Revolution #202, May 21, 2010
"I sincerely feel the pain of the prisoners whom are being denied access to this informative newspaper."
The Prison Ban on Revolution Newspaper is Inhumane and Unconstitutional Overturn the Ban!Imagine you are in the Security Housing Unit (SHU) of a prison, locked in a solitary cell for 23 or more hours a day, every day, year after year. Your lifeline to the world is a newspaper and all of a sudden prison officials decide that you cannot read it anymore. As a prisoner wrote: "I've been getting the Revolution paper for about 8 years and can't imagine being in this dungeon without it." In February, 2010, prison officials at California's Pelican Bay State Prison declared that Revolution newspaper was banned from their institution. The ban must be OVERTURNED. Many people from all sections of society who have listened to these prisoners' voices have been struck by the power of their words and their moral vision for transforming society. Now it is up to those on the outside to make sure this lifeline is not cut off and these voices are not muffled or worse silenced. |
Soledad Prison, 4/2/2010
To Whom it May Concern:
This correspondence is in regards to the Pelican Bay Ban of the Revolution newspaper.
I've been incarcerated for over 20 years and reading Revolution newspaper since 2000.
Revolution is a very informative newspaper. It has caused me to think outside "the box" and really think about what's really happening in the world not just in the U.S. or just within the prisons. The contents printed within has motivated me to write letters to teenagers whom are getting in trouble and heading down the path towards ruining their young lives before they've even begun to really live and experience life.
The newspaper has broken racial barriers as well. Prisoners of other races have witnessed other prisoners and myself discussing articles that we've read and have approached and joined in with their opinions or asked about coming and joining our next discussion with bringing some of their homies. Within the nearly 10 years I've been reading the newspaper I've not once heard of an incident being caused about an issue or any contents within the paper.
I sincerely feel the pain of the prisoners whom are being denied access to this informative newspaper. Cause I ache when issues are allegedly lost and not received. These papers aren't instigating violence amongst prisoners nor staff.
DONATE TO Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund! OVERTURN THE BAN!
Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund (PRLF), which provides revolutionary literature, especially subscriptions to Revolution newspaper, to prisoners across the country, for many their lifeline to the world, is launching a major fund drive, to expand its work in the context of mounting a wide-ranging legal and political struggle to overturn the banning of Revolution newspaper that has just taken place at the Pelican Bay State Prison in California as well as Menard prison and other prisons in Illinois. Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund needs to raise $15,000 by the end of May. After reaching that goal, we are aiming to double those funds, reaching our goal of over $30,000 by the end of June. Funds are urgently needed for the following expenses:
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP REACH THIS GOAL: GIVE A LEAD GIFT! We already have one lead gift of $2,000 and smaller donations that together are 1/2 way to matching it. Let's finish matching it right away. And this week we need 4 more lead gifts of $1,000 to $2,000 each. Please write Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund with the amount of your lead gift and your reason for giving it, so we can challenge smaller donors to match it. GIVE A DONATION! When you make any size donation, write 5 friends and tell them why you gave and ask them to match your contribution. ADOPT A SUBSCRIPTION! Give Revolution newspaper for one year—$35 for each prisoner. If you can do so, adopt a block of subscriptions. There are now 65 California prisoners on the waiting list and 40 in Texas alone. When you adopt a subscription, PRLF will tell you the state and institution where the prisoner receiving the subscription you funded is incarcerated and remind you when it is time for its annual renewal. All donors will receive the PRLF newsletter. Your gift can be earmarked for a specific purpose. If you only want your gift to go to fighting the censorship and overturning the ban then please specify on your check or when you make your donation online and we will honor your request. The Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund is in affiliation with International Humanities Center, a nonprofit public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501[c](3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Send your checks to Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund, 1321 N. Milwaukee, #407, Chicago, IL. 60622 Make checks to: Make tax deductible checks to: IHCenter/PRLF Tax deductible credit card and Pay Pal donations can be made online at: www.IHCenter.org/groups/prlf.html To volunteer with or contact PRLF: |
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