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Feb 1, 23
Filed under: Featured, In Contempt
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!
Repression of Forest Defenders in Atlanta
January saw brutal state repression directed against defenders of the Atlanta forest, with the state killing one person and arresting others on terror charges.
At time of writing, there are six people being held in jail after being denied bail. Their support details are:
Christopher Reynolds X2204380
DeKalb County Jail
4415 Memorial Drive
Decatur, GA, 30032
(Pre-metered postcards from USPS only)
Nadja Geier #2300000842, 5F3 Room 207
Atlanta City Detention Center
254 Peachtree Street Southwest
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Emily Murphy #2300000841, 5N3 Room 213
Atlanta City Detention Center
254 Peachtree Street Southwest
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
The other three forest defenders are having their names withheld by request, but you can send support mail to:
Atlanta Books to Prisoners
PO Box 5390
Atlanta, GA 30307
The person killed by police, Manny “Tortuguita” Teran, was a supporter of anarchist political prisoner Dan Baker, and you can read a statement from Dan about the death of his friend here.
For more discussion and information on the subject, you can read an investigative article from Grist about the use of terrorism charges, a statement on the repression from the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, and commentary from Natasha Lennard in the Intercept.
The Final Straw Radio broadcast an interview with a friend of Tortuguita and Dan Baker, and Kite Line Radio interviewed a member of the Atlanta Anti-Repression Committee to analyze the situation.
Political Prisoner News
Antifascist prisoner Alex Stokes has now been moved to a more permanent address, and can receive mail at:
Alexander Contompasis 22B5028
Upstate Correctional Facility
PO Box 2001
Malone, NY, 12953
A fundraiser has now been launched to cover the legal costs for his appeal against his incredibly harsh 20-year sentence. For more info on Alex’s case, you can listen to the recent interview with a supporter that was broadcast on This Is America.
The Anarchist Black Cross Federation have recently released a range of new political prisoner support flyers, and NYC ABC have published an updated version of their political prisoner support guide.
As anarchist political prisoner Eric King approaches the end of his lengthy (and eventful!) sentence, a fundraiser has been set up to provide him with post-release support. His support site is now updated on a regular basis, with recent writings from Eric including “Things I wish I knew 9 years ago,” “Just some sad Xmas poems,” and “White trash anarchist,” as well as an update from his support crew.
From Support Eric King:
Eric is so grateful, overwhelmed and humbled by all of the support that has been coming in. Taylor Swift news. Feedback on his writing. Books, notes, letters. He had tears in his eyes this weekend when he was told about it. Life afterward has been on his mind a lot. Getting out, surviving and raising children. And also wrestling with the inadequate feelings when it comes to job prospects, housing and an incredible foreign world. When he entered prison there was not a ton of people lining up his support him. It took months to get a book purchased from his list. Seeing real tangible support is helping quiet those fears. Thinking about cars, computers and capitalism and how much closer he is to working it all out.
Things have been ok. He has finally has his first phone call with his family since 2018, and first visit since the week after trial. He is a bit overwhelmed by the difference in respect that comes from the guards around him. Well trained guards, because the ADX demands that. Guards that know the law and are asked to follow it. It has definitely caused some reflection and wonder… what would it have been like if he were met with guards like this in Englewood? Florence medium? Leavenworth, USP McCreary? FTC Oklahoma? USP Atlanta? USP Lee?
He is safe and thinking about what it will be like ending this year on his way to freedom <3 We have added some notebooks to his Amazon book list because he needs some paper that is a manageable size. As well as his current obsession and the goal reading every book Colum Mccann has written.
Feb 6th, 2023, will mark the start of Leonard Peltier’s 48th year of imprisonment. Leonard’s Defense Committee are calling for “Rise Up for Peltier” events to mark the date, with events planned for several countries and US locations including Rapid City, SD, Minneapolis, MN, Fargo, ND, Tampa, FL, Santa Fe, NM, Albuquerque, NM, San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA, Sacramento, CA, Columbia, MO, Tulsa, OK, and Washington DC.
In mid-2022, Ferguson uprising prisoner Josh Williams published an article stating that he was due for release at the start of December. However, at time of writing, the MODOC prisoner locator still shows him as being in custody at Potosi Correctional Center, suggesting that his release may have been prevented. If anyone wants to try and make contact to find out what’s going on, his address is:
Joshua Williams
#1292002
C/O Digital Mail Center-Missouri DOC
PO Box 25678
Tampa, FL 33622-5678
Missouri prisoners can receive electronic messages via Securus Tech.
