After exactly three months of life in Woodford County Jail, Wednesday marked Kevin and Tyler’s second pretrial. Here are the updates: First the good news. Tyler was offered a plea deal that granted him time served and conditional release without probation. HE’S FREE! Kevin is sadly still in prison.
Info: http://totalliberation.blogsport.de
Here´s a summary what happend:
09. november 2013:
After exactly three months of life in Woodford County Jail,
Wednesday marked Kevin and Tyler’s second pretrial. Here are the
updates:
First the good news. Tyler was offered a plea deal that granted him
time served and conditional release without probation. HE’S
FREE! And we’re not surprised. Between Tyler’s clean record and the
dubious nature of the vehicle search that led to the charges, it
was only a matter of time before he was released. It’s an
injustice and a shame that Tyler had to waste three months of his
life and his activist career sitting in Woodford County Jail
because his bail was set exorbitantly high by Judge Huschen—who
also initially rejected Tyler’s plea, but was finally persuaded
to accept it. We’re outraged that it happened, but so happy to
have our friend back. Welcome home, Ty. (And speaking of home, Tyler
is staying in Chicago with his attorneys right now, but will be
back en route to L.A. in the next week.)
31. october 2013:
The book ban has been lifted + Kevin ends hunger strike.
After 8 days on a hunger strike, jail head Michael Waterworth told
Kevin Olliff he was lifting the book ban. This huge victory comes
after Kevin lost close to 20 pounds over the 8 days. Kevin has now ended
his hunger strike, effective immediately.
Thanks to everyone worldwide who made calls, wrote articles, and
organized support during Kevin’s hunger strike. While it is
always unfortunate when someone is pushed into starving
themselves to receive a basic human right, we can say that from
everyone’s hard work and Kevin’s sacrifice, this episode has a
happy ending.
Kevin at his first meal in over a week at lunchtime on Thursday, and
was given a book. He was told the books that have been sent during the
book ban will be given to him by the end of the day.
Lifting of book ban comes after major publicity and hundreds of calls.
The lifting of the ban came after a full week of hunger strike, and
huge publicity from places such as Aljazeera America and
Twitter, where the “#right2read” hashtag was seen by millions over
the previous two days.
If we let one jail get away with taking away a basis human rights from
prisoners, they can soon take them from everyone. Thanks to
everyone who stood up to this unjust denial of a prisoner’s basic
right to read. This is a victory not just for Kevin and Tyler, but to
everyone confined in Woodford County Jail and beyond.
Waterworth’s agenda backfires
This reversal did not come from Waterworth’s conscience. He was
clear to specify to Kevin that lifting the book ban was not his
decision, and came from higher up the chain. There is no question
he is embarrassed over having his pointless book ban given
worldwide scrutiny, resulting in more reasonable people over
his head setting him straight.
Many comments he made to Kevin indicated the book ban was about
control, not practical measures. He also maintained he would not
lift the book ban because it would empower prisoners and their
outside supporters, and show that he could be influenced by them.
This attempt to look like a tough lawman has backfired on
Waterworth, who has now been publicly embarrassed by the people
above him, and shown that even in the culture of jailers his conduct
was out of line, inhumane, and unacceptable.
The lesson
Don’t ever think that simple actions to shine a spotlight on
injustice don’t work. This victory would not have been achieved if
we had not spoken up.
Send Tyler and Kevin books!
30. october 2013:
Jail threatens to begin force-feeding as Kevin is moved to solitary confinement.
Yesterday, Kevin was moved to an “isolation unit” at the Woodford
County Jail. He is now on day 7 of his hunger strike to challenge
the jail’s ban on books, which has created a life of insufferable
boredom for both Kevin and Tyler.
The ostensible purpose of the isolation unit is for “medical
observation” as Kevin enters a very precarious second week
without food. The cell is on the ground floor, where he is able to be
watched more closely by jail staff.
