Urgent Action Alert: Stop the Campaign of Harassment and Violence by Prison Officials Targeting Shaka Shakur
Shaka Shakur is a politically active prisoner and a long-term militant of the Back liberation movement in the US. He has done courageous work over his decades of incarceration in organizing fellow prisoners, including leading one of the longest prisoner hunger strikes (37 days) in US history during the summer of 1992 from within the Maximum Control Complex in Westville, Indiana. More recently, he co-founded and developed networks,such as IDOC Watch, of prisoners, lawyers, and outside activists with the purpose of exposing human rights struggles within US prisons. He is also a co-founder of the New Afrikan Liberation Collective.
On December 18th, 2018, Shaka was transferred from prison in Indiana to prison in Virginia, as part of a campaign by the State to neutralize the effectiveness of his activism in Indiana. Despite this form of “domestic exile”, Shaka has continued his human rights activism within Virginia’s prison system. Consequently, he is being subjected to a campaign of systematic harassment by VDOC prison officials, including those in an administrative and supervisory capacity, at the Buckingham Correctional Center (BKCC) where he is currently incarcerated. This campaign by BKCC officials includes the following elements, in full violation of VDOC policies and State Statutes, including the P.R.E.A Statutes:
Working with collaborator and influential prisoners to spread false rumors about Shaka, namely that he is a “snitch” and “sex offender” when, in fact, he has consistently stood up against abuses of power nor has he ever been accused and convicted of any sexual related crime in his life;
Repeatedly placing sexual offenders and predators in Shaka’s cell with him;
Repeatedly encouraging prisoners to attack Shaka, to carry out sexual and other physical assaults against him, telling these prisoners that “Shakur needs to be fucked”, “Shakur needs to be shot [stabbed]”, etc.;
Releasing and distributing Shaka’s Jpay emails and transcripts of his phone calls to other prisoners;
Releasing Shaka’s personal and family information, thereby facilitating identity theft;
The following BKCC officials have been specifically engaging in acts of sexual harassment and use of sexual language to harass, provoke and/ or incite sexual violence against Shaka--all with the full knowledge and complicity of Supervisors.
Sgt Johnson, Day Shift
Sgt. Rose, Day Shift
C.O. Penn, Day Shift
C.O. Jones, Night Shift
C.O. McGriff, Night Shift
Take Action: Call AND email the following officials and demand the following:
An immediate end to this life-threatening campaign of harassment against Shaka Shakur 1996207;
A thorough and independent investigation into the official misconduct involved in this campaign against Shaka and the total disregard for IOP’s and DOP’s, Virginia statute, and the 8th Amendment of the US Constitution.
Call/ Email:
Mr. Harold Clarke, VDOC Director
VDOC Main Office
804-674-3000
press 0 for receptionist, ask for Harold Clarke
Email: DOCmail@vadoc.virginia.gov
email for Harold Clarke: HAROLD.CLARKE@VADOC.VIRGINIA.GOV
Mr. John Woodson, BKCC Warden:
434-983-4400
press 2 for departments
press 1 for warden
John.Woodson@vadoc.virginia.gov
Central Regional Director Henry Ponton
Central Regional Office
804-674-3008
dial 1 for dial by name directory
dial 76686643679# (for Henry Ponton, regional director)
email: HENRY.PONTON@VADOC.VIRGINIA.GOV
Governor Northam
8047862211
press 1
for email: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/constituent-services/communicating-with-the-governors-office/
Script:
“Hello, I am [calling/emailing] on behalf of Mr. Shaka Shakur #1996207, who is in VDOC custody at the Buckingham Correctional Center. Mr. Shakur has been the target of a campaign of sexual, verbal, and physical harassment since he was transferred to Buckingham CC in September 2020. This campaign by BKCC officials includes the following elements, in full violation of VDOC policies, US Law, and State Statutes, including the P.R.E.A Statutes:
Working with collaborator and influential prisoners to spread false rumors about Shaka, namely that he is a “snitch” and “sex offender” when, in fact, he has consistently stood up against abuses of power nor has he ever been accused and convicted of any sexual related crime in his life;
Repeatedly placing sexual offenders and predators in Shaka’s cell with him;
Repeatedly encouraging prisoners to attack Shaka, to carry out sexual and other physical assaults against him, telling these prisoners that “Shakur needs to be fucked”, “Shakur needs to be shot [stabbed]”, etc.;
Releasing and distributing Shaka’s Jpay emails and transcripts of his phone calls to other prisoners;
Releasing Shaka’s personal and family information, thereby facilitating identity theft and endangering his family.
The principal actors in involved in this illegal harassment campaign, who are supported with the full knowledge and complicity of their supervisors, are:
Sgt Johnson, Day Shift
Sgt. Rose, Day Shift
C.O. Penn, Day Shift
C.O. Jones, Night Shift
C.O. McGriff, Night Shift
Mr. Shakur and his supporters are demanding:
An immediate end to this life-threatening campaign of harassment against Shaka Shakur 1996207;
A thorough and independent investigation into the official misconduct involved in this campaign against Shaka and the total disregard for IOP’s and DOP’s, Virginia statute, and the 8th Amendment of the US Constitution.”
