Jeremy Hammond, who’s in jail for hacking servers of the non-public intelligence firm Statfor and leaking its info to WikiLeaks, has been held in solitary confinement for greater than six weeks and can keep there pending a jail investigation.
Hammond entered a segregated housing unit (SHU) in mid-July primarily based on a disciplinary infraction incurred whereas serving time on the Federal Correction Institution in Manchester, Kentucky. He was scheduled to spend 45 days there, along with his launch date anticipated to be round August 20. In a letter dated August 18, Hammond informed his assist community that he was nonetheless in the SHU and had no perception into how lengthy he’ll keep there, in accordance with FreeJeremy.internet.
Hammond, who has but to be charged for the disciplinary problem, stated he was knowledgeable by jail officers that he would keep in the SHU “pending SIS investigation,” by an inside jail police unit often called Special Investigative Services. Hammond stated he was not informed what the unit is investigating, nor how lengthy he must anticipate its conclusion.
Prisoners may be held in an SHU for as much as 90 days without being charged. If Hammond is charged for an infraction on account of the investigation, the time he spent in the SHU since July wouldn’t rely towards any punishment he receives, FreeJeremy.internet defined.
“We are speculating that this new, mysterious ‘investigation’ is in relation to another issue that has been ongoing for quite some time now,” FreeJeremy.internet wrote, saying that Hammond’s telephone and e-mail privileges had been abruptly revoked without warning or clear explanation simply earlier than being despatched to the SHU, although these actions weren’t associated to why he’s in the SHU. Then whereas he was in the SHU, he regained e-mail privileges, once more without explanation.
“While no one but prison officials know for certain at this point, the vagueness with which this new SHU designation is being communicated to Jeremy is eerily similar to the vagueness with which his privileges were revoked, and could very well be related,” FreeJeremy.internet wrote.
Hammond has been denied latest visits from members of the family as properly, they wrote.
Hammond’s 10-year jail sentence is without doubt one of the longest a US hacker has ever obtained. He pleaded responsible to breaking into the Stratfor intelligence firm’s web site, finally coming into jail on November 15, 2013.
Hammond was one of many FBI’s most wished cybercriminals and was positioned on an FBI terrorist watchlist. Stratfor misplaced greater than $1 million as a result of Chicago native’s actions.
He was finally arrested after being outed to the authorities by a fellow hacker, who was working as an informant for the FBI. Hector Xavier Monseguer, who glided by the title of Sabu, suggested Hammond to hack the Stratfor web site earlier than he turned him into the authorities.
It finally got here to gentle that Monseguer directed others in the direction of susceptible targets and orchestrated Anonymous cyberattacks in opposition to the web sites of international governments, all whereas beneath the fixed watch of the FBI, supporting Hammond’s claims that the FBI guided Anonymous into conducting cyberattacks on the company’s behest regardless of the illegality concerned.
Hammond has stated he was drawn to Anonymous given he believes in autonomous, decentralized direct motion.
“I had quite a bit to contribute, together with technical expertise, and the best way to higher articulate concepts and objectives. It was an thrilling time – the start of a digital dissent motion, the place the definitions and capabilities of hacktivism had been being formed,” he stated in a November 2014 interview with the Associated Press.
He stated that he was all the time motivated to focus on highly effective entities with high-profile web sites.
“From the start, I always wanted to target government websites, but also police and corporations that profit off government contracts,” he informed AP. “I hacked lots of dot-govs.”