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Dec 31, 24
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!
Feature: Interview with Support Crew for Malik Muhammad
In Contempt recently conducted an interview with the support crew for George Floyd Uprising prisoner Malik Muhamad. For more info on Malik and how to support, and to hear audio recordings, go here. For more background, also check out this recent Intercept article.
IC: For those that don’t know, who is Malik Muhammad and tell us about their case.
Malik is a father, a writer, an anarchist abolitionist. He loves music and poetry, reading, learning new things. We jokingly refer to him as his cell block’s legal advisor cause he is always reading up on litigation and spreading info. He’s one of the most empathetic people we know; when injustice is happening, he feels it deeply, and acts against it. In spite of everything going on with him personally at Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP), he is always focused on the people around him, on addressing things in a systemic way.
He was arrested for his participation in the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprisings in Portland and is a few years into a 10 year sentence at OSP.
IC: Tell us about the recent hunger strike that Malik engaged in and why?
Malik, like others in OSP’s “Special Management Housing” (SMH) have been in solitary for way the fuck too long. Oregon is supposed to cap solitary at 90 days (already a horrifically long time to spend alone, 23 hours a day in a tiny freezing cold cell without the interaction that human beings, any beings, need). But OSP takes the cruelty further and keeps people in the hole by leveraging loopholes, shifting around statuses, etc. There is functionally no limit to how long OSP can, and do, keep people locked in solitary.
One of the most ironic and unconscionable aspects of this is using mental health as an excuse to keep people locked in solitary. The “Behavioral Health Unit” is meant to be a program to address serious mental health, but it essentially allows OSP to keep people with PTSD (like Malik) and others with mental health struggles locked in solitary with no legal limit. The program can stretch arbitrarily long and we know of prisoners who have spent collectively years in there.
Anyways, there are a variety of other reasons that motivated Malik’s hunger strike (for example, racist guards doing arbitrary and retaliatory things because Malik is a Black political prisoner who doesn’t mince words about the abuse at OSP)…but the largest reason for the hunger strike was about solitary. It is torture. It’s inexcusable. And the conditions at OSP in the SMH are so deplorable that even the Director of ODOC, Mike Reese, has spoken out about them.
Nobody wants to starve themselves, but a hunger strike is a desperate tactic of last resort to get people to pay attention to the daily struggle of people being treated as no living being should.
IC: The Intercept recently did a story on Malik, helping to bring a spotlight to the case, and detailed how Malik was in solitary for more than 250 days. Tell us about what happened. Why was Malik placed in solitary?
Malik is in solitary because prison staff want him to be in solitary. We don’t have all the details about why Malik was originally sent to DSU (the Disciplinary Segregation Unit) and his lawyer, Lauren Regan from CLDC, is covering that front, but whatever precipitating event or pretense is not why he is there now. His most recent loss of privileges happened after guards tased and beat him. Public records requests have been made for the video of this and a review has been filed with the AG’s office.
He was never charged with touching officers even as they violently removed him from his cell. You can bet your ass that would have showed up on disciplinary reports if they could justify it.
So yes, Malik is in solitary because they want to punish him. For being an outspoken Black revolutionary anarchist.
IC: In response there has been a call for a phone zap, is Malik currently still in solitary?
Short answer: yes. Unfortunately, Malik is still in solitary. And with no clear timeline about when he’ll be out. This is the outrageous thing about how BHU and other statuses within OSP’s SMH work. You are there as long as they want you there.
IC: How can people support Malik and stay up to date with the case and ways to support?
You can follow news about Malik on his blog and on Mastodon. As far as support, Malik and his supporters are out here to end prolonged solitary confinement on the way towards total prison abolition. Become educated about what Oregon and other states are doing. Make strategic calls to OSP staff, Oregon state representatives, and local city council members. Tell them that prisoners are freezing and suffering the mental horrors of isolation that lead to suicide attempts or just making it one more day through a living nightmare. Keep pushing until this awful reality does not exist.
IC: Any things coming up for Malik that people should keep on their radar?
So, music is truly at Malik’s core. Listening to tunes, singing and playing guitar have been some of his main ways of managing PTSD for many years now. But lately, he’s been working a lot on poetry and is hoping to get a collection published sometime next year. Look out for it when it drops!
IC: Where can people write to Malik and go to get updates?
Yes, please do write to Malik here!:
Malik Muhammad #23935744
Oregon State Penitentiary
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
Please take note when writing Malik or any prisoner. Look up and follow the prison’s rules for letter writing. Only make promises you will keep. Consider the commitment involved with maintaining a meaningful correspondence or support relationship with a prisoner. Don’t discuss details of his case or anything that would present legal issues. Malik has to pay OSP a dollar an envelope, so make what you write worth responding to if you want that. And please throw money on his comms account via Access Corrections if you can to support him staying in touch with contacts.
For more info on how to support Malik, go here. For information on how to write to prisoners, go here.
New Year’s Eve Noise Demos
As always, an international call has gone out for New Year’s Eve noise demonstrations outside prisons. At time of writing, confirmed events were planned for Eugene, OR, Los Angeles, CA, Oklahoma City, OK, Asheville and Durham, NC, Chicago, IL, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, FL, Atlanta, GA, New Orleans, LA, Brooklyn, NY, Central Falls, RI, and Montreal, QC.
A press release on the noise demos from New York City Anarchist Black Cross read:
NYC ABC has been organizing New Year’s Eve “noise demonstrations” for over a decade, just as other groups have done outside of jails and prisons around the world. A noise demo is equal parts celebratory demonstration to let imprisoned folks know they are not alone and raucous protest to keep guards and administrators on notice that they are being watched. The latter has become crucial in recent years and the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn has come under scrutiny following the 2020 murder of incarcerated Jamel Floyd by aggressive guards who pepper-sprayed Floyd until he went into cardiac arrest. That murder came only one year after the same jail went for days without heat or electricity in the middle of a polar vortex, leaving 1,600 incarcerated folks without water for several days. Conditions have not improved in the following years.
Jem Kapinos is a member of MDC solidarity, a group based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn that organizes around the horrible conditions at the federal jail.
“The conditions at MDC Brooklyn are completely inhumane. Members of our group who have loved ones inside routinely hear reports of spoiled and maggot-infested food; lack of clean, hot water; and medical neglect and deprivation,” Kapinos told us. “The COs use any excuse to lock the prison down, forcing people to spend up to 23 hours a day in their cells without access to regular showers, phone calls, or physical activity. The BOP [Bureau of Prisons] has created a pressure cooker environment that takes a mental toll on everyone inside. It’s torture, and no one should have to endure it.”
When asked why NYC ABC are organizing a demonstration on the night that most folks are solely focused on socializing, Berger said, “Hand in glove, billionaires and the government systematically oppress folks to keep us divided and at each other’s throats. When we decide to fight back, they repress and subject us to draconian punishments, if not immediate death.” Berger added, “there is no better way to celebrate New Year’s Eve than by including those who are expected to feel at their lowest on this night.”
For a full list of noise demos, go here.
Support for Luigi Mangione and Briana Boston Grows as Anger at Corporate Healthcare Insurance Explodes
The past month has seen the biggest outpouring of support for a defendant facing charges in decades. For those wishing to write to Luigi Mangione directly, you can contact him at:
Luigi Mangione 52503-511
MDC Brooklyn
PO Box 392002
Brooklyn, NY 11232
You can find the Brooklyn MDC’s mail guidelines here. This moment might be a great time to encourage friends who haven’t done prisoner support before, but who are excited about this case, to try writing to a prisoner for the first time, as well as being a good starting point for other conversations, such as making sure we don’t reproduce prosecution narratives when talking about ongoing cases.
You can donate to Luigi’s legal funds here, and listen to a podcast on Party Girls with two people involved in the December 4th Legal Committee, here. Two of the spokespeople for the support group have gone on major networks to talk about the case. Check out the clips here and here.
In a related case, Briana Boston from Florida is facing ongoing felony charges after allegedly using the words “deny, defend, depose” in a conversation with her health insurance company, although she has now been released to house arrest. You can donate to her legal funds here, and the fundraiser is also the best place to check for updates on her situation. At time of writing, the most recent update from her husband reads:
Briana and I wanted to again take a moment to say thank you to everyone that has supported her through this Go Fund Me and through the countless messages of support that we have received over the last couple of weeks. We wish to keep everyone up to date on any developments but as of now there have been none to report; she is still facing charges and has been released on bond with location monitoring and restricted movement. We are continuing to work with legal council to take any and all steps that we can to achieve the best possible outcome for Briana and our family. Thank you.
Leonard Peltier Remains in Prison as Biden Offers Some Commutations
The end of the Biden presidency has seen commutations being granted to a number of federal prisoners, including death row inmates, but at the time of writing clemency has not yet been granted to Leonard Peltier, despite a well-organized and vocal campaign in support of the elderly Native American political prisoner. The demand to free Leonard Peltier is widespread across many Native American groups, such as at this recent Lakota Nation basketball tournament.
Via NDN Collective
The San Francisco Bay View recently published a piece from California prisoner Donald “C-Note” Hooker on the importance of freeing Peltier, as well as another article from C-Note looking at Hunter Biden’s now-pardoned gun charges and racial disparities in charging across the legal system.
Political Prisoner News
The Rattling the Cages series of talks continues with a discussion among Rattling the Cages/Certain Days collective members Eric King, Sara Falconer and Joshua Davidson about their projects on January 4th, and a discussion with family members of political prisoners on February 22nd. Unicorn Riot also produced a recent short video with Eric King reflecting on one year of freedom.
There’s an urgent call for people to contact the Federal prison system in support of Jamil Al-Amin, formerly known as H. Rap Brown, an elderly civil rights movement/Black Power leader in danger of dying from medical neglect. Info for the call-in campaign:
CALL the DESIGNATION & SENTENCE COMPUTATION CENTER
Call: 972-352-4400, Press 1 for operator (ignore the menu)
Give Name & Inmate Number: Jamil Al-Amin, #99974-555
Demand they grant Imam Jamil an EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSFER from United States
Penitentiary (USP) Tucson to Federal Medical Center (FMC) Butner for his Immediate Medical Treatment. !! NOWYou may also call the following to have added impact:
Tucson Complex Warden Mark Gutierrez, 520-663-5010, mggutierrez@bop.gov
BOP Southeast Regional Director Shannon Phelps, 678-686-1201sphelps@bop.gov|
Director of BOP Colette Peters, cspeters@bop.gov (202) 307-3198
Mufid Abdulqader of the Holy Land 5 has now been released to a halfway house after spending 16 years imprisoned for his work with a pro-Palestinian charity. You can read more about this story here.
The NYC Anarchist Black Cross have released the latest version of their illustrated guide to political prisoners.
The San Francisco Bay View have published an article on Black Liberation prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, as December 2024 marks the 23rd anniversary of his arrest.
Antifascist prisoner Alex Stokes is continuing to fight an appeal against his conviction and Idavox has a report on those efforts.
Chicano anarchist prisoner Xinachtli now has a Patreon, and his support crew are circulating other ways to donate to his legal funds, as well as advising people to be cautious of scams. New Free Xinachtli stickers are now available from Central Texas ABC, contact P.O. Box 7187, Austin, TX 78713 or twitchon@gmail.com for more information.
The family of former long-term Black Liberation prisoner Veronza Bowers have circulated some pictures of him on the outside, and you can watch an interview with him here. Veronza’s post-release fundraiser is still running so you can help him with life on the outside.
George Floyd Uprising Defendants
Atlanta uprising defendant John Wade has begun a hunger strike. Keep an eye on Atlanta IWOC for ways to support, and you can donate to his post-release fund here.
Supporters of Little Rock defendant Ángel, who faces ICE detention and possible deportation after completing their Federal sentence, have produced a new zine about their case. See Free All Dykes on Instagram for more information about Ángel’s situation. You can donate to Ángel’s legal fees here, and donate to their partner and co-defendant Rene’s post-release funds here. You can also donate to Mujera Benjamin Lunga’ho, another defendant from the same case, via $JohnLungaho on CashApp.
Ongoing Cases
The sentencing hearing for Peppy and Krystal is January 6th. Check out their page here for more info and ways to support. There is also a call for court support. Be sure to check their account after for more info and ways to continue long-term support.
A new article has been written on Casey Goonan and the importance of supporting prisoners in the pro-Palestine movement. Check out a zine version of that article, here. (The authors of this column would also mention the Merrimack 4, although a support zine suggests that they were likely released in late December.) You can see info about how to provide nutritional support for Casey here, donate to and spread a fundraiser here, and read a major update from their support committee here:
Casey maintaining their blood sugars and well-being inside continues to be a struggle and that has recently entailed stretches in the jail infirmary unit. Jail food and conditions are horrible across the board for everyone, but to be a diabetic trying to maintain one’s body and mind inside is especially hard. The special diabetic supplemental food packages from vendors are now flowing regularly and helping a lot! Thanks to all who contributed to the fund.
To donate to the food support fund and keep the packages flowing: Venmo @juliepetersonG
The mailroom at Santa Rita Jail seems to work in spurts though, no mail for a week then a big ol’ batch comes through to Casey. So in addition to the ups and downs of jail life, the mail service being wildly uneven contributes to the time lag of you getting a response from C. But Casey values every piece! News from the outside is still very important to them – imagine being locked up with only the mainstream tv news being your lifeline. WTF.
Remember if you send zines and newsletters, no staples!
Casey Goonan #UMF227
Santa Rita Jail
5325 Broder Blvd.
Dublin, CA 94568
For more updates on Casey, go here.
Gabriella Oropesa has been found guilty of “conspiracy against rights” for alleged involvement in action against fake “pregnancy crisis centers” in Florida. Please check out and follow the South Florida Anarchist Black Cross for more info. Sentencing will take place in March. A recent statement from the Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) provides some background and context on this case:
In this 2024 benchmark case, CLDC defended Amber as part of a joint defense team against the aggressive far-right, misogynist, anti-choice, political-based prosecutorial action that was concocted between Florida politicians, federal prosecutors, and anti-choice religious extremists who sought to use the FACE Act for the first time against pro-choice activists for very minor criminal mischief (graffiti).
The FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) was enacted in 1994 to protect doctors and patients from the upwelling of murder, fire-bombings, and violent assaults perpetrated by the violent anti-choice/religious extremist movement during the 80’s and 90’s. The four reproductive rights activists in the Florida case were federally prosecuted for spray-painting the outside of three “crisis pregnancy centers” (fake “clinics”) in Florida in June 2022, following the Dobbs decision and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Florida Attorney General and one of the fake clinics also filed separate federal civil lawsuits against the four, alleging civil RICO and FACE Act violations; fortunately, we were able to get those two civil lawsuits dismissed.
Because the four defendants used political slogans such as “Jane’s Revenge,” a loose-knit, decentralized, leaderless, pro-choice movement, the Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody seized the opportunity to highlight the defendants’ antifascist political beliefs at every turn. AG Moody concocted a “major crime” of tagging fake clinics with easily removable spray paint, for purely political reasons. In perhaps the weakest use of the federal law enacted to protect pro-choice reproductive healthcare workers and patients, Moody and Biden’s Dept. of Justice used the FACE Act to prosecute these young activists with crimes carrying a 10-year prison term.
