Tag: American Public Health Association

Racism remains the greatest medical threat to Mumia’s health. The only treatment for Mumia is freedom, for all political prisoners, and for all our elders in prisons!

UCSF White Coats for Black Lives leaves no uncertainty how Gov. Gavin Newsom and his appointee, Kathleen Allison, are playing the shell game, toying with the lives of our elderly and infirmed caged community members, and all Californians. CDCr is exposing all of us to ravaging and likely death by COVID-19. Equally troubling is the mental torture of all prisoners, their families and loved ones.

Guards have been jarringly waking prisoners every 30 minutes on death row at the Central California Women’s Facility since May 2014, and in the Pelican Bay SHU since Aug. 2, 2015, for so-called “security/welfare checks.” This is serious, ongoing sleep deprivation which is torture. These checks may also be harming people in other prisons; PB SHU and CCWF death row is where we have heard the most complaints.

A bill opposing the shackling of pregnant prisoners, AB 2530, passed unanimously by the California State Legislature, is now on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk, with 30 days to either approve or veto it. Last year, a previous version of this bill was also passed unanimously by the legislature, but it was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Brown. AB 2530 supporters have created two webpages for the public to contact the governor.