Louisiana

DOJ: Louisiana DOC keeps people in prison beyond their release dates!

Zulu has been kept in prison long beyond setting a parole date for him. The LDOC gave him a date to apply for parole that was long after he was entitled for parole. Now the Department of Justice has said that Louisiana Department of Corrections (DOC) keeps people beyond their parole or release dates, and has known about this for more than 10 years.

Not only is this against what the courts have ordered, and it is against the prisoners and their families, it is unethical, but if that was not enough, it is also against tax payers, because they have to pay for the extra money it costs to keep paroled and officially released prisoners in jails (they are moved from the prisons to the jails). Does the State of Louisiana also receive money per prisoner held?

This is from a report on WAFB Channel 9 (CBS), Jan. 25th 2023:

“DOJ announced that it believes that the LDOC has kept people in prison past the dates when they are legally entitled to be released from custody.”

“The US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, Jan. 25, that it believes the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDOC) has violated the Fourteenth Amendment by “routinely” keeping people in prison past the dates when they are legally entitled to be released from custody.”

Read and watch the news item here.

Almost 50 years ain’t enough? Free Kenny Zulu Whitmore!

Published in: SF Bayview, 26 June 2022

by an anonymous supporter

I recently read an article on May 10, 2022, where elderly political prisoner Sundiata Acoli, 85 years of age now, was ordered released by a New Jersey Supreme Court after serving more than 49 years in the belly of the Beast.

And on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, Kerry Shakaboona Marshall walks out of prison after being held captive for 34 years into the arms of his mother who was known as Mama Pat. Patricia Vickery worked tirelessly for her son’s release. This made me think of Kenny Zulu Whitmore, Political Prisoner in Louisiana.

Kenny Zulu Whitmore was “captured by the modern-day slave catchers,” as he once said, in February 1975, for the August 15, 1973 robbery and murder of the mayor of a rural town in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Zulu was 18 years of age at the time, and racial tension was, as it was around the country in 1973, high and violent. Zulu has maintained his innocence of the robbery and murder. At the time of his arrest in February 1975, he was held incommunicado by E.B.R.P.D. for three days, taken out of jail into a heavily wooded area beaten and tortured, refused food and drink by his captors, until they beat a false confession out of him.

Zulu was tried and convicted of armed robbery and second-degree murder and was sentenced to Life Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP), plus over 100 years in prison.

Shortly afterward, Zulu was transferred to the notorious Louisiana state plantation better known as Angola. Upon his arrival to Angola, Zulu was immediately placed into CCC/Close-Cell Restriction, known around the country as solitary confinement.

In solitary, Zulu met members of Angola 3 and joined the Angola chapter of the Black Panther Party for Self-defense. Our beloved comrade would spend the next 37 1/2 years in solitary confinement. He is now being housed in general population.

Currently, Zulu’s case is pending in the district court awaiting a ruling by the judge. Zulu has been incarcerated 47 and a half years. We cannot forget our Elderly Warrior in his struggle for justice. As more legal updates become available, I will pass them on. Let’s show our brother some love and light.

Kenny Zulu Whitmore

Send our brother some love and light: Kenny Zulu Whitmore, 86468 Cypress #3, Louisiana State Prison, Angola, LA 70712.

Let’s not forget Zulu!

Two tyles in ceramic art made for Zulu

Hello, I am Annabelle, chairperson of the Free Zulu European Team.

I recently heard where brother Jalil Muntaqim, aka Anthony Bottom, was released from a New York plantation/prison after serving nearly 50 years for the 1971 double police murder in Harlem, NY in 1971; his co-defender Herman Bell was released on parole in 2018. Political prisoners, like the Move 9, and others.

And this got me thinking about our beloved brother Kenny Zulu Whitmore, who himself is a part of those Black Liberation Radicals who were convicted in the 1970s. Zulu has been incarcerated for 46 years as of today, being falsely accused of a political murder of the Mayor of a small rural community in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

LET’S NOT FOGET ZULU!

