California prison hunger strikes in 2011 and 2013 sparked several debates about human rights, incarceration and state priorities. Ending the practice of solitary confinement will be the focus of a Saturday, Dec. 9, symposium hosted by Cal State Fullerton and California Families Against Solitary Confinement.
The 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. event will feature a keynote presentation by Rick Raemisch, executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, who called solitary confinement “torture” and banned the practice in the state of Colorado for longer than 15 days.
Other invited speakers include:
- Angelica Camacho, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Jules Lobel, professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh, former vice president of the Center for Constitutional Rights and lead attorney in the Asker v. Brown case
- Jack Morris, who spent 40 years in prison (33 in solitary confinement)
- Keramet Reiter, author of “23/7: Pelican Bay Prison and the Rise of Long-Term Solitary Confinement”
- Michael Saavadra, UCLA fellow and paralegal, who spent 19 years in prison (17 in solitary confinement)
- Kelly Turner, who received parole after 19 years and 8 months in prison
- Azadeh Zohrabi, director of development for Legal Services for Prisoners With Children (moderator)
The event, which takes place in Room 1406 of Steven G. Mihaylo Hall, is co-sponsored by Boom California, California Prison Focus, CSUF Chicana and Chicano Studies Department, CSUF Project Rebound, Legal Services for Prisoners With Children and Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity. Visit the event website for registration and more information.