Finally! As you may have seen elsewhere, Casey is finally out of the holdover unit at FCI Mendota and is in the transfer pipeline to their designated facility.
At 4 am on Tuesday, 2/11, Casey was woken up, told to pack it up, and then put on the bus before the sun rose. They were transported from Mendota to the SF Federal Bldg and then to the county jail in downtown SF. Casey reported that coming over the hills that morning into the Bay as the sun rose, they felt blessed. Casey, sitting in a van still cuffed up, was able to see the horizon, able to see the sun’s light grow and spread over the city and the Bay.
While at the SF jail, Casey was able to walk around the unit freely, talk to others, and enjoy phone access with their friends and loved ones in a way not possible for months in that shithole holdover unit. Casey and a member of our committee were able to have a loving, hour long conversation that didn’t feel like a rushed whisper through a keyhole. ❤️
Casey didn’t spend long in SF before they were put on a plane. On Friday, Casey showed up on the BOP inmate locator at FCI Allenwood – Medium, one facility of three in a prison complex located in northern Pennsylvania.
A few notes about Casey’s current placement:
- This may be an intermediate placement. We have not confirmed with Casey that this is their permanent designated facility and this may well be a temporary location. All prison systems are opaque and move people around at will according to their own fickle bureaucratic criteria. When we confirm this is to be Casey’s designated facility, we will let you know.
- It’s always good to write! Address for the facility is below. But know that in addition to this possibly being a short-lived placement, sometimes Casey’s mail has been held by the mailroom for weeks or months. We have also found that multiple pieces of mail have been blocked or “lost” as well. So independent of Casey being at Allenwood permanently or temporarily, know that comms through the mail are goofy as well as slow and fully surveilled.
- Conditions have changed already. According to Casey, this current spot is more capable meeting their needs as a diabetic. They are let out of their cell from 8 am to 5 pm, have phone access, and at the time of the last call with fam, Casey was on their way to check out the library (!! of course. If you know Casey…🙂)
- At some point, Casey’s counselor told them that they had been given a “Low” security classification. This has not been formally confirmed. So again, we will let you know when we know more. And yes, a Low can be sent to a Medium level facility – Welcome to the byzantine nature of prison regulations and practices.
- All property is surrendered on transfer out of a holdover unit so Casey has to start over in terms of personal property and nutritional supplements from commissary to deal with their diabetes. To send funds to keep Casey’s commissary account topped,up, you can Venmo Casey’s fam – @JuliePetersonG
More on the toll of “holdover life”
Casey spent over 4 months in holdover at Mendota. Holdover – the limbo unit for people being received, moved, etc. – is worse than solitary in many respects. You have no property, no programs, limited access to anything but your tiny cell, and no definite date for getting out. Casey had only minimal access to medical care for their diabetes: insulin only dispensed once per day, insufficient blood sugar checks, mediocre diet, and maximum stress and uncertainty. The poor care had started to permanently damage Casey’s eyesight. If they were to continue much longer in holdover, Casey was anticipating needing a new prescription in order to read or see adequately.
Also, every other person that passed through holdover at Mendota only spent a few weeks there. A month in and Casey became in effect the “OG” of the unit, the prisoner housed there the longest, orienting others to the layout and program of the place. Yet again, to those who been locked up or who have years doing prisoner support, the question at some point becomes “Is this bullshit targeted or is it just random, just industrialized abandonment and they don’t give a shit about anybody?”
Well, Casey is a political prisoner. And while everybody inside gets a number and everybody gets put in the uniform, there is nonetheless a wild card or two in the deck for politicals. Consequences can be heavier. And that’s another thing for people on the outside to remember and take to heart regarding risks, expectations, and communications with our loved ones inside.
Legal update
Casey has been working on a habeas petition with another legal team in order to appeal their conviction and sentencing. The deadline for this filing will be 12 months from their sentencing (Sept. 23, 2026) so we will report more on this in the coming months as it develops.
Free Palestine,
Fire to the Prisons
In solidarity,
CSC
To donate towards legal fees:
https://chuffed.org/project/supportcasey
Commissary support: Venmo @JuliePetersonG
Instagram: @freecaseynow
Email us: cscommittee@protonmail.com
Current mailing address for Casey:
Casey Goonan #24611-511
FCI Allenwood Medium
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 2000
WHITE DEER, PA 17887