On the Block.

Dr. Johanna Fernandez of Educators for Mumia Abu Jamal Speaks on the Latest Developments in Mumia Abu Jamal Case

2011-12-11T10:30:00.001-08:00

Interview_with_Johanna_Fernandez.mp3 Listen on Posterous

On Wednesday, December 7th, Philadelphia's District Attorney's Office announced that it will not pursue the death penalty in the case of Mumia Abu Jamal. Earlier this year, the Third Circuit Cour of Appeals ruled that because of unclear instructions delivered to the jury in Mumia Abu Jamals sentencing trial years ago, Mumia Abu Jamal should be allowed a new sentencing-phase trial or be sentenced to life-behind bars without the possibility of parole.

In the wake this partial victory for Mumia Abu Jamal and his supporters, Dr. Johanna Fernandez, assistant professor of history at Baruch College of the City University of New York and member of Educators for Mumia Abu Jamal, speaks to "On The Block Radio" about the significance of the decision and what's next for Mumia supporters.

Another Perspective onLibya: Libyan-American Educator Lutsi Taleb Reflects on Libya Under Qadhafi's Leadership.

2011-12-11T09:42:00.001-08:00

Libya--Interview_with_Lutsi_Taleb2.mp3 Listen on Posterous

"On the Block Radio" talks to Lutsi Taleb, a United States educator about recent events in Libya, Libya in the early years of Qadhafi's rule, and his reaction to Cythia McKinney's speaking tour on Libya.

The Prisoner Hunger Strike Resumes in California Prisons.

2011-10-01T11:15:00.001-07:00

Issac_Ontiveros_Interview_on_2nd_Phase--9-30-2011.mp3 Listen on Posterous

On September 26, 2012, prisoners in California resumed a hunger strike that had been suspended at the end of July after receiving statements by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that prison officials will meet some of prisoners' demands.

The hunger strike was initiated in the middle of this past summer in protest of what prisoners have described as the cruel and unusual conditions endured by inmates in the state's prisons. According to Laura Magnani, a member of the team mediating on behalf of prisoners with CDCR officials last summer, while some positive movement by CDCR officials has been made in the last few months in meeting the intial demands of inmates, "it is painfully slow for people who have lived under conditions of torture for years, and often decades in California's prison system. While the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tries to paint the prisoners as nothing more than 'dangerous gang members,' we see this strike as a courageous effort to work across all cultural and ethnic divisions through time-honored non-violent actions."

Isaac Ontiveros of the Prisoners Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition, reports that based on accounts from family members and unconfirmed sources for the Coalition, the strike resumed on last Monday with 6000 prisoners taking part.

"On the Block" speaks with Isaac Ontiveros about the recent developments.

Cynthia Mckinney Speaks on Libya in Philadelphia, PA.

2011-10-01T10:32:00.001-07:00

On Friday, September 26, 2012, Cynthia McKinney spoke at to an audience at Philadelphia's Calvary United Methodist Church about a trip she took to Libya earlier this year. Above is a recording of her presentation.

NO_INTRO--cynthia_mckinney_speech_about_libya.mp3 Listen on Posterous

A Roundtable Discussion on Flash Mobs, Youth Uprisings, and Mayor Nutter's "Sermon."

2011-08-19T20:26:00.001-07:00

flash--8-18-2011--edited.mp3 Listen on Posterous

On the heels of Mayor Nutter's address at a West Philadelphia church in which he spoke out against recent waves of youth striking out violently at folks walking down the street and gang robbing stores, a diverse group of Philadelphia residents sat down to share their perspectives on what has been described by some as "flash mobs" and by others as youth uprisings.

The roundtable participants were:

Keturah Caesar.
Activist and organizer of the Philadelphia Coalition of the Heart and the Hip Hop Party for the People.

Tommy Joshua.
Organizer and executive director of Beats, Rhymes and Life: Hip-Hop Multimedia and Mentoring Program.

Diop Olugbala.
Philadelphia's independent mayoral candidate for 2011.

Dr. Charles Williams.
Professor of education at Drexel University and director of the Center for the Prevention of School-Aged Violence.

Dessi.
An urban youth and a member of Beats, Rhymes and Life: Hip-Hop Multimedia and Mentoring Program.

Jaquel.
An urban youth and a member of Beats, Rhymes and Life: Hip-Hop Multimedia and Mentoring Program.

London Civil Unrest: An Interview with Former London Black Panther Darcus Howe.

2011-08-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

(download)

On August 4^th in the Tottenham section of London, 29 year-old Mark Duggan was killed by a police officer after the cab he was riding in was stopped. What followed within hours was a wave a violent attacks on property spilling into several sections of London and lasting for several days.

London community activist Stafford Scott explains that after waiting four hours for the police to make a statement about Duggan’s death to a crowd that had gathered around the Tottenham police station, the congregation of people began to leave in frustration. Moments later, with the torching of police cars, the peaceful gathering had turned violent.

“It was…an outburst…spontaneous outburst, because people saw, we’ve been here for four hours. Women were leading the demonstration. When the women said, ‘Look, four hours. Our kids are now tired, we’re going home.’ When the guys saw the women leaving, that’s when the guys said, ‘Wow, we’ve been here for four hours and nothing’s happened. Nothing’s changed. They haven’t come to speak to us.’ And then when they saw some police cars—which for some reason were just parked up, unmanned—that was like a red flag to a bull. And they just had their go.”

Darcus Howe, Trinidadian-born columnist and broadcaster, in attempting to place the events in the context of current racial dynamics in London, explains, “In England right now, black boys are seen by the police as pests.” For the past 2 years, he says, young Black Londoners have been subjected to being stopped and searched by police in the street without being given an explanation of reasonable cause.

As well, Howe argues that recent cuts in public spending have resulted in increased lawlessness among youth in London.

“And then came the cuts,” he explains, “There are no youth clubs. Nothing for young people. And everything is going up….[T]he cuts in public spending…locked the fridge. You get one meal a day. That is the poverty that is taking place in this country. And so they’re out on the streets in Putnam. If you had walked around that day [the day of Duggan’s death]…you will see four guys leaning on a lamppost…where usually they would have been in a youth club paid for by the local government. …Supervised, areas for sporting activities, and then there in another area you do your homework. [T[hey have been so ignored, that they will sit in your class at school, and you can’t, as we say, read the play. You can’t know what is going on with them….Watch it. Watch how his eyes start to dart around….and wanting to tell you the teacher, ‘Fuck off….’ And that’s been going on under their noses, beneath the surface; and it exploded on that fateful day when Mark Duggan was executed.”

Included in the acts of violence that communities of color are dealing with in London is Black on Black violence, Howe adds. But the wave of civil unrest that moved through the streets of London last week represents a shift--predicted decades ago by the Afro-Caribbean intellectual Franz Fanon--in the way that social unease is manifested by Black youth, Howe argues. “I am sure now, as Franz Fanon warned us, this internecine strife—killing each other—sometimes it reaches a stage where it turns against something else. I promise you, Black on Black violence is going to fall considerably in the next few months….The energies are targeted elsewhere. The energies are targeted against the police.”

Previously, in the 1980s, London also grappled with a series of insurrections in communities of color in response to police abuse of power. What distinguishes these two periods of civil unrest, Howe opines, is the body of intellectuals that shaped the social awareness of the two sets of youth.

“There has never been at anytime until 1981 a mass consciousness informed by the songs of Jamaica, by the Malcolm X autobiography, by Franz Fanon, by C.L.R. James, series of writings. And then they’d have the Panther newspaper here. Stokely came through and he gave lectures and stuff….That made the foundation. Huge intellects like CLR James and younger ones from India and Pakistan. We weren’t looking like lost children. [We were] full of energy and well-read; and trying to build a base for new ideas. [Rather] than simply saying, ‘No, no, no.’”

On this edition, we speak with columnist and broadcaster Darcus Howe about the recent acts of disobedience by youth in the streets of London.

Decarcereate PA and the Social Costs of a Growing Prison Industrial Complex.

2011-08-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

The Decarcerate PA Coalition plans to rally outside the Philadelphia offices of Hill International on Wednesday August 17 in an effort to pressure the company to end its plan to manage the construction of a new Graterford Prison in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Hill International has been awarded a 14 million contract to oversee the building of the new prison. That is a fraction of the 400 million dollars of Pennsylvania state funds slated for various aspects of the new Graterford Prison construction project. According to Dan Berger of Decarcerate PA, the larger aim behind the August 17rally is the reprioritization of Pennsylvania’s social agenda.

“We are going to be out there rallying against the proposed construction of a new prison at Graterford…and really demanding that the money—the 14 million dollars that Hill has been given in various contracts so far and the 400 million dollars that the Graterford Prison is supposed to cost—not go into prison construction, and instead be spent on schools, jobs, healthcare and things that will actually sustain our communities,” Berger says.

According to the recent Sentencing Project report “On the Chopping Block: State Prison Closings,” 13 states in 2011 have either closed prisons or are considering doing so, creating the potential for a total decrease in prison capacity nationwide of up to 14,793 beds. Pennsylvania’s 400 million-dollar new Graterford prison construction project, however, is a move in a different direction.

We speak with 3 members of the Decarcerate PA Coalition--Dan Berger, Joshua Glenn, and Omar Shabazz--about the relationship of the Hill International contract to the larger issue of the social costs of the growth of the prison industrial complex.

Corrections.

1. In the interview, an incorrect meeting spot was given for the Decarcerate PA Coalition. The correct meeting location is: 21 South 12th Street, 7th floor.

2. In addition, in the interview it was stated that Hill International had built only a few prisons in the United States. After further exploration of the Hill International website, however, Dan Berger discovered a list of more than 30 jails and/or correctional institutions that Hill was involved in constructing.

Decarcerate_PA_Interview--8-11-2011.mp3 Listen on Posterous

The End of the Pelican Bay Hunger Strike: Interview with Hunger Strike Mediator, Laura Magnani.

2011-07-24T14:01:00.001-07:00

On this edition of "On the Block Radio," we speak with Laura Magnani, regional director of the American Friends Services Committee (AFSC) and one of the five mediators who communicated with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on behalf of striking prisoners during the Pelican Bay Hunger Strike that began on July 1st.

She discusses the lead up to the end of the strike and the work that former SHU hunger strikers and their outside supporters will be engaged in since the ending of the strike in the interest of bringing change to what they consider to be oppressive conditions in California State prisons.

Interview_with_Laura_Magnani.mp3 Listen on Posterous

Pelican Bay State Prison Hunger Strike: Response from the California Prison System.

2011-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

We speak with Terry Thorton, spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (the California Prison System) about the hunger strike launched on July 1st by Pelican Bay State Prisoners housed in the prison's Security Housing Unit (SHU).

In a statement published under the byline SHU Short Corridor Inmates, Pelican Bay Prison, in the summer 2011 edition of California-based Prison Focus, the following demands were listed as goals of the hunger strike:

--Individual accountability.

--Abolish the Debriefing Policy, Modify Active/Inactive Gang Status Criteria.

--Comply with the U.S. commission 2006 Recommendations Regarding an End to Long-Term Solitary Confinement

--Provide Adequate Food

--Expand and Provide Constructive Programming and Privileges for Indefinite SHU Status Inmates

Prison Focus, Summer 2011.

Thorton responds to the demands and recent reports on the deteriorating health of hunger strikers.

Pelican Bay State Prison Strike: Update.

2011-07-09T11:34:00.002-07:00

We speak with Taeva Shefler of the Prison Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition about recent developments in the hunger strike that was launched on July 1st by prisoners confined to the Security Housing Unit at Pelican Bay State Prison in California. The following five conditions have been listed as the core demands of strikers in statements made by Pelican Bay SHU prisoners explaining the goals of the strike:

1) Eliminate group punishments
2) Abolish the debriefing policy and modify active/inactive gang status criteria
3) Comply with the recommendations of the US Commission on Safety and Abuse in Prisons
(2006) regarding an end to long-term solitary confinement
4) Provide adequate food
5) Expand and provide constructive programs and privileges for indefinite SHU inmates."
--from the Human Rights Coalition PA Prison Report

She discusses reports of the spread of the strike into the general population at Pelican Bay and into other prisons in California and how women in California's prisons have responded to the hunger strike.

Jailhouse Lawyer Andre Jacobs: Some Background.

2011-06-28T02:05:00.000-07:00

Below is an excerpt from a pamphlet published by the Committee to Free Andre Jacobs:

Andre is a 29 year old Black man unjustly imprisoned and heavily targeted for his filing of grievances and lawsuits in defense of human rights inside the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. We seek to build a network of civil and human rights organizations, human rights defenders, legal associations, and concerned citizens in order to provide financial, media, legal, and popular support for Andre. By highlighting Andre’s battles against wrongful convictions and solitary confinement, we aim to bring greater public awareness to the injustices of the U.S. criminal justice system.

Andre Jacobs’s childhood was plagued with abuse and alcoholism in his immediate family. In 1997, when he was only 15 years old, Andre was first sentenced to prison for non-violent offenses. In 2001 Andre was placed in solitary confinement in retaliation for a lawsuit he had filed after being assaulted by a guard, and the PA DOC illegally suspended his court-ordered mental health treatment. Andre remains in solitary confinement to this day.