Ongoing Cases
George Floyd Uprising defendant Urooj Rahman has now begun a 15-month sentence at Philadelphia Federal Detention Center, but is not listed on the BOP’s public list of inmates. There are reports that anyone wanting to contact her must pass a background check. Muslims for Just Futures and Urooj’s solidarity committee have put out an important statement discussing her case and the importance of collectively supporting defendants throughout the legal process. You can sign up to get involved in supporting Urooj here, send financial support through Venmo to @Shagufta-Rahman, and Philly-area abolitionists are encouraged to contact [email protected].
Two people spray paint a "crisis pregnancy center" and DOJ indicts them with civil rights conspiracy and FACE act violations. A man sets fire to a Planned Parenthood doesn't get FACE act charges. Absolutely ridiculous. What is going on at DOJ?https://t.co/JSp1ofXsZr
— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) January 26, 2023
Two defendants have been indicted in Florida on charges related to painting alleged Jane’s Revenge graffiti on anti-abortion centers. As the targets are described as “reproductive health services facilities that provide abortion alternatives,” they’re being prosecuted under the FACE Act, a piece of legislation designed to protect abortion clinics from anti-abortion extremists, in yet another example of how seemingly-progressive legislation will be used by the State to attack liberatory movements.
In Minneapolis, a defendant is facing court over charges stemming from a New Year’s Eve 2020/2021 noise demo. Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center has also written a new guide to how movements can respond to state repression.
Texas Hunger Strike Enters Third Week
At noon — Texas Prisoners enter week 3 of a hunger strike against solitary confinement procedures
How has TDCJ responded to the hunger strike?
Today we speak with Brittany Robertson an independent prison reform advocate, @KerametR, and @mydeitch https://t.co/sd2nP7V96Z
— TPR: The Source (@TPRSource) January 26, 2023
January saw the launch of a co-ordinated hunger strike by a large number of Texas prisoners challenging the prison system’s use of solitary confinement. The strike, which has now entered its third week, has been covered in outlets such as the Texas Tribune, the Guardian, and Texas Public Radio, which also broadcast an interview with an outside supporter of the strike. The End Ad Seg Texas facebook page is a good source of direct updates from the strikers.
Incarcerated organizers within Pennsylvania prisons were also calling for a strike across that prison system in January 2023, but at time of writing it is unclear what the response was, as there have been no confirmed reports of participation.
Hunger Strike Kicks off at NW Detention Center in Tacoma, WA
Abolitionists in Tacoma, Washington report that:
85+ people began a hunger strike today at NWDC. Demands: real food, regular meal times, clean clothes and clean facilities. In retaliation, calls were cut off, pods were locked down and windows were covered. Shortly after that phones were shut off and virtual visits were ended. Then, GEO guards in riot gear stormed the pods with so much pepper spray that the mirrors in the pods turned yellow.
There is currently a call for a phone-zap in support. More info, here.
New Year’s Eve Noise Demos
In keeping with a longstanding tradition, New Year’s Eve was marked by noise demos outside a range of prisons, jails and detention centers. It’s Going Down has a full roundup of actions here.
Abolitionist Media Projects and General Prison News
Incarcerated writer and organizer Jason Renard Walker has been moved to the Wayne Scott Unit, a psychiatric unit in the Texas prison system, after having to fake a suicide attempt in order to escape from an attempt to murder him. Supporters are calling for a phone and email zap to ensure that his next move is to a safer location, and he’s not sent back to the Connally Unit where the original murder plot took place.
Dwayne “BIM” Staats of the Vaughn 17 has released a new book, Rebellious Hearts, giving a first-hand account of the Vaughn rebellion. Anarchist prisoner Sean Swain has started a new youtube channel, Anarcology.
Recent episodes of Kite Line Radio have included a two–part discussion on gender, sexuality and policing, the police killing of Tortuguita at the Atlanta Forest, and a reflection on the police killing of Tyre Nichols along with incarcerated organizer Shaka Shakur speaking on the death of IDOC Watch co-founder Angaza Iman Bahar.
Mongoose Distro continues to publish new prisoner writings regularly, including anarchist prisoner Dan Baker on the killing of Tyre Nichols, a new issue of the Pennsylvania prisoner zine IB64, poetry by Texas prisoner Jesse Mocha Scroggins and reports from David Annarelli in the Virginia prison system.
International
January’s been a busy month in Greece, with 11 Turkish revolutionaries held in Greek prisons having their sentences overturned, while fundraising continues for the four anarchists prosecuted in the “Comrades” case and for someone facing charges for allegedly beating a fascist in 2018. The trial of anarchists Vanggelis Stathopoulos and Dimitris Chatzivasiliadis has ended, with Stathopoulos being given a suspended sentence of 10 months and Chatzivasiliadis sentenced to 14 years.
Italian anarchist prisoner Alfredo Cospito continues his hunger strike, and was just transferred on the 103rd day of his strike. You can read an update on his condition here, and his doctor has now been officially warned by the state not to make any public statements about his health.
