We have a Fund for legal costs for Zaharibu

Please help Michael gain justice! Please donate to the Legal Fund which we, his supporters, have set up so that Michael can go back to court to receive real justice: click here to go to our Fundraiser for Justice for Michael!
Thank you so much!

Update on Michael and COVID-19 in prison

Michael has clear Covid-19 symptoms (loss of taste, flu-like symptoms such as aches and pains, tiredness, etc.), and is in a quarantine unit, he was moved there last week with 42 others, but now the whole unit of 100 men is being quarantined! This means he is going to have to share a cell with someone else, who may also, or may not yet have Covid-19, and who may be a total stranger to Michael, posing anxiety and even more nervousness.

I [webmaster] e-mailed the Ombudsman, but she only referred to the medical staff, which I called, but they only had an answering machine on, so I spoke in a long message about the situation.

Michael wrote that he still is very tired, has lack of energy, but he also had lack of taste and the taste is slowly returning. He is trying to exercise to keep fit, but he has also lost a lot of weight. Soon he will be celled up again, inside the quarantine-unit at CSATF, with a potentially new Corona-sufferer…

From Zah, via Jpay-message: 9-3-2020:

“They are going around to each cell and demanding that people move into the cell with someone… They have no problem putting people in further harms way. Which is what this would do. And the medical is not going to say anything, knowing it will put people in harms way.”

In an earlier message that day:

“This is the second week for a lot of guys who were quarantined last week (some of us came over here last Monday and Tuesday). It will be interesting to see what is done. Particularly with much of the remaining people waiting to be moved now. I will keep you posted on any new developments. Please thank everyone for me ok.”

Please write Michael, via Jpay.com (he can respond!) or snail mail, thank you! He has no paper or envelopes or stamps to respond, but he can respond via Jpay.

Zah is in quarantine

Michael in October of 2018

“I have been pretty sore, particularly in my back and shoulders. And I have noticed that I am tired.

We are not specifically being told by health care staff why we are being quarantined. Anytime I have ask I am being told, “they do not know,” (we have a right to know why we are being quarantined) but, we were told that all of the people who were moved over here, starting, I think, on Wed., had tested positive for having the virus. We actually have been infected.

Since being over here in the quarantine building, it has not been unpleasant. Staff have been really decent. We have our vitals taken 2-3 times a day. We are not being told anything by the health care staff. I honestly do not ask any questions because it can become very frustrating being told, “I do not know,” by the people who are suppose to have some answers. Flu station has a way of turning into arguments.

At least two of the guys who were quarantined, have been quarantined twice in a month. One of the guys is the guy who was moved back in the bed over me. Social distancing is simply not possible in dorm settings. The beds are less than 3 ft. apart. And about 50 or more people in each section share everything from the showers, to the toilets, and day room area. It’s pretty difficult to try and stay out of the dayroom area, and instead stay in the area of your bed, because if you have someone sleeping on top of you, as I do, you are trying to find some kind of privacy. And it’s hard to have privacy in these settings.

There is now this added pressure because now you have been infected by the virus. Once you have had it, you know that you can get it. And you feel as though you are always in, potentially, harms ways, regardless of what you do to try and keep yourself safe.

Even when we try to protect ourselves by putting up a sheet or towel to be used as a divider between your bed and the bed next to you,we are told that it’s not allowed (we were actually suppose to be provided with divider that would be placed between each bed to create some distancing. We were told that the dividers would not be provided to us because of the cost. So the position that we find ourselves in is, they will not provide us with the things that could prevent the spread of the virus because of the cost. And, we are not allowed to use a sheet or towel between the beds as a preventive measure because it is a safety and security issue, (and this would not cost anything).

We are in the midst of a pandemic, people are dying, and in spite of this they just do not think it is necessary to make changes in the way that prisons are run. We are being put and kept in these extremely high risk situations. If many of us took the position that we no longer want to be housed in these high risk dorm settings, we would be placed in ad seg and given a disciplinary write-up.

There must be changes made immediately to what is being done. One change should be around the “NDPF,” (or 50/50, “Non-Designated Programming Facilities“) yards. The Office of Administrative Law has determined that the policies on this is an underground regulation. Fixing this problem and providing programming for regular lower level prisoners is now possible, and in non-dorm settings.”

Note: After this, Zah let us know: “I am in a cell by myself now. Everyone who is quarantined is put on single cell status. The dorm is where I was housed when this happened.”

Sent to a supporter via Jpay on 8/29/2020 2:03:19 PM

New Fundraiser for Justice for Michael Reed Dorrough launched

Michael in October of 2018

Dear friends, supporters of Michael Reed Dorrough and Justice,

It has been nearly 35 years since Michael was falsely arrested, charged and sentenced to Life Without Parole (LWOP).

In Michael’s own words:

I was tried separately from my co-defendants.

The jury found me guilt of first degree murder, but, they found that I did not personally use a weapon in the commission of the crime.

The jury did not consider me to have been the actual shooter or killer.

The trial jury could not agree on punishment during my penalty trial, and a hung jury was declared.

A second penalty trial jury was impaneld and this jury recommended that I be sentenced to life without parole.

Some of the jurors said that they only recommended this sentence because they did not have any other choice. They said that if they could have recommended a sentence less than that, they would have.

