Medical, Illness & Healing

MAROON HAS MET HIS 

HIS THREE GREAT GRANDSONS

For nearly 50 years, a man of faith by the name of Russell Shoatz had remained behind bars in the Pennsylvania state prison system.

 

Russell endured 22 years of inhumane solitary confinement, and even amidst a lifetime of caging, set himself on a clear path of faith and mentorship to people inside and outside of the prison walls, ourselves included.

 

When he was released from solitary Over the past few years, he suffered first from prostate cancer and then was diagnosed in 2019 with colorectal cancer. He survived 12 rounds of chemotherapy before being approved for surgery to remove his primary cancerous mass in fall of 2020. In October of 2020, he was diagnosed with COVID19 , Russell was placed into lockdown. After months of delays, he finally received his surgery only to find that the cancer had again metastasized. In the spring of 2021, it was confirmed that he has terminal Stage 4

 

In conversations since, Russell has expressed that he is at peace with entering the transition from life to death, and his desire to spend his final days surrounded by family and close friends. With this declaration, his legal team at the Abolitionist Law Center in Pennsylvania, and Reed and Smith law firm, filed a petition for medical transfer to home hospice care in July. The grounds were that he had met all of the necessary requirements, including being of model behavior, being unable to walk without the use of a wheelchair or other medical assistance devices, and that a prison environment cannot and will not support proper care for Russell and his rapidly deteriorating health.

 

The hearing was scheduled for August 3rd, 2021 and after receiving all arguments and letters in support of Russell’s medical transfer, the hearing was called into recess for a week.

 

On August 12th, 2021, Judge Kai Scott declared that she believed in redemption, that she believed that every person had a right to die in comfort, surrounded by loved ones. However when she had the authority to do so, she denied the release of Russell to hospice care. It was her belief that this 78 year old elder is a threat to the community. This elder Russell Shoatz, has mentored hundreds, inspired thousands with his spirit, faith, strength and love,

*UPDATE*

OCT 25, 2021

JUDGE KAI SCOTT GRANTED

RUSSELL MAROON SHOATZ

MEDICAL TRANSFER RELEASE

MAROON IS NO BEHIND BARS

HE'S BEEN TRANSFERRED TO HOSPICE

 

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT