We’d also like to thank all of you for the tremendous amount of support you’ve shown him and Carrie Feldman from the beginning of this ordeal, when Carrie was subpoenaed to the grand jury in Davenport, IA in late 2009. Since then, you’ve supported both Carrie and Scott while they were in jail or prison, helped us raise the much-needed funds for their legal defenses, helped spread the word about their cases and other Green Scare cases, and shown the power of our solidarity in the face of state repression.

Scott no longer needs the same kinds of support he needed while he was in prison, but there are plenty of other political prisoners and prisoners of war who need our support. We encourage everyone to reach out to other prisoners to help them through their ordeals. If you’re around the Twin Cities this weekend, we also invite you to a welcome-home gathering for Scott:

When: Sunday, Aug. 31st, 2pm-??
Where: Lake Calhoun, south beach
What: Swimming, potluck, fun!

If you’re not in the area and would like to send Scott some letters of support for his transition back home, you can send them to:

Scott DeMuth
c/o Coldsnap Legal Collective
P.O. Box 50514
Mpls, MN 55405

His new address for letters, books and magazine subscriptions is:

Scott DeMuth, Register #11246-030
FCI Milan
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 1000
Milan, MI 48160

If you would like to send a letter, use the address and register number above. You must include a return address on the envelope. Remember that all letters are opened and inspected – your letter will be read by prison officials, so be smart about what you say.

Books must be sent through the US Postal Service. New books can be sent directly from the publisher or an online bookstore. Scott can also get used paperback books and magazines at his new place! To send a used book or magazine, enclose it in a manila envelope marked “Prison Approved Material: 1 book” (or whatever is enclosed).

Scott put together a shiny new book list, and we put it up here: http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com/book-list/

Books and magazine subscriptions must be addressed using Scott’s full information above, including the inmate number. The Bureau of Prisons website notes that publications should not be “detrimental to the security, discipline, or good order of the institution, or facilitate criminal activity.” And you know how important all of that is!

Thanks for all of your support, everybody. We and Scott appreciate it so!

In solidarity,
the Scott and Carrie Support Committee (SCSC)

For more background on Scott and his case, visit http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com.

They dragged him out of bed at 5:30 this morning (May 5), stuck him on a plane and flew him down there. They say he should be there anywhere from a day to three weeks, on his way to a minimum security facility in Michigan.

His new address is:

Scott DeMuth Reg # 11246-030
Grady County Detention Center
215 N 3rd St
Chickasha, OK 73018

It would be great if people could write to him soon, since he won’t have access to anything to read for a little while. At least for now, he doesn’t want any books sent his way as he doesn’t think he’ll have time to read them.

While he is allowed commissary, he’s not allowed to access it–any commissary he had in his account should transfer when he gets to the prison, but in the meantime, his mother will be purchasing his commissary items for him online.

Thanks so much for your ongoing support, and keep your eyes out for further updates! We will put out his new address and any other news just as soon as we know it.

In solidarity,
Scott and Carrie Support Committee

Scott’s new mailing address is as follows:

Scott DeMuth #11246-030
c/o Leavenworth Detention Center
100 Highway Terrace
Leavenworth, KS 66048

At his new prison, he’s in complete lockdown for 22 hours a day. Every other day he gets let out of the cell for meals. He does have a cellmate, who he describes as a good guy, but his wheelchair takes up most of the space so there’s not really any room to stretch or work out. There is, however, a window in his cell, which he’s extremely happy about.

And unlike the last place he was in, he can get books and pictures! Read the mailing regulations for details:

“Envelopes with mail must include the inmate’s name and federal register number. Those without a number will be returned to sender. Inmates may receive photographs, but they must not show any nudity, penetration, crime, gang signs, drugs or drug usage. Stamps, blank paper, envelopes, blank cards, self-addressed stamped envelopes, calling cards, credit cards, stickers of any kind, cards with sound and fake cash are not accepted and should not be mailed in. All publications must be sent directly from a nationally recognized publisher or book store. Receipts must accompany all books/magazines mailed into the facility. No used books/magazines will be allowed. No more than three books and/or magazines may be received in any one shipment. These rules are meant to be representative, not all-encompassing. For more specific information, you may call (913) 680-6860, (913) 727-3246 or (913) 680-6804.”

Thanks so much for all of your support so far, and please keep it coming!

In solidarity,
the Scott and Carrie Support Committee

He doesn’t think he’ll be able to go to the library because he’s in a temporary housing unit. He also doesn’t think he’ll be able to access his commissary account until Tuesday, Feb. 22 to buy paper, pens and envelopes.

Since we can’t send him books and he can’t go to the library, our letters are especially important. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to write him a note of support. You can send letters to him at:

Scott DeMuth
Polk County Jail
1985 – NE 51st Place
Des Moines, IA 50313-2517

Remember the mail restrictions: All mail must have the sender’s full name and return address on the envelope (no PO Boxes) or it will get rejected. No books, periodicals or packages are allowed.

Since Scott is only allowed 5 photos, please do not send him any. His family will be sending him some soon.

