FIGHT TOFREE AN INNOCENT MAN

URGENT! SANKOFA UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST AND ATTORNEY MAWULI DAVIS FIGHT TOFREE AN INNOCENT MAN BY THANKSGIVING

Dear Community,

            We need your help immediately! Please read this information and forward it to everyone you know. Our prayer is that the spirit of Thanksgiving will lead you to help give this family something to be extremely thankful for. As you read, remember, this could easily be your son.

            An unfortunate event has occurred in the Atlanta Metro area and a young man desperately needs your help.  Eric A. Johnson recently graduated from Creekside High School as an honor student and member of the Beta Club.  He has been working the past few months in order to help support his mother and had plans of attending Westwood College in January.  Ever since his father died three years ago in a tragic house fire accident, Eric has faced adversity and overcome numerous life obstacles to become a successful young man.  However, Eric was recently incarcerated for a crime he had no part in or knowledge of.  Please allow me to introduce you to the facts that led to the current crisis our community is facing.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

On Monday night, August 17, 2009, Antoine Wimes and Donavon McCoy are alleged to have shot "Nikki" Neely and seriously injured her 10-month-old baby in a vicious and senseless home invasion.  On August 18, 2009, after seeing the news reports of this horrific attack, Eric A. Johnson called 911 and reported to police that he had "given a ride" to the suspects earlier in the evening.  Eric gave a statement to Officer Byars of the Fulton County Police Department. Eric told Officer Byars that he was asked by Antoine Wimes to give him a ride in exchange for "gas money."  Eric told Officer Byars that he picked up Antoine Wimes and another young man that he met for the first time named "Dino."  He drove them to a gas station, brought gas and then took them further down South Fulton Parkway and dropped them off.  The police have obtained and reviewed the gas station video that confirms Eric was at the gas station at 5:45 p.m.  Additionally, in the initial statement to police, Donavan McCoy stated that they he and Antoine Wimes were "dropped off."  Additionally, an independent witness, Virginia Bonylan, reported to police that she saw Antoine Wimes and Donavan McCoy in the area at 7:30 p.m.  She did not see or identify Eric Johnson as being with Antoine Wimes or Donavan McCoy.  Also, during the bond hearing Ms. Bonylan testified that Antoine Wimes and Donvan McCoy were coming out of the driveway of Johnny Jones driveway when she saw them.  Ms. Bonylan saw these two men again later in the evening at 10:30 p.m. and gave them a ride.  Police were dispatched for the shooting at 8:40 p.m.  We have alibi witnesses that Eric Johnson was home well before dark on August 17, 2009.

On August 17, 2009 the sun set at 8:22 P.M. Eric told Officer Byars that he knew Antoine Wimes from previously living in the same subdivision.  Officer Byars informed Eric and his mother, Loleta Horton, that Chattahoochee Hills Police would be contacting him.  Apparently, when Eric Johnson was contacted by Chattahoochee Hills Police, the aggressive manner in which Detectives spoke with his mother made her uncomfortable with allowing her son to speak to them without an attorney present.  On Thursday, August 27, 2009, Eric was arrested at his home in Union City.  During the Bond Hearing the lead detective, Jamie Melton, admitted that he had no evidence that Eric A. Johnson was present at the time of the shooting or knew that Antoine Wimes and Donovan McCoy intended on committing any crime. Additionally, the Detective testified under oath that if Eric A. Johnson would have "talked" to him he would not have obtained arrest warrants.
          
Without any evidence and with a story that makes no sense, on September 1, 2009, Eric Johnson was indicted along with Antoine Wimes and Donavon McCoy.  Eric Johnson is charged with multiple felonies including: 2 counts of Aggravated Battery, Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Cruelty to Children.  On September 9th, after hearing evidence on an Emergency Motion for Bond, Judge Goger granted a total bond of $50,000.  As of today, Eric remains in jail unable to post a bond. Eric's mother is unemployed and his father is deceased. Community, we need you! While the crime allegedly committed by Antoine Wimes and Donavon McCoy was heinous to say the very least and our prayer is that we see 'justice flow like a river,' Eric Johnson is innocent!

In the spirit of Ujima, Collective Work and Responsibility, our prayer is that we all embrace our crucial responsibility to work together. Our working together is the key to solving the problems of and building and maintaining healthy African communities. In this case, our working together is critical to our fight not only to gain the freedom of an innocent young man but, to also let him know that he is a member of a larger community that cares about him. If we don't show him we care, someone else will!
                                                                                                                  
WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please help us in our fight for Eric Johnson's release.  We need 250 people to donate $25.00. Your donation will help towards the $5,000.00 needed to post bond as well as transcripts that will be associated with the case. Attorney Mawuli 'Mel' Davis, one of the top criminal defense attorneys in the state of Georgia offered, "I am providing my services and reputation pro bono because it is clear that this young man is innocent."

Donations are being accepted payable to Sankofa United Church of Christ. Please log on to our website at www.justice4ericjohnson.com or www.sankofaucc-atl.org. Go to our 'On Line Giving' page, fill in your name and email address, type in the 'Message' field; 'FREE ERIC JOHNSON' and finally click donate to make your donation of at least $25.00. An innocent young black man and his mother both need you!   "We want to make sure Eric is released from jail by Thanksgiving. He deserves to eat a Thanksgiving meal at home with his family as most of us will on Thursday." said Reverend Derrick Rice, Pastor of Sankofa United Church of Christ.

You can also stress your concerns by writing letters to the District Attorney of Fulton County Paul Howard at 136 Pryor Street Third Floor, Atlanta, GA, 30303-3477.  Keep updated on current information regarding the case by logging on to www.justice4ericjohnson.com.  Thank you for your time and consideration.


God Bless You!
Reverend Derrick Rice, M.Div.
Pastor, Sankofa United Church of Christ

****************
African Community Centers
3079 Campbellton Rd. S.W. Suite 114
Atlanta, GA 30344 usa (404) 344-5454
www.unity4power.org

 Thank you for being a part of the group Free The Scott Sisters.
      http://www.tagged.com/freethescottsisters
Jamie and Gladys  Scott would love to receive your letters of support and
encouragement, please send a card or a letter! Let them know we will be praying for
them and working together to gain their freedom.


Jamie Scott #19197
CMCF2/A-Bldg.
B Zone, Bed 196
P.O. Box 88550
Pearl, MS 39288-8550


Gladys Scott #19142
CMCF/B-Bldg.
P.O. Box 88550
Pearl, MS 39288-8550


http://www.ronsworldlife.com     
                                   Justice For All 

SCOTT SISTERS UPDATE!

PLEASE REPOST AND BROADLY DISTRIBUTE!

