FAQ

Chelsea has applied for clemency and is requesting that her sentence be “commuted” to “time served”.

This means that her punishment would be deemed to have been completed by the already 6 1/2 years that she has served.

The time that Chelsea has already served in prison is longer than any individual in United States history charged with turning over documents to the press to benefit the public interest.

As President Obama acknowledged in a January 2016 op-ed in the Washington Post,   “Research suggests that solitary confinement has the potential to lead to devastating, lasting psychological consequences.” He cited the reality that,  “[p]risoners in solitary are more likely to commit suicide, ” and went on to condemn the widespread use of solitary confinement in the United States.

Given her past experiences in solitary and multiple prior suicide attempts, Chelsea is currently at a risk of future suicidality.

She attempted to take her life on July 5, 2016, and was given a week of solitary confinement as punishment for that suicide attempt.  Upon being placed in solitary on October 4th 2016, Chelsea attempted suicide again. Now Chelsea is facing additional charges for the second suicide attempt, and could again be punished with solitary confinement.

This is a vicious cycle, with no end in sight. President Obama has the power to stop it.

Since her arrest in May of 2010, Chelsea has spent more than 11 months now in solitary confinement.

The conditions of her solitary confinement include:

1) Before trial for 2 months in Kuwait (in a cage, in a tent, in the dark, in 105 degree
temperatures).

2) Before trial for 9 months in Quantico, VA (forced to sit still and stare forward at the wall all day).

3) For 1 week, in the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth Kansas, during October 4-11, 2016, as punishment for a July 5, 2016 suicide attempt.

It is possible that Chelsea will again be sent to solitary confinement at the United States Disciplinary Barracks as punishment for her October 4, 2016 suicide attempt.

The UN and major medical and human rights groups around the world recognize solitary confinement as a form of torture.

No, she is not currently in solitary confinement. She recently served a week of in solitary confinement beginning on October 4, 2016, as punishment for her July 5, 2016, suicide attempt.

At that time her friends, lawyers and family were worried about her because no one was given any notice ahead of time that she would be placed into solitary. As a result,  she was out of contact, with no warning, for days.  She was taken directly into solitary confinement upon receiving official notice of her sentence from the prison disciplinary body.

Chelsea may again be placed in solitary confinement as punishment for her suicide attempt from her last bout in solitary, thus continuing a vicious and deadly cycle of desperation and punishment.

Chelsea has been incarcerated since May 2010, which means that at the time of her request for commutation, in November, 2016, she had been in custody for over 6 1/2 years.

Of that time, 11 months were spent in unusually harsh conditions of solitary confinement, which the UN considers to be a form of torture. The UN special rapporteur on torture formally accused the US government of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment towards Chelsea during this period of isolation.

Chelsea is currently serving a 35-year sentence at United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. She has served over three years since her sentencing and a total of 6 1/2 years since her arrest, all of which will be credited toward her 35 year total sentence.

Mail must be addressed exactly as follows:

CHELSEA E. MANNING     89289
1300 NORTH WAREHOUSE ROAD
FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS 66027-2304

Notes regarding this address:

• Do not include a hash (“#”) in front of Manning’s inmate number.
• Do not include any title in front of Manning’s name, such as “Ms.,” “Mr.,” “PVT,” “PFC,” etc.
• Do not include any additional information in the address, such as “US Army” or “US Disciplinary Barracks.”
• Do not modify the address to conform to USPS standards, such as abbreviating “North,” “Road,” “Fort,” or “Kansas.”
• For international mail, either “USA” or “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” are acceptable on a separate line.

What you can send Chelsea

Chelsea Manning is currently eligible to receive mail, including birthday or holiday cards, from anyone who wishes to write. You are also permitted to mail unframed photographs.You can also send her a book, mailed directly from Amazon.com to her at the address above.

Sending funds for her prison expense account

Chelsea Manning cannot receive cash, postage stamps, or any item of value. However, you can send her a money order or cashiers check made out to “Chelsea E. Manning” and mailed to the address above. These funds will be deposited into Chelsea’s prison account. She will use this account to make phone calls, purchase stamps, and buy other small comfort items not provided by the prison.

• Personal checks are not accepted. They will be destroyed.
• Any money order or cashiers check made out to any name other than “Chelsea E. Manning” will be returned or destroyed.

Restrictions

There are restrictions on what you can send. The military will reject any mail that violates postal regulations or contains obscenity, blackmail, contraband or threats.   Any mail that is considered detrimental to security, good order, discipline, or the correctional mission of the prison will be rejected.

Mail will be returned to the sender if, in the opinion of the confinement facility, falls into any of the following categories:

• Contains inflammatory material or advocates escape, violence, disorder or assault.
• Directly or indirectly threatens the security, safety or order of the facility.
• Contains coded or otherwise undecipherable language that prevents adequate review of the material.
• Is received with “Postage Due.”
• Contains items of contraband (including anything of any material value, including postage stamps or cigarettes).