Ohio Activist Needs Help
Readers of this paper will recall my article "Spilt Milk", detailing human rights abuses at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (Luke) located in Lucasville, OH and how I was set up in retaliation for witnessing the beating of an inmate and writing about it. This retaliation was also due to my working with my Brother, Little Rock Reed, in exposing the Ohio DOCs instigation of the Easter 1993 uprising here, resulting in an l l day siege where 9 prisoners and 1 guard died.
As a result, Ohio got the FBI to arrest Little Rock in New Mexico, on a Governors Warrant, and fabricated charges against me in order to place me in isolation. Your response to this set up, combined with my unger strike, and a filing of a Motion For a Temporary Restraining Order with Federal Judge S. Arthur Spigal, resulted in a reversal of the infraction and my being released back into population.
In the meantime, we assisted Little Rock by obtaining affidavits showing that his life would be in danger if he was returned to Ohio, as well as providing him case law. 8th Dist. Federal Judge Nelson granted Little Rocks Writ of Habeas Corpus, releasing him from custody, and declaring that Ohio prisoncrats acted illegally in obtaining Little Rocks arrest in order to silence him from speaking out against Ohio prison conditions, and agreeing that his life would be endangered if returned to Ohio! I personally spoke to Little Rock on the day of his release. I have also been working with our Brother Abdal Bari, on coordinating efforts to monitor the Ohio Control Units and SuperMax. Suddenly Abdal was arrested on fabricated charges and the FBI accusing him of plotting to break out prisoners. The Peacenet shows increased activity in Ohio and Indiana of the Feds searching activists homes.
Well, Im writing this in the hole, being charged and convicted by the Rules Infraction Board of "conspiracy to convey drugs" and "possession of money", and recommended to go back to the Control Unit. The State highway Patrol, Chief Investigator Ison, working with Lt. Schramm (same one who was involved in the last set up-- and a losing defendant in our lawsuit where we had Amnesty International investigate human rights violations at Luke) engineered this retaliatory set up. This time making the allegation that I "conspired" with a prison collaborator to smuggle drugs in-- rather than out of prison. The collaborator then said I gave him $100 cash while in the hole, to purchase a bag of coffee and 2 packs of cigarettes. The collaborator theyre using has been a known informant for 4 years - he testified against 2 convicts in murder cases by using his paralegal title to gain information, then testified for the prosecution. His name is Robert Parks-- everyone I know is hip to him. Hes working with prisoncrats in an effort to corroborate their charges against me. By saying the drugs were coming in this time, rather than going out, prisoncrats say they are using a different administrative regulation that gives them more protection legally, or so they think. I was picked up the day after receiving a copy of Little Rock Reeds habeas decision. The day before I was threatened by 2 different guards on separate occasions, so should have known something was coming. Prison Legal News, which just printed "Spilt Milk" came out last week and the article has been declared "inflammatory" at Lebanon Prison and here, as it was when Prison News Service printed it. So the arrival of PLN at Luke just fanned the flames of malcontent in the prisoncrats, precipitating this most recent string of reprisals. [PLN was eventually delivered to OH readers.]
I reported long ago that Ohio has coordinated efforts with local and national law enforcement agencies to label us as "Secutity Threat Groups", as well as placing this label on those they say are gang members. Its obvious that they are working closely with the FBI and coordinating efforts to supress our legitimate and legal activities to monitor control units, write informative articles on what is happening inside our gulags, and going all out to wage war on our activists. Little Rock is FREE, and that pissed them (prisoncrats) off!
So, here I sit. My attorneys are not enthused about moving for another transfer. I have asked for an Out of State Transfer to Monroe Reformatory in WA state per the Interstate Compact. I urge all of you to fax, call, and write Governor Voinovich and urge him to transfer me per the Interstate Compact, and release me from isolation:
Governor George Voinovich
Vern Rifle Center
77 South High St., 30th fl.
Columbus, OH 43266-0601
ph: (614) 466-3555, fax: (614) 466-9354
[Editors Note: John is going on a "Death Fast" (a hunger strike) starting June 1, 1995, to press for his transfer out of Ohio. Please suport him in any way you can.]
