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Aug 7, 25
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!
Arrests Following Anti-ICE Protests in Texas Lead to Targeted State Repression
From the DFW Support Committee:
On the night of July 4th, local police arrested 10 people outside the ICE Prairieland detention facility in Alvarado, Texas after a noise demonstration in solidarity with those being kidnapped and detained by the Trump administration. Since then, 6 more people have been arrested in connection with the case. We don’t know all of the circumstances leading to the arrests. We do know that popular outrage and resistance to deportations is growing across the country. Organizers, activists, and affected communities have spent the year organizing rallies and protests outside of detention centers just like the one in Alvarado. The 16 people arrested currently face serious charges aimed not only at ruining their lives, but signaling an authoritarian criminalization of dissent and protest against ICE. Local authorities have set bail at $10 million per person.
A website for the DFW Support Committee has now been set up and an Instagram account can be followed here. The Support Committee has organized several phone and email zaps regarding the abusive treatment of the defendants, and report:
We held a call in day on Monday and Tuesday of this week to address the continual violation and denial of the Prairieland Defendants Constitutional rights. The jail is conducting unnecessary and degrading strip searches of defendants multiple times a day even though they are being held in solitary confinement away from others. The jail is blocking defendants’ communication access then lying to defendants and deflecting the blame. None of these defendants have been formally charged with any crimes yet they are being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment.
Here is a statement from one of the defendants about their conditions:
“Usually awoken by yelling of my name, I am ordered to strip completely naked. Bleary eyed I am ordered to hand my shirt, pants, underwear, socks, and shoes through the single dirty metal mail slot that passes all of my food, books, trash, broom, toilet plunger. I am ordered to hold my mouth open with my fingers. I am ordered to lift and move my genitals with my hands. Turn around, squat and cough three times, make sure it’s forceful and loud.
Then I quickly dress and am handcuffed and taken out of my cell.
So all of my belongings can be tossed and picked through. Leaving random piles with no declaration or explanation. I can stress and search to find out if anything is taken.
Sometimes it’s all my food. Sometimes it’s my legally protected questions and notes for my attorneys.
Sometimes it’s a random poem or doodle. Sometimes nothing is taken.
This happens at any time, at all hours, without warning. Multiple times a day. Every day. Without reason or ever finding anything like contraband.”
For more information, check out this interview from the Final Straw Radio (also available in printable and screen-reading zine format) and this zine of information.
New statement posted to legal fundraiser for those arrested at #Texas anti-ICE rally: "These criminal charges are a dangerous stunt…the framing of the case by the government should be concerning to all…glaring inconsistencies and alarmist accusations…" www.givesendgo.com/supportdfwpr…
— It's Going Down (@igd.bsky.social) 2025-07-11T19:37:40.560Z
You can donate to their legal costs here. Numerous support events are being organized, such as at Monkeywrench Books in Austin, who are hosting regular letter-writing nights, and another one is planned on August 15th in Portland.
To keep up with the case, you can check the DFW Support Committee, Fire Ant Movement Defense, and Free Des pages, or email dfwsupportcommittee@hacari.com.
Jakhi McCray Issues Statement to Supporters
— Free Jakhi (@freejakhi.bsky.social) 2025-07-22T23:59:05.427Z
In New York, Jakhi McCray has issued a powerful statement (available as a zine here) after turning himself in to the police on charges of allegedly sabotaging 10 NYPD vehicles. From his statement:
Repression is the State trying to call our bluff. It is intense because it shows itself when our potential to disrupt genocides & capital becomes too grand to ignore. Millions of people, whether they consider themselves revolutionaries or not, that participated in the encampments, the anti-ICE street rebellions, & the George Floyd Uprising have helped create a social crisis in the last five years that continues to bring in millions more & fuel the need for liberation.
The constant effort it takes the State to oppress us is not manageable. It is already breaking, with the funding & hiring disasters in federal agencies, the infighting between the Trump administration & his base, & the complete political catastrophe over Israel. The harshness of the State’s eye on our movement is nothing more than a defensive reaction. a mask from their fear. This is as much of a make or break moment for them as it is for us. If we come out of this with our solidarity & our infrastructure intact, it is a monumental win for our communities & a devastation to our enemies.
Our greatest strength is each other-that we are not just coworkers maintaining appearances for the duration of a shift. We are comrades, & with that comes a promise to love, defend, & fight for one another. Because you are my comrades, I hold this promise towards all of you. I don’t know what will happen now, but I do know that I will never stop fighting & I will do my best wherever I find myself to be.
