After 5 days without contact, we finally heard from our friend. Alisha called Red around 2:30pm today, immediately after being released from “SEG” (solitary confinement) after 5 days of severe isolation.
On Thursday, July 2nd Alisha and several other comrades gathered (what she described as peacefully sitting together) to discuss their growing concerns for each other’s mental and physical health, lack of education programs being returned to them, the new forced work they’ve been mandated to do for the state, and other grievances. They had drafted a letter imploring the warden to care about what they saw as growing harms that were resulting in their collective rapidly deteriorating mental health during this pandemic. They gathered, with masks on, sitting 6 ft apart, and informed the COs who asked what they were doing that they wanted to discuss their concerns with the warden and offer solutions and ideas to solve the problems they were facing.
Immediately, more than 6 COs were called to “the scene” and began threatening Alisha and her friends. They were told if they did not disperse they’d be punished and possible bodily harms they might endure were also listed off. Alisha and her friends explained that they weren’t doing anything other than trying to offer a clear path to better conditions and weren’t going to stop discussing their concerns together.
Alisha was targeted and removed to an interrogation room for over 4 hours. From there she was put in segregation, “SEG” until today. Among the already tortuous conditions of isolation, she was also not allowed clean clothes, any form of communication with outside friends/family/lawyers, showers, anything to read or write with, or any privacy while using the toilet.
Alisha was also the only one retaliated against out of the small group who assembled to discuss their concerns. Upon being released from SEG she’s been told she won’t be allowed to shop for essentials until August at the earliest and her mail has been confiscated.
She wanted this account of what happened to her shared publicly. All Alisha did was gather with a few others to offer solutions to the harms they’ve been enduring. That’s enough to bring threats and acts of violence down upon their heads.
We’ll be planning online/call-in actions soon. In the meantime, please continue to use our support resource bit.ly/AlishaAdvocate to show up for LeLe!