Fortunately, we were able to prevent the four from being the first pro-choice activists convicted under the FACE Act; all four were instead convicted of conspiracy, in three non-cooperation plea deals and one trial verdict. However, the fact that tagging was turned into a federal crime should be jaw-dropping. Amber Smith-Stewart and Annarella Rivera were both sentenced to 30 days in federal custody and 60 days of house arrest; Caleb Freestone was sentenced to a year and a day in prison; and Gabriela Oropesa was just convicted after going to trial and will be sentenced in March 2025. The four remained steadfast to their political ideologies, non-cooperation, and solidarity with each other and their communities, despite the fact that their extreme prosecutions were unexpected in severity.
Supporters of the Eugene A15 defendants, facing charges for alleged involvement in Palestine solidarity actions, have shared a number of sentencing statements from their trials. You can contact A15eugene2024@gmail.com for more information on these cases.
The first episode of the new Beautiful Idea podcast featured an interview about a new campaign to support Stop Cop City defendants facing RICO and domestic terrorism charges.
Spotlight on Self-Immolations at Red Onion in Virginia
Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, who originally broke the story, has now published a new article about the Virginia prison system. Virginia prison system director Chadwick Dotson told a hearing that prisoners wanting to get out of Red Onion should simply “behave,” while Red Onion State Prison officials have said that no inmates set themselves on fire, while also admitting that at least six prisoners did deliberately burn themselves.
Outrage Boils Over Staff killing at New York Prison
Newly-released body-cam footage shows staff at the Marcy Correctional Facility in New York beating Robert Brooks, a prisoner who died the next morning. In response, rallies and vigils for Robert Brooks were organized at Governor Kathy Hochul’s office in New York City, the Governor’s mansion in Albany, and Monroe County Jail in Rochester. Check out a report on one recent protest, here.
Hunger Strikes and Protests Continue at Tacoma, WA Detention Facility
La Resistencia continues to work with people detained at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC), who continue to stage regular hunger strikes. The 13th hunger strike they’ve recorded ended in December, but they report that a new one appears to be in progress.
La Resistencia and Tacoma IWW also recently held a demonstration outside of the NWDC in solidarity with the call for Shut Em’ Down demonstrations. Check out a report here.
ICE is planning to build a new detention center in Northern California, in one site that could be a potential avenue of resistance to mass deportations. From Cal Matters:
Federal immigration authorities are looking for a potential new detention center in Northern California, an effort that alarms advocates and some Democratic state lawmakers as President-elect Donald Trump gears up to unleash his mass deportation plan.
In August, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a request for information to identify additional detention bed space in the state as other federal agencies intensified border enforcement. The effort began in the wake of the Biden administration’s sweeping asylum ban, implemented in June, for migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border outside designated entry points. Under the ban, border agents can deport such migrants within hours or days without considering their asylum claims.
Advocates say an expansion of detention space would give Trump a runway to carry out more mass deportations in California. Immigrants in counties with more detention space are more likely to be arrested and detained, according to research by advocacy groups.
Federal documents show ICE issued the request for information on Aug. 14. Such requests can pave the way for federal contracts, in this case to obtain “available detention facilities for single adult populations (male and female)” in Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, Oregon, and California. Its request says the facilities should each have from 850 to 950 detention beds and “may be publicly or privately owned and publicly or privately operated.”
One of the facilities should be within a two-hour drive of the San Francisco field office, the documents state. The request also seeks facilities near field offices in Phoenix, El Paso, and Seattle.
Meanwhile, a Guardian investigation has found that the Biden administration has been extending contracts for privately-run immigration jails, helping to lay the groundwork for mass deportations under Trump.
