Holy Birthdays and Visits, Batman!
*Important Update* on Josh's Mailing Address & Food Situation
Books, Magazines, & Prison Food, Oh My!
Josh Began His Prison Sentence Today
Official statement later, but... Josh is out. Happy as can be. He should be out of halfway house and in a nicer living situation in early July. We'll post a new address for him soon, but until then, you can send letters here:
Josh Harper
13418 Meridian Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
After spending nearly 100 days in the SHU (Special Housing Unit, otherwise known as "the hole"), Josh was finally released back into his unit of the prison on Monday 6/18.
He's happy to be out (no more surviving on salad and bits of fruit; no longer locked down all day every day), but would still love to hear from folks! He lost almost all of his property while in the hole, so please write him if you haven't heard back- he might not have your address anymore! (And please print mailing addresses clearly if you'd like a response).
If you're interested in reading his "shot" (charge) from the prison, you can view it here. Clearly even the prison doesn't believe that Josh ever threatened anyone- they only sentenced him to 14 days in the hole, suspended pending appeal (His 3 months in the hole don't count toward this)! In his interview with the small skate/vegan zine Josh never threatened anyone, but once again was found guilty of "terrorism" for using his freedom of speech to speak his mind.
Please continue supporting the SHAC7! Get addresses at shac7.com
Thanks to all of you who've written to the SHAC7 in the past few weeks- they're appreciating the much-needed letters!
We heard from Josh today- he gets one 15-min call per week while in "the hole" (aka "special housing"). He's been given paperwork stating their reasoning for putting him there- the Bureau of Prisons is accusing him of being a "threat" and a "domestic terrorist", using as evidence against him a vague response he gave to a small skate/dumpstering zine questionnaire (something to the effect of: go at them, with all you've got), and possession of copies of No Compromise and Green Anarchy magazines. He's also been informed that the FBI is interested in going to question him, which is (of course) a waste of a trip for them.
We don't know what will happen now, and considering that new charges could be brought against Josh we can't discuss many details (not that we know many at the moment).
Wondering how you can help??
PLEASE WRITE TO JOSH AND HIS CO-DEFENDANTS!!!
Josh is locked down all day long and doesn't know when this might change. He apologizes for any lack of response- while he's in the hole he has very limited access to writing materials- but he still enjoys hearing from you!
Josh called today to let us know that he was removed from his cell earlier this afternoon and taken to the hole. No reasons have been given, but there's really nothing Josh can do right now but bide his time and hope he gets let out of there soon.So please write to him!
Joshua Harper 29429-086
FCI Sheridan
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 5000
Sheridan, OR 97378
Prison is bad enough, but the hole means being locked into a cell all day long, losing a lot (if not all) of your possessions (including letters he'd recently received, and a dispatch and response letters he'd just written), down to one 15-min. phone call per week, and losing access to what few vegan options he'd had.
And PLEASE don't forget about Josh's co-defendants! Jake, Lauren, and Andy are all suffering similarly ridiculous punishments. Time to step it up and get to writing!!!
We apologize for the lack up updates recently- sometimes life just gets in the way!
First and foremost, Josh has been doing alright. He's been a little concerned recently by the mail, since he hasn't been receiving much (a few letters here and there) and has frequently been getting notice that letters were turned away due to prison regulations (if you're not sure of what can/can't be sent, please ask!). He hopes that his replies are getting out to people and apologizes for any lack of inspiration on his part, or any major delays in writing back. Josh remains incredibly grateful to hear from you, so please please please keep writing!
In other news Josh has been able to receive visits over the past few months. Yay! His partner and mom were both able to visit the week of his birthday, and the reunion was emotional but happy. Josh looks good (well, that's the opinions of two very biased people. But he does!), has lost a little weight due to the poor diet they're all on, and seems mostly like his usual self. He's also gotten visits from our incredible friends Chad & Emiko (if you haven't bought something from Food Fight! recently, go! Now!). Josh says that it's been a tremendously happy occasion to get a visit from them, two very dear and supportive friends, and that they're time together has been the best escape from the seriousness of prison life.