Jakhi has now been released on house arrest following a large demonstration outside of court in solidarity. See Free Jakhi on Bluesky and on Instagram for more information as the story develops.
Anti-ICE Protester Targeted by the FBI in Portland, OR
Surveillance technology is helping criminalize resistance
— Alissa Azar (@alissaazar.bsky.social) 2025-07-31T17:50:38.865Z
In Portland, Jacob Hoopes was arrested on July 25th for alleged participation in an ICE protest, with a mass show of support being organized for his public court hearing on the 28th. Alissa Azar has published an important article looking at how surveillance technology was used to bring the charges against Hoopes, and a post here covers some similar points. Rose City Counter-Info has also published a piece on the dangers of cameras.
From the article by Alissa Azar:
On June 14, 2025, federal authorities claim that someone threw a rock at a federal agent at the Portland ICE field office, where people have been protesting for nearly two months. The feds are calling it “assault on a federal officer.” But what they’re actually doing is criminalizing defiance, a political crackdown dressed in the language of law enforcement.
The FBI affidavit reads like a dystopian surveillance report: Subject 1 (“S1”) wore a long-sleeved black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a gas mask with bright pink filters, a visible tattoo on one forearm, and a bracelet on their left wrist. For the feds, that was enough.
Agents zoomed in on footage to identify tattoos, bracelets, shirt patterns, and even a blue cloth sticking out of a back pocket. No face was needed. Just patterns, posture, and color recognition. “Full-face masks with bright pink filter cups were far less common,” the affidavit states.
That’s not probable cause. That’s pattern-matching turned into criminal evidence. Surveillance enhanced by AI and weaponized by the state.
The affidavit is loaded with language that reads more like a surveillance tech brochure than a legal document: “I enlarged the images… I noted a tattoo… a bracelet… a grid pattern… a blue cloth…”
This is biometric tracking without the biometrics. It’s algorithmic identification based on non-unique visual data: clothing, accessories, posture, movement.
This same playbook was used during the 2020 uprisings, where facial recognition, AI tools, and OSINT (open-source intelligence) were used to identify Black Lives Matter protesters, many of whom were later charged federally for property damage or “civil disorder.”
The tactics being used against anti-ICE protesters today are direct descendants of strategies deployed during the 2020 George Floyd uprisings, particularly in Portland, Oregon, which became a federal testing ground for high-tech repression. Over 100 consecutive nights of protest against police brutality and racial injustice were met not only with tear gas and rubber bullets, but also with a surge of federal agents deployed under Operation Diligent Valor.
This Trump-era initiative blurred the line between local and national policing. Launched by the Department of Homeland Security in July 2020, the operation flooded Portland with agents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), and even agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This was on top of the already active and violent presence from local police (State Troopers and the Portland Police Bureau). At the time, many operated out of unmarked vehicles and wore no identifying insignia, abducting protesters off the street without explanation or warrants. Videos showed masked officers dragging individuals blocks away from demonstrations, detaining them without charges, and releasing them hours later without any documentation. These tactics weren’t about public safety. They were about sending a message: We are watching you. We will identify you. And we can disappear you.
A report from a recent banner drop (see photo at the top of this column) in Portland, OR, posted by Alissa Azar stated:
For the last 8 weeks, we have watched violent assault after violent assault, some resulting in emergency hospitalizations and extensive surgeries, at the hands of the federal government, against the people of conscience in this city that have refused to bow down to their fascist reign.
Throughout the country, the masses rising up to defend their communities and protect their neighbors face a similar violent reality. In Los Angeles, federal prosecutors have filed a plethora of charges against protestors that they have labeled “violent,” because federal agents in military tactical gear have lied about assaults at the hands of protestors wearing hoodies and sunglasses.
An overwhelming number of these false charges have later gone on to be dismissed, after folks have already been dragged through a traumatic judicial system and been tormented by an authoritarian society that does *not* persume innocence before being proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For this reason, amongst many, we are fundamentally uninterested in questions of guilt or innocence in regards to our comrades facing state repression.
Since July 4th, 16 of our comrades from Dallas-Fort Worth have also faced inhumane treatment while being incarcerated, without so much as charges even being filed against them. The police are allowed to deprive these human beings of their basic “legal rights” because they know all they need to do is label people as “violent,” in order to justify their dehumanization.
Jacob Hoopes’ case marks a similar escalation by the fascist police state to squash repression here at home using similar tactics and rhetoric.
Read the full statement here.
Defend, Xóchitl, DACA Recipient Detained by ICE
A new campaign has been launched to free:
…Catalina “Xóchitl” Santiago, a beloved community member, DACA recipient and long-time community organizer, was detained by Border Patrol on Sunday August 3, 2025 at an airport in El Paso, TX. As political repression increases across the country we must remember defending one person means defending all those facing repression!!!
Xóchitl was accosted by two Border Patrol agents around 4:00 AM MST as she was about to board a domestic flight for work. Despite presenting a valid DACA work authorization card offering proof of her protection from deportation in the U.S., Border Patrol abducted and detained her without warrant or cause.
From the crowdfunding campaign:
Catalina “Xóchitl” Santiago, a beloved community member, DACA recipient and long-time community organizer, was detained by Border Patrol on Sunday August 3, 2025 at an airport in El Paso, TX.
Xóchitl was accosted by two Border Patrol agents around 4:00 AM MST as she was about to board a domestic flight for work. Despite presenting a valid DACA work authorization card offering proof of her protection from deportation in the U.S., Border Patrol abducted and detained her without warrant or cause.
She has been transferred to a processing facility in El Paso, and these funds will help to support her as we coordinate with her legal representation. We will share more updates soon on how to show your support and demand her immediate release.
We know that Xóchitl has made such a profound and powerful impact on so many loved friends and community members from Florida to Texas and beyond. Xotchitl has been working for over a decade for the dignity and respect of the immigrant community. She was a long-time volunteer organizer with Movimiento Cosecha and currently works supporting families in El Paso.
Now, we need to show up for her. Immigrant communities have been targeted for decades, and the Trump Administration is taking these fascist tactics to unprecedented levels.
This unexpected and cruel detainment will likely result in high legal fees alongside immeasurable emotional impact on her and her family. We are asking for support for her legal funds and post-release care and healing. Please give what you can to ensure that Xotchil has the resources needed to fight for her case, her ability to stay in the US with her family and community, and can take the time needed to recover from this traumatic experience after she is released. Thank you for your support!
Support and share the campaign here.
Political Prisoner News
Former long-term Black Liberation prisoner Zolo Azania has launched a patreon. He writes:
On 06 February 2017, i was “FREED” (Released) from prison after 35 and a half years of captivity; more than 27 of those years were spent on Indiana’s death row. i use the word “freed” because it was beautiful people like you who supported me in my struggles and determination not to be murdered by the State or having to spend the rest of my life withering away in prison. i was (and still am) happy and grateful. Thank you for being you. But since i’ve been home i have not made or painted one picture; and since my release i have written only three (3) essays. i began to write a couple of books, one of them is my autobiography. While in prison i produced more work than that in a week. But after nearly 10 years of freedom on the outside of the cyclone fences, constantine wires and concrete walls i’ve done little of nothing but worked like a slave for someone else’s warehouses and other businesses like the railroad.
There is a popular rhythm and blues song titled, “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay” written and sung by the late great Otis Redding. It is an emotional heartfelt song about introspection, reflection, and longing. Otis Redding used to sit quietly watching the various ships floating on the water and plowing through the waves in and out of the San Francisco Bay. He had come to a crossroads–reminiscing about his lowly humble beginnings to the meteoric rise in his life as a singer and a successful entertainer–and he put into words the feelings he felt what this picturesque metaphor must have meant to him. i, too, am at a “crossroads” in my life. And it doesn’t seem that i will be able to retire from working for the imperialists increasing their already bloated, exploitative, blood-sucking profits. i need people to support my artistic endeavors. i need support so that i may pursue my paralegal work helping people in prison, especially others facing death penalty cases. Moreover, my dilemma was compounded by the fact that on June 05, 2025 i got fired from my job at Remprex, an intermodal transportation subcontractor company.
A Curbfest event in support of political prisoners is being held in Washington DC on August 31st.
Long-term Black Liberation prisoner Kojo Bomani Sababu has made a call for people to contact FMC Butner to help him get medical care. From the Jericho Movement:
We are asking people to email, fax and call Butner FMC to inquire as to why they are not giving this serious medical situation the attention required to ascertain what exactly is causing this alarming problem. You can request to speak with his counselor. If that is not possible, please state your concern regarding this recurring medical problem. Be polite but firm in demanding that proper medical attention be provided to Kojo.
Kojo is 72 years old and has been in prison since 1975. He was originally transferred to Butner for a hip replacement, which was successful. Now we need to support our elder and ensure he gets the medical attention he needs.