Like the legal lynching of brother George Floyd, who was born on October 7th, 1973, as was brother Zulu (who was born on October 14th, 1954), the system/racist policemen put their knee on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, they have had their knee on Zulu’s neck for 46 years, trying to choke the life out of brother Zulu.

George Floyd was taken away from his beautiful daughter, who now has to grow up without her father. Zulu’s son was only 13 months old when Zulu was kidnapped by the modern-day slave catchers, as he calls the racist police who helped to frame him for murder, but both George’s daughter and Zulu’s son had to grow up without their father because of the unjust judicial system, the criminal justice system of America.

And as we protest in the streets around the world for all of the Black & Brown men, women and children who were murdered by the police, we must not overlook the many Black&Brown men, women and children who are incarcerated in the many children’s homes, reformatories, child-prisons, ICE-camps and prisons and penitentiaries across America, as part of the mass incarceration of African Americans, People of Color.

We must raise our voice for the immediate release of our brother Kenny Zulu Whitmore, who continues to be held down with the system’s knees on his neck for 46 years now on a wrongful conviction of murder and armed robbery. He was taken from his family at the age of 19. He has just turned 66 on October 14th, so let’s send our brother lots of love and light, because he will never surrender hope.

Free Zulu!

Website: Freezulu.org

Instagram: @Freezulunow

Zulu is now back at Cypress #, so his address is:

Kenny Zulu Whitmore
86468 Cypress 3
LA State Penitentiary
Angola, LA 70712
U.S.A.

You can also send him a Jpay mail via Jpay.com.
Zulu is NOT allowed greeting cards!

Zulu is making facemasks!

Zulu’s first photo after being released from solitary confinement 2015

We just received a phone call from Zulu, who told us that he is a volunteer making facemasks for first responders in Baton Rouge!

He is staying in the gym with 18 others, where he also sleeps, and each day they make facemasks from cloth that comes from the teeshirt-factory at the prison. They sew the masks together before they are going to the first responders in Baton Rouge.

Zulu said he had volunteered to make the masks, after he was called into the office of a prison director and was asked whether he wanted to participate. Zulu had already made himself a facemask from a handkerchief, because he was housed in a dorm with 86 others. He had also on a daily basis made sure the shower area was clean by using a bleach dissolution.

Zulu lets us know his health is alright, but with so many people packed in dorms there is a big risk of the COVID-19 spreading, so he is glad he can participate in the effort to make facemasks for the prisoners as well as for first responders, and that he can do so in a more spaceous area. They work every day as volunteers.

Zulu said the internet reception to send and receive Jpay emails is not good in the gym, so he cannot write or receive Jpay mails as quickly as usually.

We want to say thank you Zulu and others for caring for everyone during this pandemic.

CDC: How to make a cloth face mask sew and no sew

Please also sign this petition: Life-saving Measures to Protect Louisiana Prisoners from Covid-19

D.A. again does not produce test results and is threatened with Contempt of Court

We spoke with Zulu after the Court Hearing of October 2nd, and he said: “We did not get the ruling that we wanted yesterday, but the Judge was angry with the D.A’s delay in the case.”

The Judge gave the D.A. within 30 days to produce the test of the finger- prints that were taken from the crime-scene, or he will be held in Contempt of Court & fined.

So now we are waiting for the District Attorney to finish the work that should have been done so many years ago, which is: work with the court to make Justice happen.

Meanwhile: Please send Zulu a POSTCARD (not a greeting card, they are no longer allowed in) for his upcoming Birthday on October 14th!

Kenny Zulu Whitmore

Zulu holding the SF Bayview, June 2017

86468 – Cypress#3
LA State Prison
Angola, LA 70712
U.S.A.

Thank you!

Pack the Courtroom Oct 2nd!

We thought Friday 20th of September there would be another Courthearing, the same as was ordered in April to take place on July 22nd, which was postponed. Please check here for the first announcement.

But it is now October 2nd, at 9:30 AM!

Free Zulu!

