The New Dark Age

Wednesday, 18 December 2024 — NetPol

There are more than 50 people in prison for protest and resistance this winter. As more and more people are jailed for protest, a letter, card or email from you can show someone that they are not alone.

Most people are in prison because of actions taken whilst navigating a grossly unequal, racist and class-ridden society. As prisoner Kevin Thakar says in his article ‘Prisoners Are Human Beings‘, “when the state disappears people, they imprison us.” The prison system is designed to isolate people and break them down.

And as the criminalisation of protest continues, more and more people are in prison for taking part in protest.

New research from the University of Bristol has revealed Britain as a world leader in the legal crackdown on climate activism. The research shows that British police arrest environmental protesters at nearly three times the global average rate, and there are currently record numbers of people in jail for their political beliefs.

This winter, we’re asking Netpol supporters to send a message of solidarity to people in jail.

You can find a list of prisoner’s names and contact details through the Bristol Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) website, Palestine Action’s list of prisoners, or the site ‘Rebels in Prison‘ which lists environmental protesters in jail.

Here are some tips for writing to people:

• Put your name and address on the back of the envelope if you’re sending mail, and send cards with nice pictures and images.
• Many prisoners have an email address you can use to send messages as well as post.
• If you’re looking to set up a regular correspondance, ask questions but also share information about yourself and your interests to help build a relationship. Check the sites listed above for a little personal information about the person you’re writing to.
• Don’t write anything that could be incriminating – all mail is monitored.
• Some post may not be given to the person in prison, so write a second time if you don’t hear back.
• Accept that you may not get a reply, some people don’t always feel like writing but we know that everyone appreciates receiving mail!

Write to Palestine Action prisoners

Write to climate campaigners in prison

Write to prisoners with Bristol ABC