'Just World News' with Helena Cobban

Jailed CO Stephen Funk: update

Thanks to all JWN readers who responded to the earlier appeal from Chuck Fager, director of Quaker House in fayetteville, North Carolina, for folks to write to jailed conscientious objector Steven Funk. Funk, a gay man from California, has been sent to the brig at Camp Lejeune in NC, where he knows almost nobody.

Chuck says that Funk has really appreciated all the letters he's received, and hasn't been able to reply to all of them. He's asking folks to keep the letters flowing there for the rest of Funk's term. For more info, and some advice from Chuck on how your help can be most effective, read on...

Update on Stephen Funk, Jailed Marine War Resister

From Chuck Fager, Director, Quaker House, Fayetteville, NC

Tenth Month (October) 1, 2003

Dear Friends,

Here's an update about Stephen Funk, and some advices for those who wish to be supportive of him.

The UPDATE: Last First Day (Sunday) I visited Stephen Funk in the Camp Lejeune brig.

He seemed to be doing well, and in good spirits. He is not confined to a cell, but in a bay with twenty or so other inmates. He gets outside about an hour a day.

He has no regrets about his antiwar actions, and does not feel much anxiety over possible hostile acts by other prisoners, at least at this point. He said a number of men had expressed much sympathy with his antiwar stance, though they had acted out their views in other, perhaps less coherent ways.

Stephen works in the prison woodshop, mainly sweeping up wood shavings. It is not onerous work, but does little to relieve the tedium of the days.

One positive feature of the military prison system is that it still allows for "good time." If Stephen maintains a clean record, he can knock off about a month of his sentence, and get out by mid-February. Once released, he hopes to return to the San Francisco Bay Area, and wants to apply to the University of California at Berkeley. (A Friend there is arranging to have application forms sent to him from there.)

He said he has received "hundreds" of letters, more than he can hope to reply to. (So if you've written and don't hear, that may be why.) He has an "allowance" in the brig canteen of $20 per month, with which to buy stamps and envelopes, so this does not go very far.

Which brings me to the ADVICES for those who wish to show support.

The FIRST ADVICE is intended to help control your email load: If you are concerned with Stephen's situation and want to be part of an informal online "Support and Care Committee" for him, please send me a brief email saying so...

And while we're on the subject of mail, Stephen told me many persons had thoughtfully tried to send him postage stamps, which he, of course, can use.

BUT this is not allowed, and all such stamps were confiscated by brig authorities. (One reason is that stamps have become a kind of underground currency in prisons.)

What you CAN send him are STAMPED, SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPES (or SASEs).

So that's the FIRST ADVICE: Stamps, NO; SASEs, YES..

The SECOND ADVICE is that if you plan to write to Stephen, I urge you to space out your letters, so there is something like a steady flow, rather than a big burst that tails off into near-silence. A jail sentence of even five months is something of a marathon, and the time drags, especially toward the end.

So if you plan to write to Stephen (or have your Meeting do so, as several have reported), here is a suggested schedule:

Persons or groups whose Surnames Begin with A through M: Mail the letters around October 15 and December 15.

Names M-Z: Around November 1 and January 1.

And Everyone: once more, around February 1

(Note: If, like me, you're prone to procrastination, you can write letters now, and mail them later.)

Next, about BOOKS.

Stephen reports that the brig library is sparse and not very interesting. About half of the books in it, he says, are romance novels.

Now I have nothing against romance, mind you; but perhaps the balance is a bit skewed? He studied a lot of comparative religion in his Seattle alternative high school, and that field is of interest. But he is also interested in biographies, social issues, and fiction. He has the impression (yet to be tested) that books can be shared or passed on to the library once he is finished with them, so they can be a gift to many other prisoners as well.

BUT. (Again that word.)

The authorities have already turned away some books sent to him, because they came directly from Friends and supporters. At least one of them, he said, was from the author itself.

This is NOT allowed. Books can ONLY be sent to him from a publisher or a distributor, which I believe means a bookstore that can send the books in a package with a bookstore label on it. I suppose this is meant to assure that they do not contain some hidden "contraband," or coded messages from supporters or co-conspirators. I am not aware of any prohibited categories of books.

So the THIRD ADVICE: if you want to send him a book or two, pay a call on your favorite booksellers, and have them sent from there. And let me also suggest that books be sent on the SAME SCHEDULE as letters, so they don't pile up in his small space.

Finally, about VISITS. Stephen's family, friends and attorneys are almost all on the west coast, and none are in the southeast. He is unlikely to have many visits from them. I was his first visitor since his arrival.

If any of you are moved to visit Stephen, my FOURTH (and last) ADVICE is that you please let me know, and see if we can coordinate schedules. Visiting hours are noon to 3 PM, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Getting in to the brig itself is easy; you don't need to be pre-cleared in advance, as in many prisons. Visits are informal, seated at tables in an open dining room area.

The problem is that Camp Lejeune is (by intention) a long way from just about anywhere--e.g., 104 miles from me; 210 miles from Greensboro NC; 250 miles from Richmond VA ? all one way. For almost everyone, a visit will be a major trek. But I hope some will be moved to make the journey, and that I'll hear from you..

Here's His address again, for reference:

Stephen Funk
Bldg. 1041
PSC 20140
Camp Lejeune NC 28542

Thanks to all who have shown support for this prisoner of conscience. Let's not forget!

Peace,

Chuck Fager
Quaker House, fayetteville. chuckfager"at"aol.com