UK anarchist prisoner Toby Shone has now been released on parole, and has been transferred to a “Secure Hostel” where he will have to stay under observation for a year.
ABC Belarus have published their monthly report of repression news, and the International Antifascist Defence Fund have been contributing to the legal costs of someone facing charges connected to an alleged attack on a fascist meeting in Ireland.
Uprising Defendants
Everyone should support the defendants facing charges related to their alleged participation in the George Floyd uprising – this list of our imprisoned comrades needs to be getting shorter, not longer. See Uprising Support for more info, and check out the Antirepression PDX site for updates from Portland cases. The status of pre-trial defendants changes frequently, but to the best of our knowledge they currently include:
Tyre Means 49981-086
USP Beaumont
PO BOX 26030
Beaumont, TX 77720
Kelly Jackson 50288-086
FCI Sheridan Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. BOX 5000
Sheridan, OR 97378
Margaret Channon 49955-086
FCI Aliceville
PO Box 4000
Aliceville, AL 35442
Isaiah Willoughby 49960-086
FDC SeaTac
Federal Detention Center
PO Box 13900
Seattle, WA 98198
Malik Muhammad #23935744
Oregon State Penitentiary
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
Jacob Michael Gaines #81973-065
FCI Sheridan
P.O. BOX 5000
Sheridan, OR 97378
Jacob asks that people include an email address associated with their corrlinks account so he can return an email instead of a letter.
Cyan Waters Bass #23905849
Oregon State Correctional Institution
3405 Deer Park Drive SE
Salem, Oregon 97310
Gavaughn Streeter-Hillerich #19203494
Oregon State Penitentiary
2605 State Street
Salem, Oregon 97310
Montez Lee 22429-041
FCI Ray Brook
Federal Correctional Institution
PO Box 900
Ray Brook, NY 12977
Matthew White #21434-041
FCI Terre Haute
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. BOX 33
Terre Haute, IN 47808
Matthew Rupert #55013-424
USP McCreary
P.O. Box 3000
Pine Knot, KY 42635
José Felan #54146-380
FCI Terre Haute
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. BOX 33
Terre Haute, IN 47808
Dylan Robinson 45802-013
USP Leavenworth
P.O. BOX 1000
LEAVENWORTH, KS 66048
David Elmakayes 77782-066
FCI McKean
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 8000
Bradford, PA 16701
Christopher West 04670-509
USP Canaan
U.S. Penitentiary
P.O. Box 300
Waymart, PA 18472
You can also buy fundraiser clothing for Christopher “Brother Hush” West here.
Andrew Augustyniak-Duncan
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Andrew Duncan-Augustyniak / QN9211
SCI Rockview
PO Box 33028
St Petersburg, Florida 33733
Nicholas Lucia 06868-509
FCI Petersburg Low
Federal Correctional Institution
PO Box 1000
Petersburg, VA 23804
Ellie Brett 14822509
FCI Petersburg Medium
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 1000
Petersburg, VA 23804
John Wade 14762509
FCI Beckley
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 350
General & Legal Mail
Beaver, WV 25813
Alvin Joseph 1002016959
Metro Reentry Facility
PO Box 17668
Atlanta, GA 30316
Shamar Betts 22080-043
FCI Hazelton Federal Correction Inst.
P.O. Box 5000
Bruceton Mills, WV 26525
Diego Vargas 55070-424
FCI Allenwood Medium
PO Box 2000
White Deer, PA 17887
Adam Walton 55322-424
FCI Forrest City Medium
PO Box 3000
Forest City, AR 72336
Olivia Marie Hull
Kent County Correctional Facility
703 Ball Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
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
Upcoming Birthdays
Veronza Bowers
Veronza Bowers Jr. is a former Black Panther Party member framed for the murder of a U.S. Park Ranger. He is being illegally held past his 30 year sentence, making him one of the longest-held political prisoners in U.S. History.
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 Veronza then you’re best off just sending him a card or a letter.
Birthday: February 4
Address:
Veronza Bowers, Jr. #35316-136
FMC Butner Medium II
P.O. Box 1600
Butner, NC 27509
United States
Alvin Joseph
Alvin Joseph is a Georgia George Floyd uprising defendant, convicted of attempted arson charges related to police vehicles.
Birthday: February 4
Address:
Alvin Joseph 1002016959
Metro Reentry Facility
PO BOX 17668
Atlanta, GA 30316
Kamau Sadiki (Freddie Hilton)
Kamau Sadiki is a former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, who was convicted of a 30-year old murder case of a Fulton County Police Officer found shot to death in his car outside a service station. At his trial, the judge ruled that statements by a witness who heard other people discussing their participation in the shooting, and stated that he had nothing to do with it, could not be accepted as evidence. The state recently attempted to amputate his foot despite this not being medically necessary, but were forced to back off by outside solidarity.
