Write Letters of Support

Write Letters of Support to Leonard

First and foremost, let Leonard know that he is not forgotten. Leonard is currently imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary at Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. You can send cards and letters to:

Leonard Peltier #89637-132

USP-Lewisburg

US Penitentiary

PO Box 1000

Lewisburg, PA 17837

Congressional Guidelines

Never underestimate the power of a constituent's letter. A constituent's letter can be very powerful and personal letters show that you really care about the issue.

We encourage you to contact your legislators at both their local offices and their offices in Washington, DC. Contact information for local offices can be located on members' web sites, accessible through the below House and Senate portals.

• U.S. House of Representatives

• U.S. Senate

Postal mail to the U.S. Congress has slowed down considerably after increased security. Please note the process for mail delivery to members of Congress. Correspondence:

1. is inspected to ensure that the letter is sent from a constituent of the senator or representative

2. arrives at a processing unit in Virginia (2-4 days)

3. is forwarded to Lima, Ohio, for irradiation procedures (10-14 days)

4. is forwarded to another processing unit where all non-paper contents are removed and tested (7-10 days)

5. is sorted and delivered to individual congressional offices, if it clears the 7- to 10-day waiting period for test results.

Therefore, we highly recommend that you fax or e-mail the letter. You can still mail a letter, if you wish, but you need more lead time for delivery.

Make Your Letter Effective

• Find your Congressional District and contact information.

• Keep your letter short. Be concise and limit your letter to one or two pages.

• Use the appropriate address and salutation. Use the correct title, address, and salutation, and remember to use spell check after completing your letter.

• Identify yourself. Let your legislator know that you are a constituent.

• Be polite. Like most of us, legislators will respond better to positive communication. Start by recognizing their support on specific pieces of legislation. You can identify those legislative priorities by visiting your representative's and/or senators' Web pages. (Links to such sites are included in the output provided by the above House and Senate directories.)

• Explain your position. Be clear and concise with regard to your position on the issue you address in your letter.

• Ask for a response. Be clear about what you would like your legislator to do and request a reply to your letter.

• Write legibly. Your letter is part of a letter-writing campaign, so a handwritten letter will give the appearance of a grassroots "ordinary citizen" communication, rather than a communication from a "special interest group." Handwritten letters can be as persuasive as typed letters, but your handwriting must be legible.

Topics of Correspondence and Sample Letters

• Regarding a Congressional Hearing—Please urge Congress to investigate the Pine Ridge "Reign of Terror," misconduct against the American Indian Movement, and the wrongful conviction and illegal imprisonment of Leonard Peltier. Click here to view a sample letter.

• Regarding Clemency—We ask you to write to the White House to request a commutation of Leonard Peltier's sentence.  Click here to view a sample letter.

• Regarding FOIA Documents—The government must release all documents related to the Peltier case. These documents are over 25 years old and are considered historically significant. Further, they may contain information that may exonerate Leonard Peltier. Click here to view a sample letter regarding the release of such documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

• ^NEW Regarding An Executive Review of the Case—On June 23, 1995, Amnesty International submitted a letter of concern about the Peltier case to the then U.S. Attorney General. There was no response. Write to Eric Holder, Attorney General. Ask him to conduct an executive review of the case and to finally right the wrongs of the past. Tell him it's never too late to find the truth, but also remind him that justice delayed is justice denied.  Click here to view a sample letter.

Letters to the Editor

Communicating with your members of Congress is one of the most important ways you can participate in the legislative process and one highly effective way that you can expand your lobbying efforts is by writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Letters-to-the-editor take no more time to write than e-mails to Congress and, by writing for a public forum, you can potentially influence both your legislators and many of the voters who elect them.

Click here for newspapers in your state. Also read these tips.

Other Actions

Please also write to the following organizations to urge their continued advocacy on Leonard's behalf:

Amnesty International

Amnesty International

International Secretariat

1 Easton Street
London WC1X 0DW

UK

*You also may send correspondence to the national Amnesty International office in your home country.

Amnesty International-USA
5 Penn Plaza – 14th Floor
New York, NY  10001

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch
350 Fifth Avenue

34th Floor

New York, NY  10118-3299

United Nations

High Commissioner for Human Rights

United Nations

CH-1211

Geneva 10

Switzerland

Working Group on Indigenous Populations

United Nations

CH-1211

Geneva 10

Switzerland

Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples
United Nations

CH-1211

Geneva 10

Switzerland

Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations

CH-1211

Geneva 10
Switzerland

Write letters—and keep writing them—until Leonard Peltier is FREE.

Please also view information on our site regarding petitions and calls to Congress.

Attention non-U.S. citizens: You also can contact your country’s legislative body to educate and influence your legislators.  Urge your country’s government to support freedom for Leonard Peltier.  You might also suggest that your legislator sponsor a resolution in support of Leonard Peltier.

In Europe, the International Peltier Forum (IPF) may be able to provide guidance as regards efforts currently underway or direct you to other resources. Contact the IPF at IPForum@skynet.be.

In addition to the above actions, please contact your embassy in the United States to express your concerns about the Peltier case and urge your diplomats to speak out on Leonard Peltier's behalf.