4/13 URGENT JAMIE SCOTT MEDICAL UPDATE!

Jamie Scott is again in medical crisis and we are asking everyone reading these words to push the prison to hospitalize her!

Jamie woke up last night in a puddle of blood from the painful catheter in her groin area. The catheter had green liquid, showing signs of infection. The guard called the doctor and was told to clean her up, change her bandage, give her a Tylenol, and send her back to her unit without anyone examining her at all! When she arrived back at the building she began vomiting uncontrollably and is still unable to keep anything down as far as we know. The most recent update today is that she is in the prison clinic and not in the hospital.

We need the prison to know that we are on top of what's going on and that Jamie Scott needs to be hospitalized now.

More updates will be sent out as soon as they come available.

Christopher Epps, Commissioner of Prisons for the State of Mississippi
601-359-5600
CEPPS@mdoc.state.ms.us
723 North President Street
Jackson, MS 39202

Emmitt Sparkman, Deputy Commissioner
(601) 359-5610
esparkman@mdoc.state.ms.us

Margaret Bingham, Superintendent of Central Mississippi Corrections Facility
(601) 932-2880
mbingham@mdoc.state.ms.us
FAX: (601) 664-0782
P.O. Box 88550
Pearl, Mississippi 39208

Dr. Gloria Perry, Medical Department (601) 359-5155
gperry@mdoc.state.ms.us

Governor Haley Barbour
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
1-877-405-0733 or 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
(If you reach VM leave msgs, faxes, and please send letters)

Attorney General Eric Holder
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
HOTLINE: 202-353-1555
PHONE: 202-514-2000
202-307-6777 fax

PLEASE CONTACT POLITICIANS AND MEDIA

A complete list of politicians to send Scott Sisters info to is at:
http://www.commoncause.org/siteapps/advocacy/search.aspx?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4860375

A complete list of the media that we have listed (feel free to send to any others that
you wish to!) is at http://freethescottsisters.blogspot.com/2010/01/119-emergency-update.html

SUPPORT 10,000 LETTERS TO LUMUMBA EFFORT

Please copy and paste the below, sign and return to Atty Lumumba's office as instructed, this is very important so PLEASE participate!!

FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS NOW
Information Line: 1-888-600-5311

Governor Haley Barbour
P. O. Box 139
Jackson, MS 39205

RE: The Scott Sisters

Dear Governor Barbour:

I would like to bring your attention to the case of Jamie and Gladys Scott. These sisters have served more than 15 years of a double life term where no one was murdered or injured. State’s witnesses have testified to their innocence. Jamie Scott’s kidneys have failed and her health is fading fast. We need your help now. Mississippi needs to know that those of us who believe in justice and human rights are prepared to take a stand for the Scott Sisters.

FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS NOW!!!!!

Signed,

___________________________________
Truly Concerned

Name: ______________________________

Address: ____________________________

____________________________

____________________________


Please forward this letter of support ASAP to:
Free the Scott Sisters
c/o Attorney Chokwe Lumumba
440 N. Mill Street
Jackson, MS 39202

4/5 JAMIE SCOTT MEDICAL UPDATE

Greetings all,

Jamie Scott was returned to her regular jail cell at CMCF in 2A B Zone on approximately March 30. A permanent fistula was placed in her arm, however she still has the painful catheter in her groin area. Jamie was told this will remain there for about 6 more weeks as her arm heals and her veins become strong enough to take the dialysis. After surgery her potassium spiked and she had vomiting and seizure. She has been stable since that time as far as we have been able to determine.

One of the doctors who examined Jamie told her that she is at stage 5 kidney failure, which is the worst and considered end stage, and that in the "free" world she would qualify to be on the list for a kidney transplant. Other testing confirmed this and concur that it is the fault of MDOC because they should have caught it much sooner than when it reached stage 5, especially in light of Jamie's constant medical complaints and their denial or shuffling of her medications. MDOC should not have been placing those temporary catheters into her neck instead of placing a shunt in her arm before now, but they were basically taking the cheap way out. Jamie needs to be RELEASED because the prison cannot be trusted to give her ANY SEMBLANCE of adequate medical care, particularly in her advanced stage of disease! As has been posted previously, Dr. Gloria Perry stated that Jamie is not a candidate for transplant! Jamie's sister and other family members have offered to be tested for compatibility, yet been denied by MDOC.

