Invitation to Bend the Bars Conference

From Support Prisoner Resistance 

Greetings from Columbus, Ohio!

You are invited to Bend the Bars 2016, a Midwest convergence in support of prisoners’ struggles.

When: August 26-29

Where: Columbus, OH

What: A weekend of workshops and discussions on prisoners’ resistance, the national prison strike starting September 9, and broad opposition to prisons, along with a public demonstration in solidarity with ongoing prison struggles.

Who we are: a group of individuals involved in prisoner solidarity work in the Midwest.

Who it’s for:

We hope to assemble a diverse group of individuals, groups, and organizations that are united by a desire to work against prisons, in support of our friends and family members who are locked up, and prisoners who are organizing themselves and acting up on the inside. Long-term supporters, former prisoners,  prisoners’ families as well as those who are just starting out and wanting to learn more are all encouraged to attend.  (Party-based organizations and politicians are discouraged from attending.)

If you plan on attending:

1. If you want to come to Bend the Bars, please RSVP with how many people will be attending and what kinds of accommodation you will need.  The website will be updated as more details of the convergence come together, but feel free to contact us with any questions.

2. The organizing process for the convergence is ongoing, so we want to hear from you! What activities, structure, and content do you want to see?  Specifically, we will have several slots for workshop sessions throughout the weekend.  What discussions do you want to be a part of?  Do you want to talk about the work that you’re doing? What projects and initiatives do you want to learn more about? Some topics we are interested in are supporting prison rebellion and prisoner organizing, support for individual prisoners, resistance to maximum security units, resistance to solitary confinement, prison publications, and literature distribution. Let us know if you would like to put something together!

We are also still planning evening and socal activities, so please share what else you would like to see over the weekend, like a panel talk, potluck, reading group or film screening.

Contributions from prisoners are an indispensable part of a convergence like this. If you are in contact with anyone on the inside, get a letter or statement from them that they’d like to be read aloud. Better yet, arrange a call-in for the weekend! We’d love to hear from them and we would like to make their words and their actions as prominent as possible.

bendthebars.noblogs.org
[email protected]