The challenges, loss and hardship of 2020 are motivating us to organize with urgency, responsiveness, and solidarity. Central to our abolitionist strategies are solidarity with people inside and mutual aid for our community. We invite you to make a gift this month to Critical Resistance (CR) so that we can continue this prisoner solidarity organizing.
Below are some highlights from our prisoner solidarity organizing in 2020, please read on! Thank you for your investment in Critical Resistance, radical prisoner education and mutual aid.Every gift helps us advance PIC abolition. Thank you!
In solidarity,
Critical Resistance
Prisoner Correspondence
Despite the challenges of 2020,our prisoner correspondence programs overall are active and strong. Since Covid-19 and Shelter-in-Place, we have rerouted all the collect calls to our office that we receive from people inside through a robust and creative volunteer-staffed system. Our Oakland and Portland prisoner mail programs are meeting regularly—virtually— and we are continuing to send LOTS of requested resources, articles, books and mail to people in prison this year. Every donation supports these vital connections.
CARES Act packages and the "Write Them All" Campaign
In addition to regular prisoner correspondence, CR members and volunteers sprang into action to provide all of our imprisoned comrades CARES ACT stimulus check packages! In an unbelievably short amount of time, we were able to mail packets to…
All 12,000 imprisoned people in Oregon (plus 2 extra forms per person to share)
4,500 imprisoned subscribers of The Abolitionist newspaper elsewhere nationally (plus 3 extra forms per person to share)
100 imprisoned people in Alaska
1,000 imprisoned people in San Francisco, CA.
Along with mailing stimulus packets along, our Portland chapter activated their new Write Them All campaign and led outside organizing pressure against the prison regime to facilitate imprisoned people being able to turn in their CARES ACT forms. This pressure compelled the Oregon Department of Corrections to commit to giving imprisoned people the envelopes and stamps needed to mail out the stimulus forms. This is all a huge testament to people power, prisoner solidarity, and community care during Covid-19.
Images: Prisoner mail calls to action from CR Portland.
The Abolitionist newspaper
One of our core tools for communicating with people inside is The Abolitionist newspaper. The Abolitionist, launched in the spring of 2005, is a bilingual (English/Spanish)
publication dedicated to the strategy and practice of PIC abolition. It is distributed absolutely free of charge to over 4,500 people in prisons, jails, and detention centers throughout the US, who in turn share the paper with many more prisoners. We released two issues of the newspaper this year and updated our prisoner database to stay in touch with people inside. Our summer issue, #32 on Decolonization and Abolition, is now available for free download online here.
The latest issue (Issue 33: COVID-19) has now been mailed to all imprisoned and outside subscribers. Issue 33 rolls out The Abolitionist’s new paper structure, which includes a feature section, this time focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, and a columns section, with new columns for readers to look forward to every issue. See more of what's inside the issue here.
Last week we celebrated the release of this issue with a launch event featuring authors from the issue in a panel that discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and PIC abolition. We'll send a link to the recording next week. In the meantime, read a sneak preview article by feature author and launch event panelist Katie Tastrom here. Subscribe today to sponsor free subscriptions for prisoners and continue making The Abolitionist possible!
Additionally, The Abolitionist Editorial Collective is supporting one of our imprisoned comrades in Pennsylvania receive supplies to protect themselves against COVID and distribute supplies inside to other prisoners. Several prisons in PA experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases this past month, and many prisoners are without supplies. Support mutual aid for prisoners by donating on venmo to @mutual-aid4abolition. All funds will go directly to prisoners in Pennsylvania.
There are some great poster "Thank You Gifts" for all donations. Donate here and choose your gift! (Plus: All new monthly sustainers this month can receive our ABOLISH THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX tote bag!)
We at CR look forward to struggling alongside you toward a collective vision of abolition. Eyes on the prize, feet and wheels on the ground—let’s keep organizing!You can…
Donate generously. We’ll put amounts of $15, $50, $500, or $50,000 to best use! You cangive online or send a check in the mail.
Become a monthly sustainer online or by check (some workplaces have giving programs!).