Kevin has lost 10 to 15 pounds since his hunger strike began 7 days
ago. He is drinking water (and coffee), and ingesting salt (sodium
is said to stave off the worst effects of starvation).
The jail has been attempting to bait Kevin into eating by offering
food of a quality far beyond what is normal, including baked
potatoes, vegan chili, and more in an attempt to entice him into
eating.
They have repeatedly threatened Kevin with “medical
intervention” if he continues to refuse food. Specifically,
they have said he will be strapped down and force-fed.
Another threat Waterworth has made to Kevin is that he will be
personally charged for all medical bills related to his hunger
strike.
As the days tick by, Kevin’s health is likely to worsen and he will
need all the support we can offer him. It is an absolute disgrace
that a pointless book ban has inflicted such desperate
psychological stress on prisoners that they feel forced to starve
themselves in response.
What you can do
Continue to call the jail: 309-467-2116, ask for “Michael Waterworth.”
Contact the governor: Pat Quinn: (217) 782-0244 or (312) 814-2121 or via online form.
Contact the mayor: Scott Punke: (309) 467-2113 or via email at mayor@eurekaillinois.net.
Mail Kevin internet printouts: The only way for Kevin to occupy his
time is to read what is mailed in to him. Print out ebooks and
long-form articles on engaging topics. When you send printouts,
you should also include a letter! (And don’t forget to write Tyler).
29. october 2013:
An Open Letter to IL Governor Quinn & Eureka Mayor Punke
Dear Governor Quinn and Mayor Punke,
We are writing to make you all aware of an inmate hunger strike that
is currently happening at the Woodford County Jail in Eureka,
IL, and to ask you to immediately intervene in this dire
situation.
Kevin Johnson, an inmate at Woodford County Jail who is awaiting
trial, began a hunger strike on October 23, 2013, to protest the
jail’s newly-instated ban on allowing inmates to receive books
that are mailed to them from supporters. The jail placed this ban on
books in early September, hours after Kevin’s book wish list was
posted on a support website. Kevin has made internal complaints
about the book ban and supporters have called the jail to ask that
the book ban be lifted, but Woodford County Jail Superintendent
Michael Waterworth has refused to allow Kevin and other inmates
to receive the books that they desperately desire in order to
make their time in jail educational. As an inmate with few ways to
protest jail actions that infringe on inmates’ rights, Kevin
decided that the next step he would take in protesting the book ban
would be to go on a hunger strike, and he has said that he will remain
on the hunger strike until the book ban is lifted.
Kevin is several days into the hunger strike and already
experiencing the difficult effects of not eating. As the hunger
strike continues, he will be risking permanent damage to his
muscles, bones, organs, and brain in a matter of weeks; death is a
risk that is present at every stage of a hunger strike.
Furthermore, Superintendent Waterworth has told Kevin that, if
he does not resume eating, he will be force fed, which amounts to
torture in a jail setting. Kevin is putting his physical and
mental health—as well as his life—on the line, and this requires
urgent action on his behalf.
As the Governor of Illinois and the Mayor of Eureka, you all have a
responsibility to intervene when an inmate in your state and
city is engaged in a hunger strike, particularly when the
hunger strike is in response to a jail’s treatment of inmates.
We implore you to call Superintendent Waterworth and ask that
the jail immediately resume allowing inmates to receive books
that are mailed to them and bring Kevin’s hunger strike to an end.
This is an extremely dangerous situation that requires this
swift and compassionate action from people in your influential
leadership positions.
You can call the Woodford County Jail at 309-467-2116 to speak with
Superintendent Waterworth and bring relief to this critical
situation. Thank you for caring about the lives, health, and rights
of inmates in your state and city.
Sincerely,
Supporters of Kevin
CONTACT THE GOVERNOR & MAYOR WITH THESE CONCERNS
Governor Pat Quinn: (217) 782-0244 or (312) 814-2121 or via online form.
