Leonard Peltier in "the Hole" at Lewisburg Prison

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Briefs. Discussion »

Leonard Peltier

NATIVE BRIEF: LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA - Leonard Peltier, the American Indian activist, who has been in federal prison for over 35 years has been in Administrative Detention - "the hole" - since June 27 for two minor infractions.

Peltier was placed in solitary confinement for allegedly "a woman in the UK mailed a silver coin which was actually delivered to him by prison officials, and a light switch that had been tampered with by a cellmate some time ago," according to his attorney, Robert R. Bryan of San Francisco.

Peltier is serving a life sentence in the US Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He was convicted of murdering two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Peltier is considered to be a political prisoner of war by many American Indians throughout the United States and others worldwide.

"I wonder if it would be different if Leonard were not a prominent American Indian activist who keeps fighting after decades of imprisonment," said Bryan in an email to the Native News Network late Wednesday night. "This present situation is greatly exaggerated by the prison officials. I view this as another attempt to break and intimidate Leonard."

Eariler on Wednesday, Bryan was advised that the lesser of the two charges has been heard and sanctioned. He was not fully apprised of the details. A hearing for Peltier is pending with the Discipline Hearing Officer as to the other allegation, but Bryan did know when that will be. Bryan will be in contact with the Warden's office today.

Peltier's health is poor because of decades of imprisonment.

"He needs to be placed back into the general population, but there is no way of knowing at this point what will happen," continued Bryan. "He cannot presently call me so communication is slow."

posted July 7, 2011 7:47 am edt

Elder Kweku  Not rated yet
They still have the same commitment to stopping the repair(reparations) and rise of the Native peoples they have decimated and colonized. The Truth must ...

He's lucky  Not rated yet
He's lucky they didn't roll a big stone in front of the hole!