In a Mississippi Clarion Ledge article on March 18, Commissioner Epps was quoted as stating:

"We've got a lot of sick people in Mississippi," he said. "Prison is just a subculture of the culture. When they come in to us, unfortunately, many times they haven't gotten treatment until we get them." All told, Epps said MDOC has 258 male and female inmates with HIV or AIDS. But it doesn't end there. Altogether there are 5,621 inmates with medical conditions ranging from failing kidneys to heart disease. "Those are some staggering numbers for a population of 21,000 people," he said. He said he hopes the department can "get by" spending $50 million this year on medical costs. Some inmates with complicated medical problems are released, he said. "I just signed off on 72 persons for medical release," he said.

Jamie nor Mrs. Rasco have received any information to indicate whether or not Jamie's name might be on this list.
======

Free The Scott Sisters Now in Mississippi is collecting 10,000 signatures on the below letter, so please support and pass them on! Please copy and paste the below, sign and return to Atty Lumumba's office as instructed, this is very important so please participate!!


FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS NOW
Information Line: 1-888-600-5311

Governor Haley Barbour
P. O. Box 139
Jackson, MS 39205

RE: The Scott Sisters

Dear Governor Barbour:

I would like to bring your attention to the case of Jamie and Gladys Scott. These sisters have served more than 15 years of a double life term where no one was murdered or injured. State’s witnesses have testified to their innocence. Jamie Scott’s kidneys have failed and her health is fading fast. We need your help now. Mississippi needs to know that those of us who believe in justice and human rights are prepared to take a stand for the Scott Sisters.

FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS NOW!!!!!

Signed,

___________________________________
Truly Concerned

Name: ______________________________
Address: ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________


Please forward this letter of support to:
Free the Scott Sisters
c/o Attorney Chokwe Lumumba
440 N. Mill Street
Jackson, MS 39202
~~~~~~~~~~~~

JAMIE SCOTT NEEDS TO BE HOUSED IN THE MEDICAL BUILDING. Someone as seriously ill as Jamie needs to be somewhere that she can get assistance in better living conditions, and that's not in the infirmary and definitely not in her original cell. The Medical Bldg. would give her access to her sister, Gladys, who would help her with her activities of daily living and monitor her condition, just as other family members incarcerated together there are permitted to do with less life-threatening illnesses than Jamie suffers.

We must keep pushing for media attention to what's going on and are continually pressing for nationwide press. A complete and in-depth examination of this travesty of justice must be exposed!! Please forward the Press Release http://freethescottsisters.blogspot.com/search/label/press%20release and Case Summary http://freethescottsisters.blogspot.com/2009/08/case-summary_19.html far and wide, the Scott Sisters need to go prime-time to apply enough pressure to make this Gov. do the right thing.

Jane Velez-Mitchell should do an entire segment on the Scott Sisters now that she is aware of the case, please contact her and urge her to follow-up her brief mention of the Scott Sisters on her 3/6 "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" with a more significant segment that will focus on Jamie's serious medical condition and the Scott Sisters case period. The contact form is at http://www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/newstips.html

----------------------------

TELL GOVERNOR BARBOUR TO GRANT INMATE JAMIE SCOTT, #19197, CMCF, AND GLADYS SCOTT, #19142, CMCF, PARDON AND RELEASE FROM PRISON. Neither sister is a threat to anyone and Jamie has a supportive family willing to care for her and obtain the medical care that she has not adequately received while in prison. These women are first-time offenders who have served 16 years in prison and are not a risk for recidivism, particularly with the gravity of Jamie's declining health. They must be released AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Thanks to everyone, please help to really spread the word as far as you can & ACT!
---------------------

BE DIRECT BUT PLEASE BE COURTEOUS -- NO YELLING OR CURSING!
IT WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW MINUTES, PLEASE PARTICIPATE!

Governor Haley Barbour
P.O. Box 139
Jackson, Mississippi 39205
1-877-405-0733 or 601-359-3150
Fax: 601-359-3741
(If you reach VM leave msgs, faxes, and please send letters)

Attorney General Eric Holder
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
HOTLINE: 202-353-1555
PHONE: 202-514-2000
202-307-6777 fax

PLEASE CONTACT POLITICIANS AND MEDIA

A complete list of politicians to send Scott Sisters info to is at:
http://www.commoncause.org/siteapps/advocacy/search.aspx?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4860375

A complete list of the media that we have listed (feel free to send to any others that
you wish to!) is at http://freethescottsisters.blogspot.com/2010/01/119-emergency-update.html

3/30 SCOTT SISTERS UPDATE!

Greetings, all,

Mrs. Rasco and family safely returned from Mississippi on Saturday and Jamie has been returned to the hospital. She's been told that Jamie is scheduled for surgery this week to remove the painful and dangerous shunt in her groin and implant a permanent fistula into her arm to receive dialysis. Infection remains a concern, as well, and that is supposedly being dealt with. Jamie is still very weak and needs a great deal of assistance.
~~~~~~~~

