Monday, June 22nd: Letter-writing for Joe-Joe Bowen

  • June 19, 2020 1:04 am

from Philly ABC

Join us for our monthly letter-writing to political prisoners that we hold on the 4th Monday each month. To observe social distancing, we will hold this event online once again on the secure video platform, Jitsi. We will post the link on social media the day of, or message us beforehand for the link.

When: Monday, June 22nd, 6:30-8:30pm

Where: Online, join from anywhere!

In the midst of this uprising, we recognize our comrades behind bars who would be out here on the streets with us struggling for freedom and self-determination. As a soldier in the Black Liberation struggle, Joe-Joe Bowen is one of those people.

Hailing from Philadelphia, Joe-Joe was a young member of the “30th and Norris Street” gang, before his incarceration politicized him. Released in 1971, his outside activism was cut short a week following his release when Joe-Joe was confronted by an officer of the notoriously brutal Philadelphia police department. The police officer was killed in the confrontation, and Bowen fled. After his capture and incarceration, Bowen became a Black Liberation Army combatant. He is now 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 in response to racist and oppressive prison conditions. During his time in prison, he has raised the consciousness of thousands of Pennsylvania prisoners through his powerful history and political/military education classes.

If you are unable to join us online, drop Joe-Joe a line at:

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

Rest In Power Delbert Africa

  • June 16, 2020 5:16 pm

from Instagram

The revolutionary #delbertafrica, our good friend and comrade, passed away yesterday (6/15).⠀ ⠀ From the first time we visited you in prison, we said we’d #nevergiveup until you were out here with us. They wanted you to die in a cage, but we were determined to get you out so that wouldn’t happen. Despite every attempt they made to keep you locked up, they lost. We won.⠀ ⠀ There are not enough words to describe the impact you had on our lives with all the wisdom and inspiration you gifted us, and we’ll never forget the day you were released and reunited with family. That day we hugged you for the first time outside of a prison visiting room.⠀ ⠀ We love and miss you Del, and we’re truly fortunate for the memories we have. Thank you for being in our lives. #restinpower comrade.

Cameras Sabotaged for June 11

  • June 13, 2020 12:47 am

Submission

On June 11, international day of solidarity with anarchist prisoners, as a small act against policing and imprisonment we cut the wires of nine security cameras in a concentrated area. We want to remind prisoners that they are with us in the struggle against white supremacy and police.

Let’s keep things conflictual, forever fuck cops, towards a world with no prisons!
(A)

New Encampment on the Parkway

  • June 11, 2020 4:52 pm

from Instagram 

Yesterday Morning @occupypha and @workers_rev_collective set up an encampment at 22nd and the Parkway. Help out and be on the lookout for supply needs! Reminder that should you go that you are a guest- these are peoples lives. To donate: $wrevolutionary CashApp or http://www.wrc.life/donate/ list of demands will be written out in the comments .


from Twitter

Supplies are needed at the Workers Revolutionary Collective encampment ASAP, especially tents! Come out toVon Colln Memorial Field at the intersection of Spring Garden & Pennsylvania.

 

Political Prisoner and Prison Rebel Birthdays for June

  • June 4, 2020 3:03 am

from It’s Going Down

[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire articles follow the above links.]

Inspired by the spirit of the Political Prisoners Birthday crew, here’s a short listing of some rebel prisoners who have upcoming birthdays in June.

For 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.

June also sees the International Day of Solidarity with Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners on the 11th, and the Day of Solidarity with Eric King on the 28th, so you may want to do something to mark those dates.

Happy birthday to former Wikileaks/Anonymous-related prisoner Matthew DeHart, who’ll be celebrating in freedom this year, RIP to Tom Manning, whose birthday would have been this month, and congratulations to Spanish anarchist prisoner Amadeu Casellas, who was provisionally freed in May.

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.

Jarreau Ayers

Vaughn Uprising prisoner, one of the only two prisoners from the Vaughn 17 to be convicted. As one write-up put it, “Jarreau Ayers and Dwayne Staats, already incarcerated under the hopeless sentence of life without parole, took it upon themselves to admit to involvement to prevent the rest of their comrades being found unjustifiably guilty, which led to success – not guilty verdicts or their charges being dropped.” You can learn more about Jarreau in his own words here and here.

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 “NS9994”.

Birthday: June 15

Address:

Smart Communications / PA DOC
Jarreau Ayers – NS9994
SCI Huntington
PO Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL, 33733

Letter Writing to Marius Mason (5/25)

  • May 19, 2020 11:39 am

from Philly ABC

Our letter writing event for this month will be for Marius Mason, who has unfortunately been recently diagnosed with COVID-19 and will be fighting the virus from behind bars. Marius was chosen both because of his diagnosis and also because of the fast-approaching June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marius and all long-term Anarchist prisoners.

