Support Jalil Muntaquim's Parole

Greetings,

I received a copy of a letter from Jalil asking that we open his
Parole Campaign for his late summer hearing. I have included main
page of his web site so that you can get the necessary information.
He would like folks to start writing now so that the letters will be
there by early July. Thanks for all your work and please take a few
minuets out of your day to help Free Jalil as it has been a long hard
road epically since his transfer to Attica...Paulette Jericho
Co-Chair http://freejalil.com/

letters to the parole board supporting his request (Re: Parole
application of Anthony Jalil Bottom #77A4283). Please address the letter to:

Ms. Andrea W. Evans
Board of Parole Chairwoman
New York State Division of Parole
97 Central Avenue, 4th floor
Albany, NY 12206

And also send a copy to: NYC Jericho, P.O. Box 1272, NY, NY 10013

The more personal and individual your letter is, the better. You can
write about visiting or communicating with Jalil, or if you haven't
been in direct touch with him, you can write about the articles
you've read by him or any other knowledge you have of his activities
while in prison. Please say that you are aware of the case for which
he is serving his sentence. You can also talk about your own
perspective - for example, if you are a teacher, you know how
valuable it is that Jalil has counseled young prisoners. Any
particular slant you can give to your assertion that he will be an
excellent candidate for release can give the letter more force.

Some of Jalil's achievements while incarcerated:

In 1986, Mr. Bottom drafted a legislative bill for New York State
prisoners to obtain good time off their sentence. The bill was
submitted and introduced into the New York State Assembly - Committee
on Corrections by former Assemblyman Arthur O. Eve.

In 1994, while incarcerated at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, Mr.
Bottom established the first Men's Council in the United States
prison. His efforts were featured on television in Japan and written
about in the NY Times. During this period, he also graduated from
SUNY New Paltz with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Sociology.
Instead of resting on his success, he taught African Studies to a
group of prisoners.

On two occasions, he received commendations from prison officials for
quelling potential prison riots, one in the mess hall at Great Meadow
Correctional Facility and another time in the auditorium at
Greenhaven Correctional Facility.

From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Bottom was the office manager of the prison
computer lab at Eastern Correctional Facility. His duties consisted
of teaching prisoners keyboarding skills and how to use computer
software programs. Despite his busy schedule, he found the time to
raise money from inmate accounts to support the charitable Children's Funds.

In 1999, in Auburn Correctional Facility, Mr. Bottom established
sociology, poetry, and legal research and discussion classes under
the auspices of the Lifer's Committee that he chaired.

Mr. Bottom co-sponsored the Victory Gardens Project, a program in
which farmers in Maine grew tons of fresh produce for distribution to
poor urban communities in New York, New Jersey and Boston,
Massachusetts. In the four years of its existence, the Project
distributed nearly 10,000 pounds of fresh produce in urban centers.

In response to the tragedy of September 11, 2001, while in Auburn
Correctional Facility, Mr. Bottom proposed raising funds from inmates
to donate to the American Red Cross. Former Deputy Superintendent of
Programs R. Nelson acknowledged Anthony's efforts in a memorandum.

While in Auburn Correctional Facility he worked as a Pre-GED
Teacher's Assistant and earned a vocational certificate for
Architectural Drafting. Mr. Bottom has proposed and gained the
approval for a Life Skills Program for inmates.

Mr. Bottom is a published poet and essayist; his writings are found
in several University sponsored books of compilations of prison
writers. He has also written an unpublished novel and teleplay.

Parole Release Plans

In the event that Anthony Bottom's Application for Parole is
approved, he would live in either Syracuse, New York or Austell,
Georgia. In Syracuse, he would apply for the Master's program at
Maxwell School Syracuse University, to obtain a degree in Public
Administration and a certificate in Health Services Management. In
Austell, Georgia, he has an offer of employment in the construction
field and a home that is to be provided by his mother.

Anthony Bottom has a 39-year-old daughter, two grandchildren and one
great grandchild. Over the decades of imprisonment, he has maintained
a strong family relationship, although they reside in California and
Georgia. Throughout his years of imprisonment, there have been
continuous family visits when they were able, including family
trailer visits. As an example, in the November 2000, issue of Essence
Magazine, Anthony Bottom, his daughter and granddaughter were
featured in an article titled "Daddy Says," discussing father and
daughter relationships. Mr. Bottom will continue to be involved in
community service, particularly in regards to AIDS education. He once
initiated a campaign to provide school supplies to AIDS orphans in Africa.

Please take a minute to sign petition to parole Jalil Muntaqim!

 http://www.change.org/petitions/nys-chairwoman-of-parole-release-jalil-muntaqim-to-buffalo-on-parole-in-june-2012?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=friends_wall

Anthony Bottom, aka Jalil Muntaqim, has been incarcerated since 1971
for his involvement with the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation
Army. A victim of the FBI's illegal COINTELPROgram, he has been behind
bars for 40 years and is currently 60 years old. Jalil maintains an
exemplary prison record, and is the co-founder of the Jericho Amnesty
Movement working to free all political prisoners and prisoners of war.
Jalil--a great grandfather, brother, son, and friend--is nearing his 5th
parole hearing this June.

