From: carol wolman <cwolman@mcn.org>
Subject: Re: Berrigan in segregation
Dear friends, I just spoke with several officers at the Elkton prison.
If they receive many calls, perhaps they will reconsider what they are
doing. Phillip Berrigan's inmate number, which they will ask for, is
14850056. I told the officials that what they are doing is fascist. I
urge everyone to call the prison at Elkton.
In Jesus' name, Carol Wolman, MD
Scott Mathern-Jacobson wrote:
Please take time to read this. This comes from Jonah House
in Baltimore MD.
- Scott
September 19, 2001
Philip Berrigan is in FCI Elkton in Lisbon OH serving a
sentence of a year and a day for probation violation [As a
result of a Plowshares action]. After more than a week of
not hearing from him (most unusual for him), I phoned the
prison today to learn the cause of the silence. After
repeated efforts I learned:
1. That he was in segregation
2. That he was not allowed any visitors
3. That he was not allowed any phone calls
I was not told why or for how long. I inquired about his
ability to communicate by mail and was assured that that
was permitted. I asked if he had access to the basic
necessities for such communication and the member of his
team with whom I spoke was certain that he was allowed to
write and receive mail. When I pointed out that no mail was
forthcoming he assured me that he would look into the
matter and see that Phil had paper, writing implements,
stamps, etc. I suspect that he has been deprived of those
basic items for well over a week and have no way of knowing
whether or not he has been given mail that has been sent to
him.
After this exchange I called Senator Barbara Mikulski's
office and spoke with Betty Deegan. She phoned the prison
and confirmed what I had learned earlier as well as:
1. That Phil was put in segregation on September 11, 2001
as a direct consequence of the attacks on the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon
2. That this was done "for his protection!" He is, she was
told, a high profile prisoner.
I would submit the following:
1. That if Philip is in segregation "for his protection"
why the punitive denial of visits with his family?
2. That Philip has no need for protection. He is a World
War II veteran. He has lived and worked much of his adult
life in the harshest ghettoes of American cities
(Anacostia, VA; New Orleans, LA; and Baltimore, MD). He is
a veteran of more than 11 years of prison in this country. In
all those years with all kinds of people and through all
kinds of situations Philip has never had an incident in
which his life or his well-being or his person was
threatened - either in the inner city or by another
prisoner. He can point to that history (and the institution
can verify it) because he is practiced at working with
people. He has a long and consistent history of commitment
to nonviolence. He has a long and consistent history of
standing for life. He is a Christian. He will choose to
accept suffering rather than impose it on another. He has
learned that that, in and of itself, is the way one can
touch the mind and heart of even an enemy. He neither needs
nor wants "protection." He believes that the only defense
allowed us as human beings is the practice of justice; the
only security assured us is that of standing together as
sisters and brothers.
3. As his wife, I stand with Philip in these convictions.
Neither I nor my family will hold the prison responsible
for any incident with any prisoner in which Philip might be
a victim as a consequence of his convictions or his
history.
I do not believe that Philip is in segregation for his
protection. It has all the texture of reprisal and
vindictiveness - a punishment for thinking outside the
consensus and acting against our nation's love affair with
weapons of mass destruction. If any of the attitude I feel
and fear is present it is the absolute end of all that we
say we value as a nation. I deeply appreciate any
intervention you can make to right this wrong. If you
require any further information from me, I would be ready
in a moment to supply it.
INTERVENTION IDEAS:
Call Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, Director.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First St., NW
Washington, DC 20534,
Warden, FCI Elkton
8730 Scroggs Road
P.O. Box 89
Elkton, Ohio 44415
330-424-7448
Northeast Regional Office, Bureau of Prisons
U.S. Custom House, 7th Floor
2nd and Chestnut Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
215-521-7300, Fax: 215-521-7476
You may know that Marilyn Buck is also in segregation for
the same reason. She is being held incommunicado. We
believe the same is happening with Leonard Peltier. So
thanks for any attention you can give to any of these.
We all need more to do in these times don't we! And it took
all day to get this information!
Love, Liz
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Sep 21 2001 - 19:08:32 EDT