End mass incarceration contingent at the MLK Day of Action, Resistance, and Empowerment March

On January 19th, thousands will converge on the streets of Philadelphia to demand a living wage, a fully funded democratically controlled school system, and an end to police brutality. The systems that perpetuate racist police violence are the same systems that funnel poor people of color--and young black people in particular--into Pennsylvania’s prisons and jails. That’s why Decarcerate PA has endorsed the MLK D.A.R.E.

12 Days for Justice: this holiday season, take a stand for the rights of people in prison

This holiday season marks the six-month anniversary of the historic Coal Township Dining Hall Boycott, when 1,300 prisoners at SCI Coal Township refused to go to the dining hall for a week to protest food cutbacks and denials of their basic human rights. At the end of the boycott, prisoners released a list of 22 demands.

SCI Coal Township Retaliates Against Prisoners Who Participated in Food Protests

In the last issue of our newsletter, we reported extensively on the efforts of prisoners at SCI Coal Township to achieve conditions that meet even the most basic civil and human rights standards. In June 2014, more than 1,300 prisoners at SCI Coal staged a historic week-long boycott of the dining hall in protest of cuts to their food portions.

Mobilizing against anti-prisoner legislation

In the summer issue of our newsletter, we let you know about a package of anti-prisoner bills that had recently passed through the House Judiciary committee. The worst of these bills (HB2386) was introduced by Montgomery County Representative Todd Stephens and proposed taking 25 percent of a prisoner’s wages and 75 percent of all deposits into personal accounts to be deducted for any fees, costs, and restitution that person owes.

Rally for Meaningful Commutation

On August 28th, people concerned about the fate of individuals sentenced to Life Without Parole gathered at the Capitol in Harrisburg and held a Rally to Restore Meaningful Commutation. The event was largely organized by Let’s Get Free: the Women and Trans Prisoner Defense Committee, and supported by Decarcerate PA, New Voices Pittsburgh: Women of Color for Reproductive Justice, Human Rights Coalition, and Fight for Lifers West, among other organizations.

Pennsylvania Legislators threaten to silence people in prison. TAKE ACTION today.

Pennsylvania legislators are trying to stop prisoners from speaking about their ideas and experiences. Last week, PA Representative Mike Vereb introduced a bill (HB2533) called the “Revictimization Relief Act,” which would allow victims, District Attorneys, and the Attorney General to sue people who have been convicted of “personal injury” crimes for speaking out publicly if it causes the victim of the crime “mental anguish.”

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