Podcasts about free alabama movement

This week, two segments plus Sean Swain Don Bosco Park Defense in Bologna First up, an interview submitted by audio comrades in Italy about the struggle against the cementization of the city of Bologna and the defense of Don Bosco park from the expansion of a university, highways… the whole urban landscape without the input of the residents so the city can move a school rather than renovate it. This struggle, including the occupation and defense of the park, represents an innovation in urban struggles in Italy which consciously takes inspiration from the struggle to Stop Cop City in so-called Atlanta and the activities of the park defenders has forced the left-leaning municipal government and mayor to temporarily suspend the cutting of trees. [00:02:04 - 00:27:10] Bernard Jemison on Conditions and Resistance in AL Prisons Then, you'll hear Bernard Jemison, an incarcerated activist held in Holman prison in Alabama talking about conditions inside the ADOC recent calls for prisoner strikes in the state by the Free Alabama Movement and their outside supporters, as well as his views on the demands being made. [00:27:57 - 01:05:10] The demands that we mention are the following: BILL TO REPEAL THE HABITUAL OFFENDER ACT ON THE TABLE CIVIL CLASS ACTION LITIGATION FOR PAROLE ALREADY FILED. EVERYONE NEEDS TO SIGN UP. PAROLE BILL ON THE TABLE WE NEED TO ABOLISH LWOP AND CREATE AN AVENUE FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS. NO MORE NITROGEN GAS EXECUTIONS.. STOP SELLING OUR ORGANS. A few articles on the subjects worth reading include: https://www.yahoo.com/news/death-rate-alabama-prisons-five-091450767.html https://www.alabamasmartjustice.org/reports/hfoa https://www.al.com/news/montgomery/2024/03/alabama-legislature-seeks-to-solve-missing-organ-issue.html https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/crime/2024/03/15/death-rate-in-alabama-prisons-is-five-times-the-us-average/72936145007/ Statement of support by CCR for a strike called for by Free Alabama Movement: https://ccrjustice.org/home/press-center/press-releases/center-constitutional-rights-stands-solidarity-mass-prison-strike Social media accounts Bernard thinks are doing a good job covering these issues: @Hopedealersprisonreform is Bernard on TikTok @truthbehindbars is a private facebook Bernard contributes to @prison_toks on TikTok . ... . .. Featured Track: On Point (instrumental) by House of Pain

A program hosted by, produced by, and featuring callers who are all currently incarcerated. Max and Yusuf are both tied up in abolition related efforts this weekend. So, In leue of our regular program we'll air episode 1 of our groundbreaking and revolutionary series from Season one. LIVE FROM THE PLANTATION! This is fitting as we're preparing to launch another similar series called "Tales From The Plantation" this March. Again, a program developed and produced by the formerly and currently incarcerated.

On this special midweek release, you'll hear Swift Justice, incarcerated Abolitionist in Alabama affiliated with the Alabama Resistance Movement and Unheard Voices OTCJ. Swift talks about some current situations in the Alabama Department of Corrections, legislation ongoing around prison slavery due to the exception clauses at the state and federal level (specifically the 13th Ammendment), covid-19 behind bars, groups doing well in the struggle and organizing that needs to go further and actually engage with incarcerated comrades and updates on the recent attack on Swift's mentor, Kinetic Justice. Check out some of Swift's writings on his supporters blog at SwiftJustice4Freedom.wordpress.com. You can hear our past interview with Swift here as well as our interview with Kinetic and Bennu on the founding of the Free Alabama Movement. For more Alabama prisoner perspectives from over the years, you can search Alabama on our site. Announcement Solidarity demonstration outside Green Bay CI from ABOLISHmke.com: Protesters will take action against increasingly torturous and fatal conditions at the prison in Green Bay (GBCI) at noon on Saturday, August 28, 2021. The protest will include a march to the prison, speeches from advocates and people who've done time at GBCI, and relaying messages from people currently held there. The demonstrators will use large banners, loudspeakers and noisemakers to attempt to reach and express solidarity with people confined in the prison. WHERE: Green Bay CI, 2833 Riverside Dr, Allouez, WI 54301 WHEN: 12:00 Noon on Sat August 28, 2021 Conditions at prisons across Wisconsin have deteriorated in recent years, and GBCI is one of the worst. Money that was intended to repair and improve the 123 year old prison is instead being used to create more solitary confinement cells and control units. People held there describe it as a conversion into a supermax style prison.  Staff at GBCI frequently neglect medical emergencies and drive their captives to self-harm and suicide. Those held in the restrictive housing unit (RHU) often express fear for their lives. When summoned to investigate deaths or litigate suits against the prison, local law enforcement and judges support the prison, enabling continued atrocities.  Read more about conditions, neglect, and abuse at GBCI here: https://abolishmke.com/2021/08/18/march-on-gbci/ The demonstration at GBCI is part of the national SHUTEMDOWN2021 mobilization called by Jailhouse Lawyers Speak (JLS), a prisoner-led organization. The goal of SHUTEMDOWN2021 is to raise awareness of the prison strike JLS plans for next year, and their 10 demands to end slavery and improve conditions in prisons across the US.  Wisconsin organizers are also planning educational events in Milwaukee, and a large demonstration at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF) on September 9.  Read more about JLS and SHUTEMDOWN2021 here: http://www.iamweubuntu.com/shutemdown.html Read more about solidarity plans in Wisconsin here: https://abolishmke.com/2021/07/29/shutem-down-wisconsin/ . ... . .. Featured Tracks: Not Afraid by Eminem from Not Afraid (single) Kinetic describes this as his anthem Digging For Windows by Zach de La Rocha from Digging For Windows (single)

On January 30th, guards attacked Robert Earl Council, and beat him until he was unconscious.  Council, also known as Kinetik Justice, is a longtime imprisoned organizer and cofounder of the Free Alabama Movement.   Outside supporters have urged as many people as possible to call the Donaldson Correctional Facility and express concern for Council’s welfare.  The …

On this episode of Live From The Plantation, the prisoners have an update on Kinetic Justice the incarcerated abolitionist activist, victim of modern slavery and solitary confinement, a co-founder of the prisoner group Free Alabama Movement, a group that seeks to abolish slavery in the state of Alabama. Kinetic Justice was hospitalized after being attacked by staff of a Alabama state prison. The correction officers involved in the attack are currently on leave and prisoners say that an officer who carried out the vicious attack, Lt. Jenkins, has a long and sordid history of brutality and violence. Jenkins has been promoted several times during his tenure under Commissioner Dunn, showing a pattern of reward for brutality at Donaldson.

The officer who carried out this attack, Lt. Jenkins, has a long and sordid history of brutality and violence. Jenkins has been promoted several times during his tenure under Commissioner Dunn, showing a pattern of reward for brutality at Donaldson.  Additionally, there have been multiple lawsuits brought against Donaldson Prison and ADOC on behalf of the men incarcerated there who have been beaten, brutalized, and raped by officers.    

On this episode of Live From The Plantation, the prisoners have an update on Kinetic Justice the incarcerated abolitionist activist, victim of modern slavery and solitary confinement, a co-founder of the prisoner group Free Alabama Movement, a group that seeks to abolish slavery in the state of Alabama. Kinetic Justice was hospitalized after being attacked by staff of a Alabama state prison. The correction officers involved in the attack are currently on leave and prisoners say that an officer who carried out the vicious attack, Lt. Jenkins, has a long and sordid history of brutality and violence. Jenkins has been promoted several times during his tenure under Commissioner Dunn, showing a pattern of reward for brutality at Donaldson.

Before we get in to the content for today's podcast, we have a few headlines from some of the current struggles ongoing inside prisons and detention centers. Near Montgomery, Alabama at the Kilby Correctional Facility, 11 imprisoned people have been on hunger strike since January 1st in response to the conditions of their captivity. The strike was launched to coincide with the Alabama prison strike/30 Day Economic Blackout called for by the Free Alabama Movement and is planned to conclude on January 31st. The hunger strikers are refusing food and medicine until they see steps taken to curb the rampant prisoner on prisoner and guard on prisoner violence, the smuggling of drugs by guards into the prison, and the deadly impact of the Arizona Department of Correction's negligence in preventing the spread of COVID19. On January 4th, prisoner Ronnie Miller, was beaten by a guard in retaliation for his participation in the strike he is now out of the infirmary and recovering in his cell. See our show notes for more details and for information on how to write these 11 individuals. write them here on the black out 'I Feel Like I'm Finna Die': Why Everyone in Alabama's Prison System Has a Death Sentence On January 4th, 60 ICE detainees held in the Hudson County Jail in New Jersey launched a hunger strike in response to the inhumane conditions and injustice of their captivity. The strikers call on those outside to join the fight against racist immigration policy, family separation, medical neglect, and incarceration. According to immigrant support group Abolish Ice NY-NJ, as many as 146 people have participated in hunger strike. 40 detainees transferred to Orange County Correctional Facility and 3 strikers placed in solitary in retaliation for their participation in the strike. More info: Prison Hunger Strikes Continue In NJ As ICE Detainees Fear COVID Immigration advocates say detainees are being transferred out of Hudson jail; county and ICE say that's not true As of January 8th, Victor Fonseca reached 50 days of hunger striking in North West Detention Center. Victor is now joined by four women hunger striking. These detainees strike to demand that everyone in solitary be released, that everyone who is sick be released, that all detainees be freed. Follow La Resistencia North West for updates. On this episode, we wanted to try something a little different. This past November, the Perilous Chronicle released a data analysis and article about the first 90 days of prisoner revolt after COVID-19. This was exciting for us as a project and as people concerned with prisoners and their resistance. So we wanted to talk directly with our data editor, to give folks an inside look into thePerilous Chronicle project and why we think this type of analysis is unique and important for the movement against prisons both inside and outside the prison walls. View the Full Report Special music interlude from NoName

  “The last four or five hundred years of European contact with Africa produced a body of literature that presented Africa in a very bad light and Africans in very lurid terms. The reason for this had to do with the need to justify the slave trade and slavery.” Chinua Achebe

Made by, hosted by, and produced by the currently incarcerated. 

Sunday, 7 PM EST US on Abolition Today We examine the deadly systemic conditions of the currently enslaved and the daily fight for survival they wage. We'll be joined by guest Bennu Hannibal Ra-Sun. One of the leaders of the Free Alabama Movement and a core architect of the national prison slave labor work strikes. A member of the GADSDEN 6, Bennu is currently doing a LWOP sentence in Alabama. He has been subject to systemic torture and abuse due to his organizing efforts inside prisons. Successful organizing efforts that have garnered international media/activist attention. Bennu is currently a host of the weekly podcast sponsored by Abolition Today titled LIVE FROM THE PLANTATION. Archives are available at www.abolitiontoday.org

Organizing To End Prison Slavery with Bennu Hannibal Ra Sun [starts at 00:02:37] This week, Bursts spoke with Bennu Hannibal Ra Sun, co-founder of the Free Alabama Movement and the National Freedom Movement, which is helping coordinate prisoner-led organizing across the so-called US. Bennu just finished a 5 year period in segregated housing for his organizing efforts. For the hour, they talk about the National Network coordination, the continuation of slavery from chattel slavery in which black and brown bodies were private property to the modern slavery of mass incarceration, pandemic behind bars, the importance of platforming prisoners in their struggles, the January Boycott FAM is conducting against prison industries, reform efforts and more. Transcription PDF (unimposed) Zine (imposed PDF) You can learn more and get in touch with Free Alabama movement by visiting their websites at http://FreeAlabamaMovement.Org and https://FreeAlabamaMovement.wordpress.com/, email them at FreeAlabamaMovement@gmail.com and find them on Twitter and Facebook. You can check out some of their radio shows at AbolitionToday.org You can reach the National Freedom Movement via 1NationalFreedomMovement@gmail.com. National Freedom Movement is now on Twitter as well. Inspirational revolutionaries we wanted to remember at the end of this chat: Bennu describes Richard Mafundi Lake as an “Ancestor, political prisoner and Panther for Life” Bursts mentioned Karen Smith and Rebecca Hensley, who both had memorials written up in the December 2020 SF Bay View Newspaper by comrades. Sean Swain Sean Swain's segment will be at the end from [starts at 01:04:17] Announcements [starts at 00:00:00 til 2:37] Likht'samisyu Village Fundraiser We'd also like to share a fundraiser being hosted by the Likht'samisyu Clan in so-called Canada for the purpose of expanding their sovereign village construction and to help pay for ongoing maintenance. You can find out more at their GoFundMe. TFSR Transcription The Final Straw is beginning to use our Patreon to fund comrades transcribing the episodes. Subscribers to our Patreon for $10 or more a month, will receive an episode a month as a zine in the mail alongside other thank-you's. For every $120 we raise in donations above $10 we will commit to another monthly episode transcribed up til our goal of $480 in those kinda donations. Transcriptions of our episodes allow for easier searching of content, so our chats will show up in search engines more quickly and completely, it'll also aid in translation, help folks for whom comprehension in English or audio is difficult and make it easier for abolitionists to send our chats into prisoners for discussion! You can find out more at our Patreon. . ... . .. Track used in this episode: La La (instrumental) by Slum Village

This week, we share an urgent statement from the Free Alabama Movement about their ongoing hunger strike and economic blackout. Afterwards, we speak with David Pellow, Fabiana Lake, and Camber Wilson, who recently coauthored a report on ‘Environmental Justice Struggles in Prisons and Jails Around the World,’  via the Prison Environmental Justice Project.  Environmental justice …