Zulu with blue sky, designed by Bev, a longtime friend of Zulu

Sweet Land of Liberty – America the Beautiful

Zulu and Emundo’s article that was originally submitted to this site in April of 2019, was published in the SF Baview of August!

Article in SF Bayview of August 2019 by Zulu and Emundo

Zulu and Emundo’s article in the SF Bayview of August 2019, originally submitted to this site in April.

Let’s Show Love to Zulu as Justice is again being delayed!

From the Free Zulu European Campaign Chairperson:

Once again justice is being delayed for our Brother Zulu Whitmore, who had an evidentiary hearing coming up on July, 22, 2019, when the State was supposed to have everything tested by that date, because it was agreed to in open court that there would not be anymore extension in this case.

However Judge Erwin in the 19th judicial district court granted the State another 60-day extension without Zulu’s lawyers being present in court.

A statement from his legal team says, this is not over by a long shot, and they ask that all of Zulu’s supporters show him some love at yet another delay.

Myself and the Free Zulu European Campaign say: show our brother some love with letters of support.

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Annabelle Parker

Free Zulu European Campaign

Freezulu.org

You can reach Zulu here to send him support:

Kenny Zulu Whitmore
86468 – Cypress#3
LA State Prison
Angola, LA 70712
U.S.A.

Or via Jpay.com

Zulu is waiting patiently

We wanted to update you on Zulu’s whereabouts.

In the beginning fo February, Zulu was moved to another building within the Louisiana State Pen, in Angola, LA. He is now in the Main Prison compound, Cypress#3 dormitory.

This is where the largest number of modern day slaves are housed: around 3,500 or more. Zulu was last housed in this area in 1985, when it had killings nearly every week, and stabbing every day, but not so much now. He also said there are a lot of kids down here who just don’t know.

What we learned is that the old solitary confinement buildings are being closed down at the moment, as they were becoming very old.

For the rest, Zulu is patiently waiting to hear from the court, and he is waiting to hear when he will come up for parole, as in Louisiana those prisoners who have been incarcerated the longest, from the 1970s, will be called up for parole! The order in which they are called up is by their number.

Here are some pictures of a visit by Zulu’s son and grandaughter, from November of last year!

Zulu’s new address is:

Kenny Zulu Whitmore
86468 Cypress#3
LA State Prison
Angola, LA 70712
U.S.A.

Zulu on the right, with his son and grandaughter, visiting in November of 2017

Zulu with his son and grandaughter, visiting in November of 2017

Zulu with his grandaughter, visiting in November of 2017

Update on Zulu: Summer 2017

PS Do not forget Zulu’s birthday on October 14th! Send him a card, letter, Jpay! Thank you!

Greeting, Fellow supporters and comrades of our beloved revolutionary

Zulu holding the SF Bayview, June 2017

Kenny Zulu Whitmore, who is being illegally held captive in America’s largest modern-day slave plantation, also known as the Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, La.

On June 28th, 2017, Zulu lost his youngest brother due to a hit and run incident in Zachary, LA, a rural Community that sits in the Northern section of East Baton Rouge, Parish. His brother Alvin Whitmore’s funeral was held on Saturday 8th of July, 2017, and in a surprise move, the Louisiana Department of Corrections allowed Zulu to attend Alvin’s funeral. It was Zulu’s first time in forty-three years that he has been alowed to attend a funeral of a loved one and share grief with his family, signs of the time. Our deepest sympathy goes out to Zulu and his beautiful family, may Alvin Rest In Peace.
In Zulu’s most recent medical checkup he was given a clean Bill of Health, and from recent photo’s the former Black Panther looks very well fit to be a man of sixty-two years of age. He has also enrolled into School working toward getting his High School degree, and will start his C.P.R.-Course on August 21st.
In Legal matters: On July 14th, 2017, District Court Commissioner Denied the State’s brief in trying to have Zulu’s Post Conviction Relief dismissed on procedure grounds, and ORDERED the State to Respond to the merits of the Petition. We will pass on any new up dates, in our next post.

Sending our Revolutionary brother some love and light in that stationary slaveship.

Panther Love, And Solidarity