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NEWS & LETTERS, April 2002
Angola 3 oppression intensifies
Oakland, Cal.--Herman Wallace of the Angola 3 has been
sentenced to Camp J, the Louisiana State Penitentiary's solitary
confinement/punishment camp, following a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday,
March 13. Prison officials claim they found a small piece of metal in his cell
during a shakedown on March 11. They claim the piece of metal, which Herman
adamantly denies having, could be used to open handcuffs. Herman's cell was
searched twice in one day on March 6th. Nothing improper was found. Angola's "shakedown crew" then tossed his cell
again five days later while he was outside on the yard. When he returned,
officials notified him that they had charged him with possession of contraband. At the disciplinary hearing, Herman challenged the
authorities to give him and the officer who searched his cell a polygraph test,
but his request was denied and he was found guilty. It was a case of Herman's
word against a prison guard's. As we all know, prison guards always win that argument
(especially when fellow guards serve as judges). Several other prisoners were
also charged following the search and found guilty of possessing items such as a
jump rope and some empty styrofoam containers. Everyone was sentenced to Camp J, but all but Herman and
one other man had their sentences suspended. At Camp J, Herman will lose even
the few privileges he is afforded in his current solitary confinement status,
CCR. He has already been stripped of all of his property except for writing
materials, a dictionary, and his copy of Lockdown America by Christian Parenti.
He will be forced to wear shackles during his three-hours-per-week of solitary
exercise in the fenced-in cage that serves as a "yard." Phone calls
will be limited to one a month and all visits will be behind a thick metal
screen that is almost impossible to see through. The lack of air conditioning
and minimal ventilation turns Camp J cells into sweat-boxes during the summer. Herman will probably have to stay in Camp J for a minimum
of six months. There is no fixed sentence; he has to "program" out
through a step program that has a minimum of two three-month stages. He was sent
there in 1999, along with Albert Woodfox and Robert King Wilkerson, after the
three participated in a hunger strike. At that time, the men were kept in Camp J
for approximately 10 months because the prison refused to hold the
classification hearings that were necessary for their return to CCR. I have little doubt that Herman Wallace will survive this
ordeal, but he is now 60 years old and there are limits to the amount of
punishment any human being can take. On April 17, he and Albert Woodfox will
mark 30 years in solitary confinement. Scott Fleming, Attorney The National Coalition to Free the Angola 3 has issued a
special T-shirt for fundraising purposes. They are made of heavy cotton, in red
or powder blue with red writing, in large or extra-large sizes and can be
purchased for $17 (includes $2 shipping) by sending a check or money order to
It's About Time/Angola 3, P.O. Box 221100, Sacramento, CA 95822. |
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