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Across this country vegan animal rights prisoners have sacrificed themselves in service of defending those who cannot defend themselves, and find themselves on the other side of the law which invariably protects the interests of the animal abusers when it is in service of industry. And with the new laws in place that protect the financial interests of the industries who use animals, more activists are finding themselves prosecuted for activities that were before protected under the First Amendment rights of free speech.
Nowadays it is more important than ever before to not to forget those who have put themselves on the line in defense of the animals and to show that they are not forgotten. Being what in most cases is a political prisoner is disheartening to say the least, when the law ostensibly vows to punish abusers and protect victims, but it is important to know that in any progressive cause, civil disobedience was a norm to show the injustices of the existing laws. So we encourage other activists to connect with those who find themselves out of action in a show of solidarity and compassion. If you would like to write to an activist prisoner, we have a list of [guidelines] to ensure they receive your letter. Thanks for your support!
This list is the most up-to-date list we have--prisoners are often transferred or released before news circulate, but we monitor their support pages to ensure that this is the most complete and current listing available. For a listing of UK prisoners, check with this site: http://www.arprisoners.org
Eric McDavid #X-2972521 7E128
FCI Victorville, Medium II, Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box 5300, Adelanto, CA 92301
http://www.supporteric.org
Eric was sentenced to just under 20 years imprisonment for conspiring to think about actions. An FBI sting operation entrapped Eric but no actions were ever carried out, and Eric was charged with a single count of "conspiracy." Eric was denied bail twice - despite having no prior criminal record and no history of violence - and spent almost 2 years pre-trial in Sacramento County Main Jail in "Total Separation" - or solitary confinement. During that time he endured two separate hunger strikes to gain access to vegan food. He also endured two separate bouts of pericarditis - a heart condition which Eric had never experienced before his time at Sac County. In May of 2008 Eric was sentenced to an outrageous 19 years and 7 months in prison. At the time, it was the longest standing sentence of any environmental prisoner in the US. Unfortunately, Eric's case and sentencing seem to have set a precedent for such injustice, and others have since been sentenced to similarly outrageous time in prison. Eric is currently appealing his conviction and sentencing.
Kevin Olliff, #1300931
TTCF 161 D-Pod, 450 Bauchet Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
http://www.supportkevin.org
Kevin Olliff is an animal rights activist who was arrested on April 18th, 2009. He was unjustly arrested on three year-old protest charges and now faces 10 felony counts. These felonies are multiple counts of: stalking, conspiracy, conspiracy to stalk, and threatening of a public servant. His bail was set at approximately $460,000. He did not meet bail and is currently on remand in Los Angeles County Jail awaiting trial. Kevin is requesting pictures of the outside along with letters, for not having a window has left him with a complete lack of visual stimulation.
Alex Hall #2009-06304
Davis County Jail, 800 West State St., Farmington, UT 84025
http://www.supportbjandalex.com
Alex was sentenced to 21 months in prison for his part in releasing over 600 mink from a fur farm in Jordan, Utah. He has not been transferred yet to prison to serve his time, so note that this address will be changed as soon as we know where he will be.
William James Viehl #15909-081
FCI Terminal Island, Federal Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 3007, San Pedro, CA 90731
http://www.supportbjandalex.com
In February 2010, "BJ" was sentenced to two years in prison for his part in releasing over 600 mink from a fur farm. Despite a plea bargain whereby the prosecution asked for a six month sentence in return for a guilty plea, the judge decided this wasn't enough and sentenced William to two years imprisonment, stating there was no other word for people that liberate mink than 'terrorists'. He has a loving wife whom he misses very much.
Kevin Kjonaas #93502-011
F-Unit, FCI Sandstone, P.O. Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072
Kevin is the last remaining prisoner of the original SHAC 7 serving a 6-year sentence relating to charges in the SHAC USA campaign. He was the president of SHAC USA.
Ronald Cherney #21151-057
F-Unit, FCI Sandstone, P.O. Box 1000, Sandstone, MN 55072
Ronald is a prisoner who turned vegan while in prison, and is working to get more vegan options in his facility. He is now a cellmate of Kevin Kjonaas and wishes to be an activist upon his release. He lived with a dog whom he rescued from a cruel owner. The dog is currently at his sister's place.
Marie Mason #04672-061
FMC Carswell, Federal Medical Center, P.O. Box 27137, Fort Worth, TX 76127
Marie Mason of Cincinnati, Ohio is a long time environmental and social justice activist and loving mother of two. On March 10th, she was arrested by FBI, Homeland Security and local police on charges related to two Earth Liberation Front actions that occurred in Michigan, in 1999, and 2000. She is serving an unprecedented 21 years and 10 months imprisonment for ELF/ALF actions. Please note that she has a list of 100 pre-approved people who she can write to; if you are not on that list, she will not be able to write you back, although she will be able to receive your incoming mail.
Action alert: As of August 6, she has been transferred from to Carswell, a location suspected of being a CMU
(Communications Management Unit)
Jonathan Paul #07167-085
FCI Phoenix, Federal Correctional Institution, 37910 N 45th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85086
http://www.supportjonathan.org
Jonathan has been an animal and environmental activist since the 1980s and a vegan for 25 years. He and his wife live with 4 companion animals off the grid, powering their home with solar panels. Jonathan is currently serving a 51 month sentence in federal prison in Phoenix, Arizona for his role in the 1997 arson of the Cavel West horse slaughterhouse in Redmond, OR.
Jonathan was arrested in January of 2006 in the largest roundup of animal rights and environmental activists in history called "Operation Backfire", also called by others the Green Scare.
Jonathan was one of four defendants that entered into a plea agreement that required him to plead guilty but included a provision that none of the four of them would be required to implicate or identify any other individuals besides themselves, or to testify in court against anyone. (The others are below)
Daniel McGowan #63794-053
USP Marion-CMU, U.S. Penitentiary, P.O. Box 1000, Marion, IL 62959
http://www.supportdaniel.org
Daniel McGowan is an environmental and social justice activist from New York City. He was charged in federal court on counts of arson, property destruction and conspiracy, all relating to two actions in Oregon in 2001. He was arrested on December 7th, 2005, and as one of the 4 co-defendants in Operation Backfire who was offered a plea agreement, pleaded guilty so as not to implicate or identify others who may have been involved.
An added note: CMU stands for Communications Management Unit, a secretive prison-within-a prison that severely limits his contact with the outside world.
Nathan Block #36359-086
FCI Lompoc, 3600 Guard Road, Lompoc, CA 93436
solidaritywithsadieandexile@gmail.com
Nathan "Exile" Block is serving a 7-year, 8 month sentence and was one the 4 co-defendants in Operation Backfire who was offered a plea agreement, and pleaded guilty so as not to implicate or identify others who may have been involved.
Joyanna Zacher #36360-086
FCI Dublin, Federal Correctional Institution, 5701 8th St – Camp Parks, Unit E, Dublin, CA 94568
solidaritywithsadieandexile@gmail.com
Joyanna "Sadie" Zacher is serving a 7-year, 8 month sentence and was one the 4 co-defendants in Operation Backfire who was offered a plea agreement, and pleaded guilty so as not to implicate or identify others who may have been involved.
Walter Edmund Bond
PO Box 16700, Golden, CO 80402-6700
Walter Bond is charged with arson in connection with the fire at the Sheepskin Factory in Glendale in April 2010. He is suspected of being linked to two other fires at the Tandy Leather Factory in Salt Lake City in June and the Tiburon Restaurant in Sandy, Utah, which served foie gras.
On February 20th, 2009, four California animal rights activists, Nathan Pope, Adriana Stumpo, Joseph Buddenberg, and Maryam Khajavi, now collectively known as the AETA4, were arrested under suspicion of violating the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA). Their alleged crimes include protesting outside vivisectors' homes and publishing their names and addresses, activities that are protected by the First Amendment.
The arrests of the AETA4 mark a dramatic escalation by the federal government and abusive industries against animal rights and environmental activism. Their arrests marked the first under the Bush Administration's controversial Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, signed into law in 2006. The AETA statute was introduced at the behest of wealthy biomedical and agri-business industry front groups. It passed with inadequate notice, and with only a handful of Congresspersons present for the vote. It is currently being challenged as being un-constitutional.
On July 11, 2010 a US District Court threw out the indictment because the government prosecutors did not say exactly what the protesters did. However, this case is not completely over. The government can still re-indict the defendants with an amended bill of particulars that clearly outlines their alleged actions. For more on this, click [here]
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