Tag Archives: prisoners

Get to Know Your Enemy: An Anarchist Prisoner Response to Sept. 9th

From pdxabc.org

In Response to “Fighting the Real Enemy” by SOSO :an Article in the Under Lock and Key (a widely distributed publication in prisons) by the Maoist Internationalist Movement.

Joshua Cartrette (left) Patrick Morris (right)

Joshua Cartrette (left)
Patrick Morris (right)

As a member of the organization pushing the mass prisoner work-stoppage beginning September 9th, and of one of the anarchist betworks laying the groundwork, and being familiar with MIM (prisons), after some certain correspondences, I’m inclined to offer this public response.

First, we are not calling for a work-strike. A strike by definition is temporary until resolutions are reached between slave and master so that we will continue the process of being exploited. We are not organizing a simple strike. We are going to stop working. Period. Some groups and individuals may, at some point start working again, but a lot of us, including myself. Will not.

Second, it should be clear that UFPP is not the only organization, group, network, or individual which has been building praxis around September for several years, and we believe that recognition, credit and support should be given to all of those groups and individuals- including UFPP and USW — whether we necessarily agree with their political line or not.

Third, our call for a work-stoppage is not merely in “recognition of growing protests in prison” as SOS claims. Recognition comes from an observational perspective, not from a participants’ and those making this call have been the same who’ve been making those protests happen to begin with. This choice of word-usage by SOSO might be seen as a subtle attempt to undermine the work a lot of us have been doing. Personally I’ve spent several years in solitary confinement as a result of my own participation in prison resistance, and in September I’ll likely be going back, so maybe you should be the one to “recognize” SOSO. Continue reading

Letter on the March 11th Lockdown, Stillwater Prison, MN

from Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee

Salutations to my fellow soldiers of our rights,

I would like to share some vital information that may be pertinentPICfamily-624x874 to anyone who is interested in fighting for the working/lower class of America. This is a clear example of unity. It is proof that if we all come together we can be a force to be reckoned with.

As I sit on lockdown in Stillwater after the events that took place on March 11th, 2016 in the chow-hall, I feel a real feeling of contentment. A-west stood up for the rights of our community, the small rights we have left that is. They have taken so much from us in the past, things that I have never had the privilege to experience, but loved ones who have been incarcerated for years have explained. At a time there used to be so many things that have been snatched away from our community, such as quality food, the 4th of July picnic, freedom to watch adult rated movies and magazines, and a curfew set by 9:25pm. I would like to touch on each of these topics. Continue reading