As we covered last week, prisoners in California have been subjected to a new and disturbing round of gladiator fights – conflicts between prisoners instigated by guards for their own amusement or to break down solidarity between different groups on the inside. This week, we continue sharing a powerful conversation with three women whose husbands have suffered from this shocking practice. In addition to supporting their loved ones, these women are also bravely organizing to stop the practice and reverse the punishments hypocritically meted out in the aftermath of these state-imposed battles.
This week, they talk more about the dangers and impacts of these fights, the importance of yard and programming- things that are removed from their loved ones because of the “intermittent release” status they are under, and how to get involved. We applaud these women for their efforts, and hope that hearing both their heartbreak and their resolve can help us all move forward against this inhumane set of conditions.