Russell Shoatz whose been in prison since 1972 is suffering from Covid and colon cancer. He is being held in inhumane conditions that’s detrimental to his health. These funds will go towards costs that the Shoatz family encounter fighting what seems to be an endless battle towards getting proper medical attention for Russell Shoatz, and someday bringing him home where he belongs.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-the-shoatz-family-fighting-injustice
Our friends at Certain Days just published their December Prison Break column on It’s Going Down. Covering releases, COVID-19, rebellions, birthdays and more related to U.S. political prisoners, this is not to be missed. Check out older columns here.
And check out this awesome photo of recently released political prisoner Jeremy Hammond!
Today is Giving Tuesday and like many other groups, we are asking for you to donate to our cause this day! Unlike others, the funds donated goes right to political prisoners. We give monthly stipends of $50 to 20 political prisoners and donate generously to release funds for political prisoners. e.g. like Jay Chase , David Campbell, Zolo Azania and Red Fawn Fallis.
The Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) initiated the Warchest program in November 1994 to send monthly checks to Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War who have been receiving insufficient, little, or no financial support during their imprisonment. Its purpose is to collect funds from groups and individual supporters and send that money directly to commissary accounts of vetted Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War (PP/POW) via monthly checks. Since its inception, we have distributed over $130,000 in funds.
The current batch of political prisoners who receive the ABCF Warchest:
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, December 1st, 2020
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free
With rumors of war and populist coups in the air, ongoing organized state violence and femicide wreaking havoc in communities around the world, we’re gearing up for what we do best: political prisoner support. NYC ABC and Page One Collective are back for our every-other-week Political Prisoner Letter Writing night, this week featuring New Afrikan Prisoner of War Kojo Bomani Sababu. These days, we find it helpful to be able to call on our elders for their wisdom through practicing reciprocal solidarity. As Kojo himself said:
“…I have no solutions but I will say this: There are some great political minds contained in America’s prisons, which are growing old as their era of life departs, this resource needs to be tapped before it expires. Do not abandon the political prisoners and POWs, they are still insightful with their knowledge and experience.”
Kojo Bomani Sababu is currently serving a 55 year sentence for actions with the Black Liberation Army and attempted prison escape with Puerto Rican Independista Oscar López Rivera. Kojo was captured on December 19, 1975 along with anarchist Ojore Lutalo during a bank expropriation. He was also charged with the murder of a drug dealer in his neighborhood. He was convicted of seditious conspiracy in 1981 and sentenced to 55 years in prison. In 1988, Kojo was convicted of conspiracy to escape along with Jaime Delgado (a veteran independence leader), Dora Garcia (a prominent community activist), and Oscar López Rivera (Puerto Rican Independista) from the federal prison at Leavenworth, where he was held.
Please take the time to write a letter to Kojo Sababu (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Kojo Sababu* #39384-066
USP Canaan
Smart Communications
Post Office Box 30
Pinellas Park, Florida 33781
*Address envelope to Grailing Brown
Political Prisoner Eric King’s mail restriction, which has prevented him from receiving mail from anyone other than his wife and mother, has been lifted FOR NOW. Now would be a great time to write him and show him some love. We have no idea how long the mail ban will be lifted so now is the time to write him.
Don’t talk about his current case or anything about the mail ban.
Eric King #27090-045
FCI Englewood
9595 West Quincy Avenue
Littleton, CO 80123
Follow Eric on social media.
web: https://supportericking.org
fb: https://facebook.com/SupportEricKing/
twitter: https://twitter.com/SupportEricKing
instagram: https://instagram.com/supportericking/
This holiday season, the Drop LWOP Coalition is calling on Governor Newsom to reunite families across California by granting a HISTORIC number of commutations for people serving Life Without Parole (LWOP) sentences.
Commutation is meant to be the final opportunity for redress of unfair trials, extreme excessive sentences, and inequities that result from racism and other forms of systemic injustice.
