California prisoners on hunger strike to protest lockdown

There are some prisoners in my building at Salinas Valley State Prison that have decided to go on a hunger strike (myself included). We have been on lockdown for frivolous reasons for most of the year. Starting in July we were placed on lockdown for an assault on staff that happen on a different yard. We were taken off lockdown for two days without any incident and then we were placed on lockdown again for nebulous rumors.

The prisoners in my building decided our only option was to go on a hunger strike. Our grievance system does not work. This is our only way we can give voice to our complaints besides engaging in futile behavior that would create more problems than it would solve. Therefore, we are staging this hunger strike in hopes that we can draw attention to conditions here at Salinas Valley State Prison.

Some of the conditions we are protesting are: constant lockdowns where we are confined to our cells except for showers (one shower every third day); unnecessary restrictions have been placed on purchasing and receiving necessary cosmetic items (this includes soap, deodorant, shampoo, hair products, etc.); most of us prisoners have not been allowed to purchase items out of the prison store for months.

- a California prisoner, October 5, 2005

MIM adds: Register your protest with the prison over these conditions and support the hunger strikers. Send protest letters to Warden Mike Evans, 31625 Highway 101, Soledad, CA 93960 and send copies of your letters to MIM.