Faith Leaders Call For Dr. Mutulu Shakur’s Prison Release Amid Cancer Diagnosis

Black liberation leader Dr. Mutulu Shakur–who has been given less than six months to live as he battles terminal cancer:

Photos: Facebook\YouTube

A coalition of hundreds of faith leaders recently signed the following letter (to the U.S. Parole Commission, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, and U.S. Department of Justice) calling for the release of political prisoner and Black liberation leader Dr. Mutulu Shakur–who has been given less than six months to live as he battles terminal cancer:

Dear U.S. Parole Commission, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, and U.S. Department of Justice,

We, the undersigned clergy, write to express our collective support for the immediate release of Mutulu Shakur from prison. We strongly urge you to use your authority to do so. As faith leaders, we believe in redemption and salvation – tenets that could not be more appropriately understood than in the case of this 71 year old man in failing health who has been incarcerated for the past 36 years.

Mr. Shakur is terminally ill with less than 6 months to live and is currently housed at the U.S. Bureau of Prison Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

We understand and appreciate the seriousness of the crimes for which he was convicted. Our request is in no way meant to denigrate the victims’ families or ignore the loss of life. It is our belief that Mr. Shakur has been more than adequately punished for those acts. The continued incarceration of this terminally ill senior citizen serves no useful purpose as Mr. Shakur represents absolutely no threat to public safety. For more than three decades, he has had no serious infractions in prison. This exemplary accomplishment coupled with his age and dozens of programs, classes and certificates he has been awarded all provide ample reason for you to feel confident that releasing him is the right and humane thing to do.

Prior to his incarceration, Mr. Shakur championed community health with groundbreaking healing practices to create the first acupuncture detoxification program in America. His program of harm reduction improved the lives of so many men and women in communities throughout the South Bronx. This acupuncture clinic rose to prominence and still functions to this day. Some of those who benefited from the program became acupuncturists themselves. Dr. Mutulu Shakur’s legacy is cemented within this profound story of community healing and activism. Throughout his 36 years in prison he has maintained a close and nurturing relationship with his children who anxiously await his release so that they can provide for and take care of him in his final stage of life.

His release would pose absolutely no threat to public safety. This is supported by BOP’s own PATTERN risk assessment tool, which has determined Dr. Shakur is in the lowest possible risk category. Studies by the Department of Justice (DOJ) have also shown that based on Dr. Shakur’s age, he poses almost no risk of recidivism. Current and former staff have supported his release on parole, but the US Parole Commission has denied him parole 8 times.

Mr. Shakur’s critical health situation is of enormous and urgent concern to us. He has received a diagnosis of advanced bone marrow cancer caused by multiple myeloma. He had already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and glaucoma. In 2013, he suffered from a stroke that required several months for recovery. In 2019 he experienced increasing pain; after months of medical neglect, advanced bone marrow cancer was diagnosed.

Now, he is suffering from extensive painful bone lesions, caused by the growth of the bone marrow cancer in parts of his spine, ribs and pelvis. Mr. Shakur’s oncologist treating him through the BOP has stated that Mr. Shakur is terminal with less than 6 months to live.

For all of the reasons stated above, we unconditionally call upon you to release Mr. Shakur from prison immediately. When he is released, we pledge to stand with you and champion your just and humane decision in the midst of this crisis situation.

Dr. Mutula Shakur with his former wife, Afeni Shakur, mother of Tupac Shakur

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