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UID:Indybay-18781816
SEQUENCE:18907931
CREATED:20160114T232800Z
DESCRIPTION:Tell the CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation that their 
 "security/welfare checks" are torturing the men in Pelican Bay SHU and need 
 to stop NOW!!\n\nLearn more here about the 'checks' and how you can further 
 support by sharing information and making phone calls:\n\nSince August 2, 
 2015, men in Pelican Bay SHU have been awakened every 20-30 minutes, 48 
 times a day, due to so-called "security/welfare checks" by guards. The 
 architecture of the Pelican Bay SHU (PB SHU) amplifies the loud noise of 
 the 'checks' -metal pod doors opening and slamming closed, chains and locks 
 rattling, guards' boots stomping, metal pipes banging against the cell 
 doors, and the beeping of the electronic monitoring system at each cell 
 door. Sometimes guards also shine their flashlights into people's eyes. The 
 people suffering these so-called "security/welfare checks" are locked in 
 concrete solitary cells, so the noise and intrusion every 30 minutes is 
 (additional) unavoidable torment .\nAs of February 1st, it will be 181 days 
 that these men have been tortured by sleep deprivation!! Six 
 months.\n\nCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) 
 claims the 30-minute checks are to prevent suicide. But we know that 
 interrupted sleep is causing serious mental and physical health problems. 
 John R. Martinez, in solitary for 15 years and in Pelican Bay SHU for over 
 a decade, wrote in late August: “…there is a reasonable probability 
 that life-threatening injuries and/or even death is inevitable, as medical 
 symptoms are only worsening but not being treated.” \n\nPeople locked up 
 in PB SHU report health problems including:\nsevere stress\nweight 
 loss\ndizziness\nfaintness\nnausea\nheadaches\neye problems\nstomach and 
 bowel problems\ndepression\nfast heart rates\n\nJohn’s mother, Dolores 
 Canales, co-founder of California Families Against Solitary Confinement and 
 the Family Unity Network, said: “I visited my son in the Pelican Bay SHU 
 on 12 September and he is going crazy from not being able to sleep. I’ve 
 never seen him like this. He couldn’t think, and he fell asleep while I 
 was talking with him from across the glass partition.” John was in that 
 state in September after 5 and a half weeks of sleep deprivation. It has 
 now been 5 months since the checks started on August 2, 2015.\n\nPrisoners 
 cannot concentrate, exercise, read, do legal work - the things that help 
 them survive - and they can’t sleep! This is extremely cruel and 
 dangerous.\n\nIf you can't attend the Rally in person, please make phone 
 calls (and call more than once!) to:\nCDCR Secretary's Office: 
 916-323-6001\nCDCR Director of Adult Divisions, Kelly Harrington (he): 
 916-445-7688\nSenator Loni Hancock, Chair of Senate Public Safety 
 Committee: 916-651-4009\nAssembly Member Bill Quirk, Chair of Assembly 
 Public Safety Committee: 916-319-2020\nGovernor Jerry Brown: 
 916-445-2481\nSuggested script for calls: Begin with your name and the city 
 and state where you live. Please tell all of them: “Stop the so-called 
 'welfare' checks in the SHU at Pelican Bay State Prison. Sleep deprivation 
 is torture.”\n\nYou can also email CA elected officials- to STOP the 
 'checks'- with this link from Californians United for a Responsible Budget 
 (CURB) : http://tinyurl.com/ztjcos3\n\nPlease spread the word! More people 
 need to know about this sleep deprivation! And we want a strong showing 
 outside CDCr. Share the articles, the American Public Health Association 
 (APHA) letter opposing the checks, and our video. [Links below]\n\nAny 
 questions, don't hesitate to send us, Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity 
 Coalition, a Facebook message or email us at phssreachingout@gmail.com. Our 
 website is prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com\n\nSF Bay View 
 article\nhttp://sfbayview.com/2015/12/take-action-against-ongoing-sleep-deprivati...\n\nAmerican 
 Public Health Association (APHA) letter opposing the 
 checks\nhttp://wp.me/P1BB1k-27L\n\nYou Tube Video “Sleep 
 Deprivation”\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjWF3OtGSkQ\n\nThe 
 Guardian, Sept, 25, 
 2015\nhttp://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/25/california-prison-suicide...\n\nScientific 
 American, Oct. 2015 "Sleep On It: Your nightly rest turns out to affect 
 your mind and health more than anyone 
 suspected"\nhttps://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/sleep...\n\nSleep 
 (Deprivation) Survey Report from Pelican Bay SHU Oct 13 & 14, 
 2015\nhttp://wp.me/P1BB1k-27i  \n\nWhy Interrupted Sleep Is Worse Than 
 Short Sleep\nhttp://time.com/4094734/interrupted-sleep-mood/\n\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/01/14/18781816.php
SUMMARY:Rally Against the Torture of Prisoners
LOCATION:outside California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 1515 S St, 
 Sacramento, California 95811
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/01/14/18781816.php
DTSTART:20160201T210000Z
DTEND:20160202T010000Z
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