Two weeks from today Firestorm will have the honor of hosting an incredible online panel for the release of historian Garrett Felber's new book with AK Press. "A Continuous Struggle" chronicles the life of Martin Sostre, an under appreciated legend in the history of anti-prison and Black freedom movements.

Garrett will be joined by writer William C. Anderson ("The Nation On No Map") and revolutionary elder Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin ("Anarchism and the Black Revolution"). Together they'll discuss Sostre's incredible life and legacy as a jailhouse lawyer, revolutionary bookseller, yogi, mentor and teacher, anti-rape organizer, housing justice activist, and original political thinker.

Don't miss this event! You can sign up and find a copy of "A Continuous Struggle" at https://firestorm.coop/events/3372-the-revolutionary-life-of-martin-sostre.html. Can't make the event live? Register anyway and we'll send you a recording when we post it!

#BlackFreedomMovement #BlackAnarchism #PoliticalPrisoners #BlackPower #FeministBookstore #PrisonAbolition #MartinSostre #LorenzoKomboaErvin #FirestormCoop (- L)

Western Mass folks!

from @decarwmass on instagram:

Hi friends! We are excited to pack re-entry kits and learn about CORI background check sealing together on Sunday. Re-entry kits come with a backpack, snacks, personal hygiene products, writing materials, and more—and we and incredibly appreciative of donations of these supplies.

What should you bring?
Full details—and the specific items we are looking for in each category—can be found through the link in our bio. Currently, we are looking for donations of backpacks, hygiene supplies, socks, gloves, hats, snacks, COVID safety supplies, and writing materials.

How do you sign up?
Sign-up using the spreadsheet, which is available through the link in our bio and at tinyurl.com/reentrykits. Please also note that, on the sheet, you will see that we are aiming for a certain number of each item—we do not expect folk to commit to bringing that total! When you sign-up, please do note how many you plan to bring.

What if you want to support, but cannot make it on Sunday?
A handful of Decarcerate volunteers are able to coordinate supplies-drop-offs in advance of Sunday. Learn more through the sign-up spreadsheet!

As a reminder, the event is at @finders.c0llective at 3:00pm on Sunday, April 13. As always, masks will be required and provided

https://www.instagram.com/p/DISM0xDvL0F/

bio link: https://linktr.ee/decarwmass

"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)

BROOKLYN JAIL STOP WORK ORDER
Since NYC power brokers have decided that they would rather build jails to lock up New Yorkers than invest in our communities, we’ve decided to issue our own stop work order on the Brooklyn jail construction site.

We clogged the locks of construction site entrances with cement, smashed their card readers
https://neversleep.noblogs.org/post/2025/03/07/brooklyn-jail-stop-work-order/
#Brooklyn #construction #NoNewJails #PrisonAbolition #sabotage #SRMConcrete

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

Elder Parole bill gains majority support in NY State Senate
At a time of turbulence for New York’s prisons, a long-sought criminal justice reform measure now has enough support to pass the upper chamber – on paper, at least.First introduced in 2018, the bill has never before achieved this level of official support.

https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2025/03/elder-parole-bill-gains-majority-support-state-senate/403443/

##prisonabolition

In actual important news, shit is popping off at NY prisons from both directions

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/inmates-takeover-another-new-york-prison-all-visits-canceled-day-after-gov-hochul-deploys-national-guard/ar-AA1ztqFN

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/20/us/kathy-hochul-national-guard-prison-strikes/index.html

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)

The updated "What is Driving Criminalization of Women and LGBTQ People?" publication from Interrupting Criminalization has been published!

I contributed data collection and analysis work, with much guidance and patience from Andrea and Rachael. Data from multiple sources along different points in the incarceration pipeline, make very clear the intense level of racial bias. Seeing this, along with the recent trend in increased incarceration and criminalization was sobering.

When you hear about the administration forbidding certain words and classifications in data sets and reports, know that it is an attempt to hide this.

The data analysis work was done with #emacs #gnuplot #clojure #duckdb and #orgmode in support of #prisonabolition #decriminalization and #socialjustice

https://www.interruptingcriminalization.com/resources-all/whats-driving-2025-update

Shapiro’s prison closure plan draws mixed reactions • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

https://penncapital-star.com/criminal-justice/shapiros-prison-closure-plan-draws-mixed-reactions/

> In budget documents, the governor proposed closing two Pennsylvania prisons, which his office says could save the state $100 million per year. He also proposed closing two community corrections centers for another $10 million in annual savings. The Shapiro administration has said falling incarceration rates in Pennsylvania make the closures possible. 

Indigenous led nonprofit buys land and blocks construction of east Kentucky prison | WEKU

https://www.weku.org/the-commonwealth/2025-02-03/indigenous-led-nonprofit-buys-land-and-blocks-construction-of-east-kentucky-prison

h/t @so_treu

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

Excerpt of a letter from Michael. #MichaelKimble #PalestinianLiberation #prisonabolition

The U.S. still has indentured servitude and slavery, it's just located in the immigration and prison systems of this country