As a network including more than 150 congregations of many faiths, along with hundreds of individual leaders, members and supporters, WISDOM stands in solidarity with those who are refusing to accept food, as an act of protest against the conditions of Solitary Confinement in the Waupun Correctional Institution, and throughout Wisconsin.
The decision to take this action comes from the prisoners themselves. It saddens us that these, our brothers in the human family, have concluded that the only tool available to express their deep concerns is to deny nourishment for their own bodies. In their isolation, they are undertaking this extreme measure in an attempt to gain some recognition of their human dignity, and that of their fellow prisoners. We pray for their physical and psychological health as they take this action.
WISDOM recognizes the urgency of the issues these prisoners bring to us, and strongly supports their calls:
• That the state legislature place a cap on the use of Solitary Confinement (whether it is called “Administrative Segregation” or any other name);
• That the Department of Corrections and the state legislature recognize the United Nations standard, which considers more than 15 days in Solitary Confinement to be torture;
• That there be an oversight board, independent of the Department of Corrections, to monitor the conditions and use of Solitary Confinement in Wisconsin;
• That there be an immediate transition to less restrictive housing for every person in Wisconsin who has been in Solitary Confinement for more than a year;
• That there be proper mental health facilities and treatment for all who have been subjected to Solitary Confinement.
The leadership of WISDOM calls upon our own members to stand in solidarity by taking the following action themselves:
• Remember the men and women in Solitary Confinement in Wisconsin in prayer. We suggest that congregations consider taking a moment in their worship services to especially remember those who are refusing to eat in Waupun;
• Discuss the situation with your family and friends, to help ensure that, though they are isolated, our brothers and sisters are not forgotten;
• Contact your legislator to request that the action in Waupun be carefully monitored, that the prisoners be protected from retaliation and that their demands be heard respectfully;
• Help to communicate about the scandal of Solitary Confinement, using whatever means you have (social media, letters to the editor, presentations to groups, etc.)
One of the core principles of WISDOM is that every person has the right to be heard, especially regarding policies that most affect them.
WISDOM strives to be a vehicle by which those who are marginalized and ignored can have a chance to be heard. This is a moment to live that out.
For more information about the action, the prisoners involved, or things you can do, please check the WISDOM website, http://www.rocwisconsin.org/wisdom-stands-insolidarity-with-waupun-protesters/, or call SOPHIA/WISDOM organizer Bernie Gonzalez at 262-443-7831.
