Wanna do direct action but you can’t run, can’t fight, can’t deal with stress, can’t risk getting arrested? Not near a community to support? You can still do something.
Like write to prisoners.
Prisons try to disappear people, isolate them, crush them. Don’t let that happen.
Write to activists in prison, write to trans people in prison, write to isolated prisoners, write to prisoners who no one else thinks are worth writing to.
Write to prisoners.
Are there any programs or websites that help facilitate this which are based on the UK that you know of? Most of the info I’ve found tends to be US-based or just gov.uk general info about writing to someone you know in prison.
But given that I’m chronically ill or seems like a great way to actually do something and be an active part of change.
Great to hear that you’re interested!
The Anarchist Black Cross is a prisoner support network that has chapters in a lot of countries and cities. In the UK there are:
London: https://network23.org/londonabc/
Brighton: https://www.brightonabc.org.uk/
Bristol: https://bristolabc.wordpress.com/
Other UK based groups include:
SOAS Detainee Support: https://soasdetaineesupport.wordpress.com (focused on supporting people in migrant detention)
The Bent Bars project: http://www.bentbarsproject.org/ (focused on LGBTIAQ+ prisoners)
The Empty Cages Collective: http://www.prisonabolition.org/
Prison Action London: http://www.prisonabolition.org/prison-action-london/
You can also find a prisoner to write to on your own via:
http://prisonersolidarity.net/data-explorer
Do check out some of the ‘do’s and don’t’ on one of these websites before you start, there are some basics like ‘don’t talk about illegal activities’ and ‘don’t stop writing without being honest to the person about the fact that you’re going to stop writing’ that are essential to know, and a lot of less important tips that just make it easier to start writing to someone you don’t know yet. Goodluck!
Shoutout to @freackthejester for pointing out Black and Pink (http://www.blackandpink.org), that can help you find LGBTIAQ+ prisoners in prison in the US, with chapters in:
Dorchester: [email protected]
Boise: [email protected] – Chapter page
Chicago- [email protected] – Chapter page
Milwaukee – [email protected]
New Orleans- [email protected] – Chapter page
NYC- [email protected] – Chapter page
Providence – [email protected]
San Francisco- [email protected] http://flyingoverwalls.wordpress.com/ – Chapter page
Someone also requested resources for Australia so I’m going to add those to this reblog chain:
Anarchist Black Cross Oceania https://www.facebook.com/abcoceania/
Anarchist Black Cross Melbourne https://abcmelb.wordpress.com/
Indigenous Social Justice Association Melbourne http://www.isjamelbourne.com/
Antifascist Action Brisbane has also hosted prisoner solidarity events (https://www.facebook.com/AntifascistBrisbane/)
And whenever there is no explicit prisoner-support organization, ask your local anarchists! Most anarchist groups do some prisoner support as well since supporting those who defy the state is basic anarchist praxis. This long list of Australia anarchist organizations probably includes groups that do some prisoner support: https://anarchy.org.au/directory/
Also contributed by people in the notes of this post so far:
Canada: Inmate Innk Calgary, http://www.inmateink.ca/
Japan (English-speaking prisoners): http://franciscanchapelcentertokyo.org/prison-outreach/
Turns out people really like the extra resources on this post so here we go. Most of these urls were listen by Anarchist Black Cross Gent but I took out some dead urls and make them clickable.
ABC Argentina:
https://cnario.noblogs.org/
ABC Austria: https://www.abc-wien.net/
ABC Belarus: https://abc-belarus.org/
Belgium:
Anarchist Black Cross Gent
Binnen De Muren (ned.)
Getting The Voice Out (ned./fra./eng.)
La Lime (ned./fra.)
Brazil:
ABC Brazil: https://cnario.noblogs.org/
ABC Porto Alegre: https://cnapoa.wordpress.com
Bulgaria Prisoners Association: https://bulgarianprisonersassociation.wordpress.com/
Canada:
Toronto: https://torontoabc.wordpress.com/
Czech Republic:
ABC: https://www.anarchistblackcross.cz/
Antifenix: https://antifenix.noblogs.org/english-info/
Finland: https://www.facebook.com/Amrhelsinki
Germany:
ABC Berlin: https://www.abc-berlin.net
ABC Dresden: https://abcdd.org/en/
Rote Hilfe: https://www.rote-hilfe.de/
Mexico: https://www.abajolosmuros.org/
The Netherlands:
ABC Amsterdam https://abcamsterdam.wordpress.com
ABC Nijmegen: https://abcnijmegen.wordpress.com/
Peru: https://cnaperu.blogspot.com.es/
Poland: https://ack-bialystok.blogspot.co.uk/
Russia:
ABC Russia: https://wiki.avtonom.org/ru/index.php/%D0%90%D0%A7%D0%9A_-_%D0%9C%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B2%D0%B0
ABC Moscow: https://www.facebook.com/abcmoscow
Spain:
ABC Spain: https://www.nodo50.org/cna/
ABC Mediterráneo-Sur: https://www.cna-m.blogspot.com
Sweden: https://www.facebook.com/anarchistblackcross.stockholm
Switzerland:
Black Pidgeons Collective: https://blackpigeons.noblogs.org/
Rote Hilfe: https://rotehilfech.noblogs.org/
Spreading because I find prisoner reform is better than prisoner isolation
Honestly, if you wanna ‘reform’ a prisoner, don’t bother writing.
If you write, write because you want to support people that experience daily state violence. Write because you recognize that no one should be in prison. Write in solidarity.
If you wanna play social worker, don’t write.
