Update On Mumia Abu-Jamal By Jamila Levi, January 19, 1995 I visited Mumia Abu-Jamal at Pennsylvania's new SCI-Greene Supermax yesterday, January 18, 1995. He was moved here from SCI-Huntingdon on January 13. About 70 of this state's 185 death row prisoners have been transferred to Greene as of this writing. Most were moved in groups of 14-20. Mumia was one of only two prisoners transferred from Huntingdon on Friday; special treatment for special people! Jailhouse lawyers are also among those being targeted for this supernal prison. Basic Features: One hour a day, 4-5 days a week, in an outdoor exercise cage. At Huntingdon he got two hours. Shower twice a week. Law library for two hours once or twice a week. (They have 2 typewriters in the law library.) The remaining time is silent in the cell. Utter isolation, from other prisoners as well as from outside, is the goal. The cells are arranged in such a configuration that it is much more difficult to see across the block. It is possible to hear prisoners directly above or below (there are two tiers) or directly adjacent through the air vent. The food slot is unlocked 4-5 hours a day. The door is solid except for a thin window. Silence prevails, acutely aware that every sound is monitored. All doors are electronically controlled, with guards at control monitoring stations. Not everything is painted white as in some sensory deprivation units, but the overall atmosphere is one of complete sterility and lifelessness, clearly designed to break the spirit and destroy one's sense of identity. SCI-Greene is located In Waynesburg, PA, an area well-known for its racism and heavy Klan infestation. Although over 60% of the population on PA's death row are from Philadelphia and surrounding counties, this prison was deliberately located an 9-hour drive from the state's largest city. Prisoners on A.C. status (including death row) are allowed only a two hour visit once a week, although I was informed that they may be able to successfully petition for a longer visit on occasion. Those in D.C. (Disciplinary Custody) get only one hour. Visits are, of course, non-contact. They are conducted in an area rather deep within the bowels of this beast, closer to the cell block. His handcuffs are shackled to a belt around his waist. This contraption prevents him from scratching his nose, giving the power sign, talking with his hands, or pressing his hands up to the glass, which was the closest thing to physical contact he got with his visitors at Huntingdon. The stool provided for him during visits is bolted to the floor, with a ring on it apparently enabling the guards to shackle a prisoner to the stool. TV is virtually non-existent because prisoners on Mumia's side of the cell block can get only one station, and the reception is poor. There is no cable. There is no VCR. Prisoners have TV and radio only if they can afford to buy one. Action Alert This place is a real bad trip. Please help us expose it right up front for exactly what it is. Please feel free to write or call me with any questions or comments: Western PA Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal P.O. Box 10174 Pittsburgh, PA 15232-0174 U.S.A Phone/Fax: 412-361-2989 Please, write Mumia, and use some colored stationery, pictures or whatever to help brighten up that place (not that he's allowed to have anything on his wall). Mumia's standing strong, like he always does. His new address is: Mumia Abu-Jamal #AM-8335 SCI-Greene 1040 E. Roy Furman Highway Waynesburg, PA 15370-8090 U.S.A. Prison Administration: James Price SCI-Greene 1030 E. Roy Furman Highway Waynesburg, PA 15370-2902 U.S.A. Phone: 412-852-2902 Fax: 412-852-2909 We urge you to call or fax Governor Tom Ridge now to say free Mumia Abu-Jamal and abolish the death penalty! His phone number is 717-787-2500. His fax is 717-772-3155. For more information about Mumia's case call International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal at 215-476-8812. (Source: Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign)