Rebel Prisoner Birthdays for January, 2020

Rebel and political prisoner birthdays for January 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 January. 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.

Also, wishing a very happy birthday to Roman Shankaras, a former Vaughn 17 defendant who will be celebrating his birthday in freedom this year, and sending big congratulations to Nina Droz Franco, Juan de la Cruz Ruiz, and Vaughn defendant Obadiah Miller, who were all released in the last month or so!

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.

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.

Birthday: January 4

Address:

Siddique Abdullah Hasan (Address envelope to Carlos A. Sanders)
#R130559
Ohio State Penitentiary
PO Box 1436
Youngstown, Ohio 44505

Jeremy Hammond

Anarchist hacker serving a decade in prison for leaking information about corporate spying and espionage, currently serving an extra term for contempt because of his refusal to testify before a Grand Jury.

Birthday: January 8

Address:

Jeremy Hammond
#A0182888
William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center
2001 Mill Road
Alexandria, VA 22314

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.

Birthday: January 9

Address:

Abdul Aziz (address envelope to Warren Ballantine)
#16-047
Citrus County Detention Facility
2604 West Woodland Ridge Drive
Lecanto, Florida 34461

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. Many of his writings have been published by the Atlanta Anarchist Black Cross.

Birthday: January 14

Address:

Joseph Stewart #0802041
Central Prison
1300 Western Blvd.
Raleigh, NC 27606

Sundiata Acoli (Clark Squire)

Former Black Panther/Black Liberation Army prisoner, co-defendant of Assata Shakur, serving life plus 30 years for a shootout between the BLA and New Jersey state troopers. In 2016, he was again denied parole and given a 15-year hit so he will not be eligible again until 2032 when he is 94 years old.

Birthday: January 14

Address:

Sundiata Acoli #39794-066 (address envelope to Clark Squire)
FCI Cumberland
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. BOX 1000
Cumberland, MD 21501
USA

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.

Birthday: January 15

Address:

In 2018, the PA Dept of Corrections instituted a restrictive mail policy where all mail to prisoners must be sent through a mail processing facility in Florida where all correspondence is scanned, copied and then the copy is mailed to the prisoner. There is an active campaign to get Gov. Wolf to repeal the restrictive policy so that friends and family members can send mail such as greeting cards again.

Smart Communications/PADOC
Joseph Bowen #AM-4272
SCI Fayette
P.O. Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733
United States

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.

Birthday: January 17

Address:

Jacob Montgomery #1287870
Moberly Correctional Center
PO Box 7, Moberly,
MO 65270
USA

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.

Birthday: January 26

Address:

Marie (Marius) Mason 04672-061
FCI Danbury
Route 37
Danbury, CT 06811