URGENT ACTION ALERT: Jarvis on Hunger Strike To Protest Mailroom Interference & Censorship

Jarvis began a hunger strike on June 19 at Sierra Conservation Center (SCC), to protest ongoing mailroom tampering. Since he transferred to SCC from San Quentin last May, a significant portion of his personal inbound and outbound mail has gone missing and/or has been improperly handled, as a result of targeted discrimination, in violation of CDCR policies. Fellow incarcerated persons at SCC have also reported being denied his books, despite them being sent in by family members through approved vendors. Jarvis has already followed standard administrative remedy procedures, filing out multiple Form 602s for his grievances, which have been rejected or delayed on dubious grounds.

Although officials needed to recognize the hunger strike on June 22 per CDCR protocols, they did not do so until until June 24. When a two-week statewide lockdown of Level III and Level IV facilities gradually lifted, service on phones and tablets resumed and Jarvis was able to communicate to his legal team and close supporters on June 28. Despite our advocacy since then, various officials at the prison have not yet adequately addressed or resolved the issue.

Jarvis is asking for accountability and redress, and requests for:
1) all books addressed to him (currently in possession of the SCC mailroom) to be donated to the SCC library, as allowed by prison rules.
2) an acknowledgment of the ongoing tampering in the SCC mailroom, an investigation as necessary, and the end of this form of harassment against an incarcerated person with condemned status.

Jarvis has now lost nearly 30 pounds, and risks being transferred to another medical facility or prison any day now, pending his deteriorating health conditions.

URGENT ACTION ALERT:
Please write to the SCC warden, respectfully asking him to respond to Jarvis’ very reasonable requests. The warden has previously acknowledged mistakes made in the SCC mailroom. We hope he can address this once again:

Warden Josh Prudhel
c/o Sierra Conservation Center
5100 O’Byrnes Ferry Road,
Jamestown, CA 95327

Thank you for your advocacy.

OTHER LEGAL NEWS: On June 18, 2025, the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a certificate of appealability in Jarvis’ federal habeas corpus petition, allowing Jarvis to appeal the District Court decision. Jarvis now has another chance to have his case reviewed through the federal appeals system and secure the exoneration and freedom he has long deserved. Jarvis Masters’ fight for justice continues.

For Jarvis – and for many of us – this journey has been a long and difficult one. And while it is far from over, this decision from the Ninth Circuit Court renews our battle, our hopes and our determination to continue our fight. After more than 34 years of imprisonment for a crime which he did not commit, we are seeing further progress toward securing justice for Jarvis.

Jarvis’ legal team will advance his appeal and underscore the substantial evidence of his innocence, in addition to significant violations of his constitutional rights in his original trial. Jarvis continues to count on all of you and your support to move forward in the next chapter in this process, and he is tremendously thankful for your help, encouragement, and prayers.

Please continue to share his case and story with your networks and platforms, encouraging others to sign his petition, and directing those with questions to his website. Now is the time for us to push and advocate even harder to ensure Jarvis’ story is heard far and wide.

Thanks for continuing to be a part of this struggle with us and with Jarvis.