Urgent Action Needed- Support Prisoners in Indiana SHU!

******Please Spread Widely******This is an *URGENT ACTION ALERT *asking for a solidarity call-in to demandan investigation into abuses in the Secure Housing Unit of Wabash ValleyCorrectional Facility and to protest the recent torture of our comradeShaka Shakur. We are asking people to make calls, starting a*t 830am EDT onMonday February 6th through 430pm EDT Tuesday the 7th*.*Bruce Lemmon, Commissioner IDOC:* *(317) 232-5711*, *fax *(317) 233-1474,blemmon@idoc.in.gov <BLemmon@idoc.IN.gov>*Richard Brown, Superintendent Wabash Valley Correctional Facility: **(812)398-5050 ext 4102 <%28812%29%20398-5050>., fax *(812) 398-5032,* *rbrown@idoc.in.gov <RBrown@idoc.IN.gov>*Jack Hendrix, Director of IDOC Classifications:* *(317) 232-2247, fax *(317)232-5728,jdhendrix@idoc.in.gov <JDHendrix@idoc.IN.gov>**The SHU is Indiana's most repressive Super Max Prison, and is modeled afterthe infamous Pelican Bay SHU. It holds many of Indiana's most politicalprisoners in extreme isolation and sensory deprivation, many of them peopleof color. It is a prison within a prison, in the rural south of the state,and is imbedded with extreme racism and white supremacist organizing.In August of 2011, prisoners there staged a multi-day protest aimed atending the state-wide lockdown that happened in response to a whitesupremacist gang member being murdered. Prisoners in the SHU weren'tallowed access to recreation, showers, hygiene products (including water)for their cells, and eventually had the power and water shut offcompletely. The protest was successful in regaining the basic necessitiesof life, but now it seems the administration is out to get those with ahistory of no-comproise struggle against their conditions.On Saturdaythe 21st of January, our comrade Shaka was forcefully removedfrom his windowless cell, subjected to numerous invasive and humiliatingsearches and eventually moved to an isolated part of the prison.His property was thoroughly searched, x-rayed, replaced and then searchedagain. He was placed in a 2ft x 3ft holding cell with only a toilet,stripped down to his boxers. Guards on duty said this order came directlyfrom the Superintendent, Richard Brown.  He was given water every 4 hoursand was only allowed to flush the toilet after a thorough search of itscontents.Shaka immediately began a hunger strike, refusing all food and water fromthis point on, until his release from this holding cell back to hisisolation cell. He maintained this hunger strike, even though theconditions severely aggravated a herniated disk and kidney condition. Heremained in excruciating pain, in the 2x3ft holding cell until Wednesdaymorning (4 days later), with no medical attention.Hewas released back to his cell and started to take food and liquids againon Wednesday, but his property remains gone. Political writings, books,magazines, legal resources, family photos, even his glasses. It is allpresumed to be destroyed, as the prison officials have not presented himwith a confiscated property form.He has been on the SHU for nearly a decade, with the quasi-officialdesignation of Administrative Segregation. He's has a clean conduct recordwhile there, but the state has refused to transfer him to population. Nowthey're trying to kill him.*We're asking for solidarity calls and actions aimed at getting the abuseson the SHU stopped, on getting Shaka off the unit before he's murdered bythe State.*This is not the first time such a call has been made. Recently, Indianabased groups such as *Decarcerate Monroe County*, *The City of BloomingtonHuman Rights Commission* and *The Progressive Faculty Coalition at IndianaUniversity* have called for aninvestigation into white supremacistorganizing amongst guards in the SHU at Wabash Valley. The state has thusfar dismissed such claims, and has made no effort towards explaining theircomplicity in such organizing.*Please call the following IDOC administrators. Please engage in solidarityactions. Please tell Shaka you stand with him!Bruce Lemmon, Commissioner IDOC:**(317) 232-5711*, *fax *(317) 233-1474,blemmon@idoc.in.gov<BLemmon@idoc.IN.gov>Call him to express horror at the actions of the Superintendent and Staffof Wabash Valley Correctional Facility at the treatment of Shaka and todemand adequate medical treatment and review of his continued placement inisolation. Demand an investigation into practices of torture and denial ofbasic human necessities in the SHU. Express your outrage at the continuedcomplicity of IDOC administrators in the known white supremacist organizingamongst guards at Wabash Valley.*Richard Brown, Superintendent Wabash ValleyCorrectional Facility:**(812) 398-5050 ext 4102 <%28812%29%20398-5050>., fax *(812) 398-5032,* *rbrown@idoc.in.govCall him to express outrage at his treatment of Shaka, his orders to holdhim for days on end without medical care in a holding cell, and demand thereturn of all of his property undamaged.*Jack Hendrix, Director of IDOC Classifications:**(317) 232-2247, fax *(317) 232-5728,jdhendrix@idoc.in.gov<JDHendrix@idoc.IN.gov>Call him to demand Shaka's immediate release from AdministrativeSegregation and housing on the SHU. Shaka has many years of clear conductand yet the IDOC refuses to release him to general population. His housingon the SHU is leading to extremely dangerous health and safety conditionsfor him.Write to Shaka and let him know you're behind him:Shaka Shakur #135647WVCFPO Box 1111Carlisle, IN47838For more information or for more background information on recent events inthe SHU,  contactindianaprisonersolidarity@gmail.com