Last week, officials from MCI Shirley took everything Wayland “X” Coleman owns in retaliation for his ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of his fellow prisoners. Anyone who has followed Deeper Than Water for any period of time knows that Wayland is constantly sticking his neck out for people inside while getting moved around from facility to facility; having been shipped from Norfolk to Gardner to Old Colony to Shirley. When, last week, the administration at MCI Shirley confiscated Wayland’s personal belongings, they took every letter, every scrap of paper, every book, his musical equipment and his writing supplies. They even took his typewriter. He’s been given a 30 day notice that his items will be destroyed if they’re not otherwise disposed of, which means he needs folks from the outside to take action urgently.

Over the summer, when Wayland’s JPay tablet battery began to swell to the point of bursting-- a known defect in that particular model-- the administration used that opportunity to confiscate his tablet saying that “modifying” (which apparently includes removing the battery for a moment to prevent a fire) any item was against DOC policy. Shortly after, he was attacked with chemical weapons for hesitating when they told him he was going to be moved to Old Colony (more on this on our website). We are asking for the following action items to help send the message that Wayland has people outside who love and support him, and that we’re not buying the DOC’s continuous refrain of “just following orders”:

• We are asking that people take 5 minutes to send an email to the DOC commissioner and the superintendent of Shirley, demanding that his items be returned. Use this form to take that action!

• After your email, send a physical letters.Prison officials must respond within 10 days to a physical letter, therefore we are asking that people take a moment to write a letter of protest and put it in the mail. You can find a template letter here. Letters should be addressed and sent to:

  • Superintendent Michael Rodrigues
    MCI Shirley
    P.O. Box 1218
    Shirley, MA 01464

• If you have some funds to spare, please send Wayland something to read, preferably on abolition. Books can be received from booksellers such as Barnes and Noble or AK Press but not from third party sellers like Amazon. X is a voracious reader, so please no introductory texts. If you’re not sure what to send, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at jess@deeperthanwater.org. You can order books to be shipped to:

  • Wayland Coleman W65484
    MCI Shirley
    P.O. Box 1218
    Shirley, MA 01464