Starting Friday, June 10, at least six prisoners in longterm solitary confinement at Waupun Correctional Institute and Columbia Correctional Institute will begin a hunger strike to demanding an end to solitary confinement in Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Please take a minute to call, and put pressure on officials to listen to them and stop torture of prisoners in Wisconsin. For day one of the hunger strike, prisoners are asking that you call 608-742-9100 for Columbia Correctional Institute Warden Michael Dittman and 920-324-5571 for Waupon Correctional Institute Warden Brian Foster.
Sample script: “I am calling in support of the food refusal being done by prisoners in longterm solitary confinement in W…(tharr be more)aupun and Columbia. They are taking this action because of the abusive and extended use of isolation at your facility, and across the Department of Corrections. Resistance from inside prisons and outside support will continue as long as these conditions do. This food refusal has six humanitarian demands, several of which you can immediately address. You need to use your influence to immediately move prisoners who have been in longterm solitary confinement for more than a year. You should also institute proper mental health treatment of these people, and comply with the U.N. Mandela Rules on the use of solitary confinement. This is day one of the hunger strike.”
There will be updates and further calls to action as the situation develops.
From a letter by one of the inmates organizing the food refusal:
“In the state of Wisconsin hundreds of prisoners are in the long term solitary confinement unit aka Administrative Confinement (A.C.). Some been on this status from 18 to 20 years concurrents. We are planning a hunger strike for June 10, 2016 and we need all the help we can get to get this to the media, put pressure on the D. O.C and politicians, etc. When calling and/or emailing any of the above be persistent. Do it a minimum of two of two or three times per day. You may also call Waupun Correctional Institution to check on our well being at 920-324-5571 ”
Here is a “How-To” video for calling prisons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=251DPVDQ17A (the example used is a lot longer than what’s expected for this call, but it shows how the process can often look like)
If you’re participating internationally, you can make an international voice call to the US very cheaply using google voice / hangouts
If you wish to write to participating prisoners to make message of support, please write to: Cesar Deleon #322800, Lamar Larry #293906, Rayshun Woods #390831, LaRon McKinley #42642, at:
Waupon Correctional Institute
P.O. Box 351
Waupon, WI 53963
Ras Atum-Ra Uhuru Mutawakkil (s/n Green) #228971 has recently been transferred to Columbia, and can be written at
Columbia Correctional Institute
P.O. Box 900
Portage, WI 53901
When writing, keep statements of support vague, language including “hunger strike” will most likely be blocked. People who wish to write can use the Milwaukee IWW PO Box as a return address, at PO Box 342294, Milwaukee, WI, 53234.
More information on the incarcerated workers participating in this action and their writings can be found at: solitarytorture.blogspot.com
Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement 