PP Veronza Bowers Moved to Atlanta-gctid28496

[nattyreb]

Just a Note to let you know that Veronza was moved this week to USP Atlanta--and a request for you to send a post card or friendly fathers' day card to Veronza at his new digs USP Atlanta...

VERONZA BOWERS Jr.
35316-136
USP-Atlanta
P.O.
Box 150160
ATLANTA, GA 30315

Paulette NYC Jericho
Free All Political Prisoners!
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B L A C K G R O U N D

Who is Veronza?

Veronza Bowers Jr., is an inmate at the Federal Correctional Facility in Coleman, Florida. He is a former member of the Black Panther Party incarcerated in federal prison for over 31 years, making him one of the longest-held political prisoners in U. S. history.

In the 30-plus years of his confinement, Veronza has become a "model "prisoner. He is an author, musician, a student of eurasian healing arts and has a strong interest in Buddhist meditation as well as "hands-on" healing techniques which he practiced at the various facilities in which he was incarcerated. Veronza is also an honorary elder of the Lompoc Tribe of Five Feathers, a Native American spiritual and cultural group. He is a mentor and founder of the All-Faith Meditation Group, a non-denominational spiritual organization devoted to healing meditation using the traditional Japanese shakuhachi flute.

Why was Veronza sent to prison over 30 years ago?

Veronza was convicted in the murder of a U. S. Park Ranger on the word of two government informers, both of whom received reduced sentences for other crimes by the Federal prosecutor's office. There were no eye-witnesses and no evidence independent of these informants to link him to the crime. At his trial, Veronza offered alibi testimony which was not credited by the jury, nor was testimony of two relatives of the informants who insisted that they were lying. The informants had all charges against them in this case dropped and one was given $10,000 by the government according to the prosecutor's post-sentencing report. Veronza has consistently proclaimed his innocence of the crime he never committed — even at the expense of having his appeals for parole denied — for which an admission of guilt and contrition is virtually required — he insists on maintaining his innocence.

The Black Panther Party was targeted by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI in its infamous Cointelpro Operation which, during its years of operation from 1956 to 1971, surveilled, infiltrated, manipulated and tried to provoke criminal activities by entirely lawful civil rights and peace demonstrators exercising their First Amendment rights to oppose government policies. Hoover referred to the BPP as "the greatest threat to the internal security of this country" and authorized surveillance of many black and antiwar leaders including Martin Luther King.

Despite letters of support from prominent attorneys, former high-ranking representatives of regional commissions, prison officials and a member of the U. S. Congress, Veronza has continually been denied release due to intervention by the U. S. Parole Commission. A recent decision by the regional federal parole commission to grant his release was overturned by the National Commission.

With the truth coming out daily about the high incidence of inmates who have been falsely convicted and imprisoned, exonerations of Death Row prisoners (156 to date), police and prosecutorial malfeasance and other failures of the criminal justice system, Veronza's case deserves careful review.

Veronza Bowers, Jr. Founder All-Failth Meditation Group, a prison religious organization devoted to healing meditation using the Japanese shakuhachi flute.