Monday, March 18, 2024
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Tags Michigan Abolition and Prisoner Solidarity (MAPS)

Tag: Michigan Abolition and Prisoner Solidarity (MAPS)

Gov. Whitmer hosts COVID-19 super-spreader events in Michigan prisons

With seemingly intentional disregard by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and abettors, MDOC Director Heidi Washington and Warden John Christiansen, for the safety and well-being of prisoners and communities, finally ice the state cake by coercing prisoners to sign “waivers of liability,” should they contract COVID-19 while in the care of their oppressors.

Lansing and Chicago on the march as National Prison Strike grows

Community members, formerly incarcerated people and anti-prison activists marched today through downtown Lansing to raise awareness about the 2018 national prisoner strike that began two days ago on Aug. 21, and will continue through Sept. 9. The national action is organized and led by prisoners around the country who have already begun engaging in hunger strikes, work stoppages and other actions to protest their inhumane living conditions. Their demands include “an immediate end to prison slavery” as well as various other demands related to sentencing reform and racism.

What happened at Vaughn prison?

On Feb. 1, scores of men in Delaware’s largest prison, the Vaughn Correctional Center, took over one of the buildings in their facility. The prison, built in 1971 and known for its serious overuse of solitary confinement, is one of the state’s most severely overcrowded and punitive facilities. Hoping to push the state to improve living conditions at Vaughn, the prisoners didn’t just take control of Building C – they also took guards hostage. And to make the public aware of why they were protesting, they called the media.

Michigan prisoners speak out against ‘epic’ abuse and retaliation

On Sept. 9, 2016, prisoners participated in the largest prisoner work stoppage in the history of the country. Prisoners in at least four facilities in Michigan joined in the work stoppage, including Kinross Correctional Facility. The next morning, after retaliatory actions from staff, Kinross prisoners held a peaceful demonstration in the yard. Since then, hundreds have faced harsh, unjust retaliation. Harold “HH” Gonzales was a spokesperson for the prisoners at the demonstration at Kinross and wrote this account.