Mayor Scott Punke: (309) 467-2113 or via email at mayor@eurekaillinois.net.
28. october 2013:
Hunger Strike Day 4
With an Illinois inmate now starving himself to protest a
violation of his First Amendment Rights, we think it’s time for
Governor Pat Quinn to know what’s going on at facilities in his
state. Once he’s aware, a chat between the Governor and Woodford
County Jail Superintendent Mike Waterworth would likely bring a
swift end to the book ban—and to Kevin’s hunger strike.
Click here to access Quinn’s online contact form. Please send a
polite message notifying him of what’s going on, along with a
request that he intervene immediately.
24. october 2013:
Kevin Olliff is on hunger strike until the Woodford County Jail book ban is reversed.
It has been over 6 weeks since Michael Waterworth banned all books
from entering the Woodford County Jail. The psychological toll
of life in a cell without any way to pass the time has been nearly
insufferable, as they are forced to waste away without even the
most basic form of mental stimulation.
Today Kevin announced that he is prepared to go without food until
the book ban is lifted. The hunger strike is effective as of
midnight, Wednesday night.
What you can do
Continue to call Michael Waterworth and the jail repeatedly,
this time with the added word of caution that they will soon have a
sick and dying prisoner if they do not undo the ban. Kevin is
prepared to go the distance and not eat until the jail allows
prisoners access to books.
Jail: 309-467-2116
Sheriff Pierceall: 309-467-2375
Why did the jail ban books?
The ban was instituted hours after Tyler & Kevin’s book wish list
was posted online. The book ban was not the result of any rule
violation or taken as a practical
measure, and appears to be purely punitive in response to the attention Kevin & Tyler have received.
The jail’s only attempt at an explanation has been to say the jail
library is full. This transparent attempt to distract from the
issue does not even address the book ban, in which books are no longer
allowed to be mailed in directly to prisoners. The capacity
of the library is not at issue.
How lawless is Michale Waterworth and his jail?
They have banned books.
They admit they read attorney-client privileged mail between prisoners and their lawyers.
They steal outgoing mail which documents prisoner abuse.
They lie to the media and concerned people who call the jail.
Who is responsible?
A proud law man (who does not respect the actual law) named Michael
Waterworth is solely responsible for implementing the
draconian ban on books. He is also responsible for allowing
guards to read attorney-client privileged mail, and all other
abuses taking place. He lied to Tyler & Kevin that he would undo
the book ban if they were patient, placating them long enough for
the media attention to die down, at which point he renegged on his
promise.
Addressing Michael Waterworth’s lies, preemptively.
Please note Michael Waterworth is telling the media and others that
the prisoners have access to a library of books. This is 100%
false and has been confirmed repeatedly by Tyler & Kevin over
the past 6 weeks.
Some jail staff have stated that they do not read and don’t
understand why prisoners would want books. The jailers being
openly illiterate goes a long way towards explaining why a jail
would deny prisoners books, and the culture of ignorance Tyler
& Kevin are now at the mercy of.
Please continue to call the jail and the media
It is crucial we continue to put a spotlight on the out of control
Woodford County Jail. Demand Kevin, Tyler, and all prisoners are
allowed access to books, and that the community in Woodford
County is aware of the stain on them made by this jail.
Jail: 309-467-2116
Sheriff Pierceall: 309-467-2375
Write Kevin and let him know he is supported during this hunger strike
While Kevin is on hunger strike and enduring this difficult
struggle to reclaim a basic right, please send him letters of
support.
And please include in every letter internet printouts of
interesting articles or other material he can read (they can
receive reading material printed off the internet).
(And don’t forget about Tyler).
Note Kevin’s legal name is Kevin Johnson.
Kevin Johnson #4565
Woodford County Jail
111 E Court St.
Eureka, IL 61530
Tyler Lang #4564
Woodford County Jail
111 E Court St.
Eureka, IL 61530
22. october 2013:
FBI using divide and conquer tactics in attempts to question friends of Kevin & Tyler.
