Tuesday, September 20th – Letter Writing for Veronza Bowers

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
When: Tuesday, September 20th, 2022
Where: YOUR HOME
Cost: Free

Just this last weekend, NYC ABC held our annual Big Event, Running Down the Walls. A great time had by all as far as we could tell—definitely by us—and a great boost to the anarchist and abolitionist morale. But more about that in a later missive. And please stay tuned for more events coming up soon!

For now we are thinking of Veronza Bowers, Jr., veteran of the Black Panther Party and long-serving political prisoner. But long-serving is a gross understatement: He has been in prison since 1973, convicted solely on the evidence of bribed government informants. He has now served almost two full decades past his parole date, kept inside on flimsy pretenses that do little to disguise the political nature of his continued unjust imprisonment. Veronza should be free, like all potential prisoners.

Please join NYC ABC and Page One Collective in writing him letters this week.

Veronza is a prisoner at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a former member of the Black Panther Party incarcerated in federal prison for over 49 years, making him one of the longest held political prisoners in United States history.

Veronza was convicted for the murder of a U.S. Park Ranger. His conviction came as the result of testimony provided by two government informants, both of whom received reduced sentences by the Attorney General’s office for unrelated crimes. There were no eye-witnesses and no evidence independent of these informants to link Veronza to the crime. At his trial, Veronza offered alibi testimony which was not credited by the jury. Also not credited was testimony of two relatives of the informants who insisted that the informants were lying. In addition to having charges reduced in unrelated cases, the informants had all charges against them in this case involving Veronza dropped; one was given $10,000 by the government according to the prosecutor’s post-sentencing report. Veronza has consistently maintained his innocence, even at the expense of having his appeals for parole denied — an admission of guilt and contrition is virtually required if a prisoner has any hope of being granted parole.

What’s unique about Veronza’s case is that he has had the legal right to be released on what is known as “mandatory parole” since April 7, 2004. This is due to the fact that the Parole Commission failed to find that (1) there was compelling evidence he was likely to commit crimes upon release, or (2) he had frequently violated the rules of the prison system or (3) he had committed serious violations of prison rules during his incarceration. Only by making one of these three findings could the Commission lawfully deny him parole as of that date. What happened instead was that only a few hours before Veronza was to be released on April 7th, 2004, the Commission ordered the Bureau of Prisons to cancel his parole and indefinitely hold him in prison. This order was made without any explanation, justification or finding whatsoever.

Veronza has long passed his mandatory parole date, now by almost two decades.

For more information, visit veronza.org

Please write Veronza here:
Veronza Bowers, Jr. #35316-136
FCI Butner Medium II
Post Office Box 1500
Butner, North Carolina 27509

Letter Writing in the Park for George Floyd Uprising Defendants

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter Writing in the Park
WHEN: 2:00-4:00pm Saturday, June 11th 2022
WHERE: Prospect Park – Lincoln Road/East Lake Drive, east of the Terrace Bridge (see the below map for exact location)
COST: Free

Join NYC ABC and Page One Collective on Saturday, June 11th for a letter writing in the park! We will be highlighting some defendants and prisoners of the George Floyd uprisings. We also encourage folx to write to those included in the June 11th International Day of Solidarity.

We will be meeting at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, the same location we host Running Down the Walls each year.

From the Q train, get off at the Prospect Park stop. Walk to Lincoln Road and turn right into the park. We’ll be about 700 feet away.

We will have surfaces to write on, pens, paper, postage, and information on the people we’re writing. Just bring yourself! And a friend!

BK/NY – Tuesday, October 5th – Letter-Writing For Jessica Reznicek

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, October 5th, 2021
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free

Aaaaaand…WE. ARE. BACK. After over 18 months of virtual events in support of political prisoners and prisoners of war, NYC ABC and Page One Collective are heading back to The Base, back to in-person events, and back to serving up some hot information on the folks we support. Speaking of hot, the world is on fire–figuratively and literally, largely the result of actions taken by greedy humans in pursuit of capital expansion and exploiting everything possible in the process. So it’s fitting that in our return to political prisoner letter-writing events, we focus on Jessica Reznicek, currently serving an eight year federal prison sentence for eco-defense.

