[HCCN] Fwd: Take Action for Victor Valdez!

[Larry Dansinger]

Please pass this announcement along to others in your group or area.  
Note that this People's Indictment event takes place on Wednesday,  
November 17th at 10:30 AM in the Welcome Center at the State Capitol  
building. Thanks.

Larry Dansinger

>
> --- Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: "D. Bidler" <dbidler at gmail.com>
> To: mainers-against-solitary-confinement at googlegroups.com
> Subject: RE: Take Action for Victor Valdez!
> Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 19:04:52 -0400
>
> *Take Action for Victor Valdez!*
>
> On November 19th, 2009, Maine State Prison inmate Victor Valdez was  
> placed
> in the Supermax, the prisons extreme punishment unit, after allegedly
> disobeying orders.  Members of the Maine Prisoner Advocacy  
> Coalition began
> receiving mail from other prisoners alerting us that Valdez, a 52  
> year old
> immigrant from the Dominican Republic with serious medical issues,  
> was being
> abused by guards. ( See A Prison Obituary:The Tragedy of Victor  
> Valdez by
> Lance Tapley for more information -
> http://portland.thephoenix.com/news/105972-prison-obituary-the- 
> tragedy)
>
>   These letters described physical beatings and severe medical
> neglect.  Advocates alerted prison officials but no action was  
> taken. On
> November 27th Victor Valdez was dead.  No autopsy was performed and  
> his body
> was quickly cremated.
>
>   M-PAC members pressed for an investigation into Victors death. On  
> October
> 28th, almost a year later, Deputy Attorney General William Stokes  
> released
> his decision - clearing the guards and prison officials of any
> responsibility.
>
> *Join members of the Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, human rights
> observers from throughout the state, and members of Victors  
> community, in
> presenting Maine Commissioner of Corrections Martin Magnusson and  
> his staff
> with a " Peoples Indictment" for their complicity in Victors death.*
> **
> On Wednesday, November 17th at 10:30a supporters will meet at the  
> Welcome
> Center of the State House Complex to hand deliver the indictment  
> and to make
> a public call for a federal civil rights investigation into the  
> death of
> Victor Valdez.
>
> Call 570-815-9650 for directions and additional information.
>
> See you there.
>
> In Solidarity-
>
> Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition (M-PAC)
> www.maineprisoneradvocacy.org
>
> *Please forward widely!----------------------------------Please  
> forward
> widely!-------------------------------*
>
>