Jalil Muntaqim Needs Our Support!

FREE JALIL MUNTAQIM!

SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION FOR JALIL!

BIOGRAPHY

Jalil Abdul Muntaqim (formerly Anthony Bottom) was 19 years old when
he was arrested. He is a former member of the Black Panther Party and
the Black Liberation Army, and is one of the longest held political
prisoners in the world.

Jalil was born October 18, 1951, in Oakland, CA. His early years were
spent in San Francisco, where he actively participated in NAACP youth
organizing during the civil rights movement.

After the assassination of Dr. King, Jalil began to believe a more
militant response to racism and injustice was necessary. He began to
look towards the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense for leadership
and was recruited into the BPP by school friends who had since become
Panthers.

Two months shy of his 20th birthday, Jalil was captured along with
Albert "Nuh" Washington in a midnight shoot-out with San Francisco
police. When Jalil was arrested, he was a high school graduate and
employed as a social worker.

Later, it was uncovered that Jalil was a victim of the FBI's illegal
COINTELPRO program designed specifically to neutralize and disrupt
social movements working for racial and economic justice. Jalil was
named specifically as a person to be targeted, and was subsequently
charged with the murder of two NYC police officers. His conviction
rested upon false evidence and perjured testimony.

Jalil is currently incarcerated at Attica Correctional Facility
outside Buffalo, NY. He is 60 years old, and has been behind bars for
40 years. Despite an exemplary prison record and a continued
commitment to the struggle for racial justice, Jalil is consistently
a victim of harassment and targeting at Attica. He is up for parole
for the 5th time this June.

WHY PAROLE JALIL?

While in San Quentin prison in California in 1976, Jalil launched the
National Prisoners Campaign to Petition the United Nations to
recognize the existence of political prisoners in the United States.
Progressives nationwide joined this effort, and the petition was
submitted in Geneva, Switzerland. As a result, the International
Commission of Jurists then reported that political prisoners do in
fact exist in the United States.

Jalil was one of the founders of the Jericho Movement in 1997. Over
6,000 supporters gathered at the Jericho 1998 march in Washington DC
and thousands more at a rally in the Bay Area to demand amnesty for
US political prisoners on the basis of international law. The Jericho
Amnesty Movement aims to gain recognition by the U.S. government and
the United Nations that political prisoners exist in this country,
and that on the basis of international law, they should be granted
amnesty because of the political nature of their cases.

Jalil has filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of prisoners. After many
years of being denied the opportunity to attend college, Jalil
graduated with a BS in Psychology and a BA in Sociology in 1994.

During his imprisonment, Jalil has become a father and a grandfather.
Jalil has worked as an educator of other inmates and practices
organizing and advocacy whenever possible to ensure the most
adequate, humane treatment for all people. He has been repeatedly
punished for these activities, through physical abuse, formal
discipline, and numerous prison transfers.

Jalil is up for parole for the 5th time this June. After 40 years of
incarceration, it is time for him to be free!

Jalil is one of us.

This is not a history lesson. The same struggles continue today.

Buffalo's progressive community continues the fight for food,
housing, protection from police violence, racia1 and economic
justice, and a self-determined community.

HELP RELEASE JALIL SO THAT HE CAN CONTINUE TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE US FOR
JUSTICE AND EQUALITY.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Send a personal letter in support of Jalil's release to:

Andrea W. Evans
Chairwoman of Parole
New York State Division of Parole
97 Central Ave
Albany, NY 12206

Commissioner Brian Fischer
New York State Division of Parole
97 Central Ave
Albany, NY 12206

Please include Jalil's DIN number 77A-4283, and refer to him by his
given name, Anthony Bottom. If possible, a copy of this letter should
also be sent to
freejalilmuntaqim@gmail.com to be
kept on file.

Letters of support can be as in-depth as you like, and should clearly
express support for his release on parole to Buffalo this June.

2. Sign the petition on
Change.org

Release Jalil Muntaqim

3. Spread the word! Tell others about Jalil's case, and educate them
about the importance of releasing him this June.

4. Write Jalil to express your support, and ask him directly how you can help.

A. Jalil Bottom 77-A-4283
Attica Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 149
Attica, NY 14011-0149

For More Information About Jalil and How You Can Support Him, email
freejalilmuntaqim@gmail.com

Or Visit His Website: www.freejalil.com

To download a brochure about Jalil, click
here!

Friends and Supporters of Jalil Muntaqim Harassed, Targeted, and Intimidated

Since Jalil's arrival at Attica Correctional Facility in March 2011, a number of statements have been made about the continued and frequent harassment of his visitors. Despite filing numerous official reports, Jalil's visitors have repeatedly endured undue questioning, inappropriate remarks, destruction of personal property, and denial of entry at the hands of Attica guards.