Josh has, of course, been reading and writing lots of letters, and has recently started discussing with his counselor and caseworker about his release details. Obviously nothing concrete is in the works, and it's a tad too far off and emotional for Josh to want to discuss it, but it's good to know that it's coming. Even if just eventually.
If you'd like to help him pass the time, please get in touch! Josh has a few magazines still on his wishlist, so if you'd like to help him out he'd be happy to receive. And either way please keep writing!
That's about all for now. Please check back frequently- here, as well as SHAC7.com- for more updates and ways you can help support Josh and his co-defendants!
The good news today is that Josh's partner has now been approved to visit him, so plans have been made for visits in less than 2 weeks- yay! Following close after his visits Josh will be celebrating his first (and hopefully last) birthday behind bars. Please start helping him through it now by sending a card and making a donation to the SHAC7 support fund! And be sure to include Josh's codefendant and good friend Jake in your birthday wishes- his is Feb.3!
Never forget to support the SHAC7 and all political prisoners. For more info on how you can help visit shac7.com and greenscare.org.
Joshua Harper 29429-086
FCI Sheridan
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 5000
Sheridan, OR 97378
****NOTE: Josh is grateful for the outpouring of support, but has been receiving even more books than he expected over the past few weeks! He's excited, but scared that he may have to reject incoming books if he gets too many at once. Please contact his support team *BEFORE* sending any books so that your efforts don't go to waste (and so Josh really has time to enjoy them!). Thanks so much and sorry for any confusion or inconvenience.*****
If you're able, please consider sending Josh a book to help him pass the time. Josh is excited to use this time as best he can, and aside from reading and writing letters the only exciting activity he can participate in is reading. Here is a link to Josh's book wishlist on Amazon.com.
Books can be sent directly to Josh at the prison in Sheridan. They must be sent directly from Amazon or any publisher (for instance AK Press), and they must be paperback (hardcover books will be rejected by the prison). Josh is only allowed a limited number of books and magazines in his possession at one time, and we don't want any wasted money or effort, so please contact his support team when you are purchasing a book for him! This way we can keep track of what's coming his way, and remove items from his list as they are received.
Josh would love to receive magazines as well, but would like to hold off on anyone making him subscriptions until he gets moved to the FCI (a less temporary facility). This should happen any day now, and we will post updates as soon as we hear.
Thanks so much for your support - Josh is forever grateful!
Josh found out yesterday that his cop-out (the prison complaint/request form) about getting him some vegan food never reached the chaplain. He heard that the chaplain might get to looking at it in the next few days, but Josh is pretty damn hungry and not feeling well and just down. So keep writing to him- please!
But that leads us to the next issue. Although many inmates have told Josh that they've been at the FDC and had their mail forwarded to them for months while they await transfer, Josh discovered today that his mail sent to the FCI is no longer being forwarded to him- it's just being returned to sender. Which means that anyone who's written in the past week or so will probably have their letters, cards, pictures, and books returned to them if mailed via the FCI.
Please change Josh's mailing address on any postings to:
Joshua Harper #29429-086
FDC Sheridan
Federal Detention Center
P.O. Box 6000
Sheridan, OR 97378
Sorry for any inconveniences this may have caused, and please please please start writing- he hasn't received any mail in the past few days as a result of this bullsh*t.Thanks for your support!
Josh's Support Team
The biggest news is that when Josh got to FCI Sheridan, the prison to which he was designated, they told him there were no spaces available! So they sent him over to another building on the same prison campus, the Sheridan Federal Detention Center... where he's still stuck in a cell meant for 2 men but currently housing 3! He's been told that he'll be moved as soon as a space opens up at the FCI, but that could take at least a month. In the meantime Josh is stuck. There is a little delay in his receipt of mail, but he is getting it so please keep writing (you can still write to him at the address that's been posted).
