* *  The Maoist Internationalist Movement  * *

     -   MIM Notes 114, May 15 1996  -

RALLY DEMANDS RETURN OF MASSACHUSETTS PRISONERS 
HEALTH CONDITIONS APPALLING: PRISONERS DYING IN 
TEXAS


The Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist League (RAIL) 
and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) 
held a rally May 4th to call for the return of the 
Massachusetts prisoners still being held hostage in 
Texas. This issue became particularly urgent in 
early April when Charles Mosby, one of the 
transferred prisoners, sent a letter to Jill 
Brotman of the AFSC Criminal Justice Program 
describing the deteriorating health of a number of 
the transferred prisoners and their lack of medical 
care and horrible conditions. On the six month 
anniversary of the transfers, the pawns in Governor 
Weld's political game fear they may lose more than 
contact with their friends and family in this 
transfer: they may lose their lives.

One Massachusetts prisoner in Texas has already 
died of AIDS complications undiagnosed prior to the 
transfer (in spite of prison official claims that 
only the healthy prisoners were being transferred). 
Mosby wrote about another inmate, Robert Lena, who, 
only after threats of violence by the prisoners, 
was finally taken to a hospital with a temperature 
of 104. He was returned to the prison the next day 
(April 4) with the promise of antibiotic (which 
they had not given him as of the date of the 
letter, April 6), the doctors still unable to 
figure out what is wrong with him. Mosby described 
how Lena's feet were swollen and turning black and 
red with patches of blood on his feet like he is 
bleeding from the inside of his feet and legs. He 
had a swelling problem in his feet and legs for 
three months that finally worsened to the current 
condition. 

Mosby wrote: "...in the 3 months before his 
condition got like this if he would have proper 
medical attention, he probably wouldn't be in the 
condition that he is in now, I do fear that through 
the lack of treatment, Mr. Lena's life is very much 
in danger: as I have told you, my own feet have 
started swollen about 2 or 3 weeks after Mr. Lena 
and we have both exhibit the exact same symptom, 
only his is in an advance stage, so that means in 
the next weeks I would probably go through the same 
stuff. Jill, I am living in fear of maybe losing my 
feet or my life, each morning when I wake up I wake 
in fear of seeing my feet in worse shape, it is at 
the point where I am not living in fear of dying, 
simply because these people are not providing 
proper medical care, Jill we need help in here and 
if we don't get it, I am very much afraid that me, 
Mr. Lena, and the other inmate who has the same 
problem will not live to be brought back to Mass."

Mosby goes on to say: "We don't want to die here in 
Texas, whatever it is that is wrong with us, we got 
it here, and it is getting to the point where I am 
beginning to believe that it may either be the food 
or something they put in the food, we were 
perfectly healthy when we were taken from prison in 
Massachusetts." The prisoners have also reported 
that the water looks like beer. Conditions in Texas 
are appalling: constant light, no exercise, no heat 
in the cold, and no medical care in addition to the 
problems with the food and water.

As was reported in past MIM Notes, Weld forced 
passage of a $500 million bill to expand prisons 
after shipping 299 Massachusetts prisoners off to 
Texas. But even after this victory for Weld (a 
defeat for the oppressed) the prisoners still have 
not been returned. In response to this plea for 
help by the prisoners in Texas, people showed up in 
downtown Boston to educate themselves and others 
passing by, gather petition signatures, and 
organize people to further action while demanding 
that the governor and legislature return the 
prisoners.

The rally was scheduled for 2 p.m. and the rain 
started just in time for the rally. A number of 
dedicated activists turned out in spite of the 
weather with petitions (covered with plastic) in 
hand. It was harder to talk to people in the rain 
but we did make some new friends, gathered a lot of 
signatures, and were interviewed for a radio show 
on a local station (WMBR). We closed down in time 
to dry off before heading over to Governor Weld's 
house where the American Friends Service Committee 
has led a demonstration of the friends and family 
of the prisoners each week since the beginning of 
the hostage crisis.

As we marked these two six month anniversaries, 
that of the exile of prisoners and the struggle for 
their return, RAIL decided to begin holding an 
informational rally the first Saturday of each 
month 2 p.m. at the Park Street T stop in downtown 
Boston, and afterwards at the Governor's house, 
until the return of the prisoners.

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