Peace and Blessings Ladies and Gentlemen. Many in the Media and those who operate prisons across America may attempt to label our Movement as being militant and violent. I shun that distinction. If you would like to know the Truth I will tell it to you. There are many Corporations and Department of Corrections Agencies throughout the United States that prey on and exploit prisoners. Free or super-discounted inmate labor is a big business in America. However, the inhumane treatment of prisoners in America has become the norm and fully accepted status quo. At the heart of this issue is the exception clause present within the context of the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. As a black man I tell you today that we as a people and a Nation have un-finished business to attend to.
Tag Archives: Southwest
Arizona Prison Lockdowns
Many prisons in Arizona refused to answer questions from the person who called to help track the strike. They neither confirmed nor denied. Some did admit lockdowns, but none admitted to the cause. From the volunteer who made calls: “Nearly every prison I called was immediately suspicious of my call and seemed to have a canned “we’re not allowed to share that publicly,” line ready. Most asked me repeatedly who I worked for.”
Perryville – They were the most hostile of all the prisons I called. They transferred my call around several times and eventually I was hung up on by someone who told me that is not any of my concern and do not call back.
Yuma – Hung up on me. Though the website says several units are not accepting visits. From website: Dakota Unit : No visitation, East yard, Building 6 No visitation, West yard, Building 8 Visitation hours as normal for West yard, Building 7
Continue reading
Coval Ray Snead Fundraiser
DONATE: https://www.gofundme.com/25thuc9u
CR died on joe arpaios phoenix jailhouse floor on september 9, as prisoners across the country were rising up. He collapsed after begging for medical care with no response, by one report it was some time after his last please were heard before guards found him dead.
But who can believe a criminal? The call from another prisoner to his mother, bearing witness, cant be googled – im the only one who has even spoken his name aloud as a victim of the police state…replies on fb are like: so where has this been reported?. The MSM is awaiting confirmation by “the authorities”. So no one believes. Will you help spread the word, and the fundraiser? Whether or not anyone even believes he is dead because MSM doesnt yet say its so, his family still needs to bury him…
Open Letter from Keith ‘Malik’ Washington
Peace and Blessings to all – my name is:
Keith ‘Malik’ Washington. I am one of the key spokespersyns for the End
Prison Slavery in Texas Movement. I am from Houston, Texas, specifically
the 3rd Ward. There are many Prison Authorities and Law Enforcement
Officials who will attempt to characterize our movement as violent.
I have never endorsed or promoted violence in this Movement simply because
it plays right into the hands of the individuals and Agencies who oppress
us.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, F.B.I., D.H.S., and numerous
Federal and State Law Enforcement and Intelligence Agencies are fully
equipped to deal with violence.
However as prisoners finally become visible in the media we must use this
opportunity to convey our thoughts and demands in an intelligent,
pragmatic, and respectful manner.
What scares T.D.C.J. about this movement is not the violence – it is the
prospect of two things:
1.) The threat of losing money from having to stop or slow operations of
the numerous Texas Correctional Industry Factories which generate millions
of Dollars.
2.) Being exposed in the main-stream media as an Agency which exploits,
oppresses, and abuses human beings in their care.
On top of being a spokespersyn for our movement I am also a proud member of
the Industrial Workers of the World and the Incarcerated Workers Organizing
Committee. Before I leave you I want to briefly state our Demands:
1.) On a National Level we want Presidential Candidates Hillary Clinton or
Jill Stein to craft Legislation that will Abolish Prison Slavery by
Amending the 13th Amendment.
2.) In Texas we want the Following:
A.) Good Time & Work Time credits which actually reduce our prison terms –
All of us, not some!
B.) An Oversight Committee for T.D.C.J.
C.) Right to an Attorney on Habeas Filings
D.) Abolish the $100 Medical Co-pay System
E.) Humane Living Conditions & TreatmentThere are no Racial issues we have – it is well understood that there are
Black, White, Latino – Asian and Arab human beings who SUFFER inside Texas
Prisons.
We are pleading with the World to hear our cries for Freedom and Humane
Conditions. I leave you all as I came in Peace.
In Solidarity – Malik
Prisoner SOLIDARITY: for September 9
From Arizona Prison Watch
September 9th is the 45th anniversary of the Attica uprising, a massive 1971 prisoner protest against dismal conditions and abuse, which ended with the state of New York murdering scores of people.
Given the continuing abuse, neglect, and enslavement of over 2 million imprisoned people in the US today, prisoners across the US have called for and will begin a nationally coordinated work stoppage and protest on Sep 9, 2016. Learn more at SupportPrisonerResistance.net.
There is at least one Arizona demonstration on September 9, outside ASPC-Lewis, in Buckeye, and many others across the country in solidarity with those prisoners who will be stopping work. Oh yes, it’s going down!
