Oppose SB892! Oppose the making of Torture a part of California Law!

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Update:

“This afternoon, Senator Loni Hancock decided to pull her bill, SB 892, because of growing opposition among key assembly members so that she no longer believed she had the votes necessary to pass the bill out of the Assembly.” (from email by the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law).

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On behalf of California Families Against Solitary Confinement (CFASC), the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, and others who joined an emergency conf call yesterday evening to address the imminent vote by the California Assembly and Senate on SB 892 (Senator Hancock) dealing with the critical issue of solitary confinement, we want to inform you of the following and urge you to widely distribute this message to your email lists.

 Issue: Between now and Sunday night the CA Assembly and Senate will vote on SB 892 drafted by Senator Hancock who got involved as a result of the prisoners’ hunger strike in the summer of 2013 to denounce the conditions in solitary confinement and CA’s unique “gang validation” policy. 

California’s Department of Corrections (CDCR) has what is probably the WORST, MOST COSTLY, AND MOST INHUMANE solitary confinement policy of any state in the country. As a result of CDCR policies, California has the largest population of prisoners in long-term solitary confinement in the U.S. and more than any other country on earth! 

A prisoner in CDCR’s custody commits suicide every ten days. Instead of reforming this policy–which includes placing prisoners who have engaged in no rule violations in long-term solitary for mere alleged gang membership (“gang validation policy”)–SB 892 for the first time in history adopts this draconian policy into state law. 
The Opposition: The four prisoner reps at Pelican Bay who initiated the 2011 and 2013 hunger strikes have jointly opposed SB 892.  Hit this link to download their letter to thelegislature. About 130 organizations and community leaders have written to the Senate and Assembly leaders explaining why they oppose SB 892. Hit this link to download their letter. 

Among many others, organizations opposing SB 892 include CFASC (family members of prisoners), Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Mexican American Political Association (MAPA), Council on American-Islamic Relations – California (CAIR), Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF), Homeboy Industries, Homies Unidos, California Prison Watch, Asian Law Caucus, National Lawyers Guild (SF and LA Chapters), the William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI), Families to Amend California’s Three Strikes and Hermandad Mexicana Humanitarian Foundation. 

 Five urgent action requests:

 * Join an emergency conference call Thursday at 8:30 pm.  Call in: (424) 203-8400 Code: 1038088#
* Please immediately forward this email to your constituents.
* We urge organizations and community, faith-based and labor leaders to telephone the following legislators Thursday and Friday to express strong opposition to SB 892: 
(1) Assembly Member Jimmy Gomez, Majority Whip, or his Chief of Staff John Scribner (916) 319-2051; 
(2) Assembly Member V. Manuel Pérez, Majority Floor Leader or his Chief of Staff Greg Campbell (916) 319-2053; and 
(3) Senator Darrell Steinberg, President pro Tempore, or his Chief of Staff Kathry Dresslar (916) 651-4006 or Legal Counsel Margie Estrada (916) 651-4170.
Thank you for respecting human rights and speaking out against torture.
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