From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: New Ohio Prison Rules: No Organizing
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 00:48:50 GMT

/** justice.usa: 374.0 **/
** Topic: ohio prison rules **
** Written  3:37 am  Nov  7, 1992 by web:indwrk in cdp:justice.usa **
OHIO PRISONs TO BAN UNION & ORGANIZATION LITERATURE
NO PETITIONS
NO ORGANIZATIONS
NO MEETINGS
NO INSIGNIA, MATERIALS, SIGNS OR `PASSWORDS'

   The Ohio dept of rehabilitation and correction is attempting to
legislate new rules as part of its Penal Code Agency Rules.
   ARS 120-9-06, Para E, Rule 31 (A-D) reads:  (31) Engaging in
unauthorized actions, individually or in concert with others,
including but not limited to:  (A) Writing, signing or circulating
a petition of any sort without authorization from the managing
officer; (B) Acting to organize or participate in inmate
organizations not approved pursuant to rule 5120-9-37 of the
administrative code, including but not limited to UNIONS AND
CLUBS; (C) Engaging in gang or disruptive group or other
unauthorized organizational activities or meetings; (D)
Displaying, wearing, possessing or using gang or disruptive group
or UNAUTHORIZED ORGANIZATIONAL INSIGNIA OR MATERIALS such as signs
or passwords. (emphasis added)

   Fellow Worker John Perotti, inmate at MANCI prison at Mansfield
Ohio has been a member of the Industrial Workers of the World for
over 5 years.  He has suffered continual harassment because of his
attempts to educate and organize fellow inmates, many of whom are
"employed" at wages as low as 30 cents an hour.
   FW Perotti has had his Union newspapers and other materials
taken away and Union mail interfered with. He has not been allowed
to keep supplies of membership cards to sign up other Union
members, nor even his small delegate card. FW Perotti has been
confined in isolation and solitary confinement on phony internal
discipline charges. In 1990 he successfully won a lawsuit against
prison officials, and ever since he has been harassed. In
September FW Perotti reported that an attempt had been made to
entrap him with tape recordings, but this being unsuccessful,
guards then pretended to find homemade weapons in his cell. This
was clearly false because the cell had been searched the previous
night and nothing found, and FW Perotti was not in his cell during
the 24 hours between, but was held in a surveillance cell under tv
cameras.
   Nevertheless, he was charged under internal discipline rules,
and punished by being once again placed in solitary confinement.
   FW Perotti explains that not only are the prison officers eager
to prevent his Union activities, the PRISON GUARD UNION is using
such trumped up examples to plead for the hiring of more guards
and giving more powers to guards to arbitrarily punish and abuse
prisoners.
   This prison guard union is the enemy of the working class and
must be thrust out from the community of labor, unless they are
prepared to drop the proposed rules which are a violation of the
14th amendment as well as Ohio state laws.

   URGENT letters requested in protest to:  Mr. Thomas Shermon,
Executive Director Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review State
House -- Basement Level Columbus, OH 43266 -- 0604

   PLease send copies to: John W. Perotti, PO Box 1368, #167712,
   Mansfield OH 44901
** End of text from cdp:justice.usa **

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