On June 3rd, correctional officers came to Wayland Coleman’s cell wearing riot gear and filled his cell with an unknown gaseous chemical weapon that violently burned his lungs, eyes, and skin. In his first hand account of this brutal and horrifying experience, Wayland writes, “It completely shuts your lungs down and it feels like there’s a hole being burned straight through the middle of your chest… On top of all the pain and suffering your body’s going through on the inside, your skin feels like someone doused you with gas and lit a match.”
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, severe tear gas poisoning — particularly if the gas was released in an enclosed space, as it was in Wayland’s case — can blind or kill people through chemical burns and respiratory failure. This chemical attack happens in the midst of a pandemic of respiratory infection and in the midst of ongoing uprisings across the U.S. against police brutality. In the last week, a federal prisoner died in New York City after guards sprayed him with pepper spray and an Ohio State graduate died after being tear gassed during a protest in Columbus, Ohio.
Please make a call today to demand that the DOC free Wayland and end the use of chemical weapons and solitary confinement. And stay tuned for action items for the rest of the week!
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Superintendent, Old Colony Correctional Center: (508) 279-6761
Call script
Hello,
I am a (friend/concerned community member) calling in response to the human rights violation that happened at NCCI-Gardner on the evening of Wednesday, June 3rd. Correctional officers sprayed Wayland Coleman (W65484) with an unknown chemical weapon before transferring him to solitary confinement at Old Colony Correctional Center. I therefore demand the following actions be taken:
- I demand Wayland’s immediate release from solitary confinement.
- I demand an end to the use of chemical weapons at Massachusetts correctional facilities, which is a clear violation of human rights and will only hasten the spread of COVID-19 inside Massachusetts prisons
- I demand an end to the use of solitary confinement in Massachusetts
- I demand all Superintendents and the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections use every available means to release as many people as possible
If the direct number doesn’t work or doesn’t answer, leave a message. This could be a good sign. Once you’re done, call (508) 279-6000 and ask for ext. 6761, or read the call script to whoever you speak to.
PLEASE REPORT BACK BELOW
Tuesday, 6/9
Are you a doctor, nurse, social worker, public health worker, or healthcare professional? PLEASE MAKE A CALL TODAY and leave a comment below when you’ve called!
CALL SCRIPT:
Superintendent, Old Colony Correctional Center: (508) 279-6000 ext. 6761
Hello, I am a (doctor/public health professional/social worker) calling in response to the human rights violation that happened at NCCI-Gardner on the evening of Wednesday, June 3rd. Correctional officers sprayed Wayland Coleman (W65484) with an unknown chemical weapon before transferring him to solitary confinement at Old Colony Correctional Center. As a health professional, I am highly concerned about the use of chemical weapons and solitary confinement in Massachusetts prisons, both of which have serious health implications and will only hasten the spread of COVID-19. I therefore demand the following actions be taken:
1) I demand Wayland’s immediate release from solitary confinement
2) I demand an end to the use of chemical weapons at Massachusetts correctional facilities
3) I demand an end to the use of solitary confinement in Massachusetts
4) I demand all Superintendents and the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections use every available means to release as many people as possible
Please tell us how your call went below!