Be aware: The FBI has been questioning (and more often, attempting
to question) several friends of Tyler & Kevin in the Los
Angeles area. While this is not remarkable in any politicized
case, there are two important elements here that make this latest
round of questioning notable:
The FBI is attempting to turn friends against Kevin:
Unfortunately, at least one person has unwisely spoken to
the FBI. Los Angeles FBI agents pulled one of the oldest tricks in
their book: Using disinformation to build negative feelings
against Kevin to make the person being questioned more willing to
talk. While this trick should be transparent, its worth repeating:
The FBI isn’t just allowed to lie, they usually do. “Divide and
conquer” wouldn’t be such a well-worn tactic if it didn’t work. Don’t
be one of the people to fall for it.
The FBI has alluded to perjury charges for those who talk: FBI
agents told the person who spoke with them they already knew the
answers to everything they asked, indicating a possible
intention to file perjury charges if cooperators give the
“wrong” answers. If ever there was a more glaring reason to not
speak with the FBI, this is it: They want you to talk so they can put
you in prison.
There is never any incentive to speak with the FBI. They will use your “cooperation” to put you in prison.
13. october 2013:
Big push to have book ban lifted.
Five weeks after being instituted, the book ban at Woodford County
Jail is wearing on Tyler & Kevin, and the boredom is taking a
psychological toll.
We are asking supporters to place massive pressure on the jail to
reverse this pointless ban that is causing Kevin & Tyler
unnecessary psychological torment and almost unbearable
boredom.
We have tried for weeks to work with the jail, to no end. So we are trying a new approach.
Michael “Mike” Waterworth, the person responsible for the book
ban, so we are asking everyone let him know the spotlight is on him.
Call now to let him know the world is still watching as he continues
to let prisoners waste away without books, lie about their access to
them, and inflict this cruel and unprovoked punitive measure
on prisoners who have broken no rules.
Jail: 309-467-2116
Sheriff Pierceall: 309-467-2375
Four ways to make your calls effective:
Call multiple times. If you call once, please call back two or three more times.
Call both numbers.
Remind them denying prisoners books is illegal.
Remind them Kevin and Tyler’s supporters are not going away until the book ban is lifted.
Call volume has a big impact: 100 of their supporters calling 3
times a day for the next 3 days is nearly 1,000 calls. It only takes a
minute.
The latest on the book ban
For 5 weeks Kevin & Tyler attempted to remedy this
unnecessary punitive measure from the inside, by working
with Michael Waterworth, the person in charge with day to day
operations. After weeks of telling them to “be patient” and that
he’s “working on it,” Waterworth recently declared flatly that
the book ban would not be reversed.
What’s worse, after telling Kevin Olliff for weeks that his hands were
tied and his superiors were responsible for the ban, this week
he told Kevin the decision was his and the book ban would remain
(i.e. that he had lied).
Waterworth doesn’t even seem to believe that his book ban is illegal (read one lawyers analysis of the book ban here).
We have in the past referred to the Woodford County Jail as a
lawless operation, and the more learn the more true this is. For
example, a veteran guard at the jail admitted openly that all
attorney-client privileged legal mail is read by the guards. This
is a flagrant violation of the law.
Please start the calls now
Jail: 309-467-2116
Sheriff Pierceall: 309-467-2375
Let’s hold this lawless jail accountable.
13. october 2013:
On Wednesday, Kevin and Tyler had a pre-trial court appearance.
There were no major developments, but here is a synopsis of what
took place:
First, we are really excited to announce that Kevin & Tyler
have new attorneys, who appeared in court and officially took
over the defense from the public defender (who had been defending
them so far). They are hard working attorneys from Chicago who
are committed to fighting hard for Kevin and Tyler, and they are in
good hands.
Kevin’s attorney received some evidence being used against him from
the police on his case, and another piece of evidence from the
State’s Attorney.
