Chip Fitzgerald on hunger strike
URGENT UPDATE ON CHIP FITZGERALD!
CHIP ON
HUNGER STRIKE!
Chip is demanding a transfer out of the hole
at Corcoran State Prison where he has been for over a year.
In
response to his unfair housing in Administrative Segregation (“the
hole”) Romaine “Chip” Fitzgerald is currently refusing food. In support
of Chip we ask that you call Warden Raul Lopez to DEMAND that Chip be
transferred out of Ad Seg and into general population immediately.
PASS
THIS CALL FOR SUPPORT WIDELY!
CALL WARDEN RAUL LOPEZ TODAY!!!
FAX
WARDEN RAUL LOPEZ TODAY!!!
DEMAND THAT ROMAINE FITZGERALD
#B-27527 BE TRANSFERRED OUT OF AD SEG and INTO GENERAL POPULATION! End
his hunger strike!!!
559-992-8800 (phone) Extension #5008
559-999-4636
(fax)
************************************************
Monday,
April 26, 2010
Dear New York Jericho: According to one
of Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald's reliable supporters, Mr. Fitzgerald (ONE
OF OUR LONGEST SERVING POLITICAL PRISONERS) is on about the seventh day a
hunger strike at the Corcoran State Prison in California. From what I
understand, he has refused to eat food or drink water for at least seven
days. Mr. Fitzgerald undertook the hunger strike to protest against
prison officials locking him away in solitary confinement for the last
two years. From what I understand, Mr. Fitzgerald believed that he
should have been released on April 8, 2010. When the warden, Mr. Raul
Lopez, refused to release Chip Fitzgerald from solitary confinement on
April 8, Mr. Fitzgerald threatened to go on a hunger strike -- and to
remain on the hunger strike until death. After some debate about the
issue, Mr. Fitzgerald started the hunger strike about seven days ago.
According
to Emani Bey (Mr. Fitzgerald's supporter in Oakland, California),
Warden Raul Lopez threatened to force feed Mr. Fitzgerald tomorrow, on
Tuesday, April 27, 2010. However, the humane way to arrange for Mr.
Fitzgerald to eat food and to drink water would be to release him from
solitary confinement and into the general prison population. After
doing so, Mr. Fitzgerald would willingly eat food and drink water. In
the meantime, Mr. Fitzgerald strongly implies that he will kill himself
with this hunger strike. In recent letters, he told his supporters
"good bye". If I am not mistaken, he also expressed regret that he
would not see them again.
At this time, the activists organizing a
campaign to save Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald's life plan the following:
(1) to persuade Mr. Fitzgerald to drink water so that he will live for a
much longer period than he would if he continues to refuse water and
other forms of nourishment; (2) call and write Governor Arnold
Scwharzenegger at the address and telephone number listed below (and by
email and Twitter through his web site) for the purpose of demanding
that Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald be released immediately from solitary
confinement and into the general prison population, that Mr. Fitzgerald
not be force fed, and that Mr. Fitzgerald be treated humanely; and (3)
call and write Warden Raul Lopez of Corcoran State Prison, Secretary
Matthew Cate of the California Department of Corrections &
Rehabilitation ("CDCR"), and the ombudsman for CDCR for the purpose of
making the same demands.
Since Chip Fitzgerald has forsaken food
and water for up to seven days, he could die in the next few days or be
force fed as early as tomorrow. In either case, we need to recognize
that Chip may be suffering from depression. We need also to recognize
that he needs to see his family, his friends, and good lawyers, all of
whom need to encourage him to live, but all of whom also need to work
with him if he chooses to continue his hunger strike. On this point,
these people need to persuade Mr. Fitzgerald to drink water, no matter
what else he decides to do. Fasting without water could result in death
in from seven to ten days. On the other hand, a person who fasts while
drinking healthy water could live for as long as sixty or more days.
Hence, if Chip drinks water, he would give us more time to work on his
behalf.
I write this email as an emergency notice about this
tragedy. I have yet to research Secretary Matthew Cate's address and
telephone number. However, we need to act immediately. In other words,
we need to pressure Governor Arnold Schwarzegger, Warden Raul Lopez,
and the ombudsman for the California Department of Corrections &
Rehabilitation to free Mr. Fitzgerald from solitary confinement. I
suspect that locking Mr. Fitzgerald in solitary confinement for two or
more years straight at sixty-one years of age (his birthday was April
11), and doing so to a man who has lived in prison for the last forty
years, constitutes a form of emotional and physical torture. I suspect
that this torture has seriously compromised Mr. Fitzgerald's emotional
well-being and judgment. At the least, he must be emotionally and
physically exhausted from prison. Unless we act now and show Mr.
Fitzgerald that the liberation movement will save him from solitary
confinement and other forms of mistreatment, we may well lose this
brother. For this reason, I send this email to you on an emergency
basis. I also copied below the email from Ms. Emani Bey, the sister who
alerted me and others about the crisis.
Thomas Ruffin
Black
August Planning Organization & Nat Turner Rebellion
P.S.
Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald's identification number in the California
prison system is #B-27527.
Raul Lopez,
Warden Governor Arnold Schwarzegger
Corcoran
State Prison State Capitol Building
(559)
992-8800 Sacramento, California 95814
(559)
999-4636 (fax) (916) 445-2841 (office)
(916) 558-3160 (fax)