We dropped this banner for the Vaughn 17 who bravely stood together against the prison system in Delaware. Trumped-up charges were leveled against these comrades, a vindictive measure for the Vaughn prison uprising in February 2017.
We celebrated earlier this year when charges were dropped against many of the Vaughn 17. However, their trials continue as they remain captives within the very prison system they protested and Roman Shankaras faces trial this month as a sole defendant. The State’s petty lust for revenge is seldom so obvious as it is in this case.
Having been transferred not once, but twice, there is a consistent and relentless onslaught on their mental and physical well being. Beatings are a regular occurrence, and they are habitually served rotten food or denied food altogether. Some have lost as many as 15-20 pounds since the most recent transfer. Mental health records are being sabotaged or not transferred.
With each transfer, personal property was stolen from the 17 and never returned, and mail was not delivered. A new, complicated correspondence system has been put in place, causing mail to be re-routed through Florida, further limiting their ability to communicate with the outside world, and communicate their locations.
The State justifies its continued abuse of the Vaughn 17 by placing them all on the Restricted Release List. When on the Restricted Release List, prisoners are kept in solitary confinement— often for months, or even years. Many of the Vaughn 17 have been held in a Restricted Housing Unit at each prison to which they’ve been transferred since their trials ended, without any explanation offered to them or any indication of how they might get themselves off of the list.
RAM stands in solidarity with the Vaughn 17 and all others around the world who are trapped behind prison walls. We will continue to support those who fight back against injustice, and we will not rest until the institution of modern slavery has burned to the ground.
Now more than ever, the Vaughn 17 could use our support and expressions of solidarity. We have confirmed addresses for three of the comrades. We are trying to compile the addresses for the others. If you have updated information about their current locations, please let us know. We will make sure that the state’s malicious attempts to sever their support will not be successful!
Send letters or paper zines to:
Luis Sierra – 00455723
James T. Vaughn Correctional Center
1181 Paddock Road
Smyrna, DE 19977
Smart Communications/PADOC
Deric L. Forney – #NS2698
SCI – Camp Hill
PO Box 33028
St Petersburg, FL 33733
Roman J Shankaras – 00376142
James T. Vaughn Correctional Center
1181 Paddock Road
Smyrna, DE 19977
May 2019