Soja on Hunger Strike Against Continued Torture and Retaliation

Cornelius "Soja" Harris, the supermax prisoner who endured multiple extended hunger strikes early in 2013 is again refusing food. Harris requested a transfer to a safer facility, where he wouldn't be targeted for retaliation by staff, as he had been at OSP for years. The prison administration refused to transfer him in-state, but approved a transfer to a prison in Maryland. Harris initially accepted the transfer, but requested more information about the prison he'd be going to, what conditions were like and whether or not he'd be on 23 hour a day solitary confinement as is the case for prisoners at OSP. 

Update on the Cleveland 5

Members of RedBird Prison Abolition have been in touch with the Cleveland 5. We sent them our friend Sean Swain's letters of support. 

We will likely be visiting them and participating in support efforts. If anyone in Columbus would like to join this efforts, please contact us. They are also desperately in need of funds, please donate via Cleveland5Justice.org

Detailed updates after the break...

Solitary Confinement Hearings.

On June 19th, the US Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on solitary confinement in the US. Ohio houses hundreds of prisoners in solitary confinement at any time. There are over 400 solitary cells at Ohio State Penitentiary (OSP), 100 solitary cells at death row, each prison has it's own solitary cells, the "hole".


The hearing is called “Reassessing Solitary Confinement: The Human Rights, Fiscal and Public Safety Consequences” some of our friends at OSP have written briefs and testimonies for the hearings.  They'll be posted as soon as we get copies.