Vol. 76/No. 4      January 30, 2012

In April 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, ruled unanimously that his death sentence was unconstitutional.

District Attorney Seth Williams announced Dec. 7 that his office would no longer pursue the death penalty for Abu-Jamal.

Abu-Jamal, a journalist, political activist and former Black Panther, spent 29 years on death row for the 1982 frame-up conviction of killing a city cop.

On Dec. 8, the Department of Corrections moved Abu-Jamal from the solitary death-row cellblock at the Greene “supermax” state prison. Six days later, he was transferred to the Mahanoy medium security facility.

Contrary to his new legal status of life in prison, he remains in isolation under “administrative custody.” This is permanently imposed on death row inmates or on other prisoners, supposedly on a temporary basis and for defined reasons. It includes shackles and handcuffs whenever he is outside the isolated cell; cell lights on 24 hours; no access to personal possessions including legal materials, books or typewriter; no regular phone access; and other onerous restrictions.

“There is no legal basis for Mumia to be confined in AC,” said Rachel Wolkenstein, Abu-Jamal’s attorney, in a Jan. 7 legal update.

According to Wolkenstein, Department of Corrections Chief Counsel Suzanne Hueston told her that Abu-Jamal was under administrative custody for resentencing and further evaluation.

But, Wolkenstein pointed out, there is no basis for further evaluation as “there is nothing is Mumia’s [nearly 30-year] personal record to justify holding him in Administrative Custody.”
 
 
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Chicago: family demands truth about hangings in cop custody  
 
 
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