General Prison News and Abolitionist Media Updates
The support crew for Lucasville prisoner Greg Curry have shared a number of important updates. They’re asking people to call into Toledo Correctional Facility and help get some stolen legal paperwork returned to Greg. Greg has recently been able to secure a lawyer to work on getting his conviction overturned, and a previous call-in campaign was able to get his address book returned, and he has now been able to get access to most, but not all, of his missing paperwork. Keep an eye on their Instagram page for more updates.
Mongoose Distro has published an important update from Julio “Comrade Z” Zuniga, an anarchist prisoner held in the Texas prison system. Comrade Z writes “I appreciate everyone, but this fight isn’t over. As the Texas IWOC organizer here, I’m going to need serious help.” From Z’s report:
I need help in this upcoming year, with outside liasonship and creating a direct line to the highest offices of Government in Texas to protest the current regime. Thanks again, and we will be asking comrades to bring media attention from WORTH RISES in New York- Bianca Tylek. Lawrence Bartley at The Inside Story- The Marshall Project….we need eyes on this current situation that is still under operation.
How did it get like this? I’ve lost too many friends to suicide on The Memorial Unit because of people like Warden Deward DeMoss who is racking up corpses there now, this is a corpse factory in Ramsey Unit where I came from,it was a slave furniture factory, where I witnessed the treatment of worker slaves treated way differently. I was once again provoked into speaking my mind,and here you have it raw and uncut. I’m advocating for people now,but I need help because I respect confidentiality in prison, these people in administration use it as weapon to shame you to suicide yourself. It is an understatement,when I say this is an emergency.
Texas Observer Magazine and The Final Straw Radio I’d like to recognize as the strongest media supporters of this kind of love for humanity. Birthday wishes noted,TY!!!!!!!!
Florida prisons have introduced a new policy on trans health care which has been compared to conversion therapy.
The San Francisco Bay View has a story on the case of Jhacorey Wyatt, who has spent three years in jail awaiting sentencing on a charge that some of his jurors now think he should’ve been found innocent of.
Women prisoners who were held at the now-closed FCI Dublin have reached a huge $115 settlement after a historic class action lawsuit over staff sexual abuse and harassment.
Michigan Abolition and Prisoner Solidarity have published “From Crisis to Collapse”, a major analysis of the prison staffing crisis in the Michigan prison system.
In The Belly zine are fundraising for Pierre “Polo” Pinson, who’s appealing against his 50-to-100 year sentence. You can read more on their instagram or at freepierre.org.
AP News have published an important investigation into the Alabama prison system’s exploitation of convict labor, titled “Alabama profits off prisoners who work at McDonald’s but deems them too dangerous for parole.”
IDOC Watch have shared a new statement from Shaka Shakur, “All Power to the People Means We Our Own Liberators.”
The Child and Its Enemies podcast recently broadcast an interview about jail support.
International
Palestinian political prisoner Khalida Jarrar has had her administrative detention extended until January 22, 2025, having just passed the one-year anniversary of her arrest. The Samidoun prisoner solidarity network have shared a number of updates from the Israeli prison system, including a 14-year-old boy, Ayham al-Salaymeh, being sent to prison under a new law, Mohammed Walid Hussein Ali al-Aref dying in prison a week after his re-arrest, a wave of arrests against Palestinians living in the 1948 territories, and Hanan Barghouti being freed after 9 months in administrative detention. The San Francisco Bay View also recently published an article on the struggles of Palestinian prisoners.
In the UK, a record number of people are now in prison on political charges, with 19 people imprisoned for climate-related actions and another 21 alleged to have taken part in Palestine solidarity actions. This number does not include the three people still imprisoned for the Bristol Kill the Bill riots. Climate prisoners have also used their experiences to help expose the poor state of prison healthcare in the UK. A new Palestine-related prisoner, Shaby Aziz, recently received a two-year sentence for an action targeting an arms factory.
