The second week of November we learned our beloved elder Russell Maroon Shoatz contracted COVID 19. Maroon is a prisoner in Pennsylvania and a former Black Panther who has been imprisoned since 1970. He is 77 years old.
He has been living with stage 4 colon cancer since last year. And just as he was exiting the prison walls last week to get the tumor removed at a hospital, he was stopped at the door and asked to take a COVID test. He tested positive. Immediately they sent him to a small gymnasium where others with COVID are being quarantined in the prison. When he got there, he found 29 senior prisoners who said to him: “welcome. We’ve been waiting for you, we figured it wasn’t long before you got it too.”
This means that there are 30 seniors with COVID in a dank, cold gymnasium in a prison in PA. They are being held under the most inhumane conditions imaginable. Thirty men including Maroon had access to only one bathroom. Maroon was put in a space without a light and had go to the bathroom on himself because he couldn’t risk getting up and falling.
Maroon’s family and the community mobilized and we won his transfer to the infirmary. But we need him to come home.
But this human rights catastrophe is repeating itself across the state and across the country because prisons are a death trap in the age of COVID. Prisons are on lock down in PA right now because the virus is spreading like a storm. Country’s around the world like Iran and Turkey but the United States has refused to decarcerate it’s mostly black and latinx prison population.
Russell Maroon Shoatz is no danger to his community. He has stage 4 cancer and he has COVID. The civilized and humane thing to do is to allow him to go home to his family. We are asking for his immediate release and for the immediate release of all other aging prisoners over the age of 50 and those with pre-existing conditions for whom incarceration is a death sentence.
We ask for the immediately and unconditional release of Maroon!!
Continue to Call Governor Tom Wolfe Contact: (717) 787-2500
Russell Shoatz’s health is rapidly deteriorating. DOC#AF3855 and demand Immediate Release of Russel Maroon Shoatz. They track the calls from different phones and how many times they same number calls so please keep calling and activate your networks.
Read this letter from health experts demanding Maroon’s Release
As we mentioned last month, Maroon recently underwent surgery and had an extended stay in the prison infirmary.
We share with you now Maroon’s latest message on his health:
“As a Political Prisoner and fighter for over 50 years, I’ve now reached a point where those close to me can no longer shoulder the things they’re called on to do without broader community support.
Recently I was operated on, where it was discovered that I’m suffering Stage 4 colorectal cancer.
This is a CALL for donations to help us cover costs of treatment.
If the lying politicians can amass thousands of small donations, it speaks ill of our struggle against injustice if we will not support our own in similar ways!
Spread THIS call and help us!”
Straight Ahead!
Political Prisoner
Russell Maroon Shoats/z
While the news of Maroon’s ill health is of course disheartening to us all, we’re committed to doing everything in our power to ensure he receives comprehensive treatment for this latest diagnosis. Your support is critical to our efforts.
We’re reaching out to our extended community of support with a request for immediate donations towards Maroon’s medical costs. We hope to gain a holistic understanding of the treatments he’s received and make informed decisions about his medical care moving forward.
Donate here. Please give generously in this moment of heightened urgency.
We invite you to write Maroon directly and send him words of encouragement. Maroon’s Earthday is August 23!
Smart Communications
PADOC/SCI Fayette — Transferred this Week
Russell Shoats AF3855
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg FL. 33733
As always, we thank you for your commitment, and we’ll keep everyone updated on next steps soon.
In love, strength, and solidarity,
The Shoatz Family and Friends
The picture at the top of Teresa, Maroon and Sharon was taken this past Monday. The photo below was taken in mid July. Maroon has his youngest sister on the right and his oldest sister on the left. Also pictured are Teresa, etta, Sharon and Russ III.
Russell “Maroon” Shoatz was seen today in the prison infirmary where he was lucid, able to speak, but complained of nausea, abdominal pain and was unable to keep any liquids or food down. He was seen by the doctor where the decision was made to send him to a hospital for diagnostic testing. The head nurse at SCI Dallas has been very cooperative and has kept the family informed regarding his condition. Maroon is unable to make calls, receive emails or have any visits. The family is also working with Maroon’s legal counsel.
The family is asking that you keep his spirits up once he returns to SCI Dallas by sending get well letters to the address listed below.