“Now I've been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is. I have seen hundreds of escaped slaves, but I never saw one who was willing to go back and be a slave.” Harriet Tubman

“Now I've been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is. I have seen hundreds of escaped slaves, but I never saw one who was willing to go back and be a slave.” Harriet Tubman

“The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes, and in a strange land reduced us to slavery. I loathed them as being the meanest as well as the most wicked of men.” Frederick Douglass - ― Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

"They would not call it slavery, but some other name. Slavery has been fruitful in giving herself names ... and it will call itself by yet another name; and you and I and all of us had better wait and see what new form this old monster will assume, in what new skin this old snake will come forth." Frederick Douglas 

In this special episode we hear directly from Swift Justice, an incarcerated organizer with Free Alabama Movement. Free Alabama Movement is a grassroots organization founded by men incarcerated in Alabama that supports Non-Violent and Peaceful Protests for Civil and Human Rights. In our conversation we cover a range of topics but focus in on the inhumanity of the profit motive inherent in mass incarceration as we know it in America.  Email us at publictheologianspodcast@gmail.com Links: https://freealabamamovement.wordpress.com/f-a-m-pamphlet-who-we-are/ https://governor.alabama.gov/newsroom/2020/09/governor-ivey-announces-next-phase-of-alabama-prison-program/ https://incarceratedworkers.org/news/let-crops-rot-field https://www.al.com/crime/2019/03/another-inmate-murdered-inside-an-alabama-state-prison.html https://www.wbrc.com/2020/09/06/bibb-co-woman-starts-petition-block-new-prison/ https://www.al.com/news/2019/02/alabama-will-build-3-prisons-for-men-ivey-announces-do-not-publish.html https://blog.globaltel.com/companies-use-prison-labor/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/publictheologians/support

““Thus far I had outwitted him, and I triumphed over it. Who can blame slaves for being cunning? They are constantly compelled to resort to it. It is the only weapon of the weak and oppressed against the strength of their tyrants.”” Harriet Ann Jacobs - Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl  

I consider involuntary slavery a never-failing fountain of the grossest immorality, and one of the deepest sources of human misery; it hangs like the mantle of night over our republic, and shrouds its rising glories. I sincerely pity the man who tinges his hand in the unhallowed thing that is fraught with the tears, and sweat, and groans, and blood of hapless millions of innocent, unoffending people… John Rankin, 1823, abolitionist, published in The Castigator, a local newspaper in Ripley, Ohio

"They would not call it slavery, but some other name. Slavery has been fruitful in giving herself names ... and it will call itself by yet another name; and you and I and all of us had better wait and see what new form this old monster will assume, in what new skin this old snake will come forth." Frederick Douglas

  “It is among the evils of slavery that it taints the very sources of moral principle. It establishes false estimates of virtue and vice: for what can be more false and heartless than this doctrine which makes the first and holiest rights of humanity to depend upon the color of the skin?” John Quincy Adams 

“The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes, and in a strange land reduced us to slavery. I loathed them as being the meanest as well as the most wicked of men.” Frederick Douglass - 

If you strike at, imprison, or kill us, out of our prisons or graves we will still evoke a spirit that will thwart you, and perhaps, raise a force that will destroy you! We defy you! Do your worst! James Connolly  

“Now I've been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is. I have seen hundreds of escaped slaves, but I never saw one who was willing to go back and be a slave.” -Harriet Tubman 

"They would not call it slavery, but some other name. Slavery has been fruitful in giving herself names ... and it will call itself by yet another name; and you and I and all of us had better wait and see what new form this old monster will assume, in what new skin this old snake will come forth." Frederick Douglas 

  ““Thus far I had outwitted him, and I triumphed over it. Who can blame slaves for being cunning? They are constantly compelled to resort to it. It is the only weapon of the weak and oppressed against the strength of their tyrants.”” Harriet Ann Jacobs - Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

“The second reason our race furnishes so large a share of the convicts is that the judges, juries and other officials of the courts are white men who share these prejudices. They also make the laws. It is wholly in their power to extend clemency to white criminals and mete severe punishment to black criminals for the same or lesser crimes. The Negro criminals are mostly ignorant, poor and friendless. Possessing neither money to employ lawyers nor influential friends, they are sentenced in large numbers to long terms of imprisonment for petty crimes. The People's Advocate, a Negro journal, of Atlanta, Georgia, has the following observation on the prison showing of that state for 1892. "It is an astounding fact that 90 per cent of the state's convicts are colored; 194 white males and 2 white females; 1,710 colored males and 44 colored females. Is it possible that Georgia is so color prejudiced that she won't convict her white law-breakers. Yes, it is just so, but we hope for a better day.” Ida B. Wells - The Convict Lease System

This week we got the chance to sit down and catch up with Ben Turk, who is an anarchist and prison abolitionist living in Milwaukee WI, about some recent efforts that he has been involved in and some ways that listeners can plug in and do solidarity work from afar. We speak about the lockdowns that have been occuring in Columbia CI, continued efforts to raise awareness about solitary confinement and bringing mental healthcare services to people undergoing incarceration, efforts to change legislation regarding old law prisoners, efforts to free Chrystul Kizer, and how the face of anarchist abolitionist organizing is shifting.   If you're interested in getting networked with Ben and the work of Forum for Understanding Prisons, to help with compiling information from the WI DOC shift logs, to help support people being tortured via solitary confinement, to donate to efforts to free Chrystul Kizer, and many more you can email him at insurgent.ben@gmail.com or follow the websites prisonforum.org, freechrystul.wordpress.com, and fireinside.noblogs.org if you'd like to read more about prison abolition.   Link to the Washington Post article about the case of Chrystul Kizer   Detailed notes from our guest concerning the topics we covered in the show:   Resisting lockdowns at Columbia CI and elsewhere.   We leaped to action against the prolonged and excruciating lock-down at Columbia Correctional Institution, which started on November 8, and wasn't completely lifted until December 22. Midway through the lockdown Muhammad (Larry) Bracey was killed by guards through medical neglect. We posted 13 reports, letters or updates about the lockdown on our website. We also staged a New Year's Eeve noise demo outside Columbia and two rallies at the Wisconsin DOC building. We mirrored the demands of incarcerated people, including hunger strikers, who called for Warden Susan Novak to be fired. Our efforts got us a meeting with Secretary Carr and other top DOC officials, who haven't yet met our demands, but have fired some racist and sadistic guards, including multiple involved in Muhammad Bracey's death. Unfortunately, conditions remain unsafe at CCI following the lockdown, two more mendied preventable deaths on the week of January 13. We are still getting responses to our open records requests, and will put out more reports shining a continuous light on the horrors that creep in the corners of this institution. We will continue to fight for our demands until they are satisfied, including the firing of Susan Novak. How you can help this campaign: Show up. We plan to be wherever Secretary Carr is and to repeat our demands there. He will be appearing at a Supporters of Incarcerated People (SIP) meeting at Grace Episcopal Church on February 12. Join us there. Shine a light. Much of this work involves research, going through released records and correspondence with incarcerated people to generate reports and expose the hardships. Contact insurgent.ben@gmail.com if you would like to help with that work.  Remain vigilant. Shortly after the CCI lockdown, there was a 10 day lockdown at WaupunCorrectional. People held there say it was the worst they'dexperienced. We need to be ready to mobilize and maintain pressure to keep the DOC from dragging out more of these unlawful lockdowns and humanitarian violations.     Abolishing solitary confinement and advocating for mental health treatment.   Ending the torture of long term solitary confinement has been the driving goal of FFUP's work for more than 15 years. We are continuously dismayed to see this practice and attending tortures expanding in Wisconsin, despite inspiring reform efforts happening elsewhere.   In February, we will release a comprehensive report by FFUP founder Peg Swan, describing the history of solitary in Wisconsin and its many impacts, large and small. Joining testimonies from survivors, historical events and legal analysis, the report advocates for strong and decisive action toward restricting and eliminating Wisconsin's use solitary confinement and replacing it with mental health treatment.   Governor Evers and Secretary Carr have talked about reforming solitary confinement, but cautioned us that the changes will be gradual. David Crowley and other law-makers have introduced a bill calling for psychological reviews of people in solitary confinement. The trouble is, DOC doctors are already routinely altering mental health diagnoses to enable the use of restraint chairs and other forms of torture that aren't officially sanctioned for use on people diagnosed with serious mental illnesses. We expect that if the proposed law or similar restrictions come to pass, DOC staff will dodge their effect by continuing their practice of altering diagnoses to put whoever they want into solitary. Instead, Wisconsin needs the follow the success story in Colorado. When Rick Raemisch took over the DOC there, he made a dramatic commitment to replace solitary confinement with mindfulness practice and treatment. Within his first year, changes were happening, and now Colorado restricts solitary confinement to a maximum of 15 days.   How you can help this campaign: Reduce the harm of isolation. Peg Swan has begun an email newsletter and penpal program to provide people held in long term solitary confinement with what they need most: human connection. If you would like to receive the newsletter or can write to someone in solitary, you may help save lives. Contact Peg at pgswan3@aol.com. Contact Governor Evers. Tell him you support the abolition of long term solitary confinement. Half measures and gradual steps are not enough when lives hang in the balance. Call (608) 266-1212, email GovPress@wisconsin.gov, file public comment here.   Fighting for old law prisoners.   Volunteers with FFUP have been attending recent parole board meetings to track progress toward reforms and increased releases by the new administration. There are about 3000 people held in Wisconsin prisons under the old law, most of them would be released by the standard expectations of their sentencing judges by now if not for very regressive policies of the DOC and parole commission. Peg and other FFUP contacts maintain regular correspondence with many old law prisoners. Releasing these people will not only reunite them with their families, it will have a significant impact on the overcrowding that makes everyone's life harder in prison- both captives and staff.   Last spring Governor Evers appointed John Tate II to be the Chair of the Parole Commission, promising increased releases and long overdue justice for people sentenced before Dec 31, 1999. Unfortunately, from what we've observed in meetings transition to that agenda has been very difficult. On January 8, we witnessed an alarming level of obstruction, disrespect and apparent sabotage of reform efforts by parole commissioners. This behavior, combined with obstructive practices by DOC staff in classification, programming and community corrections are drastically curtailing the possibility for release of people incarcerated under the old law.   We have decided that a stronger public voice in support of reform and releases is necessary, so we're encouraging people to attend parole commission meetings and will follow the next meeting (Feb 5) with a rally. We also released Ben's notes from January publicly and sent them to hundreds of people incarcerated under the old law. Last summer we delivered a rules change petition to Governor Evers and Chairman Tate. At the monthly meetings we will be delivering the petitions again, showing increasing public support for the release of old law prisoners.   How you can help this campaign: Support Tate's confirmation. State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald has delayed Tate's confirmation for seven months. Contact him to demand that he allow a confirmation vote for Chairman Tate. (608) 266-5660 or Sen.Fitzgerald@legis.wisconsin.gov  Voice support. Sign the petition calling for parole reform and expanded releases. Bear witness. Attend or invite people to the February 5 meeting at 9:30 and / or the rally at noon. Both at the DOC building 3099 E Washington.   Defending sex trafficking survivor Chrystul Kizer. On June 20, 2018 a 17 year old Black girl named Chrystul Kizer from Milwaukee defended herself against a 34 year old child pornographer and sex trafficker named Randal Volar, ending his life. Volar had been investigated by Kenosha police since at least February when he was arrested, but released despite possession of child pornography and other clear evidence. Kenosha DA Michael Graveley failed to charge Volar, but is now pursuing first degree murder charges against Chrystul.   FFUP volunteers are working closely with Chrystul and her family to raise awareness of her case and to demand that charges be dropped. We've helped pack the court for each of her preliminary hearings and taken control of the narrative around her case. We are also helping organize a rally at 5:30 pm on February 5 at UW Parkside, where Graveley teaches Criminal Law. On Thursday February 6, 8:45 am Chrystul has another hearing at Kenosha County Courthouse. She is requesting a bond reduction to one we can fundraise enough for, so she can come home while awaiting trial. How you can help this campaign: 1. Follow #FreeChrystul on social media and share the campaigns stories and updates. 2. Donate to Chrystul's family, sign the petition, write to Chrystul and ask organizations you're involved in to contact DA Graveley. -- Phone: (614) 704-4699 Forum For Understanding Prisons- prisonforum.org     Further interviews with Ben on The Final Straw:   August 19th Solidarity with Prisoners: Ben Turk of IWOC (originally aired 06/25/2017)   The Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons (or FTP) and Ben Turk on the recent prisoner strikes (originally aired 05/17/2016)   Ben Turk on the silencing of Sean Swain, anarchist prisoner in Ohio (originally aired 04/21/2013)   Ben Turk on Insurgent Theatre + Prison Abolition (October 27, 2013) (originally aired 11/04/2013)   Waupun CI prisoners on Hunger Strikes (originally aired 07/19/2016) Announcements Appalachian Climate Action Camp From a call to participate in an Appalachian Climate Action Camp: People all over the world are mobilizing to combat the climate crisis. It's time to build skills and take action! Join us for 10 days of learning, training, and taking direct action to disrupt the systems that are destroying our climate. We will come together to build on Appalachia's rich history of direct action against extractive industries, which has included tree sits, blockades, and walk-ons to resist mountaintop removal, fracking, and fossil fuel pipelines. After fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline for over two years, we aim to grow the resistance to fossil fuel exploitation and take power out of the hands of corporations and politicians that are threatening our collective future. We are inviting community members, activists, students, and families to learn the skills needed to execute a variety of actions that disrupt the power structures wrecking the environment we depend upon and contributing to climate change.  We will be hosting people in the southwestern Virginia/ southern West Virginia along the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, providing food and trainings to participants for 10 days. We will have more information in the coming weeks. If you are interested in coming to camp and joining the resistance please email appclimateactioncamp@protonmail.com. Location and more event details to follow upon registration! Floods in Eastern Kentucky and South West Virginia There's a request for funds for relief from recent floods in Appalachia in coal-country. Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, in partnership with local activists who helped support Black Jewel Miners Blockade are requesting funds and goods to Harlan County and surrounding areas. You can learn more on instagram at @weloveminersblockades, you can donate on venmo at mutualaidky, cashapp at $ekyswvafloods, paypal via floodreliefkyswva@gmail.com and you can email them there as well. Anti-ICE protestors harassed in Florida A group of activists known as the GEO9 who were arrested while protesting on December 3rd, 2019, outside the Boca Raton office of GEO Group, which contracts immigration prison services for ICE, have experienced ramped up harassment. They received misdemeanor charges for trespassing and the use of a megaphone and were released on their own recognizance after their initial arrests. But now apparently are facing felonies and one activist of the 9, Alexis Butler, was even rearrested under fishy circumstances at her house by Broward County Sheriff on February 7th. More info is available in the write-up at itsgoingdown.org linked in the show notes and a fundraiser for the activists legal defense via EverRibbon.com can be found in our notes as well. Chuck Africa is Free We are happy to announce that Chuck Sims Africa, the remaining member of the MOVE 9 left behind bars was released from prison after 42 years on February 7th, 2019. There is a fundraiser for his post-release situation up at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-chuck-africa-rebuild to help Chuck get rolling on the outside. Free Them All! Michael Kimble Legal Defense His support crew needs funds to challenge his initial conviction. Here's the text from that site: Michael Kimble is a passionate freedom fighter who has been held captive by the Alabama Department of Corrections for nearly 33 years. After defending himself during a homophobic attack by a known white supremacist in 1987, Michael was arrested, charged with murder, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. His trial was typical of what could be expected from a racist criminal justice system in Jefferson County, Alabama. Since his conviction, Michael has been fervently involved in efforts to free himself and others, assisting in legal defense for fellow inmates, organizing reading groups and Black History events, speaking up for queer folks behind bars, and helping to organize and agitate alongside the Free Alabama Movement for the historic national prison strike of September 2016. The Alabama prison system has recently come under fire from the federal government for its abhorrent conditions, and Holman Prison, where Michael is incarcerated, is being decommissioned and largely shut down. In this context, many Alabama prisoners have been successfully challenging the length of their original sentences. A group of Michael's supporters on the outside have recently joined forces to hire a new legal team to help him push for a sentence reduction. Given the amount of time already served, we are hoping this could result in his release. All the money raised will go directly towards filing motions for sentence reduction, and anything left over will be used to support Michael's day to day life inside with things like stamps, books, and commissary funds. Fingers crossed, we'll also be raising money to support Michael once he joins on the outside. For more information, check out this awesome interview with Michael from a few years back, as well as his blog. Until Every Cage is Empty, –Michael Kimble Support Crew The fundraiser is up at gofundme.com/f/free-michael-kimble. To hear our past interviews with Michael Kimble, check out our website. Channel Zero Network news Mid week, we'll be releasing an episode of Coffee With Comrades, where Pearson talks to Amy & Liz from Rebel Steps and Mitch from Red Strings & Maroons, all fellow members of CZN. The conversation engages the participants podcasts, CZN and radical media. This conversation happened in the context of CZN's continued fundraiser, which we'll have linked in our show notes. Also, if you do the reddit thing, check out the brand new Channel Zero Network subreddit! . … . .. Intro music by: Mad Skillz – Tip of the Tongue (instrumental)      

