The 'Friends of Marcia Powell' are autonomous groups and individuals engaging in prisoner outreach, informal advocacy, and organized protest and direct actions in a sustained campaign to: promote prisoner rights and welfare in America; engage the Arizona public in a creative and thoughtful critique of our system of "justice;” deconstruct the prison industrial complex; and dismantle this racist, classist patriarchy...

Retiring "Free Marcia Powell"

As of December 2, 2010 (with occasional exceptions) I'm retiring this blog to direct more of my time and energy into prisoner rights and my other blogs; I just can't do anyone justice when spread so thin. I'll keep the site open so folks can search the archives and use the links, but won't be updating it with new posts. If you're looking for the latest, try Arizona Prison Watch. Most of the pieces posted here were cross-posted to one or both of those sites already.

Thanks for visiting. Peace out - Peg.
Showing posts with label prison health care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prison health care. Show all posts

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Scott Watch: They'd better stop messing with Mrs. Rasco's kids...

Celebrate the International Observation of the Anniversary of
the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade:

ABOLISH THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!!
-----------------

This is pretty extraordinary, what's going on at MDOC. Kind of makes me feel grateful for Arizona.

Keeping both Jamie and her family ignorant of her condition seems to be medical malpractice, with malicious intent (the intent of compromising a patient's welfare to protect the welfare of an institution's image - that being the image Wexford and the MDOC want to project...). I just don't buy their assessments: why else do all these outside doctors disagree with them?

The Kidney Foundation could make such a difference in the quality of care Jamie's getting and the access her family has to her and her medical staff, with just a little diplomacy.



------------------

Subject: Jamie Scott Rushed Back To Prison So Mother Could Not Visit Hospital
3/25 SCOTT SISTERS UPDATE!

NOTE: If reading this before 10:00 a.m. EST or 9am CST on 3/25, please tune into http://www.facebook.com/l/c3cc4;www.wjzd.com for a Scott Sisters update from Mrs. Rasco on the Rip Daniels "It's a New Day" (http://www.facebook.com/l/ c3cc4;www.itisanewday.com) show. Rip Daniels is a very dedicated supporter who starts each show off at 10 a.m. daily counting down how long Jamie and Gladys have been wrongfully locked down and tormented in that prison and will even discuss the case during some mornings on his program, so please check in as regularly as you can.

Mrs. Rasco and her entire family are in Mississippi to visit Jamie and Gladys as well as to participate in the 3/26 MWM/BWDL Press Conference scheduled for 12 noon in front of the Jackson, MS Capitol Bldg. at 400 High St. The organization is asking for letters
of support for their campaign by 12 midnight 3/25 to be sent tonationalmwm@aol.com or officialmwm@yahoo.com For more info call: 267-636-3802.

Jamie has been in the hospital since 3/15 with a very serious infection, severe weakness, extreme pain and swelling. Jamie stated that she was "kicked out" of the hospital on Tuesday to prevent Mrs. Rasco from coming in and asking questions, in fact an extra guard was placed there to make certain that Mrs. Rasco didn't come in there to see her. Jamie told Mrs. Rasco that she couldn't believe how her 4' tall momma caused so much worry among those prison officials!

She was abruptly moved to her old cell in the prison to await the visit with her mother and family to take place Wednesday for an hour, after which her family was to visit with Gladys for an hour. However, the Assistant Warden met them at the entrance and stated that some of the children weren't on the list to come in. After much wrangling and his personally searching the young men he permitted everyone to visit both women together BUT for one hour total, which actually ended up being less than an hour due to all of the wasted time spent being searched and with the Asst Warden on the phone rechecking names in the waiting area. The family watched in tears as Jamie climbed off of a bus and limped slowly and weakly to the visiting area and questioned staff as to why she wasn't given a wheelchair,to which they had no answer.

Jamie and Gladys grabbed onto each other and their family members for a very emotional reunion, especially for the children. Both women had lost quite a bit of weight, Gladys from extreme stress and depression and Jamie due to her serious illness. Jamie stated that she was told by the doctor that 6 catheter infections was much too much and that she never should have had so many temporary catheters, which blew out all of her veins where they were placed. She currently has a shunt in her groin which is extremely painful and must be surgically removed next week. She is scheduled to stay in her old cell until Friday, at which time she is told that she will be returned to the hospital.