On June 5, 2012, this harassment was redirected toward Jalil when he had his cell searched and was charged with "unauthorized organization." Denied all of his witnesses, Jalil was sentenced to 6 months in SHU for the possession of two photographs of an academic event in which a Black Panther banner was hung in the background. These photos served as the sole evidence of his "unlawful" behavior.

On March 28, this sentence was reversed in an appeal, and Jalil was immediately taken to general population. He is there now, and considers this reversal a victory for all who stood in solidarity with him, and demanded his release.

However, it appears as if the harassment of Jalil and his supporters has not stopped. Just last week, a visitor was denied entry because he "smelled like marijuana"--which was impossible.

I have been visiting Jalil weekly for two years, and have been actively supporting the reversal of the SHU sentence and his release on parole. This past December, I experienced two car break-ins within only 3 weeks. The first time, there was no sign of forced entry, nothing of value taken (despite a digital camera being in my car), and every one of my envelopes and folders were opened and strewn throughout both front and back seats. Each compartment within the car, the gas tank, and the trunk were left open, and two photographs of me and Jalil were left face-up on my passenger seat.

The second time this happened, on Christmas morning, the car was left in the exact same condition, except that a back window had been smashed out, and a hubcap removed and put into my trunk. 3 lug nuts were visibly loose on a rear wheel, and the two photographs of me and Jalil were once again pulled out of the dash and placed on my passenger seat. Jalil was placed in SHU within weeks of this last break-in, and was released on March 29.

On Sunday, April 1 I moved into a new apartment in a quiet, residential neighborhood. On the morning of Tuesday, April 3, I found my car in the exact state I had seen twice before. Despite no sign of break-in and previously locked doors, my car was entirely ransacked. Mail collected from the day before was opened, all bags turned inside out, the underside of my seats dug out, and the photographs missing. My passport and computer were moved, but still not taken.

US law enforcement has a history of harassing the family, friends, and supporters of political prisoners. When it cannot continue to be done within prison walls, the intimidation often extends into our personal lives. And, it would come as no surprise to discover that these attempts at intimidation are being undertaken by people who wish to hinder and halt actions being taken to support Jalil and his release on parole.

This message is both a notification and a call: we know that this kind of targeting is not infrequent, and would like to reach out to other supporters or loved ones of political prisoners who have experienced similar attempts at intimidation especially recently. The only way to stop illegal surveillance being carried out in the dark is to shine a light on it, Jalil said today, so we're asking that others with similar stories speak about them so that we can more carefully support one another.

I can be contacted at freejalilmuntaqim@gmail.com

FREE THEM ALL!

-Brooke

Jalil Muntaqim is out of the box

Jalil Muntaqim received a visit today and he was in general
population. He didn't know the specifics but was told that the
charges against him were dropped and expunged from his record. He
thanks everyone for the support!

He is on regular visiting now, he was in good spirits looking ahead
to his parole date.

Jalil's Attica cell had been raided on Thursday, January 5th. When
Jalil asked why his cell was being searched, he was told it was
because "something happened in California." The COs confiscated
pictures of the memorials for BPP members Cetewayo (Michael Tabor)
and Mark Smith "Smitty" of New Jersey. Jalil received a Tier 3 ticket
for possession of these photos from an "unauthorized organization"
(the Black Panther Party presumably). Of course, these photos had
been sent to him by mail and had been approved by the prison mail room.

Jalil's cell has been turned over five times in the last months. He
had been given a 6-month SHU sentence.

3 NY State Political Prisoners Statements to Occupy 4 Prisoners

The New York Prison Justice Network and New York Taskforce for Political Prisoners received these statements of support for Occupy4Prisoners from NY state political prisoners Herman Bell, David Gilbert and Jalil Muntaqim. The statements (along with one from Mumia Abu-Jamal and several from other prisoners) will be read at the NYC and Philadelphia rallies today, and in Albany tomorrow. They are also for use at any other Occupy4Prisoners rally anywhere.

Solidarity to OWS, Wherever You Be
Herman Bell
Great Meadow (Comstock) Correctional Facility, February 20, 2012

In your pushback for social justice, you give us hope. Failure to claim your rights
is failure to know whether they exist or not. Abstract terms though they be, you make
them real. A parasitic social order has fully emerged and affixed itself to our existence
and now requires our unquestioned loyalty and obedience to its will. And we have come
dangerously close to complying.

Ordinary people doing uncommonly brave things have rekindled our hopes that
we can do better this time in safeguarding the public trust. Far too many of us have
grown complacent in our civic and moral responsibility, which explains in part how Wall
Street, big banks, and corporations, in political connivance, have gotten away with so
much. So we have to take some responsibility for that.

I think we are now coming to understand that. Your occupation in these troubling
times calls attention to much of what is wrong in our society. So keep it tight: no elitism,
no arrogance, no divisiveness, and consult the elders as you go forth, because youth often
do the wrong thing for the right reason.

