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Sep 1, 24

In Contempt #44: Prison Rebellion in Idaho, Running Down the Walls, Antifascist Targeted in Indiana

In this column, we present our monthly roundup of political prisoner, prison rebel, and repression news, happenings, announcements, action and analysis. Packed in as always are updates, fundraisers, and birthdays.

There’s a lot happening, so let’s dive right in!

Black August

The San Francisco Bay View has republished a classic introduction to Black August, and a member of Jailhouse Lawyers Speak has also shared some thoughts on abolitionist militancy in the spirit of Black August:

Black August holds a profound significance for abolitionist prisoners, as it serves as a time to honor the resistance of our fallen comrades and reflect on the ongoing struggle against the carceral system. During this month, we not only deepen our political education but also prepare ourselves militantly, inspired by the spirit of George L. Jackson, for a day when conditions may require militant actions. As members of Jailhouse Lawyers Speak [the more militant segment of our membership], we understand the importance of utilizing Black August as a catalyst for growth, education, and collective preparation.

Within the confines of U.S.A prison system, nurturing militancy becomes a pivotal aspect of our resistance. Black August provides a space for abolitionist prisoners to foster a mindset of militant preparedness, drawing inspiration from past resistance campaigns. We recognize that the struggle against the carceral system may demand actions beyond peaceful advocacy. Therefore, during this month, we engage in rigorous physical and mental training, fortifying ourselves for a day when conditions may necessitate militant resistance.

We encourage organizers to continue centering the experiences and lessons from people like George L. Jackson. Organizers can help build a movement that understands the importance of militant preparedness as a means to challenge oppressive structures and pave the way for transformative change.

New writings about Black August have been shared by political or politicized prisoners Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, and Xinachtli, and Malik Muhammad.

Continuing the Rattling the Cages series of discussions, former anarchist prisoner Eric King held a Black August discussion with dequi kioni-sadiki from the Jericho Movement and Sekou Odinga Defense Committee and former Black Panther prisoner Harold Taylor as a fundraiser for the Jericho Movement. You can now watch the recording here.

Also, don’t miss more upcoming events for Rattling the Cages here:

Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners

August 23rd-30th is an international week of solidarity with anarchist prisoners, with events in Nordhausen, Dresden and Potsdam, Germany, Vienna, Austria, Warsaw, Poland, Helsinki, Finland, Newcastle, UK and Portland, Oregon, organized to mark the occasion. Freedom News has published an article about the week and the importance of prisoner solidarity, and also marked the week by interviewing Moscow ABC.

Running Down the Walls, Curbfest, and other Upcoming Events

There’s a number of important prisoner support events coming up. September 15th sees the 25th anniversary of the annual Running Down the Walls ABC fundraiser event, with events currently planned for Portland and Eugene, OR, Los Angeles and Huntington Park, CA, Chicago, IL, Philadelphia, PA, Bloomington, IN, Lowell, MA, and Brooklyn, NY. The Huntington Park event will be on September 28th.

Curbfest events in support of political prisoners are planned for New York on September 7th, Philly on October 5th and Houston on October 26th.

December 6th-13th will see a week of “Shut ‘Em Down” demonstrations and actions organized by Jailhouse Lawyers Speak. Tacoma IWW are hosting a planning coalition meeting online on September 5th.

An international anarchist anti-prison gathering is planned for Argentina in July 2025.

Political Prisoner News

Former Black Panther/Black Liberation prisoner Ashanti Alston is currently fundraising for housing renovation costs. You can read a recent interview with Ashanti here.

The June 11th collective have shared a collection of reports on this year’s events in support of Marius Mason and other long-term anarchist prisoners.

Philly ABC have shared an update about the upcoming release of the book, I Am Maroon: The True Story of an American Political Prisoner. Book launch events will be held in NYC on September 6th and Philadelphia on September 22nd, and you can find more links related to the book here.