Smart Communications/PADOC SCI Dallas
Russell Shoats AF3855
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg FL. 33733
Globally, 2016 has been dominated by political, economic, and social changes in the Northern Hemisphere. Massive upheavals have been occurring, seemingly churned up by the millions of asylum seekers fleeing wars and economic- and climate-related depredations in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.
The upshot of these upheavals brought proto-fascists to challenge the welfare states of Western Europe and the guinea pig economic systems of the former Soviet states. The Left there has either been crushed (Greece), is now on the ropes (Spain and England’s Left Laborites), or is circling the wagons (Germany and the Scandinavian countries), while Russia under Putin is using its military muscle to try to replicate what China has been doing in the economic sphere: remain independent of the U.S. and Western economic domination.
In South America, the once promising Bolivarian bloc has disintegrated. And while Ecuador and Peru continue to resist, the uplifting of the dirt-poor masses on the rest of the continent is in a tailspin, with their true leaders one step away from prison—or worse.
In the Caribbean, the Haitians continue to suffer unspeakable climate, economic, andpolitical hardships. Puerto Ricans may soon join them. The late Fidel Castro, whatever one may say about his decades in power, was instrumental in assuring all Cubans and thousands of poor allied peoples received free quality health care and education; something a rich country like the U.S. has refused to do. Rest in Power Brother Fidel.
Africa remains a victim of centuries of colonial and neo-colonial rule and plunder. Despite the heroic resistance by its people, nowadays—by and large—they are being dominated by their “Big Men” and the western corporations.
The Middle East is a horror show that needs no comment, except to point to Rojava in Northern Syria. There, the Kurds are leading a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and secular social, political, economic, and cultural struggle that we need to follow and support.
India continues its economic push, Myanmar’s experiment in “democracy”—and its civilian/military government—slowly moves along, while Pakistan and the rebels in Afghanistan continue their struggle against the agents of imperialism.
North Korea continues to skate near nuclear annihilation, due to a regime that inherited an inability to divorce itself from an ideology that has lost its usefulness. Not so for China, which is operating as if the Earth is a GO board, and is gaining influence everywhere, while the U.S. attempts to surround it, as if it’s playing chess, and the Chinese mainland is the king it can cut off and checkmate. Otherwise, for the most part, tens of millions of others in South Asia and the Pacific islands are struggling to stay alive.
People in Chicago protest the election of Donald Trump.
The election of Donald Trump for President has focused the world’s attention on what the right wing populist backlash has made crystal clear: the neo-liberal economic engine has allowed the large corporations to move from country to country, utilizing the cheapest labor they can uncover, which has all but destroyed the elevated living standards that used to be the pride of the U.S. and Western Europe, leaving in its wake a handful of multi-billionaires who have more wealth and control than the Devil himself! And when the millions who are looking to Trump to rescue them wake up, there’s no telling how volatile things will get (remember that Americans got more guns than any people who are not involved in a shooting war).
Can a President Trump meet their expectations to “Make America Great Again”?
DOES A CHICKEN HAVE LIPS? DOES A SNAKE HAVE HIPS?
Trump will be able to get enough from Congress for some infrastructure projects to aid a portion of voters. Remember, Obama was able to push through a large “stimulus plan” to rescue the banks and GM, as well as spread around millions for a few years. But beyond something like that, Trump’s rivals in the Republican-controlled Congress, and the long established sentiments on the Right that hate ANY plan resulting in an increase of the country’s debt, will limit the jobs and “stimulus” money Trump has to spread amongst his following. When Trump goes back to his box of tricks, he’ll discover that a king cobra has eaten all of the rabbits he was hiding there. The cobra represents the little understood, galloping TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES that are rapidly replacing the need for human labor. Think how retail sales, plus truck, bus, and cab drivers, will be on the verge of getting cut by as much as the capital the few remaining giants can pull together for the DRIVERLESS VEHICLES once the mergers end. Bye-bye Fed-Ex, UPS, U.S. Postal Service, the millions of skilled 18-wheel truckers, and hello to the driverless vehicles and the drones that will allow Amazon, et al, to better do their thing, all the way down to delivering pizza! And why should forward-looking large corporations go along with a President Trump to hire his followers (except for a kickback), instead of some 3-D printing technology? I ain’t scratched the surface. Being in prison prevents me from fully researching this angle, but I can still “see the writing on the wall.”
