Rense.com



Sherman Austin Jailed For
Internet Link - Needs Helps

By Hsing Lee
lee8798@shaw.ca
9-8-3

For detailed information on Sherman's case visit Portland Indymedia


 
UPDATE 9-13-03
 
Update on Sherman Austin, 20 year old anarchist and webmaster of raisethefist.org....
recently convicted and imprisoned...
 
http://www.rense.com/general41/help.htm
http://www.counterpunch.org/merlin08162003.html
http://sf.indymedia.org/print.php?id=115711
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=02/12/28/1672172
 
On 13 Sep 2003 at 7:59, jennifer ruggiero wrote:
I received a call from Sherman @ 8:00 PM. The Bureau of Prisons transferred
him to a temporary holding facility in Oklahoma City. You can go to
http://www.bop.gov/ for listings. I plan on calling tomorrow to find out
details. Sherman said that he going to be transferred to Tucson Arizona--a
medium security prison. There are two federal facilities in Tucson. This is
unacceptable. My plan is to hire an attorney to handle a request to transfer
him to a facility in Southern or Central California. I hope it's not too
much to ask for you to continue to call, send, e-mail, and fax letters to
the following people urging them to transfer him to a facility in Southern
or Central California. Feel free to modify the original letter. I'm too
exhausted to write another one. I'll post the Feinstein letter this weekend.
Best, JMR
 
U.S. Marshal
U.S. Marshal's main phone # in california is (213) 894-2485
MR. CHARLIE ALMANZA (out of the office unitil Sept. 22, 03)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
312 N. SPRING ST., #G-23
LOS ANGELES CA 90012
Ph: 213- 894-6334 direct line
Ph: 213 894-6820
Fax: 213 894-2078
Harley G. Lappin, Director of U.S. Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street
N.W. Washington , D.C. 20534
Phone: 202-307-3250
Fax: 202-514-6878=
Harlan Penn, Regional Counsel
7950 Dublin Boulevard, 3rd Floor
Dublin, CA 94568
Phone: 925-803-4700
Fax: 925-803-4802
 
Judge Wilson
(213) 894-2881
(213) 680-1265
Sherman's booking number is 0309300141 and his Federal ID# is 51565-054
 
 
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Warden:
 
I'm writing out of concern for the safety and welfare of Sherman Martin
Austin (Booking #0309300141), a federal prisoner currently located at the
Central Detention Center in San Bernardino County, California. He is due to
be transferred to a Federal penitentiary within six to eight weeks.
 
However, he is currently the target of death threats from several white-
supremacist groups and is being kept in solitary for the ostensible purpose of
protecting him from these hate groups, some members of which have placed a
price on Sherman's head.
 
Sherman is a non-violent offender. He is only twenty years of age and has
been evaluated by a court-appointed psychologist as being completely non-
violent and idealistic.
 
A county detention facility is not the place for a non-violent offender who is
currently in danger of being killed for his color and beliefs. I am afraid that
should Sherman remain in CDC he will be injured or killed. We feel that by
being placed in a Federal penitentiary there is less likelihood of Sherman
being harmed or even killed.
 
We demand the immediate transfer of Sherman Martin Austin to a low security Federal
detention facility, for his own safety and well-being, and in the meantime the
continuance of protective custody to ensure his safety and security.. I will
appreciate an immediate response concerning this letter.
 
Thank you,
-------


This isn't a normal post. Most of you have read 'An Interview With Orwell' so you have some familiarity with the name Sherman Austin. Sherman is an Anarchist in California who was charged under the Feinstein "illegal linking"'' law which meshes with the Patriot act in helping label activism as terrorism.
 
He was forced to cop a plea, because otherwise they were going to give him life in prison for having info on his website that's readily available on thousands of other sites on the internet. He surrendered himself Sept 3 to begin his year in jail.
 
Sherman was singled out because he's got the right pigment and right ideology (only because it's been demonized) for White AmeriKKKa to point a finger, and then lock up a black face for the cameras, in order to make suburbia think the government is actually trying to fight "terror" as opposed to what they're actually doing with the so-called Patriot Act, which is crushing dissent by jailing dissenters.
 
In any case, White Supremacists have threatened to kill Sherman, but they refuse to move him out of the yeehaw County lockup and into a safer Federal Prison.
 
His life is in danger until he's moved out of County, which is why I'm writing you all today. Below is the relevant info, and a boilerplate letter of petition you can email or fax to Warden Burris, Director Lapin, or Mr. Penn. If you only have time to email, please email Warden Burris <mailto:cdc@sbcsd.org>cdc@sbcsd.org
 
This is a case where 2 minutes out of your day to cut and paste and email the letter can literally save a human life. PLEASE send on a copy of the letter to Warden Burris, and a copy of this email to your various email lists and blogs. I know a lot of you guys are webmasters, so here's your chance to do something proactive... please help Sherman.
 
PEACE
 
Sherman Austin has been moved into protective custody at the San Bernardino Central Detention Center. The guards moved him into isolation because of death threats against him by white supremacists. In order to secure ShermanÕs safety, we are demanding his immediate transfer to a permanent facility. The white supremacists responsible for this crime have been located (please see attached posting.doc file,) and we plan on taking legal action against them. Please mail, fax, and/or e-mail the attached letter to the following institutions and follow-up with a phone call. If you have any questions please e-mail jmi4678@netscape.net.
 
 
Please send the attached letter AS IS. Please do not modify, alter or add to its contents.
 
 
Institution where Sherman is being held:
 
Warden Captain C. Burris
Central Detention Center
Western Divison, San Bernadino
630 E. Rialto, CA 92408
Phone: 909-386-0969
 
Or send an email cdc@sbcsd.org
For more information regarding the Central Detention Center please go to:
http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/sheriff/Det_Corr/CDC/CDC.asp
 
 
In addition, you can also send letters, emails, fax, and/or phone calls to the following people:
 
 
 
Harley G. Lappin, Director of U.S. Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street
N.W. Washington , D.C. 20534
Phone: 202-307-3250
Fax: 202-514-6878
 
 
 
Harlan Penn, Regional Counsel
7950 Dublin Boulevard, 3rd Floor
Dublin, CA 94568
Phone: 925-803-4700
Fax: 925-803-4802
 
 
 
The first contact information is the most important! If you can only send one letter, send it to the Warden at the CDC.
 
 
 
*PLEASE PRINT SIGN AND MAIL, FAX, E-MAIL, etc. Sherman needs to moved
promptly.*
 
 
September 7th, 2003
 
Dear
 
I'm writing out of concern for the safety and welfare of Sherman Martin Austin (Booking #0309300141), a federal prisoner currently located at the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino County, California. He is due to be transferred to a Federal penitentiary within six to eight weeks.
 
However, he is currently the target of death threats from several white-supremacist groups and is being kept in solitary for the ostensible purpose of protecting him from these hate groups, some members of which have placed a price on Sherman's head.
 
Sherman is a non-violent offender. He is only twenty years of age and has been evaluated by a court-appointed psychologist as being completely non-violent and idealistic.
 
A county detention facility is not the place for a non-violent offender who is currently in danger of being killed for his color and beliefs. I am afraid that should Sherman remain in CDC he will be injured or killed. We feel that by being placed in a Federal penitentiary there is less likelihood of Sherman being harmed or even killed.
 
We demand the immediate transfer of Sherman Martin Austin to a Federal detention facility, for his own safety and well-being, and in the meantime the continuance of protective custody to ensure his safety and survival. I will appreciate an immediate response concerning this letter.
 
Thank you,
(your name Here)

 

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