Political Prisoners of Allied Struggles
There are over a hundred political prisoners and prisoners of war held in the US, and many more politicized prisoners. The following are some of those prisoners from struggles that are allied with the Earth First! movement. See the recommended resources for more information and contacts for additional prisoners not listed on this site, and check out our suggestions for supporting prisoners.
To update the information listed here, please email us at efpris [at] riseup.net with ‘PRISONER PAGE CORRECTION’ in the subject line.
Last updated 6/10/16
ANTI-CAPITALIST PRISONERS
Rev. Edward Pinkney
N-E-93 #294671, Marquette Branch Prison, 1960 US Hwy 41 South, Marquette, MI 49855, USA
Rev. Pinkney is a leader in the struggle for social and economic justice sentenced to serve 3 to 10 years in prison, on the basis of thin circumstantial evidence that a few dates had been altered on a recall petition against the city’s mayor, James Hightower. The recall was prompted by the mayor’s continued support for tax evasion by the Whirlpool Corporation, headquartered in Benton Harbor. Pinkney was also a leader in the fight against the ceding of a Benton Harbor public park to Whirlpool and a development firm which privatized the park and gentrified that prime real estate into a golf course and wealthy gated community on Lake Michigan – excluding the people that the property was deeded to serve.
Birthday: October 27, 1948
Wiki Profile
Cleveland 4
Accused of plotting a series of bombings, including an area bridge. However, the real story is that the FBI, working with an informant, created the scheme, produced the explosives, and coerced these four into participating.
Brandon Baxter
#57972-060, FCI Terre Haute, P.O. Box 33, Terre Haute, IN 47808, USA
Serving 9 years and 9 months (until 11-18-2020).
Birthday: April 27, 1993
Book Wish List
Wiki Profile
Joshua “Skelly” Stafford
#57976-060, USP Tucson, P.O. Box 24550 Tucson, AZ 85734, USA
Serving 10 years (until 01-15-2021).
Birthday: October 3, 1988
Book Wish List
Wiki Profile
Connor Stevens
#57978-060, FCI Manchester, P.O. Box 4000, Manchester, KY 40962, USA
Serving 8 years and 1 month (until 05-15-2019).
Birthday: December 17, 1992
Book Wish List
Wiki Profile
Doug Wright
#57973-060, FCI Cumberland, P.O. Box 1000, Cumberland, MD 21501, USA
Serving 11.5 years (until 05-05-2022).
Birthday: May 31, 1985
Book Wish List
Wiki Profile
NATO 5Targeted by two undercover Chicago cops for preemptive, politically motivated arrests prior to the NATO summit and charged with planning to, “destroy police cars and attack four Chicago Police district stations with destructive devices,” in effort to undermine the police response to planned activist actions. Now accepting donations for legal expenses.
Brent Betterly
Released April 2015.
Brian “Jacob” Church
Released November 2014.
Jared “Jay” Chase
M44710, P.O. Box 99, Pontiac, IL 61764, USA
Originally serving 8 years (until 05-2016) on NATO charges, however, was sentenced to an additional year in prison and loss of one year good time credit due to an additional charge for a pre-trial incident while incarcerated. His expected release is now 05-2018. Medical experts have testified that Jay’s behavior is likely related to the fact that he has Huntingdon’s disease which is terminal and extremely debilitating especially under stressful prison conditions.
Birthday: June 12, 1987
Book Wish List
Wiki Profile
Mark “Migs” Neiweem
Paroled 12/12/2013
Sebastian “Sabi” Senakiewicz
Released and deported to Poland.
International
Genoa 10: Activists sentenced on 13/07/12 for crimes of “devastation and looting” during the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001. Five of the defendants have been granted right to appeal against other related charges, and their cases will be re-examined by the judges. The other five had their appeals rejected. One had her sentence commuted due to parental duties, two are wanted, and the others are incarcerated.
Marina Cugnaschi C.C. Bollate, Via Cristina Belgioioso 120, 20021 Milano, Italy [Updated 03/27/14]
Serving 12 years and 3 months.
Wiki Profile
Alberto Funaro Released on Probation February 2015
Francesco “Jimmy” Puglisi C.C. Rebibbia, (Wing G9/Second floor), Via Raffaele Majetti 70, 00156 Rome, Italy [Updated: 03/27/14]
Serving 14 years (until 06-2027) after being arrested on June 5, 2013.
