June 30th, 2026 marked three years since the Feds demanded we turn ourselves in. It was also the day Pep was scheduled to move to Home Confinement. The BOP failed to complete the necessary paperwork to process that transition so he remains in the halfway house until further notice. As we await the next steps in our own situation we remain painfully aware of the continued evolution of the government’s attacks on liberatory movements but what’s even more troubling is witnessing the degradation of our movement principles by people who proclaim themselves comrades.
This piece is being written because a new wager and political understanding is being developed that threatens the movement by and large. There are those within the orbit of liberation that are actively causing harm through their word and deed. Whose actions and that of their supporters are producing daily new consequences that deviate from long-held traditions and codes of non-cooperation. This threat seeks access to our resources of time, money, and attention. When someone abandons and sacrifices their comrades by offering information to the state, the movement has an obligation to no longer stand in solidarity with that person.
While any one of us may be captured, subject to the great strife of the gavel or noose – to abandon dignity is not just an act of suicide, it drags others down with you. Such consequences demand our attention.
When we think about the political maturation necessary to stay principled under the pressure of federal repression, we think about the hard won wisdom of all the freedom fighters who paved the way throughout history. The people who left lessons and legacies for us to learn from and lean on. Knowing who has traveled this terrain and what they have sacrificed, undoubtedly provides a lifeline when a raid, arrest, and conviction turn your world upside down.
For guidance, we can turn to the wisdom of movement elders and ancestors like Sekou Odinga, Kuwasi Balagoon, Judy Clarke, David Gilbert, and Silvia Baraldini who issued a statement in 1982 called Destroy All Traitors.
“To minimize the development of traitors we must build movements based on clear principles, deep politicization, a strong commitment to oppressed and exploited peoples… We must teach that the state is our implacable enemy and fight for total noncollaboration as a basic principle.”
The codes revolutionaries live by exist to keep a movement alive long enough to find possibilities of emancipatory horizons. Thus, it is necessary at minimum, to hold the line of non-cooperation of any kind, and at best, raise the bar for what collective protection and defense can look like. Let us be clear: we are not victims of social injustice, we are targets in the cross-hairs of the US War Machine. If we are to survive, we must arm our spirits and stay committed to our convictions.
For those of us who have walked through the great halls of (in)justice, who have been steadfast supporters of those locked up, or who have done time themselves – it is known that the only thing that comes with you is your self-respect, integrity, and moral fortitude. Solidarity is what we receive for such commitment – it is the lifeblood that sustains us. The state has the power to strip everything else away.
In this landscape of war around and upon us, it is our acts of radical care and the fight for others that bolster our ability to win; love is a verb. It is a privilege to hold our comrades secrets and reflect back the best of what our movements have to offer. We lend political defendants and prisoners our hearts and minds because they carried themselves with dignity which honors the political legacies we walk in and the ones we hope to leave for those to come.
Solidarity with the Prairieland 8.
-K & P
*There were requests to name names in this piece, however our stance is this: Once you are a traitor we no longer know you by your name – the only name we know you by is traitor.
All honor and glory to Creator for another day of life, the lessons and blessing I’ve been given.
With the loudest of meows from a sad, fluffy kitty!! With a broken heart mended together with a sewing needle made from a battery and a string pulled from the elastic waistband from a jumper, reinforced with blank mail labels and a rubber band. With my head up high, teary eyes, and this broken heart full of love. I want to thank everyone for all of their support, love, and prayers as my family and I survive through this horrible injustice.
Today, July 6, marks a year since I was unjustly abducted and wrongfully imprisoned. I sit in a concrete cell with a heavy steel door as an innocent person for a crime I did not commit.
The reality is that I was arrested for being married to my wife, Mari, who has been unjustly convicted to 70 years for attending a public noise demonstration to support immigrants at the Prairieland detention center.
Despite proving that I did not have any knowledge, nor was I present, nor involved in any way in the event, I was demonized, convicted, and sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for reading and possessing my books, zines, love letters, poetry, cute keepsakes, sketchbooks, and art. These items that I owned are several years old, they’re completely legal, and have nothing to do with the events that transpired at the detention center. These books and zines range in topics, like history, social movements, political philosophy, sexual trauma, antiracism, consent, overcoming addiction, ecology, and even children’s literature. I’ve also been demonized for owning and creating art in the form of stickers, drawings, paintings, posters, clothing, and even custom tattoo designs—all images that can be considered cute, raw, critical, beautiful, empowering, satirical, and sometimes plain silly.
