Kite Line

This week, we speak with two writers, Laura Lasuertmer and Wendy Lee Spacek. Spacek and Lasuertmer run a writing workshop in the local jail. They tell us about the writing program, what led them to do this project, and its impact on folks in the inside. Then, we share a selection of writings that came out of some recent sessions of the program. After that, we share audio from our friends at the Prison Radio show based out of Canada. They wrote to us about Muti Ajamu-Osagboro, who is currently serving life without parole (LWOP) in a Pennsylvania state prison. He was sentenced as a teenager and maintains his innocence. Muti has been an advocate for other people who were sentenced to LWOP as children and has been speaking out about his own case for years. He is now in his 50s. He reads his essay from behind the prison walls, entitled, “Black Friday, European Helladay”.

This week, we visit the women of the Breakaway Recovery House. Located in New Albany, Indiana, this halfway house is the residence for 14 formerly incarcerated women. In last week’s discussion of e-carceration, Breakaway was mentioned as a resource enabling women to transition to life on the outside. Recently, Micol Seigel visited Breakaway, and talked to a few of the women about life there.

This week, we share a recent round table on e-carceration here in Bloomington. This event was part of a series across southern Indiana, as community members hurt by e-carceration and their families come together to discuss their experiences and work together to understand this complex web of social control. E-Carceration involves local jails, county governments, and for-profit shackle companies. There is a growing movement against e-carceration, and you can find more information on it at notbetterthanjail.org.

Locally, the Monroe County Jail was embroiled in controversy this week, after acknowledging that it would be forcing prisoners to prepare the holiday luncheon for county employees. Under public pressure, Jail Commander Crowe agreed to pay the prisoners $15 an hour rather compelling their labor for free. However, the pay will go straight into the prisoners’ commissary accounts. This means that the money will eventually be funneled back into county coffers, as prisoners spend it on steeply marked-up food and basic goods.

This week, we share two messages sent to us from the inside. We hear from Shaka Shakur about the issues he has been facing since being transferred to Virginia from Indiana. Afterwards, we play a statement by Khalfani Malik Khaldun recorded from the inside prior to his 50th birthday. We finish up this episode with thoughts from a Florida organizer, Karen Smith, who walks us through some of the organizing efforts in her area over the years. She also speaks to how these local efforts relate to the national movements, and her thoughts on what to expect in prison abolition for 2020.

After hearing statements of solidarity with striking South Carolina prisoners, we share stories and reflections from Willis X, a former prisoner of 23 years, who became an advocate for others still inside.  He talks about his false conviction, and eventually winning his freedom after being sentenced as a teenager.

He lives in Michigan, where he runs a newsletter called the “Lifers’ Report,” featuring both updates from the inside and important coaching for prisoners’ seeking legal redress and improvements to their conditions.  Based on his decades of experience, he generously shares advice and solace to those struggling against their cages.