Prisoners

Escaping the Prism – Fade into Black, by Jalil Muntaqim: Book Review by Phyllis Taub Greenleaf

This book is a powerful tapestry of Scholarship, Activism and Poetry. The Personal with the Political gives this book balance and magnetism!

During the time when key leaders of the Black Panther Party were assassinated by FBI operatives while asleep in their beds, Jalil Muntaqim, a new member of the BPP, was arrested just before his 20th birthday.

Incarcerated in California and New York for the past 47 years, Muntaqim’s essays and poetry in ESCAPING THE PRISM are a living testimony to one man’s creativity, resilience and commitment to justice for himself, and all political prisoners in our “so called” ...........READ MORE

Herman Bell’s charges dropped. moved to Shawangunk!

On September 5th, political prisoner and movement elder Herman Bell was assaulted by guards at Great Meadow Correctional Facility. He sustained multiple injuries, including broken ribs, yet instead of being hospitalized was sent to solitary and brought up on trumped up charges of having assaulted the guards in question. (To learn more about this vicious attack, click here.)

However, the good news is that due to the outpouring of support for Herman and outrage at this brutal and violent assault, he has been told that the charges against him will be dropped, and he has been moved into ...........READ MORE

More on the Attack on Herman Bell: A Letter from Attorney Robert Boyle

On September 5, political prisoner Herman Bell was beaten by guards at Great Meadow Correctional Facility. The following letter, by attorney Robert Boyle to Commissioner Anthony Annucci (New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision), sheds additional light on the circumstances behind this vicious attack, and explains what needs to be done.

Supporters of Herman are encouraged to take this time to send him a card or letter, to let him know that we care about him and wish him a speedy recovery, and also to let the prisoncrats know we are watching. Herman can be written to at: ...........READ MORE

Political Prisoner Herman Bell Assaulted

Black Panther Party political prisoner Herman Bell was viciously assaulted by guards at Great Meadow Correctional Facility (Comstock) on September 5, 2017.

While being “escorted” by a guard back to his housing unit, a guard struck Herman, age 69, in the face causing his glasses to drop to the floor. He pushed Herman against the wall, Herman stumbled and fell to the ground. The guard then continued viciously hitting and kicking Herman. Very soon about 5 other guards arrived and joined in the violent attack, hitting and kicking Herman all over his body. He was also maced in the eye ...........READ MORE

Robert “Seth” Hayes

Robert Seth Hayes was born in Harlem, New York in October 1947. His father, John Franklin Hayes, was the child of sharecroppers and came to New York Cityfrom South Carolina; his mother, Francine Washington Hayes, moved to New York from Pittsburgh. Both of Mr. Hayes’ parents worked for the U.S. Postal Service, trying to provide a better life for Seth and his four brothers and sisters. They also instilled in their children the desire to work for the betterment of their community. Seth writes, “My mother taught me to visualize family universally, not individually.” Seth’s father was a World War ...........READ MORE

The Censorship and Persecution of Former Black Panther Jalil Muntaqim

Jalil Muntaqim, one of the longest held political prisoners in the world today, has been in the SHU at Attica prison in upstate New York, since December 6th for teaching Black History — a course approved by the Attica prison administration. Jalil had been teaching Black History for almost 2 months, and had gotten up to the point in of teaching about the 1960’s, the anti-Vietnam War movement and the Black Panther Party.

Supporters believe Jalil was written up because the authorities didn’t like what he was teaching, so he was placed in the SHU — isolation torture — with ...........READ MORE

Certain Days 2017 Call for Submissions: SUSTAINING MOVEMENTS

What: A call for art and article submissions on sustaining movements for the 2017 Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar

Deadline: May 15, 2016

The Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar collective (www.certaindays.org) is releasing its 16th calendar in the Fall of 2016. Over the years, we’ve turned our attention to various themes: grassroots organizing, resisting repression, and visions of justice. The theme for 2017 is focused on what it takes to sustain our movements.

We are looking for 12 works of art and 12 short articles to feature in the calendar, which hangs in more than 2,000 ...........READ MORE

Texas Prisoners’ Plan Work Strike, April 4th

Prisoners in Texas are planning a work strike, to commence this April 4th. Their top five demands are:

Meaningful Work Time – Applied retroactively, when our Flat Time and accrued Good/Work Time equals 100% we should be ENTITLED to Mandatory Supervision I Parole.
We want a “Presumptive Parole System” which requires the release of a Prisoner at their earliest release date, unless there are valid objective reasons not to do so. Those reasons might include poor institutional behavior or refusing to participate in programming. The nature of the crime or any other “Static Reason” (things prisoners can NOT change) would ...........READ MORE

January 2016 Letter from Zolo Agona Azania

“Success means doing something sincerely and whole-heartedly. And you have to have the help of other people to achieve it.” – Bruce lee

Zolo Agona Azania #4969
Indiana State Prison Minimum Security Unit
201 Woodlawn Avenue
Michigan City, Ind. 46361

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

GREETINGS TO ALL:

On August 11, 1981, i was charged with killing a Gary, Indiana police lieutenant during an armed bank robbery . i was convicted after an all-white jury trial and sentenced to the penalty of death on May 25, 1982. My case was bounced up and down the appellate process before the death sentence ...........READ MORE

From inside Attica: Interview with Jalil Muntaqim (By Mitchell Jones)

In the communities of Rochester and Buffalo, N.Y., there is a growing campaign to support Jalil Muntaqim, Black liberation activist, revolutionary, writer and political prisoner. He has spent 45 years behind bars.

Known as Anthony Bottom at the time of his arrest, Jalil Muntaqim is currently incarcerated at Attica Correctional Facility, or as he calls it, “Apartheid Attica.” He was a member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. He was arrested in 1971 along with Albert “Nuh” Washington and Herman Bell (who is still incarcerated in New York state) and convicted on largely circumstantial evidence. Their ...........READ MORE