Jessica Reznicek is a 40 year old land and water defender who has worked with and lived in the Des Moines Catholic Worker Community for the last 10 years. Jessica grew up in a small town in rural Iowa.

In 2016, Jessica took a stand against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in Iowa. Jessica attended public comment hearings, gathered signatures for valid requests for Environmental Impact Statements, and participated in civil disobedience, hunger strikes, marches & rallies, boycotts & encampments.

When the process failed, she concluded the system was broken, and it was up to individuals to take action and protect the water. She and a fellow Catholic Worker then spent the next couple months disabling construction machinery along the pipeline route.

In early 2021, Jessica pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Damage an Energy Facility and on June 30 was designated a domestic terrorist by the court and sentenced to 8 years in prison, followed by 3 years supervised probation, and a restitution of $3,198,512.70 paid to Energy Transfer LLC. More information at supportjessicareznicek.com

If you can’t make it out, but still want to support Jessica, you can write to her at:
Jessica Reznicek #19293-030
FCI Waseca
Post Office Box 1731
Waseca, Minnesota 56093

Tuesday, June 2nd – Letter Writing for Marius Mason

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free

Are there things worth dying for? For going out into the world, mid-pandemic, and risking infection for? Of course there are! But going back to work early to please a boss or pushing folks into work to salvage a crumbling capitalism aren’t two of them. Standing up to systems of oppression in the face of murderous cops is worth it and over the last week, we’ve seen brave folks get together to say cops won’t murder Black folks with no response. The state’s reaction will likely be harsh, the punishments draconian, and still folks rise up. In NYC ABC, we focus work on those living under repression in prison for actions taken in the ongoing quest for justice. Although we remain quarantined from our in-person communities, the work continues. Therefore, instead of coming together at The Base in Brooklyn, we ask that folks participate in keeping prisoners from being more alienated than they already are, by writing from home. Please post a photo of your addressed envelope on social media and tag us (with your return address blurred out) and we will share it, building digital community while our analog community stays indoors and washes its hands. This week, collaborating with comrades from Page One Collective, in an early reply to the call for June 11 actions, we focus our every-other-week letter-writing on eco-anarchist political prisoner Marius Mason.

Marius Mason is an anarchist, environmental, and animal rights prisoner. In March 2008, he was arrested by federal authorities for charges related to two acts of property destruction that occurred in 1999 and 2000 – damaging an office connected to GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) research, and destroying a piece of logging equipment. No one was injured in either act. He faced a life sentence before accepting a plea bargain in September 2008.

Mason was sentenced on February 5, 2009 in federal court in Lansing, Michigan. He received almost 22 years – the longest sentence of any Green Scare prisoner. An appeal for a reduction in his sentence was denied in 2010.

Marius was quarantined starting April 25, when he tested positive for the corona virus. Marius has underlying factors that make him vulnerable to COVID 19, and legal options are being pursued, thanks to his attorney. More information at supportmariusmason.org

Please take the time to write a letter to Marius (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Marie (Marius) Mason #04672-061
FCI Danbury
Route 37
Danbury, Connecticut 06811

Tuesday, May 5th – Letter Writing for Sundiata Acoli & Dr. Mutulu Shakur

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, May 5th, 2020
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free

 

Normally around this time of year, NYC ABC would be printing May Day cards for our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinners. Clearly, times have changed.  We are also excited to be collaboratively organizing letter-writing nights with Page One Collective. And while the events will be collaboratively organized, instead of coming together at The Base in Brooklyn, we are asking folks to keep letter-writing on your minds and keep prisoners from being more alienated than they already are by writing from home. Please post a photo of your addressed envelope on social media and tag us (with your return address blurred out) and we will share it, building digital community while our analog community stays indoors and washes its hands. This week we turn our focus to Sundiata Acoli and Dr. Mutulu Shakur, Black Panther Party members serving time for charges connected to Assata Shakur and/or her successful 1979 prison break and escape.

