WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-writing
WHEN: Saturday, June 7th, 2025 2:00-5:00pm
WHERE: Interference Archive – 314 7th Street, Brooklyn, 11215
COST: FREE (Donations to cover the cost of stamps greatly appreciated)

While Memorial Day will be in the rearview, leaving a lot of folks still eating leftovers after firing up the grill–more likely in celebration of a day off from their shitty jobs than to memorialize anything, NYC ABC turns our thoughts to those who were captured or died fighting for the movement(s). Join us as we respond to the June 11th call for solidarity with long term anarchist political prisoners, while recognizing the history
of this day by including earth and animal liberation prisoners. In addition to encouraging people to write to those captured by the state, we hold space for those we have lost in recent decades from those movements.

From the June 11th call:
“Spring is unfolding, and the time has again come to look towards June 11th, the International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and Long-term Anarchist prisoners. While our celebration of this day is to lend attention to Marius and other anarchist prisoners at risk of being forgotten because of their long sentences, we’re also continually
thinking about how to emphasize how integral prisoners are, and an anti-prison struggle as a whole is, on our path towards freedom.”

In case you’re joining us having never written to a political prisoner or prisoners of war, we’ve got a handy set of guidelines to make it easy and fun, demystifying elements that might otherwise feel stressful or intimidating. You can check check those guidelines out at https://nycabc.wordpress.com/write-a-letter

Writing a letter to a political prisoner or prisoner of war is a concrete way to support those imprisoned for their political struggles. A letter is a simple way to brighten someone’s day in prison by creating human interaction and communication– something prisons attempt to destroy.

Beyond that, writing keeps prisoners connected to the communities and
movements of which they are a part, allowing them to provide insights and stay up to date.
Writing to prisoners is not charity, as we on the outside have as much to gain from these relationships as the prisoners. Knowing the importance of letter writing is crucial. Prisons are very lonely, isolating, and disconnected places. Any sort of bridge from the outside world is greatly appreciated.

With that in mind, avoid feeling intimidated, especially about writing to someone you do not know. And if possible, try and be a consistent pen pal.

An Update from the Jack Support Crew

On Monday, May 5, Jack attended his scheduled court appearance. This hearing was intended to hear his final plea, but the judge has yet to rule on any of the motions and the proceedings remain stalled.

Prosecutors say a jury trial is a last resort. Once again, the fate of his life is kicked down the line to yet another court appearance. He is expected in court again at the end of June, where his final plea and trial date is set.

Morale was high on May 5 as a support rally outside of the court house with banners, music, chanting, news crews, yard signs and donuts. Jack’s court case continues to move slowly and without much clarity, typical of court processes in the US.

Notes of gratitude:
Jack is able to go to evening events again as his curfew was extended to 11 pm.
Jack’s first child is expected in the early weeks of June and he will get to be there with his lovely partner as she delivers.

Letters of support mean so much to Jack during this time. Over the last six months, he has received hundreds of letters from all around the world, and he carefully reads each one. His gratitude is unending for everyone that takes the time to send him sweet messages of support. If you or anyone in your crew would like to write to Jack, please email [email protected]

Huge thanks to everyone who has thrown a fundraiser for Jack, without y’all we couldn’t afford a robust legal defense and we appreciate it!!!

For more information, see https://www.freejack.co/

[Read the 2025 call for the June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason & All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners at https://june11.noblogs.org/2025-call/ ]

Greetings and Gratitude to my community,

I want to begin with thanking everyone who wrote a support letter or went to a support event this past year- thank you so much! I know that your solidarity connects incarcerated resisters with so much strength and love. I wish I could have replied to every letter I received – and I will be adding several new contacts to my correspondence list and writing back as much as I can…..This year has been a tough one for me. My twelve-years-long gender-affirming surgery quest was abruptly torpedoed by an administration whose sole mission has been hate and division. On the verge of surgery, successfully integrated into a predominantly-male identified prison population (for years) – I was unceremoniously kidnapped and thrown into the SHU due to an Executive Order making my gender illegal and erasing my rights as a citizen. Since then, I have been transferred to a predominantly female-identified prison population at the Federal Satellite Low in Danbury, Connecticut. It’s been an adjustment socially, but my community here has been very welcoming and affirming. I work as a peer support for an integrated program treating trauma and addiction. That feels meaningful, as so many people lose control over their lives, and often even their very lives, because of untreated addiction problems. I really feel that the international epidemic has at its heart the sense of despair and alienation that so many feel right now.

It’s been an intense year for all communities of resistance – whether we were focusing on the war on Gaza or the war on immigrants. We have been hard-pressed to provide support to those among us who have been damaged by the increasing attacks on women, immigrants, as well as transgender and queer people. The past six months have been a military march backward in human evolution as even the most basic social agreements on the rights of individuals in a society have been violated time and again. Rights guaranteed at the signing of the Magna Carta – rights that were at the heart of the conflict between England and the former colonies, are being systematically disemboweled. It has been said that if we do not learn from history, then we are doomed to repeat it. We have seen the onset of fascism before, and should recognize it now. So…these times are a challenge to any who desire real freedom, who passionately espouse justice and who honor and respect human dignity – and who persist in the belief that we are responsible for each other and to each other and our shared home, this Earth. The strength to face this challenge will come from solidarity…this is always our secret weapon against the venal brutalities of fascism.

