In response to ODRC cancelling Sean Swain’s scheduled video visits on flimsy pretext, he has been on Hunger Strike since Monday morning. (read more on that here.) Last night he refused the 9th consecutive meal, which makes the hunger strike official. This means a prison official came to talk to him, and told him that they were moving him to the hole to “monitor his health and protect his safety” while on hunger strike. Sean called bullshit on that, arguing that sending him to the hole is about coercing him to eat, and further restricting his communication with the outside world. He knows they don’t give a shit about his health and safety.He said “if you’re going to coerce me to eat under threat of going to the hole, I’ll take a tray.” They said “it’s not coercion.” He said “bullshit. Give me a tray.”Then he flushed the tray down the toilet.
So according to OSP policy, Sean won’t officially be on hunger strike until he skips another nine meals, but according to reality, he hasn’t eaten since Monday.
Sean needs support right now. Rick Kerger, his lawyer is filing a restraining order preventing the ODRC from cancelling future video visits. There are three things you can do.
1. Call OSP Warden Forshay and demand that he meet with Sean in good faith and negotiate a reversal of the ODRC policy of fucking with Sean on flimsy pretexts. 330-743-0700. Ext. 2006.
2. Write Sean a letter, or even better, request a video visit yourself. The first step is getting approved as a visitor, using this form. The more communication we send Sean’s way, the more of their time they’ll have to waste fucking with him. Sean often says “they’ll get tired of killing me before I get tired of dying.” Let’s make sure he’s right.
Sean’s address:
Sean Swain
OSP 243-205
878 Coitsville-Hubbard Rd
Youngstown OH 44505
3. Call ODRC Investigator Paul Schumacher, who cancelled Sean’s video visits, and say whatever you want to his voicemail. 614-728-1152 See suggested scripts Sean wrote below.
(Ring… Ring… Ring…)
“Hello?”
“May I speak to Investigator Paul Schumacher, please?”
“This is.”
“Hey, Sherlock Paulie SuperGenius, I KNOW WHO DID IT.” (Click.)
* * *
(Ring… Ring… Ring… )
“Hello?”
“Investigator Paul Schumaker?”
“Yes?”
“Sherlock Paulie SuperGenius… Is it true that senior staff– Gestapo Gary, Trainwreck Trevor, and the rest of you comic book villains– play naked Twister on Thursday nights?” (Click.)
* * *
Be creative, use all your favorite prank phone calls. Or, just screech like an angry monkey. Sean is more afraid of letting them walk all over him than he is of pissing them off and bringing retribution down on his head, so have at!