In this special episode, Jared talks to a prisoner named Bennu Hannibal Ra-Sun, founder of the Free Alabama Movement. Bennu is currently serving a life without parole sentence in the state of Alabama and we talk about his first interactions with the criminal justice system as a child. This is a conversation about family separation, denial of due process, institutional racism, judicial and law enforcement collusion, and the impact that these practices can have on the trajectory of someone’s life. The interactions Bennu describes altered the trajectory of the lives of six teenagers in 1988 in profoundly negative ways. This is the story of the Gadsden 6 and it is a story that matters to the individuals who remain without parole opportunities due to the circumstances Bennu describes, but it also matters to the thousands of people across the US who are still behind bars because of similar treatment at the hands of the state. Link to Bennu's certified court records, posted at his request.

Prisoners in Ohio and Alabama Speak This week, we hear the voices of three prisoners: anarchist prisoner Michael Kimble and jailhouse lawyer Arthur “Akbar” Griggs at Holman CI in Atmore, Alabama, and Mark “Mustafa” Hinkston at Toledo CI in Ohio. Michael Kimble In the first portion of this episode William and Bursts spoke with black, gay, anarchist prisoner, Michael Kimble, being held at Holman Prison in Alabama serving a life sentence for the murder of a white, homophobic, racist bigot. This audio is from a longer conversation we had in the context of an upcoming episode about Fire Ant zine featuring the voices of prisoners and outside folks involved in its production. Keep an ear out for that. Meanwhile, Michael talks about the gang breakdown of the prison he's at, the queer & mostly white prisoners he's around now, pushes to reform the prison system in Alabama, . Here are a few links referencing what we talked about: William's 2015 interview with Michael Kimble; Swift Justice on Kinetic Justice and AL prison expansion; Thurgood Marshall was an FBI informant on Robert F Williams during the Civil Rights struggle. Michael can be contacted by writing: Michael Kimble #138017 3700 Holman Unit Atmore, AL 36503 Arthur "Akbar" Griggs Michael then passed the phone to Arthur Griggs, known by folks inside as Akbar. Akbar is a jailhouse lawyer who talks a bit about his work, pushing back against administration, his involvement in the Free Alabama Movement and a request of listeners outside of the prison walls. Akbar can be written at: Arthur Griggs #129969 3700 Holman Unit Atmore, AL 36503 Mark Mustafa Hinkston Finally, we hear from Mark “Mustafa” Hinkston. Mark is a member of Central Ohio IWOC (fedbook & twitter) who was just transferred to Toledo CI in Toledo, OH. He had just come off of a hunger strike to challenge his mistreatment by guards and administration of mentally ill prisoners at Youngstown (SOCF) in long term isolation. He himself came out of almost 3 years of isolation at Youngstown, despite having no violent incidents in almost 3 years. In the latter half of the show, Mustafa talks about his experience in the hole and the advocacy he does for other prisoners and his ideas about prison abolition. Mustafa can be reached via his JPay at by looking him up by his name and number (#A707808) at jpay.com to those people who have JPay accounts. He can also be written letters at: Mark Hinkston #A707808 Toledo Correctional Institution 2001 East Central Avenue Toledo, OH 43608 Announcements Sean Swain Transfered (again!) Guess who just got transferred again!!! You can write to Sean Swain at his latest address as of mid-May 2019 at: Sean Swain #2015638 Buckingham Correctional 1349 Correctional Center Road Dillwyn, VA 23936 Anniversary Episode Keep an ear out for an upcoming podcast episode of TFSR with the co-hosts, William and I, talk about the project, about our politicization and get personal. This'll be dropping quite soon. NAASN 2019: Atlanta If you are in the southeast of the so-called-U.S. for the weekend of May 31-June 2nd, consider dropping by the North American Anarchist Studies Network Conference at 1083 Austin Ave NE, Atlanta, GA in the Little Five Points neighborhood. The theme for this year is Emergent Horizons and more info, including abstracts of presenters and the schedule is updated at https://wiki.naasn.org/NAASN_2019_(en) Stop by and visit the Final Straw table if you are around! … . .. Playlist

This week we had the chance to interview Lelia, who is a community activist and a part of the group Comunidad Colectiva, an immigrant rights group based in Charlotte NC. We got to talk about a lot of things in this interview, the work that they and other groups do with immigrant and undocumented communities, about the February ICE raids that got national attention, what effective rapid response can look like, and the challenging tension associated with both being anti state and being in the position of having to negotiate with police and sheriffs for safety reasons, plus many more topics. We wanted to mention something called 287(g) and give a bit of information for listeners who may not have heard of this before. 287(g) was a contract between local officials and ICE which essentially made police forces extensions of ICE, and also instituted deportation proceedings as part of run of the mill arrests. More is explained about this contract later on in the interview, but it gets mentioned fairly heavily before that time. You can keep updated on this group's work by hitting them up on Facebook and if you have a few dollars you'd like to throw them to recoup the costs associated with their rapid response network, their Venmo is @comunidad-colectiva. Next week on The Final Straw, stay tuned for an interview with a member of the Montreal based group Ni Frontiers Ni Prison (which is No Borders, No Prison) about fighting a proposed new migrant prison, decolonization, the rise of far right sentiment in so called Canada, and many associated topics, plus a possible other interview. Update on Kinetic Justice In a brief update to last week's interview on the hunger strike by Kinetic Justice of the Free Alabama Movement, we'd like to share the following news. On March 20th, Kinetic Justice Amun (aka Robert Earl Council) resumed his hunger strike as he was transferred briefly to segregation housing at Limestone prison, but ended his hunger strike within a few days and was transferred to general population at that prison. He can be written at the following address: Robert Earl Council #181418 28779 Nick Davis Rd Harvest, AL 35749 Consequently, 8 of the prisoners transferred with Kinetic in the middle of the night, began engaging in a hunger strike in response to their own incarceration in solitary. In response to the hunger strike, administration cut off water to the cells they were held in, giving them bottled water. The 8 prisoners ended their hunger strike on March 22nd, and administration claims they'll be transferred to general population in the Alabama prison system as they're not under investigation currently. Their names are as follows: Kotoni Tellis (#223155) Marcus Lee (#175056) Mario Avila (#259514) Corey Burroughs (#207639) Earl Taylor 3rd (#168616) Tyree Cochroan (#172306) Earl Manassa (#175099) Antonio Jackson (#246560) and they can be written at: Holman “Correctional” Facitily 1240 Ross Rd. Atmore, AL 36502 . … . .. Playlist here.

End Prison Slavery: The Free Alabama Movement (Sean Swain: 4min 47sec) This week we air two interviews about the struggle of Alabama activist and prisoner Kinetic Justice. Kinetic, aka Robert Earl Council, conducted a 6 day hunger strike because he was transferred with no altercations, investigations or disciplinary actions and after just having ended an almost 54 month stint in solitary confinement as punishment for Kinetic's activism. To hear a past interview we conducted years back with Kinetic and others of the FAM, check out this link. *** Update: 8 of the other prisoners transferred with Kinetic to solitary have just begun a hunger strike, March 18th. IWOC has begun spreading a phone zap that you can partake in to help amplify the 8 voices. *** (Swift Justice: 10min 45sec) First up, Swift Justice, a prisoner currently in the Alabama system and member of the Free Alabama Movement and founder of UnheardVoicesOTCJ. Swift talks about the Free Alabama Movement's inside/outside work, the organizing work that prisoners, former prisoners and outside community members have done in raising awareness of the slavery system of American prisons. Swift also talks about the inspiration and struggle of Kinetic Justice and the attempt to expand the prison system in Alabama by Governor Kay Ivey with a $900 million project to build 3 super max facilities. Swift's writings can be found at https://unheardvoicesotcj.wordpress.com/ and on his twitter @unheardvoices16 and fedbook page. (Pastor Glasgow: 35min 14sec) Then we Pastor Kenneth Sharpton Glasgow of The Ordinary Peoples Society out of Dothan, Alabama, talks about Kinetic, about the harm reduction and community empowerment projects that he's involved in. You can learn more about the related projects at https://www.theordinarypeoplesociety.org/. And you can follow the work of the Free Alabama Movement by checking out https://freealabamamovement.org and Kinetic Justice by visiting his support blog, https://freerobertearlcouncil.wordpress.com/. . ... . .. The latest episode of BADNews can be found here: https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2019/03/15/bad-news-march-2019-20/ . ... . .. Playlist