For decades, California governors have FAILED to execute this important responsibility of their office in the way it was intended. From 1975 to 1982, then-Governor Jerry Brown granted ONE commutation. However, during his most recent term, Brown commuted the sentences of 283 people in California state prisons, far more than any California governor since at least the 1940s. Fifty-two percent of people commuted by Brown were serving LWOP sentences.
Sadly, this is a RECORD number of commutations for California. Over 5,200 people are still serving the racist, arbitrary, and inhumane death sentence of Life Without Parole and commutations remain one of the only levers of release for people serving LWOP.
Join us over the next month calling on Governor Newsom to use his clemency powers this holiday season.
Click here for shareable #BringThemHome Instagram and Twitter posts
Follow the coalition’s new instagram account @drop_LWOP for updates and visit www.droplwop.com to sign our letter to Governor Newsom urging him to commute the sentences of all people serving Life Without Parole (LWOP) in California’s prisons to parole-eligible sentences.
We must fight to #BringThemHome for the Holidays!
Ronald Reed, a former member of the Black United Front, was convicted of the 1970 shooting of a St. Paul police officer. Twenty-five years after the killing, Reed was arrested and convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree-murder. He is serving Life in prison. Reed is a former 60s civil rights activist.
In 1969, Reed was also among the students at St. Paul Central High School who demanded black history courses and organized actions against racist teachers. He was also instrumental in helping to integrate college campuses in Minnesota. During this period, Reed began to look toward revolutionary theory and began to engage in political street theater with other young black revolutionaries in the city of St. Paul.
Write
Ronald Reed #219531
Minnesota Correctional Facility-Lino Lakes
7525 Fourth Avenue
Lino Lakes, MN 55014
Birthday: August 31
More information: https://www.prisonersolidarity.com/prisoner/ronald-reed
Info flyer
Info was taken from NYC ABC’s Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners.
More PP addresses here.
When Chesa Boudin was growing up, both his parents were serving long sentences in New York state prisons for their roles in a 1981 armored Brink’s truck robbery in Rockland County that left two Nyack police officers and a security guard dead. Family friend Jeff Jones brought the youngster on prison visits to see his father.
Boudin was raised by adoptive parents and the boy left each prison encounter struggling to process feelings of sadness, anger and confusion over his powerlessness to change a criminal justice system that broke his family apart. “I had a lot of emotional issues growing up because the nature of incarceration creates distance between family members,” conceded Boudin, 40, who was elected District Attorney of San Francisco a year ago after a career as a public defender and champion of alternatives to incarceration.
Now, Jones, 73, of Green Island, an environmental consultant, is joining forces with Boudin and international religious leaders including the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to seek mercy from the governor. The coalition is urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to grant clemency to Boudin’s father, David Gilbert, because his age elevates the risk he faces from COVID-19.
Read more here.
Contact Andrew Cuomo and urge him to grant clemency for David Gilbert
https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form
Leave a message at 518-474-8390
Write:
The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
NYS State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Rattler (Michael Markus) is Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge, SD. He is a descendant of the war chief Makpiya Luta, translated as Red Cloud. Rattler’s Lakota name is Mato Tanka, meaning Big Bear. He is a Sundancer and Canupa (sacred pipe) carrier.
Rattler arrived at the Oceti Sakowin resistance camp as a Water Protector in September 2016. On January 23, 2017 Rattler was charged for the work he engaged in as Akicita to protect Land, Water, People, and Treaties against militarized police and mercenaries working for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). DAPL was illegally constructed to go through the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota, despite the damage done to sacred sites, Lakota burial sites, Treaty lands of multiple indigenous Nations, risk to the Lakota living on the reservation, and numerous violations of human and environmental rights. He was charged with Civil Disorder, a charge that has only been applied for movement work such as the American Indian Movement, Black Liberation Movement, Vietnam protests, and to these 7 Water Protectors, as well as Using Fire to Commit a Felony, a federal charge that most attorneys don’t know is on the books.
