| I want to introduce you to a new correspondent who we’ve been getting to know over the last few weeks. Antoine “Indy” Walker is incarcerated in Pennsylvania, currently at SCI Greene where– he has been held in “administrative segregation” for the last 7 years, since 2017. I have been inspired by his resilience in the face of the state’s attempts to quash his spirit through the punitive use of solitary confinement. He has spoken out about the devastating health effects of solitary, especially on prisoners who have a history of mental health struggles. Indy is undergoing one of the most intense forms of psychological torture that can be inflicted on a human being. The mental, social, and emotional isolation of ‘the hole’ is maddening, as he illustrates in his commentary entitled “I’m Tired.” He reflects on his experience getting to know another prisoner, who had been in solitary for 13 years – by speaking to him through an air vent —breaking more than a decade-long sentence of silence imposed by American imprisonment. It’s worth a listen. He is speaking truth to power. His voice and testimony are essential for powering our movement. Indy’s determination to stay connected and resist this inhumane treatment is not limited to reporting. He is currently working on a class action suit with the Abolitionist Law Center. He, along with 5 other people, are suing the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC). Solitary confinement, often inflicted as a result of unmet mental health needs, has caused extreme pain to people confined, worsened their psychological distress, and exacerbated their torment. Every one of Indy’s fellow claimants has attempted suicide multiple times as a result of this horrifying and unnecessary treatment. More recent commentaries include a detailed report on his delayed Phase I Review Application, forcing him to stay in solitary longer than he has to, longer than anyone should have to endure. |
Indy is asking for help calling the superintendent of the PA DOC to request that his application for Phase I Review stop being delayed by the prison administration. He should have been able to leave solitary more than a month ago, but the process is being unfairly held up by the state. Reach out to the superintendent on Indy’s behalf at 717-728-4109.
This act of courage, to speak out, to take a stand against this injustice, is an incredible feat for someone whom the state has tried to prevent from speaking, by burying him and holding him against his will. As Indy says, “Some days the silence becomes too loud. I’m tempted to bang, to make noise so loud that it drowns out the deafening silence — not to disturb others, but to feel alive.”
Resistance is life-affirming. It is justified, and incredibly brave to stand up in the face of repression. Reach out to Indy, and listen to his commentaries – We can be a part of dismantling the prison walls, and abolishing the structures that are harming so many members of our community. Thank you for listening to Indy and for supporting Prison Radio.
In solidarity,
Leo Dugan, Prison Radio
Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement 