The First 90 Days of COVID Resistance

Before we get in to the content for today's podcast, we have a few headlines from some of the current struggles ongoing inside prisons and detention centers.

Near Montgomery, Alabama at the Kilby  Correctional Facility, 11 imprisoned people have been on hunger strike since January 1st in response to the conditions of their captivity. The strike was launched to coincide with the Alabama prison strike/30 Day Economic Blackout called for by the Free Alabama Movement and is  planned to conclude on January 31st. The hunger strikers are refusing food and medicine until they see steps taken to curb the rampant prisoner on prisoner and guard on prisoner violence, the smuggling of drugs by guards into the prison, and the deadly impact of the Arizona Department of Correction's negligence in preventing the spread of COVID19. On January 4th, prisoner Ronnie Miller, was beaten by a guard in retaliation for his participation in the strike he is now out of the infirmary and recovering in his cell. See our show notes for more details  and for information on how to write these 11 individuals.

• write them here
• on the black out
• 'I Feel Like I'm Finna Die': Why Everyone in Alabama's Prison System Has a Death Sentence

On January 4th, 60 ICE detainees held in the Hudson County Jail in New Jersey launched a hunger strike in response to the inhumane conditions and injustice of their captivity. The strikers call on those outside to join the fight against racist immigration policy, family separation, medical neglect, and incarceration. According to immigrant support group Abolish Ice NY-NJ, as many as 146 people have participated in hunger strike. 40 detainees transferred to Orange County Correctional Facility and 3 strikers placed in solitary in retaliation for their participation in the strike.

More info:

• Prison Hunger Strikes Continue In NJ As ICE Detainees Fear COVID
• Immigration advocates say detainees are being transferred out of Hudson jail; county and ICE say that’s not true

As of January 8th, Victor Fonseca reached 50 days of hunger striking in North West Detention Center. Victor is now joined by four women hunger striking. These detainees strike to demand that everyone in solitary be released, that everyone who is sick be released, that all detainees be freed. Follow La Resistencia North West for updates.

On this episode, we wanted to try something a little different. This past November, the Perilous Chronicle released a data analysis and article about the first 90 days of prisoner revolt after COVID-19. This was exciting for us as a project and as people concerned with prisoners and their resistance. So we wanted to talk directly with our data editor, to give folks an inside look into thePerilous Chronicle project and why we think this type of analysis is unique and important for the movement against prisons both inside and outside the prison walls.

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Special music interlude from NoName