Crime and Punnishment

By Bomani Shakur, December, 2011

“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.”
- Dostoyevsky

If what Dostoyevsky says is true (and I believe it is), then America, which boast the largest prison population in the world, is perhaps the most uncivilized country there is. A bold statement, I know, especially coming from someone who has spent the past twenty-three years behind bars. But if what Dostoyevsky says is true, then what happens inside these places is crucial to understanding what kind of society we live in; and who better to speak to the reality of prison life than someone who is living the experience?

Economic Justice Workshop & Discussion

Malcontents Welcome !

Who: YOU !!! THAT's WHO ! ! !
What: Economic Justice Workshop & Discussion
When: This Sat, Dec 10. Doors open at 4pm. Free Food & Music. Speakers & discussion from 4:30-6pm
Where: 1021 East Broad St. Carriage House
Why: 1) Eat free pizza (while it lasts). 2) Discuss Economic resistance with Fellow OccupyColumbus Freedom Fighters. 3) Bad mouth the 1% Jerkwads. 'nuff said.

Economic Justice /
Economic Resistance

Outline
1) Our Broken Nation: Intro
2) Every Day More Pain: The Plight of Service Workers in a Shrinking Economy
3) Strategies of Economic Resistance
4) The Prison Industrial Complex & Redbird Resistance
5) Race Rebels: "Shiftless of the World Unite!"

P.S If you are a member of the 1% you are requested to give away every you own before attending this workshop. Kidding but not really... you can do it after you attend this workshop if you are pressed for time ... or maybe if ya really got a lot of stuff ...

Disclaimer: There should be no presumption of client/attorney priviledge after this workshop. It is not meant to provide specific advice, consultation or encouragement. It is not a replacement for engaging a private attorney should you need one. It is a general information sharing opportunity.

FCI Elkton Food Strike Update #4

Three updates about last May's Food Strike at FCI Elkton.

1. Our FOIA request appeal has been accepted! The Freedom of Information people will be forcing the prison to hand over reports and information about the food strike and protests at FCI Elkton last spring.

Letters About Abuses at SOCF

Joseph Riley, an inmate at SOCF has written letters to the ODRC administration with no response or action. He sent us hand written copies of these letters, which we have transcribed and will resend to Gary Mohr, ODRC, Governor Kasich and attempt to publish in local media sources.

The letters are below, they speak for themselves. Please think twice before calling the police to send more people to be tortured in these facilities.

Message to the Non-incarcerated Queer Community

GAY INMATES’ OPTIONS: WHORE, HERMIT, PUNCHING BAG OR BODY BAG?

by Michael J. Dodgens

Homophobia runs rampant in prisons today. In a shut-away world estranged from modern society, a lingering stubbornness to accept what is a fact of life isolates and makes a target out of each incarcerated homosexual.

Occupy Columbus

RedBird made an appearance at Occupy Columbus, we  went with the intention of reminding people that the struggle didn't start on Setp 17th in New York city. People have been committed to resisting this government and this system for longer than America has existed.

We encouraged people to write to political prisoners as a way to connect with some of the more recent examples of that resistance. We handed out fliers and had conversations about the CA prisoner hungerstrike to let people know how deep our invisible friends

Prisoner Hunger Strike Update

The California Prisoner Hunger Strike has resumed. CDCR reports that 12,000 inmates have participated by skipping at least 9 consecutive meals. Inmate families and advocates estimate that hundreds or thousands have been refusing all food since the strike resumed on Sept 26th. The prison administration has retaliated against hungerstrikers with very repressive policies: denying them privileges and rights, attempting to provoke them to violence, isolating many of them from laywers, advocates, family members, and any other outside support.

The way things are going, in a few weeks we may be living in a country that allows hundreds of people to starve to death in our prisons. We cannot allow that to happen. Our attention and anger is a very important part of reversing this process. You can call CA gov Jerry Brown at 916-445-2841 and help flood his office with demands that the SHU be shut down, that the hungerstrikers' demands be met, that CA reform it's prison system, now.