A New York Black Panther, Sundiata Acoli endured two years of prison awaiting trial for the Panther 21 Conspiracy Case. He and his comrades were eventually acquitted on all the bogus charges. The case was historic and a classic example of police and government attempting to neutralize organizations by incarcerating their leadership. As a result of this political attack and because of the immense pressure and surveillance from the FBI and local police Sundiata, like many other Panther leaders went “underground.”  On May 2, 1973, Sundiata Acoli, Assata Shakur and Zayd Shakur were ambushed and attacked by state troopers on the New Jersey Turnpike. Assata was wounded and Zayd was killed. During the gun battle a state trooper was shot and killed in self defense. Sundiata was tried in an environment of mass hysteria and convicted, although there was no credible evidence that he killed the trooper or had been involved in the shooting. He was sentenced to thirty years. Sundiata was ordered released on parole by a state appeals court in New Jersey in September 2014 when the court ruled the parole board had “acted arbitrarily and capriciously” when it previously denied him parole. The State of New Jersey appealed the decision and won. More information: sundiataacoli.org

In 1987 Dr. Mutulu Shakur was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment for his role in the Black Liberation Movement. In March 1982, Dr. Shakur and 10 others were indicted by a federal grand jury under a set of U.S. conspiracy laws called Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) laws. These conspiracy laws were ostensibly developed to aid the government in its prosecution of organized crime figures; however, they have been used with varying degrees of success against revolutionary organizations. Dr. Shakur was charged with conspiracy and participation in the Black Liberation Army, a group that carried out actual and attempted expropriations from several banks. Eight incidents were alleged to have occurred between December 1976 to October 1981. In addition, he was charged with participation in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur, who is now in exile in Cuba. After five years underground, Dr. Shakur was arrested on February 12, 1986. While he was on the street, Dr. Shakur challenged the use of methadone as a tool of recovery for addicts. He believed in natural remedies instead and, based on those beliefs, founded the Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America. Many people credit Shakur with saving their lives. Dr. Shakur has worked to free political prisoners and to expose government abuses against political organizers. While in prison, he has struggled to create peace between rival gangs. More information: mutulushakur.com

Please take the time to write a letter to Sundiata and Mutulu (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Sundiata Acoli* #39794-066
FCI Cumberland
Federal Correctional Institution
Post Office Box 1000
Cumberland, Maryland 21501
*Address envelope to Clark Squire

Dr. Mutulu Shakur #83205-012
FMC Lexington
Post Office Box 14500
Lexington, Kentucky 40512

Tuesday, April 21st – Letter Writing for Bomani Shakur

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, April 21st, 2020
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free
We are deep enough into this pandemic to see how power is exploiting both it and the folks considered disposable–essential workers (delivery drivers, grocery workers, et al) and prisoners. Prisoners are being infected and dying at a rate far higher than those on the outside. At the federal level, the bureau responsible for their well being (yes, we understand it’s an oxymoron), keeps blaming underlying health conditions instead of taking responsibility and freeing those with high risk factors for infection. To keep the focus on prisoners, NYC ABC  continues our support via every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing events. We are also excited to announce that starting with this event, we are organizing collaborative letter-writing nights with Page One Collective. And while the events will be collaboratively organized, due to where we are in history, and the importance of keeping everyone safe, those events will be organized here. That means we are asking you to take on the work of writing letters from home. Please post a photo of your addressed envelope on social media and tag us (with your return address blurred out) and we will share it, building digital community while our analog community stays indoors and washes its hands. This week, we respond to the call for a month of action in support of Bomani Shakur.

