Banned Book Week

Banned Book Week has arrived. It's a time when the pervasiveness of censorship is highlighted. But is seems that each year, censorship behind the walls is forgotten. Imprisoned people live with censorship 52 weeks a year. We are denied access to knowledge and punished for producing knowledge. Our families and friends must overcome numerous hurdles …

News

from Stevie Prison isolates. Prison alienates. Prison severs relations. The prison works to keep the imprisoned disconnected from and unaware of events in the community. I have struggled for some time now against censorship in the PA DOC. Prison is censorship. Obtaining books, magazines, and newspapers is a battle. Receiving a newspaper is particularly hard. …

Black August

I had plans. I intended to have the group read and review materials on the history of struggle behind the walls. I wanted people to connect to and use these histories to map new terrains of struggle and to create new strategies. I copied zines. I copied articles and essays. I created discussion questions. I …

Help

by Stephen Wilson In February 2021, I was in solitary confinement, awaiting transfer, from SCI Fayette. Shortly before my transfer, I discovered that two guards, Rankin and Cavalleri, had trashed all of the books and paperwork that had been in my property, including ten years of journaling. I complained to the lieutenant, who investigated and …

On “Freedom Reads”

by Stephen Wilson I recently saw an advertisement/announcement about Reginald Dwayne Betts's Freedom Reads Project. I am truly disappointed. They state: "Recognizing the hunger for more books in prison and the community-building potential of libraries, we are collaborating with the leaders of the Departments of Corrections to bring Freedom Libraries I to multiple prison in …

2021, from Stevie

It has been quite a year. I am penning this message from my third prison in three years. And this, by far, has been the most oppressive. But throughout this trial, I have been able to depend upon the love and solidarity of so many. It is our connections that have sustained and empowered me. …

A 9971 Reading List

AND NOTES ON WHAT TYPES OF TEXTS ARE USEFUL INSIDE Kevin Yuen Kit Lo, from Just Seeds One of the most frequent requests 9971 receives is for book recommendations. So for this issue's column we decided to prepare a list of books we strongly suggest every abolitionist library contains. Before doing so, we would like …

Shakedowns, PTSD, and Accountability

by Safear What's the worst part about prison? That's like asking, "what's the worst part about hell?" It's all fucking bad. I can't ever get comfortable in here. A formerly incarcerated comrade once told me that the worst part of prison was the shakedowns. A shakedown is a cell search. And it's true, they are …

Revolutionary Video Visits

by Safear I haven't seen my mother in 5 years. She lives almost 6 hours away from the prison I'm held captive in. Since COVID, the PA DOC has offered video calls for family and friends of prisoners. Outside folks can video call directly from their phone or laptop. But my mom refuses to set …

Déjà vu

"If we really want to create a broad-based movement, a mass movement, we have to step up our relationship skills."