Oso Blanco Treatment Statement

BY SUMNER GRAY

Sumner Gray is co-founder of Citizens in Action (C.I.A.) co-founder

I don’t want to use the words ‘prisoner emergency’ yet but we are rapidly approaching it. Hello, my name is Sumner Gray and I have been writing Oso Blanco, aka Byron Chubbuck, for over 5 of the 10 years he’s been in the federal prison system and this is the WORST TREATMENT HE HAS RECEIVED while incarcerated. For full info on Oso visit www.osoblanco.org

There are two main areas of concern. First is my belief that USP Lewisburg is an archaic institution, stuck in time in its interactions with inmates (openly racist and hateful). Oso has been punished for the silliest things and I truly believe that this prison is trying to rack up enough punishment time against him that he will lose all contact with the outside world. In short, they are trying to keep him indefinitely in solitary. Oso has racked up 1.5 years of no phone calls, 1.5 years of no visitation, and 1.5 years of loss of store privileges! He hasn’t even been at this facility for 6 months (more details below). Secondly, mail (isn’t that always a problem for political prisoners?) has come to a halt in and out for Oso. He has not received any of his three current paid for magazine subscriptions nor any political papers since his transfer to Lewisburg. Oso is an avid writer – often sending two to three letters out a day. All contact has been lost for months except to me off and on.

All I’m asking from anyone who receives this email or letter is to please call or write the warden and ask the prison to STOP TAMPERING with Byron Chubbuck’s mail. If you would like to comment further on the incidents listed below, great and thank you. But it is vital (and will fit on a postcard) to get Oso’s mail flowing again. Keep it simple: “We have proof that Bryon Chubbuck’s mail is being tampered with to and from your facility. Please immediately investigate and rectify the situation.” Then ad lib the rest.

So please write or call:

570-523-1251 (keep trying if no answer)

Or write:
Warden, USP Lewisburg
2400 Robert F. Miller Drive
Lewisburg, PA 17837 (please include a return street address so we can receive the warden’s response)

Feel free to post this call to action on Myspace or Facebook or email chains or Indymedia – get the word out! Oso has been brave to openly speak about prison abuse at various facilities (that even lead to his re-capture in 2001); the least we can do is follow through with his claims.

His punishment incidents:

1. “Our cell is very, very clean but there is no ventilation. So we have to hang up anything damp to dry or in a day it will start to mold.” Oso and his cellie got 6 months for a towel hanging up to dry.

2. “Around 50 people got a shot (write-up) for taking off these hot ass jump suits to work out in our dog cages. They put bar cuffs on very tight. This cuts into your wrists and swells up your hands like balloons. It’s a form of torture.” Oso got 6 months for removing a jump suit.

3. Oso was violently attacked by guards and gassed while cuffed and left in a cell with water on the floor with only his underwear on for 72 hours or so. The guards claimed he threw feces at them. Anyone who knows Oso (or looks at his prison record) knows this is a false claim. Indeed, Oso filed a formal complaint against the attacks and the false claims. Oso says he was left in tight cuffs from June 24 to June 26 and has lost feeling in his big right toe as a result. He has been denied medical treatment and still has no feeling months later. Oso got 6 months for getting beat up and shackled.

STOP THE ABUSE! Writing the warden is vital but if you want send Oso a quick card or letter:

Oso Blanco with Leonard Peltier and Tom Manning

Byron Chubbuck #07909051
USP Lewisburg
P.O. Box 1000
Lewisburg, PA, North America (Oso requests no zip codes)

Byron Chubbuck is a wolf clan Cherokee/Choctaw raised in New Mexico. His Indian name is Oso Blanco and he became known by the authorities as “Robin the Hood” after the FBI and local gang unit APD officers learned from a CI that Oso Blanco was robbing banks to send thousands of dollars worth of supplies to the Zapatista Rebels of Chiapas on a regular basis during 1998 and 1999. He is now serving 80 years at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas for bank robbery, aggravated assault on the FBI, escape and firearms charges.