Amnesty International has declared the Wet’suwet’en land defender Chief Dsta’hyl, currently held under house arrest after being found guilty of criminal contempt for violating the terms of an unjust injunction order, as its first officially recognized prisoner of conscience in so-called Canada.

Uprising Defendants and Other Ongoing Cases

George Floyd Uprising defendant Malik Muhammad has shared a number of recent writings, discussing the political system, prisons and Pride month. He has an updated book request list here. Write Malik here:

Malik Muhammad
Oregon State Penitentiary
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310

Pennsylvania uprising defendant Khalif Miller has been added to the Uprising Support site, while Arkansas defendant Rene Goddard is due to be released soon. South Carolina uprising defendant Brittany Martin has just had an appeal against her four-year sentence denied, while Philadelphia uprising prisoner Ant Smith has just been freed.

Cindy Milstein is giving away copies of their edited anthology Deciding for Ourselves to people who donate at least $15 to the legal defense fund for Peppy and Krystal, who continue to face charges over an alleged action against transphobes. Peppy and Krystal have just been offered a new plea deal, and so their upcoming trial has been put on hold as they consider it. New posters and support materials have been released here. You can also write to Peppy here:

Butler County Prison
c/o Brian DiPippa
#42322 PO Box 9156
Seminole, FL 33775-9156

Casey Goonan’s support committee have shared a legal update on their case, along with statements in support of Casey from Stevie Wilson and Hybachi LeMar. Write to Casey here:

Casey Goonan #UMF227
Santa Rita Jail
5325 Broder Blvd
Dublin, CA 94568

Antifascist defendant Chris “Big Tex” G has been found not guilty on criminal charges, but continues to fight a civil lawsuit brought by a Christo-fascist group. You can donate to his ongoing legal costs here. Aeshna, one of his co-defendants, has a trial scheduled for September 23rd, and is also named in the same lawsuit, and is fundraising for her legal costs here.

Antifascist journalist Alissa Azar has been found guilty of riot and disorderly conduct on charges related to her reporting on a 2021 Proud Boys event. Check out a statement on the case from the Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) here.

Legal funds are being raised for Nile, who is facing federal charges after an alleged action against Cop City in Charleston, South Carolina.

At the protests against the DNC in Chicago, former political prisoner Jeremy Hammond was arrested for allegedly spray-painting an anarchist symbol on a cop car, while at least three journalists have been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for reporting on the protests. Meanwhile, Natasha Lennard has written on the case of another journalist in Brooklyn who is facing felony hate crime charges, simply for filming a Palestine solidarity action. From The Intercept:

In an egregious violation of press freedoms and First Amendment-protected activity, a New York City video journalist was arrested on felony hate crime charges Tuesday for allegedly being present during and documenting a pro-Palestine protest action.

According to the charges, Sam Seligson, a credentialed independent videographer, filmed a small group of people last June graffitiing the homes of the Brooklyn Museum’s director, president, and two other museum officials with pro-Palestine, anti-Zionist slogans.

Spray-painted messages and banners hung on the properties accused the museum leaders of complicity in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. A week prior, the museum had called in police to mass arrest protesters who had assembled inside its building to demand divestment from holdings related to Israel’s war.

In South Bend, Indiana, community organizer Tonna Robinson is fighting assault charges connected to her alleged role in defending a drag show. She’s currently fundraising for legal fees, and has faced online harassment and attempts to shut her fundraisers down. From the campaign:

Tonna Robinson is a highly valued and loved community organizer in South Bend, Indiana who has advocated tirelessly for and stood with those seeking reproductive justice, those seeking racial justice, the homeless, teachers, and the LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ Center of South Bend has organized and hosted family friendly drag shows for the community for nearly a decade. In the last 3 years those drag shows have been targeted and under attack by hate preachers as well as known and documented fascists who come to violently attack the events for multiple years now. Community members have come together and gathered outside the events to protect them from those that seek to interrupt them and do violent harm.

