[Pamunkey Regional Jail: (804) 365-6400: press 4 then 3001 and ask to speak to the superintendent’s office; press 0 after business hours]

Dear friends, we would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to all of you who have called the Pamunkey Regional Jail to protest Dr. Al-Arian’s unjust treatment. Several of you have emailed TBCJP saying that the receptionist has given them the run-around, so we wanted to provide a little clarification:

– Do not let the receptionist re-direct you to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). While it is true that the ICE has the ultimate authority to release Dr. Al-Arian before his trial, it is the prison’s prerogative whether to keep Dr. Al-Arian in solitary confinement or not, and this is what we need to concentrate on at the moment.

– It does not matter if the superintendent is on vacation: someone must be in charge who can address this urgent issue. Insist that you speak to the person in charge about this issue.

– It is not true that Dr. Al-Arian has been placed in solitary confinement for his own safety. On the contrary, this is extremely dangerous for his psychological and therefore physical well-being (keep in mind that Dr. Al-Arian is still recovering from his debilitating 57-day-long fast). Furthermore, the ICE gave its word that Dr. Al-Arian would be kept with the general inmate population. This is a very old trick the government has used over the years to try to break Dr. Al-Arian.

– Tell the receptionist that you find these excuses to be unacceptable and that, as a person of conscience, you will not stand for it. And tell her that you will keep calling back every single day until this abuse ends.

[Again, if you could please click on this link every time you call so that we can keep track!]

In solidarity,

The TBCJP Team