prisons

Letter of anarchist Alexey Sutuga from prison to comrades in struggle

May Day open letter from an imprisoned Russian anarchist.

It is late, but I still want to congratulate all the comrades and friends with May Day and the Day of Liberation of the world from the Nazi threat in the memorable days of 1945. The symbolism of the holidays for me is still an important part of those ideas that I live for, although already the second year in a row I am unable to take part in their celebrations.

At your service: tales from community service part 2. Faggot till I die

Article about being queer and on community service in the UK, written by a participant.

At your service: tales from community service

An article written by a contributor who is currently serving a 120 hour community payback order, in which they are required to do a program of unpaid work for the terrible “community”1. This article forms the first part of a short series detailing different aspects and analysis of the community payback program, from thinking about the actions being performed and their implications to offering a kind of insight into what this shit is actually like.

Part 1: Honor amongst thieves.

Grand Jury refusers Katherine Olejnik and Matthew Duran are free

Submitted by John E Jacobsen on Feb 28 2013 09:23

After refusing to cooperate with an investigation against anarchists in the Pacific Northwest, Katherine Olejnik and Matthew Duran, who have spent the last 5 months in prison - much of which was in solitary confinement - are finally being released.

Article taken from Seattle Free Press - By Brendan Kiley of the Stranger:

Against prison studies without capitalism: "The strange career of The New Jim Crow" - Joseph D. Osel

In this analysis Osel provides a devastating and radical analysis of The New Jim Crow. He asks social justice advocates to take a stand against prison studies that do include an analysis of capitalism and reflects on the significance of the "counterrevolutionary protest" in social justice work, describinghow social justice advocates "sustain societal problems even while challenging them." His essay challenges anti-prison activists and others to observe and analyze "their own complicity with and legitimization of the structures that they seek to dismantle."

Quote:
“The demand for our facilities and services could be adversely affected by the relaxation of enforcement efforts, leniency in conviction or parole standards and sentencing practices or through the decriminalization of certain activities that are currently proscribed by our criminal laws.

On prisons, screws – and their unions

Submitted by Phil on Jan 20 2013 22:07

An attempt to sketch out my attitude as an anarchist towards the prison system. Why do we oppose them? Why does our solidarity go to the jailed over their jailers? How do we view the role of trade unions such as the Prison Officers Association?

Outsourcing and privatisation is a big part of the government's austerity agenda. Under this banner the drive, going back to the opening of HMP Wolds in 1992, to privatise the prison system in the UK has accelerated.

Tinley Park five accept non-cooperating plea bargain

Submitted by working class s... on Jan 10 2013 21:07

From Anti-racist action - On January 4, 2013 all members of the Tinley Park Five accepted a non-cooperating plea bargain in which they each plead guilty to three felony counts of Armed Violence in exchange for “lenient” sentences and the guarantee of ‘day-for-day’ good behavior. Jason Sutherlin was sentenced to 6 years. Cody Lee Sutherlin and Dylan Sutherlin were sentenced to 5 years. Alex Stuck and John Tucker were sentenced to 3 1/2 years due to their youth and complete lack of criminal history. Each will be placed upon two years of supervised release upon release from prison.

Before the plea was accepted, the State offered the Tinley Park Five one last chance to betray their comrades in exchange for their freedom. What a waste of time! As anarchist and antifascists, the Tinley Park Five are no more capable of selling out the struggle than their broken system is capable of reforming itself! They laughed at the offer and bravely accepted their fate.

Lucasville: The untold story of a prison uprising - Staughton Lynd

Lucasville tells the story of one of the longest prison uprisings in U.S. history. At the maximum-security Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio, prisoners seized a major area of the prison on Easter Sunday, 1993. More than 400 prisoners held L block for eleven days. Nine prisoners alleged to have been informants, or "snitches," and one hostage correctional officer, were murdered. There was a negotiated surrender. Thereafter, almost wholly on the basis of testimony by prisoner informants who received deals in exchange, five spokespersons or leaders were tried and sentenced to death, and more than a dozen others received long sentences.

Lucasville examines the causes of the disturbance, what happened during the eleven days, and the fairness of the trials.

Full Sutton prisoners strike 1995

Submitted by working class s... on Jan 6 2013 00:59

Fist hand accounts of a massive work strike that involved 250 prisoners over several days. Originally sent to the Anarchist Black Cross

On the 13th of November this year (1995), prisoners at the high security dispersal prison Full Sutton, near York, went on a work strike. It is difficult to get accurate information about numbers, but one estimate reckons on 250 cons refusing to work.

POA Cry-Wolf at Morton Hall Immigration Centre

Submitted by working class s... on Jan 3 2013 00:16

Several prison officers are reported to have been injured during a serious disturbance at the Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre on Christmas Eve. One prisoner is said to be in a serious condition in hospital with a head injury. Between 30 and 40 Prisoners are believed to have started a peaceful protest against conditions within the facility, and refused to return to their cells when instructed to.

Despite the UK border agency playing down the incident, the POA (Prison Officer Association) claim that around 50 individuals were involved in serious violence that included the use of home-made knives, pool-cues, and snooker balls. They also claim that there was a serious escape attempt thwarted on Christmas day.