And in a clear, unwavering voice wherever you go, wherever you speak, wherever
you occupy, demand release of our political prisoners, for they are the embodiment of our
movement’s resolve. And don’t let anyone punk you out, because what you do matters.
Big jobs call for big people, and you already stand pretty tall in my eyes.

Solidarity –
Herman Bell

Herman Bell, a former member of the Black Panther Party, has been a political
prisoner since 1973. He is currently imprisoned in Comstock, NY.
***************************************************
To Occupy Wall Street/ Occupy Everywhere
From Behind the Walls
David Gilbert

Auburn Correctional Facility, February 20, 2012

Your creativity, energy, and love of humanity bring warm sunshine to many of us behind these prison walls. You’ve eloquently and concisely articulated the central problem: a society run by the 1% and based on corporate greed as opposed to human need. That obscenity of power and purpose creates countless specific and urgent concerns. Among those, the criminal injustice system is not just a side issue but essential to how the 1% consolidate power.

The U.S. mania for putting people behind bars is counterproductive in its stated goal of public safety. A system based on punishment and isolation breeds anger and then difficulty in functioning upon return to society – things that generate more crime. The U.S., which imprisons people at about seven times the rate of other industrialized countries, has a higher rate of violent crime. Punishment does not work. A transformative, community-based justice model would be more effective as well as more humane. It would both support victims and work with offenders, to enable them to function well and make a positive contribution.

Although the punitive approach does not make communities safe, it has served the rulers well. In the same 30 years that the 1% nearly tripled their share of U.S. national income—with global inequities far steeper—the number of people behind bars in the U.S. went up from about 500,00 to 2.3 million. It’s no coincidence. The “war on crime” started in 1969 as a code for attacking the Black Liberation Movement, at a moment when that movement was at the front of a widespread wave of radical social action which seriously threatened the dominance of the 1%. Mass incarceration, especially of people of color, was an important part of the 1%’s strategy for holding on to their wealth and power.

The second way the criminal injustice system works to keep the powerful in power is that as the 1% steal more and more of humanity’s wealth, they face the pressing political need of deflecting attention from their colossal crimes. Over the past 30 years mainstream politics have been driven by a series of coded forms of racial scapegoating—against “criminals,” welfare mothers, immigrants, Muslims, the poor who get token concessions from the government—to turn the frustration and anger of the majority of white people away from the rulers and toward the racially constructed “other.” Confronting that demagogy and hatred is critical to resisting the
1%’s offensive.

As activists, we often grapple with a tension between prioritizing the needs of the most oppressed—based on race, class, gender sexuality, ability—and maintaining a universal vision and broad unity. But those two important concerns are not in contradiction. The only road to principled and lasting unity is through dismantling the barriers formed by the series of particular and intense oppressions. The path to our commonality is solidarity based on recognition of—and opposition to—the ways this society makes us unequal. Our challenge is to forge this synthesis in practice, on the ground, in the daily work of building the movement of the 99%. With an embrace to you and your inspiring stand, one love,
David

David Gilbert, a former member of Students for a Democratic Society and the Weather Underground, has been a political prisoner since 1981. He is currently incarcerated in Auburn, NY.
************************************
America is a Prison Industrial Complex
Jalil A. Muntaqim

Attica Correctional Facility, February 20, 2012

The 2.3 million U.S. citizens in prison represent more than a problem of criminality. Rather, the
human toll of the U.S. prison industrial complex addresses and indicts the very foundation of
America’s history.

In 1865, the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution served to institutionalize prisons as a
slave system. “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for
crime….shall exist within the United States.”

This Amendment evolved out of the Civil War allegedly to abolish chattel slavery. However,
since that time, prisons have become an industrial complex. As an industry, its investors are
financial institutions such as “Goldman Sachs & Co., Prudential Insurance Co. of America, Smith Barney Shearson, Inc., and Merrill Lynch & Co. Understand, these investors in this slave industry in 1994 are no different from investors in the slave system prior to 1865.

The political system supports this industry by passing laws that enhance criminal penalties,
increase penal incarceration and restrict parole. Former U.S. President Clinton’s 1985 Crime Bill
effectively caused the criminalization of poverty, exponentially increasing the number of people
being sent to prison. On May 12, 1994, the Wall Street Journal featured an article entitled,
“Making Crime Pay: Triangle of Interests Created Infrastructure to Fight Lawlessness; Cities See
Jobs; Politicians Sense a Popular Issue and Businesses Cash In—The Cold War of the ‘90s.” The
article clearly indicated how prisons have become a profitable industry, including so-called
private prisons.

Given this reality, the struggle to abolish prisons is a struggle to change the very fabric of
American society. It is a struggle to remove the financial incentive—the profitability of the
prison/slave system. This will essentially change how the U.S. addresses the issue of poverty, of
ethnic inequality, and misappropriation of tax dollars. It will speak to the reality that the prison
system is a slave system, a system that dehumanizes the social structure and denigrates America’s moral social values.