---------------------

11/2/09 SCOTT SISTERS UPDATE!

Jamie Scott has written extensively about the conditions of her unjust

incarceration and recently submitted an update to share on behalf of 

herself as well as all of the women in the bldg. where she is being housed.

First, she remains grateful for all of the calls, e-mails and letters

that went out on her behalf before, she is in a slightly improved situation.

She is now under a warden who is treating her more fairly and has a 

job in the kitchen and so is finally able to at least get some time 

off of the unit.

Her main concern is the building itself, and states that it's the worst

conditions she has ever lived in.  She and others are in the part of

the prison called "quickbed" because it was built so fast.  It was

only supposed to be built to empty the county jails and is not fit

for humans to live in.  When it rains, it rains directly into the unit.

Mold is knee deep in the showers and they are unsafe with rain 

everywhere. The building has not had hot water for over a month 

and some of the women do not bathe at all. Jamie, herself, is 

sick with a bad cold as a result of bathing in cold water.  They 

are supposed to have two microwave ovens there but don't have 

any, so they are unable to even heat up water to bathe with.  

When they ask the warden about this terrible situation, they are 

told that it is being worked on.  Furthermore, she reports that 

the beds are not five feet from each other, when the policy states 

they are supposed to be farther apart.  

The "quickbed" is located at CMCF2/A-Bldg.

Margaret Bingham, Superintendent of Central Mississippi Corrections Facility

(601) 932-2880

mbingham@...

FAX: (601) 664-0782

P.O. Box 88550

Pearl, Mississippi 39208

Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi

601-359-5600

CEPPS@...

723 North President Street

Jackson, MS  39202

++++++++++++++

Thanks to the efforts of some very forward-thinking supporters 

we've been able to repost the Scott Sisters case transcripts that 

were removed from the internet over the summer!  They're available 

for all to review at http://www.scribd.com/Scott%20Sisters , please 

use them to assist us in finding a lawyer to take on this case and to 

liberate this entire family from the bondage of this system.