You must refer to Kojo as Grailing Brown #39384-066.
Let us know what response you receive: nycjericho@gmail.com.
Email: BUX-ExecAssistant-S@bop.gov
Phone: 919-575-3900
Fax: 919-575-4801
NYC ABC have produced the latest edition of their regular political prisoner listings guide.
July 25th Marks Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners As Jesse “Tall Can” Comes Home
Today (Friday, July 25th) = The Int'l. Day of Solidarity w/ Antifa Prisoners. Proceeds from these SUPPORT ANTIFA PRISONERS shirts & hoodies (designed by former antifa prisoner) go to support our imprisoned friends & their families.Order here: bonfire.com/j25antifa#j25antifa, #freeallantifas
— Antifa International (@antifaintl.bsky.social) 2025-07-25T16:55:00.848Z
Antifa International and people across the world marked July 25th as an international day of solidarity with antifascist prisoners. Events and letter-writing nights were held in various cities, and Antifa International has posted up information on international prisoners to support, along with how to grab an amazing benefit t-shirt.
Also in some good news, antifascist prisoner Jesse “Tall Can” Cannon is now coming home! Supporters have set up a campaign to help him transition to life on the outside. They write:
Jesse WAS an antifascist political prisoner who was incarcerated for allegedly participating in militant community defense against American Guard, Proud Boys, and assorted right-wingers who descended upon the Pacific Beach are of San Diego, Kumeyaay land, for a day-long fascist rally on January 9, 2021.
Along with being an unapologetic defender of his community, TC is a nature enthusiast, father, and artist who needs our support after spending nearly two years risking his life fighting fires in so-called LA and throughout so-called California. Despite the SD DA’s best efforts to keep him caged for his convictions and his refusal to cooperate, TC has been released!
Support for our comrades inside doesn’t end when they’re out—and he needs our solidarity now more than ever as he settles back into his city, finds work, and helps raise his kid. Let’s show him some love and remind him how much he means to us. Please donate and share widely.
Venmo: pushingdownthewalls
Cashapp: $pushingdownthewalls
Include “TC” in the notes.
Running Down the Walls Events Announced for 2025
Running Down the Walls events are coming up soon in September! In 2024, the Anarchist Black Cross marked 25 years of the event taking place on both sides of the prison walls, writing:
2024 marks twenty-five-years in a row that political prisoners and supporters are participating in the annual event known as Running Down the Walls (RDTW), often running or walking simultaneously in many cities and prisons at once.
Running Down the Walls is a non-competitive 5K run/jog/walk/roll to raise awareness and funds for political prisoners as the primary fundraiser for the Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) Warchest Program with a portion of funds raised also supporting local groups of the organizers’ choosing.
Over the years, the event has raised *tens of thousands* of dollars and lots of awareness around the struggle to free political prisoners in the U.S. We encourage you to attend a local event or participate remotely and ask your comrades, family, and friends to sponsor you to make the positive impact of the 25th anniversary bigger than ever!
Currently, Running Down the Walls events are taking place in various cities including:
Be sure to check the upcoming events tab on IGD for future updates.
Stop Cop City and Other Ongoing Cases
Justice Delayed, Justice Denied: Ayla King's "speedy" trial postponed again
The Cop City RICO trials have begun in Atlanta, with Jamie Marsicano appearing before a hearing and Ayla King’s case being declared a mistrial. The state is looking to set new dates for Ayla’s trial in the fall, while the defense is arguing that the case should be dropped. A recent article from the Atlanta Community Press Collective reported:
The speedy trial of “Cop City” racketeering defendant Ayla King resumed Monday after 18 months of delays, but after Judge Kevin Farmer declared a mistrial, the case was promptly put back on hold as the Georgia Court of Appeals rules on whether King faces double jeopardy.
“What I’m appealing right now is that my client has already been placed in jeopardy once,“ said King’s attorney, Surinder K. Chadha Jimenez, following Monday’s hearing. “And the Constitution guarantees that you cannot be placed in jeopardy twice.”
The Georgia State Constitution also provides additional protections against double jeopardy, Chadha Jimenez said.
There are exceptions to the double jeopardy clause, said Deputy Georgia Attorney General John Fowler, the lead prosecutor in the trial. “The Constitutional provision that precludes double jeopardy carves out an exception in the event of a mistrial.”
The Court of Appeals must now rule on the issue. The earliest that the trial would recommence is September or October, two years after the indictment against King and their codefendants.