Both Jamie and Gladys want all of their supporters to know that our activities are very greatly appreciated and that they want us to keep on! Mrs. Rasco and family are also very thankful and hopeful that together we can get those women released from this horrific
situation soon! If we keep pushing and use our creativity to call attention to this case, it will happen! If you write, then write about it; if you sing, sing about it; poet about it; creatively perform about it; print out flyers and distribute them at programs and events, however you can do it, please help get the word out about the plight of these women, there's something that every one can do!

The Days of Blogging for the Scott Sisters that happened on 3/18 and is so wonderfully happening again today will really help get the word out on the case in wider and broader areas of the internet and hopefully lead to much more support and national attention! Thanks so much to all of the participants and we will be posting links to all of the blogs that participated at the Scott Sisters site, so please send them in so that you can be acknowledged! Of course everyone is encouraged to continue blogging beyond today and please do!
~~~~~

We still don't trust that Jamie will receive adequate medical care once these hospitalizations are completed, which was proven by the fact that as soon as she was returned from the hospital yesterday she was put right back in that moldy building where she was originally housed!

JAMIE SCOTT NEEDS TO BE HOUSED IN THE MEDICAL BUILDING.

Someone as seriously ill as Jamie needs to be somewhere that she can get assistance in better living conditions, and that's not in the infirmary and definitely not in her original cell. The Medical Bldg. would give her access to her sister, Gladys, who would help her with her activities of daily living and monitor her condition, just as other family members incarcerated together there are permitted to do with less life-threatening
illnesses than Jamie suffers.

We must keep pushing for media attention to what's going on and are continually pressing for nationwide press. A complete and in-depth examination of this travesty of justice must be exposed!! Please forward all of the info at the site to anyone, anywhere that can help to make that happen, the Scott Sisters need to go prime-time to apply enough pressure to make this Gov. do the right thing.

Jane Velez-Mitchell should do an entire segment on the Scott Sisters now that she is aware of the case, please contact her and urge her to follow-up her brief mention of the Scott Sisters on her 3/6 "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" with a more significant segment that will focus on Jamie's serious medical condition and the Scott Sisters case period. The contact form is at http://www.facebook.com/l/c3cc4;www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/newstips.html

EDITED FROM SCOTT SISTERS LIST SERVE

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Tom Manning: Obama's Prisoner Now. Send Help.

This is two posts in one: top first.
-------------------------


Friday, January 22, 2010

Urgent Medical Action: Prisoner Tom Manning.

From the defenestrator:


"Tom Manning is a Vietnam veteran, working class revolutionary and US political prisoner. He militantly struggled against the war in Vietnam and supports the right of self-determination of all oppressed peoples. Tom Manning was captured in 1985 and sentenced to 53 years in federal prison for a series of bombings carried out as "armed propaganda" against apartheid and U.S. imperialism. He tirelessly fought against racist, genocidal capitalism in the USA. Tom Manning was also wrongly sentenced to 80 years in prison for the self-defense killing of a New Jersey state trooper."

Tom Manning is an anti-imperialist revolutionary. The following came in today from the Jericho network. Looks like the alert is still on, so email the prison people if you can, and cc the Jericho folks on it.

-----------------

Paulette, I just rec'd this from Tom:
 
"On the medical situation, folks should demand that I be sent to Butner, NC, the Federal Medical Center for cancer treatment, monitoring, etc". --Tom Manning

Jericho has also spoken with his attorney who has already called and sent a request to get Tom moved and suggested we do the same. Here is the information needed to both call and write the Cumberland warden as well as other officials at the federal bureau of prisons.

1. Ask for Warden- However I received a reply by phone (1/22) and was told every request for a transfer for Tom must be in writing either by Fax or e-mail.  So if you can please e-mail or fax this request.
 
1 Follow the info below if you want to put vocal pressure on the Warden.

2. Have Tom's # ready "Thomas Manning 10373-016 recent transfer from USP Hazelton