Even though these items were not evidence, nor relevant, nor used against anyone else, other than to sensationalize their existence to scare, influence, and persuade a jury for a verdict that benefited the prosecution, the prosecution openly lied and used misinformation to scare the jury. Nonetheless, it seems like we’re entering a time when books and art are being considered a crime and a threat to democracy—enough of a threat to give an innocent person who did not commit any crime a 30-year sentence in federal prison.
There have been many examples in history when people in power unleashed vicious campaigns using lies, deception, hate, and fearmongering. Creating scapegoats who are blamed for society’s ills, and labeling them criminals, traitors, degenerates, and terrorists. And enacting laws that allow them to criminalize, persecute, and brutalize entire communities based on their race, nationality, gender, status, disability, ideology, and religion. Any art or books that questioned or did not conform to their narrative were considered abhorrent, abominable, and dangerous. Therefore censored, hidden, burned, or destroyed, and its authors and creators were punished, imprisoned, or executed. In order to silence any dissenting opinions that threatened their narrative, power, and goals. This is why the right to free speech is not only important but fundamental and pivotal for any free society and democracy to exist and thrive.
As I watch the news, I notice a rampant amount of injustices and atrocities happening in this moment. War, displacement, blatant corruption, hate campaigns, persecution, deportations, fear, uncertainty, brutality, and a general disregard for people’s rights and ultimately their lives. Nevertheless, despite all of that, I’ve witnessed a display of beautiful acts of love, courage, kindness, solidarity, and resilience. Many people coming together to take care of each other, to work and build together. Acts of love that are admirable, inspiring, and necessary to overcome the tough challenges that we all currently face.
As a hardworking immigrant who came to this country at the age of 14, a lover of history, and not ignoring the fact that I’m currently incarcerated in what is an obvious injustice, I want to say that I’m grateful to this country and land for the opportunities and experiences it’s granted me. With all of its historical failures and achievements, with all of its flaws and virtues, with all of its dreams and limitations, with all of its promises and possibilities. I’m grateful for the experience of being exposed to an array of different cultures, different ideas, and a diverse population, simultaneously trying to figure out how to overcome conflict and division and live together. All dreaming of prosperity, equality, liberty, and the right to the pursuit of happiness. Although an oversimplification, at the end of the day we all just want to be free and happy and live in peace with those we love.
I want to give thanks to my amazing family and friends who continue to support, uplift, and hold me with so much love and tenderness. Who have given me advice, a gentle slap on the back of the head, a hug, and a shoulder to cry on. Who continue to inspire me and show me how to be a better person. To all those who have taken the time and consideration to reach out and share stories, poetry, doodles, vegan recipes, interesting facts, and kind uplifting words: Thank you for all the love! I can truly feel it even behind these walls. I can feel the energy, effort, and prayers. Thank you so much for supporting us all!! And I hope we can all meet someday and share space together.
Despite the circumstances, I’m grateful for existence, and thankful for all the experiences and people that I’ve met.
Though a bit cheesy, I want to share this with you. When I close my eyes, I try to focus on this:
I’m grateful for all of my loved ones. I’m grateful for black coffee, paper, pencil and a device to listen to the radio. I’m grateful for the green mountains, red sunsets, and smell after the rain. I’m grateful for soft snow, lake swimming, and shade under a tree. I’m grateful for hugs, tiny kisses, and cuddles. I’m grateful for a dark sense of humor, witty jokes, and tummy pain from laughter. I’m grateful for hiking trails, camping, and motorcycle rides. I’m grateful for kitties, tlacuaches, and raccoons. I’m grateful for my clients, and trusting me in the sacred process of tattooing you. I’m grateful for fundraisers and donations. I’m grateful for prisoners’ support writing night. I’m grateful for those who rescue food and cook meals to share with others. I’m grateful for mutual aid and relief work during emergencies. I’m grateful for groups that offer support and services to immigrants and refugees in the inner city and out in the desert. I’m grateful for people who take care of animals, and help them when they’re being harmed, injured, or in need of a home. I’m grateful for farmers, garden fairies, and tree huggers. I’m grateful for herbalists, their remedies, and the sacred relationships to plants. I’m grateful for our animal and plant friends, and their lessons if we just stop, look, and listen. I’m grateful for the children