In 2005, at the Federal Courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Andre was dragged onto an elevator by U.S. marshals in front of his grandmother and beaten unconscious after the completion of a civil rights suit he had brought. Federal marshals conspired to frame Andre for assaulting them, despite his being cuffed and shackled at the time, and he was sentenced to an additional 17 years in prison as a result.

In 2008, Andre was awarded $185,000 by a jury in a civil rights suit after they determined that PA DOC staff had violated his rights. This was one of the four civil suits Andre has brought to trial from his solitary confinement cell, where he is held 23-24 hours per day in conditions of extreme social isolation, sensory deprivation, and subjected to constant acts of retaliation.

Against all odds, Andre has persevered through the torture, received a degree from Blackstone University, and is now a certified paralegal. Because of his talents as a jailhouse lawyer and his uncompromising defense of his rights and the rights of all prisoners, Andre has become a frequent target of racist guards and ranking officials and repeatedly subjected to assault, destruction of property, unlawful confiscation of legal mail, food tampering, withholding of medical care, starvation and deprivation of water, and placed on indefinite/permanent solitary confinement status by the secretary of the PA DOC.

Andre's resilience and refusal to submit to arbitrary, racist, and lawless authority has placed him in harm's way repeatedly and transformed him into an exceptionally talented and committed human rights defender. His story needs to be heard, his rights protected, and his cause championed.

"I am being killed psychologically. I've never had a chance at life and here people are conspiring to take my future from me. This is my first time in prison and it is truly a nightmare! I call on every organization, attorney, and member of society to assist me in educating the world in what goes on behind prison walls in America."--Andre Jacobs.

The Pelican Bay State Prison Hunger Strike: Interview with Ed Mead of California Prison Focus.

2011-06-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

A group of prisoners housed in Pelican Bay State Prison's Security Housing Unit, a housing assignment in which prisoners are restricted to their cells in solitary for at least 23 hours a day, has announced plans to begin a hunger strike on July 1st. According to a formal complaint published by a group of prisoners in the Summer 2011 issue of Prison Focus, one of the goals of the hunger strike is the implementation of 5 demands by the administration of Pelican Bay Prison.

They are:

We speak with Ed Mead--editor of the California-based newspaper Prison Focus and one of the organizers of the outside support for the Pelican Bay State prisoner hunger strike--about the living conditions for prisoners inside of Pelican Bay State Prison and the development and structure of this latest planned prison protest.

Interview with Psychriatrist Terry Kupers on the Damaging Effects of Long-Term Solitary Confinement on Prisoners.

2011-06-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the recently released publication by the Human Rights Coalition called Unity and Courage: Report on State Correctional Institute at Huntingdon which contains prisoner and eyewitness detailed accusations of human rights abuses against prisoners in SCI Huntingdon Prison's RHU (Restricted Housing Unit), we speak with Psychiatrist Terry Kupers. Dr. Kupers has served as an expert witness on several cases in which the use of solitary confinement in United States' prisons is placed in critical focus. Namely, he has been asked to testify in U.S. courts on the damaging effects of solitary confinement on prisoners for such organizations as the ACLU and on behalf of Black Panther Party members.

An Interview with Journalist Linn Washington on the Recent Judicial Victory for Mumia Abu-Jamal.

2011-04-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the recent decision by the Third U.S. Court of Appeals declaring Mumia Abu-Jamal's death sentence unconstitutional and granting him a new sentencing trial, we speak with Philadelphia Tribune journalist Linn Washington. As a blogger, writer with the Tribune, and a public speaker, Washington has been reporting on developments in the Mumia Abu-Jamal case for years.

Update on Jailhouse Lawyer Andre Jacobs.

2011-04-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of On The Block Radio, the show that takes a critical look at the United States criminal justice system.

On today's show:

PA Prison Report Headlines.

--A woman in solitary confinement is repeatedly denied medical care by prison authorities

--"Ban the Box" legislation is proposed in Pittsburgh and made law in Philadelphia

--Victims of police attacks in Philadelphia win a chance at publicly demonstrating the extent of police brutality, and more...

Interview.

We talk with Elizabeth Springer, the grandmother of jailhouse lawyer Andre Jacobs. Andre has been locked up in Pennsylvania correctional institutions since he was 15 years old. Ms. Springer talks about his early childhood, his experiences with harassment while in prison, developments with his appeal on federal charges of assault against prison guards, and the federal civil rights lawsuit he filed this past December against the PA DOC.

In December of 2010, Andre Jacobs filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the Middle District of Pennsylvania against Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and state law enforcement agents in which he charges acts of torture against him. He filed that lawsuit while at SCI Huntingdon.

On April 8th, Andre Jacobs was transferred from SCI Huntingdon to SCI Rockview. When asked to provide a reason for the transfer, SCI Huntingdon's Public Information Officer, Connie Green, declined to give an explanation.

In 2008, Jacobs represented himself in a case in which he charged Pennsylvania Department of Correction staff with confiscating and not returning important legal property to him. He won the case, and the jury issued a judgment of $185,000 on his behalf.

Subsequently, according to the claims in his recent civil rights lawsuit, he was harassed by prison officials. He has been the victim of physical assault, verbal abuse, and food deprivation.

In addition, Jacobs has continued to be held in soilitary confinement, or the hole, since 2001. This means he is restricted to a cell by himself for at least 23 hours a day.

Special Thanks.

The PA Prison Reports are compiled by Andy, Bret, and Amanda of the Human Rights Coalition based on the accounts of prisoner correspondents and the investigations of HRC members. From the compiled data, the reports are re-written by Andy into the narratives you hear on "On The Block Radio." Tonight's report was read by Hannah of the HRC. Many thanks. To access written transcripts of the PA Prison Reports, please go to: www.hrcoalition.org.

Terrell Johnson: New Trial for Man Locked Up for a Crime Many Believe He Did Not Commit.

2011-02-18T14:32:00.000-08:00

(To download mp3 file, please click here. )

Thanks for checking in for another edition of On The Block Radio, the show that takes a critical look at the criminal justice system. On today's show:

PA Prison Report Headlines.

-Action Alert for racial death threats at SCI Forest

-SCI Huntingdon represses protests against the starvation of prisoners

-End of "freezing cells" hunger strike at SCI Albion

Interview.

A new trial has been set for Pittsburgh resident Terrell Johnson during which new evidence will be presented that supports his claim that he is innocent of the murder of government witness Verna Robinson in 1994. The trial was originally scheduled for February 28th; however, a recent decision was made to postpone it until April 2011.