Since the Detention center is usually meant to house inmates who are being transferred soon, the commissary there doesn't allow for purchase of many items- including envelopes! Josh is okay with funds at the moment but has struggled to barter with others to get the supplies he needs to write to anyone. So if you don't get a reply to your letter please don't let it deter you from writing- he's trying to get back to you!
Unfortunately another rule specific to the detention center is that Josh can only try to receive visits from family. We're working on making this happen as soon as possible (his mother and sister don't own a car and aren't in the best health), but in the meantime your letters are really keeping him going! You can ask Josh about how his mom and sis went vegan in solidarity with him- he's so proud and excited about that!!
Our biggest concern at the moment is that Josh has not been eating much at all. In spite of his lawyer's knowledge that a recommendation from the judge that Josh receive vegan food is in fact on all his records, Josh has not been receiving anything that he can subsist off of. He's been picking through the normal fare and trying to eat what happens to be vegan- a few bites of bread or green beans here and there. We are working with Josh's attorney to get this situation rectified and will update as soon as we hear any change has been made. In the meantime please DO NOT call the prison! There is very specific protocol to deal with situations like this and we are working with them as fast as possible for Josh's sake- any calls made could negatively affect these efforts and Josh's safety.
Overall, though, Josh seemed to be doing okay considering the circumstances. He's still insanely grateful for the support he's been getting, the constant reminders of his most amazing friends and family, and news about how his dog has been frolicking in the snow. He was excited to share with a cell mate the experience of being in snow for the first time (his cell mate is from Hawaii if I recall correctly). In other words, he's still Josh and dealing with everything as best he can.
Thanks for supporting and please check JoshHarper.org and SHAC7.com often for updates!
Josh Harper's Support Team
Thanks to everyone who's been writing to Josh and his co-defendants!
It can be difficult when just starting to write a prisoner, so here are a few topics that we know Josh enjoys hearing about...
More ideas to come, so we all keep writing!
We haven't heard from Josh yet, but that is "normal" for the first few days in prison. We'll post again as soon as we hear anything.In the meantime please consider writing to Josh! Some photos and letters from email-ville have been sent to him priority, but Josh was really hoping to hear from people in these first few days to keep him going through the difficult transition. Please help keep his spirits up by getting in touch!!
Joshua Harper
29429-086
FCI SHERIDAN
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 5000
SHERIDAN , OR 97378
Please also help keep these folks fed and supplied for their prison survival by donating to their commisary fund here.
We've found out that Josh is only allowed to have a combined total of 5 books and magazines in his possession at any given time. We do have a list of books & magazines Josh would like to read, but will be back in touch once we figure out exactly how to stagger them (he has several on the way to tide him over). If you are interested in sending Josh a book or getting him a magazine subscription please get in touch! Like everything else, there's no being sure that Josh is being fed thus far. His lawyer confirmed that the prison does have on file the order from the judge requesting that Josh (and his co-defendants) receive vegan food, but that it is normal for the settling in period to be very difficult with no guarantees. Please do not call the prison as this may aggravate authorities against Josh. Hopefully we will hear from him soon with good news. In the meantime try not to hinge letters on the great food you just ate!Thanks again for all your support
Josh's Support Team
Luckily Josh was able to spend some quality time with some of his closest friends over the past few days, enjoyed good food, and managed to remain remarkably calm in spite of the situation. He wanted to go in to prison with his head up and clear, able to step up to the challenging days, months, years ahead of him. Thanks to you (you know who you are), he was able to.The upcoming few weeks will be exceptionally hard for Josh and his co-defendants. The transition into prison life is incredibly physically stressful and emotionally tolling, and it takes awhile for prisoners to have access to phone calls, writing supplies, or visits. Their only means of communication with the outside world is through your letters, so please please please write- soon and often!! Be sure to write Josh at:
Joshua Harper
#29429-086
FCI SHERIDAN
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 5000
SHERIDAN, OR 97378
And be sure to get his co-defendants support information at www.shac7.com.
Thanks for checking in, and thanks from the bottoms of our hearts for writing to Josh!!!