Tag: due process of law

A copy of this historic document in its original form was sent to Bay View arts editor Wanda Sabir by Kumasi, a Los Angeles-based prison movement scholar and central leader of the Black August Organizing Committee who was a close comrade to George Jackson. Kumasi was reminded of this Manifesto when he learned of the National Prison Strike that began in Black August 2018 and believed Bay View readers would value the opportunity to witness prison movement evolution.

Usually Feb. 21 is a day of remembrance and reflection for me as it represents the anniversary of the day Brother El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz aka Malcolm X was assassinated by agents of the U.S. government and its counter-intelligence program, COINTELPRO. Well, this Feb. 21, 2018, I’m having to focus on and prepare for a different type of assassination, a different type of murder, but still a lynching nevertheless. The only difference is it’s in a U.S. kourt* of law.

The Constitution of the United States belongs to all the American people. What Bill and Hillary Clinton did to pervert constitutional law consists of all out treason against the Constitution in the 1990s. Trump has remained silent about the Clintons and Republicans taking away constitutional rights. A First Amendment right that belongs to the American peoples of all races, not something for the Clintons and Republicans to take, is ACCESS TO COURT.

“Cuba is neither the hell that our enemies like to pretend it is nor the paradise that our friends wish it to be, but a country which struggles just like many others.” This is the assessment of our Cuban tour guide during the last day of our 10-day, 10-person people to people visit to Cuba in December 2013, led by the mayor of Richmond, California, Gayle McLaughlin.

California Code of Regulations Title 15, as well as the Departmental Operations Manual, CDCR’s rules – or self-governing laws – states: “These regulations are made in recognition and consideration of the value of inmate visitation as a means of increasing safety in prisons, maintaining family and community connections, and preparing inmates for successful release and rehabilitation (Section 3170(a)).”

In short, Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) is county probation. Ironically, after nearly 16 years of being “incapacitated,” PRCS has turned out to be an unforeseeable blessing for this author! While utilizing the services and benefits available under PRCS (AB 109), my transition back into society has been virtually seamless.

My husband, Robbie James Riva, who currently resides at Calipatria State Prison, has maintained his innocence for the past 11 years. After his appeal was denied in 2009 and there was no more money to pay an attorney, I decided to take it on myself. We put our minds together, our strength, our love and we told each other we could do this and we did. He wrote his appeal himself with the documents I sent him.