Based largely on the testimony of Evelyn "Dolly" McBryde, Johnson was convicted of Robinson''s murder. However, the use of McBryde's testimony during the trial has raised questions about whether Johnson received a fair trial. One of the reasons being that McBryde waited two weeks after the murder of Robinson--after she had been charged with theft and faced up to 50 years in jail--to tell police that she had been a witness to the murder of Robinson, according to the Innocence institute of Point Park University. As well, her trustworthiness as a prosecution witness has been called into question because of her long line of run-ins with the police for her alleged involvement in drug use, theft, and prostitution of herself and her children.

In August of 2009, based on the statements made by Anthony Robinson, who said that McBryde was smoking crack with him at the time that she had originally said she had witnessed the Verna Robinson murder, Johnson was granted a new trial.

In September of 2009, Terrell Johnson was offered his freedom in exchange for pleading guilty to a lesser charge. He refused, choosing to risk continued incarceration for a chance to be completely exonerated of all current charges against him in relation to the Verna Robinson killing.

His new trial will take place on this coming Monday, February 28th, at the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh.

Terrell Johnson's wife, Saundra Cole, was interviewed earlier this month for On the Block Radio. She provides important background information and explains recent developments in the case.

For more information on this case, listeners can link to the Justice for Terrell Campaign at www.justiceforterrell.blogspot.com.

Special Thanks.

The PA Prison Reports are compiled by Andy, Bret, and Amanda of the Human Rights Coalition based on the accounts of prisoner correspondents and the investigations of HRC members. From the compiled data, the reports are re-written by Andy into the narratives you hear on "On The Block Radio." Tonight's report was read by Hannah of the HRC. Many thanks. To access written transcripts of the PA Prison Reports, please go to: www.hrcoalition.org.

The Hole: Case 2. SCI Greene, CFCS, Solitary Confinement, and Folino: A Mother Tells The Story of Her Sons' Incarceration.

2011-01-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

This is the second in a series of interviews related to solitary confinement in United States' prisons. We speak with the mother of two young, African American men who have both been confined to solitary confinement cells, better known as "the hole," for more than a year. Life inside the hole in United States' prisons has been described as akin to being buried alive.

The mother spoke to us on condition of anonymity out of fear that her sons might face retaliation for her efforts to bring to light their plight within detention systems here in the United States.

One of her sons, she says, has been awaiting trial for four years in Philadelphia's Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (CFCF), for a crime he says he did not commit. For almost a year, he has been confined in CFCF's hole.

The other, she says, on entering the Pennsylvania prison system, was struggling with severe mental health issues; but instead of being provided with psychological treatment, he was placed and in the hole. Later, after beginning his prison term in SCI Cresson's solitary confinement unit, she explains, he was eventually transferred to SCI Greene. He was assigned to the hole at Greene, she tells us, and remains there after being denied a request in December to be released into the general prison population.

The current administration of SCI Greene is headed by Superintendent Louis Folino. Under his supervision, cases of cruel and unusual punishment--such as the confinement of Russell "Maroon" Shoatz to 21 years in Greene's hole-- have persisted .

The mother asks that anyone interested in helping to end the cruel and unusual treatment of her sons contact the People at On The Block Radio, who will then forward the message onto her. Our email address is thepeople@ontheblockradio.org.

Special Post. People's Tribunal Against Police Brutality and Misconduct-Philadelphia.

2011-01-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

On January 15, 2011, members of the Askia Coalition Against Police Brutality convened a tribunal to address the incidents of police brutality in Philadelphia. This 17-minute radio piece contains excerpts from the testimony of expert witnesses and victims of police brutality (Basiymah Muhammed, Abdus Sabur, Annette Dickerson, among others); as well as interviews with members of the Askia Coalition Against Police Brutality.

The Askia Coalition Against Police Brutality was formed in the wake of the attack against Askia Sabur in West Philadelphia on September 3, 2010 as a vehicle for putting an end to the phenomenom of police brutality in Philadelphia.

Police Brutality Case 01.12.10: Jordan Miles. Police Brutality Case 08.30.10: John T. Williams.

2011-01-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of "On The Block Radio," the show that takes a critical look at the criminal justice system.

On tonight's show, we will speak with Seattle activist, Fern Renville, about John T. Williams.

On August 30, 2010, John T. Williams was shot and killed as he walked down a Seattle street. He was a well-known woodcarver in the Seattle area, and minutes before he was killed, he was holding a knife that was 3 inches long--less than the minimum length that a knife needs to be to be considered illegal to carry in public.

He was 50 years old, a Native American, homeless, deaf, and many people believe a fatality of police brutality. Aspects of the incident were captured by a police car video camera. (Video of parts of the incident can be seen HERE.) On that video tape are heard shots being fired only four seconds after Williams was directed to drop the knife he was carrying. And according to Fern Renville, a community member actively involved in bringing about justice in this case, a medical examiners' report states that Williams appears to have been shot from the side, not from the front as one would have expected if he was lunging towards the officer with the knife.

An inquest into the case is scheduled to take place on Monday, January 10th.
_______________________________________________________
Then, we will talk with Brandi Fisher of the Alliance for Police Accountability about Jordan Miles.

On January 12, 2010, Jordan Miles, an 18 year-old senior at CAPA high school in Pittsburgh, where he was an honor student, was beaten up by police as he walked to his grandmother's house. Over the course of the attack, he was hit with a tree branch and patches of his neat locks were pulled from his hair, according to Brandi Fisher of the Justice for Jordan Miles Campaign and the Alliance for Police Accountability.

According to a statement published by Jordan Miles' family and posted on the Justice for Jordan Miles Campaign website, the police officers jumped out of their car near Miles, yelling, "Where’s the gun, where’s the money, where’s the drugs?” Because the officers were in plain clothes and their car was unmarked, Miles did not immediately assume that they were cops. Instead, he thought he was being robbed and began to run. When the cops overtook him, he was beaten, arrested and subsequently charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault, loitering and prowling at nighttime, escape and resisting arrest. Although all charges were subsequently thrown out, his face was badly swollen and he faces permanent nerve damage, and according to Brandi Fisher, still struggles emotionally as a result of what happened that night.

The one year anniversary of his brutalization by police will be marked by a vigil at 7:00pm at the site of the police attack: Tioga and Rosedale Street in Pittsburgh.

The Hole: Case 1.Russell Maroon Shoatz Seeks Release From Solitary Confinement After 21 Years.

2011-01-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

Russell "Maroon" Shoatz, former black panther member, has been in solitary confinement for 21 years. The Pennsylvania Department Of Corrections has recommended that Russell "Maroon" Shoatz be released into the general prison population after spending 21 years in solitary confinement. However, family members say there is strong evidence to believe that Superintendent Folino may block efforts to release him. Shoatz hasn't had any infractions in the last 21 years. He is to appear before the Program Review Board on Jan 5, 2011, regarding the question of his release from solitary confinement.

