Pelican Bay State Prison, Crescent City, California
July 3, 2011
Pelican Bay SHU prisoners issue five demands and begin a hunger strike. At least 6,600 prisoners across the state of California join in solidarity. After nearly four weeks without food, prisoners enter negotiations with the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) and cease the hunger strike on July 20th, giving CDCR a few weeks to implement changes. The changes do not come.
Outside supporters create Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity as a support site, and begin large public awareness campaigns using protest and media.
This outside support infrastructure combined with the commitment of prisoners inside, allows the organizers to repeat and expand the hunger strike, in Sept 2011, and July of 2012.
Citations:
“Hunger Strike by Inmates is Latest Challenge to California’s Prison System”, New York Times, July 7, 2011.
“Thousands of California Inmates on Hunger Strike Against Solitary Confinement”, Pacific Standard, July 9, 2013.
“About Page Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity”, no date.
California Hunger Strike Resumes | Perilous
February 15, 2019 at 3:16 am[…] and Rehabilitation (CDCR) delays, prisoners at Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) resume the hunger strike they’d suspended on July 20th. The call to action spreads across the California system, with […]