If the defense is successful in its appeal, it will result in King’s acquittal.
Judge Farmer said he would move on to trials for the codefendants while the appeal is still pending.
Over the past several months, four other defendants—Jamie Marsicano, Spencer Liberto, Francis Carroll and Alex Papali—filed motions for speedy trials. One or some combination of those defendants will be the next to be tried, according to an order of trials submitted by the prosecution.
The next trial is not yet scheduled, as of the time of publishing.
Stop Cop City defendant Priscilla Grim is selling copies of a new book, No Cop City, No Cop World to raise money for her legal funds.
Casey Goonan’s sentencing is now scheduled for September 23rd. You can write to Casey at:
Casey Goonan #UMF227
Santa Rita Jail
5325 Border Blvd.
Dublin CA 94568
In the Pacific Northwest, Puget Sound Prisoner Support report that a Seattle activist was visited at home by DHS, while federal agents have arrested at least 9 people alleged to have taken part in a protest against ICE activity in Spokane, Washington. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more commentary on the Spokane arrests.
Free the Spokane 9Largely ignored in a small market, this week's federal indictment of 9 anti-ICE protesters in Washington state, including a former council president, shows how far the Trump regime will go to crush dissentThis was always the plan. My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/ice-…
— Will Bunch (@willbunch.bsky.social) 2025-07-17T16:08:05.955Z
In LA, following the mass resistance against ICE raids, Alejandro Orellana was facing conspiracy charges for distributing face shields, but the charges have now been dropped. Reports suggest that grand juries are refusing to move forward with cases against those involved in the resistance. An article in El Pais gives further information on the difficulties the prosecution are encountering when attempting to charge people.
The support page for Peppy and Krystal has been posting new updates on other prisoners that need support, including “Jaia Cruz, the 24-year–old transgender woman convicted of second-degree murder charges for defending herself against a transphobic attack..” Get more info here.
15 people are facing felony charges in Ohio after a protest against ICE in Cincinnati, where police violently beat people on a bridge.
Four people facing charges from a May Day protest in Frederick, MD, had a court date on July 3rd, with strong community support present in court. Further court dates are set to continue throughout August, on the 5th, 4th, 19th and 20th.
The Northumberland County DA quietly dropped the RICO charge against Celeste Legere & Cara Mitrano but both still face rarely-used charges of 'ecoterrorism' & face decades in prison after being accused of setting mink free at Pennsylvania's last fur farm: unicornriot.ninja/2025/rico-ch…
— Unicorn Riot (@unicornriot.bsky.social) 2025-07-29T18:59:16.046Z
The “Northumberland 2”, Cara and Celeste, have now had the RICO charge dropped from their case, which relates to an alleged animal liberation action against a mink farm in Pennsylvania. Unicorn Riot has a new article with updates:
Two women from Massachusetts and several dozen supporters from around the country traveled to a small central Pennsylvania town for the first major hearing in a felony case stemming from their arrest last November. The ‘Northumberland 2’ – Celeste Legere and Cara Mitrano – face a litany of PA state charges after being accused of an October 18-19, 2024 break-in at the Richard H. Stahl & Sons, Inc. fur farm in which 683 mink were released from their pens and breeding records were destroyed.
Monday’s hearing saw prosecutors drop the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) charge leveled against both activists from Massachusetts. While each still face over a dozen counts and possibly decades in prison, their attorneys and supporters appeared cautiously optimistic as the state appeared to be holding a very weak hand when forced to show its cards.
“We hope the court sees through the prosecution’s gross overcharging of defendants accused of releasing animals who, with absolute certainty, would have suffered extreme torture and unconscionable death,” said Chris Carraway, a staff attorney at the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, which represents defendant Cara Mitrano. Mitrano is also being represented by Harrisburg attorney Natalie Burston; Celeste Legere is represented by Sunbury criminal defense lawyer Jim Best.
Pennsylvania State Police and Northumberland County District Attorney Mike O’Donnell initially charged Legere and Mitrano with RICO, Ecoterrorism, Agricultural Vandalism, Criminal Mischief, Theft, Burglary, Loitering and Prowling at Nighttime, Accidents Involving Damage to Attended Vehicle or Property, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Cruelty to Animals, Agricultural Trespassing on Posted Land, and Depositing Waste on a Highway — as well as Conspiracy counts related to the Ecoterrorism, Agricultural Vandalism and Burglary charges.
Check out the full report here.
Hunger Strike Breaks Out at “Alligator Alcatraz” as Trump Pushes to Expand Use of Military on US Soil
As of early August, a hunger strike at the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center in Florida was reported to have been going on for at least 10 days. You can read an interview with hunger striker Pedro Lorenzo Concepción here. A former guard has also come forward to describe the horrific conditions inside.
A hunger strike at a South Florida immigration detention center state officials have named “Alligator Alcatraz” enters its tenth day, as detainees protest what they call inhumane and dangerous living conditions.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Miccosukee tribe have joined a lawsuit against the facility, highlighting its impact on their traditional lands. For more on the struggle against “Alligator Alcatraz,” see this interview with Panagioti Tsolkas from Fight Toxic Prisons, which is also now available as a zine.
Resistance against ICE continues around the country, as highlighted in this IGD piece about an anti-ICE campaign of posters and banner drops coordinated across several states. Living & Fighting recently interviewed the Tucson Rapid Response Network about their work, and local resistance continues in locations such as the Philadelphia courthouse. Protests against airlines doing deportation flights, ICE contracts, and outside of detention facilities also are ongoing.
High-profile detainees such as Kilmar Abrego Garcia and Rümeysa Öztürk have now been able to submit testimony describing their horrific experiences. A new report from Human Rights Watch has highlighted abuses at detention centres across Florida.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is planning to build a new detention camp in El Paso, Texas, near the Mexican border, which will be able to hold 5,000 people, making the construction site an important target for those hoping to prevent the regime from building up the infrastructure for mass deportations. The Trumpian state is also pushing to expand the use of the National Guard and use Los Angeles as a model for the rest of the country, according to newly leaked DHS memo.
Kevin “Rashid” Johnson and UPROAR
The new prisoner support formation UPROAR is organizing an ongoing phone and email campaign for Kevin “Rashid” Johnson. They report the following as the latest update:
Rashid confirmed the prison threw him back in solitary (RHU) on Friday 7/18/25 and that he is being held incommunicado — meaning no access to his messages, calls, mail, or the media. The prison also confiscated all of Rashid’s legal property (including all writing supplies and stationery) until one of Rashid’s comrades contacted the general counsel’s office and got the prison to release it back to him on 7/24/25. This is clearly all a response to the publicity Rashid brought to the prison when he was in Virginia.
On Friday 7/18/25, Warden Curtis Earley, Assistant Warden Joseph Werts, Captain Carter, and Investigator Anderson called Rashid to the Warden’s office. Rashid was sent to South Carolina under a settlement agreement (which Rashid didn’t consent to), but one of the settlement terms says Rashid must be in a single cell in general population. The Warden said he was not going to honor that, and if Rashid didn’t like that, the prison would put him back in solitary. After that, they put him back in solitary for no reason.
The prison’s dentist and nurse practitioner have now refused to give him more antibiotics since he was returned to solitary on Friday 7/18/25. His face is still swollen, and he feels pressure in his eye and ear as well. He still has not received treatment for the dental abscess. He faced a similar situation when he had cancer — the prison diagnosed him in 2021 but left him without treatment for 1.5 years. It feels like they’re trying to let this infection spread and potentially kill him.
We demand restoration of communication, immediate medical care, and strict adherence to the settlement’s single‑cell general‑population clause.
Rashid was recently able to publish an article on the effects of solitary confinement on South Carolina prisoners, and his recent interview on the 2016 prison strikes has now been formatted as a zine.
UPROAR is also organizing campaigns in support of Ekong Eshiet in the Indiana prison system, who’s been given a one-year solitary restriction, Randy Lassiter at Red Onion in Virginia, who launched a hunger strike after being assaulted by staff, Peter “Pitt” Kamau Mukuria at Jessup CI in Virginia, who is facing ongoing retaliation and medical neglect after being assaulted, and Dewaune Lane Jr at Red Onion, who is facing harsh retaliation for whistle-blowing.
Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC) Conference
The Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee are fundraising to cover the costs of running their annual conference. They write:
We have many productive virtual meetings throughout the year. Our annual conference is a very meaningful experience for all attendees, but especially those who have suffered at the hands of criminal-legal systems the most. The same depth of meaning, learning, communication, relationship building and camaraderie is simply not possible through virtual events. Many formerly incarcerated members attend, and we typically make time for currently incarcerated members to call in and engage.
Donate to and share the campaign here.
Black August and General Prison News
This month marks the start of Black August, which commemorates Black liberation resistance inside and outside the prison walls. Anarchist and George Floyd uprising prisoner Malik recently wrote of Black August:
Black August starts soon. Usually I have others to participate with me, but since I don’t, I’m calling on those of you out there to get together in your cohorts, do 100 of something everyday with me for the month of August, and tell me how its going for you. Burpees, push-ups, sit-ups, a mile run/walk, 100 of some exercise for 31 days with me, that’d be rad! The key is unity, solidarity, so try to do them at least with one other person. You can split things up and make 100 squats into 50, plus its more fun together, and that’s what its about, what we can do together!
You can write to Malik here:
Malik Muhammad #23935744
Snake River Correctional Institution
777 Stanton Blvd
Ontario, OR 97914-8335
Black August is also being observed in prisons, upcoming film showings in Philadelphia, and an abolitionist block party is being held in NYC on August 10th.
Chicago Anti-Report have published an important update on prison censorship and mail scanning in the Illinois prison system.
On the subject of mail digitization, Bloomington ABC have shared an update that Sean Swain’s mailing address is changing from August as part of ongoing mail digitization projects in the Ohio prison system. You can see the official ODRC guideline page for more information on this subject. Write to Sean at:
Sean Swain A243-205
Mail Processing Center
884 Coitsville Hubbard Road
Youngstown, Ohio 44505
Prisoners Justice Day is observed, mainly in Canada on August 10th, and an event is being organized in Vancouver to mark 50 years of the tradition.
A fundraiser for the Greg Curry freedom campaign is being organized for August 24th in Detroit.
In August, there will be a support rally in Portland, OR for Brian “Hakiym” Simpson, who “was attacked by a coworker while working wildfire season in Oregon. He now faces years in prison after defending himself.” For more info on the rally on August 9th, go here.
Former anarchist political prisoner Eric King continues to do ongoing speaking events promoting his new book, A Clean Hell. Catch him in Reno, NV and at the upcoming Sacramento Anarchist Bookfair in October.
Jailhouse Lawyers Speak are helping to organize a parole campaign for Gene “Khalil” Scott, a prisoner being held in South Carolina under the interstate compact system who will not be allowed to speak at his own parole hearing.
A new report from the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has highlighted the brutal effects of shackles being used in the Federal prison system.
Oakland Abolition & Solidarity report that the California system lockdown has been lifted. They write:
As we reported in our last newsletter, CDCr had imposed a statewide lockdown on all Level III and IV yards citing an uptick in violence. Ever the opaque agency speaking in empty public relations code, CDCr of course didn’t bother substantiating or contextualizing that claim let alone explain how group punishment addresses the particularities of these violent incidents. In response to the blunt, statewide punishment, two yards at Salinas Valley State Prison initiated a mass hungerstrike within a day of the lockdown announcement. (See their powerful demands and statement republished below). After three weeks of lockdown and flipping peoples cells en masse, CDCr reinstated normal programming across all effected yards.
Lockdowns and group punishments are a common tactic of CDCr and we can expect more in the future. In the meantime we need to stay tuned to help fight retaliations against those who resist. Retaliation is also a well worn piece of CDCr’s vile repertoire. As an ex-incarcerated compa quite familiar with CA’s prison regime said, “They usually wait for some time to let the dust settle. Retaliations will for sure come.”We will update you all here with any information or calls to support as they arise.
Oakland A&S also highlight that the city of Oakland is planning to grow its police surveillance camera network.
Julio “Comrade Z” Zuniga has published a new article on the treatment of mentally ill prisoners in the Texas prison system at Mongoose Distro. Mongoose has also recently published new art by Federal prisoner Kit Brixton and an article by California prisoner Joadanus Olivas on his wrongful conviction.
International
Long-term Lebanese political prisoner Georges Abdallah has been released after having been held in the French prison system since 1982. The Samidoun network has published a statement on his release and reported on his return to Lebanon, and With Whatever Weapons has formatted his original trial statement from 1987 as a zine.
International repression against the Palestine solidarity movement continues, with Belgium now making moves to ban several climate action and Palestine solidarity groups, while Freedom has a report on the heavy repression ongoing in Germany. In the UK, the ban on Palestine Action as a terror group is now in effect, and July has seen a steady stream of people being arrested for publicly supporting the group. The courts have now given permission for a legal challenge against the ban to be heard, meaning that the ban could be overturned by November.
The Koukaki squat community in Athens are fundraising for legal costs, as three squatters are facing 6.5 years in prison on charges relating to a squat eviction in 2020. The final appeal hearing in the case will be heard on December 2, and there’s a call to the international squatting and anarchist movement for solidarity as that date approaches.
