Still awaiting release in general population

Below is an edited version of an open letter written by Johanna Fernandez, co-chair (with Pam Africa) of the historic National Constitution Center event for Mumia on Dec. 9, 2011. Fernandez is also the writer and producer of the 2010 documentary film, “Justice on Trial:
The Case of Múmia Abu-Jamal.”

Dear Friends:

I visited Mumia Dec. 15, in the new prison that houses him, SCI Mahanoy. Even though he has been released from death row, he remains in Administrative Custody while he awaits transfer to general population. Because he is still in Administrative Custody and not yet in general population, visits still take place behind the plexiglas barrier characteristic of the no-contact visits to prisoners on death row.

Mumia boarded a vehicle to SCI-Mahanoy Dec. 14 at 4 a.m. Despite the dehumanizing character of the heavily armored vehicle that transported him from SCI Greene to SCI Mahanoy, Mumia delighted in the opportunity to see cows, horses and Pennsylvania’s beautiful landscape during the seven-hour ride to Frackville, Pa.

He described the last number of days as “a crazy whirlwind.” Last Friday alone, he spent six hours packing up books, letters and other belongings in preparation for what he believed was a move into general population at SCI Greene. But the Department of Corrections had other plans in mind. As you know, that same day, Dec. 9, his call came through at the National Constitution Center. At the prompting of Pam Africa, the last 30 seconds of that call turned into a rousing ovation to Mumia by the 1,100 people in attendance. This is what he wrote in a letter about his experience that very same night on Dec. 9: “It’s been minutes since I’ve hung up the phone, and I’m still buzzing from the loving vibes zapping through the phone. It’s really electric!”

While in Administrative Custody, Mumia is technically in ”the hole.” This means that he has absolutely no human contact; absolutely no belongings in his cell other than a rubber pen, eight sheets of paper and eight envelopes (four of which he has used to write letters to family and friends); he gets only one hour in the yard and one visitor a week; and at night the lights in his small cell are dimmed only slightly, and otherwise remain on all day.

Mumia noted that he missed the knock of his next-door neighbor on the row at SCI Greene, Sugarbear, who called for him through a knock on the wall “at least 20 times a day.”

Mumia noted that as he was being escorted to his cell at Mahanoy, the major­ity of prisoners he saw in “the hole” were Black and he immediately thought of Michelle Alexander’s evocative analysis and descriptions of mass Black imprisonment
nationwide [“The New Jim Crow” book].

Mumia is committed to remaining mindful of the challenges of this new period. He remains strong and hopeful about the possibilities of this next phase of struggle — both in his personal day-to-day life and in the movement. He welcomes and is prepared for the change.

Mumia reiterated that despite his isolation and the alienating character of his transfer to Mahanoy, he feels vibrations of love around him.

We await, impatiently, Mumia’s transfer to general population and call on the DA’s office to complete the transfer immediately. Let us remind the DA that Mumia should have been in general population since 2001 when Judge Yohn overturned the death penalty in his case; but the DA’s office held him on death row for a decade while it filed losing appeals. By law, Mumia should be in general population, not in “the hole.” We demand his immediate transfer.

With love and solidarity,
Johanna Fernandez

Contact: Seth Williams, Philadelphia DA
Three South Penn Square
Corner of Juniper and South Penn Square
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3499
215.686.8000 www.phila.gov/districtattorney/contact.html