"Sostre recognized that the struggle is not only continuous, but also contiguous. Borders and prison walls physically disconnect us from one another, and in doing so, they obstruct our abilities to organize collectively and horizontally against a common oppressor. By using the phrase “minimum-” and “maximum security” to delineate both sides of the prison walls, Sostre importantly interrogated the commonsense notion that the other side of coerced captivity is freedom. Instead, he emphasized the continuum of “repressive forces [that] exist outside as well as in.” The prison is not an institution apart from society; it is a concentrated expression of its most oppressive forms."

Martin Sostre’s Life Teaches Us Revolutionary Moments Are Always Upon Us
https://truthout.org/articles/martin-sostres-life-teaches-us-revolutionary-moments-are-always-upon-us/

This was really good, hopeful, encouraging on the political situation & #community. Also a reminder to kind of get over yourself and just do stuff. If you need that right now.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4vVU8wxkG7sz9xQiwUuMOG

Follow Kelly Hayes, Mariame Kaba, Truthout indie media, Movement Memos podcast for good info.

Next Saturday, March 22nd, Firestorm will be hosting Rattling the Cages co-creator Eric King in conversation with two veterans of the George Jackson Brigade—Janine Bertram and Mark Cook. Together they'll reflect on their experiences as political prisoners and the legacy of one of the most prolific US revolutionary groups in the 1970s, which synthesized movements for women's liberation, queer liberation, and Black power.

Register for this free event and find copies of "Ratting the Cages: Oral Histories of North American Political Prisoners" at https://firestorm.coop/events/3337-rattling-the-cages-looking-back-at-the-george-jackson-brigade.html. Not sure you can make it? Register anyway and we'll send you a recording of the conversation to stream at your convenience.

#Abolition #PrisonAbolition #MassIncarceration #PrisonIndustrialComplex #QueerHistory #FeministBookstore #PoliticalPrisoners #GeorgeJacksonBrigade #FirestormCoop (- L)

Tires Slashed on 30 NYPD Vehicles
Tires of 30 NYPD pigmobiles (aka the "American" wing of the IOF) have been slashed near 30th st and 6th ave in Manhattan on March 4.

No new Queens cop training facility, no new jails, no more police murders, no collaboration with deportation. Forever conflict with the security guards of wealt
https://neversleep.noblogs.org/post/2025/03/07/tires-slashed-on-30-nypd-vehicles/
#ICE #IOF #LuigiMangione #Manhattan #NYPD #Palestine #PrisonAbolition #sabotage

We're just two days away from the next event in the Rattling the Cages series! Join former political prisoner Eric King who will be speaking with family members of political prisoners about how the repression and violence of incarceration impacts more than just those imprisoned. Sharon Shoatz (daughter of former political prisoner Russell “Maroon” Shoatz), susie day (partner of former political prisoner Laura Whitehorn), and Rochelle Bricker (Eric's partner) speak to the familial harm of prison repression and the unswerving love and solidarity that keeps hope alive.

Register for this free event and find copies of "Ratting the Cages: Oral Histories of North American Political Prisoners" at https://firestorm.coop/events/3312-rattling-the-cages-abolition-is-a-family-affair.html. Not sure you can make it? Register anyway and we'll send you a recording of the conversation to stream at your convenience.

#Abolition #PrisonAbolition #MassIncarceration #PrisonIndustrialComplex #FeministBookstore #PoliticalPrisoners #FirestormCoop (- L)

Hell yeah, great mail day! Retrosuburbia AND prisoner mail!
-
#anarchism #anarchist #anarchistreadinglist #Retrosuburbia #DavidHolmgren #prisonersupport #prisonabolition #AnarchistBlackCross

https://www.bentbarsproject.org/

https://www.prisonactivist.org/resources/lgbtqi-focused-organizations-and-resources

https://letsgetfree.info/

https://transempowerment.org/tep-projects/inmate-advocacy-project/

https://transgenderlawcenter.org/resources/prisons/

https://transequality.org/resources/standing-trans-prisoners-resources-improve-conditions-incarcerated-trans-people

#FreeCaseyNow: On Casey Goonan and the Abandonment of Political Prisoners in the Pro-Palestine Movement

"Casey Goonan is the only US political prisoner from the 2024 pro-Palestine student encampments. They are an abolitionist and anarchist who has dedicated themselves to multiple forms of prisoner support work and directly engaging with incarcerated comrades.

...

In June of 2024, they were arrested by a task force comprised of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies in connection with an alleged direct action which took place in solidarity with the UC Berkeley encampments which had been brutalized by police and zionists earlier in the year

...

While Casey has received a great amount of support from decentralized community in New York, Chicago, California, and elsewhere, the pro-Palestine movement needs to be publicly and actively supporting them."

https://unsalted.noblogs.org/post/2025/01/01/freecaseynow-on-casey-goonan-and-the-abandonment-of-political-prisoners-in-the-pro-palestine-movement/

New year, no prisons, no closets, no borders! ‍ https://nycabc.wordpress.com/2024/11/24/nye_call_2024/ #Asheville #PrisonAbolition #FreeThemAll #FTTP

In 2024 our co-op collaborated on nine incredible events with Eric King and Josh Davidson, co-editors of "Rattling the Cages: Oral Histories of North American Political Prisoners!" Next Saturday, Eric and Josh will be joined by Rattling the Cages co-creator Sara Falconer to share how they started this oral history project, the importance of inside-outside collaboration, and how replicating these oral histories is something you can do, too. Sarah and Josh will additionally talk about a quarter century of creating the Certain Days calendar, building relationships with political prisoners, and why our support matters!