We speak with the son and daughter of Russell "Maroon" Shoatz--Teresea Shoatz and Russell Shoatz III--about their father's situation.

_______________________________________________

The family asks that individuals write the officials listed below or call their offices non-stop and request Russell "Maroon" Shoatz's release into the general prison population.

Superintendent Folino: Phone 724.852.2903.

Superintendent Folino's Addresss: 169 Progress Drive, Waynesburg, PA 15370

Secretary of Pennsylvania Prisons, Shirley Moore Smeal Phone: 717-975-4918

To download a petition form letter, please CLICK HERE.

Georgia Prisoner Strike: Call for Vigilance

2010-12-25T05:01:00.000-08:00

This is a call for folks connected to alternative media sources to check in with the Georgia DOC regarding the prisoners who have been identified by DOC officials as "conspirators" in the Georgia Prisoner Strike and subsequently moved to other prisons.

In a conversation with Elaine Brown on Thursday, Dec.23rd, she told us that officials informed her on December 17th that they had identified 37 conspirators in the prisoners' strike and had transported them to other prisons. They assured her that they would get the list of the names of the 37 prisoners to her. As of our conversation with her on Dec. 23rd, she had not received the list from the Georgia DOC.

Please assist in finding out who those 37 prisoners are and use your media access to help those concerned keep a "watch" over them to make sure they are not being abused.

Below are some contact numbers for Georgia prisons.

Thanks.
__________________________________________
Macon State Prison is (478) 472-3400.
Hays State Prison is at (706) 857-0400
Telfair State prison is (229) 868-7721
Baldwin State Prison is at (478) 445- 5218
Valdosta State Prison is (229) 245-6450
Smith State Prison is at (912) 654-5000

Police Brutality Case 11.27.10: Naimah Jones.

2010-12-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of On The Block Radio.

On today's show:

PA Prison Report Headlines.

-Prisoner transferred out of state in retaliation for filing grievances

-Continued solitary confinement torture at SCI Coal Township

Interview.

On today's show, we continue our documentation of police brutality incidents occurring in the United States with this post of an interview with Inas Shabazz about the recent acts of police brutality against her sister, Naimah Jones, on November 27th. In the early hours of the second day after Thanksgiving, Naimah Jones was choked, thrown to the concrete, and tasered several times in front of her home in North Philadelphia as her children looked on. Her sister asserts that Naimah did not physically resist arrest and the attacks were unjustified.

The attacks were preceded by a verbal exchange between Naimah and a police officer regarding the children she had left locked in her car as went into her home to retrieve some items.

She is facing felony assault charges. Her sister, Inas Shabazz, tells the story.

Special Thanks.

The PA Prison Reports are compiled by Andy and Bret of the Human Rights Coalition based on the accounts of prisoner correspondents and the investigations of HRC members. From the compiled data, the reports are re-written by Andy into the narratives you hear on "On The Block Radio." Many thanks. To access written transcripts of the PA Prison Reports, please go to: www.hrcoalition.org.

Portland and Homeland Security: An Interview with Dan Hendelman of Portland Copwatch.

2010-12-17T01:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of On The Block Radio.

On today's show:

PA Prison Report Headlines.

-Historic prisoners' strike in Georgia shuts down six prisons

-Jailhouse lawyer held in freezing cell; stripped of legal property in solitary confinement

Interview.

In the wake of the arrest of 18-year-old Somali-born Mohamed Osman Mohamud on charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction in Portland, we speak with Dan Hendelman of Portland Copwatch about:

--Portland's status as a city that has rejected becoming a partner of the FBI in its National Joint Terrorism Task Force

--recent FBI surveillance of Hendelman and Portland Copwatch

--the fear that the arrest of Mohamud might lead to a stronger collusion between the FBI and local Portland police in future law enforcement efforts in the city.

Special Thanks.

Georgia Prison Strike. Interview with Elaine Brown.

2010-12-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

On December 9, 2010, prisoners in several Georgia prisons began a peaceful strike in order to pressure prison administrators to meet the following list of demands:

· A LIVING WAGE FOR WORK: In violation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting slavery andinvoluntary servitude, the DOC demands prisoners work for free.

· EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: For the great majority of prisoners, the DOC denies all opportunities for education beyond the GED, despite the benefit to both prisoners and society.

· DECENT HEALTH CARE: In violation of the 8th Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishments, the DOC denies adequate medical care to prisoners, charges excessive fees for the most minimal care and is responsible for extraordinary pain and suffering.

· AN END TO CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTS: In further violation of the 8th Amendment, the DOC is responsible for cruel prisoner punishments for minor infractions of rules.

· DECENT LIVING CONDITIONS: Georgia prisoners are confined in over-crowded, substandard conditions, with little heat in winter and oppressive heat in summer.

· NUTRITIONAL MEALS: Vegetables and fruit are in short supply in DOC facilities while starches and fatty foods are plentiful.

· VOCATIONAL AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES: The DOC has stripped its facilities of all opportunities for skills training, self-improvement and proper exercise.

· ACCESS TO FAMILIES: The DOC has disconnected thousands of prisoners from their families by imposing excessive telephone charges and innumerable barriers to visitation.

· JUST PAROLE DECISIONS: The Parole Board capriciously and regularly denies parole to the majority of prisoners despite evidence of eligibility.

After final assessments are made, this may be the largest prison strike in United States history. The strike was orchestrated largely through the use of cell phones, according to Elaine Brown, former chairman of the Black Panther Party, founder of the National Alliance for Radical Prison Reform, and one of the contact persons for information on developments in the strike listed on a press release.

Elaine Brown is interviewed about the strike one day after it had begun. She begins the interview by reading a text message sent to her from one of the Georgia prisoners in which the goals and the make-up of the strikers are stated.

___________________________________________________________

Expressions of solidarity with the prisoners can be made to the various prisons at the numbers listed below or through the Georgia Department of Corrections website and/or main number:

Macon State Prison is (478) 472-3400.

Hays State Prison is at (706) 857-0400

Telfair State prison is 229-868-7721

Baldwin State Prison is at (478) 445- 5218

Valdosta State Prison is (229) 245-6450

Smith State Prison is at (912) 654-5000

The Georgia Department of Corrections is at http://www.dcor.state.ga.us and their phone number is 478-992-5246

To Learn more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/us/12prison.html

http://blackagendareport.com/?q=content%2Fga-prisoner-strike-continues-second-day-corporate-media-mostly-ignores-them-corrections-offi

http://hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/day-3-of-historic-prison-strike-in-georgia-blacked-out-by-media-guards-committing-violence/

A Sunday update to this story will be posted at Black Agenda Report , about 9AM EST.

