I , A Call to Conscience and Action for the Release of Puerto Rican Poltical Prisoners ~ B!J the Interfaith Prisoners ofConscience Prtjed 3rd &{ifion The Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience Project (IPOC) is an interfaith ministry w~h prisoners of conscience held in U.S. prisons. We seek to provide pastoral care and support for these prisoners, and to advocate for their fair treatment and release, especially in light of the extremely harsh prison conditions and long sentences they have endured. Executive Director: Rev. Dr. S. Michael Yasutake 2120 Lincoln St. Evanston, IL 60201 (847) 328-1543 phonelfax [email protected] I I I ~ I Additional copies of this resource are available from the Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience Project and from the organizations listed on the inside back cover. © 1997 Interfa~h Prisoners of Conscience Project Interfaith Prisoners of Conscience Project Preface Charity projects, providing direct cuted for challenging systemic sacrifice to themselves and their loved services to the needy, are worthy and injustice. In many cases, laws have ones. The Interfa~h Prisoners of valuable. But we also need systemic been used illegally to convict them. Conscience Project (IPOC) and other change which eliminates poverty and More frightening, laws are made and supporting organizations extend this the need for char~y work altogether. enforced to benem those in power at call to all people to join in the common the expense of the powerless. struggle for justice. Prisoners of conscience, more commonly known as "pol~ical prison­ The Puerto Rican prisoners of The Rev. Dr. S. Michael Yasutake ers," have sided with the powerless conscience are among those who Executive Director and the poor. They are being perse- have worked for a just society, at great Although work with l'political prisoners" was among the sentences seem harsh in the abstract expectations when I began my ministry at the United Church form of the printed page, they are simply horrifying for those who have Board for Homeland Ministries, it took me over a year to been privileged to meet the actual summon the courage to find out how to visit a political pris­ people who are enduring them. A oner. Driving up to a compound surrounded by razor wire peculiar form of outrage seeps into and stepping through a gate which clangs behind one is not one's bones, calling forth a comm~­ ment to do all one can to secure their an easy thing to do. Frankly, I wasn 't sure what to expect. release. What I found changed my life. These prisoners' friends, families, and My first vis~ was w~h four Puerto Adolfo Matos at the USP in Lompoc, community have mounted an ener­ Rican women at the Federal Correc­ California; Ricardo Jimenez and getic campaign for their freedom. They tionallnstrrution (FCI) in Dublin, Alberto Rodriguez at USP Lewisburg have sent thousands of letters and California - Dylcia Pagan, Lucy in Pennsylvania; Antonio Camacho faxes to the President, urging him to Rodriguez, Carmen Valentin, and Negron at FCI Allenwood in Pennsyl­ grant them amnesty, and have been Un~ed Church of Christ member vania; Alicia Rodriguez at Dwight joined in this appeal by legislators, Alejandrina Torres (who is now at FCI Correctional Center in Illinois (now at artists and religious leaders, including, Danbury, Connecticut). These were FCI Dublin); and Luis Rosa at most recently, Coretta Scott King and profoundly impressive women of Stateville Prison in Illinois (now at USP Desmond Tutu. With all their hearts, gentle courage, strength, and integr~y. Leavenworth in Kansas). In each they - and I - urge you to join in the My visit w~h them moved me to meet case, I encountered men and women effort to free these remarkable men some of their compatriots - Edwin vibrant with life and love, whose eyes and women. Cortes at the United States Peniten­ sparkle w~h vision and hope despite tiary (USP) in Terre Haute, Indiana; all they have already suffered and the The Rev. C. Nozomi Ikuta Oscar Lopez Rivera at the super­ terribly long sentences - as long as Chair maximum prison in Florence, Colorado 105 years for Luis - which they are (now at the USP in Marion, Illinois); continuing to serve. Although these The Spirit ofthe Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bril1!J !Jood news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and rwve'!f ofsi!Jht to the blind, to let the oppressed!JO fee, to proclaim the !fear ofthe Lord's favor. - Luke 4.'18-19 For over seventeen years, Puerto Rican men and women have been imprisoned throughout the U.S. because of their beliefs and actions in support of Puerto Rican independence. They are serving ex­ tremely long sentences (35-105 years) - far longer than the 1 sentences meted out to others for heinous activities - and many of them have suffered unusually harsh treatment while in prison, including physical assault and