Please make urgent calls for PA prisoners on hunger strike, see two alerts below from Human Rights Coalition.

From Shandre Delaney, Human Rights Coalition:

URGENT Call Alert

Please make calls ASAP.

Gregory “Promise” Kinnard EV9358
SCI Coal

Details:
I received phone calls from a friend of the prisoners and then from an inmate at SCI Coal that Gregory “Promise” Kinnard was attacked by about 6 guards. He said they just ran in his cell and started to beat him. Everyone said he was beaten very badly. He was injured and had to get stitches. Now he is on a hunger strike in protest.

It may be in retaliation to a settlement that the prison has to pay. He was to have a settlement negotiation hearing last Thursday and I am not sure if that ever took place. I spoke with Promise last Tuesday and he informed me that he got fired from his kitchen job and that he had words with a guard in the kitchen. When I spoke with him he felt that he was safe as he did not get written up. He felt the situation was squashed. Now we know otherwise.

Retaliation for lawsuits and especially settlements is a common occurrence.

Please call:
Superintendent Tom McGinley
​1 Kelley Drive
Coal Township, PA 17866-1020
(570) 644-7890

Secretary Wetzel
717.728.4109

Demands:

·       Be immediately moved to another facility preferably not in facilities employing family members of guards responsible for the attack.

·       Be given his settlement hearing if it did not take place

·       Allow access to prison society to see him and confirm his health and well-being to his family and the public

Please report back in this check-in sheet 

From Patricia Vickers, Human Rights Coalition:

Hey Everyone, Keep calling the prison. All information is below. The situation must be past the point of no return, if a people are willing to starve themselves to get help. Call !!! And call State Rep Tina Davis since she just introduced a bill against Solitary Confinement: 267-580-2660, let her know what's going on.

Human Rights Coalition PA

July 14 at 2:00 PM · 

URGENT CALL ALERT! - 16 Prisoners on HUNGER STRIKE!

Prisoners Names (known participants):
Caine Pelzer EZ2913
Reginald West FE6643

Location:
SCI Fayette - LaBelle, PA

DETAILS 
Starting July 4th, prisoners in the LB block of the Restricted Housing Unit (solitary confinement) at SCI Fayette initiated a hunger strike. 16 prisoners have been refusing food for 10 days. This arose as a protest against repeated physical abuse from guards, sexual harassment, extensive use of pepper spray, theft of mail/legal documents, and restriction of access to basic goods such as toilet paper, toothbrush/paste, yard time, shower time, and clean clothes.

ABUSIVE PRISON GUARDS
CO Cacia
CO Regina
CO Breakiron
CO Twardzik
Sgt. Dobish
Sgt. Haines, 
Lt. Poska
Lt Pytoniak 
Unit Manager Paul Aurandt 
"Paul Aurandt simply hates prisoners and anyone that challenges what’s being done. So there’s a free pass on all the guards are allowed to do. I’ve spoken with him several times and it always ends with him saying “Mr. Pelzer I find it hard to believe a guard would do a thing like that.”

PLEASE CALL
SCI Fayette Superintendent Mark Copozza
(724) 364-2200

DOC Secretary Wetzel
(717) 728-4109

DEMANDS

·       Investigate the health and living conditions of hunger strikers

·       Discipline the guards that have been abusing inmates, repeatedly pepper spraying people, and restricting access to basic goods.

·       End the abusive practices in the RHU

·       Transition all long-term solitary confinement prisoners back into General Population

PLEASE ADD A QUICK COMMENT TO THIS POST IF YOU CALLED IN W/ A BRIEF DESCRIPTION