[resipsa]

For Immediate Release
Contact: Allison Margolin, Esq.
(323) 653-1850
letfreedomgrow@yahoo.com

September 24, 2008

STEPHANIE LANDA’S PRISON SENTENCE EXTENDED

Stephanie Landa, medical marijuana activist, failed a recent drug test administered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and will have her sentence extended. Her new out date is listed as June 9, 2009.

Ms. Landa tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which automatically triggers investigations and hearings. The first of these was done within 48 hours of the incident. Ms. Landa was not allowed to have counsel present.

Stephanie has accepted responsibility for this incident and is awaiting assignment to a higher security prison.

When Ms. Landa surrendered herself in January of 2007, she was carrying her prescription for Marinol, which contains synthetic THC. Marinol is a prescription drug, legal in all fifty states. The federal marshals at the courthouse confiscated it before she even got to the prison, leaving her with no pain or nausea medications.

“Because the federal prison system allows only aspirin or Tylenol her doctor could not provide her with pain medication appropriate to her level of need,” her spokeswoman explained. “He had prescribed the Marinol as a sort of back-up plan, to help alleviate the nausea that chronic pain caused her, and to stimulate her appetite, which tends to disappear when she’s stressed.

“Her shoulder injury has deteriorated markedly in the 18 months she’s been inside, and she is in unrelenting pain,” Sarah Armstrong, founder of the Landa Prison Outreach Program, continued.

“Only surgery will fix the problem, so there really wasn’t much the prison could do. With a mere 90 days left to serve, I don’t think she would have ingested anything unless she simply couldn’t stand it any more. Stephanie is tough, but everyone has their limits.

“The last time I saw her she was stick thin and could not follow what I was saying, she was so distracted by the pain. I had to twist the cap off the juice I bought her because the right shoulder injury was affecting the lower arm and hand,” remarked Ms. Armstrong.

That was ten months ago, and recent photos don’t show her looking any better.

When the medication was seized, Ms. Landa’s safe access was cut off, and like millions of Americans who live in places where medical marijuana is still not legal, she was forced to engage in self-help to alleviate her pain.

Perhaps the most difficult part of the extended sentence is the loss of privileges that go with accepting responsibility for testing positive. Right now Stephanie is in the hole, a tiny cell she shares with three other women. They are not even allowed a pillow, much less access to a phone or any other amenities.

“I’m convinced the only thing keeping Stephanie sane at this point, is the love and support she receives in the mail,” Ms. Armstrong concluded. “She will not be allowed any visits for six months, so mail is the only way she can stay connected to the world.”

Interested parties can write to Stephanie at her new address:

Stephanie Landa
Prisoner 09247-800
FCI Dublin - Special Housing Unit
5701 8th Street - Camp Parks
Dublin, CA 94568

[Medpatient]

she failed a drug test so they have to extend her sentence and move her to a higher security section. What is this bullshit.

To anyone who wanders why I have no respect for any law enforcement this is the exact reason why.

The feds are criminal

[resipsa]

She is in solitary 24/7. Your letters are the ONLY thing keeping her connected to the outside world right now.

[Medpatient]

Originally Posted by resipsa

She is in solitary 24/7. Your letters are the ONLY thing keeping her connected to the outside world right now.

that is rediculous. Is she still able to read letters in solitary. Wasnt sure if they cut her off completely.

[Nepeta]

Originally Posted by resipsa

She is in solitary 24/7. Your letters are the ONLY thing keeping her connected to the outside world right now.

Good thing I just picked up new stationary. She sends back the prettiest cards. One of these days I'm going to break out my paints and send her a hand painted one as a thank you.

Their treatment of her absolutely disgusts me. What total BS!!

[sandyacres]

Originally Posted by Medpatient

To anyone who wanders why I have no respect for any law enforcement this is the exact reason why.

You and me both, Medpatient. Thugs one and all. I have NO RESPECT for law enforcement or the American legal system anymore. They simply aren't deserving of it. SHE IS A MEDICAL PATIENT IN PAIN! Outrageous.

resipsa, i'm so sad...my heart breaks for your friend......we always have her in our prayers

[BabyBoomer]

This is such sad news.

Let's all flood her with letters.

Lots and lots of letters.









.

[resipsa]

Mail, magazines and books are all they will let her have right now. I believe at some point someone sued the Federal Bureau of Prisons and made sure people in solitary could still get their mail.

They're watching her closely, so be careful what you send. The post office has a rule now that anything over 13ozs has to be mailed from the post office, so whatever you send, keep it under 13 ozs or be prepared to stand in line at the post office.

The Rules:

1. No pictures of pot leaves, paraphenalia, anything illegal, and no pornography!

2. You can't paste anything to the letter, such as glitter, pictures etc.

3. Anything you send has to have a return address or they won't give it to her.

The address once again:

Stephanie Landa 09247-800
FCI Dublin - Special Housing Unit
5701 8th Street - Camp Parks
Dublin CA 94568

[BLINK ME]

You posted an e mail adress one here she has use of the internet in solotarie?And can we send stamp envelopes and paper to her?I am not very familiar with her case but if a women is doing time for being sick and smoking her medication that is F__kING LUDACRIST!!!!!!!!!!!. anyway i would like to send her a letter and the above mentioned can you let me know if that's alright/?

[resipsa]

Blink:

You can't send stamps, the inmates got into fights over them so they don't let family and friends supply them anymore. By law, she should get a ration of a few free ones each month. She buys the rest with her commissary money.

We set up the email address so that people who were out of stamps or more comfortable with e-mail could write to her that way. I just go into the account once a day, print the emails out and send them to her.

If you want to send blank stationary, it will be returned unless you write something on each page. What I do is write a brief sentiment lightly in pencil like "love ya, hang in there" She then erases the lovely lovely sentiment and re-uses it as stationary.

Don't send stationary with glitter on it, or things pasted to it. The prison feels glue might be used to achieve an altered state.

She's in solitary confinement, a 4x6 cell, which, she has to share with up to three other women at a time. Often there are no other women being punished with time in the hole, and she goes for days at a time where she sees no one, the only contact with the outside world comes once a day when mail is delivered. The weekends are especially long because there is no mail delivery.

Meals are slid through a slot in the door placed at floor level, the tray is pushed through what ever filth is on the floor. The lights are left on 24/7, itself a kind of torture. She does not know what day it is, what time it is, what's happening to her friends and family.

Periodically, women who have been having problems are shoved in with her, typically these are dysfunctional people who are being punished for fighting with each other.

I think the prison is doing its best to keep her apart from these people, but prison overcrowding is just a fact of life at Dublin, so she does have to spend a certain amount of time in the company of these people.

Needless to say, elderly, frail, Stephanie should not be housed with women still seething with whatever drove them to violence in the first place.

Your letters mean the world to her right now, they are the only thing keeping her sane.