The event will be held on May 25th at 6:30 PM. Due to COVID-19, this event will be held online using the secure open source video conferencing platform, Jitsi. Privacy is encouraged – no one is expected to share their camera. The meeting details will be posted here a day before the event.

Background: Marius Mason is a transgender, environmental and animal rights activist. In 1999, in the name of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) he set fire to a lab at the University of Michigan that was conducting research on genetically modified organisms (GMO).  After Marius’ husband turned states-evidence, Marius was threatened with a life sentence for the arson and other acts of sabotage. With little financial stability and fear of dragging his family into a costly legal battle, Marius pled guilty and was given an extreme sentence of nearly 22 years. No one was ever harmed in any of his actions.

Marius lived and worked in the Detroit area for most of his life. Like the late Earth First! (EF!) organizer, Judi Bari, he was part of a generation of radicals who worked to link the environmental and labor movements, and was jointly active in both EF! and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). It was this alliance which led to the initial success of the anti-globalization movement such as at the 1999 anti-WTO demonstration in Seattle. Mason was an editor of the Industrial Worker, the IWW newspaper, and a musician who recorded a neo-folk album, Not For Profit, with fellow EF!er Darryl Cherney in 1999. He also worked with numerous political as well as traditional charity groups.

If you are unable to join us on Jitsi, please send Marius a letter anyways:

Marie (Marius) Mason -061

FCI Danbury

Route 37

Danbury, CT 06811

United States

MayDayFun

  • May 6, 2020 12:11 am

Submission

In a time where COVID-19 is sweeping it’s way through workplaces, shelters, and prisons.. wholefoods, amazon, and other large corporations are silencing their workers and trying to think of ways they can capitalize off of this pandemic. Houseless folks are being evicted from encampments regardless of the logical recommendations of the CDC. Prisons are death camps and our friends in cages are making masks in crowded conditions without the privilege to even wear one.
As a gesture of solidarity and an expression of our rage, we drop this banner for those on the inside fighting to get out, for the workers under the boot of the corporate masters at amazon and elsewhere, and the importance of practicing mutual aid. Not just now, but always.

Open squats!
Loot the Wholefoods!
Free the prisoners!

Banner over 676

  • May 5, 2020 12:02 am

from Instagram

Banner over 676, “Incarceration is murder – empty the cages” #mayday2020 ????

bingo

  • April 30, 2020 1:07 am

Submission

Figured we should mention some contributions we made toward our bingo card:

Money and letters were sent to some friends that are locked up, ran off with a couple of american flags, a couple more ring cameras were disposed of, helped a friend begin living inside a newly established squat, and a cart full of groceries was expropriated from the amazon overlords. I know that last one isn’t necessarily looting, but I’ve heard that another crew counted something to that effect. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

GOOD MORNING PHILADELPHIA

  • April 29, 2020 12:05 am

From Twitter

image description: banner over 95 reads
“No More Death By Incarceration
Free Bomani
FREE THEM ALL”

#bomanishakur #freethemall #freeourpeople #philadelphia #philly #abolitionist #deathbyincarceration #deathrow #freedomfighter #lucasvilleuprising #fttp

A humble nod to all prison rebels…

  • April 26, 2020 10:53 pm

Submission

…fighting for their lives. Not just the ‘innocent’ or ‘vulnerable’. Until all prisons are empty and destroyed!

Letter-writing to Joy Powell (4/27)

  • April 25, 2020 12:25 am

from Philly ABC

Support for political prisoners doesn’t stop during a pandemic; in fact it only intensifies as prisoners are in extremely dangerous conditions without the ability to socially distance or access to protective supplies. On top of that, staff members have been deliberately defying CDC guidelines endangering prisoners by coughing without covering their mouth, etc. Please join us this Monday April 27th for our monthly letter-writing event at 6:30pm. Due to COVID-19, this event will be held online using the secure open source video conferencing platform, Jitsi. Privacy is encouraged – no one is expected to share their camera. We’ll update this post with the meet link, and announce it on social media the day of the event.

This month we are writing to Joy Powell. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Joy has contracted COVID-19 inside Bedford Hills Prison. She is in quarantine, fighting the virus, but we are concerned because she has the underlying conditions of both asthma and diabetes. Prior to testing positive for the virus, she wrote a letter to Governor Cuomo asking him for clemency due to her age and preexisting conditions making her more vulnerable to complications.

Background:
As a pastor and a consistent activist against police brutality, violence and oppression in her community, Rev. Joy Powell was warned by the Rochester Police department that she was a target because of her speaking out against corruption. On many occasions Rev. Joy had held rallies and spoke out against the police brutality and “police justifications” in Rochester NY through her organization ‘Equality and Justice for All.’ Later, Rev. Joy was accused and convicted of 1st Degree Burglary and Assault and subjected to an unfair trial.