Interview with Rich Garella, Co-producer of the Film, "Who Killed Chea Vichea."

2010-12-10T22:39:00.000-08:00

This is an interview with Rich Garella, co-producer of the independent film Who Killed Chea Vichea.

In early 2004, Chea Vichea, a prominent labor rights activist, was murdered in the streets of Cambodia outside of a newspaper stand. Afterwards, two young Cambodian men were arrested and charged with Chea's murder. Many believe, based on the lack of convincing evidence of their guilt, that they were framed for Chea's murder.

The two men were sentenced to 20 years in prison, and the prime minister, Hun Seng, who was up for re-election at the time of Chea's murder, was elected prime minister for another term. Many believe Chea's assassination and the incarceration of two young men for his murder were carried out at the behest of the prime minister in an effort to maintain his hold on power in Cambodia.

Over the course of the interview, Cambodia history and politics are discussed in an effort to give context to Chea's murder and the subsequent alleged frame-up of the two men. As well, in relationship to the central concern of "On the Block Radio" show--the United States criminal justice system--comparisons are made between the unethical behavior of police in Cambodia and that of police in the United States.

Update on the Askia Sabur Case. Interview with Tanya Hamilton, Director of "Night Catches Us."

2010-12-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition on On The Block Radio, the show that takes a critical look at our criminal justice system.

On tonight's show:

The Human Rights Coalition Pennsylvania Prison Report with these headlines:

- Pittsburgh march honors wrongful death of pregnant prisoner

- HRC censored by SCI Coal Township

- Possible negligence by Virginia prison in PA prisoner's death

Next, we will talk with Shesheena Bray of the Askia Coalition Against Police Brutality about the recent court hearing of police brutality victim, Askia Sabur, and upcoming events of the Coalition's anti-police brutality campaign. Askia Sabur is a young African American male who was caught on video being beaten outside of a Chinese restaurant on September 3rd by police officers from Philadelphia's 19th Police District. According to reports, he was beaten with night sticks in his head until blood spilled onto the sidewalk, resulting in Askia receiving 6 head-staples, a neck-brace, multiple back injuries, a broken arm and other physical and emotional damage. He is also reported to be currently suffering from memory loss.

In the video footage of the attack that can be found on YouTube, Askia is seen surrounded by four cops and being beaten by one with a night stick. Throughout the extent of the video, he is sitting on the sidewalk as he is being beaten, with the exception of two moments in which he is lying or kneeling on the ground.

Askia Sabur appeared in court on Wednesday, December 1st for another preliminary hearing in his case. Shesheena tells us what took place during that hearing and what's next on the agenda for the Askia Coalition Against Police Brutality in its efforts to make the police department accountable for its acts of brutality against Askia and others in Philadelphia.

Finally, we will speak with Tanya Hamilton the writer, director, and co-producer of Night Catches Us, a film set in Philadelphia in the 1970s which looks at how one neighborhood in the Germantown section of Philadelphia grapples with its memories of the Black Panther Party and the relationships that it forged and tore apart. I spoke with her by phone from her home in Philadelphia.

Special Thanks.

FBI Informant-Directed Movie Coming to a 'Hood Near You.

2010-11-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

Special Post.

This montage on post-9/11 FBI use of informants in the United States was inspired by the cases of the Fort Dix 5, the Newburgh 4, and most recently the case of Mohamed Osman Mohamud.

Song:

Jill Scott/Watching Me.
Spoken Voices:

U.S.A. newscasters.

employee at the NYU Center on Law and Society.

a former FBI Agent.

a former FBI director.

iman of the New York mosque visited by defendants in the Newburgh 4 case.

an aunt of one of the Newburgh 4 defendants.

Be careful of unauthorized movies being made in your 'hood.

Don't let them derail your revolutionary phenomena....channelling discontentment with American society into ugly acts of terror.

Note.
The People at On the Block Radio do not endorse Mr. Mohamud's intentions and actions. However, we are wary of the manner in which the FBI was involved in this case, as well as other recent cases in which United States citizens were arrested on charges of terrorism.

Update on the Askia Sabur Police Brutality Case: Interview with Askia's Sister, Naimah Wilson

2010-11-12T02:46:00.000-08:00

On today's show, we will look again at the movement against police brutality that has been re-focused recently on the case of Askia Sabur, a young African American male who was caught on video being beaten outside of a Chinese restaurant on September 3rd by police officers from Philadelphia's 19th Police District. According to reports, he was beaten with night sticks in his head until blood spilled onto the sidewalk, resulting in Askia receiving 6 head-staples, a neck-brace, multiple back injuries, a broken arm and other physical and emotional damage. He is also reported to currently be suffering from memory loss.

In the video footage of the attack that can be found on YouTube, Askia is seen surrounded by four cops and being beaten by one with a night stick. Throughout the extent of the video, he is sitting on the sidewalk as he is being beaten, with the exception of two moments in which he is lying or kneeling on the ground.

In a recent interview, Askia's older sister, Naimah Wilson, updates us on Askia's recovery and on the efforts of the Askia Coalition Against Police Brutality to build a movement against police brutality in Philadelphia and to make the police department accountable for their acts of violence against Askia.

RECENT EVENTS SURROUNDING THE CASE.
__________________________________________________________
Preliminary Hearing (Third and Last Scheduled. Not all police officers showed up to the
first two):

Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Time: 8:00am (usually the hearings do not begin until about 9:00am)
Place: The Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center (CJC) at 13th and Filbert
Room 703
Contact: weareaskia@hotmail.com or info@acapb.com.

Weekly Planning Meetings of the Askia Coalition Against Police Brutality (ACAPB):

Date: Every Monday
Time: 6:00pm
Place: The Conestoga Community Center
5301 Media Street (West Philadelphia)
Contact: weareaskia@hotmail.com or info@acapb.com.

Special Thanks.

Mumia Abu Jamal Radio Teach-In

2010-11-08T03:32:00.000-08:00

Mumia Abu Jamal is a prolific writer who scribes from behind the bars of SCI Greene Prison in Pennsylvania. He sits in limbo in his jail cell, between life and death and yet his voice pumps out on a regular basis profound commentary on the society on the outside of his bars.

On Tuesday, November 9th, this man, this writer, this profound commentator on our world will be up against a court system that has for 3 decades kept him, his pen, his body behind bars, but every now and then, lets out bits and pieces of his voice. This Tuesday, November 9th, is a sentencing hearing for Mumia Abu Jamal. It will take place at Philadelphia's United States Courthouse and during the hearing whether he will be executed or spend the rest of life behind bars will be decided.

