Prison Abolition Prisoner Support (PAPS)
Media Contact: Azzurra Crispino
iheartpaps@gmail.com
(512) 710-PAPS
The Ordinary People Society (TOPS)
Media Contact: Psr Kenneth Glasgow
topssociety@yahoo.com
(334) 791-2433
Media Contact: Azzurra Crispino
iheartpaps@gmail.com
(512) 710-PAPS
The Ordinary People Society (TOPS)
Media Contact: Psr Kenneth Glasgow
topssociety@yahoo.com
(334) 791-2433
TEXAS PRISONERS BEING DENIED MAIL AS FIVE THOUSAND EVACUATED
AUSTIN, TX: Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is denying Texas prisoners the ability to send or receive mail in light of Tropical Storm Harvey. Although Houston is a major mail hub for Texas, this does not explain why prisoners in areas of the state unaffected by the flooding (for example, Clements Unit in Amarillo) would be denied access to mail. In a press release, TDCJ stated that five Texas prisons have been evacuated: Ramsey Unit (pop 1688); Terrell (pop 1563); and Stringfellow (pop 1168) in the Rosharon area of Texas; Vance (pop 308) and Jester III (pop 1052) located in Richmond (near Houston). Democracy NOW! reported that Harris County Jail, located in flooded downtown Houston, has not been evacuated.
As Houstonites and Texans brace themselves for a second round of Tropical Storm Harvey, set to hit Friday, Texas prisoners are unable to communicate with their loved ones. Inmates that were moved should be able to use the phone system to place calls. For those designated in administrative segregation, only legal phone calls are available. However, most of the units close to the storm are on lockdown, which means no prisoners may receive visits or make phone calls. Although ALL TDCJ mail services have been suspended, those evacuated to a different unit should have their mail addressed to their evacuation location because their mail will not be forwarded.
Prisoners were evacuated by bus while shackled and were most likely unable to bring any of their belongings, as they were not given sufficient warning to evacuate. Although the Ombudsman’s Office told us inmates would be able to file a Step 1 Grievance for replacement of damaged property, they would not state that this property would be replaced. Family and friends can check on incarcerated loved ones by calling Ombudsman’s office, which has opened a 24 hour hotline at (936) 437- 4927 or by checking TDCJ inmate locator website as they claim the inmate location will be updated upon arrival at the new unit.
Hacktivist and political prisoner Jeremy Hammond, discussing his experiences being locked down during Hurricane Sandy, states, “[v]ery frightening to consider what would happen to us prisoners – already disenfranchised, silenced, marginalized, and forgotten – in the event of a more devastating natural disaster. There’s a universal consensus here – they’d probably leave us to die.” He elaborates, “[a]s the climate continues to change due to capitalism’s rampant destruction of the environment, we can expect more frequent and devastating natural disasters on the way [… flood victims are] experiencing that often the most effective relief does not come from the City, police, or FEMA, but from grassroots community groups […] working together in solidarity with those most affected.”
MEDIA AVAILABILITY: FAMILY MEMBERS, ACTIVISTS AND FORMER PRISONERS
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