The leader of the 3/26 press conference activity in MS was a no-show and the entire event was disorganized. This debacle was partially rescued only because of the people of Mississippi who were there. Mrs. Rasco and 11 family members came in to support this event. Approximately 50 people were in attendance and several supporters spoke, including Mrs. Evelyn Rasco, Jonette Primm, Chokwe Lumumba, Earnest McBride, Jaribu Hill, Mr. Powell, Bro. Clarence from Gloria's Kitchen and Gladys Scott's daughter, Olivia. Thanks to those who stepped in and handled things at the last minute and under great duress, the family is deeply appreciative. Part of the rally was aired on Mississippi Fox News and pictures will be posted here as soon as they become available. Mrs. Rasco wants to especially thank Gloria's Kitchen for feeding all of the children as well as Rip Daniels and Charles Evers for their continuous support.
~~~~~~~~

Free The Scott Sisters Now in Mississippi is collecting 10,000 signatures on the below letter, so please support and pass them on! Please sign and mail one in as instructed.


FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS NOW
Information Line: 1-888-600-5311

Governor Haley Barbour
P. O. Box 139
Jackson, MS 39205

RE: The Scott Sisters

Dear Governor Barbour:

I would like to bring your attention to the case of Jamie and Gladys Scott. These sisters have served more than 15 years of a double life term where no one was murdered or injured. State’s witnesses have testified to their innocence. Jamie Scott’s kidneys have failed and her health is fading fast. We need your help now. Mississippi needs to know that those of us who believe in justice and human rights are prepared to take a stand for the Scott Sisters.

FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS NOW!!!!!

Signed,

___________________________________
Truly Concerned

Name: ______________________________
Address: ____________________________
____________________________
____________________________


Please forward this letter of support to:
Free the Scott Sisters
c/o Attorney Chokwe Lumumba
440 N. Mill Street
Jackson, MS 39202
~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLOGGERS IN SUPPORT OF THE SCOTT SISTERS!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the days of blogging for the Scott Sisters on 3/18 and 3/25. These blogs will go a long way toward helping spread the word of the desperate and very serious need for help for these courageous women and their embattled family online and around the world. It's never too late to join in and blog about the case, please do and encourage all those who link to you to follow suit, we need the support as this is truly an each one, reach one effort!

Each week we would like to feature a supporter's blog so if your blog isn't listed, please send your link to nattyreb@gmail.com so that it can be.

FEATURED BLOG:

WHERE ARE THE MARCHES FOR THE SCOTT SISTERS? ARE THEY TOO FEMALE FOR THE JENA 6 TREATMENT?

My heart breaks for these women, their children and their families. Yet, I remain hopeful that we can do something. My only question is WHY haven't we done something yet?

Bloggers were instrumental in creating and pushing the Jena Six (or Jena 6) movement which culminated in some modicum of fairness for the six teens who were going to be royally hosed for some old bullshit.

I know that we can make that kind of change happen, but the response in regards to these two sisters has been "cool." Is it because they are women? I hate to say it, but I think so.

Mind you, I don't want to take on the tone of "Us vs. Them" as it relates to black men and black women, but I am pointing out that once again, black women are shown to be the least protected, least cared about group in this country (and the world in general). Maybe it's age old stereotypes about us that have helped to doom the Scott Sisters, what with people clutching to those as truth and eventually believing this two women were up to no good.

People are asking to "Free Weezy" but there's little fanfare from us as a black community to "Free the Scott Sisters" and that is being watched.
(Continued at http://www.rippdemup.com/2010/03/where-are-marches-for-scott-sisters-are.html#ixzz0kSQEynor)

FREE THE SCOTT SISTERS BLOGGERS! PLEASE JOIN THEM BY BLOGGING AND HELPING TO SPREAD THE WORD!

http://www.blackperspective.net/index.php/upcoming-day-of-blogging-for-scott-sisters/

http://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/african-american-political-pundit/665824572837e2e97d24c2dc6a1ddcb3

http://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/my-brown-eyed-view/aa018adc8afaef43eade79608347ad92

http://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/the-intersection-of-madness-and-reality/d29eb17e8dc8d4a55d7fd959a806fcca

http://conversations.blackvoices.com/entertainment/99435682aaea4564b24369ed6fc90973/free-the-scott-sisters/4a55e29dc2b84cd0b8e1b91eb7b55fec

http://eddiegriffinbasg.blogspot.com/2010/03/sister-jamie-scott-dying-in-prison.html

http://www.feministpeacenetwork.org/2010/03/25/free-the-scott-sisters/

http://frozenjustice.blogspot.com/2010/03/help-free-scott-sisters-wrongfully.html

http://hannington-hd.blogspot.com/
http://inheritingthetrade.com/blog/?p=1720

http://jessemuhammad.blogs.finalcall.com/2010/03/day-of-blogging-for-scott-sistersblack.html

http://lifeanddeathmatters.blogspot.com/2010/03/travesty-of-justice-in-mississippi.html

http://luckyrooster.net/2010/03/25/reblog-from-luckyrooster-net-scott-sisters-injustice-in-mississippi-2/

http://marenda.biz/2010/03/mississippi-injustice-inadequate-medical-treatment-jamie-scott-needs-your-help/

http://nothingwillstandinourway.blogspot.com

http://ourcommonground-talk.ning.com/profiles/blogs/free-the-scott-sisters?xg_source=msg_mes_network

http://peace4missing.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=2153128%3ABlogPost%3A108165&commentId=2153128%3AComment%3A108196&xg_source=activity

http://prisonabolitionist.blogspot.com/2010/03/scott-watch-international-day-for.html

http://www.reformingjustice.com/blog/Default.aspx

http://www.rippdemup.com/2010/03/where-are-marches-for-scott-sisters-are.html#ixzz0kSQEynor

http://rustbeltradical.wordpress.com/

http://www.solidarity-us.org/current/node/2747

http://streetvisuals.typepad.com/blog/2010/03/free-the-scott-sisters-325-day-of-blogging-for-the-scott-sisters.html

http://terryhowcott.com/greenspace.asp?id=1296

http://thefreshxpress.com/2010/03/fxp-alert-free-the-scott-sisters/

http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2010/03/tha-artivist-open-letter-to-bro-tavis.html

http://womenoftheafricandiaspora.com/2010/03/18/day-of-blogging-for-the-scott-sisters/

3/25 SCOTT SISTERS UPDATE!

NOTE: If reading this before 10:00 a.m. EST on 3/25, please tune into http://www.wjzd.com for a possible live Scott Sisters update from Mrs. Rasco on the Rip Daniels "It's a New Day" show if she's able to call in; she's been suffering from hoarseness as well as a poor telephone connection which may interfere with her ability to do so. Rip Daniels is a very dedicated supporter who starts each show off at 10 a.m. daily counting down how long Jamie and Gladys have been wrongfully locked down and tormented in that prison and will even discuss the case during some mornings on his program, so please check in as regularly as you can.

Mrs. Rasco and her entire family are in Mississippi to visit Jamie and Gladys as well as to participate in the 3/26 MWM/BWDL Press Conference scheduled for 12 noon in front of the Jackson, MS Capitol Bldg. at 400 High St. The organization is asking for letters of support for their campaign by 12 midnight 3/25 to be sent to nationalmwm@aol.com or officialmwm@yahoo.com. For more info call: 267-636-3802.

THE VISIT

Jamie has been in the hospital since 3/15 with a very serious infection, severe weakness, extreme pain and swelling. Jamie stated that she was "kicked out" of the hospital on Tuesday to prevent Mrs. Rasco from coming up in there and asking a lot of questions, in fact an extra guard had been placed there to make certain that Mrs. Rasco didn't come in there to see her. Jamie told Mrs. Rasco that she couldn't believe how her 4' tall momma caused so much worry among those prison officials!

She was abruptly moved to her old cell in the prison to await the visit with her mother and family to take place Wednesday for an hour, after which her family was to visit with Gladys for an hour. However, the Assistant Warden met them at the entrance and stated that some of the children weren't on the list to come in. After much wrangling and his personally searching the young men he permitted everyone to visit both women together BUT for one hour total, which actually ended up being less than an hour due to all of the wasted time spent being searched and with the Asst Warden on the phone rechecking names in the waiting area.

