"All human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason
and conscience and should act toward one another in
a spirit of brotherhood."
-- UN Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, Article 1
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We welcome your suggestions for installation sites for
the exhibit and appreciate any donations of time and money
to further the work of this important project.
Send your donation to:
HRDW, PO Box 1716
El Cerrito CA 94530
Site Navigation
Free Amy Pofahl
VICTORY!
After 9 years: Clemency!
Book Store Great
gifts!
Shattered Lives
(The powerful new photo book based on this project)
Human Rights and
the US Drug War
(Commemorative booklet)
Drug Truce Petition for a
negotiated Drug Peace
Calendar
Shattered Lives
(Book reviews)
Drug War Follies!
(Performance by Jeffrey Stonehill)
2 Million, Too Many Prisoners!
In the year 2000, the US prison population for the
first time in history hit 2,000,000 inmates, largely due
to the Drug War. This is mostly due to drug penalties. You
will learn about this issue on our website, and we also
recomend visiting november.org
to become more actively involved locally in the reform
effort.
"My brother got 27-1/2 years on informants testimony.
Mikki, Chris & Virginia (Human Rights and the Drug War)
were the first to speak for the drug war prisoners. Ever
since the November Coalition (TNC) first organized a
membership based organization, they have been invaluable
help and we have maintained a network and informal
team.
"But there are thousands of people that inquire --
for legal help and legal advice and we have a hard time
finding that for people. There are no attorneys that EVER
say to us: Can we help your organization by providing some
pro bono help now and then? We will help you with a few of
your member's egregious cases.
"I wish to God that they would."
"In Struggle,
Nora
Callahan, The November Coalition." http://www.november.org
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The Human Face of America's
War at Home
The children of alleged medical
marijuana provider Dennis
Hunter stood outside the Sacramento office of the DEA to
protest his being arrested and held without bail pending
trial. Despite adoption of Proposition
215, a statewide California voter initiative to legalize
the cultivation and use of medical marijuana, federal law
takes its Draconian policy of zero tolerance to the extreme
by forbidding juries from hearing evidence of medical use
and thereby choosing to exercise their power to acquit in
the interests of justice. This policy violates democracy and
the voters' right to self-determination as it targets sick
and dying people and destroys
families.
Bryan Epis was sentenced to 10
years in federal prison after the state of California voted
to legaize medical marijuana. Read about his story and then
take action to defend both the patients -- and States'
Rights! Sign
the online petition to free Bryan Epis.
Left: Ed
Rosenthal, his wife Jane, and daughter, Justine, stood
with supporters outside the courthouse after Ed was
convicted in federal court of medical marijuana cultivation
which was legal under state law. The jury publicly protested
its having been kept in the dark about the medical issues in
his case. Rosenthal faced a five year mandatory minimum
sentence, but a federal judge used a combination of the
safety valve and downward departures to reduce the sentence
to one day, time served. Unbowed, he continues his battle to
force the federal government to respect state's rights and
medical marijuana. For more information go to green-aid.com.
Human Rights and the Drug War
Originally developed as Human Rights Atrocities of the
Drug War, this project was a special photo exhibit
showing nonviolent drug offenders and their families that
was held in 1995 in conjunction with the United Nations'
50th anniversary festivities in San Francisco. It was
designed to bring awareness to the general public and policy
makers about the human casualties and costs of the US Drug
War. The ongoing exhibit, now known as Human Rights and
the Drug War, is a project of Human Rights 95 (HR95)
that presents the Drug War in the context of its violations
of the UN Universal Declaration on
Human Rights and the American
Bill of Rights.
Stop the deportation of the BC 3, including Marc Emery from Canada to the USA for sending cannabis seeds across the border. This is a minor effense in his native Canada, but a potential Lifetime prison sentence in the US.
Amnesty to hold hearings: An opportunity for
victims of arrest or brutality as a result of the War on
Drugs, to be heard. Through September 2003, Amnesty
International will hold hearings on the issue of racial
profiling throughout the US. Organizations involved with
this issue are heartily invited. "Special attention will be
paid to practices employed in the "War on Drugs" and "War on
Terror." Great opportunity for Reform movement.
For information: amnestyusa.org/events/fall2003hearings.html
Buy the book based on this website and
project
The book from which two out of
three cover stories won early release!
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Mikki Norris, Chris Conrad, Virginia
Resner
The powerful book
based on the HRDW exhibit.
Filled with photos, personal
stories, political information and valuable
contacts.
Toll-Free Credit
Card Orders
866-CX-BOOKS
(866-292-6657)
Reviews
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Featured
Drug War POW in Human Rights Victory:
AMY RALSTON-POFAHL IS
FREE!
We won! Amy was released July 7,
2000
Amy Ralston (Pofahl), another
victim of overzealous and misguided political prosecution,
was sentenced to 24 years and served 9 years for criminal
activities of her ex-husband -- who served only 4 years for
his offenses. She was charged with conspiracy to import
and distribute MDMA (ecstasy), money laundering
President Clinton did the right thing -- although too
little and too late; there were four HRDW featured cases
that got Presidential Clemencies. (Click
here to learn about all our victories.) So why does
former drug user GW Bush continue to give his family members
special treatment for their drug use while allowing so many
others to remain behind bars for doing the same things that
he did during the 1970s and 1980s? Where is his touted
"compassionate" conservatism? Protest the hypocrisy and
demand that this administration end the drug war and show
all people the same "compassion" that his family members
receive. Americans need a second chance, not a double
standard. Call 202-456-2883 to express your opinion on this
outrageous misconduct from the President's office.
Thank you to everyone who wrote or
called President Clinton and other elected officials
to win this long-overdue presidential clemency. Amy spent
more than nine years in prison for someone else's crimes.
There are thousands more prisoners who need your help.
Get involved to end the drug
war.
Featured in Glamour
magazine, June 1999, p. 224.
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Human
Rights and the Drug War
