Prisoner Abuse in Illinois

Dear AI members,



As you know, the use of long-term isolation in Guantanamo Bay and in other
prisons overseas is a form of psychological torture, and human rights abuse
addressed by Amnesty International. Today, we have an opportunity to end
human rights abuses in the supermax prison here in Illinois which
is more isolating than Guantanamo Bay, which was found too isolating for
prisoner safety, and now has some social interaction and phone calls, in
order to comply with the humane-treatment requirements of the Geneva Convention.




Prisoners at Tamms supermax prison are held in permanent solitary confinement.
There is no communal activity, no contact visits, and no phone calls. Men
never leave their cell except to shower or go to solitary exercise in a
concrete pen. Many men in the prison are mentally ill. Suicide attempts,
self-mutilation, smearing of feces and severe mental illness are common
at Tamms—this is an expected consequence of long-term isolation.



Incarceration at the supermax was approved by the Illinois legislature
as a short-term “shock-treatment” program for men already in prison who
cause harm to guards or other inmates. Instead, Tamms has become a warehouse
and a human rights disaster:



* One-third of the population has lived in this extreme solitary confinement
since the prison opened almost 11 years ago.

* There are no clear procedures for being transferred to Tamms and there
is no way to earn your way out.

* Most prisoners in Tamms do not deserve to be there for this lengthy
period. Many were not placed in Tamms for acts of violence, and have not
had disciplinary problems at Tamms.

* Long-term isolation creates barriers for successful reentry to society,
or to other prisons, where these prisoners will return.

* There is no correctional justification for placing seriously mentally
ill men in a supermax for extra punishment.



There is a bill before the Illinois House of Representatives brought by
the Tamms Year Ten coalition, and the 70+ affiliated groups.



HB2633 is endorsed by Amnesty International and would be a critical first
step at changing the way this prison operates. We need members to call
their legislators and express support of this bill this week. If each Amnesty
International member called our legislators about this bill, we will make
a difference in the outcome. It is that close. Please let check in
with me in the Regional Office so we know how many calls are being made
and what the responses have been like.



We also need 1000 more signatures on the petition which will be
presented to the Governor next week. Please forward widely.

Petition Link is here:

www.juliehamos.org/tamms




Attached you'll find several documents that will aid in
your activism over the next 3 WEEKS!



Tamms is already a human rights disaster. Your immediate action will make
end the abuse these prisoners have suffered in our very own state!!!



Please feel free to get in touch if you have any additional
questions or concerns.



In Solidarity,



Amanda E. Flott

Field Organizer (Chicago, IL, KS, IA, MO)

Amnesty International USA

Midwest Regional Office

53 W. Jackson St. Suite 731

Chicago, IL 60604

Tel: 312.435.6386 or 312.730.3168(c)

Fax: 312.427.2589

http://www.amnestyusa.org


______________________________________

This Mother’s Day as you honor important women in your life, please take
a moment to speak out on behalf of women around the world who face violence
and other human rights abuses. Join Amnesty International members across
the country and honor mothers and women around the world by participating
in our Mother’s Day card action.



To help protect women around the world this Mother’s Day visit: www.amnestyusa.org/mothersday

______________________________________

Â

















Links to press and information about Tamms supermax




Human Rights Watch statement

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/04/06/letter-illinois-representative-julie-hamos-reforming-supermax-confinement



Amnesty International statement

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/042/2009/en



Tamms human rights petition

www.juliehamos.org/tamms




New Yorker article

Atul Gawande, The New Yorker, March 30, 2009

Hellhole: The United States holds tens of thousands of inmates in long-term
solitary confinement. Is this torture?

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/30/090330fa_fact_gawande






Tribune story

'A look inside Illinois' only super-max prison'

Gary Marx, Chicago Tribune, 2/27/09

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-tamms-27feb27,0,1641824.story


Of course, the Tribune story does not mention that there are currently
NO clear criteria for how someone gets transferred to this prison, or how
they get transferred out.



'Illinois' highest-security prison a study in isolation'

Gary Marx, LA Times, 2/29/09

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-illinois-prison28-2009feb28,0,4430105.story

This is the same story, but it has a photo
that is better.



'Trib Watch: Tamms Year Ten responds to flawed article'

Sergio Barreto, Chicago Progressive Examiner, 3/1/09

http://www.examiner.com/x-2929-Chicago-Progressive-Examiner~y2009m3d1-Trib-Watch-Tamms-Year-Ten-Committee-responds-to-flawed-article



MY VIEW: Perception may not be reality at Tamms'

Rep. Jim Sacia, The Journal-Standard, 12/5/08

http://www.journalstandard.com/archive/x776474015/MY-VIEW-Perception-may-not-be-reality-at-Tamms



'Saints for those in Jail and out'

Micah Maidenberg, Chicago Journal West Town Edition, 11/25/08

http://chicagojournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=25&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=6509&TM=58297.98



'Isolated from the Real World'

Silvana Tabares, Extra, 10/2/08

http://www.extranews.net/news.php?nid=4169



'Light from Inside: Prisoners Artwork on Display'

Erica Magda, ABC7 Chicago, 8/13/08

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sectionews/local&id=6325660



'StopMax: The Fight Against Supermax Prisons Heats Up'

Jessica Pupovac, Alternet, 8/11/08

http://www.alternet.org/story/94257/



'Move mentally ill from Supermax'

Malcolm Young, Chicago Daily Herald, 5/31/08

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=200603&src=



'Tamms reforms on the way?'

Mick Dumke, Clout City - Chicago Reader, 5/30/08

http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/politics/2008/05/30/tamms-reforms-way/



'Tamms' 10th Birthday No Cause for Celebration'

Rep. Karen Yarborough, Progress Illinois, 5/12/08

http://progressillinois.com/2008/05/12/columns/yarbrough-no-celebration-for-tamms



'Hell in a Cell'

Jeffery Felshman, Chicago Reader cover story, 4/24/08

http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/tamms/




'Torture in Our Own Backyards: The Fight Against Supermax
Prisons'

Jessica Pupovac, Alternet, 3/24/08

http://www.alternet.org/rights/80440/




'Life at Tamms Supermax Prison',

Shannon Heffernan, Chicago Public Radio, 3/11/08

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=19424



'Tamms Year Ten calls for end to torture',

Abby Lerner, The Daily Northwestern, 3/6/08

http://media.www.dailynorthwestern.com/media/storage/paper853/news/2008/03/06/TheWeekly/Tamms.Year.Ten.Calls.For.End.To.Torture-3255707.shtml



'The Supermax Solution',

Regan Good, The Nation, 2/13/03

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20030303/good



'Nothing Left to Lose',

Bruce Rushton, St. Louis Riverfront Times, 5/10/00

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2000-05-10/news/nothing-left-to-lose/



'Cruel and Usual',

Bruce Rushton, St. Louis Riverfront Times, 2/16/00

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2000-02-16/news/cruel-and-usual/



'Blooper Max',

Bruce Rushton, Riverfront Times, 8/29/01

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2001-08-29/news/blooper-max/



YouTube video which starts with family member Mary L.
Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwLbpvbLHR0



YouTube video of ex-Tamms prisoner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpzrDnc-r6Q