The next court date was set for November 6. They actually have a
trial date set for November 18, although that date is expected to
be pushed back.
Their attorneys had a visit with both of them after the court date.
Both were said to be in good spirits. They said the food situation
has improved greatly. Tyler is playing a lot of chess and cards.
They’re still being refused access to books, and the boredom has
been strenuous on both of them.
02. october 2013:
For over a month now, Woodford County Jail has blocked books sent by
family and friends from reaching inmates. This means that not only
Kevin and Tyler, but every other inmate, has had zero access to new
reading material sent from the outside—we don’t need to tell you
that this is a serious violation of their First Amendment rights.
[Unfortunately, this kind of thing is not unprecedented. Read more here, here, and here.]
Grievances have been filed by Kevin, officials have been
contacted by liaisons, and still there’s been no movement from
Superintendent Mike Waterforth or Sheriff James Pierceall to
lift this arbitrary ban.
SO START CALLING. Please contact the jail and (politely!) ask when
the inmates will be allowed to start receiving books again. Let
them know that you’re concerned about this infringement on free
speech, and that you’ll continue to call to check back about the book
ban.
Jail: 309-467-2116
Sheriff Pierceall: 309-467-2375
In other news, Kevin and Tyler are eating well, which they’re
obviously happy about. (So we know Woodford County can be worked
with, given the 180-degree turn-around with regard to their meals.)
They’re awaiting their October 9th pre-trial, and in the
meantime are reading your letters and whatever decent books they
can find, and watching too much TV. And as always, they’re grateful
for your support.
Finally, we have a fundraising goal of $1,000 for the month of October. Let’s do this for our friends.
16. september 2013:
In the first relatively good news since their incarceration,
we’re happy to report that Kevin and Tyler are now getting the vegan
meals they’ve been requesting for over three weeks.
Shortly after phone calls to the jail stopped last week, a
nutritionist was sent to see Kevin and Tyler in order to talk about
what kinds of food the jail could serve them. Now the guys are getting
simple but adequate meals with more vegetables, fresh fruit, and
peanut butter sandwiches. This is a relief to everyone and a
step forward in making their detention more livable.
A less-encouraging update: Woodford County Jail’s incoming book
ban is still in effect with no talk of being lifted, and Kevin and
Tyler are very quickly running out of reading material. While some
parts of the population (both inmate and outside) may be content
to watch TV or read mystery novels all day, Kevin and Tyler are not.
They’re trying to use this time to educate themselves further,
and jail’s blanket book censorship program is a violation of their
(and other inmates’) rights.
We’re waiting a little longer to see if Superintendent Mike
Waterforth lifts this ban, so please continue to hold your calls.
In the meantime, as always, you can support Kevin and Tyler by
writing letters, sharing their story and contact info, and donating
to their commissary and legal fund. More updates are coming soon,
so stay tuned.
Thanks for everything you’re doing. Kevin and Tyler send their love and gratitude.
12. september 2013:
UPDATE, September 12th: We’re asking that everyone stop calling the jail, temporarily.
The bulk of the issues are still unresolved, but we are asking for
a brief moratorium on calls and contacting the media on behalf
of Tyler & Kevin.
We’ll keep everyone appraised of progress if and when it happens.
This is not over and plans are in place to deal with the issues
related to books, food, and email if this is not resolved soon.
Please check back.
Meanwhile, please focus your support on getting letters and
commissary funds to Kevin and Tyler. They’re still denied access
anything besides bibles and pop fiction, and have limited
communication access, so this is the best way to support them.
They really thank everyone for the huge support they’ve received during this hard time.
10. september 2013:
After a swarm of phone calls, Superintendent Mike Waterforth
(fresh off his vacation) had to hold a press conference to defend
the inmate mistreatment going on at his jail. The resulting news
story was entirely one-sided and misrepresentative. Read
the article itself and our rebuttal here.
