Activist Malik Muhammad Vanishes After Interstate Transfer: Allegations of Retaliation and Systemic Gaps

In March 2024, activist Malik Muhammad—serving a ten-year sentence for a 2020 Portland protest—missed a call with attorney Lauren Regan. A check of the Oregon Inmate Tracker showed no record of him. By early April, Regan learned Muhammad had been moved to Kirkland Correctional Institute, an intake facility in South Carolina 3,000 miles from the Oregon prison where his plea required incarceration. Since the transfer, contact has been limited to occasional letters, and South Carolina officials deny any custody record.

The Intercept

Muhammad was arrested in October 2020, pleaded guilty to state and federal charges—including unlawful possession of a destructive device—and received a ten-year state sentence in 2022. The plea required him to serve time in an Oregon facility to stay near his community. In 2024, Oregon placed him in “special housing” solitary confinement for over 250 days, far beyond the state’s 90-day limit. Lawyers contend the later interstate transfer breaches the agreement and serves as retaliation for his organizing and his role in a pending class-action lawsuit challenging Oregon’s solitary-confinement practices.

The Intercept

Oregon’s Department of Corrections said the decision underwent a thorough review and that Muhammad was considered a candidate for an Interstate Compact. The South Carolina Department of Corrections replied it has no record of Muhammad in its custody and declined further comment. Regan has filed a motion to retain local counsel, noting the transfer blocks privileged attorney-client communication.

The Intercept

Wanda Bertram of the Prison Policy Initiative says prisons “never make an effort to tell families ‘Hey, we’re moving this person,’” exposing a lack of communication. Regan calls the transfer punitive, citing Muhammad’s identity as a Black, Muslim, anarchist activist and his role in a lawsuit against Oregon’s solitary-confinement system. The situation is compared to Stephen Slevin’s two-year solitary confinement after a DUI charge, highlighting oversight failures.

The Intercept

South Carolina officials claim no custody of Muhammad, yet a letter from Kirkland confirms his presence, creating a factual discrepancy. No public record of the interstate compact has been released, and limited attorney access hampers verification of his conditions and location.

The Intercept

• “We were terrified that they were in the hospital or dead …your mind obviously goes to the worst places.” — Christopher Kuttruff, friend.

The Intercept

• “There’s never any effort made by prisons to tell incarcerated people’s families, ‘Hey, we’re moving this person,’” — Wanda Bertram, Prison Policy Initiative.

The Intercept

• “These decisions are not made lightly and require a thorough review process conducted by all parties.” — Amber Campbell, Oregon Department of Corrections.

The Intercept

• “Normally, they would have been sentenced to the federal prison system,” — Lauren Regan, attorney.

The Intercept

Regan’s team is preparing a class-action lawsuit alleging unlawful solitary confinement and retaliatory transfer, while advocates call for federal oversight and mandatory family notification.

The Intercept