extended periods of HOW HAVE THE CHURCHES RESPONDED? solitary confinement - conditions condemned by Amnesty THE GENERAL SYNOD OF THE International. Puerto Ricans throughout the US and Puerto Rico UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, from all political sectors have called for their release. Now these THE BAPTIST PEACE FELLOWSHIP, prisoners - and the families and communities they have left THE GENERAL BOARD OF CHURCH AND SOCIETY OF THE behind - appeal to us, as Christians, to join in the growing UNITED METHODIST CHURCH , AND THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF PUERTO RICO effort to "proclaim release to the captives. II HAVE ALL CALLED FOR In 1991 , the Eighteenth General THE RELEASE OF THESE PRISONERS. Synod of the United Church of Christ the Congress undertake a said : process for Puerto Ricans to achieve self-determination and, The Scriptures commit us to bring as a gesture of good will, take the to your attention the cry for justice following steps, which are part of and mercy from our Puerto Rican any legitimate process of self­ prisoners who are subjected to determination: discriminatory treatment from the prison officials. Because we are • grant immediate and uncondi­ called by Christ to bring the good tional amnesty to all Puerto news to the captives and to Rican prisoners of conscience preach release to the oppressed, and political prisoners ... we have a responsibility to improve the prison conditions of This resolution was the fifth of six the Puerto Rican prisoners and to statements supporting Puerto Rican eliminate the colonial condition of and other political prisoners adopted the Puerto Rican people ... by the General Synod of the United The Eighteenth General Synod Church of Christ from 1979-1995.2 demands that President Bush and 1. Their average sentence is 65.4 years - or about six times longer than the average murder sentence. The disproportionate sentencing is discussed further on page 9. 2. The full text of these resolutions is provided in Appendix E. J In 1996, the General Conference of upon the President of the the United Methodist Church said : United States to exercise the constitutional power of pardon The United Nations' resolutions to grant immediate and on decolonization have clearly unconditional release to the established that colonialism is a many Puerto Rican women and crime and recognize a colo­ men in US. prisons for their nized people's right to end actions in favor of self-determi­ nation and independence. THESE STATEMENTS colonialism. The United Nations OF SUPPORT also recognizes that these HAVE INCREASED THE AWARENESS resolutions and laws apply to Also in 1995, the Episcopal Church of AM ONG OUR CHURCHES THAT POLITICAL Puerto Rico. For many years, Puerto Rico said : PRI SONERS DO EX IST IN THE UNITED the United Nations Whereas, political action and the STATES . TH EY HAVE BEGUN TO PROMPT Decolonization Committee has struggle for self-determination of QUESTIONS : approved resolutions recogniz­ the peoples responds, in our WHO ARE THESE PRI SONERS ? ing the inalienable right of national case, to an unresolved W HY AR E THEY IN PRI SON ? Puerto Rico's people to problem ... How CAN THEIR ACTI ONS BE EX PLAIN ED? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "PRI SONERS OF independence and self­ CONSCIENCE"? " determination. The injustice Therefore, be it resolved that the WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? suffered under Puerto Rico's 88th Ann!1al Diocesan Assembly TH IS RESOURCE IS INTE NDED TO ANSWER colonial reality cannot be of the Episcopal Church of Puerto SOME OF THESE QUESTI ONS. overlooked. President Bush Rico, the Sixteenth as an Autono­ admitted that the people of mous Church, Puerto Rico have never been consulted as equals on their Ask the Honorable William political status .. Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States of North America, to Therefore, be it resolved, that grant unconditional and immedi­ the General Conference of the ate amnesty to the Puerto Rican United Methodist Church patriots imprisoned in the United advocate for justice and States ... freedom for the Puerto Rican political prisoners, Furthermore, In the January-February, 1995 issue of that a letter from the General The Witness, an independent journal Conference Secretary be sent owned by the Episcopal Church to the President of the United Publishing Company, Editor/publisher States asking him to grant Jeanie Wylie-Kellerman wrote: pardon, because they have more than sufficiently served In this issue, we raise the names their sentence. of several political prisoners. We raise them as icons into the In 1995, the Baptist Peace injustice and cruelty that are Fellowship said : woven through our American way of life. We raise them as people In the spirit of reconciliation willing to move past liberalism to throughout the world we call activism with cost.