Georgia uses Jpay, so you should be able to send him a message by going to jpay.com, clicking “inmate search,” then selecting “State: Georgia, Inmate ID: 0001150688.”
Birthday: February 19
Address:
Freddie Hilton #0001150688 (address card to Kamau, envelope to Freddie)
Augusta State Medical Prison
Bldg 13A-2 E7
3001 Gordon Highway
Grovetown, GA 30813
United States
Luis Sierra (Abdul-Haqq El-Qadeer)
A former Vaughn 17 defendant. While the state has now dropped its attempts to criminalize Luis in relation to the uprising, Vaughn defendants continue to face retaliation. Luis is also a contributor to “Live from the Trenches,” the Vaughn 17 zine.
Delaware appears not to have an inmate email system.
Birthday: February 19
Address:
Luis Sierra #00455723
James T. Vaughn Correctional Center
1181 Paddock Rd
Smyrna, DE 19977
Byron Shane “Oso Blanco” Chubbuck
Also known as “Robin the Hood”, Oso Blanco is serving 80 years for bank robberies to raise funds for the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas, along with additional charges for escape and resisting the FBI.
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 Oso then you’re best off just sending him a card or a letter.
Birthday: February 26
Address:
Oso Blanco (Address envelope to Byron Chubbuck, address card to Oso Blanco)
#07909-051
USP Victorville
Post Office Box 3900
Adelanto, California 92301
Alex Stokes Contompasis
Alex Stokes is an antifascist prisoner sentenced to twenty years for his part in a fight with Proud Boys at the New York state capital on January 6th, 2021.
Birthday: February 26
Address:
Alexander Contompasis 22B5028
Upstate Correctional Facility
PO Box 2001
Malone, NY, 12953
Aleksei Golovko
Aleksei Golovko was detained on 5 March 2021 under a criminal case against the anarchist movement from Brest region. ABC Belarus add “We are unaware of his political views, but since he is detained under the anarchists’ case, we consider it important to support him in every possible way.” On September 6, 2022, Aleksei was sentenced to 12 years in a reinforced regime colony and a fine of about $8,800.
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: February 26
Address:
(Belarusian or Russian letters only – use this form for English messages)
SIZO-1, ul. Volodarskogo 2, Minsk, 220030
Aleksei Igorevich Golovko
Ana Belen Montes
Ana Belen Montes was a Pentagon intelligence analyst who, opposed to the plans of aggression against Cuba being developed, felt morally obliged to alert the Cuban government of said plans. Her actions were uncovered and she was accused of high treason, a crime punishable by death. She was forced to negotiate with the prosecution and to plead guilty to espionage on behalf of Cuba. In 2002, she was sentenced to 25 years in prison, a sentence she has been serving under extreme and inhumane isolation. As part of her conditions of severe isolation, she is only allowed to receive letters from 20 specific people, but she can receive books sent directly from bookstores or publishers. She recently beat breast cancer while imprisoned.
Birthday: February 27
Address:
As above, please note that she can’t receive normal mail, just books from publishers or bookstores.
Ana Belen Montes #25037-016
FMC Carswell
P.O. Box 27137
Fort Worth, TX 76127
United States
Phone Zap!
Kanautica is a Black transgender woman and community leader in North Carolina who was incarcerated in a men’s prison for almost two years. Through Kanautica’s leadership and advocacy, as well as community support, she was transferred to a women’s prison in 2019. Kanautica is now eligible for minimum custody which would allow her to serve the rest of her sentence outside of prison. Kanautica’s previous request for minimum custody was denied because of previous infractions on her record. These infractions were all related to the possession of gender affirming clothing.
Kanautica has been accepted by the Center for Community Transitions, which will allow her to serve the rest of her sentence outside of jail, but prison officials decide whether Kanautica can actually go to the center.
At every step of the way, Kanautica has overcome the prison system’s blatant transphobia, and she has requested our support. Please take a moment to call and/or email Miranda Richardson (Warden of Anson Correctional), Alicia Hudges (Classification Coordinator) and Paula King and demand that they approve Kanautica’s minimum custody request and her transfer to the Center for Community Transitions.
The goal is to overwhelm an office with calls and emails, so please share this information widely, and call as many times as you like! Don’t worry if the call goes to voicemail. Fill it up!
Sample Script: I’m calling/emailing to demand the approval of Kanautica Zayre-Brown’s (#0618705) minimum custody request and her transfer to the Center for Community Transitions. The infractions that are blocking her minimum custody request are unjust. Kanautica has the right to gender affirming clothing. Discrimination and these unjust infractions should no longer be held against her. Approve Kanautica’s minimum custody request and allow her transfer to the Center for Community Transitions.
Check out the infographics below for numbers to call and emails to send messages to!
