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October 24, 2014

Mumia Abu-Jamal Responds to New Pennsylvania Law Restricting Prisoners' Speech 
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In Pennsylvania, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett has signed into law a bill
critics say will trample the free speech rights of prisoners. Dubbed the
"Mumia bill," the measure was introduced after imprisoned journalist and
former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal gave a pretaped commencement
address at Vermont's Goddard College. His speech was opposed by
Pennsylvania officials and the widow of Daniel Faulkner, the police
officer whom Abu-Jamal was convicted of killing. The law authorizes the
censoring of public addresses of prisoners or former offenders if judges
agree that allowing them to speak would cause "mental anguish" to the
victim. Speaking to Democracy Now! from prison this week, Mumia Abu
Jamal said that by signing the law, Governor Corbett had violated the
Constitution.

Mumia Abu-Jamal: "As a governor and as an attorney and a member of the
bar, he had to take a sworn oath for both offices, and that oath was to
protect and defend the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
and the Constitution of the United States of America. By signing that
bill into law, he has violated both of his oaths as governor and as an
attorney."

The full interview with Mumia Abu-Jamal you can is posted on our website
here.

 

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