3. If you reach the warden or his/her secretary explain that Tom has recently been transferred from Hazelton and had not received the medical care needed for the growth in his groin area, lump under his left nipple or the growth under his shoulder blade. His records have been reviewed by an outside doctor who urgently recommended a biopsy to check for cancer in these areas. Tom asked you to ask for an immediate transfer to the Federal Prison Hospital facility at Butner,  NC to get the necessary medical procedures done.

4. If you get a recording please leave your name and phone # for them to accept our seriousness  regarding Tom's health.

5. If you fax either place a letter be sure to give your information as well as Tom's full name & number.

6. Please send us any information you are given so that we can put pressure on the correct dept.

IF YOU KNOW OR ARE A DOCTOR OR MINISTER/IMAM PLEASE FAX A LETTER TO BOTH THE WARDEN AND REGIONAL OFFICE USING YOUR LETTERHEAD AND ASK FOR A REPLY.

THANK YOU FOR YOU HELP PAULETTE  ALBQ.JERICHO@GMAIL.COM
& ANNE AT NYCJERICHO@GMAIL.COM

FCI Cumberland Administration
Phone:  301-784-1000  ask for warden
Fax:  301-784-1008
E-mail address2:  CUM/EXECASSISTANT@BOP.GOV


Mid Atlantic Regional Office press #1 for inmate services & you will probably have to leave a message.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
302 Sentinel Drive
Suite 200
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701

E-mail: MXRO/EXECASSISTANT@BOP.GOV* Phone: 301-317-3100

--
Free All Political Prisoners!
nycjericho@gmail.com • www.jerichony.org

---------------------------------------------

Warden FCI Cumberland Re: Medical for Manning.

Here's the email I sent early this AM to both of the bureau of prison email sites Jericho gave us,  as well as a number of other prison watchers and abolitionists. And McCain, for good measure - he's supposed to be representing me.

So start putting these posts on Manning up on the blogs folks - like you did for Oso Blanco. In Europe, too. And hit these people with emails until we hear from Jericho that he's been moved, or that we're cranking it up another notch. 

------------

Dear Warden, FCI Cumberland -

This is in re: a prisoner recently transferred to your facility from USP Hazelton - I'm sure you know who Mr. Manning (10373-016) is. I am writing as a concerned citizen and angry taxpayer - part of the greater "public" which I think you have chosen to serve. I am also one of a growing number of Prison Watchers - and as we spread across the country we support each other's struggles: we will be supporting Tom's efforts to get good medical care. He needs an evaluation for suspicious masses to rule out cancer. This needs to be done immediately.

How you treat him will be witnessed by our brothers and sisters around the world, actually. And it will affect increasing numbers of legislative districts as our new blogs go up, to bring more pressure on congress to start changing the way people are criminalized, incarcerated, and brutalized once they get there. We prison watch in part because we've had enough of all the state violence.

There's no excuse to make people suffer while they're in prison - being separated from their families and communities and losing their liberty is the punishment the people gave them - not torture or neglect. We expect this man to be well taken care of for the money we pay to imprison him. We also expect to have him free someday, so we'd like you to take good care of him in the meantime.

Please let us know when Mr. Manning is being transferred to the Buntner, NC Federal Medical Center and scheduled to have these suspicious masses evaluated.

Copies of this email are going to my allies as well as my state senator, John McCain. He probably doesn't care much for Manning (nor will he care much for me, I imagine), but he knows what it's like to be a prisoner and as a matter of principle should be rather concerned about assuring that all our federal prisoners receive appropriate attention to medical concerns.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,


Margaret J. Plews
Arizona Prison Watch

Friday, January 22, 2010

Thank you from Jamie Scott's Mom.

I know some of you out there hit the links in the posts below to email folks in Mississippi - thank you. It mattered. Jamie is in the hospital now. 


Please keep following the Scott Sisters' case and do what you can. They need to go home.


-------------------------


1/22 JAMIE SCOTT MOVED TO HOSPITAL!

 
BREAKING NEWS!!! 