We continue to stress the need for a pro bono attorney for the women, 

legal guidance and representation is desperately needed as none currently 

exists.  Many organizations have been contacted multiple times in the past 

and perhaps it will be YOUR letter or phone call to the Innocence Project, the 

ACLU, NAACP, etc., that will garner the positive response that we have not 

been able to obtain to date!  

~~~~~~~~~~

Jamie and Gladys would love to receive your letters of support and

encouragement, please send a card or a letter!

Jamie Scott #19197

CMCF2/A-Bldg.

B Zone, Bed 196

P.O. Box 88550

Pearl, MS 39288-8550

Gladys Scott #19142

CMCF/B-Bldg.

P.O. Box 88550

Pearl, MS 39288-8550

Jamie Scott’s son, 18, fights to free his mother

August 7, 2009

Jamie Scott’s son, 18, fights to free the Scott Sisters in Mississippi

“Talk about injustice. How do you wind up in prison serving two life terms for a robbery that netted 11 dollars? That question has haunted first time offenders Gladys and Jamie Scott for the past 15 years,” wrote Anthony Papa in the Huffington Post. And it haunts Jamie’s son too, who was only 2 when his mother and auntie were snatched away from him.

Now 18, Terrance Scott tells Minister of Information JR in this gripping interview: “Seeing what they did to my mother, it put a rage inside me like, if you have anything to do with law enforcement, I don’t want to talk to you. … Sometimes I just look up at the stars at night and I just wonder what this world done become. Any time someone can lock you up for a double life sentence for nothing, what else can they do? What else can the crooked court system and the crooked justice system do?”

Make a loud noise on behalf of the Scott Sisters

Mrs. Evelyn Rasco, mother of the Scott Sisters, is calling for URGENT SUPPORT for Jamie Scott, #19197, and Gladys Scott, #19142, who are both suffering renewed harassment by prison guards because of the continuous exposure that this case has received. Jamie Scott was even thrown in the “hole” for 23 days for the first time in 14 years!

Jamie is now very depressed and on medication which is not a good sign at all. Our personal feelings are that she was set up by guards, lied on and thrown in the “hole” because of her continuous strength and determination to fight for freedom. In addition, Jamie’s privileges to attend school, work and conduct research in the law library have been stripped away.

Please assist us in contacting the following persons; let them know that the public is watching this case and ask for a thorough investigation into the lies which have caused the renewed harassment of both women and particularly why Jamie Scott was stripped of privileges and thrown into the “hole.”

Please call and email the Superintendent of Prisons, the Commissioner of Prisons and the Assistant Commissioner, and please also cc Mrs. Rasco (rqueenbee2222@yahoo.com) so that there are records of your contacts.

Please act NOW on behalf of these young women and support Mrs. Rasco’s pleas for action. Thank you for acting and helping to spread the word!

Contact the following officials:

Margaret Bingham, Superintendent of Central Mississippi Corrections Facility, (601) 932-9077, mbingham@mdoc.state.ms.us, fax (601) 932-9077, P.O. Box 88550, Pearl, Mississippi 39208

Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi, (601) 359-5600, CEPPS@mdoc.state.ms.us, 723 North President St., Jackson, MS 39202

Emmitt Sparkman, Deputy Commissioner, (601) 359-5610, esparkman@mdoc.state.ms.us

Gov. Haley Barbour, (877) 405-0733 or (601) 359-3150

Justice for The Innocent

INJUSTICE: A DOUBLE-LIFE SENTENCE FOR $11.00!

Scott County, MS ---- In a trial fraught with legal malpractice and witness coercion, Mississippi Judge Marcus Gordon oversaw one of the most blatantly corrupt trials in history, culminating in the staggering over-sentencing of sisters Gladys and Jamie Scott to double-life each in an armed robbery where no one was murdered or harmed and the amount alleged to have been taken was a whopping $11.00.

On December 24, 1993, the Scott County Sheriff’s Department arrested the Scott sisters for armed robbery even though three young males, ranging from ages 14 to 18, confessed to committing the crime. Despite this, the corrupt sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to compel them to turn state’s evidence against the Scott sisters due to a long-standing vendetta against a family member. The 14-year-old male would later testify that he did not read the statement and was pressured to sign a written statement prepared by the sheriff without an attorney being present.

As if that weren't bad enough, these young women received incompetent legal representation at the lower court trial. Their attorneys, Firnist J. Alexander, Jr. and Gail Shaw-Pierson failed to interview and subpoena witnesses, only calling one witness when there were several. Incredibly, the jury never even heard any testimony from the alleged victims. The sisters were advised to not testify on their own behalf by their attorneys, Alexander and Shaw-Pierson, denying them the opportunity to speak for themselves.

In October of 1994, Jamie and Gladys Scott were sentenced to extraordinary double life terms each in prison, even though neither sister had prior convictions and there was no violence involved in these charges.

The four State’s witnesses provided conflicting testimony and one alleged accuser was not called to testify – he was not questioned or subpoenaed by defense attorneys Firnist J. Alexander, Jr. or Gail Shaw-Pierson. Witnesses admitted however, that reports prepared by the Sheriff, of their descriptions of the event contained no such claim. In other words, the sisters were not present. Jamie and Gladys Scott were not involved in the armed robbery and they did not conspire to plan such. Witnesses all testified that they were coerced and threatened by Deputy Sheriff Marvin Williams. Testimony also revealed that Marvin Williams prepared statements of the events from the night of December 24, 1994 BEFORE obtaining signatures and BEFORE the witnesses were brought into his office. In other words, the statements were not written by witnesses. (1) Three affidavits exist – they all state that the Scott Sisters were not involved in this robbery. One affidavit is written by a trustee of the local jail, his account of the facts reveal that a wallet was located a few days after this alleged robbery and that wallet contained the photo ID of one of the alleged victims of the trumped up robbery and three twenty dollar bills. The trustee also reveals that there was NOT a robbery, he was also threatened to be sent to Parchman Penitentiary if he told the truth.

According to the Request for Commutation of Sentence and/or Pardon prepared by attorney Chokwe Lumumba, the Scott Sisters challenged their convictions on direct appeal; arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them, and the guilty verdict was against the overwhelming weight of evidence, which should have exonerated them. The court of appeals found no error and affirmed the convictions on December 17, 1996. As a result, they filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court, which was denied on May 15, 1997. They consequently filed an Application for Leave to File Motion to Vacate Conviction pursuant to the Mississippi Post Conviction Collateral Relief Act. The Supreme Court also denied that application.

This family is shell-shocked, yet determined to fight on. They have tried to have faith that at some point this unbelievable travesty would be corrected and their upside-down lives righted. Yet 14 long years later nothing has changed, the women's five children are still being raised by their now ailing mother, and their father has died of a massive heart attack because of this. The emotional strain this burden has placed upon their family is immeasurable.

Jamie Scott writes, "What began as an implication and outright miscarriage of justice, has catapulted to destroy an entire family. Gladys was a 19 year old pregnant mother, and myself, Jamie, a 22 year old mother during the time of our arrest, conviction and sentencing for a crime we did not commit." She continued, "We are convinced that once this chain of events is exposed and unraveled, the events that occurred, the lives that have been destroyed, the pain and suffering the citizens of Scott County have endured; everyone will be utterly amazed, astonished and compelled to assist us in our plight for freedom. We pray that the people would insist upon an investigation into their misconduct and miscarriage of justice."

Gladys and Jamie’s older brother has recently returned from and has served in the US Army for 22 years, while his sisters remain victims of wrongful convictions in the very country that he proudly represents. The defendants and their family are wholly depending on support from the press, organizations, and all those dedicated to justice in making this debacle as public as possible.