The family watched in tears as Jamie climbed off of a bus and limped slowly and weakly to the visiting area and questioned staff as to why she wasn't given a wheelchair, to which they had no answer. Jamie and Gladys grabbed onto each other and their family membersfor a very emotional reunion, especially for the children. Both women had lost quite a bit of weight, Gladys from extreme stress and depression and Jamie due to her serious illness. Jamie stated that she was told by the doctor that 6 catheter infections was much too much and that she never should have had so many temporary catheters, which blew out all of her veins where they were placed. She currently has a shunt in her groin which is extremely painful and must be surgically removed next week. She is scheduled to stay in her old cell until Friday, at which time she is told that she will be returned to the hospital.

Both Jamie and Gladys want all of their supporters to know that our activities are very greatly appreciated and that they want us to keep on! Mrs. Rasco and family are also very thankful and hopeful that together we can get those women released from this horrific situation soon! If we keep pushing and use our creativity to call attention to this case, it will happen! If you write, then write about it; if you sing, sing about it; poet about it; creatively perform about it; print out flyers and distribute them at programs and events, however you can do it, please help get the word out about the plight of these women, there's something that every one can do!

WHAT YOU CAN DO

The Days of Blogging for the Scott Sisters that happened on 3/18 and is so wonderfully happening again today will really help get the word out on the case in wider and broader areas of the internet and hopefully lead to much more support and national attention! Thanks so much to all of the participants and we will be posting links to all of the blogs that participated at the Scott Sisters site, so please send them in so that you can be acknowledged! Of course everyone is encouraged to continue blogging beyond today and please do!

We still don't trust that Jamie will receive adequate medical care once these hospitalizations are completed, which was proven by the fact that as soon as she was returned from the hospital yesterday she was put right back in that moldy building where she was originally housed! JAMIE SCOTT NEEDS TO BE HOUSED IN THE MEDICAL BUILDING. Someone as seriously ill as Jamie needs to be somewhere that she can get assistance in better living conditions, and that's not in the infirmary and definitely not in her original cell. The Medical Bldg. would give her access to her sister, Gladys, who would help her with her activities of daily living and monitor her condition, just as other family members incarcerated together there are permitted to do with less life-threatening illnesses than Jamie suffers.

We must keep pushing for media attention to what's going on and are continually pressing for nationwide press. A complete and in-depth examination of this travesty of justice must be exposed!! Please forward all of the info at the site to anyone, anywhere that can help to make that happen, the Scott Sisters need to go prime-time to apply enough pressure to make this Gov. do the right thing.

Jane Velez-Mitchell should do an entire segment on the Scott Sisters now that she is aware of the case, please contact her and urge her to follow-up her brief mention of the Scott Sisters on her 3/6 "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell" with a more significant segment that will focus on Jamie's serious medical condition and the Scott Sisters case period. The contact form is at http://www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/newstips.html

PLEASE TELL GOVERNOR BARBOUR TO GRANT INMATE JAMIE SCOTT, #19197, CMCF, AND GLADYS SCOTT, #19142, CMCF, PARDON AND RELEASE FROM PRISON. Neither sister is a threat to anyone and Jamie has a supportive family willing to care for her and obtain the medical care that she has not adequately received while in prison. These women are first-time offenders who have served 16 years in prison and are not a risk for recidivism, particularly with the gravity of Jamie's declining health. They must be released AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Thanks to everyone, please help to really spread the word as faras you can & ACT!

CHARLES EVERS INTERVIEW EXCERPTS W/MRS. RASCO

2/17 INTERVIEW EXCERPTS (INCLUDES HLN "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL" MENTION) EDITED BY DARRYL MCCLAIN