A Casper resident will spend 30 days in prison for trespassing in November onto the property of a controversial U.S. Army school.

But Joan Anderson said her act of nonviolent civil disobedience at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Strategic Cooperation at Fort Benning, Ga., was worth it.

"I was able to not only make a statement about how I feel about injustice, but also to take an action that draws attention to the School of the Americas and WHINSEC," she said Monday.

In November, Anderson and a group of Wyoming residents traveled to Columbus, Ga., to join the annual vigil to close the School of the Americas, now known as WHINSEC.

On Nov. 18, she and 10 other protesters ranging in age from 25 to 78 crossed through a hole in a fence, entered the property, and were arrested.

The Department of the Army charged them with one misdemeanor count of criminal trespass, which is punishable by up to six months imprisonment, a $5,000 fine or both. The Army also banned them from Fort Benning for five years.

On Jan. 28, U.S. District Court Judge G. Mallon Faircloth sentenced Anderson to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. Other defendants received sentences ranging from 30 days and no fine to 90 days and a $500 fine, according to the School of the Americas Watch Web site.

Anderson said the U.S. Bureau of Prisons probably will contact her in four to six weeks and tell her where she will serve her time.

The School of the Americas Watch and Amnesty International have documented the killings of religious workers, labor leaders, women and children and entire communities.

For its part, WHINSEC has said it cannot be responsible for the actions of its graduates, according to its Web site.

Its goals, according to its Web site, "explicitly include strengthening democracy, instilling a respect for the rule of law and honoring human rights. It educates an array of military and civilian students to solve regional problems, including peacefully resolving border conflicts; fighting terrorism, the illegal drug trade and organized crime; responding to natural disasters; and supporting peacekeeping efforts."

Anderson wants people to know what really happens, she said.

At her sentencing, she read a statement which said in part, "I have been a public health nurse for 40 years. I am well aware of my rights and responsibilities. I plead guilty to 'crossing the line' and trespassing on the grounds of Fort Benning on Nov. 18th. It is one of the most important things I have ever done in my life.I have never been arrested before nor do I plan on being arrested again….

"I am proud and honored to stand in solidarity with the poor and powerless in Latin America who have been and are victims of this flawed U.S. foreign policy. I pray that one day human rights will become a priority in this country. God bless us all."

Reach Tom Morton at (307) 266-0592, or at Tom.Morton@trib.com.