What: Picket and noise demonstration at King County Jail in Seattle. Bring signs, pots, pans, banners, cameras, and friends. Hundreds of postcards will be on hand for a mail avalanche to the Green Hill superintendent.
Where: King County Jail, 500 5th Ave. at 5th and James, Seattle. (Metro #3,4 is easiest bus to the site)
When: Monday, July 8, 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm.
Why: To show solidarity with prisoners in California, Guantanamo, and elsewhere around the country, but especially with the juvenile prison at Chehalis, WA. The noise & the message will be heard by inmates in the Seattle jail. The group photo taken will be circulated to prisoners in Washington, showing them they have outside support. The postcards collected will go to the warden at Green Hill. Please come help and create the beginning of the end of inhumane incarceration.
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THE GREEN HILL YOUTH PRISONERS' DEMANDS:
1. BAN THE BOX: Stop branding felons as criminals for life. Stop discrimination against felons for Pell Grants, food stamps, welfare, public housing, or job applications. If the box on job applications denies us real work, how can we make money legally?
2. TREATMENT PROGRAMS: Bring sex offender treatment back to JRA/DOC beyond the ART/DBT programs. Make a reduction to sex offender treatment payments on parole to affordable prices. This applies as well to drug and alcohol treatment payments.
3. EDUCATION: Provide relevant and specialized educational programs to all residents even after they have graduated from High School. These could include cosmetology, music/multimedia production, library access, law training, culinary arts, and more. There are plenty of rooms that are currently not being used for anything but storage. They should be used.
4. LEGAL ACCESS: Access to updated legal material, updated each yer. This should include: A well-stocked law library in the school available to all, updated regularly. Books and resources available at anytime. Access to
internet sites with relevant legal material available at all times. Access to resources detailing available legal counsel. Copies of JRA/DOC employee policy handbooks in every single wing for residents to read. These must be updated each year.
5. WAGES: All residents must be paid minimum wage for all positions. Residents should be free to organize their jobs without punishment. New jobs should be created that provide real technical training. Change the
13th amendment allowing prison slaery!
5. TRANSITIONAL HELP: Provide free clothing upon exiting any facility (DOC/JRA). These clothes must be brand new. We need guaranteed housing 3 months before leaving a facility. JRA and DOC need to help provide jobs or training to every exiting resident and help provide treatment programs.
This needs to extend to parolees.
6. PHONE CALLS & VISITATION: Increase time limit for calls to 15 minutes. These phones must be fixed and functional. Visitation and phone calls should be available for more than just family and mentors.
7. HEALTH: Surgeries must be provided by JRA and DOC immediately even if not an emergency situation. If a surgery is needed, it must be provided in at most 3 months time. Showers must be available each day. If parents can provide aids such as glasses they should be allowed inside instead of relying on state supplies.
8. FOOD: Residents should have input on the menu within reason. Current portions need to be doubled as they are currently too small. Religious and vegetarian/vegan diets must be respected.
9. SPENDING PRIVILEGES: Food and hygiene materials must be more readily available from outside of the facility. The current limits on how much we can spend are too small, and should be expanded to over $40.
10. FREEDOM OF SPEECH: The 1st amendment must be respected in JRA/DOC facilities. We have a right to speak our mind and express ourselves with whatever language we choose as long it does not threaten others. We must also be free to organize without punishment.
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