The International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund have shared updates on Nanuk, a German antifascist facing heavy charges, and N, who is facing ongoing charges for a 2016 demonstration in Austria against border militarisation.
Georges Abdallah, a Lebanese revolutionary who’s been held in the French prison system for decades, was due to be released, but prosecutors have now appealed against this decision. A new decision on the prosecution’s appeal is due to be issued in February. In the meantime, demonstrations in support of Georges were held in Paris, as well as other cities across France, Belgium and Switzerland.
In news from the Chilean prison system, an international week of action in support of Marcelo Villarroel Sepúlveda was called from December 9th-16th, Francisco Solar has written a new article on freedom, and Aldo Hernández has been transferred to a maximum security unit.
The Tyumen Case solidarity group have started fundraising for the legal costs of Roman Paklin, an anarchist and anti-fascist facing terrorism charges from the Russian state. Roman Shvedov, another Russian anarchist, was found dead in his cell hours after being sentenced to a 16-year term for an anti-war sabotage action.
Uprising Defendants
See Uprising Support for more info, and check out the Antirepression PDX site for updates from Portland cases. You can also check With Whatever Weapons for regularly-updated zines listing current prisoners. 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
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
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
John Wade #1003510744
PO Box 3877
Jackson, GA 30233
Diego Vargas 55070-424
FCI Schuylkill
PO Box 759
Minersville, PA 17954
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
Christopher Tindal 04392-509
FCI Cumberland
PO Box 1000
Cumberland, MD 21501
Upcoming Birthdays
Nikita Dranets
Nikita Dranets is a Belarusian political prisoner detained as part of a case brought against the anarchist movement. On September 6, 2022, Mikita was sentenced to 6 years in a reinforced regime colony and a fine of about $6,300.
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: January 1
Address:
(Belarusian or Russian letters only – use this form for English messages)
IK-3, g.p. Vit’ba Vitebskaya oblast’, 211322, Belarus
Nikita Vadimovich Dranets
Fran Thompson
Serving life plus 10 years for killing a man who broke into her home in self-defense. Before her imprisonment, Fran was an eco, animal and anti-nuke campaigner and it is believed this biased the court against her.
Nebraska uses Connect Network/GTL, so you should be able to send her a message by going to connectnetwork.com, selecting “Add a facility”, choosing “State: Nebraska, Facility: Nebraska Department of Correctional Services,” going into the “messaging” service, and then adding her as a contact by searching her name or “93341.”
Birthday: January 4
Address:
Fran Thompson #93341
Nebraska Correctional Center for Women
1107 Recharge Rd.
York, NE 68467-8003
USA
Siddique Abdullah Hasan (Carlos Sanders)
Long-time prison rebel on Death Row for his role in the Lucasville Uprising of 1993. Facing heavy retaliation, including attempts to smear him as a terrorist, for his ongoing organizing and support of prison strikes. You can learn more about Siddique in his own words by listening to his interviews on the Final Straw.
Ohio 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 “R130559”.
Birthday: January 4
Address:
Siddique Abdullah Hasan (Address envelope to Carlos A. Sanders)
#R130559
Ohio State Penitentiary
PO Box 1436
Youngstown, Ohio 44505
Abdul Azeez (Warren Ballentine)
Abdul is one of the Virgin Island 3 serving 8 consecutive life sentences after being tortured into a false confession then wrongly imprisoned since 2001 when his sentence was vacated. He was 23 at the time of his arrest in 1972. Now in his 60s, he has several chronic health issues that are difficult to treat inside prison.
Abdul is in a prison run by CoreCivic/CCA, who appear to use 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 Abdul then you’re best off just sending him a card or a letter.
Birthday: January 9
Address:
Abdul Aziz (address envelope to Warren Ballantine)
#16-047
Citrus County Detention Facility
P.O. Box 22997
Tampa, FL 33634
Joseph “Shine White” Stewart
Joseph “Shine White” Stewart is a revolutionary prisoner in North Carolina who was sent to solitary confinement for his prominent role in the 2018 prison strikes. You can read an article by Kevin “Rashid” Johnson about the importance of supporting Shine White here.