The following is the most moving poem on prisoner support I’ve ever heard, from our brother Ben at Insurgent Theatre. He wrote this is the wake of Mariam Abdullah’s suicide at ASPC-Perryville in July…
Please share to help inspire people making personal connections with prisoners in the course of building this movement. He’s an impassioned and committed prison abolitionist and anarchist – he and the folks he hangs with have done some great work towards liberation for all.
Great resources on the Attica uprising:
Find Sept. 9th Events in Your Area
Originally published to It’s Going Down
Add Your Event: info[at]itsgoingdown[dot]org
People are organizing across the United States and the world in order to stand in the streets in solidarity with those locked behind bars who will strike on September 9th against prison slavery. Already, a wide range of actions have taken place in the run up to the strike. This includes large scale flyering and street propaganda campaigns, banner drops, noise demonstrations outside of jails and detention facilities, and informational events. All of this activity helps to build the capacity of the strike to bring in more people who can take an active role, as well as spread information about the struggle being waged by prisoners on the inside. These actions also bring many organizations, crews, and individuals together that before have previously never worked side by side and helps expose white supremacy as both a system of social control and racial apartheid and an apparatus of management that facilitates the creation of billions of dollars of profits.
Rally at AZ Prison Complex in Buckeye to End Toxic Prison Slavery
Bring signs, banners and drums to let these prisoners know they are not forgotten on the 45th anniversary of the Attica uprising.
This demonstration is in solidarity with the nationwide prisoner strike beginning on September 9 and is organized by the mother of a prisoner in this facility.
For more info contact:
LindaRobles39@gmail.com
(520) 393-3671 Continue reading
Message from Keith ‘Malik’ Washington Spokesperson for End Prison Slavery in Texas
[The following is an open letter from a comrade associated with End Prison Slavery in Texas addressed to IWOC; all typos, etc, remain as in the original letter.]
Revolutionary Greetings Comrades!
I hope all of you are doing well.Today is August 8th, 2016 – yesterday I was notified by a friend that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles DENIED my release on Parole for the 5th time!
My Good Time, Work Time, and Flat Time calculations equal to 100% of my current 20 year sentence – yet here I remain.
And this is one of the key issues we are challenging in Texas – I am a Text – Book example which exposes the Flaws in a system which continues to enslave the poorest cross-section of Amerikan society.
I would like to thank the IWW – IWOC for referring Free-Lance Journalist John Washington to me. Hopefully we will see a detailed essay in The Nation Magazine which highlights our strength to abolish Prison Slavery.
The Grassroots organizing for the September 9th action is going well. Texas Prisoners are not just suffering from physical enslavement. Many are psychologically enslaved. This makes my job and Rashid’s job of awakening the lumpen difficult but not impossible. Continue reading
ALERT! Phone Blast Texas Department of Criminal Justice!
On August 18 Austin ABC and the Houston IWOC chapter are calling for a phone blast and fax blackout to the main TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) main office in Austin, Texas! This is happening on August 18, on the day of their next board meeting.
Call in (512) 463-9988 (Austin Office) and (512) 475-3250 (Board of Criminal Justice)
Script:
I am calling to demand that the TDCJ give in to the demands of Texas inmates who have been striking for humane living and working conditions, good time/work time, to repeal the 100 dollar medical co-pay, right to attorney on habeas corpus, and the formation of a TDCJ oversight committee. I also want to demand that inmates at the Coffiel Unit have access to clean water that is not contaminated. There is a petition being signed and delivered and we want these demands met I also demand that inmates not be retaliated against for going on strike to gain better treatment!
*****************************************
You can also send the image of the demands (inverted blacked out demands) via fax using this online service http://faxzero.com/
This image will be shared on the event page.
For Sender Information you can put fake information here.
For Receiver Information:
Name: TDCJ Board of Criminal Justice
Fax Number: (512) 305-9398
[for the event click here.]
Spreading the Strike: Solidarity Actions Across North America for September 9th
From It’s Going Down
Add Your Event: info[at]itsgoingdown[dot]org
People are organizing across the United States and the world in order to stand in the streets in solidarity with those locked behind bars who will strike on September 9th against prison slavery. Already, a wide range of actions have taken place in the run up to the strike. This includes large scale flyering and street propaganda campaigns, banner drops, noise demonstrations outside of jails and detention facilities, and informational events. All of this activity helps to build the capacity of the strike to bring in more people who can take an active role, as well as spread information about the struggle being waged by prisoners on the inside. These actions also bring many organizations, crews, and individuals together that before have previously never worked side by side and helps expose white supremacy as both a system of social control and racial apartheid and an apparatus of management that facilitates the creation of billions of dollars of profits.
In order to better prepare for the strike, here we are going to create a regularly updated page that includes a diary of actions and a list of events and mobilizations leading up to and around the 9th. We know that many events are still in the works, so when you are ready, either submit an event here or email us at: info[at]itsgoingdown[dot]org. In this way, we hope to build a large, multi-faceted, and extremely diverse resistance movement that can support and expand the strike against prison slavery that will continue to take shape on September 9th and beyond. Continue reading