Xinachtli (Nahuatl, meaning “seed”) is a community organizer and Chicano movement revolutionary, currently imprisoned in Texas. Formerly known as Alvaro Luna Hernandez, he worked diligently in the barrio on civil and human rights issues, known widely for his legal skills. Gaining international recognition as the national coordinator of the Ricardo Aldape Guerra Defense Committee, Xinachtli was instrumental in helping to free Mexican national Aldape Guerra from Texas’ death row, where he had been framed for the murder of a police officer.

In July 1996 Xinachtli was arrested after disarming a County Sheriff who was attempting to shoot him. After defending himself at trial, Xinachtli was sentenced to 50 years in prison for aggravated assault, a charge he vehemently denies. While imprisoned, Xinachtli continues to write frequently, has helped to organize multiple prison strikes, and has been held in solitary confinement for the last 19 years and counting. Xinachtli is a prolific jailhouse lawyer, as referenced by Mumia Abu Jamal in his book Jailhouse Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners v the USA. Xinachtli assists many prisoners in seeking new trials, and filing suits against the repressive, inhumane Texas prison system.

Xinachtli* #255735
James V. Allred Unit
2101 FM 369 North
Iowa Park, TX 76367
*Address envelope to Alvaro Luna Hernandez.

More information: freealvaro.net
Info flyer
Info was taken from NYC ABC’s Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners.
More PP addresses here.

While we generally think any day is a good day to write political prisoners, we would be remiss to not mention how hard the holidays are for anyone in prison. Now is a great time to send cards or letters to people behind the walls.

Please check out our political prisoner page and consider sending a few holiday cards to some political prisoners. We also highly recommend NYC ABC’s Illustrated Guide to Political Prisoners which has bios, addresses and information about U.S. held political prisoners and prisoners of war.

While there won’t be any of the big holiday card party gatherings (the image below has been used for an annual holiday card party between NYC ABC and Resistance in Brooklyn for years), you can still do something similar on your own or with your family.

One part of NYC ABC‘s every-other-week Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinners is presenting updates and announcements. These typically relate to PPs, POWs, or are especially relevant to folks in NYC. Since February 2011, we’ve been printing and mailing hard copies of the updates and announcements to about a dozen imprisoned comrades.

In April 2013, along with Denver Anarchist Black Cross and Sacramento Prisoner Support, we expanded printing and mailing to include all U.S. held political prisoners and prisoners of war. As of September, 2014, that work has diffused over several support crews, collectives, and individuals.

Download the newest update at
https://nycabc.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/updates-15-dec-2020.pdf

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, December 15th, 2020
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free

It is the last month of what some may say has been the longest year of their life. COVID 19 continues to rage on both sides of the walls, partially due to the ever insidious ‘individual american exceptionalism.’ All we can do is continue to support folx who are forced to weather the pandemic under the rule of the carceral state while we try to stay healthy and safe out here.

Dedicated followers of our bi-weekly letter writing night may remember that we encouraged folx to write to Eric King in May of this year. Shortly after that week, Eric was placed on a mail restriction and could only correspond with his wife and mother. As of the end of November it was lifted, although it is unclear for how long. Not only that, but Eric tested positive for COVID 19 on November 27th. Because of that we are encouraging people to flood the prison with mail for Eric! Do not talk about his case or the mail ban in your letter.

Eric King was indicted in May 2019 by a grand jury in the District Court of Colorado for a new federal felony charge of Assaulting a Federal Official. This charge is based on what the government says happened during the interview in the Florence storage room with a Lieutenant. Eric now faces up to 20 additional years in federal prison and is fighting this charge while still in the custody of his accusers. Eric is pre-trial, do not mention his current charges.

Please take the time to write a letter to Eric King (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):

Eric King #27090-045
FCI Englewood
9595 West Quincy Avenue
Littleton, CO 80123

Eric’s trial has been postponed. This is a good thing! Previously, the Judge had set trial for January. It will happen in April 2021.

