Many of you know or know of our incarcerated comrade Mfalme Sikivu (Dontie Mitchell). Mfalme has been an organizer inside for over 20 years and a mentor as well. He is an outspoken revolutionary, and the founder of UFD (Ujaama Fraternal Dynasty), an organization aimed at uplift for Black and oppressed peoples. Last week, Mfalme was once again attacked by CO's and put in solitary, this time with all of his legal papers, both for UFD and for his own case, confiscated. It is likely no accident that Mfalme was working with organizers to support upcoming rallies for clemency for all incarcerated people. Please donate what you can to his fundraiser, available HERE!!!
Inline with Mfalme's politics, we are also calling for an end to ALL SOLITARY, and we are putting pressure on Cuomo, NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, and Commissioner Annucci to end these vile white supremacist tactics NOW.
Solitary confinement for any period of time is torturous. It confines someone into a small space and should be abolished. According to an agreement between Governor Cuomo and the NYS legislature in 2019, there were a series of reforms for the use of solitary, including
-"Ensuring that the duration of time incarcerated individuals will be permitted to be housed within a special housing unit for solitary confinement will ultimately be capped at 30 days."
-"Ensuring that incarcerated individuals will not be denied essential services as a form of discipline and DOCCS will not impose restricted diets or any other changes in diet as punishment."(source: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-andrew-m-cuomo-majority-leader-andrea-stewart-cousins-and-speaker-carl)
-"Making clear that solitary confinement will be a reserved punishment for serious conduct that creates significant risk to the safety and security of correctional facilities and the individuals within."
We know that these staff at these facilities have not followed these regulations. Incarcerated people are placed into solitary and if they complain about human rights abuses, the COs walk right past them with their trays, while at the same time COs are yelling "white power."
We know that COs are retaliating against organizers and elders by placing them in solitary, turning on fans and the like to keep them more isolated from their neighbors, and stealing folks property if they just try to speak to their neighbor.
DO THE NY ACLU/STEWART COUSINS/CUOMO CARE ABOUT BLACK LIVES IN PRISON? WE DON'T THINK SO.
We are asking you to call
NY State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins: (914) 423-4031
Governor Cuomo: (518) 474-8390
NY DOCCS Commissioner Anthony Annucci: (518) 457-8134
Sample script:
"At numerous prisons, there are violations of human rights happening within special housing units, such as denying incarcerated people meals for complaining about conditions, putting people in solitary for non-violent, non-threatening charges, and open white supremacy.
One person in solitary on a charge that should not get you into solitary even by NY DOCCS's own rules is Dontie Mitchell #98A0071 at Marcy. They deny meals there if prisoners complain, take away prisoners' mattress for the night if they talk to their neighbors, and yell "white power." What are you doing to ensure that Black Incarcerated Lives Matter? What are you going to do today to end the abuse at Marcy and at other prisons?"
You can also help by donating to Dontie Mitchell's (known as Mfalme Sikivu) fundraiser, to support legal fees, communications, and funds for Ndugu members of Ujaama Fraternal Dynasty (UFD) returning home. A little goes a long way, especially since CO's took all of Mfalme's documents when he was captured and put into SHU.
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