Wiki Profile
Luca Finotti was released under house arrest in February 2014.
ANTI-FASCIST PRISONERS
Jason Hammond
Released 4/13/2016! (Read Statement)
Jason was arrested outside his home in July 2013, a year after the anti-fascist action that the Tinley Park 5 served time for. He was charged with armed violence and mob action, the same as the other 5 anti-fascists. His indictment states the Tinley Park Police were given a report from the FBI stating that they had identified me from DNA gathered at the scene and a surveillance video from the restaurant where the fascist meeting was shut down. He took a non-cooperating plea agreement on January 22, 2015 and served 3.5 years and was released in April 2016. He is the twin brother of Jeremy Hammond, a political prisoner listed below.
Birthday: January 8, 1985
Post-Post-Release Fund
International
Joel Almgren
Skogholmsvägen, 522 85 Tidaholm, Sweden [Updated: 05/27/15]
A Swedish anti-fascist serving 5.5 years (until 05-2019) for defending an anti-racist demonstration in Kärrtorp, near Stockholm, from a vicious attack by the neo-Nazi group Swedish National Resistance. During the fight, a number of the attackers were seriously injured and Joel charges are associated with these injuries.
Birthday: January 18
Wiki Profile
Brest Anti-fascists: Imprisoned for an incident on May 8, 2014, in Brest, Belarus where a fight between anti-fascists and neo-Nazis took place. A third prisoner’s full name is unknown.
Roman Bogdan ul. K. Marksa, 86, Brest, SIZO-7, 224030, Belarus
Serving 6 years (until 04-2021). Originally sentenced to 8 years, his sentence was reduced on December 15, 2015 after he paid restitution.
Dzmitry Stsyashenka 225875, Brestskaya oblast, Kobrinski r-n, d. Luschiki IUOT № 6, Belarus
Serving 3 years (until 04-2018). Originally sentenced to 5 years, his sentence was reduced on December 15, 2015 after he paid restitution.
Alexey Gaskarov
301654, g. Novomoskovsk, ul. Central’naja, 27, Tulskaya oblast, IK-6 UFSIN, Russia [Note: only letters in Russian are accepted, so send postcards or use google translate if you do not speak Russian]
Alexey is a long-time anti-fascist and environmental activist. He was charged with “involvement in riots” and “use of violence against authorities” stemming from the March of the Millions, in Moscow. In January of 2015, he was transferred to the medium security prison listed above where he will serve his 3.5 year sentence (until 10-2016). Alexey can also receive mail via the volunteer organization RosUznik’s online form.
Birthday: June 18, 1985
Wiki Profile
Lenko Vlad Igorevich
Vitebskaya obl. Vitebskiy rajon, Vitba, IK-3, 211300, Belarus
Vlad Lenko is an antifascist from Ivatsevichi (Brest region). Detained on December 27, 2014 on suspicion of taking part in a fight with local neo-nazis that took place on December 23, 2014. Accused of group hooliganism and aggravated bodily harm. In September 2015, he was sentenced to 6 years of penal colony with reinforced regime (until 12-27-2020).
Jock Palfreeman
Sofia Central Prison, 21 General Stoletov Boulevard, Sofia 1309, Bulgaria
Serving 20 years (until 12-2027) in Sofia/Bulgaria for defending two Roma boys from a racist mob. Jock has helped start Bulgaria’s first prisoner’s union, the Bulgarian Prisoners’ Association, and recently had his transfer request to his home country of Australia denied.
Birthday: November, 13, 1986
Wiki Profile
Alexey “Sokrat” Sutuga
Ispravitelnaya Koloniya № 2, Pervy Promyshlenniy massiv, kvartal 47, d. 6, g., Angarsk, Irkutskaya oblast, 665809, Russia [Note: only letters in Russian are accepted, so send postcards or use google translate if you do not speak Russian]
Alexey is an anarchist and anti-fascist arrested om April 5, 2014, for a fight with fascists. At the trial on September 30, 2014, he was sentenced to three years and one month (until 05-2017) in prison for his alleged involvement.
HACKTIVIST PRISONERS
Barrett Brown
#45047-177, FCI Three Rivers, P.O. Box 4200, Three Rivers, TX 78071, USA
A journalist who was facing life in prison for merely linking to information from the Anonymous Stratfor release. He plead to 3 counts and was sentenced to 5 years (until 04-08-2017).