Bomani Shakur went to prison in 1989, at the age of 19, sentenced to seventeen years to life for defending himself during a robbery in which he was shot in the legs. At the time, Bomani was, by his own account, selling drugs to survive and it was not until his imprisonment that he became politicized. While in prison, Bomani read authors like Frantz Fanon and Noam Chomsky and developed his politics into those of a revolutionary. In 1993, the prison in which Bomani was being held rose up after the implementation of rules and sanctions by a new warden who was likely looking to incite violence to justify plans to expand the prison’s supermax wing. The uprising lasted eleven days and in the end nine prisoners and a guard were killed. Bomani was among those framed for the killings, probably due to his political organizing prior to the uprising. There is abundant evidence that runs contrary the the state’s contentions. For more information, check out keithlamar.org

Please take the time to write a letter to Bomani (and share a photo of your completed envelope with us online):
Bomani Shakur* #317117
Ohio State Penitentiary
878 Coitsville-Hubbard Road
Youngstown, Ohio 44505
*Address envelopes to Keith LaMar.

Tuesday, March 24th – Letter Writing for Sherrie Andre

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, March 24th, 2020
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free
Well, folks, this is a rarity and, for now, the new reality. Every other Tuesday, for well over a decade, NYC ABC has organized letter and card writing nights for political prisoners. We’ve hosted events in four of the five boroughs and, by best guess, have served over 300 meals. That’s not to congratulate ourselves, but to illustrate our commitment to keeping our imprisoned comrades at the forefront of our efforts as anarchists. To maintain that commitment while also making sure to keep ourselves and our communities as safe as possible in the midst of a pandemic, we will suspend in-person letter-writing events for the immediate future. What we will not do is abandon folks who are at this second being denied visits and enduring the added stress of facing a virus outbreak in a place where they have no ability to “self-quarantine.” We are encouraging folks to take the same time they would normally use to come to one of our letter-writing dinners and write a letter to the focus of this week’s event–Sherrie Andre. Please send us a photo of your addressed envelope (with your return address blurred out, which we can also do for you) and we will share this via social media, building digital community while our analog community stays indoors and washes its hands.

SHERRIE ANDRE, a member of FANG collective, was arrested at a protest in August 2018 at the Bristol County House of Corrections. The action was carried out in solidarity with people detained by ICE at the facility who launched a hunger strike to demand better conditions. During the action Sherrie was brutalized by the Bristol County Sheriff’s Department. On March 9th, Sherrie was found guilty of trespassing and disturbing the peace and was sentenced to THIRTY DAYS in jail, the maximum possible penalty. They were immediately remanded to serve the sentence.

Please take the time to write Sherrie a letter (and send us a photo of your completed envelope):
Sherrie Andre #193414
Cell DWC-C4
Bristol County House of Correction
400 Faunce Corner Road
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts 02747

BK/NY – Tuesday, February 11th – Letter-Writing Dinner For Water Protectors

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, February 11, 2020
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free

At a recent event in support of political prisoners, we were once again reminded by elders who either have spent time behind bars themselves or have supported those who have, that supporting folks snatched up by the State is of the utmost importance for any political movement and associated communities. Throughout the history of European expansion across the globe, indigenous folks have put their bodies on the line in order to stop the spread of colonialism. This struggle has shown itself in recent years in the fight against the expansion of American capitalist and colonial powers onto indigenous land to build pipelines that threaten not only the sovereignty and autonomy of those who live there, but also the water and ecology which sustains the region. Time and time again we see repression chasing down the strength of those who fight against these forces in an effort to isolate folks and put a stop to these movements. Water protectors are no exception. With that in mind, NYC ABC will be writing to Red Fawn Fallis and Rattler (Michael Markus) for our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinner.