The prison system today is an industry that, as did chattel slavery, profits off the misery and
suffering of other human beings. From politicians to bankers to the business investment
community, the prison industrial complex is a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise, all of
which has been sanctioned by the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

It is imperative that those of you here come to terms with the reality that America is the prison
industrial complex, and that the silence and inaction of Americans is complicit in maintaining a
system that in its very nature is inhumane.

Abolish the American prison industrial complex!!
All Power to the People! All Power to the People!
All Power to the People!

Jalil Muntaquim (Anthony Bottom), a former member of the Black Panther Party, has
been a political prisoner since 1971. He is the author of “We Are Our Own Liberators,
and is currently incarcerated in Attica, NY.

Jalil Muntaqim hit with 6mo. SHU

via Brooke Reynolds

Hello Everyone,

I am writing you urgently after a visit to Jalil Muntaqim yesterday (Saturday).
He is currently in SHU at Attica, having been hit with 6 months after
his trial on Monday. He put a full report about what happened in the
mail, which I will type up and send out as soon as i receive it, but
here is the basic jist of what happened:

On Monday, he was taken down to trial regarding the photograph that
was "recovered" in his cell (the photo was from Cetewayo's memorial
held at Hunter College this past March, in which a BPP banner was
hanging in the background. Guards confiscated the photo on grounds
that it demonstrated "unlawful organization.") This photograph had
been sent in through the mail, and therefore presumably been processed
through Attica's correspondence department. Jalil had lined up 3
witnesses for this bogus trial: 1. The head of Attica's correspondence
dept, to argue that mail sent in through correspondence could not be
considered contraband after the fact; 2. The head of Attica's gangs
unit to show that BPP is not a designated gang (originally, the
charges included gang affiliation as well); 3. Jalil's counselor, to
demonstrate good behavior and non-involvement in unlawful
organizations.
when he arrived to the trial, he was told all 3 of these witnesses
were denied on the basis of "irrelevancy." He was therefore
unrepresented and with no witnesses. A lieutenant was then brought in,
confirmed that the photo was of unlawful organization, and Jalil was
hit with 6 months SHU right then and there.

He has been in SHU since monday, with only the clothes on his back. He
has not been given any personal property, and was told he probably
won't receive any of it for weeks. He has no phone privileges, no
commissary, no packages, and will eventually be allowed 5 books and
limited legal materials. He will have only one visit weekly for the
duration, and these are no-contact visits which take place in Attica's
SHU.

He is asking that people contact NYS Attourney General Eric
Schneiderman, as well as Commissioner Brian Fischer to demand that the
charges be dropped, Jalil be released from SHU immediately, and that
this campaign of harassment come to AN IMMEDIATE END! These charges
are entirely fabricated and show premeditation on behalf of the prison
administration to lock Jalil away until his next parole hearing in
June.

NY Attourney General Eric Schneiderman:
Office of the Attorney General
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224-0341

Commissioner Brian Fischer
NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
Building 2
1220 Washington Ave
Albany, New York 12226-2050

Update on Jalil Muntaqim

NYC Jericho

Three of us went to Attica on Saturday, January 14, 2012 to visit
Jalil. We had an excellent visit and have a brief update from Jalil.

First of all, he thanks everyone who took the time to make the calls
to Superindent Bradt and Commissioner Brian Fischer.
The most important thing he wants people to know is that on Friday,
January 13th, at 1 p.m. all Muslims were searched while on the way to
Juma. The COs took Korans and threw them on the ground during the
search in a blatant attempt to provoke a confrontation, but "nobody jumped."

Also, Jalil's Tier 3 hearing for "unauthorized organization" was held
on January 13th in the morning. Jalil requested that Sergeant Cochran
of Gang Intel be a witness, as he was the officer who processed
Jalil's possessions when he arrived at Attica, but the Sergeant declined.

Jalil showed Officer Krumph, the hearing officer, the programs from
the Cetewayo, Shasha and Karim Memorials, all of which have BPP/BLA
logos, and asked why these items had not also been confiscated if
they are considered to be "gang material."

Jalil also requested Counselor Schiffer as a witness. Jalil
reiterated that, if these items had been approved by the mailroom,
there was no reason for them to subsequently be considered "contraband."

Officer Krumph proceeded to call the correspondence dept., and the
officers there informed him that, since correspondence had approved
the mail, there was no reason why the photos should have been
confiscated in the first place.

The hearing has now been postponed until sometime this week, as
Officer Krumph is to interview Sergeant Cochran and Counselor Schiffer.

As always, Jalil sends revolutionary greetings to the righteous at heart.

Anne
NYC Jericho

Update from Jalil Muntaqim

We just received a letter from Jalil on January 9th. The letter was written on January 6, 2012,
the day after the latest incident.

