Monthly Archives: June 2016

Call to Action (A Statement in Solidarity with the National Prison Strike)

From Planting Justice

by Maurice “Big Moe” Bell

This solidarity statement was written in response to the call for a National Prison Strike found here.

I am now speaking on behalf of myself, my fallen brothers who were once incarcerated (RIP), and on behalf of all the other brothers and sisters who are still in the struggle. Stay strong!

1971 — Attica

Source: https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/03/01/nyregion/SUBjpATTICA4/SUBjpATTICA4-superJumbo-v4.jpg

Wow, 35 years. Just in case you don’t understand what’s going on, let’s do a short history lesson: Attica. In 1971, I was 2 years old, but I remember hearing stories about the uprising at Attica Prison in New York. Once known as one of the most dangerous and notorious prisons, mostly for its torture and killing of unarmed prisoners/men, there was this massive riot and prison takeover, one of the biggest in the history of the prison system. A lot of people died during that prison riot/massive takeover. The takeover was so extensive that it got a lot of media coverage and lots of exposure of the deplorable and inhumane treatment of human beings/prisoners. These men came together in solidarity and risked their lives (some gave up their lives) in support of overthrowing a corrupt system, leading up to one of the biggest prison riots in the history of prisons in the United States.

2016 — Mass Incarceration

Continue reading →

Stand in Solidarity with the Fasting Prisoners

From WISDOM.

Standing with the men who have been refusing to accept food in protest of injustice in the use of Solitary Confinement in Wisconsin prisons, leaders of the ROC Wisconsin Campaign have set aside Tuesday, June 21 as a Solidarity Day.

At least 7 inmates in Wisconsin prisons, mostly at Waupun, are engaged in a “food refusal” action.  Some of them have not eaten anything since June 5; others began June 10.  Among their demands are that all prisoners who have been in solitary confinement for more than one year should be released back into the general prison population, and that there be proper mental health services for those who have been subjected to solitary confinement.  More details are here.

On June 21, we are all being asked to do some or all of the following:

  • Fast for one day;
  • Organize prayer vigils in our local communities;
  • Contact state legislators to ask them to inquire about the well-being of the inmates involved.  You can easily find your state legislators and their contact information here;
  • Contact DOC Secretary Litscher, 608-240-5000, to ask him to meet with the inmates and to take action toward ending solitary confinement;
  • Write post cards of encouragement and concern to those participating in the fast. Send them to the new WISDOM office, 2821 North Fourth Street, #537, Milwaukee, WI  53212.

You do not necessarily have to wait until June 21 to do these things.

WISDOM strives to be a vehicle by which those who are marginalized and ignored can have a chance to be heard.  This is a moment to live that out by standing in solidarity with these men, who have been tortured in our name.

Bend the Bars Conference

From Bend the Bars 2016

On September 9, 2016, prisoners across the U.S. are initiating a wave of strikes and other forms of resistance to confinement and forced labor. It’s vital that we get organized on the outside to meaningfully support their resistance.

Bend the Bars will bring together a diversity of people who have a stake in supporting prisoners’ organizing and fighting against the prison system. We envision two days of workshops and discussions to share skills, meet each other, and build our strength. Throughout these days, we’ll highlight the voices of prisoners and ex-prisoners. And, importantly, there will be a public demonstration to make sure prisoners know that we have their backs.

More is coming soon! Details, invite, workshops, logistics, and more!

Save the date: August 26-29
Columbus, OHIO
bendthebars (a) riseup.net

Fight Toxic Prisons march blockades Bureau of Prisons

peltiermarusFrom Earth First Journal

(also see video here.)

Report back from FTP Convergence Day of Action

from Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons

Over the weekend of June 11th an incredible array of folks gathered in Washington, DC for the Convergence to Fight Toxic Prisons anwd Support Eco-prisoners. After two days of networking, strategizing and listening to the wisdom of black liberation fighters like Ramona Africa and Jihad Abdulmumit as well as former eco-prisoners like Eric McDavid and Daniel McGowan – and so many more, folks hit the streets the morning of June 13th to raise some hell in the belly of the beast.

The Fight Toxic Prisons march got started bright and early to make sure that the prison pushers at the BOP did not get off to a good workday. Chanting “Burn prisons, not coal” and “Break the locks, no more cops!” about 50 people shut down the intersection in front of the BOP and blocked the entrance to their parking garage, preventing workers from getting in. After holding the space for an hour, and hearing some inspiring words from folks like Linda Shosie, a mother whose son is stuck inside a highly toxic prison, the march moved on to the Dept. of Justice and FBI headquarters which sit across the street from each other. Continue reading →

‘Enough Is Enough’: Prisoners Across The Country Band Together To End Slavery For Good

From ThinkProgress.org

by Carimah Townes Jun 15, 2016 1:26 pm

CREDIT: Industrial Workers of the World

Siddique Hasan, a current prisoner at the Ohio State Penitentiary, types in his cell block.

Siddique Hasan, a self-described revolutionary from Savannah, Georgia, has been waiting for a moment like this one, when prisoners across the country band together and say “enough is enough” when it comes to being treated like a slave.

“It’s time for a broader struggle,” he told ThinkProgress during his daily phone time in Ohio’s supermax prison. “People have to lift up their voice with force and determination, and let them know that they’re dissatisfied with the way things are actually being run.”

