Is Snake River Correctional Institute Trying to Kill Kevin 'Rashid' Johnson?

An Oregon prison known as 'Cowboy Country' has a long history of crimes against prisoners.

Kevin 'Rashid' Johnson

(PORTLAND, OR) - Kevin “Rashid” Johnson is a New African Communist prison organizer and intellectual in the United States and one of the founders of the NABPP-PC (New African Black Panther Party-Prison Chapter). He has spent most of his adult life in the prison system and continually been subjected to political repression and violence in retaliation for his organizing efforts. He is currently held at Snake River Correctional Inst in Oregon.

After a long and uncharacteristic silence in communication with him and no information on his circumstances -a supporter received the following letter from his cellmate:

”This is about Rashid. We need a lot of help. They are trying to kill him. On Jan. 31 they put something in his food that made him crazy. On Feb. 2 he took 30 pills. They did not do anything to get the pills out of him…. On Jan. 4 [sic; I assume he means Feb. 4] he ate 3 razor blades. This is all on videotape. They lied and said the X-ray showed nothing. The [blades] are still in him right now. He has not eaten since Feb. 3. He has not drunk anything since Feb. 5…. He is passing out and they won’t do anything to help him…. Said he is the one that won’t eat or drink so they are not helping him at all. He is peeing blood and has bad kidney pains…. Med staff will not give him IV fluids…. [As of Feb. 10 he had] lost over 16 pounds. His blood pressure is 191/100 and his urine is the color of coffee….”

It is of the upmost importance to put ALL POSSIBLE PRESSURE on the Oregon DOC AS SOON AS POSSIBLE in order to protect this comrade's life!

Please call Snake River at 541-881-5000 and dial 0 to speak with a staff member and express your concern over the situation:

Also call the DOC Inspector General at (877) 678-4222 and Oregon DOC at 503-945-9090.

Fax number for Snake River Superintendent’s Office is (541)881-5460.

Email address of Snake River Superintendent Mark Nooth is mark.s.nooth@state.or.us.

Rashid’s inmate number is #19370490

Snake River is open 8-5 PST/MST.  Further details on the situation and support actions will be posted here as they become available.