Air Date: 3/16/2018 Today we take a look at the catastrophic point where cutting taxes, racism, capitalism, immigration policy and our punitive-rather-than-rehabilitative criminal justice system all meet Be part of the show! Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Become a member and enjoy ad-free episodes and bonus content! Visit: https://www.patreon.com/BestOfTheLeft Show Notes Ch. 1: Opening Theme: Loving Acoustic Instrumental by John Douglas Orr  Ch. 2: Act 1: Targeting minority communities as sources of revenue through law enforcement - Leid Stories - Air Date 8-25-15 Ch. 3: Song 1:  Lord Weasel - Molerider Ch. 4: Act 2: The costs of incarceration for those least able to pay - CounterSpin (@FAIRmediawatch) - Air Date 9-30-16 Ch. 5: Song 2:  One Little Triumph - Piano Mover Ch. 6: Act 3: Lauren Brooke, author of Inside Private Prisons - Off Kilter - Air Date 11-9-17 Ch. 7: Song 3:  Dirtbike Lovers - Desert Orchard Ch. 8: Act 4: Revenge or Reform: The Penal Challenge - Progressive Faith Sermons w @RevDrRay - Air Date 6-11-17 Ch. 9: Song 4:  Neil Takes Two - Studio J Ch. 10: Act 5: What They Won't Tell You About The Fires In California - @RedactedTonight with @LeeCamp - Air Date 10-18-17 Ch. 11: Song 5:  Donder - Darby Ch. 12: Act 6: LA Sheriff Whines Because 'Good' Prison Laborers Are Getting Released - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 10-14-17 Ch. 13: Song 6:  Heather - Migration Ch. 14: Act 7: Slave labor in our prisons - Off Kilter - Air Date 10-20-17 Ch. 15: Song 7:  A Burst of Light - Delray Ch. 16: Act 8: Support #OperationPUSH & Join Juneteenth 2018 Call to End Prison Slavery via @IWW_IWOC - Best of the Left Activism Voicemails Ch. 17: Disputing the horseshoe fallacy - Eduardo Voicemail Music: Low Key Lost Feeling Electro by Alex Stinnent Ch. 18: Final comments on DACA, immigration policy, Japanese internment, prison labor and agribusiness Sarah Taber's Twitter thread on Dreamers & the Agricultural History of Japanese Internment Camps BONUS CLIP: Hard times (still) in the fields - Jim @HightowerNews - Air Date 3-14-18 Help fight climate change! Donate to Jay's Climate Ride fundraiser! Closing Music: Upbeat Laid Back Indie Rock by Alex Stinnent (Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions) Activism: TAKE ACTION Support Operation PUSH - Incarcerated Worker’s Organizing Committee Support Juneteenth 2018 Call to End Prison Slavery - Fight Toxic Prisons Other Resources: Check out Free Alabama Movement’s “ALABAMA'S EDUCATION, REHABILITATION, AND RE-ENTRY PREPAREDNESS BILL" Check out ACLU New Jersey’s “A Vision to End Mass Incarceration in New Jersey” EDUCATE YOURSELF Prisoner Rights Advocates Rally Against Visitation Cutbacks In Florida Prisons (WUFT) Both Red and Blue States Rely on Prison Labor (via The American Prospect) Prison labour is a billion-dollar industry, with uncertain returns for inmates (The Economist) The NCAA Says Student-Athletes Shouldn’t Be Paid Because the 13th Amendment Allows Unpaid Prison Labor (The Intercept) Florida is afraid of its prison system. Here’s what lawmakers want to do about it. (Tampa Bay Times) Florida Prisoners Prepare To Strike, Demanding an End to Unpaid Labor and Brutal Conditions (The Intercept) Enlisting Prison Labor to Close Budget Gaps (via The New York Times, 2011) 4 Reasons to End Prison Labor Immediately (Care2) Written by BOTL Communications Director Amanda Hoffman  Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Support the show via Patreon Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Dan Berger joins Brian Sonenstein and Kim Wilson for episode 9 of Beyond Prisons to discuss his book, "Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era." We begin the conversation by looking at whose voices are heard in conversations on mass incarceration and the importance of telling the history of this struggle from the vantage point of incarcerated people. Dan explains that although jails and courtrooms have been critical battlegrounds for Black people's human rights movements throughout American history, the influence of Black prison organizing is often glossed over, despite its central role in struggles from emancipation to the 1960's era civil rights movement and beyond. We discuss the increasing use of prisons as props in mainstream culture, where the focus is placed on the phenomenon of mass incarceration instead of the problem that is prison. We also talk about the erasure of Black political prisoners, who have their revolutionary ideas stolen from them by white American and European intellectuals. In addition to telling us what abolition means to him, Dan shares how letter writing with Black political prisoners was formative to his understanding of race, capitalism, and incarceration in America from a young age. Dan Berger is an associate professor of comparative ethnic studies at the University of Washington Bothell. He is the author of several books and won the 2015 James A. Rawley Prize from the Organization of American Historians for "Captive Nation." Buy "Captive Nation" from UNC Press. Follow Dan Berger on Twitter @dnbrgr. Read Dan's work at AAIHS. Free Alabama Movement: http://www.freealabamamovement.com/ Jailhouse Lawyers Speak: https://www.facebook.com/BlkJailhouselawyer/ Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes and on Google Play Sign up for the Beyond Prisons newsletter to receive updates on new episodes, important news and events, and more. Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondprisonspodcast/ Music & Production: Jared Ware

This week, Bursts spoke with Ben Turk about the August 19th call out for solidarity with prisoners.  The Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, a project of the Industrial Workers of the World (or IWW) syndicalist labor union is one body organizing the inside and outside actions, and Ben is a member.  Ben's also affiliated with Lucasville Amnesty Last year was a huge time for radical organizing around the U.S.  Prisoners from around the country participated in the September 9th national prisoner strike, the first of it's size and scope that we've seen.  This event mobilized individual prisoners and also sprang from groups like the Free Alabama Movement and it's sister pushes in other carceral states, Anarchist Black Cross chapters, the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, or IWOC, of the Industrial Workers of the World labor union and also by just lots of unaffiliated prisoners.  Now, we have what could be called a hard Law and Disorder administration in the White House talking about increasing funding and support for cops, further militarizing the border and terrorizing residents, reviving the 1980's style war on drugs and other repressive actions.  In this context, it feels necessary for those who have a different vision of the world to push back and keep pushing as we were under Obama, under Bush & before. More on IWOC can be found at https://incarceratedworkers.org and more about public call for the strike can be found at IAmWeUbuntu.com Soooooo many Announcements But first, we have a bunch of announcements we wanted to share with you.  If you have things you want announced on the show, send us an email and we may include it! Firstly, if you follow the show on twitter, we're shifting the show's account over to @StrawFinal.  If you're on that or other, despicable forms of social media, consider checking us out for announcements about the show, about related projects and for the occasional anti-social, cat memes. Kevin "Rashid" Johnson in transit An update on the case of Kevin "Rashid" Johnson from http://rashidmod.com : "Supporters have received word that Kevin “Rashid” Johnson was picked up by Virginia officials and removed from Clements Unit on Thursday, June 23rd. He is no longer being held by Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Thanks to so many people phoning Virginia Interstate Compact Supervisor Terry Glenn, we have found out that Rashid is now in Florida at a “reception facility”. However, we do not know where that is, if he can receive mail there, or where he will end up. We will keep you informed as we find out more, and in the meantime will be asking people to phone Glenn back on Monday. Rashid is Minister of Defense of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party (Prison Chapter); he is a Virginia prisoner organizer and revolutionary communist. As a result of his organizing he has been repeatedly transferred out of state, under a setup called the “Interstate Compact” which is used to remove rebellious prisoners and exile them to locations where they have no friends, support, etc. For the past four years Rashid has been held in Texas, where he has been beaten, threatened, had his property confiscated,  been set up on bogus infractions, and more — nonetheless, he used his time there to forge connections with other prisoners and to write a series of powerful exposés about violence, medical neglect, abuse, and murder in the Texas prison system. Transfers can be opportunities for prison officials to arrange for violence and abuse. Rashid was beaten when he was first brought to Texas, and lost much of his property at the time. Outside supporters and people concerned about prisoners' rights and basic human dignity need to make sure this does not happen again!" Kevin "Rashid" Johnson's support site suggests people call the following prison employee to support Rashid, and there's a simple script for calls available at http://rashidmod.com: Mr. Terry Glenn, Interstate Compact Supervisor Virginia Department of Corrections P.O. Box 26963 Richmond, VA 23261-6963 Phone: (804) 887-7866 Fax: (804) 674-3595 QTLUG & VPNs When this show is over, consider bringing your linux or soon-to-be linux laptop, tablet, phone or whatever device over to Firestorm for the QTLUG.  A linux and open source software enthusiasts' meetup. Asheville Queer & Trans Linux User Group (QTLUG, pronounced "Cutie Lug") aims to provide a welcoming environment for queers, trans folks, women and others who want to explore technology and receive support from peers. QTLUG meets monthly and can be contacted at qtlug@tuta.io .  Today, June 25th at 3:30pm EST there'll be a VPN clinic, where attendees will be helped to set up Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, on their devices.  Little to no experience necessary! Self-Protection Class Today at 4 to 6pm, and every Sunday, in Haw Creek Park at 40 Avon Rd in Asheville there will be a self-protection class taught by folks at Mountain Forge.  This class is informed by Combat Systema and other tendencies. J20 benefit with Thou Tonight, on June 25th at 7pm at the Pinhook in Durham, NC, there'll be a benefit concert to raise funds for J20 defendants, those swept up in the kettle on January 20th in D.C. during the protests against the inauguration. Bands playing include the New Orleans, anarcho-doom band THOU as well as Bad Friends and Slime. Info Session on Stonewall On Tuesday June 27th, the other Tranzmission in Asheville will be hosting An Information Session downstairs at the Pack Library in Downtown AVL from 6-8pm.  "Learn about the Miss Major, Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. Myka Johnson from TQPOC, Charlotte (Queer Trans People of Color, Charlotte) will teach us about the leaders who kicked off the modern day LGBTQ movement, trans people of color!" DIY Screen Printing workshop On Wednesday, June 28th, you can attend a DIY Screenprinting workshop// Taller de serigrafía from 7-8:30pm at the Kairos West community center, behind Firestorm at 610 Haywood Rd in West Asheville. Bring a blank, light colored tshirt to print on! Trouble #4: There Is No Justice... Just Us On Friday, June 30th at 7:30pm, there'll be a showing of the 30 minute, 4th installment of TROUBLE, the new serial documentary series from sub.Media.   This episode has a focus on Repression and Movement Defense with examples around support for Fernando Barcenas in Mexico, defense of water defenders from the #NoDAPL struggle, support for #J20 defendants, La Fuga anti-carceral organizing across Chile, Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee about U.S. prison strikes and more. This'll be followed by a conversation based on prompts from the film makers.   Prison Books packaging On Saturday July 1st and every following Saturday, Asheville Prison Books Project will be hosting a weekly book packaging and letter writing event in the back of Downtown Books & News, 67 N Lexington Ave, Asheville.  APBP sends free books and letters to prisoners around the South Eastern U.S. Stonewall Folk Punk concert Also on July 1st in Asheville, the other Tranzmission will be hosting Folk Punk Transtravaganza at the members-only bar, Broadways from 7-10pm. Performances by  Gullible Boys, Bless Your Heart, Brynn Estelle and ATL's wWaylon.   NVDA training against Coal Ash & Pipelines On Sunday July 2nd, there'll be a Non Violent Direct Action training camp from 9am to 5pm hosted by Claire and Coleman in preparation for a protest on July 4th against the Duke Energy coal-ash pit and Atlantic Coast Pipeline that Duke is investing in.  The action is entitled "Lake Julian Action: Independence From Fossil Fuels".  The action camp will take place at 406 Overlook Rd Extension in Arden. There's also a request on that fedbook page for fundraising for the direct action. Blue Ridge ABC letter wriitng Letters save lives! Join Blue Ridge ABC each month for an evening of solidarity with incarcerated comrades. Celebrate their birthdays by sending words of encouragement and support. From 5-7:30pm at Firestorm Books & Coffee,  more info on the group at BRABC.Blackblogs.Org Needle Exchange July 4th falls on a Tuesday and every Tuesday at 1:30pm, the Steady Collective, a harm reduction project in Asheville, does it's Needle Exchange at Firestorm, 610 Haywood Rd.  Show up if you need clean needles, information on Narcan, or wanna start helping out!  They'll also be at the Haywood Street Congregation, 297 Haywood St in downtown from 10am to 3pm every Wednesday. July 4th Critical Mass Bike Parade Also on July 4th, from 5:30pm to 9pm, there will be an Anti-Nationalist Critical Mass Bike Ride and bike parade in Asheville.  Leaving from Montford Park Place, near between Panola and Cumberland, the ride will be a reasonable distance at a reasonable pace to allow more participation and will return to the park for cool-down, vegan popsicles, or vice lollies as they may be called in the U.K., plus speakers, info and maybe music.  From the announcement:     "Gather with us on July 4th to demonstrate resistance to nationalism and the american empire's history of genocide, slavery and ecological devastation. Especially in the present climate of rising white nationalism, attacks on indigenous sovereignty, and disregard for impending climate disaster, we reject this holiday and its gratuitous flag-waving propaganda. Instead, we'll celebrate collective resistance by taking the streets in a critical mass bike ride through downtown. Show your opposition to war and eco-devastation in this pedal-powered parade!" More on this event and other local events to WNC, check out http://avlcommunityaction.com Anarchist Summer Camp, Register by July 5th! The Institute for Advanced Troublemaking, which is "a small collective of long time anarchist organizers seeking to create a lasting movement education hub in the Northeast of the so-called US", is hosting an anarchist summer camp which will be held August 11th – 18th in Worcester, MA this year. Some information about the group from their website "The I.A.T. aims to raise collective capacity to target our enemies at the systemic level with effective direct action and campaign work. As Trump's presidency spurs a swell of anarchist organizing and renewed interest in anti-state anti capitalist perspectives, we want to escalate by building skills in direct action, creating movement infrastructure, and community organizing for new anarchists. We also want to bring experienced organizers together to innovate strategies and tactics for our contemporary context. Rather than an activism 101, our intention is to cultivate deeper understanding and praxis of anarchist organizing among people who are already doing some of that work." The main idea is to build on the social and political potential of events like conferences and bookfairs to expand what is possible in this upcoming era in which it feels increasingly vital to have a vibrant and adaptive anarchist praxis. You can see more information about this event at https://advancedtroublemaking.wordpress.com/ which will include a three part presentation by some past interviewees about Burn Down The American Plantation! Registration ends on July 5th, and will prioritize "people of marginalized identities including POC, working class, trans or gender nonconforming, those with dis/abilities, LGBTQI, and women, but recognize that many of these may not be visibly apparent". When There Is No 911  On Thursday, July 6th to 9th from 9am to 5pm each day in Knoxville, TN, there will be a workshop entitled "When There Is No 911: Emergency Care".  This will be hosted by Mountain Forge "Learn the skills for the Right Now emergencies. There is no time to google for the answer, you can't consult your mentors, the stars, or your power animal, you need to act NOW ! Now what? Skills that will help us to take care of ourselves and each other. This class will start you off in the fundamental skill of emergency care in urban, suburban, rural, wilderness, and disaster (short, long, and very long ) emergency situations." More info, including the location and the requisite pre-registration, can be found at their fedbook page. BK Punk Rock Karaoke If you're in Brooklyn on July 14, consider the Punk Rock Karaoke benefit for Certain Days political prisoner calendar.  The karaoke will take place from 9:30pm til 12:30am at the Pine Box Rock Shop at 12 Gratton st in Brooklyn. Meet Your Local Redneck Back in Asheville, Carolina Mountain Redneck Revolt will be having a public event in Carrier Park (220 Amboy Rd) on July 16th from 12 noon to 4pm. This'll be a meet and greet with the local chapter in the hopes of networking, discussion of community engagements, Redneck Revolt praxis and more.  This is a potluck with veg options, and it's suggested you bring sides to share. Playlist