On June 7, 2024 many community members trying to protect the family friendly drag show were violently attacked. The fascist attacker for multiple years now has never been charged. But on August 15, 2024 community organizer and drag show protector Tonna Robinson was arrested at her home and charged with felony assault. Tonna needs our community support in fighting these charges. She is now out on bond and will be hiring an attorney. Please donate to Tonna ‘s legal defense fund to assist her in beating these charges. Her next court date is September 4, 2024. Support Tonna by donating to her legal defense fund, sharing the fundraiser, attending and promoting upcoming fundraising events and upcoming court hearings. No more hate! We protect us!

Unicorn Riot is currently fundraising for their legal defense against the oil company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, which is attempting to force them to hand over information on water protectors.

In Mexico, José Díaz Gómez, a compañero of the Support Base of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, has now been freed.

Also this month, people took to the streets in Ferguson, MO, marking the 10th anniversary of the police murder of Mike Brown. Protests popped off, leading to arrests and one activist, Elijah, being held on trumped up charges. From one report:

On August 9th, a Ferguson police officer was seriously injured while arresting people attending a memorial protest at the police department. According to videos, he and Officer Brown collided when he went around a corner behind a van where the officer was waiting. The young man was then arrested, after being choked unconscious. Elijah was running before hitting the officer, but it should be taken into consideration that with so much violence being perpetrated upon young Black men in this country by law enforcement, that facing a wall of armed LEOs could readily trigger a reaction to flee. The Ferguson PD statements have pushed a narrative of a deliberately violent assault on Officer Brown and the charges reflect that.

Elijah is currently in jail with an excessively high bond of $500,000. Please join us in helping to raise awareness & funds to help get him out. Elijah is a minister and youth mentor that supports with community-building efforts like the upcoming back-to-school drive. He is also working to enroll in a technical education program.

Donations are also urgently needed for very high bonds that were set just for misdemeanor charges to other activists that were present. Activists are being railroaded to shift the narrative and as scapegoats for an injured officer.

For more info and ways to support, go here.

Phone Zaps, Hunger Strikes, and Prisoner Rebellion in Idaho

As this column was being put together, a call was circulated for a phone zap in support of Joseph “Shine White” Stewart and other prisoners being held in solidarity confinement at Granville Correctional in North Carolina, who are being denied access to showers and exercise. Please contact these officials repeatedly:

Granville Correctional Institution warden, James Williams – 919-575-3070 (call main line and ask for warden’s office)

Granville CI C-1 Unit Manager Eldridge Walker- 919-575-3070 (call main line and ask to be connected to Unit Manager Eldridge Walker)

NCDAC Dep. Director of Rehabilitation/Correctional Services Maggie Brewer – [email protected] – 919-733-2126 (call main line and ask to be connected to Brewer’s office)

NADAC Internal Affairs Director Anthony Smith – 919-715-2632 [email protected]

Script for calling and emailing:

I am (calling/emailing) to demand that prisoners being held in solitary confinement in the C-1 building be afforded the opportunity to shower and exercise outside according to NCDAC’s policies and procedures and pursuant to their U.S. Constitutional rights.

I am demanding that an internal investigation be conducted at the Granville Correctional concerning the grievances being made by prisoners there and I demand warden James Williams and C-1 unit manager be held accountable for the deliberate indifference they have demonstrated.

Incarcerated workers at SCI Fayette in Pennsylvania launched a hunger strike at the start of August, in protest at the prison continuing to impose lockdown-era isolation policies. The Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee have been encouraging people to call the SCI Fayette Superintendent on 724-364-2200 and the PADOC central office on 717-728-2573 in support of the strikers’ demands.

An IWOC member at the Ramsey Unit in the Texas system has reported being exposed to contaminated water, so supporters were encouraged to call the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality on (713)767-3500 and the American Correctional Assocation on (936) 437-3437 to report this issue. They share the information that “Brazoria county TCEQ has informed callers of a rule they have that the person who is directly affected by an environmental issue must be the one to call and report a complaint in order for TCEQ to take action.The comrade who reported this to us is currently in lockdown with no access to communications. We are stressing to them how difficult it is for impacted folks to make calls due to being locked up.”

