11/28 - ACTION NEEDED FOR JAMIE SCOTT!

From: Nancy Lockhart

Dear Supporters:

I hope that everyone has had a great holiday weekend. Jamie has asked that I let everyone know that she and Gladys send their love and thanks for the great support shown.

Jamie has not received the results of her CT scan - Dr. Williams (unknown first name) has seen Jamie at MDOC and treats her in a very hostile manner. Jamie has stated that Dr. Williams acts as if she does not want to touch her for medical examinations. For the record - Dr. Williams is a female physician at the prison.

Jamie was sent to an eye doctor who has stated that the pressure in her eyes was lower than diagnosed in a previous examination. She states that this is a good sign. The doctor also stated that she will receive some eyeglasses but, no idea when.

The Dialysis trailer is infested with black mold. Several of the dialysis inmates are now experiencing headaches and watery eyes while in this trailer (mobile building), for treatment. One of the facility nurses had to be rushed out by ambulance recently, and this nurse only becomes sick while at work in the dialysis trailer. In addition, the trailer is very unstable with holes in the floor, the inmates feel that it's simply a matter of time before someone falls through the floor.

Also, the toilets in Quickbed where Jamie is housed are still running over. That was never completely repaired.

Please contact the Mississippi health department regarding the black mold, toilets in Quick Bed and inadequate infrastructure in this dialysis trailer which are all located at CMCF in Pearl, Mississippi. Jeffrey K. Brown is the Bureau Director and his information is below. Thank you!

Jeffrey K. Brown, Ph.D., R.P.E., B.C.E.
Bureau Director
State Public Health Entomologist
Mississippi State Department of Health
570 East Woodrow Wilson Avenue
Jackson, Mississippi 39216
601.576.7972 Office
601.576.7632 Fax
769.257.2242 Cell
jeffrey.brown@msdh.state.ms.us
www.healthyms.com

In Solidarity,

Nancy Lockhart

Seattle Times Scott Sisters Article

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Sisters may or may not be guilty, but Mississippi assuredly is

Let's assume they did it.

Let's assume that two days before Christmas in 1993, a 22-year-old black woman named Jamie Scott and her pregnant 19-year-old sister Gladys set up an armed robbery. Let's assume these single mothers lured two men to a spot outside the tiny town of Forest, Miss., where three teenage boys, using a shotgun the sisters supplied, relieved the men of $11 and sent them on their way, unharmed.

Assume all of the above is true, and still you must be shocked at the crude brutality of the Scott sisters' fate. You see, the sisters, neither of whom had a criminal record before this, are still locked away in state prison, having served 16 years of their double-life sentences.

It bears repeating. Each sister is doing double life for a robbery in which $11 was taken and nobody was hurt. Somewhere, the late Nina Simone is moaning her signature song:

"Mississippi Goddam."

For the record, two of the young men who committed the robbery testified against the sisters as a condition of their plea bargain. All three reportedly received two-year sentences and were long ago released. No shotgun or forensic evidence was produced at trial. The sisters have always maintained their innocence.

Observers are at a loss to explain their grotesquely disproportionate sentence. Early this year, the Jackson Advocate, a weekly newspaper serving the black community in the state capital, interviewed the sisters' mother, Evelyn Rasco. She described the sentences as payback for her family's testimony against a corrupt sheriff. According to her, that sheriff's successor vowed revenge.

You don't have to believe that to believe this: Mississippi stands guilty of a grievous offense against simple decency.

But there is hope. Recently, the sisters' cause has been championed by high-powered allies. New York Times columnist Bob Herbert and the NAACP have called on Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour to pardon the two women. I add my voice to theirs.

I have no way of knowing if the Scott sisters' fate is tied in to some sheriff's revenge and at some level, the question is moot. Whatever the proximate cause of this ridiculous sentence, the larger cause is neon clear: the Scott sisters are black women in the poorest state in the union. And as report after report has testified, if you are poor or black (and God help you if you are both), the American justice system has long had this terrible tendency to throw you away like garbage. Historically, this has been especially true in the South.

If you doubt it, play with the scenario in your head. Try to imagine some rich white girl doing double life for an $11 robbery. You can't.

But then, that girl has access to a brand of justice unavailable to women like Jamie and Gladys Scott. She will receive every break the law allows her and maybe a few it does not. No one will throw her away.

And while it would be nice to think this problem of discarding people's lives would be solved by the release of the Scott sisters, the truth is, that wouldn't even address it.

How many other Scott sisters and brothers are languishing behind bars for no good reason, doing undeserved hard time on nonexistent evidence, perjured testimony, prosecutorial misconduct or sheer racial or class bias?

