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Prisoner sent to solitary confinement for possessing anarchist literature

Discussion in 'Anarchism and radical activism' started by ungovernable, Oct 20, 2013.

  1. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    Prison authorities identified Neiweem as an anarchist have been investigating his activities for several months, even using a paid snitch who gathered information on Neiweem’s plans to start an anarchist collective within the prison.

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    A prisoner at Pontiac Correctional Centre, Mark Neiweem, has been sent into solitary confinement for possessing literature from the Anarchist Black Cross, and for writing essays on the prison industrial complex. Following a disciplinary hearing – at which he was denied a lawyer – he was given six months in solitary for possessing ‘gang related material’ (anarchist symbols), and for possessing ‘written materials material that presents a serious threat to the safety and security of persons or the facility.’

    Alan Mills, Neiweem’s lawyer, stated that:

    Quote:
    “I have been doing this kind of work since 1979 and I cannot think of another case where someone has gotten a disciplinary report for something so obviously political as this. At no point did they even ask him, ‘what is anarchism’? If they actually read what he wrote they would have got a very different impression of what anarchism really means.”

    Prison authorities identified Neiweem as an anarchist have been investigating his activities for several months, even using a paid snitch who gathered information on Neiweem’s plans to start an anarchist collective within the prison. Prison authorities are not claiming he has been plotting to harm the screws or other prisoners, just that his ‘beliefs’ are a threat.

    Despite being in solitary and having to experience the usual sanctions which come with such a move – no exercise, no visitors, no mail, and no books – he has been given a cellmate (a white supremacist). Giving someone in solitary conditions a cellmate is an unprecedented move, and it is clear by the nature of the cellmate that it is just another move to antagonise and break Neiweem.

    In a letter to his legal team, Neiweem says that

    Quote:
    “I reach my arms out and touch both walls with room to spare,” he said in a letter to his legal team. “I don’t know the dimensions but it’s by far the smallest cell I’ve ever been in. The front is steel plates with some holes drilled in them and the tiny view is of a brick wall ten feet away. No light but the one they leave on nearly 24 hours a day.”

    Prison authorities have stated that Mark Nieweem will remain in solitary confinement (with his white supremacist cellmate) until at least January 2014

    Mark Neiweem M36200
    Pontiac Correctional Centre
    PO Box 99
    Pontiac, IL 61764

    http://libcom.org/blog/prisoner-sent-so ... e-19102013

    SOLIDARITY !
     

  2. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    Oh shit, i didn't know about this:
    http://fr.scribd.com/doc/57337118/migs

    he's a snitch and worked as an informant for FBI

    Why was it posted on libcom main page ? They even posted it on their Facebook.

    Can anyone verify the informations posted in the above link ? Looks like even Indymedia Chicago wrote an article against him some time ago...
    He seems to have a couple of ennemies in the anarchist scene and there must be a good reason for it...
     
  3. Spike one of many

    Spike one of many Experienced Member Uploader Experienced member Forum Member


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    I also spotted that link but I thought someone might possibly just be trying to fuck him over. I'd also be interested to know if those allegations are actually true.
     
  4. thearsonistramp

    thearsonistramp Member New Member


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    i didn't know you could write letters in solitary.
     
  5. IronBENGA

    IronBENGA Active Member Forum Member


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    Jan 13, 2014
     
    Solitary is just confinement away from other inmates for an "N" number of reasons. The right to comunication maintains. The only form of limitation and censorship of comunication with the outside world is on maximum security wings or facilities, again for an "N" number of reasons.
     
  6. ungovernable

    ungovernable Autonome Staff Member Uploader Admin Team Experienced member


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    In prison the guards open all letters sent to inmates, they read everything and they filter letters. Sometimes they chose to censor it so the inmate won't receive the letter and won't even know he received a letter. They can do it for any reason or no reason at all, they can just pretend that they suspect the letter has some coded message in it. And of course, if you send letter with anarchist propaganda you can be sure the inmate will never receive it.
     
  7. IronBENGA

    IronBENGA Active Member Forum Member


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    Well im talking taking my country's example, im not familiar with the laws on other countries. As far as i know, here the inmates receive their letters sealed. And theres also the orientation guards receive illegally by the prison ward.

    And, if you guys want a tip, the lawyer-inmate relation is sacred. letters, documents, books... pass them thru the lawyer
     
  8. punkmar77

    punkmar77 Experienced Member Uploader Experienced member


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    Not necessarily I received large amounts of anarcho-centric communications while in prison and even managed to correspond with other anarchists, ALF, and ELF in other prisons through 3rd parties... also solitary confinement can have mail sanctioned as a privilege here in the U$...
     
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