Social Justice

Mumia Abu-Jamal’s family alleges medical neglect by prison

A new photo that has surfaced of Mumia Abu-Jamal from jail has supporters worried

Published

10 years ago

April 8, 2015

Unheard Voices Staff

Mumia Abu-Jamal's Family Alleges Medical Neglect By Prison

Photo: Campaign to bring Mumia Abu-Jamal home

A new photo that has surfaced of Mumia Abu-Jamal from jail has supporters worried. The former Black Panther and journalist, who is now serving a life in imprisonment sentence for the conviction of the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner, looks ravaged in a new photo that has surfaced.

Mumia Abu-Jamal’s health

On March 30th, Abu-Jamal was taken to the ICU of the Schuylkill Medical Center, after having collapsed from diabetic shock. The prison did not notify friends and family or allow visitors. After pressure from social media and grassroots organizers, the prison let up and allowed some visitors.

The family is demanding proper medical care and is alleging that the prison is attempting to kill him through medical neglect.

The photos come after an email written by Abu-Jamal’s wife, Wadiya Jamal, was distributed to his supporters. It is a rare public statement from Wadiya Jamal, who has not made many public comments about her husband or his case. In the email she says that she was not notified by the prison of her husband’s illness and was then blocked from access to him until the protests began.

Abu-Jamal, a former Philadelphia radio commentator, garnered international attention last week when supporters learned that he had untreated diabetes and was briefly shipped to the intensive-care unit at Schuylkill Medical Center in Pottsville, a hospital near SCI Mahanoy.

These latest photos of Abu-Jamal were released by the Campaign to Bring Mumia Home.

“We share these photos to give you a sense of the gravity of Mumia’s condition. He has lost over 50 lbs and his entire body is covered with a hard, leathery layer of jet-black skin that is bloody, painful and itchy.

We continue to demand that he be allowed to see an independent team of specialists chosen by his family and supporters.”

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The photos are much different from the ones the Abu-Jamal movement likes to show, of him looking powerful and smiling.

While non-supporters believe Abu-Jamal is a murderer who has profited from his crimes, Mumia has become a celebrated journalist, writing opinion pieces to books.

His wife wrote of her concerns that prison authorities are trying to kill him through neglect:

For over 30 years my husband was on death row in solitary confinement!!! where he was caged 24 hours a day, in his cell and even when outside. In general population these past three years, he has yet to receive his correct diet,!!! He developed a skin disease that spread over his whole body, treated with wrong medicine that he was allergic to, had pneumonia and last Monday, March 30, he went into diabetic shock with a blood sugar level of a deadly high of 779 and rushed to the hospital and put into the ICU on an insulin drip.

During these years on death row and now slow death row, Mumia has lost his mother, his sister, a brother, our brother Jahlani, my mother, my father, and our baby girl Goldii who was very active in trying to free him ’til the end of her life. Every single one of them expected to see him come home a free man, because like us all they believe in his innocence. May Allah bless and have mercy on their sweet souls!!!!

The prison didn’t even let me know my husband had been rushed to the hospital and put into the ICU. I was told by [Mumia supporter and lawyer] Rachel Wolkenstein and then I called to find out what happened and where Mumia was taken. And then the prison blocked my visit at the hospital until the international campaign flooded the prison and PA Department of Corrections with protest calls. Guards stood outside the hospital room and one was inside the room with Mumia. I was shocked at his condition, he had lost over 40 pounds, was weak, barely able to sit up and keep his head up, handcuffed to his chair, with labored breathing, and dry mouth. I told him about all the love outpouring for him and that the world is watching!!!