Over the weekend of April 1, 2006, 40 people answered a call by the American Friends Service Committee to “build a sustainable control unit abolition campaign based on prisoners’ voices."  Many groups and organizations were represented including California Prison Focus, Critical Resistance, CURE, Coalition for Prisoners’ Rights, ACLU, Heartland Alliance, Human Rights Coalition, Prison and Gang Program of the National Community, etc.

            The foundation of the effort is to be organizing at a community level with prisoners, family members, affected communities and others.  Popular education about control units and the need to close them will be ongoing throughout.  A human rights framework will be used in ways appropriate to each group and audience.  Community-based tribunals will serve an important role in the education and monitoring process.

            The as-yet-untitled organization will provide resource materials through research needed in the various regions and include art and adjunct resources to help support prisoners and their loved ones.  An emergency response network is planned.

            National and regional conferences are being organized including a kick off national conference within one year.  A national resource center is to be developed to assist everyone in their work.

            AFSC will initially fund one full time organizer, and parts of their regional criminal justice programs, and will raise funds for the first conference.  Those attending agreed that the Chicago meeting was a successful launch of the new national and regional effort to abolish control unit prisons.