In episode 8 of Beyond Prisons, we have a wide-ranging conversation on the subjects of prison labor and slavery. First, we hear more from Bennu Hannibal Ra-Sun, an incarcerated member of the Free Alabama Movement, and a member of Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, a group of incarcerated human rights advocates and prison abolitionists, on the connection between slavery and the 13th amendment, and how society justifies the exploitation of prisoners through academia. We are then joined by Jared Ware, our producer and a fellow abolitionist. Jay worked with the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC) during the nationwide prison strikes against slavery. He helped manage their Twitter account, which was a crucial source of information as the strike unfolded. The three of us talk about prison jobs programs, organizing against prison slavery, abolishing the 13th Amendment, and the upcoming Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March in Washington, D.C. We also attempt to complicate the discussion of prison labor by considering the economic relationship between the minimum wage labor movement and the use of prison labor, the ethics of working in prisons, and the relevance of prison jobs to the broader labor market.   Free Alabama Movement: http://www.freealabamamovement.com/ Jailhouse Lawyers Speak: https://www.facebook.com/BlkJailhouselawyer/ Read "Lawsuit May Serve As Template For Challenging Forced Immigrant Labor In Private Prisons," by Jared Ware. — Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes and on Google Play Sign up for the Beyond Prisons newsletter to receive updates on new episodes, important news and events, and more. Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondprisonspodcast/ Music & Production: Jared Ware  

In episode 7 of Beyond Prisons, Brian and Kim are joined by Krystal Rountree, founder of iamWE and national organizer of the upcoming Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March on August 19 in Washington, D.C. Krystal discusses the hard work being done to organize the march and their goal to end prison slavery by removing the exception clause from the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which states, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Krystal shares how people on both sides of the walls and across the country can participate in this important action and show solidarity with the marchers. She also talks about the risks incarcerated people are taking to participate, and the struggles people face on the outside to support them. This episode also features currently incarcerated people from the Free Alabama Movement and Jailhouse Lawyers Speak sharing their thoughts on prison slavery and struggle.   Krystal is the CoFounder and Director of iamWE, a Prison Advocacy Network based in the Carolinas. iamWE is a hands-on Human Rights Organization dedicated to advocating for prisoners. Their current focus is the Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March whose aim is to end Legalized Slavery by removing the exception clause from the 13th amendment. In addition to the work of iamWe, Krystal is also a local community organizer and works with women and children impacted by domestic violence and poverty. Visit iamWE's website: http://iamweubuntu.com Learn more about the march: http://www.iamweubuntu.com/millions-for-prisoners-human-rights.html Free Alabama Movement: http://www.freealabamamovement.com/ Jailhouse Lawyers Speak: https://www.facebook.com/BlkJailhouselawyer/ -- Please listen, subscribe, and rate/review our podcast on iTunes and on Google Play Sign up for the Beyond Prisons newsletter to receive updates on new episodes, important news and events, and more. Send tips, comments, and questions to beyondprisonspodcast@gmail.com Follow us on Twitter: @Beyond_Prison @phillyprof03 @bsonenstein Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondprisonspodcast/ Music & Production: Jared Ware 

This week, we're replaying an interview that Bursts conducted with Ron Sakolsky in March of 2016. Ron had just recently published Breaking Loose: Mutual Acquiescence or Mutual Aid? From the original posting: "Ron is a poet, an anarchist, a surrealist, a pirate radio broadcaster and author and more. Recently, Little Black Cart published a small book by Ron Sakolsky entitled Breaking Loose: Mutual Acquiescence or Mutual Aid? The essay is an anarcho-surrealist critique in which Ron levels a challenge to readers to move past (or break free) from the limitations we internalize from engaging with and within (as well as with others within) the systems of domination. In the conversation, Ron revisits the essay, breaks down some terminology and eggs the listener on to exercise their imagination and act from places of inspiration to apply direct action against the status quo. The essay it's built off of can be found in Modern Slavery #1. During the hour, we discuss that book, we chat about radio and Ron's 30 years of radio experience starting in college radio in IL, later involved in the pirate station called Black Liberation Radio, publishing and promoting the building of micro-broadcast transmitters, and currently with Radio Tree Frog in the forests of Coast Salish Territories AKA British Colombia. He contributed to and edited the titles Seizing The Airwaves: A Free Radio Handbook (AK Press, 1998) and Islands of Resistance: Pirate Radio in Canada (New Star Books, 2010). A sample of featuring mostly content from the "Old Pal" show on Tree Frog radio is found here:  " To hear more of our archives, dating back to 2010, check out thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org   Jai "Jerry" Williams Later this week, District Attorney Todd Williams plans to announce whether or not he will be indicting Sgt. Tyler Radford for the murder of 35 year old Asheville resident Jerry Williams (no relation), who was a children's book author and father of 5. The particulars of this meeting will hopefully be made public later this week. For those who are unaware of this case, Williams was murdered in early July this year at the Deaverview apartment complex after police were called regarding an unrelated domestic dispute. In response to Jai, or Jerry, being killed by law enforcement and the discrepencies between stories of witnesses and the police narrative, Asheville experienced its first of many vigorous protests under the auspices of Black Lives Matter. It is expected that the DA, who recently received a 900 page report on the case from the State Bureau of Investigation, will deliver a non-indictment announcement, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for calls for solidarity from the Williams family and for community responses. You can also call the DA's office to express your opinion at (828) 259-3410   Kinetic Justice Needs Support There is urgent need for folks to call prison administrators at Limestone Correctional Facility, where Kinetic Justice (who was one of the main organizers of the September 9 #PrisonStrike) has been transferred in order to isolate and endanger him. He was brutally beaten on December 2, and continues to fear for his life. WE NEED TO SHOW THE PRISON THAT THERE ARE MANY EYES AND EARS ON THE OUTSIDE KEEPING TRACK OF KINETIK! Here are the numbers to call, and the script provided by IWOC: Call Limestone Prison Warden Christopher Gordy 256-233-4600 Call Commissioner Jeff Dunn & Ass Comm Grant Culliver 334-353-3883  or email Call Gov Robert Bentley 334-242-7100 Call Department of Justice 205-244-2001 or email Say this, "I am calling to demand that you release Robert Early Council from solitary confinement and move him out of Limestone Correctional Facility immediately. He was brutally beaten on December 2nd and continues to fear for his life." You can read about Kinetik's work at the Free Alabama Movement's website freealabamamovement.com   Grand Jury Resistance at Standing Rock On or around December 3rd, 2016 a water protector at Oceti Sakowin received a summons to appear before a federal grand jury that has been convened in relation to the resistance of water protectors. What we know about grand juries is that they have a long history of being used to target those in resistance to the state and engaged in political or revolutionary movements. The purpose of this grand jury and all grand juries that target revolutionary people and communities is to cause division, manufacture prisoners of war, create paranoia and suspicion amongst comrades. We will not be intimidated and resistance to this is only strengthening our resolve to kill this black snake and all the others. Water protectors stand in resistance to this grand jury and all tools of state repression, be it on the ground through Morton County's violent tactics or in the shrouded secrecy of a grand jury courtroom. Indigenous people, water protectors, legal workers, revolutionaries and comrades from across the camps are actively organizing resistance to this grand jury. Camp wide education efforts are already underway as well as reaching out through our networks of solidarity that know no borders in order to spread the word. If you have been contacted by federal law enforcement or have been served with a subpoena related to water protector activities or the resistance at Standing Rock please contact the Water Protector Legal Collective at (605) 519-8180. Grand juries rely on the isolation and fear that can come with a subpoena. The first step of resistance is seeking solidarity and support! To donate to the Water Protector Legal Collective, you can visit http://waterprotectorlegal.org/ways-support-us/ And for many other fantastic resources regarding grand juries and grand jury resistance, you can visit itsgoingdown.org and search the article Grand Jury Resistance at Standing Rock #NoDAPL Oakland March in Response to Gentrification & #GhostShip fire In Oakland, there's a call for a March on Monday entitled: Honor the dead! Fight for the living! Resist the destruction of all that allows us to survive and sometimes thrive. Let us mourn and rage together against a world that tears us apart, slowly in the form of ongoing gentrification, development, deportation, and imprisonment – or swiftly through tragedy that could have been prevented. From Libby to Trump, they don't care about us, let's show them we don't need them! It's not about the artists. It's about all of us trying to survive in Oakland. Poor people, people of color and queer people have been fighting for their existence for decades. Communal warehouses are only one of our most recent dwellings where sometimes we get to imagine what another life could look like. Defend tent cities and takeover vacant buildings! Fight landlords! We demand a moratorium on all evictions and affordable housing for all! Monday, December 12th, 6pm at Grand Lake Theater @ Grand Ave and Lake Park Ave next to Lake Merritt     FBI Spying & Rule 41 Also of note, the December 9th episode of On The Media, a podcast produced by NPR's WNYC studios with a progressive focus on media production in the U.S. and politics, had a really good interview with Rainey Reitman, the Activism Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The OTM interview, the second interview of the episode, focused on the recently passed updates to Rule 41 of the U.S. Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, giving permission for the FBI to hack computers outside the jurisdiction in which the warrant was granted, often specifically where encryption or another means of obscuring or securing the information is being used. Check out that episode at http://www.wnyc.org and more work and analysis of digital freedom and surveillance from our friends at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, alongside toolkits for staying safer in the interwebs Playlist

This week (last week, actually) we spoke with Daniel McGowan. Daniel is from New York City (Queens, actually) and talks about his start in activism with Earth First!, his current views on his activities with the Earth Liberation Front, Communication Management Units in the prison systems, prison gang structures, prisoner support, the Certain Days calendar designed by political prisoners and more. You can find more about Certain Days at http://certaindays.org and more about prisoner support work in New York City at http://nycabc.wordpress.com. If you're in New York City, check out the 2017 Calendar release party this Saturday, November 12th the Interference Archive at 131 8th St, Brooklyn at 7pm https://www.facebook.com/events/631708823654677/ To check out Marius Mason, Earth Liberation prisoner, education fund: https://www.generosity.com/education-fundraising/marius-mason-s-education--2 Zolo Azania, Black political prisoner, release fund: https://www.gofundme.com/helpzolorebuild Barbara Curzi, formerly incarcerated United Freedom Front member, medical fund: https://www.gofundme.com/barbaras-loving-circle-2w49vnqs Bo Brown, formerly incarcerated George Jackson Brigade member, Medical fund: https://www.youcaring.com/bo-brown-655777   Update on Kinetic Justice As we reported last week, Kinetic Justice has been on hunger strike since October 21st to protest his transfer to Limestone Correctional Facility, which is a notoriously dangerous supermax facility located in Harvest, Alabama. Prison officials are currently denying him water, and his support network is fearing for his safety. CALL WITH DEMANDS TODAY: Call the Alabama Department of Corrections and Alabama Governor Robert Bentley's office demanding 1) that Kinetik Justice be transferred from Limestone Correctional Facility; and 2) that Pastor Kenneth Glasgow of The Ordinary People's Society be allowed to visit him and assess his condition immediately. Alabama Department of Corrections Montgomery, Alabama (334) 353-3883 webmaster@doc.alabama.gov Governor Robert Bentley 600 Dexter Avenue Montgomery, AL 36130 (334) 242-7100 For more information, you can visit: The Free Alabama Movement at https://freealabamamovement.wordpress.com/ and The Ordinary People's Society at http://theordinarypeoplesociety.org/ Playlist: http://www.ashevillefm.org/node/18105

