Political Prisoners and Prison Rebel Birthdays for November

List of political prisoners and prison rebel birthdays and updates for November 2020.

Inspired by the spirit of the Political Prisoners Birthday crew, here’s a short listing of some rebel prisoners who have upcoming birthdays in November. For an an introduction on how to write to prisoners and some things to do and not to do, go here. If you have the time, please also check IWOC’s listing of prisoners facing retaliation for prison strike-related organizing.

Congratulations to Jalil Muntaqim and David Campbell, who were both finally released in October. You can donate to David’s post-release fund here. Wishing a happy birthday to former antifascist prisoner Jock Palfreeman, who was released from the Bulgarian prison system over a year ago but is still barred from leaving the country and going home. November 1^st marks the first anniversary of antifascist prisoner Gage Halupowski’s incarceration, so Portland ABC are suggesting people write to him to keep his spirits up, and Trans Day of Remembrance is on November 2020, so you may want to do something for that, which could include showing solidarity with trans prisoners.

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. The status of pre-trial defendants changes frequently, but to the best of my knowledge they currently include:

Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal #70002-066
FDC Philadelphia
P.O. Box 562
Philadelphia, PA 19105

David Elmakayes #77782-066
FDC Philadelphia,
PO Box 562,
Philadelphia, PA 19105

Shawn Collins #69989-066
FDC Philadelphia,
PO Box 562,
Philadelphia, PA 19105

Steven Pennycooke #69988-066
FDC Philadelphia,
PO Box 562,
Philadelphia, PA 19105

Montez Lee
Washington County Jail
15015 62nd St. N
P.O. Box 3801
Stillwater, MN 55082

And the Grand Jury resister Jesse Shackelford:

Jesse Shackelford 688871
Dane County Jail
115 West Doty Street
Madison, WI 53703

Please do not write anything to pre-trial defendants that could in any way have a negative impact on their trial, and keep an eye out for changes in their status.

You may also wish to check out the fundraiser for Trey Quinn, a defendant facing heavy charges in Colorado. Beyond that, if you have any money to spare, consider checking out Eric King’s defence fund, or the Fire Ant shirts being sold as a fundraiser for him, the ongoing fundraiser for Sundiata Acoli’s parole bid, Greg Curry’s fundraiser masks, and the fundraiser for the Bay View, a vital piece of prison movement infrastructure that also serves as Comrade Malik’s welcome home fund.

Much as I hate to see even more of our lives and communications being enclosed by tech companies, it seems inescapable at the moment, so for anyone who doesn’t want to leave their house to buy stamps/cards/envelopes or to send mail, a reminder that many prisoners can be contacted electronically, via Jpay or similar services.

Ed Poindexter

One of the “Nebraska 2”, Black Panthers convicted in 1971 for the murder of a police officer. In the 1990s, Nebraska’s parole board recommended Poindexter and his co-defendant Mondo for release due to their exceptional conduct, accomplishments and recommendations but the Pardons Board– the Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State– refused to grant them a hearing.

Their conviction was controversial and has never been accepted as legitimate by many in the African American community in Omaha. Poindexter and Mondo were suspects- before there was any evidence- because they were leaders of the National Committee to Combat Fascism (NCCF), an offshoot of the Black Panther Party.

Important: Ed has a cataract that makes it impossible for him to read. If you would like to write him a letter, it must be typed with 18 point or larger font. Put a large note on the envelope so that he knows that you are aware of his eye issues and have included a letter in a type that he can read. The Nebraska Department of Corrections does not plan to allow him to have surgery because “he has one good eye.”

There is currently an active campaign to win clemency for Ed – see the Freedom 4 Ed page for updates.

Birthday: November 1

Address:

Edward Poindexter #27767
Nebraska State Penitentiary
P.O. Box 22500
Lincoln, NE 68542
United States

Ladislav Kuc

Animal liberation activist convicted of attacking a McDonald’s in which no one was injured.

Birthday: November 4

Address:

Ladislav Kuc
Uutos
Sladkovicova 80
Kra’lova’
97405 Banska Bystrica
Slovakia

Dwayne Staats

One of the two Vaughn 17 defendants to be convicted for taking part in the Vaughn prison uprising of early 2017. Dwayne and his co-defendant Jarreau “Ruk” Ayers bravely admitted to their own parts in the uprising, and then, free to testify openly without fear of incriminating themselves any further, tore holes in the prosecution’s attempts to convict anyone else – as he put it, “we’d accept being stabbed in the chest to present others from getting stabbed in the back”. To learn more about Dwayne in his own words, you can read his account of the whole case here, check his writings on the Vaughn 17 site, his recent letter to the Kentucky Attorney General, or his contribution to the Vaughn zine, “Live from the Trenches”.

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 “NT0000”.

Birthday: November 10

Address:

Smart Communications/PADOC
Dwayne Staats, NT0000
SCI Albion
PO Box 33028
St Petersburg, FL 33733

Joseph Dibee

Joseph Dibee is being held awaiting trial for his alleged participation in acts of environmental direct action and sabotage in the 1990s. As one statement put it, “It is no longer realistic to imagine that climate change and ecological chaos can be prevented. But this only makes it more paramount to defend what wildness remains, impose consequences for the most environmentally destructive activity, and defend those who take risks to make the world hospitable for both human and nonhuman life. If we do not want to spend the next century locked in ethno-nationalist, religious, and racial warfare, we have to foster new struggles against climate change and ecological destruction, we have to build mutual aid networks capable of surviving in disaster zones, and we have to resolutely defend everyone who fights for a world without cages. Free Joseph Dibee.”

REMEMBER: Joseph is pre-trial so do not write about his case or much of anything short of offering support.

Birthday: November 10

Address:

Joseph Dibee #812133
Multnomah County Jail
11540 NE Inverness Drive
Portland, Oregon 97220

Thomas Blackmon

Thomas Blackmon is one of the prisoners wrongfully convicted in the aftermath of the historic Lucasville Uprising.

Ohio uses Jpay, so you can send him a message by going to jpay.com, clicking “inmate search”, then selecting “State: Ohio, Inmate ID: 185-291”.

Birthday: November 12

Address:

Thomas Blackmon
#185-291
OSP
878 Coitsville Hubbard Rd
Youngstown OH 44505

Rasheem Matthews

Rasheem Matthews is one of the prisoners wrongfully convicted in the aftermath of the historic Lucasville Uprising.

Ohio uses Jpay, so you can send him a message by going to jpay.com, clicking “inmate search”, then selecting “State: Ohio, Inmate ID: 223-185”.

Birthday: November 22

Address:

Rasheem Matthews
#223-185
Man CI
1150 N Main St
Mansfield OH 44505

Josh Williams

A staple of the Ferguson rebellion, Josh Williams was sentenced to 8 years in prison for his actions in attempting to light fires near a Quick Trip gas station, which others quickly extinguished, during a protest against the killing of Black 18 year old Antonio Martin by police in Berkeley, Missouri on Christmas Eve 2014. You can learn more about Josh by reading some of his words here. A support site has been set up for Josh, and he is up for parole this year, but his parole hearing has been delayed. His parole application has received thousands of letters of support, and if you’d like to send another there’s instructions here.

Missouri uses Jpay, so you can send him a message by going to jpay.com, clicking “inmate search”, then selecting “State: Missouri, Inmate ID: 01292002”. His Jpay access was restricted earlier this year, but may now have been restored.

Birthday: November 25

Address:

Joshua Williams #1292002
Potosi Correctional Center
11593 State Highway O
Mineral Point, MO 63660

PHOTO: Brian Lundquist