Dear Canada, Let US War Resisters Stay!

As part of UFPJ's commitment to support war resistance, we want to make sure that you were aware of an important development and need for action: Recently, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear appeals from U.S. war resisters Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey seeking refuge in Canada. Click here for more background information: http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/544/1/

Courage to Resist is urging people in the U.S. to sign their "Dear Canada: Let US War Resisters Stay" appeal, which will be sent to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley, and Stéphane Dion, Liberal Party. Click here to sign the appeal: http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/499/1/

The appeal letter begins: "I am writing from the United States to ask you to make a provision for sanctuary for the scores of U.S. military servicemembers currently in Canada, most of whom have traveled to your country in order to resist fighting in the Iraq War. Please let them stay in Canada..." Click here (and scroll down) to view the full text of the letter: http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/499/89/

More resources, including postcards, petitions, etc. can be downloaded and ordered here: http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/520/89/

We urge you to do what you can to support this effort. Please forward this information to others. No AWOL service person has yet been deported from Canada. However, that can now change quickly, following the Supreme Court of Canada's decision. Now is the time to add our voices as people in the United States in support of our war resisters.

More News on War Resisters:

On Nov. 8, a U.S. federal court granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Lt. Ehren Watada, preventing a second court-martial from proceeding! Charges had been re-filed against Lt. Watada, the first commissioned officer to refuse deployment to Iraq, in Feb. 2007, following a mistrial called during his first court-martial despite the defense's objections. The Army was proceeding with a second court-martial, even though Lt. Watada's appeal based on double jeopardy was still pending. Find out the latest developments in his case and how you can help: http://www.thankyoult.org/

Conscientious objector Agustín Aguayo has decided to appeal the two felonies­ on his record to th eU.S. Supreme Court. He returned home on May 18, 2007, after serving 7 months of an 8-month sentence for desertion and missing a movement of his unit. Click here to find out how you can support Aguayo and his family: http://www.aguayodefense.org/

Yours, for peace and justice,

Leslie Cagan
National Coordinator, UFPJ

Free The Children of Texas' Hutto Prison Protest

Free The Children of Texas' Hutto Prison - No Child Left Behind Bars - Close Hutto!







The Shameful Problem:

The children at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, 35 miles northeast of Austin, live in cells; they wear uniforms and receive inadequate medical and educational services, are often cold and hungry, separated from their parents as punishment, and until the recently filed ACLU case received only one hour of schooling per day and rarely played outside.

They are guilty of no crimes, and endanger no one. Their parents, who are incarcerated here because they are seeking asylum after fleeing such circumstances as war, torture, political persecution and rape, or are accused of violating civil immigration laws, have committed no crimes. Many of the children are US Citizens.

Teachers at the center are not required to be licensed in Texas, and the state’s family welfare agency exempted Hutto from child care licensing requirements. Along with one other, less prison-like facility in Pennsylvania, Hutto is operated without official regulations.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the arm of Homeland Security that runs the two centers, relies on custody rules designed for inmates

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), a for profit company running the majority of privatized prisons in the US, is paid 2.8 million dollars a month (7k per child per month or 84k per child per year) to keep these children behind bars.

It would cost less to put them up at the Austin Hilton with room service.

In contrast, putting a monitoring bracelet/anklet on a parent costs $660 per month.

In past years CCA has made political contributions to key Texas politicians, 100k to Tom Delay and 100k to Governor Perry. Overall, for profit prison companies contributed roughly 519k to state level political campaigns in one year alone. Lt Governor Dewhurt's cut was 53k, while House Speaker Craddick received 34.9k.

Why free the children when keeping them locked up makes so much money?

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Baker Park

Baker Park, E. Saint Louis & 10th Street



(Left) No adults allowed in children's play area unless supervising a child 12 years or younger. However, there are no signs that clearly express where the children's play area begins.



(Left) West side of Baker Park, children's play area, concrete block wall, tree is approximately 5 feet east of city sidewalk.


(Above) Parked car east of church, sidewalk, tree, concrete block wall, children's play area.



(Left) North side of Baker Park, E. Saint Louis, city sidewalk, grass, concrete block wall, children's play area is to the south of the block wall.


(Above) Parked cars east of church, sidewalk, tree, concrete block wall, children's play area is to the east of the block wall.



(Left) West side of park, sidewalk, block wall, children's play area.


(Above) E. Saint Louis, sidewalk, children's play area behind block wall.