As a result, Ohio got the FBI to arrest Little Rock in New Mexico, on a Governors Warrant, and fabricated charges against me in order to place me in isolation. Your response to this set up, combined with my unger strike, and a filing of a Motion For a Temporary Restraining Order with Federal Judge S. Arthur Spigal, resulted in a reversal of the infraction and my being released back into population.
In the meantime, we assisted Little Rock by obtaining affidavits showing that his life would be in danger if he was returned to Ohio, as well as providing him case law. 8th Dist. Federal Judge Nelson granted Little Rocks Writ of Habeas Corpus, releasing him from custody, and declaring that Ohio prisoncrats acted illegally in obtaining Little Rocks arrest in order to silence him from speaking out against Ohio prison conditions, and agreeing that his life would be endangered if returned to Ohio! I personally spoke to Little Rock on the day of his release. I have also been working with our Brother Abdal Bari, on coordinating efforts to monitor the Ohio Control Units and SuperMax. Suddenly Abdal was arrested on fabricated charges and the FBI accusing him of plotting to break out prisoners. The Peacenet shows increased activity in Ohio and Indiana of the Feds searching activists homes.
Well, Im writing this in the hole, being charged and convicted by the Rules Infraction Board of "conspiracy to convey drugs" and "possession of money", and recommended to go back to the Control Unit. The State highway Patrol, Chief Investigator Ison, working with Lt. Schramm (same one who was involved in the last set up-- and a losing defendant in our lawsuit where we had Amnesty International investigate human rights violations at Luke) engineered this retaliatory set up. This time making the allegation that I "conspired" with a prison collaborator to smuggle drugs in-- rather than out of prison. The collaborator then said I gave him $100 cash while in the hole, to purchase a bag of coffee and 2 packs of cigarettes. The collaborator theyre using has been a known informant for 4 years - he testified against 2 convicts in murder cases by using his paralegal title to gain information, then testified for the prosecution. His name is Robert Parks-- everyone I know is hip to him. Hes working with prisoncrats in an effort to corroborate their charges against me. By saying the drugs were coming in this time, rather than going out, prisoncrats say they are using a different administrative regulation that gives them more protection legally, or so they think. I was picked up the day after receiving a copy of Little Rock Reeds habeas decision. The day before I was threatened by 2 different guards on separate occasions, so should have known something was coming. Prison Legal News, which just printed "Spilt Milk" came out last week and the article has been declared "inflammatory" at Lebanon Prison and here, as it was when Prison News Service printed it. So the arrival of PLN at Luke just fanned the flames of malcontent in the prisoncrats, precipitating this most recent string of reprisals. [PLN was eventually delivered to OH readers.]
I reported long ago that Ohio has coordinated efforts with local and national law enforcement agencies to label us as "Secutity Threat Groups", as well as placing this label on those they say are gang members. Its obvious that they are working closely with the FBI and coordinating efforts to supress our legitimate and legal activities to monitor control units, write informative articles on what is happening inside our gulags, and going all out to wage war on our activists. Little Rock is FREE, and that pissed them (prisoncrats) off!
So, here I sit. My attorneys are not enthused about moving for another transfer. I have asked for an Out of State Transfer to Monroe Reformatory in WA state per the Interstate Compact. I urge all of you to fax, call, and write Governor Voinovich and urge him to transfer me per the Interstate Compact, and release me from isolation:
Governor George Voinovich
Vern Rifle Center
77 South High St., 30th fl.
Columbus, OH 43266-0601
ph: (614) 466-3555, fax: (614) 466-9354
[Editors Note: John is going on a "Death Fast" (a hunger strike) starting June 1, 1995, to press for his transfer out of Ohio. Please suport him in any way you can.]
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