I am one of the four principal volunteer representatives here at Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) in the Security Housing Units (SHU). I have been here on indefinite SHU since I arrived in 1990. I am presently being housed in the PBSP’s Administr ative Segregati on Unit (ASU), along with the remainder

of the brave men who came together and volunteered to peacefully protest the Department of Corruption and No- Rehabilitation (CDCR) policies of locking individuals up forever, with little or no evidence of gang activities, in indefinite SHU. To this day of Aug. 14, 2013, we remain on a no solid food, no dairy products hunger strike. And yes, as predicted, CDCR has placed us in ASU in retaliation for challenging their policy of indeterminate SHU and the 20-30 years of deprivation that they have imposed on all men and women prisoners across California for all these years. CDCR did not place us in these “unfinished” ASU cells out of the kindness of their hearts. No, they placed us here to punish us for daring to stand up united with all racial groups to say enough is enough! No longer are we going to allow CDCR to lock us up in these torturous prison cells and throw away the key without us challenging them.

Arturo Castellanos, August 18, 2013 - Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity