Manuel Salas

Manuel C. Salas
#504212
Waupun Correctional Institute
PO Box 351
Waupun, WI 53963-0351

Manuel Salas is a 25 year old politicized prisoner who is vegan and an animal rights activist.  He has recently founded the National Animal Rights and Anarchist Network (NARAN).

Personal Background

Manuel was born in Virginia, but later moved to Texas and finally Wisconsin, where he has spent most of his life.  He became interested in animals rights when he was 15.  He became vegetarian, started volunteering at shelters for battered and abused animals and also worked with some groups that rescue and rehabilitate injured animals.  He also began attending fur protests and organized an anti-hunting protest.  At 18 he became vegan.

Life in Prison

The Fight for Vegan Meals

A few months before his 19th birthday Manuel was arrested for arson (unrelated to his animal rights activism).  He was originally held at the Columbia Correctional Institute where he had vegan food, but was not nutritionally adequate.  He protested the food, asking for better quality meals and was instead moved to Waupun Correctional Institute, which did not provide vegan meals at all.  He then went on hunger strike to gain access to vegan meals and won.  He is now working again to improve the quality of the vegan meals in prison.

Raising HIV/AIDS Awareness in Prison

In addition to animal rights work, Manuel is also working to raise awareness around HIV/AIDS and improve the level of care for those who have AIDS and are imprisoned.  His brother is HIV positive and faces harrassment and inadequate health care because of it.

Manuel is always interested in new pen pals and additional outside support for himself and the work he is involved with.