Learn more about this event and sign up for free at https://firestorm.coop/events/3304-rattling-the-cages-how-we-did-it-and-how-you-can-too.html. Not sure you can make it? Register anyway and we'll send you a recording of the conversation to stream at your convenience.

#Abolition #PrisonAbolition #MassIncarceration #PrisonIndustrialComplex #FeministBookstore #PoliticalPrisoners #FirestormCoop (- L)

Okay, Fedi, help me out...

Can you recommend good books (or other resources) on prison abolition/alternatives to carceral (in)justice?

I know enough to know the prisons gotta go and that every part of that system is fucked beyond hope of reform, but I think it's time I get some more of the theory.

What are our alternatives, societally?
#PrisonAbolition

'Biden #commuted sentences of ~1,500 placed on home confinement during pandemic; #pardoned 39 Americans convicted of #nonviolentcrimes: biggest ever single-day act of #clemency.'

now #commute all #deathrow sentences, Joe!

#prisonabolition #justice #criminaljusticereform

https://apnews.com/article/biden-pardons-clemency-4432002d67334e6716c2776fd73f3cc8

Tomorrow evening, we're hosting an important conversation in the Rattling the Cages series, with a focus on politicized prisoners! Series creators Eric King and Josh Davidson talk with Hector “Bori” Rodriguez and Farhan Ahmed, both of whom spent decades imprisoned in New York where they became politicized as they fought for their freedom.

Learn more about this event and sign up for free at https://firestorm.coop/events/3292-rattling-the-cages-becoming-politicized-in-prison.html. Not sure you can make it? Register anyway and we'll send you a recording of the conversation to stream at your convenience.

#Abolition #PrisonAbolition #MassIncarceration #PrisonIndustrialComplex #FeministBookstore #PoliticizedPrisoners #PoliticalPrisoners #FirestormCoop (- L)

Next Saturday, we're excited to host an intergeneration panel with former political prisoners who served time at women's facilities. In this eighth event with the creators of "Rattling the Cages," we'll hear from Linda Evans, Laura Whitehorn, and Nicole Kissane about the repression, the resistance, and the resilience of women fighting back in US prisons.

Learn more about this event and sign up for free at https://firestorm.coop/events/3284-rattling-the-cages-revolutionary-women-behind-bars.html. Not sure you can make it? Register anyway and we'll send you a recording of the conversation to stream at your convenience.

#Abolition #PrisonAbolition #MassIncarceration #PrisonIndustrialComplex #FeministBookstore #WomensPrison #PoliticalPrisoners #FirestormCoop (- L)

We're less than two weeks away from the next Rattling the Cages virtual event! Join us on Saturday, November 9th for a conversation between series co-creator Eric King and former political prisoners Jason and Jeremy Hammond. They'll be discussing their experiences as antifascists, the differences between state and federal prisons, and adjusting to life after incarceration.

Learn more about about this event and sign up for free at https://firestorm.coop/events/3278-rattling-the-cages-until-all-are-free.html. Not sure if you can make it? Register anyway and we'll send you a recording of the conversation to stream at your convenience.

#Abolition #PrisonAbolition #MassIncarceration #Hacktivism #PrisonIndustrialComplex #FeministBookstore #FreeHammond #JeremyHammond #Lulzsec #FirestormCoop (- L)

This weekend we're hosting a panel discussion with Eric King, co-editor of "Rattling the Cages," alongside Vic Liu and James Kilgore, creators of the new book "The Warehouse: A Visual Primer on Mass Incarceration." These books help readers see the impact of incarceration, visualizing the pain, loss, hope, and resilience of those locked inside and their families on the outside. Together, panelists will discuss the roles art and literature play in the movement for abolition.

Register for this free, virtual event and find copies of "Rattling the Cages" and "The Warehouse" at https://firestorm.coop/events/3261-rattling-the-cages-visualizing-carceral-repression.html. Not sure if you can make the event time? Register anyway and you'll receive an event recording to stream at your convenience!

#Abolition #PrisonAbolition #ArtForChange #MassIncarceration #PrisonIndustrialComplex #FeministBookstore #FirestormCoop (- L)

Black August is a month-long commemoration of Black resistance, paying tribute to the lives and sacrifices of freedom fighters, especially those trapped inside prison cells. It was first observed by prisoners at San Quentin in 1979 to commemorate the deaths of Khatari Gaulden, George Jackson, and other Black political prisoners. In the words of Mumia Abu Jamal, Black August is "a month of injustice and divine justice; of repression and righteous rebellion; of individual and collective efforts to free the slaves, and break the chains that bind us."

On Thursday, August 27th, we'll be hosting a discussion on the significance and relevance of Black August with organizer dequi kioni-sadiki and former Black Panther Harold Taylor in conversation with recently-freed political prisoner Eric King. They'll explore the anti-carceral roots of Black August and the ongoing importance of support for imprisoned revolutionaries.

Register for the event and find a copy of "Rattling the Cages: Oral Histories of North American Political Prisoners" at https://firestorm.coop/events/3257-rattling-the-cages-black-august-prisoner-support.html. If you missed the first three events in the series, you can now stream them on our YouTube channel.

#BlackAugust #BlackPower #PoliticalPrisoners #PrisonAbolition #FreeEmAll #FeministBookstore #FirestormCoop (- L)