with their honesty, curiosity, and imagination who remind us of the importance of play. I’m grateful for the students’ energy, passion, and zeal, and their vision for a better world. I’m grateful for the teachers who go above and beyond for their students. I’m grateful for the educators who took me under their wing and mentored me. I’m grateful for the nurses, street medics, public defenders, movement lawyers, and legal support teams. I’m grateful and want to give thanks to the women/queer homies who do all the heavy lifting at home and in our communities. I’m grateful for our parents, elders, and mentors who care about us, and continue to give us guidance and inspiration. I’m grateful for the abolitionists, academic professors, and honest journalists. I’m grateful for the vegan potlucks and all the deli vegan nomz. I’m grateful for the nerds, cosplayers, and dweebs. I’m grateful for shoulder rubs and hand massages. I’m grateful for the temazcal, el copal, and drum. I’m grateful for the genuine smile from a stranger. I’m grateful for the megaphone, powerful chants, and street cheerleading. I’m grateful for big butts and thicc thighs haha. I’m grateful for glitter, rainbows, and bubbles. I’m grateful for large banners, light brigades, and puppets. I’m grateful for authors and poets who fill our hearts and minds with stories, knowledge, and nurturing words. I’m grateful for the artists, emcees, graff writers, b-boys, zinesters, and DIY screen printers. I’m grateful for the muddy greens climbing trees, brave train hoppers, and crusty punks who are some of my fav people. I’m grateful for the organizers, volunteers, and supporters. I’m grateful for all the homies who pick up, clean, and wash dishes after any gathering. I’m grateful for all the bookfairs, gatherings, bookstores, publishers, distros, printshops, and community spaces and community projects. I’m grateful for the sunflowers, who teach us to grow despite the adversity, stand upright, be strong, be bright, be vibrant, be beautiful, and be resilient.
I’m grateful for all my relations. I’m grateful for you! Support the defendants!! Don’t forget to love your neighbors, the animals and plant friends, the land, air, and water. And don’t forget to love yourself! May Creator bless you and yours!!
In Contempt, a monthly roundup of political prisoner, prison rebel, and repression news, happenings, announcements, action and analysis, is out, covering State Terror in Prairieland, Minneapolis, Michigan, & Elsewhere; Repression Breeds Resistance…But Only If We Try!, and more.
NYC ABC, along with several other individuals and prisoner support crews, now send hard copies to all political prisoners and prisoners of war we support.
If you consistently mail the latest updates to a specific prisoner, please let us know so we can insure there’s no overlap. The goal is to have copies sent to all of the prisoners we list.
SLIDE 1: White header text reading “freeosoblanco.org” is followed by series of broken dots. Purple headline text reading “Independence—But for Who” is imposed over an black-and-white photo of Oso Blanco. An arrow in a purple circle at bottom right of image indicates direction to swipe for next slide.
SLIDE 2: White text on a black background reads: “Good evening, beautiful people. This is Oso Blanco. Please let me tell you why I DESPISE the 4th of July. This is NO “Happy Birthday for America.” For us, this 4th of July madness is the American celebration of their 1776 celebration ON OUR LAND for the American’s freedom from the British Empire.” Under statement text is purple bar directing readers to swipe to next slide.
SLIDE 3: White text on a black background reads “Independence Day” for who, I ask? Not for Native people. This 4th of Juy marks the next 250 years of massive waves of genocide, land theft, extinction of may tribes, environmental destruction of the Earth—rivers, lakes, all waters air and soil. Under statement text is purple bar directing readers to swipe to next slide.
SLIDE 4: “The 4th marks unrestrained colonialism, and the oppression of Native spiritual lifeways, healing practices, and Native peoples’ freedom. So, in short, the 4th is the end of Native Nations’ freedom and safety from attack and destruction of our cultures and customs. There is NO WAY I can “celebrate” that stupid EVIL day in ’76. The positives do not outweigh the negatives. The negatives far. FAR outweigh the positives starting with the 4th of July 1776. Under statement text is purple bar directing readers to swipe to next slide.
SLIDE 5: White text on a black background reads: I love you, people. PLEASE STOP these RIDICULOUS holidays and what they really, REALLY represent. I love you.” Under statement text is purple bar directing readers to swipe to next slide.
SLIDE 6: White text reads Write to and Support Oso Blanco. Purple text provides correspondence address information as: Byron Chubbuck #07909-051 USP Atwater P.O. Box 019001 Atwater, CA 95301. Below address information is original artwork from Oso Blanco featuring a full color Cherokee Medicine Wheel behind 4 Eagle feathers on a background half daytime sky and half nighttime sky. Small white footer text reads: Email: [email protected].
