Sunday, June 5, 2011

Updates on prisoners of conscience: Sr Jackie Hudson, Michael Walli and Lynne Greenwald

For the latest updates go to Disarm Now Plowshares:

http://disarmnowplowshares.wordpress.com/

 

Joe Power-Drutis <jpdrutis@gmail.com>

Sun, Jun 5, 2011

 

Updates

June 5, 2011

 

Jackie Hudson

 

It is important to remember that Jackie’s need for reasonable health

care very much continues. In these last five days she has remained

confined to a small non descript room with a glass in the door where

guards can periodically look in on her. This room is called medical

but I have grave reservations about just how much medicine is

practiced there. While in this room she is completely cut off from the

other inmate women who very much cared for her. She is allowed no

creature comforts, including a bible I attempted to have sent in to her.

 

I believe the reason she stays secluded is in part because we forced

the jail to send her to the ER to evaluate her heart. Actually she was

sent once more to the ER in the last few days to determine if the pain

she was experiencing was due to a pulmonary embolus; a life

threatening condition much the same as a heart attack. I believe this

second trip to the ER, like the first, was authorized by the jail to

protect themselves from liability, given so many eyes were upon them.

It is my understanding that the acute pain Jackie has been

experiencing for the last 8 days has not abated. A few days ago Jackie

was once again in communication with her attorney and understands he

is willing to approach the court and request her release from her

present confinement for medical reasons. I am told she will make her

decision in the next few days.

-----

Michael Walli

 

A couple of days ago Michael was finally released from the dreadful

Blount County Jail and like the others was sent to the Irwin Detention

Facility in Ocilla, Georgia – to await sentencing. Michael welcoms

mail from anyone who wishes to be in touch with him. He is a member of

the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in D.C., is the primary care taker of

their gardens and trees and a dear friend of Kathy Boylan.

 

Michael does not yet have a sentencing date for the DOE Y-12 Complex

Resistance Action.

 

Michael Walli

ID  4444

Irwin County Detention Center

132 Cotton Dr.

Ocilla,  GA  31774

----

Lynne Greenwald

 

Lynne has settled in at the SeaTac Detention Ctr., I hope she is not

getting too comfortable. She will be released on September 9th and

will be on “house arrest” until the 26 of Sept. I’m not clear what the

house arrest is about; but, Lynne doesn’t feel it will be electronic

monitoring. She says if she is released in the morning on the 9th she

plans on being back at work at the Irma Gary House by that afternoon.

Can you get a picture of Theresa doing hand stands??

 

Lynne goes on to say “My life is becoming fuller with stories of

struggling lives. Every day a woman shares some heart wrenching

experience. I’m “Momma” to the Hispanic women and others. One woman

told me I reminded her of her mother and it was comforting to have me

here. So grandparents have a place in prisons. Mentor, counselor –

good listening skills are beneficial.”

 

Not long ago Lynne was visited by her son Noah, her daughter Alissa

and her first grandchild (Alissa’s son) Jack. Jack is around 8 months

old and is expecting a baby sister to play with sometime around

October 20th; just in time for Lynne to sharpen her grandmother skills

even more than before she went into SeaTac.

 

Alissa writes of their visit with Lynne:

 

“My mother seemed in good spirits. I know she was happy to spend time

with us, as this is the first time she's seen Noah since before her

sentencing, and Jack always spreads his good cheer. Aside from that,

she generally had positive comments about her situation. She told us

of a guard there who is particularly kind in terms of treating inmates

humanely, making such routines as "lock down" humorous by over-

dramatizing it. She said she's with a nice group of women in her unit.

Aside from a persistent cough that originated from being made to take

blood pressure medication for over a month that she knowingly has

adverse effects from (finally got switched within the last couple

weeks but cough persists, likely from having coughed for over a

month...) she seemed well. Being my mom I think she tries to present

as if everything's okay, not wanting to burden me with complaints. I

know she gets bored, and practices escapism by walking around the unit

with headphones, imagining she's at a park. She has never been one to

sit around all day watching t.v., of which there are 4 mounted in the

unit. Overall, she's making the best of the situation, and greatly

appreciates the letters and caring thoughts of everyone who's shared

them with her.”

 

It does my heart good to hear of a guard who practices compassion on

the inside of such a dark world. I can imagine she is the source of

much comfort to the women trapped inside of those walls.

 

Lynne received a sentence of 6 months in prison, one year of

supervised release and 60 hours of community service. Lynne’s address

is:

 

Lynne Greenwald

#  40672-086  Unit  DA

FDC  SeaTac

P.O.  Box  13900

Seattle,  WA  98198

--

 

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