Yesterday, at approximately 10 am, three officers came to my cell and searched it. In the process they reviewed my photo album and confiscated 14 photos sent to me by mail from NYC. They said that because the photos had the BPP banner, this constituted "gang materials." It should be noted that if the photos were "illegal" when they reached the Correspondence Dept., they should have been sent to the Media Review Committee pursuant to Directive #4422-G, as it pertains to contraband items. Obviously, the photos were not considered contraband when received by the Correspondence Dept.

Please have people call Commissioner Brian Fischer to demand that this continued harassment be stopped immediately, and that I be transferred to Wende Correctional Facility.

Despite every effort to stay below the radar, Attica authorities continue to harass me, frisk me when going to the yard or search this cell. In my 40 years of imprisonment, I have never been charged with possessing a weapon or drugs. So, such harassment must be subject to my political beliefs and past affiliations.

Please extend my very best regards to the righteous at heart with you.

Revolutionary love and unity,

Jalil

If you have already called Superintendent Mark L. Bradt and Commissioner Fischer, we thank you.

If you have not yet made your calls, please include the following demands:

To Superintendent Bradt (585) 591-2000:

1. An end to this campaign of constant harassment
2. The return of Jalil's pictures

To Commissioner Brian Fischer (518) 457-8126:

1. An end to this campaign of constant harassment
2. That Jalil be transferred to Wende Correctional Facility

When you call, be sure to use Jalil's DIN number (#77A4283) and refer to him as Anthony "Jalil" Bottom, currently at Attica.

We would like to know what responses people receive. Please send an email to
nycjericho@gmail.com or mxcc519@verizon.net to let us know.

Stop Ongoing Harassment of Jalil Muntaqim

We received a call Friday morning from Jalil Muntaqim to advise us
that his cell had been raided on Thursday, January 5th.(Attica,NY)
When Jalil asked why his cell was being searched, he was told it was
because "something happened in California."

The COs confiscated pictures of the memorials for BPP members
Cetewayo (Michael Tabor) and Bro. Mark Smith "Smitty" of New Jersey.
Jalil received a Tier 3 ticket for possession of these photos. Of
course, these photos had been sent to him by mail and had been
approved in the prison mailroom.

Jalil is not in the hole. We have been told this walking ticket means
they can use it against him at any time for any reason.

Jalil's cell has been turned over five times in the last two months.

Jalil is asking people to call the Warden and Commissioner Brian
Fischer to demand:

1. An end to this campaign of constant harassment

2. The return of his pictures

When you call, be sure to use Jalil's DIN number (#77A4283) and refer
to him as Anthony "Jalil" Bottom, currently at Attica.

Brian Fischer (518) 457-8126

Warden: (585) 591-2000

We would like to know what responses people receive. Please send an
email to nycjericho@gmail.com or
mxcc519@verizon.net to let us know.

Thank you for your help.

Jericho Co-Chairs Jihad & Paulette

Jalil Muntaqim - from Attica about the 40-year Anniversary

Attica is All of Us:

On February 10, 2011, I arrived at Attica for the
third time during my 40 year incarceration. As
soon as I entered the reception room, I heard a
Correctional Officer announce to all the other
prisoners: What you heard about Attica is true.
We don't care what you do to each other, but if
any of you touch one of us, we will put you in
the hospital or worse " welcome to Attica!" Since
being here, I am aware of 7 prisoners who
suffered a beat down by guards, and the
Superintendent here knows what is going on, yet
fails to curtail the level of violence against prisoners.

In essence, Attica today is pre-September
9th-11th, 1971, where prisoners are controlled by
fear and terror. The only Black Captain,
apparently sent here for the purpose of
overseeing the madness of Attica, is only capable
of intervening when on site. As soon as he is
gone, the guards return to their racist deadly
antics. This is not to blanket all white guards
at Attica as racist, but when there is an
institutional culture of racism, fear and terror,
it is difficult for a humane guard to not
jeopardize his own safety; this includes the few
Black officers in this prison.

Why? One of the reasons is because these
Correctional Officers, beyond the innate racism,
fear another insurrection that will cause "state
sanctioned killing," as when former NYS Governor
Nelson Rockefeller ordered State Troopers and
Guards to open fire, massacring 41 prisoners and
guards. Therefore, fear, terror and brutality are
the measure of their false safety and security,
none of which is a secret to the authorities in Albany.

In September 1971, there was a vibrant
progressive and revolutionary movement in this
country. The prison movement reflected the fight-
back determination of young people believing they
could create a better world. On the streets there
was a movement, and in prison there was a
movement. No such animal exists today, at least
nowhere near the level of the late 60's and early
70's. Then there were "Free Political Prisoner"
campaigns going on, from the Free Huey, Free
Angela, Free the Panther 21, Free the Soledad
Brothers, Free San Quentin Six campaigns that
forged a national consciousness of fight back. No
such broad political consciousness or campaign
exists today. Hence, today's prisoners reflect
the drug and gang culture, much of which includes
functional illiterates. Therefore, correctional
personnel are not worried about these prisoners
fighting back physically or legally. Some of the
largest gains of civil rights for prisoners were
in the 60's and 70's, when prisoners filed a
multitude of lawsuits and had the assistance of
progressive legal organizations. Today, the
Supreme Court has severely restricted prisoners'
ability to file lawsuits and win.

