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Update from Leonard Peltier
by Leonard Peltier
August 16, 2005

Aho my relations,

As I sit here in my solitary confinement cell at USP Terre Haute, and reflect over the past month’s events, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of love and gratitude for each and every one of you who have so diligently stood by me in this time of crisis. As you already know by now, on June 30, 2005, I was transferred from Leavenworth Facility, to Terre Haute USP. The reason for my transfer, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Administrative staff was that the Leavenworth Facility was downgraded from maximum security level to medium, and therefore I could not remain at Leavenworth due to my illegal sentencing and consequent maximum security rank.

I was transferred without notification to my attorney, Barry Bachrach, and my family. Upon my arrival to Terre Haute I was placed in solitary confinement and was told that I would remain in solitary confinement until my personal file arrived. My personal file arrived, but I remain in solitary confinement allegedly for security reasons. I am confined to a cell that is 8’X 8’, it has a window that is covered from the outside with an elaborate shield that allows me to see 2-3 inches of the sky out of the top and 2-3 inches of the ground. All prisoners are supposed to get at least one hour of sunlight or outdoors and so I am taken from my cell to what is called a Recreation Room (Rec Cage), and the only sun or outdoors that I see is from some windows high up in this large room with a few air holes in them. I am able to walk up and down and this fulfills the one hour of sunlight or outdoors recreation time.

Whatever the system’s logic is, it seems that I won’t stay in Terre Haute for much longer and will be transferred again. I do not know when and where, nor do I know if this cruel game will be over after another transfer. After all, removal and relocation have been used to break our people from the beginning of this country’s history. This keeps my Defense Committee from taking the necessary steps to re-establish an office, but they are doing everything they can to help me in this most precarious and uncertain situation.

Before this situation developed, I asked Russ Redner to be the National/International Executive Director of the LPDC. Russ is a brother from our original Northwest AIM crew, a long time ally, and one of the original founders of the LPDC. I have trusted Russ with my life many times and he’s proven himself at every turn. I want him to be the last person I ever have to ask to guide the LPDC, and as such I have given him full authority to do whatever is necessary to prevent problems that have plagued us in the past from ever surfacing again. He and his wife, Paula, bring a renewed energy to the LPDC. It is essential that Russ, Barry Bachrach, Mike Kuzma, and the new team at the LPDC be supported so they can work most effectively to achieve my freedom and accomplish the things that need to be done for my people. I have confidence that all of you who truly support me will extend your vote of confidence to Russ and my new team.

A month in solitary is beginning to take a toll on me but your letters give me much hope and encouragement. Many of you have written, e-mailed and called USP Terre Haute, and other organizations. This has brought some improvement to my solitary confinement. I am now getting my medications on a daily basis, I can write out, I am receiving my mail, and I am allowed one phone call a month. I am allowed contact visits for those persons authorized on my visiting list. The contact visit is restricted to a two hour period, and is conducted through a glass pane and a phone. I am allowed to visit with my attorney without those restrictions.

At this time I am asking that you continue to call/write/e-mail the contacts below requesting that my security level be downgraded to medium due to my health, age and good behavior and that I be transferred to a medium security institution with all my hard earned prisoner privileges restored. In case I am transferred please add the new facility (keep checking our official website: http://www.leonardpeltier.org) to your contact list and ask them to respect my human rights and prisoner privileges. Again, I thank you for your support and prayers and hope that I may one day soon be among you.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier

CONTACT LIST:

U.S. Penitentiary
4700 Bureau Road South
Terre Haute, IN 47802
Phone-812-244-4400
Fax----812-244-4789

THP/EXECASSISTANT@BOP.GOV
Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street NWWashington, DC 20534
202-307-3198
info@bop.gov

Amnesty International
5 Penn Plaza – 14th Floor
New York
NY 10001
Phone: 212-807-8400
Fax: 212-463-9193 / 212-627-1451
admin-us@aiusa.org

Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor
New York, NY 10118-3299
USATel: 1-(212) 290-4700,
Fax: 1-(212) 736-1300hrwnyc@hrw.org

Senate Judiciary Committee:
Arlen Specter, Chairman
711 Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: 202-224-4254

Senator Patrick Leahy, Ranking Member
433 Russell Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-4242
senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov

Senator Edward Kennedy
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202/224-4543
FAX: 202/224-2417

Senator Joseph Biden
201 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-5042 Fax: 202-224-0139

Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3841Fax: (202) 228-3954

Senator Richard Durbin
332 Dirksen Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2152
Fax: (202) 228-0400

Senator Herb Kohl
330 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5653
Fax: (202) 224-9787 Sen. Charles E. Schumer
313 Hart Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-6542
Fax: 202-228-3027
TDD: 202-224-0420

Congressional Judiciary Committee:

Honorable John Conyers, Jr.
2426 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5126
John.Conyers@mail.house.gov Honorable Robert C. Scott
1201 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-8351
Fax: (202) 225-8354
bobby.scott@mail.house.gov

Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee
2435 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-3816 Honorable Maxine Waters
2344 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2201 phone
202-225-7854 fax

Honorable Martin Meehan
2229 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3411
Fax: (202) 226-0771
TTY: (202) 225-1904 Honorable Bill Delahunt
2454 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3111
Fax: (202) 225-5658
William.Delahunt@mail.house.gov

Honorable Anthony Weiner
1122 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
(202) 225-6616
weiner@mail.house.gov

United Nations:

Louise Arbour, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Office at Geneva
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: 41-22-917-9022
E-mail: tb-petitions@ohchr.org

U.N. Working Group on Indigenous Populations
United Nations Office at Geneva
1211 Geneva 10Switzerland
Email: WGindigenous@ohchr.org
Fax: 41-22-917-9008

The Special Rapporteur on human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples:

Mr. Rodolfo Stavenhagen
His contact person is: Pablo Espiniella, Human Rights Officer:
Tel. 41-22-917-9413
Fax 41-22-917-9008
email: indigenous@ohchr.org

U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions
c/o Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
CH-1211, Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: 41-22- 917-9006