Common Ground Relief - prisoner support

Update on Jena 6 - Media Advisory & Demands for Justice

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:45:43 +0000

Hello,

I want to thank everyone for your support and the great help that our new friends in New Orleans have provided with benefit fundraisers.

I have attached two important documents. The first is our media advisory on our benefit concert on Sept. 20th in Jena. Please circulate this media advisory to your contacts in the media. Please make plans to participate in all the events on the 20th in Jena.

The second attachment is a document that lists our demands for justice. Anything that you can do to help in achieving these demands is greatly appreciated. Banners and placards with these demands printed on them are welcomed at the rally on the 20th and future rallies.

Support the Justice in Jena Campaign!

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:58:01 +0000

Common Ground Relief stands in solidarity with historically neglected commmunities, and stands firmly against racism in all forms. We must stand together with people in Jena, Louisiana. Please check out their website at freethejena6.org and get involved.

Together, we can unravel institutional racism that plagues Louisiana and our world.

Legal Collective Update

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:58:53 +0000

The legal collective currently has numerous projects on the go.

HUD Lawsuit
The Common Ground Legal Collective supports the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The lawsuit charges that HUD is discriminating against low-income black residents by refusing to reopen housing units undamaged by Hurricane Katrina, failing to repair other units and planning to destroy most of the public housing available in New Orleans without plans to replace them. The suit also declares that HUD is violating the rights of public-housing residents by evicting them despite their legal and valid leases, and of violating international law guaranteeing the right of displaced people to return home.

New Orleans In-Justice System

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 18:25:51 +0000

The link below is to a blog which contains summaries that detail complaints corroborated by unrelated individuals who were all subjected to unacceptable conditions in Orleans Parish Prison. One cannot brush aside such a large collection of similar testimonies of civil and human rights violations from such a diverse group—people completely unrelated to each other. Despite Sheriff Gusman's assertions that everyone reporting violations and problems are “crackheads, cowards and criminals” the volume and consistency of these statements must be believed. Many of the people reporting these issues where arrested and incarcerated for days for minor violations, where a citation would have sufficed, and been more economical for the city.

Throughout the testimonies you will find complaints of these human rights violations:

--No access to counsel
--Astronomical overcrowding
--Unsanitary and health-hazardous conditions
--Lack of proper food and water
--Physical and verbal abuse at the hands of both NOPD and Sheriff Office Employees
--False charges, especially public intoxication and trespassing charges.

It is time this city take responsibility for respecting the civil and human rights of its residents, even those who are incarcerated. Hold the Sheriff's Office accountable for conditions and treatment. Keep the city’s money for the rebuilding of homes, schools and hospitals. Now is not the time to build prisons for your citizens, now is the time to build their lives.

nolacriminalinjusticesystem.wordpress.com

Amnesty for Prisoners of Katrina

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 06:22:15 +0000

(excerpts from Critical Resistance's website)

Hundreds of New Orleans residents trying to survive Katrina were criminalized, arrested and jailed for the charge of 'looting.' Prisoners were abandoned in flooded cells for days, while those able to escape their cells were held at gunpoint on an overpass without food or water. Prisoners who've never even been convicted of anything, whose cases and records have been lost, who've posted bail, and those whose release dates have past are still being held illegally. Poorer residents returning to their homes are being arrested for curfew violations and coerced into guilty pleas without due process, lawyers or phone calls and used to clean out the now toxic Orleans Parish Prison..