Kevin 'Rashid' Johnson Facing Mail Censorship at Pendleton CF

Rashid is not receiving most of his personal mail. Some is discarded and some is rejected on illegal grounds (“security” of the prison, etc.) Any books, letters, periodicals that cover Black history, or movements for Black liberation have been confiscated or denied. Material that was removed from Rashid and put in storage at Pendleton was infested with rat feces and urine, ruined.

The articles I have sent to Rashid in the USPS mail has been denied to him. Some of his emails to us have been rejected, including the last page of the article about the gas attacks at Pendleton, which delayed his article getting to us. This is a serious violation of the constitutional rights of free speech and press—his rights and our rights, too.

Rashid is requesting that we, his supporters, protest to the Virginia and Indiana authorities based on the violation of these states’ own rules and regulations regarding treatment of prisoners.

Where to protest:

Ombudsman, Indiana: email: ombud@idoa.in.gov

Snail Mail:

Charlene Burkett, Director

DOC Ombudsman Bureau, Indiana DOC

402 W. Washington St.  Room W479

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Indiana Governor (because the Ombudsman has not responded to protests):

email at gov’s website: in.gov;  Phone: 317-232-4567

Governor Eric J. Holcomb

Office of the Governor

Statehouse

Indianapolis, IN  46204-2797

Virginia:

email: vaicu@vadoc.virginia.gov; Phone: 804-674-3065

VADOC

Interstate Compact Unit

P.O. Box 26963

Richmond, VA 23261

James Parks

Director of Offender Management Service; Commissioner/Compact Administrator

6900 Atmore Drive

Richmond, VA 23225

Email: James.Parks@vadoc.virginia.gov

Sample script:

“I am [calling/writing] to you because the Ombudsman of the Indiana Corrections Department does not respond to serious complaints about the conditions of a prisoner, Mr. Kevin Johnson, #264847, housed in Pendleton Correctional Facility, as an Interstate compact prisoner from the Virginia Department of Corrections.

Mr. Johnson is not receiving personal mail or subscriptions to periodicals. Some of his mail is being discarded without notice, some is being denied on illegal grounds because, apparently, prison staff disagrees with ideas expressed in the mail and in periodicals. 

All of these denials of mail and periodicals, are violations of rules in both the Indiana and in Virginia Departments of Corrections. All have been protested by Mr. Johnson and his friends to prison officials and the state Ombudsman, to no avail.

I appeal to you to require prison authorities to respect Mr. Johnson's rights and to follow the rules and guidelines for the treatment of prisoners in your care.”

You can support Kevin ‘Rashid’ Johnson by writing to him at the address below, or making an account on web.connectnetwork.com and sending him messages and money and allowing him to call you. You can read more about Rashid and the New Afrikan Black Panther Party at rashidmod.com.

Kevin Johnson
D.O.C. No. 264847
G-20-2C
Pendleton Correctional Facility
4490 W. Reformatory Road
Pendleton, IN 46064