This week, we present a conversation with a member of CNA-DF, or Anarchist Black Cross of Mexico City.  During the hour she speaks about the work of CNA-DF, prison in Mexican society, anti-prison organizing versus prison abolitionism, transformative justice, counter-repression and prisoners the CNA is working to support. More on CNA-DF at http://www.abajolosmuros.org/ Specific prisoners CNA-DF supports include: Alvaro Sebastian (Oaxacan teacher); Fernando Bárcenas (accused of burning the Mexico City Xmas Tree in 2013 during anti-fare increase demonstration in Mexico City.  Publishes Cimarron newspaper, involved in punk rock, alternative health care, horizontal education and organizing in prison.); Luis Fernando Sotelo (accused of burning a bus during day of global action in solidarity with the Ayatzinopa 43, Normalista students disappeared by the Mexican State.  Sotelo has received a 33 year sentence for damage to the bus.  Recently on hunger strike, in prison 2 years now); Abraham Cortés (13 years for attempted murder of a cop, arrested during October 2nd memorial demonstration in Mexico City of the 1968 massacre of hundreds of demonstrating students. Recently on hunger strike w Fernando Bárcenas against: 1. Prisons, calling to revolt against the state; 2. in solidarity with the #PrisonStrike starting Sept 9 in the U.S.; 3. And against the Bárcenas & Cortés); & Miguel Ángel Peralta Betanzos (from Oaxaca, accused of attempted murder of politicians in opposition with communal indigenous council of his community). Announcements Raids at Standing Rock After a series of violent raids which saw over 100 people arrested, the most recent on October 27th at Standing Rock and other camps resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline, there has been a call for renewed and amped up solidarity for this resistance. This could include coming to North Dakota and fighting the pipeline and joining the struggle, organizing where you live and taking action against banks, the Army Corp. of Engineers, and politicians backing the project, and sending money and supplies to the encampment. Already solidarity actions are taking places, such as the occupation of buildings, solidarity demonstrations, and more. To get more ideas of what solidarity could mean, and where to send supplies and funds if you are able, you can visit https://nodaplsolidarity.org and click the tab "Support the Camps". Kinetic Justice of FAM transferred Kinetic Justice of the Free Alabama Movement has been transferred out of Holman Prison in Alabama to Kilby Correctional Facility and from there to Limestone Corrections, known among Alabama prisoners to be a “bully unit,” where prisoners deemed disruptive are brutalized. This occurred one day before he was reportedly scheduled to meet with an advocate from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SLPC). This is in clear retaliation on the part of the prison system, and is an attempt to silence a dissenting voice which has been very important both in FAM and in the Prison Strike. In response, Kinetic is ending the first week of a hunger strike, to protest his treatment and bacaause he doesn't trust Limestone to not tamper with the food they give him. Keep your eyes on the free alabama movement's webpage at http://freealabamamovement.com/ for updates on Kinetic's situation and how to help. You can also follow them on twitter @freealamovement, you can also follow Freedom for Kinetic @for_kinetic Anti-Nazi march in Harrisburg, PA Lastly tho not leastly, DON'T FORGET that Saturday the 5th of Novemeber will see resistance to a National Socialist Movement rally (or more plainly, neo nazi) in Harrisburg PA. The NSM is teaming up with the Traditionalist Worker Party for this charade in the so called "heart of democracy", the TWP being the same boneheads who were responsible for drawing knives in Sacramento this past summer. Central PA Antifa and related anti racists are calling for as much support as possible at this event, to help run the nazis out of town. You can get up with this situaiton by connecting with Central PA Antifa on facebook by searching their name, you can also donate to them by visiting: https://www.gofundme.com/centralpaantifa you can also get super up to date information by following them on twitter @centralpaantifa Asheville Prison Books Cover Band show If you're going to be around Asheville tonight, Sunday October 30th, and want to get your ghoul on for a good cause, consider visiting the Prison Books Cover Band benefit.  For over a decade now, punks have been showing up and rocking out to raise funds for Asheville Prison Books, a 501c3 non-profit that sends literature to prisoners.  Cover bands include SubHumans, Green Day and many, many more.  The show starts at Toy Boat on 101 Fairview Rd, just off Sweeten Creek Road. Playlist: http://www.ashevillefm.org/node/18016

I wanted to do some announcements regarding the prison strike, but honestly so many amazing things have been going on it would be impossible to do them justice in the time we have for this segment. In brief, at Holman Prison in Atmore Alabama, where many rebels are part of the Free Alabama Movement, it was reported a few days ago that most if not all of the prison guards there had quit their jobs, either giving their notice or walking off entirely, in solidarity with the strikers. This is a huge piece of news, and I am not aware of it ever having happened before on such a large scale. It was also announced the other day that prisoners in   the strike and refused to let guards lock them up and refused to go to their jobs. This is also a tremendous piece of news, it is clear that the prison strike is still going strong though it should come as no surprise that it is being quelled in mass media, which have even reported that it has fizzled out. The opposite is true. Keep your eyes on It's Going Down, Support Prisoner Resistance, Mask Magazine, and the Portland Anarchist Black Cross among other anarchist news sources for more real updates. You can also help by writing to those who have been targeted in this strike, you can find a list of prison rebels on the IWOC page. In this episode we are presenting two segments, firstly is a conversation recorded with Keith from ATL Antifa about the fast approaching occurrence of Hammerfest, which is a far right music festival, which is suspected to be taking place in Drake Town, Georgia about an hour outside of Atlanta. In this interview, we speak about how ATL Antifa got started, whether or not Trump's presence on the political stage has emboldened far right / white supremacist activity, some vague tactical advice for dealing with suspected far right activity, police ties with the KKK, some history about and advice about dealing with Hammerskins, some other struggles that are going on in Atlanta and the surrounding towns and much more. To get in touch with them, visit https://afainatl.wordpress.com/ or you can get super current updates on their twitter @afainatl The second segment is a short interview with a member of the organizing committee for the upcoming Anarchist Black Cross conference. In this conversation we talk about the history of the ABC, how the prison strike is informing this years conference and much more.

This week we'll be rebroadcasting a recent update from A-Radio Berlin on the repression called Operation Fenix in Czech Republic against anarchists there.  Following that, we'll hear some music from Wildspeaker, Cara Neir and Allochiria. First, text from the intro to the A-Radio Portion:     "In the context of the International Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners (23.-30th of August 2016), we had the opportunity of talking to a comrade from Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) in Czech Republic. The interview gives a short summary of the repression that started in 2015 and explains the singular cases and their current development, but deals also with the problems the movement had in the beginning to show solidarity. Last but not least, you get very good advice on the topic of solidarity and what to do yourselves. Since the interview, another comrade is in prison. Lukáš Borl, who had been living underground, has been arrested by the police on September 4." More info on the case at https://antifenix.noblogs.org/ Announcements Strike Updates This was a statement originally posted to itsgoingdown.org, which we have shortened for broadcasting. It pertains to updates on the September 9th prison strike, with some thoughts about how to move forward from here. For more such thoughts, you can check out the most recent IGD cast which includes interviews with IWOC organizers and resisting prisoners in Merced, CA. One thing is not in question: September 9th is now officially the largest prison work strike ever to take place within the United States. This strike against prison slavery that began on September 9th, the 45th anniversary of the Attica prison uprising has now entered it's third week. According to organizers with Support Prisoner Resistance:     "As of 9/21 we have tracked 46 prisons and jails that experienced some kind of disruption between September 8 and 21st. This total includes both lockdowns reported by officials (some of whom deny that the lockdown was protest related) and reports of protests from prisoners and supporters (some of which did not lead to lockdowns or full strikes).    Of these, 31 facilities experienced a lock-down, suspension or full strike for at least 24 hours. Those 31 facilities house approximately 57,000 people. That is a guess at the minimum number of prisoners affected by the nationally coordinated strike.     There is likely much more going on behind the prison gates that we do not yet know about. We receive new information on a daily basis. In some places the strike lasted a day or a weekend, but in some, it seems to be going strong 12 days in." The strike has also grown out of the original expectations of many organizers. For instance, the strike has spread into both men and women's prisons, into county jails, and has lead to not only work strikes, but hunger strikes, organized marches and protests inside facilities, expanded communication of prisoners to the outside, and full fledged uprisings. Despite a media blackout that is fueled by the advertising of corporations that make billions from prison slavery while the mainstream press drones on about politicians which vow to only expand it – the strike is only continuing and bringing more people into our networks. On the outside, thousands of people took to the streets. In Durham, NC and Brooklyn, NY, freeways were blocked. In Oakland, corporations profiting from prison labor were attacked. In Portland, streets and stores profiting from prison labor were occupied and shut down. In Austin, people shut down a facility showcasing products made by prisoners, and demonstrations, marches, and rallies were organized throughout the South. Across the US, noise demonstrations outside of prisons were organized, marches were held, and graffiti, banners, and posters were placed around the walls, freeways, and towns and cities of the US. Across the world, people also took action in solidarity with the prison strike. From Serbia to Sweden, Greece to Australia, Mexico to Spain, people released statements of solidarity, held demonstrations outside of prisons, and took action against corporations that profit from prison slavery. Moving Forward: In order to proceed, people need to develop a strategy around supporting the strike. This means figuring out if and how you can support a facility near you taking action, how you can link up and build connections with prisoners, how you could build up your organization or crew to carry out this activity, and also how you could carry out actions which push forward the strike. 1.) Support the Strikers:     Holding a demonstration outside of the facility.     Holding a demonstration outside of a corporation connected to prison labor in solidarity with the strike (especially if that is what the prisoners are working to create).     Hold a call-in campaign to the prison to demand that the prison meet the prisoners demands and end repressive measures against them.     Hold a letter writing night to make contact with the prisoners. Contact IWOC for more information if you have no established contacts.     Hold a fundraiser for established groups such as the Free Ohio Movement or the Free Alabama Movement. Remember prisoners are the front lines of this struggle. We must support them and their activity as well! 2.) Build your Squad:     Raising money so you can continue or begin to engage in prison support work.     Host a letter writing night to better connect with prisoners already engaged in action.     Host a call-in event with a prisoner who can discuss the conditions that exist where they are striking and how people on the outside can support them. Contact IWOC for more details.     Host a speaker, Skype presenter, or open discussion on the strike to move people from passive support to active participation. Plug people into the organizing and get them involved.     Organize a BBQ or social event where people discuss the strike, update people on what is happening, and read off actions and communiques. 3) Keep it Lit:     Organize a noise demonstration outside a facility taking action or one closest to you.     Organize and take action at a corporation profiting from prison slavery. Get creative!     Drop a banner in solidarity with the prison strike.     Organize a night of wheat-pasting flyers. Get people together and go out on the town and put up posters and flyers supporting the strike. Write graffiti and drop banners. Already, our comrades across the world are standing with us in solidarity. In a statement released by the ABC Solidarity Cell in Greece, they have called for international supporters to also take action in support of the ongoing strike on October 1st. The September 9th strike has been inspiring, but to stop now and simply step back and wait for the next eruption would be to loose out on bringing new people into our movement. To also stop taking action now when prisoners across the US are still on strike, still on hunger strike, and still risking their lives would be to betray everything that they have worked for. Now is the time to build. Now is the time to grow. But it is definitely not the time to stop. Repression at WCW Women's prison in Gig Harbor, WA To support prisoner resistance, from an anonymous prison staff in the state of Washington:      “I would like you and supporters to know that there was a symbolic protest at Washington Correctional Center for Women in Gig Harbor on September 9. Three women refused to go to work in the prison library. The emergency response team was dispatched and the women were taken to Segregation. At their hearing last week, they were given 20 days in seg, and are facing reclassification and probably the loss of their jobs. In my opinion, this was a peaceful, non-violent expression of their opinions meant to draw attention to the issue of prison labor, and the response was much more disruptive than the event itself. The library has been closed since September 9. According to DOC, this was the only action in the entire state of Washington.” Support for Amir Davis, Kinetic's Son In March of this year, the son of Kinetik was accused of stabbing Warden Davenport at Holman prison in Alabama. He was then shipped to Donaldson. He has since been assaulted, harassed, and tortured in Solitary Confinement. If you support FAM and the work we do then let Kinetik's Sun know his sacrifices for change were not in vain. Those willing, drop him a postcard and those able, put a small donation on his books via the ADOC website. Amir “Jaja” Davis #268646 G-4 WE Donaldson CF 1000 Warrior Lane Bessemer, AL 35023 In Revolutionary Solidarity, Kinetik Justice To see a list of more people who have been explicitely targeted by officials in response to the Prison Strike, you can visit https://itsgoingdown.org Seeking #CharlotteUprising interviews As most of you are probably aware, following the police murder of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte NC (who was killed while sitting in his car reading and waiting for his kid to get dropped off from school), there have been riots in that town which have lasted days. The mainstream media coverage of these events has been predictably terrible, following all the racist tropes we have come to expect from the likes of CNN and FOX. With an aim to combat these narratives, we at The Final Straw would like to put out a call for submissions or interviews that people would like to see broadcast on this show. Any interviews would be done from an explicitely anarchist perspective. For listeners looking for a good writeup, check out: https://itsgoingdown.org/reportback-charlotte-uprising/ https://itsgoingdown.org/revolt-queen-city-personal-accounts-day-2-charlotteuprising/ https://itsgoingdown.org/charlotte-solidarity-actions-across-us/ If this is at all interesting to you or anyone you know, give us a holler at thefinalstrawradio@riseup.net Playlist: http://www.ashevillefm.org/node/17633

