SAVE THE VANGUARD FUNDRAISER
May 4, 2024
This day, after Easter, Destination Freedom has this to say:
Donald Trump’s words, his actions, and images he promotes influence people. They influence people here in the United States and abroad. Donald Trump’s conduct threatens our national security, both foreign and domestically. We denounce this image of President Biden hogtied on the back of a truck in the strongest of terms. We now want all of you to consider something: (see article)
As Malik and I work daily to fight for the rights of prisoners, here’s one of the main reason we do this work….without pay! highlight some of the good things that both Malik and I enjoy while he is currently housed at El Centro.
As the spouse of an incarcerated journalist, I can attest to the fact that retaliation for engaging in First Amendment conduct is real. We have been critical of the El Centro administration for valid reasons. However, it is extremely important for me to highlight some of the good things that both Malik and I enjoy while he is currently housed at El Centro.
This is the third major installment of a series of articles that I have written regarding conditions and situations that have arisen at GEO Group’s El Centro Detention Facility (El Centro facility) in El Centro, California.
Hunger has reached catastrophic proportions in Gaza. When you starve human beings, they will loot food trucks in order to sustain themselves. The instinct which drives human beings to survive is very strong. Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is doing everything they can to minimize civilian casualties. However, when I see IDF soldiers shooting Palestinians in lines for food, I find these claims from Mr. Netanyahu disingenuous. The distortions of truth and fact are overwhelming. I do believe there are human beings in Israel and throughout the world who are interested in preserving the lives of innocent Palestinians and children. We must not remain silent. This loss of life is real, and it can be prevented. If there is a case to be made for an immediate ceasefire, the prospect of saving the children of Gaza is our strongest argument.
Destination Freedom is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights of prisoners housed inside U.S. jails and prisons. It is our position that the voices of individuals housed at Santa Rita Jail are routinely neglected and unheard and were not and are not currently fairly and justly represented class members by Rosen, Bien, Galvan, & Grunfeld, LLP in the Babu case.
As advocates, we are also closely monitoring the actions of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors (AC BOS) regarding the implementation of AB 1185, Alameda County Sheriff’s Oversight Committee. Enclosed is a copy of our article, The Struggle for Oversight of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office Continues.
On Thursday, February 21, 2024 at approximately 1:15 pm, I witness the first of many pre-planned violent attacks. The initial incident took place on the Recreation Yard (Rec Yard) at the El Centro Detention Facility in El Centro, California. Detainees from Housing Unit Bravo West were playing soccer and then it was as if a light switch flicked on and mass pandemonium broke out between two groups on the Rec Yard.
On the evening of Wednesday, February 28, 2024 in Huntsville, Texas, Ivan Cantu was executed by lethal injection by the State of Texas. Ivan Cantu is one of a growing list of human beings who had compelling claims of innocence which were ignored by Texas State courts and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Check out the statistics on executions in the State of Texas and the story of Todd Willingham. The State of Texas used “junk science” to convict Mr. Willingham and the State of Texas refused to acknowledge his wrongful conviction even after posthumously the science was debunked.
San Diego County has a problem with overdoses that occur within the confines of their county jails. Paul Parker, the Executive officer of the Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) has recommended that deputies working inside county lockups submit to body scans before entering the facility.
On Thursday 2/8/2024 at approximate 5:30 a.m. a 53-yearold male named Eric Johnson was pronounced dead in his cell at the death camp known as Santa Rita Jail (SRJ) located in Dublin California. SRJ is operated by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO). This in-custody death came one day after the two-year anniversary of the Babu Consent Decree (Consent Decree). The Consent Decree was implemented on February 7, 2022.
Article (below): Final Sideline Alameda County Prosecutor Returns to Work, a Year After DA Pamela Price Places him on Leave
I don’t just read the East Bay Times; I study and analyze it. As a former editor of a newspaper and current freelance journalist, I am hyper-meticulous about details. This article written by Jakob Rodgers leaves the reader to believe that DA Pamela Price wrongfully dismissed her subordinate John Brouhard.
Part 3 of 3 - Freedoms at Stake
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and her cronies decided to defund the Reparations Task Force.
Over the past couple weeks, we have heard about several prisons in California, Arizona, and Nevada which have experienced violence for various reasons, one of which is staff shortages.
Because of this upswing in violence, prisoners in prisons across California have been placed on lockdown.
Part 2 of 3 - Freedoms at Stake
There are at least 1,000 influential Black pastors in the United States who have called for a march from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. in order to call for a ceasefire in Gaza as well as the release of hostages held by Hamas. The march will begin on February 14, 2024 at 10 am at Independence Hall, 520 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The march will end on February 21, 2024 in Washington D.C. at the White House. We at Destination Freedom encourage all citizens of conscience, activists, and journalists, to attend as well as participate in this historic march for human rights if it is within your means to do so or you can donate to the march:
Part 1 of 3 - Freedoms at Stake
The Biden Administration has stated on numerous occasions that “liberty” is on the ballot in the upcoming US Presidential election in November 2024. A woman’s right to obtain an abortion is most certainly on the ballot in 2024, but by no means is that the only freedom currently under threat in the United States of America. The 2022-2023 time span has been one of the deadliest times for detainees housed inside local and county jails in the State of California. Sadly, we have broken historical records for in-custody deaths.
On this first day of Black History Month 2024, we pay homage and respect to the three Black U.S. soldiers who were killed at Tower 22 in Jordan.
This past weekend marked the 79th year since the liberation of the concentration camps of Auschwitz. Unspeakable crimes against humanity were performed by the Nazis against Jewish human beings. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT IF WE DO NOT LEARN LESSONS FROM HISTORY, WE WILL BE DOOMED TO REPEAT THE MISTAKES PERPETRATED BY PREVIOUS GENERATIONS.
Our independent nonprofit news organization has analyzed County Counsel Ziegler’s history when the subject of oversight of the ACSO has been a topic. We have found Donna Ziegler’s office to be out of step with the wishes of the community when it comes to accountability or transparency of any county agency or department.
Today is the 51-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade. As you know, we have been reporting on this issue in the past several months. We believe a woman has the right to choose what she does with her body and the health and welfare of her unborn child.
Women will do what is right!
This is an update to the plight of William Thurlow’s medical need for surgery to partially restore his vision with the use of eyeglasses. Anyone who may know of a disability attorney in the San Diego or El Centro area that would be willing to take on Billy’s case, please contact us or Billy’s attorney, Patricia Ojeda. Her email address is: Patricia_Ojeda@fd.org.
Presidential candidate Nikki Haley says that America is not a racist country.
I believe that my frame of reference might be different. Today, I am thinking about Trayvon Martin; I’m thinking about the book by Isabel Wilkerson, entitled “Caste”; and the accompanying film from Ava DuVernay called “Origin.”
I was elated to see that the East Bay Times covered the indefinite cancellation of the $81 million expansion project for Santa Rita Jail. There are a few points in Will McCarthy’s report that he did not thoroughly explain. I’d like to share the following information with the community.
For decades upon decades Black and Jewish people have struggled side by side for the greater good. We have marched alongside one another then beaten, disrespected, and abused alongside one another.
Here are some articles and videos you should read about the lives of women in America who are being discounted and undervalued at the hands of the men (and a few women…believe it or not!) who have been elected and enacted legislation to remove women’s rights to make decisions on their own health care and the health of their unborn children.
It is a known fact that law enforcement officers in the United States don’t always value a Black or Brown life as much as they value a White life. This is supported by empirical evidence and data analysis.
The lives of ALL women in America should be valued and cherished. However, today, I am focusing on the lives of women of color.
In Part 1, I will focus on elderly women in nursing homes.
The 2022-2023 time span has been one of the deadliest times for detainees housed inside local and county jails in the State of California. Sadly, we have broken historical records for in-custody deaths.
The El Centro facility had barely any accommodations for disabled prisoners, but things were especially harsh for Billy because he is blind. Billy Thurlow’s story of how he lost his eyesight is intriguing yet heartbreaking at the same time.
This is a follow up report on the punitive transfer of Malik Washington and 6 other detainees who were housed at the GEO Group - El Centro Detention Facility in El Centro, California.
This is a major for-profit publicly-traded company headquartered in Florida making billions of dollars catering to their shareholders at the expense of the individuals they are paid to care for.
Message from Malik Washington and 3 other individuals (Spanish speaking only) housed at San Luis Regional ICE Detention Center in Arizona (border of Mexico).
I have just been notified that my colleague and partner, Malik Washington, has been subjected to some type of retaliatory transfer to an infamous ICE detention center in Arizona. from El Centro Detention Center.
Diesel therapy is the practice of transferring inmates to multiple facilities but specifically to facilities like San Luis that have infamous reputations.
Why is the Bay Area News Group not devoting the same quality resources and passion for justice to the citizens in Alameda County as they do in Santa Clara County?
Please welcome our new member of the Destination Freedom Family. His name is Lucifer. He is a Bull Mastiff.
Stay tuned because very soon we will be sharing videos of our holiday turkeys.
In the conversation surrounding in-custody deaths in U.S. jails and prisons, one subject that is ignored many times is the fact that conditions of confinement can have a deleterious effect on a detainee’s or prisoner’s mental health.
It has been our belief from the very beginning of this war that the Palestinian people are paying a horrible price for the misdeeds of Hamas. In the media, we see a disproportionate amount of reporting that only exposes us to one narrative. Our independent nonprofit news organization seeks to expand the conversation in regard to these contentious topics.
Every day we are witnessing attacks on some of our most cherished and foundational constitutional rights. Journalistic freedom and a woman’s right to choose are rights we must collectively fight for or we will lose those rights. Join us for our upcoming events and help us raise funds and awareness for our cause. From charity walks to benefit concerts, there's something for everyone.
Gale Washington and I have collaborated together on numerous news articles, essays, and media announcements regarding deaths and conditions of confinement at Santa Rita Jail (SRJ) located in Dublin,California. Today, Gale and I publish our open letter to CA Attorney General Rob Bonta and this accompanying article.
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