1970 Folsom Prison strike
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| 1970 Folsom Prison strike | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | November 3, 1970 – November 22, 1970 (55 years ago) | ||
| Location | Folsom, California, United States | ||
| Lead figures | |||
Martin Sousa, Inmate Sal Candelaria, Brown Berets Huey P. Newton, Black Panther Party Charles Garry, 3rd World Legal Defense Counsel | |||
| Number | |||
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The 1970 Folsom Prison strike was a significant event for US prison reform and protest. During the strike, over 2,400 incarcerated individuals at Folsom State Prison in Folsom, California, initiated a work stoppage and hunger strike. The strike began on November 3, 1970, and lasted 19 days. The strike was organized to address various grievances, including racial discrimination, inadequate medical care, overcrowding and labor conditions. Prisoners from different backgrounds, including members of the Black Panther Party and Brown Berets, participated, helping the strike gain attention nationwide. The strike was declared the day prior to the 1970 California gubernatorial election, increasing public and political attention to the demands.[1][2]
The Folsom Prison manifesto, issued in 1970, outlined key areas where the incarcerated individuals sought reforms in the prison system. The organizing committee issued a manifesto, which reads in part:
"We the inmates of Folsom Prison have grown to recognize beyond the shadow of a doubt that because of our posture as prisoners and branded characters as alleged criminals, the administrators and prison employees no longer consider or respect us as human beings, but rather as domesticated animals selected to do their bidding in slave labor and furnished as a personal whipping dog for their sadistic, psychopathic hate.
In our efforts to intellectually expand in keeping with the outside world, through all categories of News Media, we are systematically restricted and punitively offended to isolation status when we insist on our human rights to the wisdom of awareness. "[3][4][2]
Demands
The Folsom Prison demands, as outlined in the manifesto, issued in 1970 outlined the key areas where the incarcerated individuals sought reform to the prison system. There were 31 demands listed in total.[3][4][2]
- Access to Legal Counsel
- Improvement of Medical Services
- Improved Visitation Rights
- Explanation for Solitary Confinement
- Set Time Limits for Solitary Confinement
- No Political Segregation
- Freedom from Political and Racial Discrimination
- Right to Refuse Forced Labor
- End Tear Gas Use on Isolated Prisoners
- Abolition of Indefinite Sentencing
- Fair Employment and Compensation
- Right to Unionize
- Earning Wages ( to support families)
- Accountability for the Misconduct of Guards
- Enforcement of Minimum Wage Laws
- Political Asylum for Political Prisoners
- Trial by a Jury of Peers
- End to Physical Abuse
- Protection for Political Prisoners
- Expanded Legal Aid for Prisoners
- Improved Working Conditions
- Workplace Injury Compensation
- Accredited Vocational Training
- Transparency in Welfare Funds
- Reform of the Parole Board
- Creation of an Oversight Board
- Compliance with the Folsom Manifesto
- Stop Racial Manipulation by Authorities and Guards
- Culturally Relevant Counseling
- End Racial Bias in Parole Decisions
- Right to be Present During Searches
Many of the demands raised in the manifesto continue to be points of discussion in the ongoing debate around prison reform and criminal justice. Topics such as overcrowding, racial disparities, and healthcare for inmates are still relevant concerns. While some of the reforms have been implemented since he demands were made, many of these issues remain central to prison reform advocacy efforts. [1][2][3][4]