Greek anarchist prisoner Dimitris Chatzivasileiadis written a new article on the anniversaries of the deaths of Greek revolutionaries Christoforos Marinos and Vasos Tsironis and of Willem van Spronsen in the US.
The six, bakery workers in Gijón in Asturias and members of the CNT syndicalist union, were sentenced to three and a half years in prison after an extended legal campaign by the owner of La Suiza bakery, whom a worker accused of harassmentfreedomnews.org.uk/2025/07/11/s…
— Freedom Press (@freedompress.bsky.social) 2025-07-11T14:45:18.533Z
An international solidarity campaign is being launched for two Ukranian antifascists, Denys Matsola and Vladyslav Zhuravlyov, who have been held in Russian captivity for three years. The Russian state has now banned all ABC groups, but the exiled ABC Moscow group continue their work, posting about the birthdays of political prisoners Lyubov Lizunova and Savely Frolov, and helping to fundraise for the legal defences of antifascist/antiwar prisoner Yuri Mikheev and the anarchist and antifascist defendants in the Tyumen case.
Italian anarchist prisoner Alfredo Cospito is reportedly facing a total mail ban, while Paolo Todde has now ended his hunger strike.
In Chile, the trial of Aldo and Lucas Hernandez has begun, and a number of other anarchist prisoners have made statements in solidarity with them.
In Spain, six bakery workers and members of the anarcho-syndicalist CNT union have now begun their prison sentences, having been sentenced to three and a half years for their participation in a union campaign.
Police in Austria have carried out a raid against an antifascist youth camp.
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
Snake River Correctional
777 Stanton Blvd
Ontario, OR 97914
Montez Lee 22429-041
FCI Petersburg Medium
Federal Correctional Institution
PO Box 1000
Petersburg, VA 23804
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 #QQ9287
Camp Hill
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
Mujera Benjamin Lunga’ho #08572-509
08572-509
FCI Beaumont Medium
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. Box 26040
Beaumont, TX 77720
Christopher Tindal 04392-509
FCI Cumberland
PO Box 1000
Cumberland, MD 21501
Upcoming Birthdays
The Political Prisoner Birthday Calendar project has been revived, and you can find the August calendar here.
Margaret Channon
Margaret was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to setting 5 cop cars on fire during the large protests in Downtown Seattle on May 29th, 2020.
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 Margaret then you’re best off just sending her a card or a letter.
Birthday: August 1
Address:
Margaret Channon 49955-086
FCI Tallahassee
Federal Correctional Institution
PO Box 5000
Tallahassee, FL 32314
Bill Dunne
Long-term anarchist prisoner held since 1979 for attempting to free another comrade from imprisonment. Through the years Bill has also taught GED classes at almost every prison he has found himself at, helping many prisoners get their GED. Bill is generous, principled, full of integrity and has never wavered from his politics or convictions. Bill continues to stay active politically, helping edit and write 4Struggle Magazine, organizing the yearly Running Down the Walls 5K for political prisoners, and serves on the ABCF Prisoner Committee. You can read some of his writings here.
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 Bill then you’re best off just sending him a card or a letter.
Birthday: August 3
Address:
Bill Dunne #10916-086
FMC Butner Medium II
PO Box 1600
Butner, North Carolina 27509
Hanif Shabazz Bey (Beaumont Gereau)
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.
Hanif is in an institution run by CoreCivic, and it appears that you can email him here.
Birthday: August 16
Address:
Beaumont Gereau #19-1952
Citrus County Detention Facility
c/o Securus Digital Mail Center
Post Office Box 20187
Tampa, Florida 33622
Christopher L Young
Queer anarchist prisoner/jailhouse lawyer in Kentucky wishing to start an anarchist book club and get more involved in organizing.
Kentucky uses Securus, so you can send him a message by creating an account at securustech.online, clicking “emessaging – launch account,” then searching his name while selecting “State: Kentucky, Inmate ID: 136515.”
Birthday: August 17
Address:
Christopher L Young #136515
Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex
200 Road to Justice
West Liberty, KY 41472
Ronald Reed
Black Liberation prisoner, convicted in 1995 for allegedly shooting a police officer in 1970.
Minnesota uses Jpay, so you can send him a message by going to jpay.com, clicking “inmate search,” then selecting “State: Minnesota, Inmate ID: 219531.”
Birthday: August 31
Address:
Ronald Reed #219531
Minnesota Correctional Facility-Lino Lakes, Minnesota
PO Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