Greg Curry This week Bursts speaks with Greg Curry, a prisoner serving time for alleged participation in the Lucasville Prison uprising of 1993 where prisoners took over the Ohio prison, leading to the death of 10 inmates and one guard.  For the hour, they speak about incarceration in the U.S., intersections of race and class, the prison strikes, capitalism and resistance. More on Greg's case can be found at https://gregcurry.wordpress.com/ Prison Strike, Week 2 Here is another roundup of week two of of the National Prison Strike. This information was pulled from Mask Magazine, It's Going Down, Support Prisoner Resistance, and the Incarcerated Worker's Organizing Committee. September 12th     Hunger strike begins at Lucasville and Ohio State Penitentiary, called by the Free Ohio Movement.     South Carolina prisoners release video of insects in their food.     Columbia, SC: Confirmed strike at Broad River Correctional Institution:     Florida: More prisoner uprising broke out on Monday night. According to the Miami Herald:     Florida's state prisons have resumed “normal” operations despite a disturbance Monday night at Columbia Correctional, the fifth inmate uprising in less than a week, officials said. About 40 inmates engaged in civil disobedience by refusing officers' orders and taking control of at least one dorm Monday evening. Columbia — one of the state's most violent prisons — remained on lockdown Tuesday.     Since Thursday, inmates have caused trouble at four other prisons, all in the state's Panhandle, including Gulf Annex Correctional, Mayo Correctional and Jackson Correctional. The most serious melee was at Holmes Correctional, where 400 inmates destroyed several dorms on Thursday.     Inmates involved in any incident have been moved to other prisons. September 13th     Chelsea Manning ends hunger strike that she began on September 9th. The army has agreed to grant her demands of gender affirming surgery. September 14th     Support Prisoner Resistance reports prison lockdowns in Arizona. Perryville, Yuma, Tuscon, Douglas, and Phoenix. It is unclear whether these are related to the strike, more information is forthcoming. September 16th     Merced, CA: Supporters report another block joins hunger strike. You can hear full coverage of this situation on the most recent IGD Cast here. September 17th     Holman Prison, AL: Free Alabama Movement issues press release calling for an end to the humanitarian crisis at the prison. They state through social media that many guards are not reproting to work and that much of the prison remains unguarded. This is from a press release which came out yesterday:     A serious humanitarian crisis is developing at Holman prison as correctional officers continue to walk off of the job amid concerns about safety and apathy from Warden Terry Raybon and the office of ADOC Commissioner Jefferson S Dunn, as violence, including deadly stabbings and assaults continue to mount.     Several officers expressed dismay and fear after learning that two of their fellow officers, Officer Brian Ezell and another officer, reported to Warden Raybon that they had knives drawn on them and their lives threatened, and that neither Warden Raybon, nor Commissioners Jeff Dunn and Grantt Culliver would take any action to ensure their safety. Both of these officers then quit.     Several other officers have also quit in the past three weeks after witnessing a stabbing of a fellow officer in the temple and who had remained hospitalized with life threatening injuries until he was pronounced dead earlier today. This after a former warden, Carter Davenport, was stabbed in March amidst back to back riots and other violence at Holman.     Now, after seeing Warden Raybon release approximately 20 people from segregation on September 13, 2016, most of whom were all in segregation for violent incidents (only to see several stabbing take place, including one critically injured and another losing an eye), a total of eight more officers have e ither quit or turned in their two week notices. Officers are expressing concern that the Commissioners of the ADOC are intentionally exacerbating violence at the expense of human life in efforts to push forward their plan to extort the public for 1.5 billion to build new prisons in next years Legislative Session.     Officers have began to express support for the Non-Violent stance of FREE ALABAMA MOVEMENT and their efforts to expose corruption, violence and other issues plaguing Holman and other Alabama prisons, and have went so far as to make repeated requests to Warden Raybon for the release of F.A.M. co-founder and organizer Kinetik Justice from solitary confinement, because officers now feel that he is being wrongfully detained and because he has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to conduct peaceful demonstrations at Holman prison to bring attention to issues within the ADOC and Holman prison.     We are asking that everyone call Commissioner Dunn and Warden Raybon and demand that they post daily reports of the staffing levels and incidents of violence taking place at Holman as a matter of public safety.     Warden Terry Raybon     Holman Correctional Facility     251-368-8173     Commissioner Jefferson Dunn     Commissioner Grantt Culliver     334-353-3883 (switchboard operator) We close with this update from inside prison walls in SC:     "Comrades up here having an inside meeting to critically analyze the Prison strike strong and weak positions. For many it didn't go far enough. Crucial points of resolution are not addressed. Certain regions didn't feel the love, so the fire didn't burn where they were at. Strong points, it was time. Unity was found on the outside. More people are talking about prison issues. Inside prisoners found unity in certain units or prisons. We too are talking more. These are just samples of what we need to start discussions around, particularly the prisoners. Because this will tell us how to add this moment in the movement, to the collective of prison rebellions to strengthen it, and toss the weak points.     Big UPs to the Prisoners thats always refused to comply. I'm one. For over a decade I've been punish with little privileges do to my insistent stance not to work. So the prisons close us off from the working prisoners. Its good to see others joining. But its not enough. They'll let the few of us lay. So to be truly effective, time to plan and prepare for the next phase." Call for solidarity from IWOC Meanwhile, the IWOC is making every effort to track the strike in the hopes of continuing this resistance and locating forms of solidarity and calls for assistance. If you would like to help in this effort, there is a comprehensive phone zaps list that includes a rundown of phone numbers, some context for the specific struggles, and suggested scripts to read if and when you get the pigs on the line. You can see this Google Doc here. Also, if you hear anything, or are able to call prisons and ask about lockdown status, please let IWOC know via email at: iwoc@riseup.net If you make calls for a given state and hear no lockdowns, please report that too. Stay tuned all around for updates on the strike. Love and solidarity!       Legal fund donations to AVL and ATL And finally (tho not lastly) just to plug, and to yet again express our love for our jailed NC and GA comrades, people here in Asheville and in Atlanta still need donations for legal funds. All of these folks were arrested  while expressing solidarity with the Prison Strike, and the folks from Atlanta are facing some insane felony charges. All of them are out of jail now, but are beginning the long, slow battle with the criminal injustice system and they need your support. To donate to comrades in Asheville, and to see a pretty sweet write up of the events of the day in our town, you can visit: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/legal-support-for-wnc-sept-9-solidarity-activists And to express solidarity to Atlanta, you can visit: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/bail-out-prison-strike-supporters Some anarchist audios not to be missed I'd like to share a few notes on recent anarchist audio and video media in english that I've been appreciating in hopes of enticing you, dear audience, into checking them out.         Crimethinc's The Exworker has begun rebroadcasting. This most recent episodes of the podcast focuses on the September 9th strike with a conversation with Azzurra of the ABC in Houston, TX, and Ben Turk of IWOC based in Wisconsin.  Episode 49 also includes a review of Captive Nation: Black Organizing In The Civil Rights Era, an interview with an anarchist in the UK about Brexit and other tidbits.  #50 also includes a segment mourning the death of Jordan MacTaggart, an American anarchist who died on the front lines in Rojava recently, a segment celebrating the death of former police chief and all-around king-bastard John Timoney and a rebroadcast of a Crna Luknja interview with members of DAF about Turkey after the attempted Coup.  These ExWorkers are well worth a listen and available at http://crimethinc.com/podcast/             Also, submedia's most recent episode on strikes, the DAPL pipeline and more entitled Burn Down The Plantation features a great interview with Melvin Ray of the Free Alabama Movement.  This sits alongside a second video installment explaining anarchist fundamentals, this time featuring the concept of Mutual Aid, short videos on continued struggles in France against the #LoiTravail, direct action against fascists in Athens.  These and more can be found at https://submedia.tv/stimulator/             It's Going Down is now producing the IDGcast which can be found at http://itsgoingdown.org/ and include thus far timely interviews on the uprising in Milawukee, words from the Red Warrior Camp at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access pipeline, the state of the alt-right or new white nationalist movements in North America and a discussion on communes and struggle with Morgan and El Errante. The most recent episode features an interview with a woman on hunger strike in Merced, California,  in solidarity with hunger striking prisoners against the deplorable situation in this poor and rural county's jails. The jails have witnessed abuses, deaths and injuries among those imprisoned in adult and juvenile detention at the hands of sadistic CO's. Find the IDGcast at http://itsgoingdown.org/podcast         Resonance Audio Distro, or RAD, is a source for radical and anarchist audio of zines, books and essays and, among other things, produced an awesome and lengthy interview with Sylvie Kashdan and Robby Barnes to give context to two plays by these rapscallions that Resonance put online.  Robbie and Sylvie are longtime anarchists living in the Seattle area who have been involved in The 5th Estate magazine for decades and have tons of stories and experiences to share.  Check out Resonance at https://resonanceaudiodistro.org/         Season two of The Brilliant Podcast has begun and is apparently headed towards a new format.  The most recent episode features a conversation with Isaac Cronin, curator of the Cruel Hospice imprint at Little Black Cart, talks about his experiences of Situationism, pro and post-Situ ideas and play in the U.S. since the 1960's.  Check this and more out at http://thebrilliant.org/             Finally, hip hop artist Sole is continuing to put out interesting discussions on his podcast SOLEcast.  Most recently, Sole talked to Franco "Bifo" Berardi on Capitalism, Mass Killings, Suicide & Alienation.  Episodes can be found at http://www.soleone.org/solecast More suggested media to come in the near future! Playlist: http://www.ashevillefm.org/node/17566

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay! Today we rebroadcast a show first aired, Wed., Sept. 7, 2016. We speak to Pastor Kenny Glasgow and Brother Justice about the Free Alabama Movement, Prison Labor, and the Hunger Strike Work Stoppage, Sept. 9, 2016 to end slavery.                                                             

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay! We rebroadcast Sept. 7 show which features: Pastor Kenny Glasgow, The Oridinary People's Society (TOPS), Kinetik Justice Amun, Free Alabama Movement co-founder.  1. Pastor Kenneth Glasgow joins us to talk about the work stoppage and fast which begins Sept. 9 to end slavery.  Pastor Glasgow's life is one of redemption.  He currently serves as the Executive Director for The Ordinary People's Society (also known as TOPS).  TOPS is a faith-based organization that bridges the gap between the have and have-nots. https://www.facebook.com/paskenny.glasgow 2. We speak to Kinetik Justice Amun, one of the founders of FAM sponsors of the Sept. 9, 2016 Fast and Work Stoppage to end prison slavery. https://freealabamamovement.wordpress.com/f-a-m-pamphlet-who-we-are/    Music:Zion Trinity, Wild Magnolias   

As we build momentum towards the September 9th national prison strike, we want to reflect on lessons learned from past generations of prison rebels, as well as how we can maintain energy on September 10th and beyond. In Episode 50 of the Ex-Worker, solidarity organizer Ben Turk fills us in on some history of prisoner organizing in recent decades, recaps some of the solidarity actions that have taken place leading up to this year's historic strike, and offers perspective on continuing and deepening our resistance to prison society. We commemorate the death of Jordan MacTaggart, an American anarchist killed on the front lines in battle with the YPG against the Islamic State, and discuss international solidarity and the politics of martyrdom with Rojava Solidarity NYC. The death of John Timoney, former police chief and notorious foe of anarchists, prompts both glee and a somber reflection on the misery he inflicted on us. A member of Revolutionary Anarchist Action (DAF) in Istanbul discusses the background to the recent failed military coup as well as recent waves of anti-anarchist repression. A call for solidarity from la ZAD, news, events, and prisoner birthdays round out this packed episode. {September 7, 2016} -------SHOW NOTES------ Find a demonstration or event about the September 9th prison strike near you, or post it here if you're organizing one. We interview Ben Turk about the struggle against US prisons, including the upcoming September 9th strike and beyond. Wanna read more about some of the prison rebel history he mentioned? Learn more about the Attica uprising, Walpole and Men Against Sexism in Walla Walla, and especially the Lucasville Uprising of 1993, plus more recent upheavals including the Pelican Bay hunger strike against solitary confinement - which we covered as it was happening in Episode 9 - as well as the Georgia prisoner strike, the Free Alabama Movement, the Menard, Illinois hunger strike, the recent Bend the Bars Conference in Columbus, Ohio, and the Dying to Live hunger strike movement in Waupon, WI. Repressive cop extraordinaire John Timoney has shuffled off his mortal coil. Check out this commemoration of his miserable life by some anarchist comrades. Good fucking riddance, asshole! We discussed the recent death of American anarchist Jordan MacTaggart. Check out the send-off video produced as a tribute by Rojava Solidarity NYC. Also check out this lengthy article written last winter in which Jordan shares stories about his experiences fighting on the front lines. To learn more about the revolution in Rojava, listen to our previous coverage in Episode 36 and Episode 39, and check out Rojava Solidarity NYC's book “A Small Key Can Open A Large Door: The Rojava Revolution”. We shared an excerpt from an interview with Devrimci Anarşist Faaliyet (DAF), or Revolutionary Anarchist Action, an anarchist organization based in Istanbul, Turkey. Thanks to our friends at Crna Luknja in Ljubljana, Slovenia for sharing it with us. Learn more about DAF via their website or their Facebook page. The US “Justice” Department recently announced its intention to phase out the use of private prisons. Good news, right? Well… these anarchists don't necessarily think so. Either way, it's unquestionable that prison privatization has horrible consequences for the incarcerated; if you weren't already convinced, check out this massive expose by Mother Jones magazine about the corruption and brutality of private prison industry, written by an undercover reporter who actually got a job as a guard in a CCA prison; it's fascinating, horrifying reading. But the question is whether this reform will serve to weaken or strengthen mass incarceration in the long run. As Ben Turk mentions in his interview, the so-called “prison reform movement” led by such luminaries as Hillary Clinton and Newt Gingrich exists not to abolish prisons, but to generalize carceral logics across all of society. Check out the call for solidarity on October 8th with la ZAD, the anti-airport occupation in western France. Listen to our Episode 14 on squatting for an interview with a resident of la ZAD. Other upcoming events include Running Down the Walls, an annual 5 K run that benefits political prisoners and prisoners of war, on September 4th in New York City and on September 11th in Denver, the Fighting Future Prisons tour in Northern England, and the Red Warrior Camp's global weeks of solidarity to support the indigenous-led movement to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline, from September 3rd to 17th. Upcoming prisoner birthdays: Brian Vaillancourt M42889 Robinson Correctional Center 13423 East 1150th Avenue Robinson, Illinois 62454 {September 5th} Alexander Irwin #2016012934 St. Louis County Jail P.O. Box 16060 Clayton, MO 63105 {September 5th} Please note that Alexander is pre-trial. Do not write about illegal activity and assume that any charges from the state are alleged and falsely accused. Leonard Peltier #89637–132 USP Coleman I Post Office Box 1033 Coleman, Florida 33521 {September 12th} Sean Swain #243–205 Warren CI P.O. Box 120 5787 State Route 63 Lebanon, OH 45036 {September 12th} Steven Martin #2015017284 St. Louis County Jail P.O. Box 16060 Clayton, MO 63105 {September 22nd} Please note that Steven is pre-trial. Do not write about illegal activity and assume that any charges from the state are alleged and falsely accused. Greg Curry #213–159 Ohio State Penitentiary 878 Coitsville-Hubbard Rd Youngstown OH 44505–4635 {September 26th} Brian McCarvill #11037967 Snake River CI 777 Stanton Blvd Ontario, OR 97914–8335 {September 27th} Jorge P. Cornell #28152–057 FCI Petersburg Medium P.O. Box 1000 Petersburg, VA 23804 {September 29}  

The Ex-Worker is back! And just in time, because a potentially historic national prisoner strike is just around the corner. In our 49th episode, we discuss the upcoming September 9th strike to end prison slavery, with an interview with the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee. You'll also hear a review of Dan Berger's book Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era; an interview with an anarchist from the UK about the Brexit vote; listener feedback on Spanish revolutionary militias, Comintern, and parallels with Rojava; updates on Kara Wild, a trans anarchist incarcerated in Paris; a letter from trans anarchist prisoner Jennifer Gann; plus news, prisoner birthdays, event announcements, and plenty more. {August 24, 2016} -------SHOW NOTES------ The September 9th National Prison Strike is coming up! To learn more, check out the Support Prisoner Resistance site, in particular the zines Let the Crops Rot in the Fields by the Free Alabama Movement, End Prison Slavery with several articles about emerging prisoner movements, and Incarcerated Workers Take the Lead by Houston IWOC. In our interview with Azzurra from the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, she referred to several texts, campaigns, and other resources, including: the Houston IWOC zine about the history of prisoner rebellion since 2008, the Attica Rebellion, Black August, the Flikshop app for sending postcards to prisoners easily and cheaply, Chicano anarchist political prisoner Xinachtli Alvaro Luna Hernandez and his Twitter account, Mumia Abu Jamal's struggle for Hepatits C treatment, Rashid Johnson's article “On the Questions of Race and Racism: Revolutionary National Liberation and Building the United Front Against Imperialism”, checking the IWOC website for ongoing updates, Jeremy's Hammond's recent trip to solitary confinement for “encouraging rebellion and criminal activities,” and criminologist Nils Christie's article Conflicts as Property about how the state has appropriated our conflicts. On the Chopping Block, we reviewed Dan Berger's book Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era. It discusses, among many other things, the life, death, and legacy of George Jackson, whose books Soledad Brother and Blood in My Eye can be read in full online. We interviewed Jon Active from Active Distribution in the UK about the Brexit vote. If you want to read more anarchist perspectives on it, check out these articles: “Building an anti-fascist culture post-Brexit” by some folks from the Anti-Raids Network, “On the tragic and the farcical of the British referendum” by the Void Network, and anarchist reflections on Brexit on Reddit. Please support Kara Wild, a trans anarchist from the US imprisoned in France in connection with recent militant protests in Paris. Here's a video of her in her former dwelling that she built and squatted in in Chicago. We'll post more updates on how to direct support her way as soon as we get them. In our listener feedback section, we shared a message from Jennifer Gann, a radical trans prisoner in California, who is requesting support. Check out her website to learn more about her case, or write to her at: J. Gann #E23852 KVSP-D1–209U P.O. Box 5103 Delano, CA 93216 We also referenced some other queer and/or trans prisoner solidarity links, including Black and Pink, the Trans Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity, and a publication focusing on the writings of incarcerated women and trans and gender variant prisoners called Unstoppable. Another listener suggested that folks interested in the struggles in Rojava, and their potential parallels with the Spanish Revolution & Civil War, check out these articles titled “The International Brigades and the social revolution in Spain, 1936–1939” and “News of the Spanish Revolution: Anti-authoritarian Perspectives on the Events.” And if you're feeling down, just remember that in Phenix City, Alabama, an unnamed Taco Bell employee refused to serve four cops who came in to order food - because they were cops. That's what we mean by Fight where you stand! Prisoner birthdays this month: Eric King # 27090045 FCI Englewood Federal Correctional Institution 9595 West Quincy Avenue Littleton, CO 80123 {August 2nd} Bill Dunne #10916–086 USP Lompoc 3901 Klein Boulevard Lompoc, California 93436 {August 3rd} Debbie Sims Africa #006307 SCI Cambridge Springs 451 Fullerton Avenue Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania 16403 {August 4th} Dr. Mutulu Shakur #83205–012 USP Victorville Post Office Box 3900 Adelanto, California 92301 {August 8th} Barrett Brown #45047–177 FCI Three Rivers Federal Correctional Institution P.O. Box 4200 Three Rivers, TX 78071 {August 14th} Hanif Shabazz Bey (Beaumont Gereau) #5161331 Seguro Correctional Center 1252 East Arica Road Eloy, Arizona 85131 {August 16th} Address envelope to Beaumont Gereau, address card to Hanif Maliki Shakur Latine # 81-A–4469 Shawangunk Correctional Facility Post Office Box 700 Wallkill, New York 12589 {August 23rd} Russell Maroon Shoatz #AF–3855 SCI Graterford P.O. Box 244 Graterford , PA 19426 {August 23rd} Ronald Reed #2195311 Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights 5329 Osgood Avenue North Stillwater, Minnesota 55082–1117 {August 31st}  

On June 25, 2016 Mothers and Families hosted a Rally at the Historical Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, AL for the Freedom Summer 2016 Incarcerated Lives Matter. Mothers and Families would like to recap on the events that occured at the Rally sharing with our loved ones and friends how we came together under unity and solidarity to support our Incarcerated Loved Ones. Please join us on July 1, 2016  to hear the the stories of those who joined us at Kelly Ingram Park to support Incarcerated Lives and learn about how you too can support your incarcerated loved ones with MAF.

On June 25, 2016 Mothers and Families hosted a Rally at the Historical Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, AL for the Freedom Summer 2016 Incarcerated Lives Matter. Mothers and Families would like to recap on the events that occured at the Rally sharing with our loved ones and friends how we came together under unity and solidarity to support our Incarcerated Loved Ones. Please join us on July 1, 2016  to hear the the stories of those who joined us at Kelly Ingram Park to support Incarcerated Lives and learn about how you too can support your incarcerated loved ones with MAF.

EPISODE 2: July's episode of The Thread features interviews with Maya Schenwar, author, activist, and the editor-in-chief of Truthout, as well as the second part of our interview with Kinetik Justice, a leader of the Free Alabama Movement. Maya talks extensively with Matt about how to approach prison and criminal justice reforms. They discuss the long-term vision of transformation from a system of isolation, confinement, and marginalization to a new vision for justice that would include rebuilding our communities and restructuring the economy and budgets. Maya (http://www.mayaschenwar.com/)has written for multiple publications including the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/09/opinion/too-many-people-in-jail-abolish-bail.html?_r=), The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/maya-schenwar), and is the editor in chief for Truthout (http://www.truth-out.org/author/itemlist/user/45138). She is also the author of Locked Down, Locked Out: Why Prison Doesn’t Work and How We Can Do Better (https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6694/t/17304/shop/item.jsp?storefront_KEY=661&t=&store_item_KEY=2906) and edited Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect?: Police Violence and Resistance in the United States (http://www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/Who-Do-You-Serve-Who-Do-You-Protect). Kinetik Justice is currently incarcerated at Holman Correctional Facility, and because of his involvement with the prison strike, is being held in solitary confinement. Kinetik and Matt talk about the proposed reforms to the Alabama state prisons, the same that Maya discusses, that would have cost $800 million and vastly expanded the prison system. The prison workers went on strike in part to kill this bill, which they did on day 3 of the strike. Kinetik also shares how he became political after going to prison, his extensive legal education on the inside, and mentors and moments that influenced his political perspective. For more information about Kinetik Justice and the Free Alabama Movement, check out their homepage. You can also read their Freedom Bill that Kinetik mentioned in his previous interview. You can also see Kinetik in the news. If you’re interested in any of the groups that Maya mentions, follow these links: Californians United for a Responsible Budget (http://curbprisonspending.org/) Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (http://ellabakercenter.org/) Here are Links to articles that Maya mentioned if you’re interested in learning more: “When Prison Reform Means Prison Expansion” (http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/35594-when-prison-reform-means-prison-expansion) “Decades Later, Victims Of Chicago Police Torture Paid Reparations” (http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/05/462040444/decades-later-victims-of-chicago-police-torture-paid-reparations) “The Prison System Welcomes My Newborn Niece to This World” (http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/18776-the-prison-system-welcomes-my-newborn-niece-to-this-world) If you're interested in prison organizing, check out part 1 of our interview with Kinetik Justice in episode 1 of The Thread. Political prisoner that trained Kinetik, Richard Mafundi Lake [http://www.cbpm.org/prlistal.html] Theme music is from the Die Jim Crow EP, available at http://diejimcrow.com/ . We'll keep posting relevant links to our social media, so check out our Facebook [www.facebook.com/TheThreadpodcast] or follow us on Twitter @DefeatMassInc[twitter.com/DefeatMassInc].

June's episode of The Thread features interviews with Kinetik Justice, the leader of the Free Alabama Movement and the recent Alabama prison strike, and Cheri Honkala, the founder of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign and former Vice Presidential candidate. Kinetik Justice is currently incarcerated at Holman Correctional Facility [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holman_Correctional_Facility], and because of his involvement with the prison strike, is being held in solitary confinement [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odcsxUbVyZA]. Kinetik gives an incredibly detailed look at how they went about organizing the prison strike, the networks created within the State prison system, and the reasons for their strike. They also talk about the predecessors to the strike and what led to the current organizing. For more information about Kinetik Justice and the Free Alabama Movement, check out their homepage [https://freealabamamovement.wordpress.com/]. You can also read their Freedom Bill that Kinetik mentioned in his interview [http://freealabamamovement.com/A%20BILL%20PRESENTED%20BY%20FREE%20ALABAMA%20MOVEMENT%20TITLED.pdf]. You can also read about Kinetik in the news [http://www.democracynow.org/2016/5/13/alabama_prison_strike_organizer_speaks_from]. If you're interested in any of the other movements Kinetik mentioned, follow these links: Free Mississippi Movement United [https://www.facebook.com/Free-Mississippi-Movement-United-485474431606022/] Free Ohio Movement [http://freeohiomovement.org/] Free Virginia Movement [https://iwoc.noblogs.org/post/2016/02/16/free-virginia-movement-declaration/] New Underground Railroad Movement [https://newundergroundrailroadmovement.wordpress.com/] Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People's Movement [https://ficpmovement.wordpress.com/about/ficpm-national-platform/] The Ordinary People Society [http://www.wearetops.org/] If you're interested in prison organizing, follow these links: For prison organizing all over the country: IWOC [https://iwoc.noblogs.org/] For prison organizing in Denver, Chicago, WI, GA: Anarchist Black Cross [https://denverabc.wordpress.com/prisoners-dabc-supports/] For prison organizing in TN: Black Autonomy Federation [http://blackautonomyfederation.blogspot.com/] Cheri Honkala continues to fight for the rights of people living in poverty across the nation. You can see more of the work she does on the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign homepage [http://economichumanrights.org/]. Cheri talks with Matt about the history of her involvement with anti-poverty work, her methods and model of organizing, how money and fundraising influences grassroots organizations, and how to use electoral politics alongside movement work. Cheri has been on Front Line USA's danger list for her work as a human rights activist. You can read about Front Line's work with Cheri and other human rights defenders, click here [https://law2.arizona.edu/iplp/outreach/shoshone/documents/Appendix4Frontliners.pdf]. Cheri and her running mate in the 2012 election, Jill Stein, are currently suing the Commission on Presidential debates. If you want to read more about their arrest, click here [http://www.democracynow.org/2012/10/17/green_partys_jill_stein_cheri_honkala]. If you want to read more about her lawsuit, click here [http://www.jill2016.com/presidential_debates]. If you're interested in The March For Our Lives taking place on July 25th at the Democratic National Convention, follow these links: The March For Our Lives [https://march4ourlives2016.org/] Green Party Endorsement [http://www.gp.org/green_party_endorses_march_for_our_lives_in_philadelphia_on_july_25_during_the_democratic_convention] We'll keep posting relevant links to our social media, so check out our Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/TheThreadpodcast] or follow us on Twitter @DefeatMassInc [https://twitter.com/DefeatMassInc].