Call the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Thursday, November 7th and demand that they put an end to the sheriff’s retaliation and meet prisoner demands.
Background
On October 31, prisoners at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, CA kicked off a hunger strike and work stoppage that spread to all kitchen workers and, at its peak, included at least 300 active participants. A prisoner died on Saturday, October 26th after calls for help were ignored by guards. The strike was called in response to this death as well as the deplorable conditions inside.
Breaking its own public promises, Santa Rita administration is now retaliating against the strikers. They have denied visitation, including legal visits, and added 30 days to twelve strikers’ stay for “threatening” jail operations. Other prisoners were forced to work for no pay in the kitchen.
Santa Rita – one of the largest jails in the country – is notorious for filthy conditions, medical neglect, punitive mental health “care”, and guards that range from indifferent to sadistic. Multiple lawsuits are active against the facility and its personnel for wrongful deaths, reproductive harm, guard orchestrated assaults, and other forms of systematic abuse and neglect. Nine people in custody have died this year alone.
Demands of the strike include:
- Better and more nutritious food, that is not spoiled nor served in unsanitary ways
- An end to price-gouging for commissary, phone calls, and video visitation
- More changes of clothing and laundry access
- Cleaning supplies
- Access to lawyers and legal library
- Daily exercise and recreation time below.
Their 26 demands essentially seek the bare minimum of treatment any human being ought to expect. They want to be able to keep themselves and their environment clean, they want to pay reasonable prices for basic necessities, they want access to the outdoors and healthy food, they want to be able to communicate with friends, family, and lawyers.
The current system does not make our communities any safer! To the contrary, it makes them less secure! We need to build people up, make them productive and restore their health and vitality.” – Strike Statement, Oct. 29, 2019
Sample script
Call the Board of Supervisors and let them know we support the strikers inside Santa Rita!
“Hello – I am calling in support of the people who had been on hunger and work strikes inside Santa Rita Jail. The board of supervisors must ensure that the sheriff end retaliation against the strikers by reversing extended sentences, ending forced labor and strike breaking, and restoring access to legal counsel. The board of supervisors should also see that prisoners' demands are addressed. That means an end to price gouging, assured sanitary conditions, reducing the use of lockdown, and restoration of visits and calls with their families and attorneys. What is your office doing to make the sheriff accountable? Retaliation against this peaceful protest is absolutely unacceptable."
Call:
5th District Supervisor Keith Carson
(510) 272-6695
2nd District Supervisor & President Richard Valle
(510) 272 6692
1st District Supervisor Scott Haggerty
(510) 272-6691
3rd District Supervisor Wilma Chan
Phone: 510.272.6693
4th District Supervisor Nathan Miley
Phone: 510.272.6694
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Don’t worry about anyone giving you the runaround, not getting through or having to leave a message. Just pursue it to the point that you can. We are calling to apply pressure and every call counts.
Please report back on calls made in the comment section below.
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