January 10, 2015
Greetings to all lovers of Ayana, life and freedom,
It has just passed 6 years since our sister, daughter, lover, wife, mother, aunt, friend, goddaughter Ayana stepped into her prison sentence – her 15 years to life behind bars for the unfortunate accident that left one beloved woman dead.
It is a miracle that Ayana is alive and a miracle that I have a chance to write these words. Life is so fragile and we will never know another person’s experience. As a formerly incarcerated woman, I have an inkling of Ayana’s morning, noon and night. But I had an end date to my sentence. Our dear Ayana has no end in sight – freedom being a mere figment of her imagination, an imagination that is constantly being drugged, chased, invaded, interrupted, held down, held back.
What has it been like for the last year for Ayana? None of us can know, but as a friend who has had a number of conversations with Ayana over these past months, I can say that it has been most of the time close to hell, with no light at the end of the tunnel, save for the contact that she can have with friends and family.
I wanted to give you what I remember in her stories that she shared with me in 2014. She was living in a very abusive “X-wing” of CIW (Can’t remember the name) where she was in a circumstance with a couple of other women, who were all blamed for the bag of contraband that was on the floor. She didn’t point fingers (you don’t do that in the small space behind bars), so she was written up and put into solitary for a while. When she got out of solitary, she found that all of her personal belongings had been taken, warm boots for the winter, her coat, extra clothes, personal toiletries, etc. etc. She was glad to be “out” but completely distraught to see that her personal items were being worn by others of the “X-wing”. No authority did anything to remedy this situation, and her family and friends have raised extra money to get her what she needs this winter. She was allowed no visitors for 6 months (which ended the first week of October). Fortunately, she was moved to the “Y-wing” which was better. In that new housing situation, she regained some of her spirit and optimism.
Suddenly this Fall, she was moved back to the “X-wing”. Some bureaucratic nightmare. She has lost weight, has terrible manic – depressive swings, and is being harassed and mentally “tortured” on a daily basis by the authorities and her fellow inmates. It is just terrible. Her family has been calling to get her changed out of the extremely hostile living environment, but to no avail. She has continuously had low points in her 6 years of incarceration, but this could be the lowest of the low.
Ayana has told me, “Ayana is almost gone… I’m Ashley now”. I interpret that to mean that they have squeezed and squeezed and squeezed her to the point that her love of life, her creativity, her passion, her enthusiasm and connection to Spirit are absent more than present. She is becoming the institutionalized woman name “Ashley”.
So, is there hope??? Any hope??? At this point, I think the hope lies with us, her family and friends and supporters. It’s time to step way out and help Ayana, both spiritually and physically.
Is there hope in the legal system?
Yes. Ayana filed a Writ of Habeus Corpus in 2013 to have a chance to have another day in court and to have her sentence changed. In October, the Magistrate judge in the Central District Court recommended that the Federal Habeus Corpus process be dismissed. If it is dismissed. . . the sentence remains 15 years to life.
This is where the crossroads lies. We have found a lawyer, by the name of Lisa Holder (www.civilrightslawyerla.com). If Lisa gets funding ASAP she can file the objections by the deadline of February 5, 2015. If the objections are filed by February 5, 2015, and the judge over-rides the Magistrate judge’s recommendations, then the Habeus Corpus matter will be heard in full by the Judge.
How can you help?
PRAYERS: Prayers for Ayana – for her spark of life to keep shining.
PRAYERS: Prayers of support for Ayana’s family who ride this emotional rollercoaster (seemingly without seatbelts sometimes—with the nature of the institution being to keep everyone off balance and stressed and disconnected from love and spiritual centers)
FUNDING: $10,000 IMMEDIATELY for the lawyer to file objections by February 5, 2015
FUNDING: More money soon if Judge agrees to hear the case (estimate $25,000) for lawyer to argue the Habeus Corpus matter (if the Judge accepts the Objections) – this money will be needed very very soon
SUPPORT: Join Ayana’s Village conference call every M-W-F at 12:30 pm – we are in this together and have to keep showing up for Ayana and her family and each other. It is time to bring Ayana’s Village together and hear each other’s voices. We will open this call with prayer and share our hopes, dreams, ideas, progresses 3 times per week for these coming critical weeks. Call into the Village conference call 605-475-6006, access code 7584695#.
SUPPORT: Cards, letters, photos, of love and support to Ayana
Mail to: Ashley Johnigan
WA2744
P.O. Box 8100
Corona, CA 92878
I invite us all to step out and step up and step beyond where we have been before for Ayana. Please call or write to me (and/or Ayana’s family) and/or call into Ayana’s Village Conference call on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, beginning January 12, 2015.
In love and service and
FOR FREEDOM FOR AYANA NOW
Robin
robinmankey@yahoo.com
650-208-3825