(1) Full transcript is available at http://www.scribd.com/doc/10571890/Jamie-and-Gladys-Scott-Transcript

...."We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly...I can never be what I ought to be unless you are what you ought to be." Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

******************************************

Learn more here - JUSTICE FOR ALL

http://www.ronsworldlife.com/

or, Create a Petition

Change.org

PLEASE COPY AND POST TO YOUR FRIENDS

TOGETHER WE CAN

Jamie & Gladys Scott: Nothing New About American Torture

Jamie & Gladys Scott: Nothing New About American Torture
By Lenore Daniels NewsOne

The color of power in the courtroom can often be white. And the color of dispowers in the courtroom can often be black. But the most consistent variable that determines power in the courtroom is the color of green, the color of money, the power of the wealth.
Mumia Abu-Jamal

The nation’s attention is focused on the torture memos released by the Obama administration. Everyone is debating whether or not to investigate the previous administration for human rights violations. But the practice of torture didn’t begin with the Bush administration. The founding of this nation included the use of torture to coerce compliance from the Native Americans and to enforce slave laws and control huge populations of Africans and their descendents.

Now a nation that can not decide what to do with members of the judicial branch who provided a narrative, drawing from legal history and cultural productions that always decreed the U.S. the right to violence for the protection of its citizens, finds itself haunting by past aggressions (Operation Phoenix, Japanese interment camps, death squads in Latin America).
Citizens are calling for accountability.

But since 1993, in Mississippi, two sisters, Jamie and Gladys Scott, sit awaiting an investigation, awaiting accountability by the same justice apparatus that sentenced them to double life each for a crime they did not commit. The sisters had no prior convictions. They are waiting to hear from the new administration’s Attorney General, Eric Holder. They are still waiting.

Similar to the encompassing judicial narrative in Washington D.C. permitting CIA operatives, military officials, and private contractors to engage in torture in the Middle East, the legal narrative in Forest, Mississippi operates to empower local and state law enforcement with justification for violating the human rights of its Black and Brown communities. Sheriffs and judges function similar to a band of operatives, targeting and collecting “evildoers” and slotting their “crimes” into the narrative that speaks of local or national “security.”

The Scotts did not torture anyone; they did not kill anyone. But Jamie and Gladys are Black women in America!

The two sisters start out in their car on a December day in 1993 to purchase heating fuel. Along the way, they experience car trouble.
There was more trouble to come…

On December 24, 1993, Jamie (22) and Gladys (19), with 5 children between them, were arrested and charged with armed robbery. Three men, known as the “Patrick Men” because they are related, confessed to the crime of robbing a man of 10 dollars. But the men were coerced and threatened with Parchman prison were, as Sheriff Marvin Williams informed them, they would “be made out of women,” if they did not implicate the Scott sisters.

According to an affidavit by a trustee of the local jail, the wallet turned up 2 days later with a photo ID of the “victim” and 23 dollars, writes Nancy Lockhart, M.J., Legal Analyst and Grassroots Organizer. The trustee also claimed that a robbery did not take place, writes Lockhart.

It came to Lockhart’s attention that a “real” robbery did take place at a local restaurant. Two Black boys, according to witnesses, committed the crime. Yet, the sheriff approached the two owners (white women) to coerce them into pinning the crime on the Scott sisters!

In the meantime, there were more affidavits, as Lockhart discovered, testify to the innocence of Jamie and Gladys. The 5 witnesses, who provided conflicting stories in court, have all declared that the Scotts were not involved.

One of the “Patrick Men” wrote a sworn affidavit, Jamie explains, clearing her and Gladys. But the courts never heard the affidavit.

“The most devastating and unfair thing about this is [that] the police and investigators know we are innocent.”

The lawyers for the Scott sisters, Firnist J. Alexander, Jr. and Gail Shaw-Pierson failed to interview or subpoena witnesses, “only calling one when there were several,” writes Lockhart. No one heard from the sisters at trial. Why?

Alexander and Shaw-Pierson advised the sisters not to testify!

Jamie and Gladys have been often in isolation and away from their children for 14 years. How is this not torture? Their father suffered a heart attack and died. How is this not torture?

Evelyn Rasco, who had to leave the state of Mississippi, is providing for 5 grandchildren while she battles to free her two daughters.

Nancy Lockhart served as a community service consultant with Operation Push/Rainbow Coalition while she worked on her Masters degree in Jurisprudence at Loyola University Chicago. One day, a letter came across her desk. It was from Mrs. Rasco. As it turns out, Mrs. Rasco had written several letters to Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. over the years, asking him to submit the letter to his father, Rev. Jackson. She never received an answer from Congressman Jackson or Rev. Jackson.

But Lockhart contacted Mrs. Rasco.

Nancy Lockhart has worked independently of any law firm or Black leadership to draw attention to this case. She does not receive pay for her efforts! Of this case, she writes, I am “convinced that a grave injustice had been wrought from the judicial bench. This injustice has proven to be the misrepresentation of poor Black women seeking justice in Mississippi’s legal system. Justice was denied.” Lockhart writes in Black Commentator.com, according to the Request for Commutation of Sentence and/or Pardon prepared by attorney Chokwe Lumumba, the Scott Sisters challenged their convictions on direct appeal; arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them, and the guilty verdict was against the overwhelming weight of evidence, which should exonerate them. The court of appeals found no error and affirmed the convictions on December 17, 1996. As a result, they filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court, which was denied on May 15, 1997.

They consequently filed an Application for Leave to File Motion to Vacate Conviction pursuant to the Mississippi Post Conviction Collateral Relief Act. The Supreme Court also denied that application.
Attorney Chokwe Lumumba submitted a request for commutation of sentence and pardon to the governor. It was denied.

…Justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream… in this “post-racial” era!

Who will be held accountable for the wrongful conviction and incarceration of Jamie and Gladys? Who will be held accountable for all the Scott family members have suffered?

The informal informants, the one’s whose reaction to the exploitation and injustice of the Black masses is to first check with their bank accounts or/and their “political polls.” If the case is favorable to their political or social careers, then there’s a photo opt and maybe profits indirectly drawing from the attention to the corporate sponsored “organization” for the little people. If the case would harm their careers or link the corporate sponsored “organization” for the little people, then they simply ignore the case. In the process, they “inform” the American public, law enforcement and the judicial apparatus that this person or persons, case or incident is “criminal”-a sacrifice-in other words, for the advantages of the few Blacks in leadership positions.

Jamie and Gladys Scott’s case-a sacrifice-is not a high priority for the predominantly Black male leadership intent on playing “politics” and maintain their stakes in the system. Fred Hampton Sr. said once that without “political education,” we’ll have Black capitalists. Before you know it, we’ll have Black imperialism.”

The people must speak out against this injustice but also the continued practice of injustice against Black, Brown, Red, and Yellow people and call for an investigation and the immediate release of the Scott sisters! The people must confront the power of wealth.

Nancy Lockhart has begun a postcard campaign. If you send your name and mailing address, the participants at wrongfulconviction@gmail.com will forward these postcards to Gov. Haley Barbour requesting a review of the case and the immediate release of the sisters.

