Victory! SB 508 Struck Down!
The Silence Mumia Act, which the Pennsylvania General Assembly called the "Revictimization Relief Act", is no more as of late this afternoon, as Chief Judge Connor for the Middle District of Pennsylvania federal court held the following:
"The court concludes that the challenged statute betrays several constitutional requirements; the enactment is unlawfully purposed, vaguely executed, and patently overbroad in scope. However well-intentioned its legislative efforts, the General Assembly fell woefully short of the mark. The result is a law that is manifestly unconstitutional, both facially and as applied to plaintiffs. Thus, the court is compelled to grant plaintiffs‟ requests for declaratory relief, declare the Revictimization Relief Act, 18 PA. CONS. STAT. § 11.1304, to be violative of the First and Fifth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and permanently enjoin its enforcement."
Thank you to everyone who supported this legal battle, and to Bret Grote of the Abolitionist Law Center and Ashley Henderson and Nikki Grant of the Amistad Law Project.
Still, Mumia is under attack. Like so many prisoners, he is in a medical emergency and receiving severe medical neglect. Read more and get involved here: bit.ly/rise4mumia
This campaign will defeat PA Senate Bill 508 – signed by Governor Tom Corbett – which
prohibits prisoners and those formerly incarcerated from speaking publicly. The law targets journalists, non-profits and individuals who aid
prisoners in communicating to the outside world.
Your Donation Will:
•
Make the legal battle to overturn SB508
possible.
•
Fund Prison Radio’s work recording and
broadcasting Mumia Abu-Jamal’s and other prisoners’ commentaries throughout the
U.S. and internationally.
•
Protect prisoners' First Amendment right to free
speech.
What You
Get
Whether you donate
$10 or $5,000, we truly appreciate every penny! Choose your most generous level to contribute - we've got limited edition CDs, screen printed posters, books and much more! And
remember, your contribution is tax deductible to the extent of the law.
We
Believe in Giving Voice to the Voiceless
This legislation was
written in response to Mumia Abu-Jamal’s Commencement Address to Goddard College
graduates in October. This so-called “Revictimization Relief Act” gives the PA Attorney General or District Attorney the power to file an injunction on behalf of a victim against prisoners and those who assist prisoners. SB508 violates prisoners' First Amendment rights and has received public criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights.
While this law only affects Pennsylvania, politicians hope that other states will copy them. We can’t let that happen!
Prison Radio has been recording Mumia Abu-Jamal and other prisoners
for over 20 years and we plan to continue doing so in spite of the threats
we’ve received. We are commiteed to investigative journalism: reporting critical information from a place that the government tries to prevent you from hearing about. As Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! says: “Prison Radio is going to where the silence is”.
Since this law was signed, we have been recording and broadcasting Mumia more than ever before. We must abolish this law so that prisoners' voices are not silenced, and we need your support!
If You
Have Already Donated
If you can donate even a small amount, we are
truly grateful. But don't stop there; help us spread the word! Share this campaign on your Facebook page, Email it to friends, talk about it in person, write an article, Tweet it, - use whatever media strategies you can to overturn SB 508. We can't thank you enough.
With gratitude & respect,
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Noelle Hanrahan, Prison Radio
A 501(c)(3) project of the Redwood Justice Fund
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As Prison Radio defends prisoner rights in court and records their voices from jail, we do not do this work alone. The list of our allies and supporters are growing:
International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal
MOVE
Abolitionist Law Center
New York Coalition to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
Bring Mumia Home
Educators For Mumia Abu-Jamal
Freedom For Mumia
Black and Pink
Human Rights Coalition
Human Rights Coalition - Fed Up!
Journalists for Mumia
Labor Action Committee to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
Solitary Watch
Endorsements:
Please support this effort to raise funds to overturn legislation
adopted in Pennsylvania that empowers prosecutors to silence prisoners -
bar them from speaking publicly in any form. This law was passed in
response to Goddard College students inviting Mumia to deliver their
commencement address from behind prison walls. But this isn't just
about Mumia. This law threatens the ability of ANY prisoner in
Pennsylvania to speak to the media if a victim objects, in clear
violation of free speech principles. If the law is allowed to stand, it
will make it even more difficult than it already is for people in
prison to have their voices heard. And you can be certain that copycat
legislation will be adopted in other states whenever prisoners actually
succeed in getting their message heard on the outside. This law needs to
be overturned now.
– Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow
Prison Radio is one of the forces that is responsible for Mumia's voice being heard around the world. Not only Mumia, the MOVE 9, Sundiata Acoli, Lynn Stewart, and the list goes on and on. Prison Radio is also helpful in bringing to light the voices of mass incarceration. We can not allow the silencing of the airwaves to happen. Not on our shift. And we say: join us in the battle in order to raise the necessary funds.
– Pam Africa, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal, MOVE
Over and over again prisoner voices are silenced. Efforts like Prison Radio ensure that prisoner voices are included at every level of organizing. Your support for Prison Radio helps keep prisoner voices echoing through our movement.
– Black and Pink
We must support Mumia and Prison Radio in their legal fight against the terrorism of the Fraternal Order of Police, part of a dangerous national picture of police violence, terror, and power. Join this urgent fight.
– Suzanne Ross, New York Coalition to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
Our Gifts When You Contribute (Donate on Right)
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Thank You!
If you have questions about the campaign, send them to info@prisonradio.org. We promise to do our best to answer all your queries.
Please take a moment to contribute what you can to the campaign and share it with your community to protect prisoners' First Amendment rights.