So fixing the problem the Scott sisters represent involves nothing less than the reformation of the justice system, a commitment to make it, as the name implies, a system that reliably produces justice — as opposed to these too frequent miscarriages thereof.

Meantime, Jamie Scott, who is in her late 30s now, is in poor health. She is said to be losing her vision and both her kidneys have failed. And we wait for common sense to take hold in Mississippi.

It is a situation that shocks the senses, even if we assume they did it.

Now, assume they did not.

Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr.'s column appears regularly on editorial pages of The Times. His e-mail address is: lpitts@miamiherald.com

From: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2013477385_pitts21.html

11/17 ACTION ALERT for the Scott Sisters

From: Nancy Lockhart

YOUR ASSISTANCE CONTINUES TO BE NEEDED

Your Calls-Emails and Faxes are Urgently Needed: Jamie Scott has stated that she is going blind her vision is getting worse daily and she has NOT received glasses as of yet. Call Gloria Perry and ask that she follow through with ensuring that Jamie Scott # 19197 receives glasses - gperry@mdoc.state.ms.us (601) 359-5155

Gladys Scott has informed me that the board of Pardons and Parole in Mississippi is wrapping their investigation up and will refer their findings to Governor Haley Barbour's office. Gladys Scott #19142 has requested that we call, fax, snail mail and e-mail The Honorable Haley Barbour's office to request clemency. Please also request that the governor make provisions for the sisters to include that their civil rights are restored - *WITHOUT FELONY* records. Make a toll free call to governor Haley Barbour at 877-405-0733 E-mail governor Barbour -- governor@governor.state.ms.us Governor Haley Barbour P.O. Box 139 Jackson, Mississippi 39205 1-877-405-0733 Fax: 601-359-3741 Email the governor's personal assistant - Dorothy Kuykendal DKuykendall@governor.state.ms.us

Last, National Action Network - Rev. Al Sharpton's organization - stated that a rally would be held at the beginning of December. After having their release forms by The Scott Sisters NAN has said that the date is postponed and has not given us any idea of their plans thus far. Please Call National Action Network's National Headquarters and inquire about their involvement to FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS! 1-877-626-4651

------

From: Nancy Lockhart

To: "Perry, Gloria" ; "Zein-Ahmed, Mohamed"

Sent: Mon, November 15, 2010 11:10:45 AM

Subject: Jamie Scott #19197 Is Going Blind and Needs Glasses

Dear Drs. Perry and Zein Mohamed:

Jamie Scott is going blind and the cause of this rapid vision loss is unknown. As a result Jamie is in need of glasses which have been repeatedly requested. In addition, Jamie Scott needs an examination from an outside physician to diagnose this vision loss as well as, the massive headaches.

Please ensure that Jamie receives eyeglasses so that she is able to see. This is very unethical and inhumane treatment.

The mission of the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure is to ensure the protection of the health, safety and welfare of Mississippians through implementation and enforcement of laws involving the licensing and regulation of physicians, podiatrists, physician assistants, radiology assistants and acupuncturists and through the objective enforcement of the Mississippi Medical Practice Act.

Currently, this mission statement is not being adhered to. The only consistency here, is medical neglect.

Please do not allow your medical neglect to turn into a death sentence for Jamie Scott.

Respectfully,

Nancy R. Lockhart, M.J.
-----------

Please continue to feature action alerts, updates and information on your blogs. Thanks to Dr. Pamela D. Reed for featuring this case on her Cultural Currents blog at:
http://diverseeducation.com/blogpost/316/mississippi-goddam-free-the-scott-sisters.html

CALL GOV. BARBOUR'S OFFICE FOR THE SCOTT SISTERS!

From: Nancy Lockhart

Dear Supporters of The Scott Sisters:

Jamie Scott has expressed a great increase in the loss of her vision -- she has NOT received glasses as of yet and has a big problem seeing. Call Dr. Gloria Perry regarding this - gperry@mdoc.state.ms.us (601) 359-5155

Gladys Scott has informed me that the board of Pardons and Parole in Mississippi is wrapping their investigation up and will refer their findings to Governor Haley Barbour's office.

Gladys Scott has requested that we call, fax, snail mail and e-mail The Honorable Haley Barbour's office to request clemency. Please also request that the governor make provisions for the sisters to include that their civil rights are restored - WITHOUT FELONY records.

Make a toll free call to governor Haley Barbour at 877-405-0733

E-mail governor Barbour -- governor@governor.state.ms.us

Governor Haley Barbour
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
1-877-405-0733
Fax: 601-359-3741

Email the governor's personal assistant - Dorothy Kuykendal

DKuykendall@governor.state.ms.us

--
Nancy Lockhart, M.J.
http://nancylockhart.blogspot.com
843.217.4649