SAMPLE TEXT:

Gov. Haley Barbour
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205

Dear Governor Barbour:

Jamie Scott #19197 and Gladys Scott #19142 have been incarcerated in the state of Mississippi 14 years and 6 months on double life terms each. No one was murdered or injured. Transcripts state that less than $12 dollars was possibly taken. All witnesses, including the alleged victims testified that The Scott Sisters were not involved in this armed robbery. This is a very excessive sentence to say the least. Governor Barbour please review this case and Please Free The Scott Sisters!

(Your Name)

HuffingtonPost.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-papa/the-scott-sisters-two-lif_b_169468.html

HuffingtonPost.com

The Scott Sisters: Two Life Sentences for 11 Dollars?

Talk about injustice. How do you wind up in prison serving two life terms for a robbery that netted 11 dollars? That question has haunted first time offenders Gladys and Jamie Scott for the past 15 years.

On December 24, 1993, Scott County Sheriff's Department in Mississippi arrested the sisters for an armed robbery they vehemently deny participation in. In 1994 they were convicted after being implicated in the crime by three young Black men who confessed to the robbery in exchange of a plea bargain that gave them 10 months. The sisters were not offered a plea and went to trial.

Time has passed slowly for these sisters as they watched from behind bars their five children grow into adults and mourned the lost of their father. They have felt the pain of exhausting all their legal remedies while being denied relief at every level.

According to Nancy Lockhart, M.J., a legal analyst who has worked tirelessly over the years to help set free the Scott sisters she says she will never forget the frigid Chicago morning when she opened a letter from Mrs. Evelyn Rasco, the mother of the Scott sisters. She told the story of her daughters and her plight to help free them. "How can they give my daughters two life sentences for a crime that netted 11 dollars where no one was injured?" This prompted Lockhart to become the Scott sister's lifeline for hope. She began a campaign to try freeing them.

The Scott Sisters challenged their convictions on direct appeal arguing that there was insufficient evidence to convict them and the guilty verdict was against the overwhelming weight of evidence, which should have exonerate them. The court of appeals found no error and affirmed the convictions on December 17, 1996. As a result, they filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court, which was denied on May 15, 1997. They consequently filed an Application for Leave to File Motion to Vacate Conviction pursuant to the Mississippi Post Conviction Collateral Relief Act. The Supreme Court also denied that application.

In 1998 one of the sentenced men signed an affidavit telling that the Scott sisters were not involved with the crime. The affidavit along with two others that pointed to the sister's innocence were secured by their attorney and submitted for post conviction relief. Then attorney Chokwe Lumumba submitted a request for commutation of sentence and/or pardon to the governor. It was subsequently denied.

Gladys and Jamie Scott have maintained their innocence. They have spent nearly 15 years in prison for a crime they did not commit that netted the sum of 11 dollars. It is time for them to join their families.

For more information about the Scott sister's case please go to: www.freethescottsisters.com.

The Committee to Free the Scott Sisters: 641-715-3900 Ext. 99222

GREAT NEWS FROM JAMIE SCOTT!

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2009

GREAT NEWS FROM JAMIE SCOTT!

Jamie Scott of the Scott Sisters was able to call her mother tonight and report that thanks to all of the calls that came into the prison, she was seen by a doctor and is receiving medication. She stated that she was not seriously injured when she fell on the oil that was placed on the shower floor.

Although Jamie was able to receive insulin, she stated that she had been without her blood pressure medicine for several months due to there not being a generic version available that the state would pay for.

She wanted to make certain that each and every person who responded to our urgent calls for assistance knew how much she appreciated the overwhelming response and remarked it was noted by the staff there when she was seen for medical treatment.

Thank you especially from Mrs. Evelyn Rasco, who has felt a tremendous burden relieved by just being able to know that her daughter is not seriously injured, though still in unjust captivity.

Forward ever!

Free Jamie and Gladys Scott ~ TruthSeeker

Jamie and Gladys Scott have been wrongfully convicted for armed robbery and received double life sentences each. No one was murdered or taken to the hospital during this robbery, no one was even injured. The transcripts state that less than 12 dollars was stolen. Witnesses confessed during the trial, that the sheriff coerced and threatened them to lie on the Scott Sisters. That testimony was obviously not taken into consideration. They have been in prison now for 14 years.

The transcripts state that one witness ( a teenager) testified that the sheriff told him he would be sent to Parchman (the notorious Mississippi Prison), to be made out of a woman (raped by men) if he did not lie on the Scott Sisters. He later wrote an affidavit swearing that Jamie and Gladys had absolutely nothing to do with this robbery. There exists, several affidavits which state that The Scott Sisters had nothing to do with this crime. The witnesses received very short sentences in this crime while Jamie and Gladys have completed 14 years of a double life sentence.

Free Jamie and Gladys Scott ~ TruthSeeker

http://www.freethescottsisters.blogspot.com/

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

URGENT UPDATE - JAMIE SCOTT MOVED TO NEW BLDG

9/1/09 -- UPDATE: JAMIE SCOTT has been moved to a new bldg. and placed under even stricter supervision than before, she is not permitted to go anywhere at all, not even church. The Scott Sisters' greatest fear is being separated and the worry right now is that the Deputy Warden is setting the situation up to send Jamie to another prison. We need an attorney who works in the civil rights area to look into what's happening to Jamie right now and your help is urgently needed in getting the word out!

We also continue to need your urgent support, please make those calls and send in your letters today and repost the action alert internet-wide!!

SAMPLE TEXT

Superintendent Margaret Bingham

Central Mississippi Corrections Facility

P.O. Box 88550

Pearl, Mississippi 39208

Dear Superintendent Bingham:

I am writing to urge you to investigate reports of prison guard harassment and intimidation of Jamie Scott #19197 and Gladys Scott #19142 at your facility. Jamie Scott was recently given a charge for which she is not guilty and was thrown into the "hole" for 23 days for the first time in 14 years of incarceration. In addition, Jamie's privileges to attend school, work, and conduct research in the law library have been stripped away.

I am extremely concerned because Jamie is now very depressed and both women have expressed feelings of helplessness at being targeted and threatened by staff.

Please thoroughly investigate what is happening to these women in that facility before they suffer any further, many people are closely following what happens with them worldwide and are very concerned that they not be abused or threatened in any way and that Jamie's privileges be restored.

Respectfully,

(Your Name)

-----------------------------

PLEASE WIDELY FORWARD THE ACTION ALERT, WE NEED TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE TO BE HEARD!!

Contact: Mrs. Evelyn Rasco - rqueenbee2222@yahoo.com

Justice for Robert Jacob Salas

The 2009 Felony Conviction of Detective Anthony Razo Questions his Moral Turpitude and Demands an Audit and Investigation of All His Arrests Leading to Convictions Throughout His Career

For Your Consideration:

In light of the recent news regarding now ex-Detective Anthony Razo, this letter requests an investigation of any convictions obtained by Razo’s arrest reports of his trial testimony. Razo recently pled guilty to one count of Insurance Fraud in order to dismiss his remaining four charges of unlawful false police reports and . Razo swore an oath to serve and protect the citizens of Los Angeles. Razo’s behavior is outrageous and severely questions his moral turpitude enough to, at the very least, warrant further investigation into his past conduct. In particular, this letter requests further investigation of the arrest and conviction of Robert Jacob Salas-CDC # K84625 in 2000. Razo investigated the homicide of which Salas was convicted between 1997 and 2000 and even testified at Salas’ trial. Evidence exists that Razo and other officers influenced the testimony of witnesses to implicate Salas in the homicide. Without the testimony of these few witnesses, the Government‘s case would have collapsed and Salas, an innocent man, would not be in prison. Help us return Robert Salas back to his family where he is needed by demanding a full review of any cases involving this morally corrupt officer. The review should be made by an independent body with prosecutorial discretion and with the full capability and resources such as the Los Angeles County Office of Independent Review, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, the State Attorney General’s Office and the United States Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General. How many other falsely accused and convicted people are in prison today due to the reprehensible actions of this one criminal law enforcement officer? He is not worthy of the trust symbolized by the oath taken to uphold the law and by his badge. That he has voluntarily resigned will not cure the injustice done to Robert Jacob Salas and all similarly situated falsely convicted people currently in prison.


The Senate Select Community Committee on California’s Correctional System

( http://www.ssccccs.org )



Peace & Blessings

Please Write, Call and Or E-mail in Support of Jamie Scott

Dear Supporters:
We are in need of your urgent assistance. Because of the continuous exposure that this case has received Jamie Scott #19197 is being constantly harassed by guards and was placed in the “hole” for 23 days. Jamie is now very depressed and on medication which is not a good sign at all. Our personal feelings are that she was set up by guards, lied on and thrown in the “hole” because of her continuous strength and determination to fight for freedom.
In addition, her privileges to attend school, work and conduct research in the law library have been stripped away. Please assist us in contacting the following persons, let them know that the public is watching this case and ask for a thorough investigation into the lies which have caused Jamie Scott #19197 to be harassed, stripped of privileges and thrown into the “hole”

Please call and e-mail the Superintendent of Prisons, The Commissioner of Prisons and the assistant Commissioner, please also cc this e-mail address on the e-mail. (freethescottsisters@gmail.com) so that there are records of your contacts.

Please inform them that the public is watching this case and the great injustice hurled at these innocent ladies.

Please call and write:
Margaret Bingham
Superintendent of CMCF – Central Mississippi Correctional Facitily
P. O. Box 88550 – 3794 Hwy 468 - Pearl, MS 39208
Phone: (601) 932-2880
E-Mail - MBingham@mdoc.state.ms.us

Christopher Epps: Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi
601-359-5600
CEPPS@mdoc.state.ms.us
723 North President Street
Jackson, MS 39202

Emmit Sparkman – Deputy Commissioner
esparkman@mdoc.state.ms.us

Call:
Governor Haley Barbour
1-877-405-0733 or 601-359-3150,

Visit WrongfulConvictions at: http://wrongfulconvictions.ning.com

Petition For The Scott Sisters

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009

Action Committee For Women In Prison - Sponsors Petition For The Scott Sisters

Dear Supporters:

Please assist us in the campaign to freedom for the Scott Sisters by writing US Attorney General Eric Holder. Mr. Holder's office has not responded to our formal complaint(s) and the Civil Rights Division has responded to Mrs. Rasco saying that they cannot assist because the case has passed the statutory limits/deadline of 5 years. Now, this is the untruth. Mrs. Rasco started writing the Civil Rights Division 14 years ago.

Office of the Attorney General - 202-353-1555

Please log into ACWIP and sign this petition.

http://www.change.org/acwip/actions/view/free_the_scott_sisters

POSTED BY NANCY

SF Bayview National Black News Paper

July 8, 2009

Jamie and Gladys Scott: Wrongfully convicted
by Lenore J. Daniels, Ph.D.
Sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott have served 14 years of double life sentences for a robbery of no more than $11 that they did not commit. Their prosecution was in retaliation for their father’s refusal to pay off the sheriff.
“As the social order continues, it devises other ideals of social danger, among them women. In the United States today, there are more than 90,000 women in prisons. Of that number, over 80 percent are mothers, who have left more than 167,000 children behind, living in a tenuous freedom.” – Mumia Abu Jamal, “Jailhouse Lawyers”
In Chicago, James “Hawk” Rasco decides its time to return home, to his native soil – Mississippi. Now, he was returning to Scott County with his family. Rasco’s nephew ran a nightclub – in dry Scott County. The nephew, along with other Black nightclub owners, paid the sheriff in order to sell alcohol. The sheriff was Glenn Warren, otherwise known as the “High White Sheriff.”

Some things do change but only slightly. Years later, an FBI investigation landed Sheriff Warren in a courtroom and ultimately in prison. Rasco’s nephew ends up turning state’s evidence against “High White Sheriff.” James Rasco buys the nightclub after the nephew enters the witness protection program.
And sometimes things tragically remain the same. Enter Deputy Sheriff Marvin Williams – “Black!” Sheriff Williams is angry. He believes Rasco, the new owner of the nightclub, should continue business as usual. Show me the money! James Rasco refuses.
And Williams tells Rasco that he will get him! “I will get you one way or the other, even through your daughters!” is his message.
We have to remember that Frantz Fanon tells us there’s the violence of the perpetrators and there’s the violence of resisters. The violence of the former disrupts human potential while the latter disrupts tyranny motivated by hate. Who was Marvin Williams really? In this narrative, what does he represent?

Time passes.

The Scott sisters stop by a local store. It is Dec. 23, 1993. Jamie, 22, and Gladys, 19, two young mothers, have run out of heating fuel. They drive to the local store in town. But when they exit the store, the car will not start up!
The women decide to leave the car and begin walking home when they hear voices. There are two Black men, cousins, in their 20s, known as the Duckworth men. Gladys recognizes one of them from the chicken plant where she and Jamie work. The Duckworth cousins offer to take the women home. Jamie, however, pays the men $10.
But the ride home is far from pleasant. According to Jamie, one of the men begins touching her. The women exit the car and started walking home. Again, Jamie and Gladys hear a commotion behind them, but they don’t stop.
Jamie and Gladys finally arrive home. Soon, three young men, two brothers and a cousin, known as the Patrick Men, knock at their door. The Patrick Men, 14, 16 and 18 years old, tell the sisters that the two Duckworth men started a fight with them. That’s it.
It’s Christmas Eve. Morning.

There’s a knock at the Scott sisters’ door. It’s Sheriff Marvin Williams. He’s come to arrest Jamie and Gladys!
Sheriff Marvin Williams has a story to tell the court, the residents of Scott County and the media … But he has to work on it!
First, the sisters are charged with conspiracy to rob the Duckworth men of $9-$11, but Sheriff Williams has a little talk with the Duckworth cousins and the Patrick Men. The “victims” – one with three convictions for DWI – point to the Scott sisters. The Patrick Men – one if not two of them with previous run-ins with the law – threatened by Sheriff Williams with time at Parchman prison, where they would “be made out of women” if they didn’t cooperate and single out the Scott sisters, agreed.

It was the Scott sisters! Now, according to Sheriff Williams, the Scott sisters robbed the older men of $200 – at gunpoint! Armed robbery!
The Patrick Men confessed to the robbery, but why let truth get in the way of a good story!
A gun was never located, and the “stolen” wallet was recovered in the streets, according to an affidavit by a trustee of the jail. The wallet “re-appeared” two days later with a photo ID of the “victim” and $60 dollars! This same trustee also claims that the “armed robbery” never happened. Only later, in affidavits, did the “victims” and the Patrick Men confess to being coerced and threatened by Sheriff Marvin Williams.

Jamie and Gladys Scott's mother, Evelyn Rasco, has been fighting alone for their release and exoneration, their father having died of a heart attack, his heart broken that he could not help his daughters. Now volunteer legal analyst Nancy Lockhart is working with her to spread the word so that the power of the people can free the sisters.
But this is a narrative of violence, of vengeance and not of justice.
Family-hired lawyers advised Jamie and Gladys not to testify, and there were several potential witnesses to the character and innocence of the Scott sisters. But only one will do or not! Five witnesses in court told conflicting stories, but all declared that Jamie and Gladys are innocent.

And the judge? Judge Marcus Gordon has a bit of a history, American history. In 1964, three civil rights workers, Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman, were found dead. Edgar Ray Killens was found guilty of the murder of these three men – in 2005! Guess who was the judge? Killens, an old KKK organizer, was charged with three counts of manslaughter – not murder – and sentenced to 20 years in prison for each count.
But why bother about this history!

Sheriff Williams has his revenge. The jury deliberates for 36 minutes and the verdict: guilty! Jamie and Gladys both received double life sentences! And the sisters do not possess any criminal record!
Narratives of violence ensnarl people of color and effectively disrupt the lives as well as the well being of women and children.
Five children have grown up without the care and attention of their mothers for the last 14 years. One sister gave birth in prison!
In those 14 years, James Rasco dies of a heart attack. Both Sheriffs Warren and Williams are also dead.
And these Black women? Their safety depends on their silence! They linger in fear.
How many Black women, Black mothers, innocent, linger behind bars in the United States? How many have stories that are invisible, absent from the discourse on incarceration and injustice?

Angela Davis writes, Mumia Abu Jamal recalls, that once communism was no longer “the quintessential enemy” in the U.S., it was replaced “by ideological constructions of crime, drugs, immigration and welfare.” Of course, she writes, “The enemy within is far more dangerous than the enemy without, and a Black enemy within is the most dangerous of all.”
Can you imagine Jamie and Gladys as white women framed by a Black or a white sheriff?

Evelyn Rasco has been fighting for her daughters’ release the last 14 years. Rasco lost her husband and an older daughter who died of congenital heart failure in 2001. This daughter left behind a 5-year-old child. In these last 14 years, Rasco has tried to be the grandmother and the mother of 10 children – including grandchildren of Jamie and Gladys – while sustaining the battle to free her two remaining daughters from prison.
Eleven of those 14 years, Rasco wrote letters to Operation Push / Rainbow Coalition. No response. She writes to Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. asking him to submit a letter to Push / Rainbow. The congressman submits this letter to Nancy Lockhart at Push / Rainbow. Lockhart, working on a masters degree in jurisprudence at Loyola University Chicago at the time, contacted Evelyn Rasco.

Lockhart discovers that Rasco not only wrote letters to Operation Push / Rainbow Coalition without ever receiving a response, but in 1998 and 1999, Jamie and Gladys Scott appealed to the Innocence Project in Mississippi and in New Orleans.
No response.

Jamie and Gladys Scott's children and grandchildren have been in the care of their mother, Evelyn Rasco, all these years. It is way past time to reunite these mothers with their children.
Lockhart contacted the Innocence Project to ask why the organization refuses to respond to the Scotts.
No response.
The ACLU refuses to respond to the case.

No longer with Operation Push / Rainbow Coalition, Nancy Lockhart has dedicated her full attention to the Scott sisters’ case. As a volunteer legal analyst for the Committee to Free the Scott Sisters, Lockhart has worked on the Scott sisters’ case without financial resources for the last four years. For Lockhart, the case represents a wrongful conviction.
Rasco and Lockhart have both written to the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. And only recently did Rasco receive a response!
Here’s the response from Steven Harrell, Paralegal Specialist, Criminal section – PHB, 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20530:

“Dear Ms. Rasco:

“This is in response to your letter post marked Feb. 13, 2009, in which you allege that Jamie and Gladys Scott were wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 1994. You further allege that, in order to obtain this conviction, local law enforcement officers intimidated a witness. We apologize for our delay in responding.
“The Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division is responsible for enforcing federal criminal civil rights statutes. Much of our enforcement activity relates to the investigation and prosecution of deprivations of civil rights under color of law. These matters generally involve allegations of excessive physical force or sexual abuse by law enforcement officers.
“Please note that federal criminal civil rights laws have a five year statute of limitations from the date of the incident. Since the incident in question occurred in 1994, we regret that we are unable to assist you. This is not a judgment on the truth or merit of your complaint; it is simply to inform you that, because the relevant statute of limitations has expired, this office cannot prosecute this case.
“Inasmuch as you feel that Jamie and Gladys Scott were wrongly convicted, you may wish to contact The Innocence Project, a national organization dedicated to the exoneration of the wrongly convicted. You may contact the Innocence Project by sending correspondence to info@innocenceproject.org

“Sincerely,

“Mark J. Kappelhoff, Section Chief, Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division, by Steven Harrell, Paralegal Specialist, Criminal Section”

“Now this is untrue, as Mrs. Rasco started writing the Civil Rights Division 14 years ago,” Lockhart says.
Mrs. Rasco initially started writing the Justice Department in 1994. She has not passed any statutory limits. The response that she has received is an untruth. She has written many times and the previous responses have been, “Your information will be forwarded to the correct department.” She has written the Criminal Division of the Civil Rights Division as well.
Lockhart also contacted Attorney General Eric Holder, and as of the writing of this article, she has not received a response.
She also sent a letter to President Barack Obama. No response.

In October 2008, Nancy Lockhart hears Rev. Al Sharpton’s voice on the radio. She calls in and tells him the Scott sisters’ story. Sharpton says, “That sounds like Troy Davis.” Lockhart reminded him that situation with the Scott Sisters is different. Davis was on Death Row. “Let me give you to my assistant so we can get in touch with you,” Sharpton says. The “assistant” is someone from a consultant firm. Someone will contact her soon.

So Lockhart waits for a call from the National Action Network (NAN). Time passes. Again, Lockhart calls NAN. She is told to contact a Mrs. Davis, and she is told to call at 10 a.m. the next day. “I called every day for two weeks at 10 a.m.” Lockhart sends information to Mrs. Davis, but she never hears from Mrs. Davis again. Months pass. Finally, in April 2009, Lockhart receives a call from NAN or rather the consultant firm, informing her that there is a chapter in Louisiana. Lockhart is given a couple of numbers call.
But Lockhart has to call NAN again. The numbers are useless. “One was a fax number and the other was a disconnected number,” recalls Lockhart. The consultant tells Lockhart that there are other chapters. Which is closest to Mississippi – Savannah, Georgia, or Atlanta, Georgia, Mrs. Davis asks?

Do I need to say that, in the end, Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network are missing in action!
But are we? You do not have to remain silent!

Lockhart: The case of the Scott Sisters was featured along with other important information regarding the Mississippi wrongfully convicted on the May 22, 2009, One Black Man’s View radio program! Just scroll down to “Event Description,” highlight the first item for May 22, 2009, and click the second button on the left to play and listen. So please visit http://blacktalkradio.ning.com/events/one-black-mans-view-5222009?rsvpConfirm=1 and please visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/justiceforall/2009/04/16/Scott-Sisters-Sentenced-to-Double-Life-No-One-Died-or-Was-Hospitalized and share so that others can understand fully what this case is about!
Next, Nancy Lockhart has provided a sample letter to be sent to Attorney General Eric Holder:

Attorney General Eric Holder
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

The Honorable Attorney General Holder:

I am writing to request that you investigate the case of Jamie and Gladys Scott. The Scott Sisters were given double life sentences each in October of 1994 for armed robbery in the state of Mississippi. No one was injured or murdered. One witness states that about 11 dollars was netted in the armed robbery. All witnesses and victims of this crime have testified that the Scott Sisters were not involved in the robbery. Witnesses testified that they were coerced and threatened to lie on the Scott Sisters.

A 14-year-old witness testified that he signed a statement which was prepared for him before he entered Deputy Sheriff Marvin Williams’ office. This statement was signed by the 14-year-old without an attorney present. He was told that he would be released from the local jail the next morning if he signed it. He was not released.

This is an egregious wrongful conviction and the Scott Sisters have suffered now 14 years and eight months of double life sentences.

Jamie and Gladys Scott are housed in Pearl, Mississippi. Their ID numbers are Jamie Scott #19197 and Gladys Scott # 19142.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

Finally, to discuss strategies to organize for the release of Jamie and Gladys Scott, to sign the petition, and to donate to the Committee to Free the Scott Sisters, contact Nancy R. Lockhart, Volunteer Legal Analyst, Committee to Free the Scott Sisters, P.O. Box 389, Green Pond, SC 29446, (641) 715-3900, ext. 99222, FreeTheScottSisters@gmail.com. Read updates at http://www.freethescottsisters.com and http://www.freejamieandgladyscott.blogspot.com/ and sign the petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Free-Jamie-Gladys/index.html.

BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board member Lenore Jean Daniels, Ph.D., has been a writer for over 30 years of commentary, resistance criticism and cultural theory, and short stories with a Marxist sensibility to the impact of cultural narrative violence and its antithesis, resistance narratives. With entrenched dedication to justice and equality, she has served as a coordinator of student and community resistance projects that encourage the Black Feminist idea of an equalitarian community and facilitator of student-teacher communities behind the walls of academia for the last 20 years. Dr. Daniels holds a PhD in Modern American Literatures, with a specialty in Cultural Theory (race, gender, class narratives) from Loyola University, Chicago. Contact Dr. Daniels through Black Commentator.

Free Jamie and Gladys Scott

Click poster to enlarge and read

The Poor Are Enslaved In American Prisons

The Poor Are Enslaved In American Prisons

by Nancy Lockhart, M.J. / January 1st, 2009

America turns its head to those who are incarcerated, especially those considered as brutal and thoughtless. The average American believes that the justice system is perfect and would never incarcerate those who are innocent. This line of logic is grossly inconsistent with reality, as thousands of formerly incarcerated inmates have been freed by DNA-evidence only. Our justice system is failing day by day, minute by minute. One wrongful conviction is one-too-many, and numbers are escalating well into the tens of thousands. Adequate legal representation is available to those who are able to pay; those who cannot, however, suffer. Consequently, inadequate legal representation mostly leads to an inevitable unjust verdict.

As a legal analyst, I’ve observed the legal processes in depth over the years, and watched those with money, resources and networks receive justice within a system allegedly designed to serve all. I’ve observed the poor and unknowledgeable suffer, as finances, resources, and networks are very limited or void!

It is our right under the Constitution to petition our courts for justice. What does this say for a Nation of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — Inalienable Rights?

Slavery Is Alive and Flourishing In America

Poor people are enslaved in America’s Prison Industrial Complex. Indigent legal representation unfolds as inexperienced, underpaid and overworked lawyers provide inadequate representation to the poor – resulting in wrongful convictions; thus, enslavement to the prison industrial complex increases. The use of felonious, unethical, and often, illiterate witnesses is an increasing vehicle for wrongful convictions. The financially disempowered are the burden barriers for society’s ills, but those with money and corporate networks never experience this enslavement.

As the poor suffer, prosecutors and law enforcement officers are becoming even more corrupt in their policies. America incarcerates more individuals, especially minorities, than any other nation in the world. Wrongful convictions are on the rise and corruption is escalating. Slavery is alive and flourishing in America. In my years of service to the community, I’ve come across two distinct cases that yield inconsistencies from the onset.

The case of Ali Khalid Abdullah is one of them. Ali Khalid Abdullah was released from prison on August 1, 2008 and has had multitudes of problems dealing with a new society, ever since. Ali describes his experience as “being freed from Prison but not free.” Ali served 19 years in prison for taking action against a drug dealer who had molested an 11-year old. How does a government release prisoners with no assistance, financial or social, and expect positive results? My opinion is, they do not. They expect and hope for recidivism as it is the key to maintaining The Prison Industrial Complex.

The other case is that of two sisters, Jamie and Gladys Scott. In 1994, Jamie and Gladys Scott were wrongfully convicted in the state of Mississippi. A corrupt sheriff used coercion, threats, and harassment to convict the Scott Sisters of armed robbery. The case of the Scott sisters is an intriguing one, with transcripts stating that perhaps 9, 10, or 11 dollars was stolen, at most. It’s important to note that no one was murdered or injured. One of the state’s witnesses, a 14 year old, testified that he did not have an attorney present when signing a statement prepared by the sheriff. Jamie and Gladys Scott have served 14 years of double-life sentences, thus far. That’s Double Life Each! The absurdity of their sentencing reaches new heights with the reality that neither of the Scott sisters had prior convictions. Sadly, the cases of Mr. Abdullah and the Scott sisters are becoming an accepted phenomenon in our society.

The Prison Industrial Complex is the 21st century slave master in the minority community, and unless we are made aware and trained to take action, the enslavement will continue to fester more and more rapidly in years to come.

Don’t Wait Until It Happens To You!

For more review the case of Jamie & Gladys Scott

Nancy Lockhart, is a legal representative and community organizer, living in South Carolina. She has worked tirelessly - for no pay - on the case of two Black females illegally charged and sentenced to double life. She can be reached at: nancylockhart@gmail.com. Read other articles by Nancy, or visit Nancy's website.

This article was posted on Thursday, January 1st, 2009 at 12:15pm and is filed under Anti-slavery, Prisons, Racism.

Black Kids Kicked Out Of Philly Pool For “Changing Its Complexion”

From NBC Philadelphia
More than 60 campers from Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from a private swim club and left to wonder if their race was the reason.
“I heard this lady, she was like, ‘Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?’ She’s like, ‘I’m scared they might do something to my child,’” said camper Dymire Baylor.
The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers’ first visit to the pool suggested otherwise.
“When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool,” Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. “The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately.”
The next day the club told the camp director that the camp’s membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded.
“I said, ‘The parents don’t want the refund. They want a place for their children to swim,’” camp director Aetha Wright said.

Judge Orders Release of Guantanamo Prisoner After Seven Years, Saying Government Position “Defies Common Sense”

A federal judge has ordered the release of another prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay, thirty-year-old Syrian national Abdul Rahim Abdul Razak al-Janko. In the year 2000, al-Janko was tortured by al-Qaeda, who accused him of being a Western spy, and he was imprisoned by the Taliban for eighteen months. He was then captured by the United States in 2002 and spent the next seven years in Guantanamo. On Monday, District Court Judge Richard Leon rejected the government’s position that al-Janko had once been a part of al-Qaeda, saying it “defies common sense.” We speak with British journalist Andy Worthington,