Right now, his address is at:

Scott DeMuth
Polk County Jail
1985 – NE 51st Place
Des Moines, IA 50313-2517

All mail must have the sender’s full name and return address on the envelope (no PO Boxes) or it will get rejected. No books, periodicals or packages are allowed.

Scott is only allowed to have 5 photos in his possession. No photos larger than 4×6, Polaroids, photo collages, “photos printed on stationery paper,” or electronic cards.

Please send him a letter of support to help him get through this transitional period. Thanks!

Solid,
the Scott & Carrie Support Committee (SCSC)

http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com

This afternoon, family, friends and supporters gathered to show support for Scott DeMuth as he was sentenced in federal court in Davenport, Iowa. Scott was sentenced to six months imprisonment, and taken immediately into custody. We will be posting information on how to send him mail as soon as his location is confirmed.

Scott pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to commit animal enterprise terrorism in violation of the Animal Enterprise Protection Act–a misdemeanor–for an animal liberation that took place in Minnesota in 2006.

At issue in court was the possibility of restitution. The plea agreement made no mention of restitution, but the pre sentence report suggested that he pay over $20,000 to cover damages incurred by the farm going out of business–despite the fact that it didn’t go out of business until months later. It is not actually legal to consider projected earnings in restitution, and the prosecutor conceded that the actual damages were well under $10,000. He cited a recent letter from farm owner Latzig in which he claimed to have lost approximately 30 ferrets, at a cost of $75 per female and $125 per male. This conflicts with the numbers given by Latzig in the initial police report, when he claimed to have recovered all but ten of his ferrets, valued at $40 each.

In the end, arguments over the amount of restitution became moot when Judge Jarvey conceded that restitution could not be imposed because it had not been mentioned during the plea agreement proceedings. He seemed displeased with this outcome, and suggested that if Scott were truly remorseful he would offer willingly to pay restitution to the farm owner.

The plea agreement made explicit that Scott would be sentenced to no less than six months, but defense attorney Michael Deutsch requested that Scott serve this time in either the halfway house or on house arrest. He cited the five years since the liberation during which Scott has remained law abiding, the numerous character letters written on his behalf, and the space and resources that would be wasted on his incarceration.

In a surprising turn, federal judge John Jarvey ordered Scott be taken into custody immediately at the sentencing. This is virtually unheard of for a misdemeanor charge in which the defendant clearly poses no flight risk or danger to the community. This decision was clearly motivated by a desire by the judge to further punish Scott based on the political nature of the crime, not by any legal precedent or safety concern.

Scott is currently being transferred to a local county jail to await his placement in a federal prison. Information on how to send him books, commissary money and letters will be posted as soon as his location is confirmed.

For now, money for Scott’s commissary can be sent to EWOK!, c/o Coldsnap Legal Collective, p.o. box 50514 Minneapolis, MN 55405, or can be donated online via the Paypal button on our website.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Scott through this process. Despite the stress caused by repeated postponement on his sentencing and now the surprising turn regarding his incarceration, Scott has taken this situation in his usual stride.

Please look out for announcements regarding how to write to Scott, and continue to show support while he serves his time in federal prison.

With love and rage,
The Scott and Carrie Support Committee

http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com

Because of the lack of a pre-sentencing hearing (in which pre-sentencing motions and sentencing details were to be discussed), we have no new information about issues regarding restitution, probation, or when and where Scott will be doing time. Scott’s lawyers are now trying to schedule another phone hearing; if this does not happen, we will not know about these things until the sentencing itself.

We do know, however, that we are still in need of commissary money, so please donate to support Scott for his time in prison if you can! You can find a Paypal button and other donation information at http://davenportgrandjury.wordpress.com/what-you-can-do.

We will post updates as we get them, so please watch for them in the future.

Thank you all for your support so far!

In solidarity,
the Scott and Carrie Support Committee (SCSC)

(Flyer here.)

Earth liberation movements have worked tirelessly for many years to bring a revolutionary perspective to the environmental movement, to build solidarity with prior struggles and political prisoners, and to prepare today’s activists for state repression. More recently, however, while state repression has intensified, we have seen a decline in major earth liberation movement activities. Luers and Pickering will analyze these trends, their consequences, and readdress the issues that activists were fighting for a decade ago, which made the movement such a formidable social force.

Jeffrey “Free” Luers is a political activist who served a ten-year prison sentence for arson in the state of Oregon. The arson was an act of protest against climate change and excessive consumption. Before serving time, Luers was already well known for his participation in tree-sitting campaigns to save old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest.

Leslie James Pickering is a founder and former spokesperson for the North American Earth Liberation Front Press Office. He is the author of two books: “Earth Liberation Front 1997-2002” and “Mad Bomber Melville,” the biography of Vietnam War era revolutionary Sam Melville, a key figure in the Attica Prison Uprising of 1971.

Event co-sponsored by: EWOK!, Scott and Carrie Support Committee, Women’s Student Activist Collective, MN NLG, UofM Sociology Dept., UofM Geography Dept., UofM Political Science Department, Scholars for Academic Justice, MN Global Justice Project

This event is a part of the “National Anti-Prison Groups Day of Action.”