Publish to Newswire
Add an EventFrom the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Prisoner Matt Whyte in the hole
read on
Matt was sent to the hole last week for "threatening an officer." After a week in the Segregation Housing Unit (the hole) at Taft Correctional Institution, he attended his preliminary hearing, where it was decided that the charge against him would not be dropped. He must attend a hearing next week, where the duration of his time in the hole will be decided. He
said that it looks like he will get 30 days in the hole (not counting time spent there waiting for his hearing), as well as 27 days loss of good time.
Matt is not allowed to have books, magazines, or anything else to keep himself busy right now. He is under lock down 23.5 hours a day, and 5 days a week is allowed time "outside" in a metal cage half the size of a basketball court. He is only allowed one 5-minute phone call every 30 days. Please write him a letter of support if you get the chance! Letters are his
only form of communication with the outside world right now, and he has little else to occupy his time.
You can write to him at:
Matthew Whyte
#99477-111
TCI
PO Box 7001
Taft, CA 93268
---------------------------------------
Support Matt & Petey!
santacruztwo [at] hotmail.com
Please send donations to:
Santa Cruz 2 Defense Fund
P.O. Box 583
Eugene, OR 97440
USA
Write them!
Matthew Whyte #99477-111 / TCI / PO Box 7001 / Taft, CA 93268
Peter Schnell #99476-111 / FCI Otisville / PO Box 1000 / Otisville, NY
10963
said that it looks like he will get 30 days in the hole (not counting time spent there waiting for his hearing), as well as 27 days loss of good time.
Matt is not allowed to have books, magazines, or anything else to keep himself busy right now. He is under lock down 23.5 hours a day, and 5 days a week is allowed time "outside" in a metal cage half the size of a basketball court. He is only allowed one 5-minute phone call every 30 days. Please write him a letter of support if you get the chance! Letters are his
only form of communication with the outside world right now, and he has little else to occupy his time.
You can write to him at:
Matthew Whyte
#99477-111
TCI
PO Box 7001
Taft, CA 93268
---------------------------------------
Support Matt & Petey!
santacruztwo [at] hotmail.com
Please send donations to:
Santa Cruz 2 Defense Fund
P.O. Box 583
Eugene, OR 97440
USA
Write them!
Matthew Whyte #99477-111 / TCI / PO Box 7001 / Taft, CA 93268
Peter Schnell #99476-111 / FCI Otisville / PO Box 1000 / Otisville, NY
10963
For more information:
http://ww.spiritoffreedom.org.uk
Add Your Comments
Comments
(Hide Comments)
Matt is a good friend of mine. Anyone who knows his nature and personality knows that it's just impossible for him to be "threatening an officer". Try imagine a young, introvert, animal-rights activist who loves cuddly animals, who'd never even raise his voice at anyone...
It'd be nice for folks to send him letters of support... Even though I feel many animal-rights activists isolate themselves from other radical causes, Matt was involved in many other projects. One of them was, ironically, political prisoners support work...
It'd be nice for folks to send him letters of support... Even though I feel many animal-rights activists isolate themselves from other radical causes, Matt was involved in many other projects. One of them was, ironically, political prisoners support work...
Taft is a minimum security Federal prison that has been privitized by the Wackenhut corporation.
http://www.wcc-corrections.com/facilities/TaftCorrectionalInstitution.htm
If any abuses happen to Matt, I suggest you hold demonstrations outside of their regional offices, after you've exhausted all other means of course. I bet there's one in San Francisco.
Another thing, TCI doesn't have what you call a "segregation housing unit", which what you really meant to say was a Security Housing Unit, otherwise known as a SHU (pronounced like "shoe"). There are only 4 prisons in California with a SHU and they are all state prisons. I think you meant "Admininstrative Segregation", aka Ad-Seg, which can happen in any prison and is also referred to as the hole. Ad-seg is a normal prison cell usually in a seperate part of the complex where the prisoners are locked down 23.5 hours a day and are denied from making phone calls, participating in any programs, and having physical contact with anyone. Ad-seg has a defined punishment time of no more than 6 months. Anything longer and I would have a lawyer intervene.
Lastly, make sure you understand the differences between a SHU, Ad-seg, etc. in order to be a better advocate for your imprisoned comrades.
Kevin
California Prison Focus
http://www.wcc-corrections.com/facilities/TaftCorrectionalInstitution.htm
If any abuses happen to Matt, I suggest you hold demonstrations outside of their regional offices, after you've exhausted all other means of course. I bet there's one in San Francisco.
Another thing, TCI doesn't have what you call a "segregation housing unit", which what you really meant to say was a Security Housing Unit, otherwise known as a SHU (pronounced like "shoe"). There are only 4 prisons in California with a SHU and they are all state prisons. I think you meant "Admininstrative Segregation", aka Ad-Seg, which can happen in any prison and is also referred to as the hole. Ad-seg is a normal prison cell usually in a seperate part of the complex where the prisoners are locked down 23.5 hours a day and are denied from making phone calls, participating in any programs, and having physical contact with anyone. Ad-seg has a defined punishment time of no more than 6 months. Anything longer and I would have a lawyer intervene.
Lastly, make sure you understand the differences between a SHU, Ad-seg, etc. in order to be a better advocate for your imprisoned comrades.
Kevin
California Prison Focus
For more information:
http://www.prisons.org
Great Rock-n-Roll song!!
My friend who is engaged in the lonely fight against the CCPOA, or prison guard's union, actually favors prison privatization as the lesser evil against the insane amount of power that the guard's union wields in Sacramento - because it would get money out of the equation. Private guards are paid much less and aren't going to be lobbying for laws that increase the number of people put in jail. The CCPOA was totally against the recent reform of first offense drug laws, and this state has one of the highest rates of reincarceration for parole violations - a person doesn't have to break a law to be violating parole, but can be caught being out after a curfew of 10pm, or communicating with old wayward friends. They've been getting more than they ask for during the past few years while other budget items have been getting cut. Their wages have been increased so that they are higher than teachers and police officers and many other government job categories - and easily can be earning $60-70,000/year, and they throw all of their dues money against any individual who dares to speak out against them in the assembly so that they lose the next election. The fact that there is a $25billion deficit this year at the state level is the best news in terms of loosing their grip, that has come in years.
Privatization of the prison industry may reduce union power, but now the prison companies have a financial incentive to increase incarceration. Who's been better at lobbying, unions or corporations?
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Donate
$170.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network