For now, please send Eric a letter. He appears to be off of mail restriction. If you get any letters denied, please let us know.

Write Eric at: (no labels, white envelopes only)
Eric King #27090-045
FCI Englewood
9595 West Quincy Avenue
Littleton, CO 80123

Eric has new lawyers from the Civil Liberties Defense Center and you can support his legal defense efforts by donating at https://cldc.org/donate/

* Please earmark your donation on the website “Eric King legal defense”

In 1987 Dr. Shakur was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment for his role in the Black Liberation Movement. In March 1982, Dr. Shakur and 10 others were indicted by a federal grand jury under a set of U.S. conspiracy laws called Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) laws. These conspiracy laws were ostensibly developed to aid the government in its prosecution of organized crime figures; however, they have been used with varying degrees of success against revolutionary organizations. 

Dr. Shakur was charged with conspiracy and participation in a group that carried out actual and attempted expropriations from several banks. Eight incidents were alleged to have occurred between December 1976 to October 1981. In addition, he was charged with participation in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur, who is now in exile in Cuba. After five years underground, Dr. Shakur was arrested on February 12, 1986.

Dr. Shakur has worked to free political prisoners and to expose government abuses against political organizers. As an acupuncturist, Dr. Shakur challenged the use of methadone as a tool of recovery for addicts and founded the Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America as well as the Harlem Institute of Acupuncture. Many people credit Shakur with saving their lives. His accomplishments are featured in the recent podcast Dope is Death. There is a film by the same name that has been released. View the trailer.

While in prison, he has struggled to create peace between rival gangs. Dr. Shakur was diagnosed with cancer last year and recently contracted COVID-19 at FMC Lexington. In 2020, Dr. Shakur was denied compassionate release.

Write
Dr. Mutulu Shakur #83205-012
FMC Lexington
Post Office Box 14500
Lexington, KY 40512

Birthday: August 8   

More information: mutulushakur.com
More PP addresses here.

Friday, December 11, 2020 @ 7 p.m. EST
Russell Maroon Shoatz is a US-held political prisoner and community organizer who has spent 23 years in solitary confinement. Now, Maroon is suffering from Stage 4 cancer and COVID-19, but the PA DOC will not release him.

Featuring Speakers and artists:
Mike Africa Sr.
Tommy Joshua
Saleem Holbrook
Jean Schneider
Kempis Ghani Songster
Sister Lavinia “Vee”
Etta Cetera
Ben Barson
Jasiri X
Blak Rapp Madusa
Afro Yaqui Music Collective

Donations can be made at: http://russellmaroonshoatz.com
Event Link: http://afroyaquimusiccollective.com/free-maroon
https://www.facebook.com/events/1571473536373282/

This is the title of an editorial in Rochester City newspaper. We do not agree with the suggestion that Jalil did anything wrong. It appears he filled out paperwork given to him by a social work, one of the forms being a voter registration form.

Read the editorial at https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/drop-the-charges-against-jalil-muntaqim/

by Vikki Law, Truthout. December 3, 2020

When COVID entered the federal medical prison in Carswell, Texas, it ballooned within weeks — of the 1,288 people tested, 504 were positive. In one housing unit of 300 women, only 26 women tested negative, including 56-year-old Sandra Shoulders.

Shoulders has severe diabetes, respiratory problems, and, since entering prison in 2015, chronic kidney disease, leaving her at only 30 percent kidney function. All of these make her more vulnerable to becoming debilitated, if not dying, from COVID.

Meanwhile, the prison’s practices discourage people from getting tested for COVID. “Even when inmates feel ill now, they are so scared of those conditions to speak up,” Shoulders explained. She described how those who tested positive were treated: “You are held in a room, and expected to wear the same set of clothes for 21+ days, without laundry facilities. Food is dropped by the door and physically kicked into the room by the guards.”

Read the rest of the article at https://truthout.org/articles/under-cares-act-these-moms-should-be-home-they-remain-in-covid-filled-prisons/