Persist and Resist!
Love and Solidarity, Marius Mason

Write to:
Marie Mason #04672-061
FCI Danbury
Route 37
Danbury, CT 06811

If you have not seen this yet, be sure to get a copy of this new book about the history and founding of the ABC. Order today at https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1725

Shadows in the Struggle for Equality: The History of the Anarchist Red Cross

SKU: 9798887440873
Author: Boris Yelensky, Edited by Matthew Hart, Illustrated by N.O. Bonzo
Series: PM Press
ISBN: 9798887440873
Published: 04/22/2025
Format: Paperback
Size: 5 x 8
Pages: 160

From Cop City to the Dakota pipelines and Jane’s Revenge to numerous struggles worldwide, anarchist organizers are relentlessly targeted by the state today as they have been for over a century.

Shadows in the Struggle for Equality is the firsthand account of Boris Yelensky, an activist of the Anarchist Red Cross (later the Anarchist Black Cross), during the Russian revolutionary movement from 1905 through 1917, and the subsequent Leninist/Stalinist repression.

Written with great humility and compassion, Yelensky recalls his fifty years of tireless organizing to aid victims of state oppression and injustice, beginning with a vivid sketch of the history of the Russian revolutionary movement and the critical role played by anarchists. He then provides the rich history of the Anarchist Red Cross spanning the time from the Revolution to his settling in the US where he dedicated his life and his book “to the Fighters for Freedom, Humanism and Justice, to those who endeavored to help these fighters by applying the principle of mutual aid.”

In telling why an anarchist relief organization became necessary, he calls attention to a neglected aspect of revolutionary history—the sabotage and discrimination of many social-democrats against their fellow-prisoners and in the outside relief organizations. Of the vast sums collected all over the world, from czarist times up through the 1950s when the book was written, very little reached the anarchist prisoners.

With newly translated material, and over a dozen beautiful illustrations by N.O. Bonzo, this stunning edition of Shadows in the Struggle for Equality will serve to inspire a continuation of solidarity and support for those who are incarcerated in the struggle for freedom, humanism, and justice.

About the Contributors

Boris Yelensky (1889–1974) was a Russian anarchist propagandist who took part in the 1905 Russian Revolution. Due to czarist repression, he was forced to flee the country in 1907, eventually landing in the US. He helped to establish the Philadelphia and Chicago chapters of the Anarchist Red Cross. Yelensky later returned to Russia to participate in the 1917 Revolution. With Lenin’s rise to power and the increased repression against anarchists, Yelensky once again left his native country, settling permanently in the US. Once he returned to the US, he continued to provide support for imprisoned anarchists through his work in the Alexander Berkman Aid Fund, a section of the Anarchist Red Cross. For over fifty years he was an important figure in Chicago’s Free Society Group and active in the Anarchist Red Cross.

Matthew Hart is an educator and labor activist from the greater Los Angeles area. His participation in the political movement began with Whittier Food Not Bombs and the antiglobalization movement in the mid-1990s. In 1998, he helped to establish the Los Angeles chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross. Throughout the years, he has engaged in extensive research and archiving of the Anarchist Black Cross history. Hart has spent several decades in the labor movement as a rank-and-file activist and staff and teaches labor studies courses at Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

N.O. Bonzo is an anarchist illustrator, printmaker, and muralist based in Portland, OR. They are the illustrator of Mutual Aid: An Illuminated Factor of Evolution and creator of Off with Their Heads: An Antifascist Coloring Book for Adults of All Ages; Beneath the Pavement the Garden: An Anarchist Coloring Book for All Ages; and The Beautiful Idea.

Order at https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1725

Update from the Casey Support Committee as of 4/8/25

Sentencing hearing postponed and more evidence entered into discovery

Casey’s sentencing has been rescheduled to June 10th, 1 pm, at the Oakland federal courthouse. We will be mobilizing court support again for this hearing so stay tuned for confirmation and guidelines a few weeks before that date. We hope it won’t be rescheduled yet again but know that is a possibility. Also of note is that since the plea deal the US Attorney has entered substantial new material into evidence consisting of a large amount of phone call audio and copies of correspondence between Casey and supporters obtained via the jail’s monitoring of communications. This is concerning, but let it serve as a reminder that all comms into jails and prisons are actively monitored and that it is incumbent upon everyone to maintain responsible communication habits.

Rescheduling the sentencing hearing also means there is more time to people who know Casey personally to send the lawyers letters of character to file with the judge. If you want the guidelines and details, hit us up at [email protected].

