On January 3, 2011, four prisoners sentenced to death after being wrongfully convicted of crimes following the 1993 Lucasville Prison uprising started a “rolling” hunger strike to protest the conditions of their confinement.

The prisoners, unlike the 125 death row inmates being housed at Ohio State Penitentiary’s, are kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours every day, completely isolated from contact with others, prevented from ordering necessary goods such as clothing to keep them warm in the cold cells. Further, they are denied medical treatment and access to computer databases necessary for preparing their appeals, and despite their ongoing cooperation with prison programs they have been refused privileges typically granted to prisoners for good behavior. This treatment has been ongoing for over 17 years.

If moved from solitary confinement to death row, the prisoners would be able to have semi-contact visits from their families and interact with other inmates. But they have been told that they will remain in isolation, locked behind a solid cell door, until they are put to death.

Tell Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Director Ernie Moore and Governor Strickland to take action now!

Photo Credit: Radical Graphics