An all white jury tried her; the state provided no evidence and no eyewitnesses. Rev. Joy was not allowed to discuss her activism or say that she was a pastor. The person that testified for her was not allowed to tell the court that he knew Rev. Joy through their activist work and through the church. Furthermore, judge Francis Affronti promised he was going to give her a harsh sentence because he did not like her. She was sentenced to 16 years and seven years concurrent. After this conviction, herself and others were charged with a cold murder case. After her codefendent was acquitted, Joy was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. She maintains her innocence and has appealed the conviction because evidence has been withheld from her defense team to this day.

If you are unable to join us on Jitsi, please send Joy a letter anyways:

Rev. Joy Powell #07-g-0632
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 1000
Bedford Hills, NY 10507-2499

This Is America #114: We Would Prefer Not To

  • April 18, 2020 12:18 pm

from It’s Going Down

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Android | RSS

Welcome, to This Is America, April 18th, 2020.

In this episode, first we talk with people on rent strike in Philadelphia. We discuss how the rent strike came about, the process of getting organized, and so far, how the strike is going.

We then feature an interview from the folks at Perilous Chronicle with an inmate in ICE detention about their participation in a protest and hunger strike against the spread of COVID-19.

Finally, we switch to our discussion where we address Trump’s recent push to “re-open” the economy.

Bomani Shakur Reading & Discussion

  • April 17, 2020 2:54 am

from Facebook

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/vpQqfu-srz4ialODhzYKwGX2z8r7zFBKtw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We will be reading and discussing selected pieces by Bomani Shakur.

Background:
“In 1995, I was sentenced to death on charges related to the 1993 prison uprising at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio, even though there was no physical or forensic evidence linking me to the murders that occurred during the uprising. In fact, prosecutors actually withheld critical evidence (confessions, indictments, etc.) in the case that could have proven that I was innocent of the charges brought against me.

I recently wrote a book titled, Condemned, that gives my account of what happened during and after the Lucasville Uprising: http://www.amazon.com/Condemned-whole-story-Keith-LaMar/dp/1483961710/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390788087&sr=8-1&keywords=condemned%3A+the+whole+story

Here is a website that helps to explain my situation: http://keithlamar.org/”

[April 24 at 6:30 PM]

Philly Mayor and Judges Pressured To Release Inmates From Jail

  • April 16, 2020 2:43 am

from Unicorn Riot

By Chris Schiano, Unicorn Riot April 15, 2020

Philadelphia, PA – For the second time in a week, protesters have converged on city hall. They are demanding that Mayor Jim Kenney and judges in the First Judicial District move to immediately release prisoners from Philadelphia jails to avoid COVID–19 outbreaks. Several prisoners in the Philadelphia area have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that one Philly judicial official, Common Pleas Court Judge Marie Coyle, has denied every single request from inmates seeking to be released during the COVID–19 crisis.

[Youtube Video]

On Friday, April 10, a similar protest saw people gathering outside city hall via their cars and bikes to demand Mayor Kenney and Philly judges speed up mass releases to prevent COVID–19 outbreaks in the city jails. See Unicorn Riot’s live coverage from Friday’s protest here.

[Youtube Video]

After protesting at city hall, many protesters got back into their cars and took the caravan up State Road to Philadelphia’s House of Corrections, where they honked their horns to show solidarity with those locked up inside.

Protesters have also continued to gather lately outside the Riverside Correctional Facility, where several female prisoners have tested positive for coronavirus.

Documents show that Philadelphia judges apparently lied about their choices to delay assessing prisoners for release. On April 3, the First Judicial District claimed it had not received a list of inmates eligible for release, when Krasner’s office had in fact provided them with a list.

On March 13, a prison employee just outside outside Philadelphia in Delaware County tested positive for COVID–19.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has also called for the release of “thousands if not tens of thousands of people in prisons across Pennsylvania who frankly should not be there“. Krasner and the Pennsylvania ACLU have both petitioned the state’s Supreme Court “to exercise its authority to the fullest extent in order to reduce jail and prison populations to prevent COVID–19 outbreaks…”

According to Philadelphia Department of Prisons Commissioner Blanche Carney, “As of April 14, there are 54 current cases of COVID–19 among inmates.”

Pennsylvania prison officials last month refused to release Walter Ogrod, a death row inmate believed to be innocent, despite a court order for his release. The Department of Corrections is also refusing to test Ogrod for COVID–19, despite what his lawyers say are symptoms consistent with the coronavirus.

On April 8, a 67-year-old man from Philadelphia died from the coronavirus at SCI Phoenix, a state prison in Montgomery County. State prison officials declined to identify the name of the first loss of life to COVID–19 in their custody.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has floated using his executive clemency powers to temporarily release large segments of the state’s prison population, although PA Republicans are pressuring him not to do so.

Unless officials move swiftly to release prisoners, many Philadelphians fear their loved ones could be next.