Health and well being

As you probably know Casey has had a very difficult year health wise, but has been doing better physically in the last month even though they have repeatedly gotten sick from their food. As a result they have been spending a lot of time in bed, and haven’t been up for doing much letter writing lately. Letters are always appreciated but correspondence is also challenging due to 2-4 week delays in receiving mail. The emotional toll of the sentencing date being moved and continuing to be in the limbo of Santa Rita is taking a toll on their sleep and mental health. But they are doing their best to stay on top of their program and keep their energy and spirits up.

Visits

Visits are very appreciated by Casey! They can be in person at the jail or by video.
For all the details for scheduling in person or video visits:
https://www.alamedasheriff.gov/…/santa-rita-jail-visiting

To write:
Casey Goonan #UMF227
Santa Rita Jail
5325 Broder Blvd.
Dublin, CA 94568

Support the Casey Goonan Legal Defense Fund

Casey is still in need of ongoing support to cover legal costs, restitution and fines. Though they’ve had some great support, we have a ways to go. In addition to the cost of legal defense, sentencing will definitely mandate substantial restitution and fines. Thank you so much to all those who have already contributed and organized support!

Some ways to support:
– Throw fundraising events and raffles
– Spread the word, share posts, and directly contact large donors.
– Print up a QR code for the Chuffed account, share the details of the case and the legal defense fund while tabling at events
– Send funds directly to the Chuffed account at https://chuffed.org/project/SupportCasey

You can reach out to us at [email protected] or the freecaseynow Instagram for any questions about collaboration, promotion, or guidance on fundraising.

Love and struggle,

CSC

Donate at https://www.launchgood.com/v4/campaign/what_happened_to_imam_jamil_alamin_fka_h_rap_brown__a_true_crime_docuseries

Political prisoner Peppy (Brian DiPippa) has finally landed in the Bureau of Prisons! Shoot him a letter and let him know you care!

Brian DiPippa #66590-510
FCI Elkton
P.O. Box 10
Lisbon, OH 44432

Background
Instagram
Case Summary

Native American activist moves to home imprisonment after Joe Biden commuted sentence at end of presidency. (Donate to his release fund).

Anna Betts and agencies
The Guardian
Tue 18 Feb 2025

The Native American activist Leonard Peltier – convicted in 1975 for the killings of two FBI agents – was released from federal prison on Tuesday after Joe Biden commuted his sentence at the end of his presidency in January.

In a statement, Peltier said that he was “finally free!”

“They may have imprisoned me but they never took my spirit!” he added. “Thank you to all my supporters throughout the world who fought for my freedom.

“I am finally going home. I look forward to seeing my friends, my family, and my community. It’s a good day today.”

Peltier had maintained his innocence since his conviction before Biden ordered Peltier – now 80 and in poor health – to transition to home confinement after spending nearly 49 years federally imprisoned.

“This commutation will enable Mr Peltier to spend his remaining days in home confinement but will not pardon him for his underlying crimes,” Biden said at the time.

The National Congress of American Indians celebrated the commutation, calling it “historic” and adding that the case “has long symbolized the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples”.

Peltier’s imprisonment resulted from a 1975 shootout that occurred on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation between two FBI agents – who had entered the private property to serve arrest warrants – and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a cold war-era liberation group that sought to address police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans.

The group of Native American men who traded gunfire with the FBI agents included Peltier. The shootout resulted in the deaths of both agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, who were shot in the head. Joseph Stuntz, a Native American, was killed, too.

Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota and an active member in the AIM, was one of several individuals indicted in connection with the agents’ killings.

He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and given two consecutive life sentences.

Two other movement members were acquitted on self-defense grounds.

Peltier has consistently claimed that he did not shoot the agents. His supporters have long argued that prosecutors withheld critical evidence that could have supported his defense while also fabricating affidavits against him.

Prosecutors argued during trial that Peltier shot both agents in the head at point-blank range. Peltier admitted to being present and firing a gun at a distance, but he claimed that it was in self-defense.

A witness who initially testified to have seen Peltier shoot the agents later recanted her testimony, saying her initial statements were coerced.

For decades, advocates such as Nelson Mandela, Pope Francis and James H Reynolds, the US attorney who handled the prosecution and appeal of Peltier’s case, have fought for his release.

In recent years, Reynolds has written to various presidents, asking them to grant Peltier clemency and calling his prosecution “unjust”.

In a letter to Biden in 2021, Reynolds stated that Peltier’s continued incarceration reflected a flawed justice system.

Peltier’s “conviction and continued incarceration is a testament to a time and a system of justice that no longer has a place in our society”, he wrote.

Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and was not eligible to be considered for it again until 2026.

Biden commuted Peltier’s sentence despite objections from the former FBI director Christopher Wray. Wray had called Peltier “a remorseless killer” in a letter to Biden, which was obtained by the Associated Press and urged the president to not give him clemency.

Wray argued that granting Peltier “any relief from his conviction or sentence” would be “wholly unjustified” and “would be an affront to the rule of law”.

The Associated Press contributed reporting