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The Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest at Villanova University announced HRC as one of the recipients of the 2021-22 Turning Points in History Grant Program. The program includes a $5000 grant to support public-facing historical projects related to the theme of “Turning Points” in history. The “Prison Abolition Archive” is a collaborative project between local archivists, including Simon Ragovin (Drexel University) and Beaudry Allen (Villanova University) and activists Reggie West (Human Rights Coalition), Jackson Kusiack (Human Rights Coalition) and B. Preston Lyle (Human Rights Coalition). Funds will be used to create the "Prison Abolition Archive" (PAA) to document and preserve the administrative records, surveys, legal documents, 10,000+ letters from incarcerated people, and other archival materials collected by HRC over the last 20 years.

By Juliette Rando It was a sweltering Sunday afternoon in mid-September, but that didn’t stop dozens from gathering outside Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary to demand the closure of a toxic prison - SCI Fayette. In stark contrast to the tourists lining up for the “museum” like prisons are a historical artifact, the speakers emphasized the immediate and dire situation of individuals being poisoned by environmental hazards at SCI Fayette. “Can’t breathe, can’t eat, can’t smell. For a significant period of time. And then denied medical attention” — that’s how Dana Lomax-Williams summarized the situation for our kinmates incarcerated at Fayette. She explained how an investigation by the Abolitionist Law Center uncovered 17 deaths at Fayette between 2010-2013, 64% of which were due to cancer. This sad reality is a direct result of the fact that SCI Fayette was built on a coal ash dumping site that contaminates the surrounding air and water. The DOC is well aware of this fact - in fact, the drinking water at the prison is so polluted that prison staff sued for access to bottled water for themselves - and their dogs - and won. But they still force those incarcerated there to drink, bathe in, and cook with this poison water. Dana’s message resounded throughout the crowd, “The only option is for us to fight for them or they die.” Throughout the event, B. Preston Lyles, an organizer with HRC’s #ShutDownFayette campaign who was formerly incarcerated at SCI Fayette, seamlessly wove together the issues of mass incarceration and environmental racism, as he introduced the lineup of speakers including prison abolitionists, labor organizers, and environmental justice advocates. HRC’s Jackson Kusiak walked the crowd through the environmental history of Pennsylvania - from coal mining to fracking - and explained how that legacy of extracting the earth for profit has interfaced with the legacy of extracting human souls for profit through the prison industrial complex. Toxic corporations suck every last resource from the earth, and when there’s nothing left, they turn to warehousing people on that land so they can still turn a profit. That’s why SCI Fayette was built. And that’s why people incarcerated there are forced to drink the water- because they are treated as just another resource that can be extracted and then thrown away. Yet the crowd’s energy was that of determination, not despair. As BP elucidated, “We have been working to accomplish a mission that requires as many voices and as many votes and as loud of a scream as we can muster. This needs to be amplified all across the commonwealth, and the nation.”

On September 19th, we will gather outside the Eastern State Penitentiary to #ShutDownFayette ! We are calling on you to support our efforts to close a prison south of Pittsburgh that currently provides toxic water to incarcerated souls. While guards are able to drink bottled water, those incarcerated must bathe, cook, and drink water riddled with cancer causing contaminants from fracking close by. Please join us from 1-3 pm to hear stories from those previously inside SCI-Fayette’s walls and to demand human rights for all!

Line separator THE MOVEMENT HRC'S Quarterly News Magazine . The Movement is a powerful voice for public awareness that serves both to connect people inside to the outside world and to plug the public into issues affecting incarcerated people. It represents the voices, faces, causes, and ideas of incarcerated people and their families. T he Movement presents success stories. The section titled ‘Love Knows No Bars’ shows that family ties and love can remain strong and, in many cases, is the life force that keeps incarcerated people strong. CURRENT ISSUE ARCHIVES Subscribe to The Movement! Current Issue Issue 45, Fall 2021 >Click Here to Read Submissions We w​elcome all submissions of artwork, poetry, essays, and creative writing. Please keep submissions to two pages maximum. You can email submissions to info@hrcoalition.org or mail them to the address provided below. Donations The Movement is powered through your donations. You can donate online or by sending a check or money order to: ​​ Human Rights Coalition PO Box 34580 Philadelphia, PA 19101 Donate THE MOVEMENT ARCHIVES . Issue 44, Spring 2021 Issue 43, Winter 2021 Issue 42, Fall 2020 Issue 41, Summer 2020 Issue 40, Spring 2020 Issue 39, Fall 2019 Issue 31, Spring 2017 Issue 38, Summer 2019 Issue 30, Winter 2016 Issue 37, Spring 2019 Issue 34, Spring 2018 Issue 28, Spring 2016 Issue 27, Summer 2015 Issue 26, Spring 2015 Issue 25, Winter 2014 Issue 24, Fall 2014 Issue 21, Winter 2013 Issue 18, Spring 2013 Issue 14, Spring 2012 Issue 10, Winter 2011 Issue 5, Fall 2009 Issue 17, Winter 2012 Issue 13, Winter 2011 Issue 9, Winter 2010 Issue 3, Summer 2009 Issue 16, Fall 2012 Issue 12, Fall 2011 Issue 7, Spring 2010 Issue 2, Spring 2009 Issue 15, Summer 2012 Issue 11, Summer 2011 Issue 6, Winter 2010 Issue 1, Winter 2008 Back to Top

HUMAN RIGHTS COALITION WHO WE ARE ABOUT OUR MEMBERS The Human Rights Coalition (HRC) is a grassroots non-profit group of currently and formerly incarcerated people, their families, and supporters. It was formed to support families in coping with the stress and hardships created by having a loved one incarcerated, as well as to challenge the punitive, retributive nature of the penal system and to work to transform that to a model of rehabilitation and successful reintegration to society. WHAT WE DO Toxic Prisons. Solitary Confinement. Lack of response to the COVID 19 crisis. Police Brutality. These are just some of the issues we are organizing around. Learn more about our work below. OUR CAMPAIGNS HOW YOU CAN HELP GET INVOLVED LATEST NEWS & CURRENT ACTIONS READ MORE CALENDAR HRC Awarded 5k Grant for Prison Abolition Archive The Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest at Villanova University announced HRC as one of the recipients of the 2021-22... "Fight for them or they die:" Protestors rally against toxic prisons By Juliette Rando It was a sweltering Sunday afternoon in mid-September, but that didn’t stop dozens from gathering outside... #ShutDownFayette Sept 19th! On September 19th, we will gather outside the Eastern State Penitentiary to #ShutDownFayette ! We are calling on you to support our... THE MOVE MENT Since 2001, HRC has published The Movement, a powerful voice for public awareness that serves both to connect incarcerated people to the outside world and to plug the public into issues affecting incarcerated people. It represents the voices, faces, causes, and ideas of incarcerated people and their families. View Latest Issue

Line separator PRISON ABUSE LOG The purpose of the prison abuse log is to document the stories of people inside who are surviving the horrific nature of prisons and expose the most heinous perpetrators of the abuse. Summary report Summaries of incidents and exposing patterns within the reports of: type of abuse, perpetrators of abuse, facilities where abuse occurs.