So far this year, prisoners have been doing just that. Continue reading →

Wisconsin Prisoner Hunger Strike

mke rallyFrom SolitaryTorture.blogspot.com

FOOD REFUSAL UPDATES AND ACTIONS

UPDATE TUESDAY June 14 2016
 1)Phone Zap schedules for Tuesday, June 14,2016 on facebook:

2)Sign our petition at: https://www.change.org/p/wi-doc-secretary-jon-litscher-waupun-prisoners-begin-food-refusal-to-protest-solitary-torture
3)List of Demands made by striking Prisoners : http://solitarytorture.blogspot.com/2016/06/demands-of-food-refusers-june-2016.html

4) Also, Consider sending a card or letter to one of these prisoners -it would lift their spirits. FFUP offers forwarding service too, if you do not w ant to use your own address. Call 608-536-3993 for more information. Addresses and info on prisoners needing cards below.

5)ACTION Alert for 6 14 16: PRISONERS HAVE BEEN MOVED-NOW THREE PRISONS House Strikers Continue reading →

Refrendar el 9 Sept A nivel nacional coordinada prisionero del bloqueo del trabajo y la protesta!

This is the Spanish language version of this post.

Esto fue creada con el traductor de google, nos disculpamos por los errores gramaticales o de cualquier defecto y estamos trabajando en una traducción apropiada.

Los presos en los EE.UU. han pedido y están planeando un paro de actividades coordinadas a nivel nacional como protesta el 9 de septiembre. Lea la llamada a la acción aquí.

Esta acción se merece y se beneficiaría enormemente de apoyo externo robusto. Si usted está involucrado en cualquier tipo de trabajo contra la encarcelación en masa, ya sea como un individuo u organización, por favor considere apoyar la huelga.

Envíe sus avales y compromisos de apoyo a PrisonerResistance@gmail.com y las publicaremos en este sitio y asegurarse de que está recibiendo actualizaciones acerca de maneras de hacer esa promesa.

Si tiene inquietudes o dudas, por favor, echa un vistazo a las preguntas más frecuentes a continuación o póngase en contacto con nosotros y estaremos encantados de discutir con usted o su organización. Gracias.

preguntas frecuentes Continue reading →

Forget Hunger Strikes. What Prisons Fear Most Is Labor Strikes

Prisoners throughout Alabama and Texas reclaim their humanity—and power—by shutting down the economic infrastructure of their prisons.

Raven Rakia For Yes!

On May 1, prison labor came to a halt in multiple prisons in Alabama, including Holman and Elmore prisons. Starting at midnight that day, prisoners stayed in their dormitories—refusing to show up for work at their assigned posts: the kitchen, the license plate manufacturing plant, the recycling plant, the food processing center, and a prison farm.
The prisoners’ demands were pretty simple: basic human rights, educational opportunities, and a reform of Alabama’s harsh sentencing guidelines and parole board.
The labor strikes are a turn from the most familiar type of political protest behind bars: the hunger strike. 
The strike in Alabama was just the latest in a series of strikes at U.S. prisons. On April 4, at least seven prisons in Texas staged a work strike after a prisoner sent out a call with the help of outside organizers. About a month earlier, prisoners in multiple states including both Texas and Alabama, as well as Virginia and Ohio, called for a national general strike among prisoners on Sept. 9, 2016, the 45th anniversary of the Attica Rebellion, where guards and inmates died during a prison revolt in upstate New York. Continue reading →

This Week in Prisoner Action…


URGENT SUPPORT:
Today Monday June 6th is a call in day to support Texas prisoners facing retaliation for their work stoppage in April. See that here: https://www.facebook.com/events/553013341537855/

Friday June 10th is the first phone zap to support a hunger strike against long term solitary confinement by Wisconsin prisoners. See that here: https://www.facebook.com/events/237354093311429/

Please take action on these things, it takes just a few minutes to read the suggested scripts and then call in.


BUILDING TOWARD SEPT 9TH:
There are many ways to get involved right now with organizing for the nationally coordinated prisoner work stoppage and protest. Here are three:
Continue reading →

#EyesOnTexas Support Call Against Retaliation


From IWOC

https://www.facebook.com/events/553013341537855/

Details:

Eric Bergstrom and several other inmates at the Estelle Unit in Huntsville, TX are facing severe retaliation after demanding their basic human rights be met. Estelle is especially notorious for their excessive use of physical violence against inmates. Currently, the Prison Justice League has an open case against them. Read the report here: http://prisonjusticeleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Cruel-Usual-Punishment-PJL-Final.pdf

Eric’s wife wrote to us, detailing this specific incident.

On April 27th, work was called off due to heavy rains and the field bosses came in to shake down the wing. The inmates starting voicing their concerns and talking about how they were the next unit to go on a worker’s strike*. The inmates were forcibly extracted from their cells, tear gased, and one man was nearly beaten to death by a guard. According to his wife, the senior Warden, Tony O’Hare came to their wing to supervise the situation. She states “Eric spoke about getting their good time, unsafe working and living conditions, and the other fact that other states pay their workers and that all that had happened that day was partially his fault because he was not there for all of it. Eric was then singled out from everyone to either become a martyr or to be used as an example by the warden. He was pulled from the cell the warden hit him in his knees with a baton, which was documented by medical, then Eric was given disciplinary charges, for ‘inciting a riot’ all his property was confiscated”
Continue reading →