My name is Edward Sistrunk. I’m known as Omar Askia Ali. I’ve been incarcerated since 1971, tried twice by an all-white jury for a murder robbery case that I had nothing to do with. The real reason why I am in prison is because a drug-dealing cop wanted others and myself part of the Nation of Islam endeavor to rid the community of drugs, and we were viewed as competition. The cop was protecting those who he was giving drugs.
The cop, William O’Brien, was arrested, and he admitted he was high on drugs and alcohol when he stole money and drugs doing drug raids. He was convicted of robbery and other crime and sentenced to 5 to 10 years. At my second trial, which O’Brien testified, I was never privy that he was under indictment, nor was I aware that confidential informants were the real reason for probable cause.
For my incarceration until a former attorney, a famed document from the Freedom of Information which has the code numbers. The attorney requested the identity of informants from the FBI. The agent in charge informed my attorney they should not have given her that information and they would get back with us, which they never did after 15 years.
I have documents to prove everything I’ve said, and so does the current attorney Sharon K. McDonald. Currently, there is a letter brief before the honorable Dinah L. 1401 Criminal Justice Center. There will be a response in April to get. Its dealing with the retroactive that Costa v. Chatman dealing with the juvenile matter. Feel free to contact me, Omar Askia Ali Sistrunk, 1 Kelley Dr, Coal Township, PA 17866-1021.
There is also a recent article in the Final Call newspaper, October the 18th, 2016, page 7, where there was an on-air interview in 2013 with my former attorney, the DA, and my investigator explaining the details of what really transpired in my legal matters. My name is Edward Sistrunk. I’m known as Omar Askia Ali. Thank you very much.
These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
![Prison Radio is sharing an abbreviated version of a press release covering recent racist incidents at SCI Rockview in PA and the organizing to demand accountability. We are reaching out to people incarcerated at Rockview as well as recently transferred folks, inviting them to call, in hopes of hearing commentaries from them.
Benner Township, PA.-
On November 24th, 2023, imprisoned people at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for many prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hung, they were told it was a joke.
By December 4th, prisoners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates" and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Captain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance.
The sergeant and COs are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions...
As of March 10th, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending 100 copies of the grievance. Copies of the letter also were mailed to Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman, Senator Street, and various advocacy groups. The demands for relief in the original grievance have now become the platform of demands for this campaign. About 20 of the 100 letters were withheld by the prison.
Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, flooding the phone lines of DOC offices, assisting with outreach to media, and circulating the stories of prisoners who have found unity in opposition to the facility's virulent institutional racism.
In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, Nicki Paul, the superintendent's assistant and "grievance coordinator" informed the public that they self-investigated their staff and found they did nothing wrong.
Read the full article at i
https://conta.cc/4ayDxlB](https://www.prisonradio.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)