The Idaho Statesman has published a detailed report on “rebellion” and hunger strike at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution earlier this year:

In the moments after correctional officers raided their units, dozens of men incarcerated at Idaho’s highest-security prison south of Boise were isolated in barren cells, breathing air that not long ago contained fumes from pepper spray and tear gas.

Members of the Idaho Department of Correction’s tactical response team, outfitted in tactical gear and gas masks, had deployed chemical munitions to access the units. Then they stormed cell after cell, removing everything — even the mattresses — and stripped 27 men of their clothing. The men were thrown back into their empty cells without a blanket, leaving them to sleep on the cold concrete floor.

IDOC’s February raid was a response to a broken policy. The 27 men had covered their cell windows, obstructing any view into the space, to protest systemic issues at the prison, Shawn Madewell and Bobby Templin told the Idaho Statesman. The two men witnessed the incident from their cells at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution. The correctional agency confirmed the details of the raid they described.

IDOC’s response to the protest only spurred more dissent. And a few months later, in May, prisoners organized a mass hunger strike to demand better treatment and services.

The six-day strike involved about 90 incarcerated men, according to IDOC, most of them housed in the Idaho Maximum Security Institution. Men housed in the units described it as one of the largest demonstrations they’ve seen in the state’s prison system.

Protests and hunger strikes by detainees at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA and in the Central Valley of California also continue. As Newsweek reported:

Dozens of migrants are on hunger strike at detention centers near the U.S.-Mexico border amid claims that they have been denied basic human rights. The California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ) said 62 detainees at ICE’s Golden State Annex and Mesa Verde detention centers in Kern County, California, are taking part in the protest.

In July, 59 people started labor strikes at the Golden State Annex and Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center. Further strikes saw 42 people detained at the Golden State Annex go on hunger strike, which several participants continued for 12 days, resuming eating on July 23rd after GEO guards allegedly threatened to transfer them to Texas. Strikes were relaunched in August with 62 people across both facilities going on hunger strike, which is ongoing with varying numbers of participants, as is the labor strike.

General Prison News and Abolitionist Media Updates

Michigan Abolition and Prisoner Solidarity have released the summer 2024 issue of their regular publication, The Opening Statement.

Kevin “Rashid” Johnson has put out a call for people to support revolutionary North Carolina prisoner Joseph “Shine White” Stewart.

The Oregon ACLU is suing the Medford Police Department over an extensive program of illegal spying on local organizers.

The Innocence Project is organizing against the planned execution of Marcellus Williams in Missouri, which is currently set for September 24th. A judge is currently considering a legal challenge to Williams’ conviction.

Prism has a report on new laws that have been introduced across several Southern states, including Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Texas, aiming to explicitly criminalize pro-Palestinian speech and slogans such as “from the river to the sea.” Another recent Prism report explores how the Washington state system suppresses cultural awareness groups.

The Texas Observer has published an important article on Texas prison farms/plantations, exploring the state’s 200-year legacy of forced labor, and drawing on interviews with revolutionary Texas prisoners Julio Alex “Comrade Z” Zuniga and Jason Walker. From the article:

…the state prison system would put incarcerated people to work on its own farms. Over the next decade, Texas amassed 139,000 acres for prison farms. More than 50,000 acres were purchased from ex-slaveholders who had become convict-leasing profiteers. The state would develop new prison units on these lands to run its own agricultural operations with captive labor. Most of these plantation prisons sprawled across what was known as the “Sugar Bowl District,” the same southeastern counties, including Fort Bend and Brazoria, where most enslaved Texans had been exploited before emancipation.