JUST CONFIRMED THAT JAMIE SCOTT IS IN CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER, JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI!! Gladys Scott called their mother, Mrs. Rasco, and told her that Jamie was moved earlier today and had surgery to place a shunt where she will begin to receive dialysis. According to one of the guards she is doing OK at this point in time. We will definitely keep everyone updated every time we are aware of a new development. The outpouring of love that was showered on Jamie and Mrs. Rasco from around the world was truly incredible, fantastic and wonderful; thank you doesn't begin to express the gratitude that this family feels for what you've accomplished. Mrs. Rasco wants everyone who called, faxed or e-mailed to know that it was due to your ceaseless efforts that this happened, and she is very, very grateful to each and everyone of you that participated in this call to action! Together we can bring them home to their families where they belong!!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

URGENT: Mississippi DOC and Jamie Scott

Hey All: This just came in. I just left a message on the medical director's line from AZ Prison Watch/myself asserting Jamie's right to medical care and insisting that she be transferred to a hospital immediately. We will be following up. Please call in, as indicated below. Will work on the media, too. Can use help today.



-------------
David Hope Rosser sent a message to the members of Free The Scott Sisters.

--------------------
Subject: BRAND NEW INFO - 1/20 JAMIE SCOTT UPDATE!


The prison chaplain arranged for Jamie to call Mrs. Rasco today and in that phone call Jamie confirmed that both of her kidneys have shut down and that she is in the prison ICU. She told her mother that she will be taken to the hospital sometime next week to have a procedure performed so that she can begin dialysis. She did not know why this is being delayed and neither does the family!

Jamie is grateful for all of the supporters who have called into the prison but wants us to ask folks to discontinue the phone calls. It's being stressed to Jamie that callers who yell and cuss are upsetting the officials there.

Jamie Scott, at age 38, has aged tremendously since her 15+ years of unjust incarceration and now suffers from severe medical problems which have led to her kidneys shutting down. She needs immediate hospitalization for treatment, proper diagnoses and pain relief. Jamie also  has mental health needs which need to be evaluated and  treated, as well! WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT TIME IS  OF THE ESSENCE. Jamie Scott is inmate #19197 at the  Central Mississippi Correctional Facility and she is  being treated by Dr. Gloria Perry at (601) 359-5515.

We've just been advised by our legal support to keep the pressure on the prison and not to let up one bit! Despite the prison's manipulation of Jamie, we must continue to act and not stop. So keep those calls coming in, we must get Jamie out of there ASAP. We are making moveson many other fronts to make that happen an...d this is a very integral part.

DON'T CURSE OR YELL INTO THE PHONE. STATE PLAINLY AND CLEARLY THAT WE WANT JAMIE MOVED OUT OF THE PRISON AND INTO A HOSPITAL WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY, THIS IS CRUCIAL! JAMIE SCOTT, #19197, MUST BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY!

Her physical and mental state require the highest levels of professional care.

Dr. Gloria Perry, Medical Department
(601) 359-5515

Margaret Bingham,
Superintendent of Central Mississippi Corrections Facility
(601) 932-2880
mbingham@mdoc.state.ms.us


FAX: (601) 664-0782
P.O. Box 88550
Pearl, Mississippi 39208

Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi
601-359-5600
CEPPS@mdoc.state.ms.us

North President Street
Jackson, MS 39202

Emmitt Sparkman, Deputy Commissioner
(601) 359-5610
 
Please reply back to us and let us know of every response you get so that we can keep track of what people are being told.

Congressman Bennie Thompsom
Washington, D.C. Office
2432 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-5876(202) 225-5898 (Fax)
 
Jackson, Mississippi Office
3607 Medgar Evers Blvd
Jackson, MS 39213
(601) 946-9003(601)-982-5337 (Fax)
 
Congressman Alcee L. Hastings
 Washington Office
2353 Rayburn Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
Tel: (202) 225-1313
Fax: (202) 225-1171
 
Congressman Jeff Miller
Washington D.C.
2439 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4136
Fax: (202) 225-3414
Toll Free Phone Number to District Office
Pensacola, Florida Phone: 866-367-1614 
 
NBC TODAY SHOW: Today@NBCUNI.com
 
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS: Nightly@NBC.com
 
NBC News
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112
Phone: (212) 664-4444 Fax: 
(212) 664-4426 
 
CBS NEWS
524 W. 57 St., 
New York, NY 10019 
Phone: 212-975-4321 
Fax: 212-975-1893
 
ABC NEWS
77 W. 66 St., 
New York, NY 10023 
Phone: 212-456-7777 
 
CNN
One CNN Center, 
Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30303-5366 Phone: 404-827-1500 Fax: 404-827-1784 
 
USA Today
7950 Jones Branch Dr.,
McLean, VA 22108 
Phone: 703-854-3400
Fax: 703-854-2078
 
Associated Press
450 West 33rd St., 
New York, NY 10001 
Phone: 212-621-1500 
