Editorial Introduction
The following article was originally published by the San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper on 17 June 2024 under the title “Return Kwame Shakur to General Population.”
The important context on the struggle to free Kwame “Beans” Shakur (who co-founded the New Afrikan Liberation Collective with Shaka A. Shakur) also serves to explain the emergency press conference in front of the Indiana Department of Corrections on 18 June 2024, video of which you can see below courtesy of Black Power Media.
To learn more and get involved, contact the Kwame Shakur Freedom Campaign.
Return Kwame Shakur to General Population!
Kwame Beans Shakur is an extraordinary organizer. From his prison cell in Indiana, his messages urging self- and community improvement and solidarity reach hundreds of thousands in prisons and hoods throughout the country. Prison authorities fear organizers the way big employers fear organized labor. They do all they can to silence the leaders. One way is isolation – solitary confinement – making communication extremely difficult. His supporters are demanding he be returned to general population immediately.
On June 9, Kwame went on a hunger strike in response to being held in solitary confinement under a fraudulent investigation. Breakfast time the next morning was his fourth meal missed, which requires medical personnel and higher ups to come and evaluate his health and ask why he is on a hunger strike. As of 11:44 a.m., no medical or higher ranking staff had come to evaluate him.
Also last night, sometime after 9:00 p.m., an individual or individuals from the E Squad came in and unplugged the WiFi connected to Kwame and his neighbors cells, leaving them with no way to use their tablets and communicate with anyone on the outside. The rest of the entire range had WiFi.
The WiFi issue was discovered and resolved after Kwame was taken to the shower and refused to get out of the shower until they figured out why he and his neighbor were the only two without WiFi. At that time a CO asked for the keys to the room that holds all the WiFi boxes and it was discovered and told to Kwame that someone intentionally unplugged their WiFi box from the wall.
Return Kwame to General
On Saturday , May 18, 2024, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Internal Affairs (IA) at Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana, removed Kwame from his cell and took him to the Restrictive Housing Unit (RHU, aka solitary confinement). After 15 hours in the cell with no spoon, cup, or toilet paper and MULTIPLE attempts to obtain these items from the pigs, Kwame’s fiancé called and spoke with the shift supervisor for him to obtain these items.
Kwame was also given his tablet with a non-working charger and no earbuds or headphones, although these things were listed on his property list. He was told, “They aren’t in your property.” Had Kwame been unable to obtain headphones Saturday evening-Sunday morning, he would have not been able to communicate with family, friends and comrades to let them know his situation.
Kwame was not provided any clothing upon arrival to the unit (T-shirts, boxers, socks) and no sheet for his mat. He was only provided with one wool blanket to cover up with on a plastic mattress in summer weather. Kwame was unable to obtain these items until Wednesday, May 23.
Kwame was removed from his cell three days before his 34th birthday – the first birthday Kwame would have been able to spend in general population in 13 years; however the oppressive captors ensured that he spent another birthday in solitary confinement. Kwame also had a visit scheduled with his fiancé and son on Thursday, May 24; that was canceled – a violation of policy 02-01-111. They are also not allowing men housed in RHU to have razors for shaving or fingernail clippers – also a violation of policy 02-01-111.
Kwame has been conduct-clear for over three years and has been in no trouble since arriving at Miami Correctional Facility. Kwame just spent almost eight years in the SHU (solitary confinement) at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility. One month prior to this incident, Kwame was approached by IA and questioned about his movement work and community organizing,
That quickly led into questions about his role in Growth and Development. IA claimed that he was in charge of Growth and Development inside the walls of that kkkamp. Kwame explained that he is promoting the uplifting of his people both inside and outside of the walls through education and various other programs.
IA claimed there were rumors of inter-organization violence; again, Kwame assured IA that was not the case. IA also acknowledged that there had been no conflicts, fights, stabbings or tribal wars amongst Black organizations since his arrival.
On Kwame’s birthday, Monday, May 20, IA pulled Kwame out alleging that they were told he and another person were feuding over the First C position of Growth and Development inside the kkkamp. They also claimed the reason he was put in lock up was because they heard rumors he was going to be stabbed that weekend. Kwame assured them none of that held any legitimacy and the individual they spoke about was a personal brother and comrade of Kwame’s. Through conversations with others, Kwame learned that this other individual who they claimed he was feuding with was also placed in RHU/solitary confinement and told the same thing, that there was a threat of him being stabbed that weekend as well.
This is no coincidence and a classic COINTELPRO move to divide and conquer – as well as another attempt to silence and censor Kwame. Please contact these officials repeatedly:
- Miami Correctional Facility at 765-689-8920 and select option 1 for administration and/or option 6 for Internal Affairs.
- Miami Correctional Facility Warden Brian English at 765-689-8920, ext. 5586; email: benglish@idoc.in.gov
- Miami Correctional Facility Classification Kevin McKinney at 765-689-8920, option 4
- MCF Deputy Commissioner of Operations James Basinger at 317-232-1309; email: JBasinger@idoc.in.gov
- MCF Internal Affairs Niles Wise at 765-689-8920 option 6; email: Nwise@idoc.in.gov
- MCF Ombudsman Charlene Burkett at 317-234-3190; email: ombud@idoa.in.gov
Script
“I am a (family / friend / comrade) of Michael Joyner, DOC #149677, and I am (calling / emailing) to demand he be placed back into general population. Kwame is being unjustly held in RHU (solitary confinement) on a fraudulent investigation as retaliation and harassment for his affiliation with community improvement organizations. This is a direct violation of his civil rights.”
Video: Kwame Shakur Emergency Press Conference!
Thanks to Black Power Media for their coverage of the 18 June 2024 Press Conference at the Indiana Department of Corrections.