Today, 24 Texas prison units still have agribusiness operations. Nine are located on former plantations. Incarcerated workers harvest many of the same crops that slaves and later convict laborers did from 1871 to 1910. Like the previous owners, the Texas prison system still compels captive people to work its fields without pay. Guards on horseback monitor those who labor under the sun in fields of cotton and other crops. Texas prisons were finally fully racially desegregated in 1991, but Black Texans still account for one-third of the incarcerated—nearly triple their portion of the general population. Texas is one of only seven U.S. states that pay incarcerated workers nothing. Meanwhile, those incarcerated must pay for many essential items in the commissary. Their unpaid work is mandatory, a practice sanctioned by the U.S. Constitution’s 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.”

Jason Walker worked the fields in 1999 at the Roach Unit in a rural area west of Wichita Falls. Walker, who is Black, said he was forced to pick cotton there. Walker, who had done time in various TDCJ units, said that each unit has a distinct culture and set of operating procedures, but the fieldwork was equally abominable everywhere.

“It didn’t matter if prisoners were at ‘burnin’ hell’ [a nickname for Clemens] or Roach Unit,” Walker told the Observer. “Just as we all have to wear the same cheap white top and bottoms, prisoners felt the same wrath from the hoe squad ‘boss man’ anywhere forced farmwork—slave labor—was imposed. It was a statewide culture.”

Jason Walker has also published a number of new articles recently, covering systematic staff abuse, the flaws of a planned body camera rollout, the death of a prisoner at the Hutchins Unit, and prison tech profiteers Securus.

Mongoose Distro is encouraging people to support Farhan Ahmed, who is currently imprisoned in the New York system and at risk of deportation.

Former Texas prisoner Benjamin Spencer, who served 34 years in the Texas system after being  sentenced to life in 1988, has now been exonerated.

Jailhouse Lawyers Speak have developed a Legal Curriculum and Political Studies Curriculum, two important educational materials that they will be sending out to prisoners across the country in September.

A benefit show for Randy “Smiles” Platt, a prisoner held in the federal supermax, was able to raise around $950.

Supporters of the Vaughn 17 have shared a new recording of a call with Dwayne “BIM” Staats, discussing his current legal situation.

Mongoose Distro continues to publish new writings regularly, by imprisoned writers such as Texas prisoners Nesa Gray and Ross Hartwell.

IDOC Watch report that their main priorities at the moment are asking people to send letters in support of Shaka Shakur’s release, and fundraising for the Pendleton Two. Donations to the Pendleton Two can be made via Venmo.

Anarsec have published a new set of tech security guides for anarchists.

The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into a CoreCivic-run prison in Tennessee which is particularly notorious for assaults and murders.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing an immigrants’ rights group for criticizing Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Paxton has also announced plans for increased surveillance and repression against voter-registration groups.

In Vermont, people are organizing against plans to build a new women’s prison.

Scalawag magazine ran their annual Abolition Week at the end of August. This year’s was themed around “Empire Must Die,” with stories focusing on how the combined forces of Western imperialism and plantation legacies produce carceral logics globally. Stories covered included connections between Gaza and US prisons, county jails and Guantanamo Bay, the policing of student protests in solidarity with Palestine, AI surveillance as a tool of repression, and felony murder law, among other topics.

International

Palestinian leftist and feminist Khalida Jarrar has been held in a tiny isolation cell since August 13th. You can read a recent article by her, Freedom is Coming: Shattering Slavery and Emptying Prisons, here.

A new zine has been produced by UK prisoners with advice for anyone facing prison. The UK has also seen wide-ranging repression over the past month against environmentalists, antifascists and those acting in solidarity with Palestine.

A planned climate camp was canceled after a pre-emptive police raid seized their equipment and arrested 22 people. Six people were initially held under anti-terrorism powers after Palestine Action targeted a weapons factory in Bristol, and the number has now increased to ten, known as the Filton 10. You can donate to their legal funds here. Five people have just been given prison sentences for a previous action against another weapons factory in Glasgow. At the end of August, UK police also arrested a co-founder of Palestine Action on terrorism charges.