Alexander Contompasis 22B5028 Sing Sing Correctional Facility 354 Hunter Street Ossining, New York 10562
Birthday: February 26
On January 6, 2021, right-wing agitators gathered outside the New York State Capitol in support of the Stop the Steal rally in Washington DC. A handful of counter protesters spoke out against them and a melee broke out after a Proud Boy tased a Black man in the neck. Alex Stokes was watching from the sidelines and ran to help others. Police did not intervene until the violence had ended, arresting three Black activists. Alex was charged with several felonies. The Proud Boys were not arrested at the scene. Alex’s family and friends maintain that he was railroaded by the system. He was a journalist under a court-ordered gag-order for over a year. His previous work and experience with dangerous hate groups were inadmissible for his defense, but the prosecution picked apart his social media accounts and portrayed his actions as premeditated. He was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison, despite the fact that no one died and neither of the victims received life-altering injuries. More Information: freealexstokes.com
The “Virgin Island 3” are a group of activists accused of murdering eight people in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The murders took place during a turbulent period of rebellion on the Islands. During the 1970’s, as with much of the world, a movement to resist colonial rule began to grow in the U.S. occupied Virgin Islands. From 1971 to 1973, there was a small scale Mau Mau rebellion taking place on the islands. This activity was down-played by the media, for fear it would damage the tourist industry, which the island’s survival depends on. More information: vi3.org
Preferred/chosen names in italics below.
Abdul Azeez Warren Ballentine #191878 Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility 19351 US Highway 49 North Tutwiler, Mississippi 38963
Hanif Shabazz Bey Beaumont Gereau #191952 Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility 19351 US Highway 49 North Tutwiler, Mississippi 38963
Malik Smith Meral Smith #191874 Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility 19351 US Highway 49 North Tutwiler, Mississippi 38963 Illustration by Gianluca Costantini
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Alvaro Hernández #255735 Post Office Box 660400 Dallas, Texas 752660400
Birthday: May 12
Xinachtli (Nahuatl, meaning “seed”) is a community organizer from Texas. Police informants were used to monitor Xinachtli’s organizing activities in the barrio. They were told Xinachtli was “typing legal papers,” “had many books” and was working on police brutality cases in Alpine. The police knew of Xinachtli’s history of community-based organizing and his legal skills. Xinachtli was recognized nationally and internationally as the national coordinator of the Ricardo Aldape Guerra Defense Committee, which led the struggle to free Mexican national Aldape Guerra from Texas’ death row after being framed by Houston police for allegedly killing a cop. Xinachtli’s human rights work was recognized in Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico and other countries. He was sentenced in Odessa, Texas on June 2-9, 1997 to 50 years in prison for defending himself by disarming a police officer drawing a weapon on him. The trial evidence clearly showed Xinachtli was the victim of witch hunts and a policeorchestrated conspiracy to frame or eliminate him. More information: freealvaro.net
Byron Chubbuck #07909051 USP Atwater Post Office Box 019001 Atwater, California 95301
Birthday: February 26
Indigenous rights activist serving 55 years for bank robbery, aggravated assault on the FBI, escape and firearms charges. Oso Blanco is a wolf clan Cherokee/ Choctaw raised in New Mexico, whose Cherokee name is Yona Unega. He became known by the authorities as “Robin the Hood” after the FBI and local gang unit APD officers learned from a confidential informant that he was robbing banks in order to acquire funds to support the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas, Mexico throughout 1998-99. Info at: freeosoblanco.blogspot.com
Hridindu Roychowdhury is an anarchist and PhD student, is a vocal advocate for bodily autonomy, currently imprisoned for standing up against systems of oppression. In the wake of the leaked supreme court decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, anger and grief spilled into the streets across the country. For some, it was a moment of protest. For others, it became a flashpoint that led to incarceration. In May, 2022, Hridindu acted in protest against Wisconsin Family Action, an anti-abortion lobbying group, whose building was damaged in an attempted arson. Every precaution was taken to insure no one was injured and the words spray-painted on the wall read, “IF ABORTIONS AREN’T SAFE, THEN YOU AREN’T EITHER.” The state responded with surveillance, collecting DNA from a discarded burrito, and eventual federal charges. In a non-cooperating plea agreement, Hridundu pled guilty and took responsibility for his actions, and was sentenced to 90 months.