The absent dynamic of a vibrant prison movement
negatively impacts the capacity of prisoners to
fight. Absent both community and legal support,
in a confined repressive environment, prisoners
can only be expected to survive, and try and make
it home alive. Attica, Comstock, Clinton and
other NYS maximum security prisons suffer the
same reality, all of which tells All of Us of our
collective failure.

It is my sincere hope, on this 40th Year
commemoration of Attica, that NYC's activists
recognize what for many inside prison seems to be
abandonment. That they will decide to recognize
the work that needs to be done to help restore
the capacity for all of us to fight back for freedom!

Respectfully,
Jalil A. Muntaqim

Support for PP Jalil Muntaqim

Your Support is Needed!

Jalil was transferred to Attica a few months ago, and has experienced
continual harassment since his arrival. On Thursday, a cell search was
conducted and officers removed a short article written by Jalil in
1991 in response to the Rodney King riots and calling for organized
resistance. Despite the age, current irrelevance, and isolated nature
of the piece, Jalil is being tried for "gang affiliation," a Tier 3
disciplinary classification. It seems doubtful that such a tenuous
charge will be upheld, but if it is, it will mean lengthy SHU time (up
to 5 years).

This is coupled with the frequent harassment of him and his visitors.
Recently, I was informed by a CO that Jalil is the "scum of this
earth," and another visitor was referred to as a "pp groupie." This
kind of behavior, though to be expected, is unacceptable.

Jalil has asked that folks write to Albany demanding that the charges
be dropped completely. He has no history of gang involvement or
affiliation in the 39 years of his incarceration.

Letters of support can be mailed to:

Commissioner Brian Fischer
NYS Department of Correctional Services
Building 2
1220 Washington Ave
Albany, New York 12226-2050

Be sure to refer to Jalil as Anthony Bottom and include his DIN
number. This would also be an excellent time to write to Jalil and
let him know he has our support:

Anthony Jalil Bottom #77A4283
Attica Correctional Facility, P.O. Box 149, Attica NY 14011-0149

Jalil Muntaqim Back in Single Cell

We received a call from Jalil this evening (March 8th, International
Women's Day) letting us know that he has been returned to a single bunk cell.

He asked us to thank everyone for calling Brian Fischer on his behalf.

Anne & Paulette

Urgent call for help from Jalil Muntaqim

From: NY Jericho
===============
Message from Jalil:

On March 4, 2011, I was moved from a single cell
to a double bunk cell on the orders of Attica's
Deputy Supt. of Security P. Chappius. This
placement in double bunk is against double bunk
policy, as I was transferred here
administratively via Albany. It was neither a
disciplinary transfer nor a requested transfer
and I did not sign a waiver to go into double bunk.

In 1996, they alleged that I organized a strike
here against double bunking. I was put in the box
for 9 months. It is well known that Supt. Mark L.
Bradt does not want me in his facility.
Therefore, this was probably done anticipating I
would refuse and they could then put me back in the SHU.


I'm asking people to call Commissioner Brian
Fischer in Albany at 518-457-8134 and tell him
that my placement in a double bunk cell is
against policy and procedure. Request that I be
placed in a single cell and that I start my program
as an E block porter.

Jalil

NOTE: Jalil Muntaqim is aka Anthony Bottom, use
inmate ##77A4283 when calling!

Free All Political Prisoners!
nycjericho@gmail.com www.jerichony.org

Jalil Muntaqim transferred to Attica

Attached, please find a statement from political prisoner Jalil
Muntaqim regarding his recent and abrupt transfer from Auburn
Correctional Facility to Attica Correctional Facility on January 10,
2011. He is asking for community support, both against this
retaliatory transfer and against the widespread racist treatment of
NYS prisoners. He states:

2/10/11

"This morning as I was preparing to go to the marshal, 3 officers and
a sergeant came to the cell informing me I was going on a medical
trip. I put on all my state-issued green clothing, was chained,
shackled, and handcuffed, and was escorted to the van. We then went
to Utica Christian Medical Center, where they performed ultrasound
tests on my kidney, liver, and heart. Nothing remarkable was found.
Around 1:15pm we left to head back, but when we passed the exit
heading to Auburn, I asked where were they taking me? I was then told
Attica! I had none of my property!!! When I arrived to Attica, the
sergeant informed me that he was told by Attica administrators to put
me in a segregation cell. I doubt they will keep me in this cell for
long, especially after we get on their cases about the entire situation.

Now this is the deal; obviously this transfer is in retaliation for
my filing the Article 78 legal petition against Officer Johnston for
writing a disciplinary report full of lies. Also, because Auburn
prison officials sought to prevent my legal documents from reaching
the courts and I filed a grievance proving they were tampering with my mail.