Several people have also been given prison sentences for defending themselves and their communities against the wave of fascist violence that spread across the UK at the start of August. From one statement, Self Defence is No Offence!:

On Friday 9th August, at Leeds Crown Court, 2 Muslim Asian men who had defended themselves from the white pogroms of early August, were sentenced to nearly 2 years and 2 and half years respectively. The Leeds 2 were at a Palestinian liberation demonstration on August 5th when the nationalist pogroms began. 200 white supremacists attacked the community at the demo, shouting “P*ki” and other racial slurs, levelled at Black and brown people, particularly Muslims. The police did little to protect the demonstrators, treating the perpetrators and victims of this racial attack the same.

In another case, a Muslim man in Plymouth was given a 20 month sentence for throwing cans back at the racists who’d thrown them at him, with the judge telling him that he should have simply “risen above” the racist abuse he received.

Bristol ABC continue to support those imprisoned over the Kill the Bill riots of 2021, and urgently need financial support for this ongoing work. The UK’s chief inspector of prisons has warned of serious safety problems across the country’s immigration detention centers.

In the Greek prison system, Thanasis Pikasis has been on hunger strike since early July. A new update has been published about the situation of Greek anarchist prisoner Nikos Maziotis.

Prisoners recently rioted at CPR Grandisca in Italy, while prisoners at Spini di Gardolo recently went on strike.

Unoffensive Animal recently raised six hundred pounds for the Susaron prisoners, who are vegan anarchists held by the Chilean state. Facundo Jones Huala, a Mapuche political prisoner, has now been released from a Chilean prison after a successful hunger strike.

Russian anarchist prisoner Ruslan Siddiqui has confirmed that Russian state news reports of him wanting to join the army are lies. Belarus ABC have just been hit with a new state order which allows anyone following their social media accounts to be detained for 15 days.

An exhibition of art by international anarchist prisoners will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, from September 20th-22nd.

Uprising Defendants

See Uprising Support for more info, and check out the Antirepression PDX site for updates from Portland cases. To the best of our knowledge they currently include:

Tyre Means 49981-086
USP Victorville
US Penitentiary
P.O. Box 3900
Adelanto, CA 92301

Margaret Channon 49955-086
FCI Tallahassee
P.O. Box 5000
Tallahassee, FL 32314

Malik Muhammad #23935744
Oregon State Penitentiary
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310

Cyan Waters Bass #23905849
Oregon State Correctional Institution
3405 Deer Park Drive SE
Salem, Oregon 97310

Montez Lee 22429-041
FCI Ray Brook
Federal Correctional Institution
PO Box 900
Ray Brook, NY 12977

Matthew White #21434-041
USP Terre Haute
PO Box 33
Terre Haute, IN 47808

Matthew Rupert #55013-424
USP Big Sandy
US Penitentiary
P.O. Box 2068
Inez, KY 41224

José Felan #54146-380
FCI Terre Haute
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 33
Terre Haute, IN 47808

David Elmakayes 77782-066
FCI McKean
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 8000
Bradford, PA 16701

Andrew Duncan-Augustyniak
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Andrew Duncan-Augustyniak / QN9211
SCI Rockview
PO Box 33028
St Petersburg, Florida 33733

Khalif Miller #70042-066
USP Big Sandy
U.S. Penitentiary
P.O. Box 2068
Inez, KY 41224

Alvin Joseph 1002016959
Hays State Prison
PO Box 668
Trion, GA 30753

Richard Hunsinger 16066-509
FCI Forrest City Low
P.O. Box 9000
Forrest City, AR 72335

Diego Vargas 55070-424
FCI Schuylkill
PO Box 759
Minersville, PA 17954

Howard Eugene Nall #586907
Newberry Correctional Facility
13747 E. County Road 428
Newberry, MI 49868

T’Andre Buchanan 67637-060
Milan FCI
PO Box 1000
Milan, MI 48160

Renea Goddard #22810-509 (due for release in early September)
FCI Aliceville
P.O. BOX 4000
Aliceville, AL 35442

Aline Espinosa-Villegas #22814-509
FMC Carswell
P.O. Box 27137
Fort Worth, Texas 76127

Address letter to Angel, address envelope to Aline A Espinosa-Villegas.