If the millions of people around the world who heard his voice have their say, he'll be coming home, finally, after years of fighting his incarceration.

Now it's other folks' turn to push their voices in battle with Goliaths, like Mumia has done with his for years, and get him free.

This radio teach-in includes the following voices:

--M1 of the Dead Prez
--the late Pennsylvania Representative Dave Richardson in August of 1995
--Wayne Alexander, the nephew of Mumia Abu Jamal
--Ramona Africa on Mumia and the MOVE ORGANIZATION
--Pam Africa
--Mumia Abu Jamal

The Newburgh 4: A Case of FBI Entrapment.....?

2010-10-26T23:58:00.000-07:00

Today's show will focus on the Newburgh 4 case.

On October 18, four men were convicted of planning to blow up Jewish synagogues and shoot down cargo planes from Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York. The four men are David Williams, Onta Williams, Laguerre Payen, and James Cromitie.

They are African American, Muslim, and many believe were victims of an unethical entrapment scheme devised by the FBI.

According to reports, FBI informant, Shaheed Hussain, infiltrated the mosque of one of the defendants, James Cromitie, and convinced him to participate in a plot to blow up synagogues and U.S. military planes. The plot was concocted by the FBI and the bombs were fake, but because of the willingness to take part in the terrorist plot, Cromitie and the other 3 defendants--who were recruited later into the scheme by Cromitie-- were convicted on October 18th of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States and face the possibility of spending the rest of their lives in prison.

We will speak with Bennett Weiss of the Orange County Peace and Justice Committee and Alicia McWilliams, the aunt of one of the Newburgh 4 defendants.

Bennett Weiss has been organizing actions to bring attention to the entrapment practices of the FBI as played out in the Newburgh 4 case. In this segment, he provides some background details on the Newburgh 4 story.

Alicia McWilliams is the aunt of David Williams--one of the Newburgh 4 defendants just recently convicted of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States. The charge can carry a possible sentence of life in prison. David Williams is 29 years old. McWilliams spoke with "On the Block" in Harlem last week.

Special Thanks.

Catching Up with Philly's Askia Coalition Against Police Brutality

2010-10-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another edition of On the Block Radio, a show that takes a critical at the United States criminal justice system.

On today's show, we speak with Adan X, a member of the Askia Coalition Against Police Brutality. Over the last month, many Philadelphia residents have come together in order to help fight police brutality in the city in general and to bring about justice for Askia Sabur, a young African American male who is one of Philadelphia's recent victims of police brutality. Askia was attacked by police outside of a Chinese restaurant in West Philadelphia, where he had ordered food. After viewing YouTube videos of the attack posted by eyewitnesses, many believe the police beating was unwarranted and excessive.

Adan X provides additional background on the case and updates us on past and future actions.

Special Thanks.

The PA Prison Reports are compiled by Andy and Bret of the Human Rights Coalition based on the accounts of prisoner correspondents and the investigations of HRC members. From the compiled data, the reports are re-written by Andy into the narratives you hear on "On The Block Radio." Many thanks. To access written transcripts of the PA Prison Reports, please go to: www.hrcoalition.org.

Special Re-Post: Family Members of Mumia Abu Jamal and Troy Davis Speak on Their Struggle.

2010-10-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of "On the Block," a radio program that takes a critical look at the United States criminal justice system.

On today's show, we will hear from the relatives of two prisoners on death row. One is that of Wayne Alexander, the nephew of Mumia Abu Jamal. In the 1980s, Mumia was convicted of the murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. He currently sits on death row. Mumia and his supporters have for years proclaimed his innocence; demands for his release have been the focus of a large international movement for the last two decades. Wayne provides us with a perspective on how Mumia's family has been grappling with his imprisonment over the last 20 plus years.

The other voice is that of the older sister of Troy Davis, Martina Correia. Davis is currently sitting on death row for a crime that many believe he did not commit. Martina Correia has been fighting for the release of her brother, Troy Davis, for more than two decades. While battling cancer, she has taken up the fight for her brother who she and many others believe was wrongly convicted for the killing of a Georgia police officer. We talk with her about the status of the case.

Mumia Abu Jamal: Recent Developments and the Continuing Significance of the Case to the African American Community.

2010-10-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another edition of "On the Block," a radio show that looks critically at the United States criminal justice system.

On today’s show, in light of recent serious developments in the case of Mumia Abu Jamal, an African American journalist who has been sitting in prison for almost three decades for a crime many believe he did not commit, we will listen to an interview with Pam Africa, of the International Concerned Friends and Family of Mumia Abu Jamal.

On Tuesday, September 21st, the The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit announced its decision to grant oral arguments on the issue of whether Mumia Abu Jamal will continue to sit on death row, or be granted a new jury trial on the question of his death sentence. The arguments will be made before a three-judge panel to be held on November 9, 2010, 2:00 pm in the Ceremonial Courtroom, U.S. Courthouse, 6th & Market Streets, in Philadelphia.

This is significant to the ongoing struggle to save Mumia Abu Jamal's life and win the case for Mumia's exoneration. Previously, Mumia had won a new sentencing hearing, but earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court changed its decision and ordered that the case be again reviewed by the federal court. After some months, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has announced its decision to grant a new sentencing hearing for Mumia Abu Jamal.

Pam Africa.
Another critical development for the movement to free Mumia Abu Jamal--a negative one--was the recent signing of a memorandum by factions of the United States anti-death penalty movement to distance the movement from Mumia's case.
In an interview conducted by JR Valrey, Pam Africa, chairperson of the International Concerned Friends and Family of Mumia Abu Jamal, discusses that recent move and its significance.

M1 of the Dead Prez.
We will also listen to an an excerpt of an interview with M1 of the hip hop group The Dead Prez about the continuing significance of Mumia Abu Jamal's case to the African American community. The interview was conducted by JR Valrey of POCC Block Report Radio.

The HRC and Secret Surveillance by the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security via the Institute for Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR).
The Human Rights Coalition, in its Pennsylvania Prison Report--a regular feature of "On The Block Radio"--discusses the recent discovery that the organization was the focus of scrutiny by the Institute for Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR), an organization contracted by the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security to identify and document threats to national security in the United States.

All that coming up on On the Block Radio.

Special thanks to Andy of the Human Rights Coalition and JR Valrey of POCC Block Report Radio. For more information about the Human Rights Coalition, check out their website at www.hrcoalition.org. Block Report Radio podcasts can be found at www.blockreportradio.com.

Prison Letters and Documenting Inmate Abuse in Pennsylvania Prisons.

2010-10-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of "On the Block Radio," a show that takes a critical look at the United States criminal justice system.