On the day that one of the prosecution’s witnesses claims I was at her apartment in Los Angeles, I was in San Diego, CA, visiting friends, and I had been there for a few days. March 6th is the birthday of my youngest son. And March 5th, 1985, was his one year birthday. I could not be with him on this day because I could not make it back from San Diego in time. I did call his Mother to make her aware of this. And I spoke to my son on his birthday.

The people I was visiting in San Diego had a brother who was incarcerated at the time, and he called while I was at the home of his sister, whom I was visiting, on his birthday. His birthday was also on March 6th.

The mother of my youngest son, as well as the people that I was visiting in San Diego, and the brother whom I spoke to on the phone while in San Diego, were all willing to come to court to testify to this. I also have affidavits from them.

None of them were called to testify on my behalf.

We have a Legal Fund now so that we all can contribute to/donate to hire a lawyer for Michael, so that he can eventually go back to court. Michael’s own alibi’s have not been heard.

Please donate whatever you can, and share this link:

https://fundrazr.com/91arq4?ref=ab_a7DYLe

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Michael was moved to CSP-Sacramento

Please write to Michael, he needs our support:

Michael Reed Dorrough, D83611
CSP-Sacramento STRH – G 178L
P.O. Box 290066,
Represa, CA 95671

Thank you so much!

One of the first photo’s after Michael was allowed to have a picture taken (once a year that was in 2014)

Zaharibu: we are being isolated in Corcoran-SHU! No medical Checkups! Stripped of property!

Since July 8th, 30,000 prisoners have started a hunger strike in California protesting the solitary confinement policies which can lead to people being kept in the SHU (Secure Housing Unit) for years, decades even.
Michael Zaharibu Dorrough has been in the SHU for 24+ years.

Since the hunger strike began, the prison authorities of CSP-Corcoran have moved Zaharibu and his cellmate who are both on hunger strike to another unit: 4A 3R. This is a unit used for “debriefers”, which means prisoners who have informed the prison officials and gang investigators (IGI) on other prisoners concerning gang membership.

Here is a letter from Zaharibu, which he wrote to a friend outside on July 14th:

Zaharibu Dorrough: we are being isolated in Corcoran-SHU! No medical checkups! Stripped of property!
From a letter by Zaharibu Dorrough to a friend:

7/14/13

From a letter by Zaharibu Dorrough to a friend:

7/14/13

Forgive me for not being able to write sooner. It has been very, very tiresome. [Thinking of you

all has been quite the motivator]

On Thursday, 7-11-13, the warden here ordered the supposed leaders of the protest be isolated from good people. That meant that the reps from each cultural group from the section that we were in: 4B-1L, C section have been moved. Myself, H., two Southern Hispanics, and two Northern Hispanics. 

We are now housed in: 4A-3R. [And three of the guys have been housed in 4A-3L] These blocks are designated as SNY/PC buildings . All of the guys in this building [as well as 4A-3L] are informants. They have debriefed.

A day after we were moved here, mattresses were placed in front of our cell. This we designed to re-enforce, psychologically, the feeling of being isolated. And, I guess, to prevent us from receiving food or beverages from anyone. It’s so silly that is borders on being offensive. We have absolutely nothing at all in common with any of the people housed in the building. There is no reason at all to communicate with or accept anything from them. As is said, it’s a building full of stool pigeons. This is the CDCR’s version of sending us to a black site. The conduct of these guys would be comical were it not so disrespectful. You cannot help but hear the idiot shit that is directed at us. And it’s not just daily, it’s all day.

It’s an Absolute Madhouse.

Moving us down here was an extremely tense situation. The warden did authorize that force be used to move us. And it came very close to that happening. It was incredibly irresponsible of the warden. And a clear case of trying to provoke us into a military posture.

We were naturally stripped of our property. And, just as predictable, some of our personal property items came up missing. Thermals, photos [they took the only two copies of the photo I had of me],dictionary, stationary. I’ll have to replace some of it when I am eligible for my package. The Prison Focus, Bayview, gone! At this point it’s the kind of thing that causes you to think and say-when it’s too hot for everyone else, it’s just right for us!-

We have not been to yard in almost 2 weeks. We have not been allowed to shower in a week.

We received no medical attention. NO WEIGH-INS, NO vital signs checks-nothing. A nurse came to the cell this morning, stood approximately 3-4 feet from the cell, stated “drink plenty of water”, wrote something down and walked away. I called her several times in an effort to explain to her that we are both experiencing [assuming this is Zaharibu and Heshima] light headedness, extreme fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, cold chills, dizziness. The nurse just ignored me and kept walking. It was very obvious that she was reading from a script that she, perhaps all of them have been given. And it is either to not say anything at all to us-or only the bare minimum….

Ordinarily, efforts such as those being made by the state now [Everyone was issued a 128, a Chrono alleging that our participation in a statewide hunger strike with gang members and associates in support of “perceived overly harsh SHU issues”, is gang related activity. And our continued participation will result in progressive disciplinary action] occur in response to efforts, just as enthusiastic, by those of us who have been under the yoke of tyranny for far too long, resisting.

I know that it has been said before, but it is worth saying a thousand times …you all are amazing, brave and inspiring people. Whatever victories that result from this struggle will, in no small measure, be because of your contributions, support, and commitment.

                                                Please take care

                                                 Always with you

                                                             Love, hugs   Zaharibu