Kevin and Tyler’s preliminary hearing was yesterday, but as
anticipated, not much resulted aside from more court dates. A
pre-trial is set for October 9th; the actual trial is set for
November 18th.
The one other development we’ve heard of from the prelim was that
they’ve both been indicted on one charge only, “possession of
burglary tools.”
Late last week, in a dangerous punitive measure clearly
targeted at Kevin and Tyler, the jail supervisors revoked email
access from the entire inmate population. Abruptly taking
it from everyone in order to punish a few (not for behavioral
infractions, but for the support they’re getting from family and
friends) creates a hostile atmosphere for the targets of the
measure—and the jail knows this.
While Kevin and Tyler have regained access to their commissary
funds, requests for a doctor, and right to file grievances—they’re
STILL not receiving adequate meals and incoming books are still
banned (Tyler is reportedly on his last book, which means his
choices will soon be narrowed to pop fiction and bibles).
We anticipate a big announcement to roll out tomorrow. Please stay tuned. And please keep spreading the word.
Really, SEND LETTERS. Without email now and with restricted phone
access, this is their only access to the outside world. Show them and
the jail officials that Kevin and Tyler have a huge community
supporters.
10. september 2013:
Tuesday morning, the Peoria Journal Star newspaper published a
story about Kevin, Tyler, and their treatment at the Woodford County
Jail (“Website accusations spur phone calls to Woodford County
Jail“). Problem was, they got almost everything wrong.
They paper also made the mistake of linking to this site, so that we
are able to tell their readers what a poor reporting job was done. We
are grateful for the chance to address its readership directly.
Six examples of sloppy reporting in the Peoria Star article
The reporter never contacted this site, nor any spokesperson for
Kevin & Tyler. Getting both sides of the story is fundamental to
any reporting done with integrity. We’re sure Laura Nightengale
is not proud to admit: She never contacted us.
Despite this website featuring heavily in the article, we were
never contacted. Instead, she relied entirely on quotes from
the police.
Starting with that blunder, it should come as no surprise the
article avoided adequately and directly addressing any of
Kevin & Tyler’s grievances.
The ban on access to commissary and phones was not addressed (as
of yesterday, these were restored, presumably due to outside
pressure and media scrutiny).
The article did not address the jail-wide ban on incoming books
which took place hours after their wish list was made public. The issue
was skirted by the article, which stated there is a “jail
library” (a cart of books with mostly bibles and fiction) – a
point entirely unrelated to the ban on incoming books.
The article states they are receiving vegan meals. They are not
receiving vegan meals. No one makes up lies about being starved for
fun. As confirmed by Kevin & Tyler daily, they continue to not
be provided vegan meals.
There was no attempt to counter the revoking of Kevin & Tyler’s
ability to file grievances, and there were no quotes from the
police addressing this.
The reporter did not challenge the police on jail guard Dennis
Wertz’s overt threats to Kevin Olliff that he have this website taken
down or his commissary and email would be taken away (which they
subsequently were).
The only part the police were honest about is the ban on email, which
they admit was instituted after the “disruptive response”
(phone calls to the jail) created when Tyler & Kevin emailed
information about the book ban and inadequate food.
Holding journalists accountable
This is where it becomes problematic for a reporter to speak only
to one side (the police): When these inaccuracies in sloppy
reporting are able to be pointed out publicly, and by those who can
speak to the facts. That is, those who actually speak with Kevin &
Tyler daily. Again, we were never contacted to counter statements
from the police with Kevin & Tyler’s own words.
06. september 2013:
Today, both Kevin & Tyler had their email, commissary, and phone
taken away in expressed retaliation for the outside support
they’ve received. And it gets worse. As punishment, the jail has
also taken away their right to see a doctor and file grievances –
both flagrantly illegal moves. Yet more scandal: A jail staff
member warned Kevin Olliff two days ago they would impose this
punishment if he didn’t have this website taken down.
The Woodford County jail is out of control and criminal, and they
are attempting to cut off Kevin & Tyler’s communication to
the outside world to keep anyone from knowing what they are doing. To
say this has backfired is an understatement, because now they have
escalated a simple request for books and food to something that
is legally actionable.
Keep the pressure up
We are working to get names of the people responsible and post
them here so they can be publicly accountable. For now, we ask that
everyone keep the pressure on the jail.
Call the jail: 309-467-2116 is the number. Tell them to provide
Tyler & Kevin with vegan food, and restore their access to
doctors, the phone, email, commissary, and books.
Call the sheriff: Sheriff James Pierceall, 309-467-2375. Let him
know what his happening in his jail, and ask what he’s going to do to
correct it.
Call the mayor: Scott Punke, 309-467-2113. Let him know Woodford
County Jail has turned into a lawless operation and inform him of
all the details, especially that prisoners are being denied
access to medical care as punishment.
Here is a rundown of the events so far:
- From day one, the jail has refused to serve them vegan meals. They have been in jail for 3 weeks.
- Just after Kevin & Tyler’s book wish lists were posted, the jail declared a ban on all books in the jail.
- After a flood of phone calls, a jail staffperson told both Tyler
& Kevin on Tuesday that if the calls didn’t stop, they would take
away everything they could from both of them, including phone calls
and commissary.
- Also on Tuesday, a staffperson told Kevin Johnson he would be
punished if this website (detailing the jail’s misdeeds) wasn’t
taken down.
- On Thursday morning, every possible thing that could be taken from
them, was: Email access was cut off, phone revoked, and commissary
was taken away.
- In addition, they had both their ability to file grievances cut off, and their ability to see a doctor.
Kevin and Tyler’s health in danger
As it stands, Kevin & Tyler are receiving insufficient food,
and now are unable to supplement it with commissary food. And as
they are effectively being starved, they are also unable to seek
medical help.
As their situation worsens, they are unable to get word out of
their condition, because all means of communication have been
cut off. It is vitally important that we escalate pressure on the
Woodford County Jail now.
The world is watching
Now Woodford County Jail’s misdeeds have a worldwide audience.
This is not going away for them, despite their attempt to create an
information blackout by cutting off outgoing communication
for Kevin & Tyler.
We are compiling names of the public servants responsible and
will post soon, so the world can know who is behind this.
We are moving forward with legal remedies on this end. We need
everyone out there to keep up the pressure with phone calls.
Woodford County Jail: Your criminal actions now have a worldwide
audience. Your feeble attempt to cut off Kevin & Tyler’s
communication channels and prevent the public from knowing what
you’re doing has failed. The spotlight is on you.
KEEP CALLS COMING.
Jail: 309-467-2116
Sheriff: Sheriff James Pierceall, 309-467-2375
Mayor: Scott Punke, 309-467-2113
04. september 2013:
Both receiving insufficient food
Despite over two weeks of attempting to remedy the situation
from the inside, the jail continues to disregard their need for
vegan food. They have been forced to pick out small amounts of vegan
food from their meals, and many meals provide nothing that is vegan.
The jail has been unresponsive to their consistent requests, and
its time for these requests to start coming from the outside.
Giving the jail a free education in how to treat prisoners
With a jail as small as Woodford County, it is likely they are not
aware what it means to target prisoners who have massive outside
support. Together, we can educate them.
All calls to the jail should (politely) let the jail know that:
-The jail should allow books to its prisoners (like nearly every other jail in the country).
-Kevin & Tyler should be provided vegan food.
Please call the jail now: 309-467-2116
If the response you receive from the jail is unsatisfactory
Call the sheriff and let him know what the jail (that is under his
supervision) is doing, and ask what he is going to do to correct
it.
Sheriff James Pierceall: 309-467-2375
Phone calls achieve results. Many small battles like these have been won for prisoners through phone calls from the outside. Thanks for supporting Tyler & Kevin.