Fax: 212-621-7523
General Questions and Comments: info@ap.org 
 
http://www.

Jamie Scott Update: SOS

David Hope Rosser sent a message to the members of Free The Scott Sisters.

--------------------
Subject: 1/19 EMERGENCY UPDATE

1/19 EMERGENCY UPDATE

Thanks to everyone who is calling and e-mailing, we are still in emergency mode for Jamie. Mrs. Rasco has still not been able to get information on Jamie at this point in time and is understandably beyond upset We are going to enlarge our efforts the following ways right now:

1. Yesterday some of us were told that we needed to be contacting Paxton Paige, Health Services Administrator at the prison who would make the determination as to move
Jamie to a hospital, his number is: (601) 932-2880, ext. 6647, if sent to voicemail please leave a message (Jamie Scott is #19197).

2. We must include Media and Politicians in our calls/letters.

3. Sis. Jamia Shepherd has put out the call in her e-newsletter for someone that can help or knows of someone who can help with bringing Mrs. Rasco from Pensacola, FL
to the prison in Mississippi. Please share any info with us that you may have regarding that, thank you!

DON'T LIMIT YOUR CONTACTS WITH THOSE LISTED HERE, PLEASE INCLUDE RADIO, NEWSPAPERS, ETC. AND SHARE WITH US WHO YOU'VE CONTACTED SO THAT WE CAN ADD THEM ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH, PLEASE CONTACT AS MANY AS YOU CAN SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
----------------

NBC TODAY SHOW: Today@Nhttp://www.facebook.com/l/c0fe2;BCUNI.com
NBC NIGHTLY NEWS: Nightly@Nhttp://www.facebook.com/l/c0fe2;BC.com
Listing of NBC/MSNBC Show e-mails at http://www.facebook.com/l/c0fe2;www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10285339/

NBC News
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112
Phone: (212) 664-4444
Fax: (212) 664-4426

CBS FEEDBACK FORM: http://www.facebook.com/l/c0fe2;www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.php
CBS NEWS
524 W. 57 St., New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212-975-4321
Fax: 212-975-1893

ABC NEWS CONTACT FORM: http://www.facebook.com/l/c0fe2;abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=Good%20Morning%20America
ABC NEWS
77 W. 66 St., New York, NY 10023
Phone: 212-456-7777

CNN NEWS TIP FORM: http://www.facebook.com/l/c0fe2;www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/newstips.html
CNN
One CNN Center, Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30303-5366
Phone: 404-827-1500
Fax: 404-827-1784

USA Today
7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22108
Phone: 703-854-3400
Fax: 703-854-2078

Associated Press
450 West 33rd St., New York, NY 10001
Phone: 212-621-1500
Fax: 212-621-7523
General Questions and Comments: info@ap.org

Congressman Bennie Thompsom
Washington, D.C. Office
2432 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-5876
(202) 225-5898 (Fax)
Jackson, Mississippi Office
3607 Medgar Evers Blvd
Jackson, MS 39213
(601) 946-9003
(601)-982-5337 (Fax)

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings
Washington Office
2353 Rayburn Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
Tel: (202) 225-1313
Fax: (202) 225-1171

Congressman Jeff Miller
Washington D.C.
2439 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4136
Fax: (202) 225-3414
Toll Free Phone Number to District Office
Pensacola, Florida
Phone: 866-367-1614
========================

Monday, November 30, 2009

The eve of World AIDS Day

from the Prison Abolitionist:
--------

I expect to be up researching and blogging awhile tonight - Tuesday is World AIDS Day, and I want to get plenty of stuff out there about HIV/AIDS (and Hep C) in prisons and jails in America. It's a pretty dismal, shameful scene we've got here - though I know there are some folks trying to do good work in prisons on health care - AIDS in particular - and I'll find a few things about them to post, too. After all that, I'll get some rest then share some photos from this evening celebrating the First Amendment while protesting Sheriff Joe Arpaio at the Cronkite School of Journalism.

Let's just say now that all I brought with me from my action pack was chalk - lots of it, in many bold and lovely colors.


What an amazing crowd we were tonight. You know, folks, this movement's been rolling for awhile and it's picking up speed, so you better jump on if you're moving forward with us. From Puente to peace activists to copwatchers, and from union members and anarchists to "ordinary" Arizonans offended and outraged at how they're being represented, the Anti-Arpaio crowd is one of the most culturally diverse groups I've ever been a part of - it's all about cross movement solidarity, you know...


Don't believe those Rasmussen polls, America, about that man becoming our next Governor, by the way. They didn't ask any of us what we think.


More on all that later...