Then 2016 has helped us better grasp the CLIMATE CHANGE threat. This is already the HOTTEST YEAR on record. And it’s admitted that the Greenland, Arctic, and Antarctic ice caps are disappearing at a rate that assures us coastal cities across the entire world will have an almost impossible engineering job in order to survive another 20 years. All the while, Trump is filling his White House Cabinet with fossil fuel advocates. Apparently Trump plans to keep his promise to “drain the swamp”… so he can then fill the vacuum with oil and coal. Great! And don’t forget our side’s failure to take baseline measures, such as fostering a culture, far and wide, of growing as much of our own food as we can.
Here in the U.S., Black Lives Matter and the water protectors, being led by the Native Nations in the West, are movements we ALL can learn from, while continuing to support the human rights they are fighting for.
Water Protector praying with water in the face of militarized police in Standing Rock.
Winter at Standing Rock
Closer to home, the Prison Industrial Complex continues to destroy lives: Mumia Abu-Jamal and thousands of other prisoners are being denied Hep-C treatment and other basic medical care.
NEVER FORGET that Trump vowed to round up and deport MILLIONS of undocumented peoples ASAP. That is certain to more than double the numbers of people being held!
On a personal level, I continue to (again) teach myself to “walk and chew gum” through Square Stepping and Tai Chi. Being forced to limit my leg workouts to tiny control unit cells and exercise cages for decades robbed me of the ability to mount stairs and even turn once through a doorway, since I was always all but carried along in chains whenever I left said cells. Though I maintained my leg strength, outside of walking in a straight line, my balance resembles that of a toddler, though much better than when I first got out of that hell hole!
I’m re-bonding with extended family members as well.
WITHIN ANY CRISIS RESTS OPPORTUNITIES. I’m calling on EVERYONE to rise to this challenge and figure out ways to overcome these added difficulties, as you can count on me to do.
Finally, you must get others to join you in deluging the White House and President Obama with the message that to protect his legacy amongst the world’s progressive people, HE MUST USE HIS POWERS TO RELEASE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS UNDER HIS ULTIMATE CONTROL BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE.
Welcome to our July newsletter. In these ever-turbulent times, where tragic news seems a constant, we hope this message finds you and your loved ones in both good health and resilient spirits. After a momentous last month, we’re pleased to bring you the latest info on Maroon’s lawsuit settlement with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and brief report backs from both the Campaign to Restore Meaningful Commutation’s recent meeting with Pennsylvania state officials and the Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons’ recent convergence in Washington D.C.
Maroon Sues The D.O.C. and Wins!!!
In case you missed our special bulletin two weeks ago, a settlement has been reached in the case of Shoatz v. Wetzel, which challenged Maroon’s 22 straight years of solitary confinement. The settlement brings an end to litigation begun in 2013, which resulted in Maroon’s initial release from solitary in February, 2014. To say that we’re thrilled with this news would certainly be an understatement.
Ahead of this latest victory, Maroon was visited for Father’s Day by his daughter, Theresa, and grandson, Hakeem. (pictured above) In Theresa’s words, “I spent Father’s Day with Maroon and my son. Maroon was so upbeat and proud of the moment. Several prisoners nodded and others sent warm greetings. One even came over to where we were seated, wanting a hug from me. Maroon jumped between us and said, ‘Time out! This is my Father’s Day visit, with my daughter. Give me some space!” The prisoner got the message, and I took it to mean that we need more visits like this one.”
As mentioned in our July 11 press release, “In exchange for Shoatz ending the lawsuit the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) has agreed that it will not place Shoatz back in solitary confinement based on his prior disciplinary record or activities; Shoatz will have a single-cell status for life, meaning he will not have to experience the extreme hardship of being forced to share a cell following decades of enforced isolation; a full mental health evaluation will be provided; and the DOC has paid a monetary settlement.
Russell Maroon Shoatz had the following to say about the settlement: ‘I have nothing but praise for all of those who supported me and my family for all of the years I was in Solitary Confinement, as well as helped to effect my release. Since joining the struggle for Human Rights in the mid 1960s, I have always chosen to fight! Frederick Douglass was right when he said “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” So have no doubt that I see this Settlement as anything but the latest blow struck, and you rest assured that I will continue in the struggle for Human Rights. Straight Ahead!’ ”
We invite you to read our full press release, including the supportive comments of United Nation’s Special Rapporteur, Juan Mendez, whose expertise helped ensure this victory.
