Phone Zap for Comrade Pitt

Comrade Pitt has been in solitary confinement at Red Onion State Prison in Virginia since July 2019 as retaliation for his involvement in collective legal action. He needs our help to get out of the hole.

Starting on Tuesday morning (January 21st) at 8:00am, call 540-561-7050 & 804-887-8081 to demand that Regional Operations Chief Henry Ponton grant Peter Mukuria’s appeal.

Keep calling all week!
Leave reports in the comments!

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Script
I am calling in regard to Peter Mukuria (ID #1197165), an inmate at Red Onion Prison. Mr. Mukuria has been in solitary since July 30, 2019 when officers alleged that he incited a group demonstration at the end of in-pod recreation. Mr. Mukuria submitted an appeal on September 3, 2019. The regional Operations Office has failed to review the appeal for over 130 days, in violation of VA DOC operating policy 861.1. I demand that Chief Henry Ponton grant Peter Mukuria’s appeal. If he reviews the five-months-old evidence, he will see there was no group demonstration at the end of in-pod rec. If the Department of Corrections cannot follow its own rules, it should be subject to a review by the governor.

Numbers to call:

• Secretary to VADOC director Harold W. Clarke: 804-887-8081
  • If you don’t get an answer, leave a message!
• Henry Ponton Jr., Regional Operations Chief: 540-265-3144 & 540-265-3148
  • If you don’t get an answer, leave a message!
• Patrick Long, Regional Operations Manager: 540-265-3142
  • You will probably speak to his secretary. If you don’t get an answer, leave a message!
• VADOC main number: 804-674-3000
• Western Regional Office main number: 540-561-7050
  • Ask to speak to Regional Operations Manager Patrick Long or Regional Operations Chief Henry Ponton, or to leave a message for them if neither is there.

Emails
Email Director Clarke [email protected]
Email Chief Ponton [email protected]

Background
On May 6, 2019, the ACLU and attorneys from White & Case LLP, on behalf of 12 prisoners at Red Onion and Wallen's Ridge, filed a federal class action lawsuit against the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) seeking to end those prisons' practice of arbitrary, retaliatory solitary confinement.

On 7/30, Peter Kamau Mukuria (Comrade Pitt) was put in solitary confinement at Red Onion as retaliation for his involvement in the lawsuit and for filing numerous complaints. He was at first charged with inciting a riot at the end of in-pod recreation that morning. There was no riot. Comrade Pitt appealed, and rather than dropping the charge, the warden reduced it to inciting a "group demonstration". This did not happen either. Video footage of the pod shows that Correction Officer T. O'Quinn's account of what happened is false. Neither the warden nor the hearing officer mentioned video evidence.

Comrade Pitt appealed his case to regional operations office on September 3rd 2019. VADOC operating policy 861.1 mandates that appeals are reviewed within 60 days. Over 130 days have passed.

On October 28th, when he was making rounds, regional administrator Henry Ponton told Comrade Pitt he would personally review his case. Over two months later, there is no sign of progress. Comrade Pitt needs us to call and email to demand that the regional operations chief grant his appeal immediately.