It is alleged and believed that the transfer here is in retaliation
for me exercising my constitutional rights to petition the court.

Therefore, I am calling for all friends and supporters to call Brian
Fischer, Commissioner of NYS DOCS, and urge him to have me
transferred back to Auburn. Then, we will be moving to demand the NYS
Attorney General and Eric Holder, US Attorney General, to make an
official investigation into racist brutality of prisoners, and sexual
harassment/frisking of prisoners by correctional guards with the full
knowledge and acquiescence of his administration.

I am asking friends and supporters to call often and be consistent in
challenging NYS treatment of me and all NYS political prisoners!"

Since this was written, Jalil has been released from the segregation
unit into the general population. The majority of his property was
lost, including his typewriter, winter boots, coat, and sweaters.  He
was admitted less than half of his personal and legal materials.

CALL AND SUPPORT! Demand immediate return to Auburn, and access to
personal property!

Brian Fischer, Commissioner of NYS DOCS

(518) 457-8126

Mark L. Bradt, Superintendant of Attica Correctional Facility

(585) 591-2000



Jalil can be reached at:

Mr. Anthony Bottom 77A-4283

Attica Correctional Facility, PO Box 149

Attica NY 14011-0149



For more information about Jalil, go to
http://www.freejalil.com

Message from Jalil Muntaqim

http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2011/01/06/jalil_update_jericho1.pdf

Greetings friends, family & comrades;

Please read the following messages about Jalil Muntaqim aka Anthony Bottom.
He is having a hard time and it is only Jan. 6th 2011. Please read the report he asked a visitor and friend of his to put together to bring folks up to date on the harassment he has been receiving since late summer 2010.

Then, he would appreciate it, if you could write a letter. The information for this parole appeal is on the front page of his website. http://freejalil.com

Thank you for supporting Jalil during these hard times.
Paulette, Jericho

Jalil Muntaqim is a political prisoner being held at Auburn Correctional Facility in NY as a member of the Black Liberation Army and victim of COINTELPRO. Recently denied release on parole for the third time, as well as release by pardon or commutation of sentence, there now appears to be indicators of harassment and retaliation against Jalil inside Auburn CF.

In order to provide some context to current ongoings, it is worth mentioning an incident this past summer in which Jalil was placed in solitary confinement for approximately two weeks on false contraband charges. As a result of this, he also lost his privileges on the Honor Block. He has yet to regain those privileges, despite the false and exaggerated nature of the charges.

Following this, Jalil filed a grievance against the accusing correctional officer, and went through all the required steps to apply to have the case reconsidered. However, he recently received a letter informing him that the case had been dismissed because Jalil had failed to deliver the necessary documents to all 3 relevant parties—the superintendant, the correctional officer, and the attorney general. Despite Jalil’s documented proof that he sent these materials with ample time to all 3 people, none of them have been received to this day. This is not only a case of Jalil’s mail being held for abnormal lengths of time, it is a case of it disappearing altogether—and therefore crucially hindering Jalil’s ability to challenge the charges brought up against him.

In the past few days, there have only been more troubling incidents for Jalil. On Thursday, Dec. 30, shortly after a visit, Jalil was on his way to make a phone call when he was stopped by 4 correctional officers who proceeded to perform a full body search. He was then ordered to give a urine sample, take height and weight measurements, and was taken back to his cell to find it in complete disarray after having been thoroughly searched and upturned. He was then informed that he was being keeplocked for a 72 hour investigation, and was refused any further information throughout the duration of his being locked up.

He was unlocked on Sunday, though he still was unable to find out for what he had been keeplocked, and what this “investigation” pertained to. On Monday morning, January 3, Jalil was on his way to his drafting class in the school house. As he was about to pass the guard at the control station, he was stopped. The guard informed him that he had orders from his superiors not to let Jalil through. He instructed Jalil to return to his block and, again, claimed he had no further information.

Shortly after, Jalil was informed of formal orders from the Deputy Superintendant of Security which state that Jalil is pending investigation and that, in the meantime, he is not permitted to enter the school building and may not participate in Friday religious services. Jalil is both a student and a teacher in the school building at Auburn, and teaches weekly poetry workshops there. As far as he knows, he will not be permitted even to teach this class as long as this order is upheld. Furthermore, as a practicing Muslim, he is very concerned about being denied access to the Juma’a prayer service.

To this day, Jalil has been unable to find out what the investigation against him pertains to, and no charges have been brought up against him. Despite this, he was keeplocked for 72 hours and continues to be denied access to crucial parts of the prison. This, in context with his being brought up on exaggerated charges and facing crucial mail disappearances, appears to be part of a greater trend toward the harassment of Jalil.

Keep posted, and keep supporting!

Jalil can be reached at:

Anthony Bottom (77a4283)

Auburn CF, PO Box 618

135 State Street

Auburn NY 13042