Mujera Benjamin Lunga’ho #08572-509
FCI Forrest City Medium
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 3000
Forrest City, AR 72336

Upcoming Birthdays

Aleksandr Belov

An anarchist from Belarus who was detained on July 29th, 2021 and given five years in prison on charges of “actions that disrupted public order,” during post-election protests in Belarus.

Belarusian prisons will usually only accept letters in Belarusian or Russian, so if you don’t speak one of those languages your best bet is to email your message to belarus_abc(AT)riseup.net or use this online form and they should be able to translate your greetings and pass them on.

Birthday: September 1

Address:

(Belarusian or Russian letters only – use this form for English messages)

Belov Aleksandr Andreevich
IK №22, stanciya Domanovo, a/ya 20
Ivacevichy, Brestskaya obl., Belarus, 225295

John Bramble

A former Vaughn 17 defendant and contributor to the Vaughn uprising zines Live from the Trenches and United We Stood and other publications. Johnny has continued to organize and agitate against the prison system from within. As a result, he is still being held in solitary confinement.

Johnny is looking for anarchists, autonomists, and other radicals to regularly correspond with. Delaware uses Getting Out for email messaging, so you can also send him a message by going to gettingout.com, setting up an account, and then adding him as a contact using his inmate number #405202.

Birthday: September 1

Address:

John Bramble #450202
Delaware DOC – 1101
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV 89193

Leonard Peltier

American Indian Movement activist jailed since 1977 after being framed for shooting two FBI agents. Prosecutors and federal agents manufactured evidence against him (including the so-called “murder weapon”); hid proof of his innocence; presented false testimony obtained through torturous interrogation techniques; ignored court orders; and lied to the jury. This summer, the parole board denied his application.

The Federal system uses Corrlinks, a system where a prisoner must send a request to connect to someone on the outside before they can exchange emails, so if you’re not already connected to Leonard then you’re best off just sending him a card or a letter.

Birthday: September 12

Address:

Leonard Peltier
#89637-132
USP Coleman I
P.O. Box 1033
Coleman, FL 33521

Sean Swain

Long-term anarchist prisoner and contributor to projects such as the Final Straw Radio and Fire Ant zine.

Ohio now uses Connect Network/GTL, so you can contact him online by going to connectnetwork.com, selecting “Add a facility,” choosing “State: Ohio, Facility: Ohio Department of Rehabiliation and Corrections,” going into the “messaging” service, and then adding him as a contact by searching his name or “A243205.”

Birthday: September 12

Address:

Sean Swain #A243205
OSP Youngstown
878 Coitsville-Hubbard Rd
Youngstown, OH 44505

Greg Curry

Falsely convicted in the aftermath of the historic Lucasville prison uprising. You can learn more about Greg by reading his writings or listening to his interview with the Final Straw. Greg is currently working on an appeal against his wrongful conviction, so if you know a good attorney then please hit him up! You can buy merch to support Greg here.

Ohio now uses Connect Network/GTL, so you can contact him online by going to connectnetwork.com, selecting “Add a facility,” choosing “State: Ohio, Facility: Ohio Department of Rehabiliation and Corrections,” going into the “messaging” service, and then adding him as a contact by searching his name or “A213159.”

Birthday: September 26

Address:

Greg Curry #213-159
Toledo C.I.
2001 East Central Ave.
Toledo, OH 43608

Jorge P. Cornell (King Jay)

Inca of the North Carolina Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation, community organizer who worked to broker truces and end gang violence and was given 28 years on a racketeering charge. You can learn more about King Jay by reading this profile of him. The Final Straw also broadcast two interviews with supporters, Sara Lee and Savannah, involved in solidarity efforts at the time of his trial.

Again, King Jay is held in the Federal system, so you can only contact him via Corrlinks if he’s added you as a contact.

Birthday: September 29

Address:

Jorge P. Cornell #28152-057
FCI Butner Low
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 999
Butner, NC 27509

photo: Chuck Modi

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