North Carolina inmates can now be contacted using textbehind.com
Birthday: January 14
Address:
Joseph Stewart #0802041
Maury Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Joseph “Joe-Joe” Bowen
Black Liberation Army (BLA) Prisoner of War, serving two life sentences for the assassination of a prison warden and deputy warden, as well as an attempted prison break which resulted in a five-day standoff.
Pennsylvania uses Connect Network/GTL, so you can contact him online by going to connectnetwork.com, selecting “Add a facility”, choosing “State: Pennsylvania, Facility: Pennsylvania Department of Corrections”, going into the “messaging” service, and then adding him as a contact by searching his name or “AM-4272”.
Birthday: January 15
Address:
Smart Communications/PADOC
Joseph Bowen #AM-4272
SCI Fayette
P.O. Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
United States
Ryan Dwyer
Ryan Dwyer is serving a sentence of 4 years and 6 months for his participation in the Bristol Kill the Bill riot of March 2021. Ryan is a graffiti artist and would love to hear from other people in the same scene. He’d also love letters from anyone with similar anti-authoritarian politics!
Birthday: January 15
Address:
Ryan Dwyer A4276AT
HMP Cookham Wood
Sir Evelyn Road
Rochester, Kent
ME1 3LU
UK
Jacob Montgomery
Ferguson uprising prisoner, serving a 13-year sentence which is partly for looting during the Ferguson riots of November 2014, along with unrelated robbery and burglary charges.
Missouri uses Securus, so you can send him a message by going to securustech.net, clicking “inmate search”, then selecting “State: Missouri, Inmate ID: 1287870”.
Birthday: January 17
Address:
Jacob Montgomery #1287870
C/O Digital Mail Center-Missouri DOC
PO Box 25678
Tampa, FL 33622-5678
Anastasia Kukhta
Anastasia is a social activist from Minsk, was detained on 17 February 2022 and arrested for 15 days allegedly for disorderly conduct. Later she was declared a suspect in a criminal case.
She was accused of participation in protests (Article 342), calling for sanctions or actions aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus (Article 361.3) and creation or participation in an extremist formation (Article 361-1.1 of the Criminal Code).
On 11 November 2022 she was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Her parents are humble country people whose income is not enough for sustaining the cost of her support in prison. The mother died in May 2023 of lung cancer, Anastasia couldn’t attend the funeral.
In a letter to supporters, Anastasia wrote: Our whole life is about risk. It is full of obstacles, difficulties, and defeats. And it’s up to you to choose what to do and how to react. Will you let circumstances break you and make you miserable, or will you not give up and look for a million opportunities to get out of a difficult situation with honour and dignity? The decision is yours alone to make. It is your action or inaction that will determine our common future. After all, we are all links of one long chain.
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: January 17
Address:
(Belarusian or Russian letters only – use this form for English messages)
Anastasia Sergeyevna Kukhta
IK № 4, ul. Antoshkina 3
Gomel, Belarus, 246035
Abdush-Shahid Faruq (Timothy Grinnel)
Abdush-Shahid Faruq is one of the prisoners wrongfully convicted in the aftermath of the historic Lucasville Uprising.
Ohio 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 “218140”.
Birthday: January 23
Address:
Timothy Grinnel #218-140
Ross Correctional Institution
16149 State Rt. 104
Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
Marius Mason
Marius Mason is an anarchist, environmental and animal rights activist currently serving nearly 22 years in federal prison for acts of property damage carried out in defense of the planet.
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 Marius then you’re best off just sending him a card or a letter.
Birthday: January 26
Address:
Marie (Marius) Mason 04672-061
FMC Fort Worth
Post Office Box 15330
Fort Worth, Texas 76119
Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash
