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**This message contains: info on Jesse's self-report to prison on April 8, his undetermined location, the corrected address for Alderson, regulations for sending mail there, info on receiving phone calls and visiting.** Hi friends and supporters, My name is Sarah Ruth Saunders, and I'll be moderating the listserv until Jesse is released from federal custody in early July (possibly on "Independence Day"). Jesse is my partner, and I am a senior at Oberlin College in Ohio. Although yesterday was a hard day, your love and support helped us through this difficult time. And difficult it was...because when Kate, Marie, Judith and I arrived at the minimum security women's Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia, the prison officials said that Jesse had been redesignated to the women's FPC in Danbury, Connecticut! However, the US Marshals had failed to notify anyone of this change. After many phone calls to probation officers, the US Marshalls, Jesse's parents and one of the School of the Americas Watch legal team lawyers, Bill Quigley, we received a call that Jesse would indeed be accepted into custody in Alderson. So we said goodbye in a torrential rainstorm. In his pockets, Jesse had a stuffed "Max" from Where the Wild Things are and a rubber duck, both of which were returned to me immediately. He went in in good spirits, and we said, "Courage, Jesse!" as he got into the white van and waved until he was out of sight. His going into custody was a mixed blessing, because a prison official originally said that the reason why Jesse wasn't to be accepted into Alderson was that they didn't have "the right medication." (Although any pharmacy does...) So it seems that the prison system may indeed be planning to continue Jesse's hormone prescription, which is excellent. However, we have heard that there is some type of transsexual ward at Danbury, so it is possible that Jesse will be/is being transported there. Although this is a possibility, we have no way to confirm his location yet. I spoke with Bill late this afternoon, and he suggested that we focus our energy on supporting Jesse in Alderson, and if we find that he is being/has been moved to Danbury, at that point we will work to advocate for him there. Until Jesse is able to call someone outside, we won't know, because the prison will not release information to anyone if he is in transit. So I will proceed on the assumption that Jesse is in Alderson for the information in the remainder of this email. Alderson is nestled in the mountains of West Virginia, and the prison buildings were designed by the same architect who designed Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The irony of this was not lost on us. There is a fence around the visitors' parking area, but the majority of the compound is not fenced in, and a train runs through the valley next to the swelling river. It will be a beautiful place to spend the spring. There are a few changes to the communication information that you've received so far. Firstly, Jesse's address is Box A, not Box B. The entire address is as follows: Jessica Carr (you must address letters to his legal name) When sending mail, if anything is included in an envelope or package other than a letter on a piece of paper, you must declare the contents on the front of the envelope or it will be returned to you unopened. The things that I know of that are okay to send are: softcover books (he can have no more than 5 at once), photographs, postcards, letters, magazines, or hardcovers sent directly from the publisher. (For example, "Contains: 2 books, 1 magazine, 1 photo.") If Jesse tries to call you on the phone, it will sound like a collect call. You must physically pick up the phone, and a recording will say, "This is a call from an inmate," and then you'll hear Jesse's name. You will be asked to press 5 to accept the call or 7 to take your phone # off his list, and then it will not be possible to receive any calls from the prison. So please listen carefully! If Jesse sends you a visitor form from the prison, it may take 3-4 weeks for you to be approved to visit, so be sure to call the prison in advance to make sure you have been approved. The visitors' list can be only 10 people, but the people on the list can rotate. If you go to Alderson, there is a wonderful Catholic Worker Hospitality House that provides free lodging, transportation and/or food to visitors every weekend. Visiting at Alderson is Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 8am-8pm. Food is not provided, but there are vending machines. I was really sad yesterday as we said goodbye to Jesse, but today I am in higher spirits than I have been in days. I take this as a good sign, and I thank you for your love and strength. I will post a message as soon as I hear anything more. Please feel free to contact me anytime at sarah.saunders@o... or 440-775-9961.
Take care and stay strong, |