Birthday: August 14, 1981
Book Wish List
Wiki Profile
Matthew DeHart
#06813-036, FCI Ashland, P.O. Box 6001, Ashland, KY 41105, USA
Matt is a former US Air National Guard drone team member and alleged WikiLeaks courier who worked with the hacktivist group Anonymous. Several judges that have reviewed the case have expressed skepticism about the charges he was convicted of and it is believed he was framed because of his ties to Anonymous and Wikileaks.
Birthday: June 11, 1984
Wiki Profile
Jeremy Hammond
#18729-424, FCI Manchester, P.O. Box 4000, Manchester, KY 40962, USA
Jeremy plead guilty to conspiracy to use his computer savvy to attack the website of Strategic Forecasting (Stratfor) as well as other conservative groups and State operators. He is serving 10 years (until 12-25-2020).
Birthday: January 8, 1985
Book Wish List
Wiki Profile
INDIGENOUS RESISTANCE PRISONERS
Byron Shane ”Oso Blanco” Chubbuck
#07909-051, USP Lewisburg, P.O. Box 1000, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA
Serving 80 years (until 3-2-2071) for aggravated assault of federal agents, escape and bank robbery. Oso Blanco funneled money he stole from banks in the US to the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Mexico.
Birthday: February 26, 1967
Wiki Profile
Leonard Peltier
#89637-132, USP Coleman I, P.O. Box 1033, Coleman, FL 33521, USA
American Indian Movement activist serving life after being framed for murdering two FBI agents during the 1975 Pine Ridge siege. Support the executive clemency campaign underway.
Birthday: September 12, 1944
Wiki Profile
MOVE PRISONERS
Move is an eco-revolutionary group for black liberation and in defense of all life. There are currently seven MOVE activists in prison each serving 35-100 years after been framed for the murder of a cop while their house was being raided in 1978. Merle Africa died in prison in 1998 and Phil Africa in 2015, both under suspicious circumstances. Parole hearings for the rest of the MOVE 9 now occur roughly yearly. Your support can help them get released on parole.
Debbie Sims Africa (OO6307), Janet Holloway Africa (OO6308), and Janine Phillips Africa (OO6309):
SCI Cambridge Springs, 451 Fullerton Ave, Cambridge Springs, PA 16403-1238, USA
Birthdays: August 4, 1956, April 13, 1951, and April 25, 1956
Michael “Mike” Davis Africa
AM4973, SCI Graterford, P.O. Box 244, Graterford, PA 19426-0244, USA
Birthday: October 6, 1955
Diet: Vegan
Edward “Eddie” Goodman Africa
AM4974, SCI Mahanoy, 301 Morea Road, Frackville, PA 17932, USA
Birthday: October 31, 1949
Charles “Chuck” Sims Africa (AM4975) and Delbert Orr Africa (AM4985):
SCI Dallas, 1000 Follies Road, Drawer K, Dallas, PA 18612, USA
Birthdays: April 2, 1960 and April 2, 1944
Mumia Abu Jamal
AM8335, SCI Mahanoy, 301 Morea Road, Frackville, PA 17932, USA
In 1981, Mumia, former Black Panther and vocal supporter of MOVE, was framed for the murder of a cop. He was originally sentenced to death, but is currently held in solitary confinement.
Birthday: April 24, 1954
Wiki Profile
POLITICIZED PRISONERS
Politicized prisoners are those who have become political while in prison and are now working against oppression, for self-determination. There are many politicized prisoners in our country. This is only a short list of those who Earth First! folks are in some form of contact with.
Sean Swain
243-205, Warren CI, P.O. Box 120, 5787 State Route 63, Lebanon, OH 45036, USA
Serving a life sentence for the self-defense killing of a court official’s relative who broke into Sean’s home and threatened his life. He is an anarchist/indigenous prisoner and former union organizer fighting his conviction by citing the US government’s illegal occupation of native land, and ran for governor of Ohio from prison as a Zapatista candidate. His next parole hearing is in 2016.
Birthday: September 12, 1969
Prisoner information changes frequently as people are shuffled through different facilities. The location of any federal prisoner may be confirmed using the BOP inmate locator. If you have updates to the information listed here, please email us at efpris [at] riseup.net with ‘PRISONER PAGE CORRECTION’ in the subject line.
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