Prisoner’s blog rattles Ministry of Justice

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Shepton Mallet prisoner Ben Gunn’s blog has got the Ministry of (In)Justice all in a tizzy, and his blog is only 23 days old.

The blog is believed to be the first, or at least the only current blog, to be updated by a serving prisoner. Of course, he doesn’t personally post new articles to the blog, because as a prisoner he has no internet access. So he writes them by hand, and then gets friends to post the articles up on his blog for him.

The MoJ insist that Ben Gunn’s blog breaks the rules. He disagrees: “In 2008, the justice minister, Maria Eagle, told MP Sion Simon that prisoners could blog, subject to the rules of correspondence. Yet despite my complying with the law and ministerial pronouncements, the prison service is now reverting to its old habits – attempting to squash the vocal dissenter.“Read More

Prisoner support at the bookfair and comutiny

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bookfair mural in the city centre

bookfair mural in the city centre

Bristol ABC prisoner support group will have a stall at this Saturday’s Bristol anarchist bookfair. We’ll have lots of info/advice about supporting prisoners and writing to them, along with lists of prisoners requesting to support. If you are nervous about writing to a prisoner, fear not – we’ll have postcards on the day you can use.Read More

New resource for animal rights prisoners

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A new resource and support group for animal rights prisoners has emerged recently, called quite simply ‘Animal Rights Prisoner Support’. They do exactly what it says on the tin, which is much needed because the animal rights movement has faced the full force of the state in the last few years, resulting in massive surveillance, harassment, legal action, arrests and imprisonment – with long sentences.Read More

News from the campaign against prison slavery

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The last couple of days has seen the Guardian newspaper publish a major article by Richard Cookson and Phil Chamberlain headlined ‘Inside the sell blocks: Major companies are using prisoners as cheap labour through secretive government contracts. But who else benefits?’ on prison labour in the UK, which mentions the Campaign Against Prison Slavery (CAPS). See http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/sep/09/prisoners-cheap-labour-major-companiesRead More

EDO Decommissioners update & benefit bash

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As the legal case around the 6 Bristol EDO Decommissioners grows ever more complicated, there’s timely news of another benefit for their support campaign this Friday, 4 September, from 8.30pm at The Plough – see image! These benefits help pay for publicity and research in defence of the six, along with some travel costs and of course prisoner support – Elija (James) Smith is still on remand remember, nearly 8 months in jail without a trial.Read More

EDO Decommissioners update & benefit bash

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As the legal case around the 6 Bristol EDO Decommissioners grows ever more complicated, there’s timely news of another benefit for their support campaign this Friday, 4 September, from 8.30pm at The Plough – see image! These benefits help pay for publicity and research in defence of the six, along with some travel costs and of course prisoner support – Elija (James) Smith is still on remand remember, nearly 8 months in jail without a trial.Read More

Not guilty? Get your DNA wiped!

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The growing retention of people’s DNA by the state, from birth upwards, often when the individual is guilty of no crime, is just one aspect of the ever growing authoritarian state and prison society controlling our daily lives.

Good news then that some people who have had their DNA taken, and then found not guilty (or never charged), are getting their DNA wiped from the state’s databases – even if a most well known case is Tory MP Damian Green. Now Liberty, with the backing of Dianne Abbott MP, are going to try and remedy some more cases of wrongly held DNA. Here’s an invite from them that may be useful, not just for innocent activists, but for innocents everywhere:Read More

4 Struggle Mag Summer 2009

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Our comrades in Canada have sent us the new 4 Struggle magazine to us in PDF format:
https://bristolabc.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/4sm13collated.pdf

This issue includes articles by John Bowden, Sundiata Acoli and Daniel McGowan.

The pages are formatted as ‘Letter’ not A4 so beware if you are trying to print it out!
If you are in touch with any prisoners you feel may be interested in contributing to 4Struggle, be sure to check the ‘Call for Contributors’ on the 2nd page.