this weekend – starting with thursday, actually – the u of o hosted the beyond patriarchy convergence.
free and i discussed prisoner support as one of the panels yesterday. this page has the info i prepared for that discussion.
Resources for prisoners:
PEN America:
PEN American Center is the U.S. branch of the world’s oldest international literary and human rights organization. International PEN was founded in 1921 in direct response to the ethnic and national divisions that contributed to the First World War. PEN American Center was founded in 1922 and is the largest of the 144 PEN centers in 101 countries that together compose International PEN.
PRISON WRITING PROGRAM
Founded in 1971, the PEN Prison Writing Program believes in the restorative and rehabilitative power of writing, by providing hundreds of inmates across the country with skilled writing teachers and audiences for their work. The program seeks to provide a place for inmates to express themselves freely with paper and pen and to encourage the use of the written word as a legitimate form of power. The program sponsors an annual writing contest, publishes a free handbook for prisoners, provides one-on-one mentoring to inmates whose writing shows merit or promise, conducts workshops for former inmates, and seeks to get inmates’ work to the public through literary publications and readings.
Every year hundreds of inmates from around the country submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic plays to PEN’s Prison Writing Contest, one of the few outlets of free expression for the country’s incarcerated. Manuscripts come to us in many forms: handwritten, typed, and written in the margins of legal documents.
PEN’s Handbook for Writers in Prison features detailed guides on the art of writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays. This is an invaluable resource to any incarcerated writer.
The Prison Art Story
Ed Mead, the organizer of Men Against Sexism at Walla Walla, the co-founder of Prison Legal News, the past president of California Prison Focus, and the current editor of Prison Focus Magazine.
He is a nearly 70 year-old former political prisoner, having served 18 years for “crimes” committed while a part of Seattle’s George Jackson Brigade .
When released from prison and working full-time, would send money in to some of the political prisoners he had left behind (there are over a hundred POWs in the U.S. today, mostly former Black Panthers). Then came up with the idea of creating a website where these progressive prisoners could sell their arts and crafts, which would most likely be consciousness raising items, and thus earn themselves some money and educate the public at the same time. As it turned out, most political prisoners did not have much interest in doing arts and crafts. But much to my surprise there was a great demand for such an outlet by social prisoners (those not confined for political offenses).
Prison Art
P.O. Box 69586
Seattle, WA 98168-9586
Prison Legal News is an independent 56-page monthly magazine that provides a cutting edge review and analysis of prisoner rights, court rulings and news about prison issues. PLN has a national (U.S.) focus on both state and federal prison issues, with international coverage as well. PLN provides information that enables prisoners and other concerned individuals and organizations to seek the protection and enforcement of prisoner’s rights at the grass roots level.
Prison Legal News
P.O. Box 2420
West Brattleboro, VT 05303
Phone: 802 257-1342
Fax: 866-735-7136
links page is awesome! tons of resources for prisoners…
For Political Prisoners:
116 Pleasant St, Suite 348, Easthampton, MA 01027
rfc@rfc.org | Phone (413)529-0063 | Fax: (413)529-0802
Background
Funding Philosophy
Definitions
The RFC defines “targeted” as someone who as a result of his or her activism, has:
- lost a job
- suffered physical or mental injury or disability
- been harassed or discriminated against
- been imprisoned
- or died
- All people have equal worth
- World peace is a necessity
- People are more important than profits
- Society must function within ecologically sustainable limits
Peter Young is the creator of Voice Of The Voiceless, a site created to offer:
*News on the Animal Liberation Front / direct action animal liberation movement.
*Actionable tools for legal animal rights activism.
Peter Young is a veteran animal liberation activist and former political prisoner convicted for his role in liberating thousands of animals from fur farms across the country. Emerging from a grand jury indictment, 7 years of being wanted by the FBI, a federal prison sentence, and nearly 15 years in the animal liberation movement; today Peter is an activist, lecturer at universities and events, writer on liberation movements, and unapologetic supporter of those who work outside the law to achieve human, earth, and animal liberation.
“(Peter Young) did tremendous damage to many people in the fur business, and shows no remorse”. Dennis and Jill Preissner, third generation mink farmers
“Unrepentant”. The Associated Press
“He incited people to break the law, and if caught he’d do it again.” Federal judge Stephen Crocker
Major Animal Liberation Prisoner Updates
Mar 21st, 2010
About NA-ELPSN
The NA-ELPSN is part of the Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network (ELP), an international network of groups that support people who are accused or convicted of actions taken in defense of the Earth and its inhabitants. Such actions, accusations, or convictions that would warrant support by ELP would include: Earth and animal liberation activity (regardless of whether the “A.L.F.” or “E.L.F.” claimed responsibility), anti-nuclear activity, communities fighting development, peace action, indigenous resistance, anti-fascist, and prisoners from the MOVE family.
Our support is not based on whether people fit a strict ideological checklist but is granted on a case by case basis. We do not impose ideological or lifestyle limits on our support, although we DO NOT support people that provide information to law enforcement or snitch on allies or co-defendants.
info@ecoprisoners.org
The Civil Liberties Defense Center
Corporations and politicians are labeling activists “eco-terrorists” and national security threats. Think red-baiting, with a green twist. Here you’ll find original reporting and analysis of the Green Scare, and history repeating itself.
