Day of Blogging for Jamie: Make it Every day!

I’m late again digging through my email box, folks, but still blogging on the Scott sisters every chance anyway. Thank God for the women keeping up my sites and Mississippi Prison Watch when I’m not with it so we don’t get too far off track. Please help us engage other mainstream allies in Mississippi to address health care disparities and get some urgent assistance to both Jamie and her family so they can understand exactly what’s going on with her illness and care.

I hoped the Mississippi Kidney Foundation would play a role in facilitating some patient education, but I don’t think they’re helping us any. Maybe folks know of other organizations we should try.

Write them as a concerned citizen; go ahead and use my appeal to the Kidney Foundation as a model if you want – and please send a copy of it to the Scott Sisters and Mississippi Prison Watch so we can post it publicly; it’s more likely to be read that way.

- Peg (AZ Prison Watch)

-------------------The following was sent out by Sis Marpessa on Wednesday night------------------

DAY OF BLOGGING FOR THE SCOTT SISTERS (THURSDAY March 18, 2010) ~ By Sis. Marpessa

Thanks to Bro. Yobachi of Black Perspective.Net for answering the call put forth by myself and Nancy Lockhart for a Day of Blogging for the Scott Sisters. In early January both of Jamie Scott's kidneys shut down and she has been swiftly declining due to unprofessional medical care that is inadequate, cut-rate and frighteningly inept.

Since that original call those closely following the case know that Jamie was recently rushed to the hospital due to severe infection and the need for prolonged medical attention.

Bro. Yobachi's press release was slightly amended to reflect that Jamie continues to require ongoing close monitoring as once returned to the prison it has been proven on many occasions that are well documented at the website that the medical staff there has provided absymal health care that has put Jamie's life at risk far too many times to be acceptable.

Below is Bro. Yobachi's press release. The Chairwoman of theCommittee to Free the Scott Sisters is Mrs. Evelyn Rasco at rqueenbee2222@yahoo.com.

Thanks to all who will participate in this and help to raise the call to FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS throughout the blogosphere tomorrow and beyond!
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From: http://www.facebook.com/l/ac49e;www.blackperspective.net/index.php/upcoming-day-of-blogging-for-scott-sisters/

Sis. Marpessa, who works with Mrs. Rasco, the Scott sister’s mother; has asked Afrosphere bloggers to conduct a day of blogging to help the wrongly convicted sisters specifically at this time of medical need.

Below is a preliminary press release for the Thursday March 18, Day of Blogging. It should provide the info you need if you’re not familiar with the situation or just need more details. You can also visit Mrs Rasco’s site: http://www.facebook.com/l/ac49e;www.freethescottsisters.blogspot.com.

For Immediate Release
Afrosphere Action Coalition – March 18, 2010
Contact: Marpessa Kupendua The of Committee to Free the Scott Sisters at nattyreb@gmail.com

Wrongly Convicted In Dire Health Situation
DAY OF BLOGGING FOR THE SCOTT SISTERS

Jamie Scott, who was convicted with her sister Gladys Scott and given double-life sentences each for an $11.00 robbery of which there was no credible evidence presented at trial, is suffering from complete kidney failure and other life-threatening medical conditions. The prison is aware of Jamie’s current condition yet Jamie remains in the prison infirmary.*

Mrs. Rasco and Afrosphere Bloggers are calling on the public to request that elected and prison officials in Mississippi immediately move Jamie to qualified medical facilities where she can receive proper medical care forthwith. We also ask that the media do investigative inquiry about this tragic situation and the outrageous case of the wrongfully convicted Scott Sisters!

CONTACT GOV. BARBOUR’S OFFICE
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
1-877-405-0733 or 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
(If you reach VM leave msgs, faxes, and please send letters)

CONTACT CHRISTOPHER EPPS
Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi
601-359-5600
CEPPS@mdoc.http://www.facebook.com/l/ac49e;state.ms.us
723 North President Street
Jackson, MS 39202

Congressman Bennie Thompson
3607 Medgar Evers Blvd.
Jackson, MS 39213
601-946-9003(ph)
601-982-5337 (fx)
Benniethompson@mail.house.gov

Congressman John Conyers
2426 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
Ph: 202-225-5126
Fax: 202-225-0072

On 12/24/93, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jamie and Gladys Scott for armed robbery even though three young males, ranging from ages 14 to 18, confessed to committing the crime and the women have unwaveringly maintained their complete innocence. Despite this, the corrupt Mississippi sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to compel the young men to turn state’s evidence against the Scott Sisters due to a long-standing vendetta against a family member. In 10/94 the Scott Sisters were sentenced to extraordinary double-life terms each, despite the facts that no one was harmed, neither sister had prior convictions, no weapon was ever recovered, and the amount alleged to have been taken was approximately $11.00. Even if they were guilty as charged, this sentence is completely outrageous and cruel.

The Scott Sisters are now in their 15th year of incarceration and their five children and grandchildren are being raised by their now ailing mother. The defendants and their family are wholly dependent on support from the press, organizations, and all those dedicated to justice in making this debacle as public as possible.

Their Story has had some success in getting media of late, the most notable being a very brief mention on HLN’s “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell”, a clip of which is available to view here: http://www.facebook.com/l/ac49e;www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO_p3tbjy5E

*Although Jamie was recently hospitalized due to a life-threatening infection, she continues to require ongoing close monitoring as once returned to the prison it has been proven on many occasions that are well documented at the website that the medical staff there has provided abysmal health care that has put Jamie's life at risk far too many times to be acceptable.