On October 27th, 2016 militarized police illegally raided 1851 Treaty Camp, which had gained more numbers of water protectors to block the progression of DAPL from going across Highway 1806. Barricades were lit on HW 1806 and the 134 bridge to keep the militarized police from further endangering our unarmed encampment as police had done for previous months. The only thing lit on 134 bridge were logs; no property damage occurred there. Logs, hay, and scrap wood were used as a barricade alongside donated vehicles on HW 1806. No violence was inflicted on law enforcement in either location. The courts refused to grant Rattler and 5 other water protectors a change of venue to have trial outside of Bismarck, ND despite statistics given to the judge proving the majority of the local population already considered them to be guilty before trial even began. Rattler, Little Feather (Michael Giron, Akicita), Bravo (Brennan Nastacio), Angry Bird (Jimmy White, Akicita) and Dion Ortiz were all given the same charges, facing 15+ years in federal prison. Little Feather and Rattler chose the better of two evils: a non-cooperating plea deal (as in no cooperation with feds). Both received 3 years for nonviolent conduct as Water Protectors keeping our people safe from violence, and stopping further desecration of land and water. RedFawn Fallis also took a non-cooperating plea deal of five years for a gun planted on her by an informant on Oct. 27th. Angry Bird and Dion have also accepted non-cooperating plea deals for their work on Oct. 27th.
Akicita is a traditional role among the Lakota Nation. Akicita is a life commitment, living a life of service and accountability. Akicita are the last to inflict violence, but they are the last to leave a battle. Akicita leave no one behind. We must not let the sacrifices of these water protectors be in vain. We thank all those around the world that committed themselves to be in the NoDAPL camps with us long term, and we thank all those that continue to support water protectors as the movement goes on into federal prisons.
Write
Michael Markus #06280-073
FCI Sandstone
PO Box 1000
Sandstone, MN 55072
Birthday: February 2
More information: freerattlernodapl.com
This information came from NYC ABC’s Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners.
More PP addresses here.
Ed Poindexter finally filed his application for commutation of sentence on August 17. At the August Pardons Board meeting, Dr. Topolski, a new supporter, asked the governor to expedite Ed’s application because of the risk of covid19. The governor said he wasn’t inclined to let anybody “jump in line” (there are 49 other applications for sentence commutations). His case will probably be heard early next year.)
Please share this campaign, write a letter to the Pardons Board and sign the online petition: http://chng.it/vctskKv49k Ed would be very grateful. We would also appreciate if you could send us a copy of your letter to: [email protected] Thank you so much for your decades of support for Ed, and for Mondo we Langa!
Ed’s Story
In April of 1971, Edward Poindexter and Mondo we Langa, formerly David Rice, were sentenced to life in prison for the death of an Omaha police officer—a crime they did not commit. The two were targeted by law enforcement and wrongfully convicted due to their affiliation with the Black Panther Party, a civil rights and anti-fascist political group.
Nearly 50 years later, Ed is still in prison and maintains his innocence. He has earned several college degrees, taught anti-violence classes to youth, authored screenplays, and more. His last chance for freedom is to receive a commutation of sentence from the Nebraska Board of Pardons. At age 75, he is at high risk for COVID related health complications. He must receive an immediate and expedited commutation hearing from the Board.
Take Action Now
Write, email and call the Nebraska Board of Pardons. Request that they commute Ed’s sentence.
WRITE:
Nebraska Board of Pardons
P.O. Box 95007
Lincoln, NE 68509
*please email a copy of your letter to [email protected]
EMAIL: [email protected]
CALL:
Governor Pete Ricketts: 402-471-2244
SoS Robert B. Evnen: 402-471-2554
AG Doug Peterson: 402-471-2683
Sample Letter
Dear Pardons Board:
I am writing in regards to Edward Poindexter, #27767, who has served nearly 50 years in prison with exemplary behavior and many accomplishments. He is 75 years old and at high risk for COVID-19 related medical complications, which have been amplified by the increased COVID transmission rate among prisoners. I am therefore requesting that the Board expedite Ed’s application, schedule his hearing for the next available Board meeting, and commute his sentence to length of time served.
You can read more about Ed here:
https://prisonersolidarity.com/prisoner/edward-poindexter