On tonight's show, Andy of the Human Rights Coalition talks with us about Write Up, an ongoing event at the Lava Space during which individuals can read and respond to letters from inmates in Pennsylvania prisons. He shares with us the history of Write Up and the Human Rights Coalition (HRC). As well, he describes some of the inhumane conditions that prisoners have written about in their letters to the HRC and how the Write-Up event helps with the effort to document inmate abuse and fight it.

Special Thanks.

The Imprisonment of Mumia Abu Jamal and Troy Davis through the Eyes of their Relatives

2010-09-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of "On the Block," a radio program that takes a critical look at the United States criminal justice system. On today's show, we will hear from the relatives of two prisoners on death row. One is the older sister of Troy Davis, Martina Correia. Davis is currently sitting on death row for a crime that many believe he did not commit. Martina Correia has been fighting for the release of her brother, Troy Davis, for more than two decades. While battling cancer, she has taken up the fight for her brother who she and many others believe was wrongly convicted for the killing of a Georgia police officer. We talk with her about the status of the case.

The other voice is that of Wayne Alexander, the nephew of Mumia Abu Jamal. In the 1980s, Mumia was convicted of the murder of a Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. He currently sits on death row. Mumia and his supporters have for years proclaimed his innocence; demands for his release have been the focus of a large international movement for the last two decades. Wayne provides us with a perspective on how Mumia's family has been grappling with his imprisonment over the last 20 plus years.

Police Brutality Case 09.03.10: Askia Sabur.

2010-09-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of "On The Block Radio."

On today's show, we will look at the movement against police brutality that has been re-focused recently on the case of Askia Sabur, a young African American male who was caught on video being beaten outside of a Chinese restaurant on September 3rd by police officers from Philadelphia's 19th Police District. According to reports, he was beaten with night sticks in his head until blood spilled onto the sidewalk, resulting in Askia receiving 6 head-staples, a neck-brace, multiple back injuries, a broken arm and other physical and emotional damage.

In the video footage of the attack that appears on one of the posts on YouTube, Askia is seen surrounded by four cops and being beaten by one with a night stick. Throughout the extent of the video, he is sitting on the sidewalk as he is being beaten, with the exception of two moments in which he is lying or kneeling on the ground.

In a roundtable discussion, organizers of a mass walk in protest of the beating of Askia Sabur--Dr. Weldon McWilliams, Minista, Brother Tommy, Keturah Caesar, and Adon X--speculate on the sociological basis of police brutality in the United States and explore solutions. We connect up with the roundtable discussion at the point where Adon X points out that while the attack on Askia was taking place, one of the police officers brandishes a gun at a group of by-standers that had gathered around the incident.

Special Thanks.

The PA Prison Reports are compiled by Andy and Bret of the Human Rights Coalition based on the accounts of prisoner correspondents and the investigations of HRC members. From the compiled data, the reports are re-written by Andy into the narratives you hear on "On The Block Radio." Many thanks. To access written transcripts of the PA Prison Reports, please go to: www.hrcoalition.org.

Conversations with Mumia Abu Jamal's Nephew About His Family's Struggles and Floodlines' Author Jordan Flaherty about Post-Katrina Police Brutality.

2010-09-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of "On The Block Radio."

On today's show, we speak with the son of Mumia Abu-Jamal's twin brother about Mumia as an uncle and how Mumia's family has handled life during the years of Mumia's imprisonment.

Then we will hear from Jordan Flaherty author of "Floodlines" a collection of essays about racism and resistance in Louisiana during and after Hurricane Katrina. In our interview with him, we focus on the incidents of post-Katrina police brutality that he has reported on in his book.

All that coming up on On the Block. But first, the Pennsylvania Prison Report.

Special Thanks.

The PA Prison Reports are compiled by Andy and Bret of the Human Rights Coalition based on the accounts of prisoner correspondents and the investigations of HRC members. From the compiled data, the reports are re-written by Andy into the narratives you hear on "On The Block Radio." Many thanks. To access written transcripts of the PA Prison Reports, please go to: www.hrcoalition.org.

PA State Representative Ronald Waters and Prison Justice: A Conversation

2010-09-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining us for another edition of On the Block Radio, on Philadelphia's only real community radio station, WPEB Radio, 88.1, Philadelphia.

On today's show we speak with State Representative Ronald Waters about his work on prison justice issues.

Most specifically, we will speak with him about his activism around the issue of solitary confinement in Pennsylvania prisons. In August he convened a hearing on solitary confinement in Pennsylvania prisons in which two ex-prisoners testified about their time in solitary confinement.

Dead Prez's M1 on Mumia Abu Jamal and Luqman Abdullah on Solitary Confinement in PA Prisons: Conversations

2010-08-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to On the Block, a radio show that looks critically at our criminal justice system.

On today’s show, we will listen to special east coast edition of Block Report Radio in which JR Valrey interviews M-1 of the Hip Hop group Dead Prez on the significance of the movement to free Mumia Abu Jamal.

Then, we will hear from Luqman Abdullah on his report at a special hearing on solitary confinement in the Pennsylvania Prison System that was convened by state representative Ron Waters.

All of that coming up On the Block on WPEB 88.1 FM, Philadelphia.

A Conversation with the Partner of Lynne Stewart, Imprisoned Radical Lawyer and a Black August Tribute to George Jackson.

2010-08-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome to On the Block, a radio show that looks critically at our criminal justice system. On today’s show, after the Human Rights Coalition News, we will listen to an interview conducted by JR Valrey of Block Report Radio with the husband of Lynne Stewart. Stewart, well-known as a lawyer who defended such individuals as Larry Davis and Sekou Odinga, was sentenced to 10 years in prison because of actions related to her defense of Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, also known as the blind sheikh.

Then, in recognition of Black August, a month when many in the African American community celebrate and commemorate black liberation struggles in the United States—many of which took place during the month of August—we will listen to an audio documentary in tribute to slain prison activist and social theorist George Jackson, produced by Jackson’s nephew, Jonathan Jackson, Jr. In August of 1971, George Jackson was killed in San Quentin Prison, where he was incarcerated. Prison authorities said he was attempting to escape and had been armed. Others contend that certain circumstances surrounding his death had been staged in order to give the impression that his death was justified.

The documentary was produced in 2001.

All of that coming up On the Block on WPEB 88.1 FM, Philadelphia.

Special Thanks.

The PA Prison Reports are compiled by Andy and Bret of the Human Rights Coalition based on the accounts of prisoner correspondents and the investigations of HRC members. From the compiled data, the reports are re-written by Andy into the narratives you hear on "On The Block Radio." Many thanks. To access written transcripts of the PA Prison Reports, please go to: www.hrcoalition.org.

Also, special thanks to JR Valrey of Block Report Radio. Block Report Radio podcasts can be found at www.blockreportradio.com.