On October 27th, 2016 Red Fawn and over 140 other water protectors were arrested on the front lines of Standing Rock during a massive police raid on a camp of resisters. Red Fawn was initially accused of firing on local cops while being arrested and charged with attempted murder but those charges have since been dropped and Red Fawn was then transferred into federal custody to face three federal charges related to possessing a firearm while being a felon. Red Fawn has been steadfast in her dedication to the struggle by putting her body on the line despite the endless attacks of the local cops and private security hired by the pipeline company and being arrested on two other occasions during her stay.  In 2018 Red Fawn took a non-cooperating plea deal in which the State dropped the charge which carried the longest sentence (10yrs-life) with the stipulation that she plead guilty to the other two charges. For more info on Red Fawn: standwithredfawn.org

Rattler’s charges stem from alleged actions that took in the previously mentioned police raid at Standing Rock on October 27th, 2016.   He was initially charged with Civil Disorder and Use of Fire to Commit a Federal Felony Offense. The latter carries a minimum of 10 years imprisonment. In 2018, Rattler took a non-cooperating plea deal in which the State dropped the Fire charge he plead guilty to the Civil Disorder charge. He was subsequently sentenced to three years in federal prison. For more info on Rattler: freerattlernodapl.com

If for whatever reason you are not able to join us, please write to Red Fawn and Rattler:
Red Fawn Fallis #16358-059
FCI Dublin
5701 8th Street–Camp Parks
Dublin, California 94568

Rattler* #06280-073
FCI Sandstone
Post Office Box 1000
Sandstone, Minnesota 55072
*Address envelope to Michael Markus

BK/NY – Tuesday, January 28 – Letter Writing Dinner for Joe-Joe Bowen

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, January 28th, 2020
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free

We are just settling into 2020, and have some good news–after 42 years in prison, Delbert Africa is free! That means we need to work extra hard to make sure Chuck Africa, the last remaining MOVE 9 political prisoner, gets parole. This news also has us thinking of another Pennsylvania prisoner–Joe-Joe Bowen. This week NYC ABC will be focusing our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinner on Joe-Joe, aka “The Old Man,” who is no stranger to rebelling against captors as a path towards collective liberation.

A native of Philadelphia, Joe-Joe was a young member of the “30th and Norris” street gang before his incarceration politicized him. Released in 1971, his outside activism was cut short a week following his release when Joe-Joe was confronted by an officer of the notoriously brutal Philadelphia police department. The police officer was killed in the confrontation, and Bowen fled. After his capture and incarceration, Bowen became a Black Liberation Army combatant, defiant to authorities at every turn. In 1973, Joe-Joe assassinated Holmesberg prison’s warden and deputy warden as well as wounded the guard commander in retaliation for intense repression against Muslim prisoners in the facility.  In 1981, Bowen led a six-day standoff with authorities when he and six other captives took 39 hostages at Graterford Prison as a freedom attempt and protest of the prison conditions.

If you will not be able to join us this upcoming Tuesday, you can still write to Joe-Joe:
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Joseph Bowen AM4272
SCI Fayette
Post Office Box 33028
Saint Petersburg, Florida 33733
*Address cards/letters to Joe-Joe.

BK/NY – Tuesday, January 22 – Letter Writing Dinner for Joe-Joe Bowen

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free

Since we know that prisons, and more specifically prison officials, create a culture of fear and retaliation, this week NYC ABC will be focusing our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinner on Joe-Joe Bowen, who is no stranger to rebelling against captors as a path towards collective liberation. Joe-Joe was recently transferred and put into solitary confinement and in addition to letters, NEEDS YOUR HELP.

A native of Philadelphia, Joe-Joe was a young member of the “30th and Norris” street gang before his incarceration politicized him. Released in 1971, his outside activism was cut short a week following his release when Joe-Joe was confronted by an officer of the notoriously brutal Philadelphia police department. The police officer was killed in the confrontation, and Bowen fled. After his capture and incarceration, Bowen became a Black Liberation Army combatant, defiant to authorities at every turn. In 1973, Joe-Joe assassinated Holmesberg prison’s warden and deputy warden as well as wounded the guard commander in retaliation for intense repression against Muslim prisoners in the facility.  In 1981, Bowen led a six-day standoff with authorities when he and six other captives took 39 hostages at Graterford Prison as a freedom attempt and protest of the prison conditions.

If you will not be able to join us this upcoming Tuesday, you can still write to Joe-Joe:
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Joseph Bowen AM4272
Post Office Box 33028
Saint Petersburg, Florida 33733
*Address cards/letters to Joe-Joe.