In addition, we share with you this article from The Guardian regarding the settlement and its potential positive impact on the cases of other Pennsylvania inmates who have suffered through similarly unrestricted use of solitary confinement, as well as the following video clip from the July 12 episode of Democracy Now!, a program that’s vocally supported our efforts over the years.
Campaign to Restore Meaningful Commutation Goes to Harrisburg
On Thursday, June 23, the Campaign to Restore Meaningful Commutation hit the Capitol pushing a 12 point platform that would change regulations and practices of the barely functional commutation process. About 25 people traveled to Harrisburg from Pittsburgh and 10 more from Philly. Upon arrival from Pittsburgh a devoted crew raced up to the office of Jason Dawkins, co-author of HB 2135, where he met them with open arms. House Bill 2135 was introduced on June 9, and has the ambition to Expand Parole Eligibility for Life Sentences. This bill would make people eligible for parole after 15 years served, and as Jason said in our press conference, “This bill would abolish life without parole.” Can you believe a State Rep said those words?!
Rep Ed Gainey from Pittsburgh gave a rousing speech at our rally in support of the bill. This is extra powerful because, tragically, his sister was murdered just a month ago. Additional surprise speakers included: Rep Joanna E. McClinton from Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, who was extremely encouraging and really applauded our efforts, and Rep Patty Kim of Dauphin County, who also stepped to the mic, talking about an impactful meeting she had with women at Muncy.
To read the full reportback about the campaign’s visit to the Pennsylvania capitol, and how you can plug into ongoing organizing, please visit here.
Members of Let’s Get Free with Rep Dawkins and Rep Gainey
Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons Goes to D.C.
For over a decade, June 11 has been a day of action in solidarity with eco-anarchists imprisoned for their actions in defense of the Earth. Since its inception in 2004, the June 11 day of action and other acts of solidarity have been instrumental in winning shorter sentences or early release for eco-prisoners, including Jeff Luers and Eric McDavid. Yet committed earth defenders such as Marius Mason, targeted in the FBI’s “Greenscare,” are still serving harsh sentences in maximum security prisons for their actions in defense of the Earth.
Meanwhile in Appalachia, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) plans to build a massive maximum security prison on top of a former mountaintop removal coal mine in Letcher County, Kentucky, surrounded by sludge ponds and coal processing operations. This amounts to an environmental justice nightmare, where prisoners who are disproportionately low-income and people of color face toxic conditions behind bars.
photo: Kilaika Anayejali kwa Baruti, Eka Asase Yaa, Theresa Shoatz & Shandre Delaney attendees at Toxic Prison Conference in DC
From June 11 to June 13, people from around the country converged on Washington, D.C. to network, strategize, and take direct action against toxic prisons and continue to fight for the freedom of political prisoners.
Stopping one prison is not a magic bullet to ending the U.S. police state, the one that gave way to the world’s largest prison nation and in turn serves as the apparatus of repression that keeps the planet shackled to industrial capitalism… But it’s a pretty good place to build from.
To read about the campaign’s convergence in D.C., and how you can get involved, please visit here.
We remain deeply indebted to all of you who continue to offer your support and solidarity to the struggle for Maroon’s freedom, and against prisons and policing more broadly. And while we say it every month, we really do want to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us directly with your thoughts, questions, and ideas to strengthen our work on behalf of Maroon and all u.s.-held political prisoners.
We also invite you to consider contributing to our ongoing fundraising for Maroon. While Maroon’s recent settlement obviously includes a financial component, much of that money will be redirected, per Maroon’s wishes, to efforts that support other long-held prisoners and their families. Accordingly, your direct contributions for Maroon’s well-being at SCI Graterford remain important.
Please also consider contacting Maroon directly. He wants to hear from his supporters! Write to Russell Shoats #AF-3855, SCI-Graterford, P.O. Box 246 Route 29, Graterford, PA 19426 – 0246
In Maroon’s own words,
Straight Ahead!
The Shoatz Family and Friends
Free Russell Maroon Shoatz! 