04. september 2013:
Hours after posting Hours after posting Kevin Olliff and Tyler Lang
’s book wish list so they can pass their time in jail productively,
the jail announced a new rule: Books are no longer allowed in the
entire jail.
This is a transparent attempt to target Kevin and Tyler. In a jail
with less than 20 people, word is that they are the only two
prisoners who have been receiving books from the outside.
Small jails such as the Woodford County Jail are not used to
prisoners who have tremendous outside support, and will likely
need a polite reminder that the world is watching. We are planning
to deal with this unprovoked targeting of Kevin & Tyler
aggressively and will be posting updates shortly.
Until this is resolved, please hold off on sending books.
******
Please send Kevin & Tyler a letter of support (include your email address if you wish to correspond via email):
Kevin Johnson #4565
Woodford County Jail
111 E Court St.
Eureka, IL 61530
Tyler Lang #4564
Woodford County Jail
111 E Court St.
Eureka, IL 61530
14. august 2013:
Kevin Johnson (Kevin Olliff) and Tyler Lang are animal rights
activists who were arrested on August 14 in rural Illinois on
charges of „possession of burglary tools.“ Visit their support
website for updates: http://supportkevinandtyler.com
Two Los Angeles animal rights activists – Kevin Olliff and Tyler
Lang – have been arrested in rural Illinois. They are being charged
with “possession of burglary tools,” a felony.
Many details are not known, and there are some we cannot post publicly yet, but here is what we can say right now:
The two were pulled over late on the night of August 14th in rural
Roanoke, Illinois. After refusing consent to a search, the
police searched their car anyway. Inside, police allege they
found bolt cutters, wire cutters, muriatic acid, ski masks, and
cammo clothing.
There is no evidence linking them to any crime or intended crime,
nor were they arrested on anyone’s property, and their history as
animal advocates is the only basis for these serious felony
charges.
They were subsequently arrested for “possession of burglary
tools, ” for the wire cutters and bolt cutters. The police have not
yet speculated what they believe the intended “burglary”
target was. We will give more details once we are able.
Kevin & Tyler have their next court date set for September 9th. This is just a preliminary hearing and we’re not yet sure what will transpire at this appearance, but it is likely there will be some more news to report after this date. Check back for updates.
Please send Kevin & Tyler a letter of support (include your email address if you wish to correspond via email):
Kevin Johnson #0327873943
WOODFORD COUNTY JAIL
111 E COURT ST
EUREKA, IL 61530-1252
Tyler Lang #0821889409
WOODFORD COUNTY JAIL
111 E COURT ST
EUREKA, IL 61530-1252
Tyler being held in segregation
We got word that Tyler Lang is being held in “administrative
segregation” for an unknown reason. This is a type of
confinement generally reserved for high-risk prisoners or
those who are being punished. We’re told he is being held in a small
cell block with three other prisoners separate from the rest of the
population. It is possible this is being done because the jail
is so small, it is the only way to keep Kevin and Tyler apart.
In other news regarding Tyler, he is not being given vegan food. So
far, he has been sustaining himself off food purchased from the jail
commissary, which is expensive. He is attempting to remedy
the problem from the inside, however calls to the jail may be
necessary in the near future.
Bail for Kevin and Tyler set at $100,000 & $200,000
After initially being held without bail, Kevin Olliff and Tyler Lang had their bail amounts set today.
The bail hearing shed some light on how the courts and law
enforcement may be treating this case. After the local prosecutor
initially asked for much lower amounts, the judge went beyond even
what he requested and set bail for Tyler Lang at $100,000, and Kevin
Olliff at $200,000.
This amount is exorbitant for a “burglary tools” charge. In
Illinois, $15,000 bail is the standard for Class 4 felonies.
Until bail can be arranged, Kevin and Tyler remain in jail.
Infos:
http://totalliberation.blogsport.de
http://supportkevinandtyler.com/
https://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/94923
https://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/94312
https://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/94317
https://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/94930
https://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/98414