Kite Line

The phenomenon of mass incarceration has made the United States the world leader in carceral punishment. With only four percent of the world’s population, the United States accounts for 20% of the world’s incarcerated persons. In fact, the U.S. Is the pioneer of mass incarceration and the attendant police militarization and prison industry that are …

This week, we have two contributions –one closer to home and one many more miles away- but both aim to describe an unfair relationship of power each contributor’s community faces. We first hear an essay from a prisoner in Southern Illinois, followed by a statement sent to us from a member of the community of the Mapuche people in Chile. Sun-Ra, a prisoner in Menard Correctional Center, located in southern Illinois, talks about the racism he experiences at Menard in his essay, “Demons of Solitude". We follow that with a statement in Spanish and English, from Jaime Juan Chullan Cayul. From the community of the Mapuche Nation. In this message, he tells the story of the Mapuche people and their relationship with the Chilean state.

This week, we have two contributions –one closer to home and one many more miles away- but both aim to describe an unfair relationship of power each contributor’s community faces. We first hear an essay from a prisoner in Southern Illinois, followed by a statement sent to us from a member of the community of …

This episode is an interview with Kwame Shakur, who is currently incarcerated at the Pendleton Correctional Institution. On August 11th , Indiana prison activists held a demonstration at the state capitol building in Indianapolis opposing new Indiana department of corrections regulations restricting incoming prisoner mail. The new policy prohibits all mail which is not hand written on white,lined paper. Though the measure is stated to be provisional, many believe it is an effort to further censor the kinds of educational materials which reach inmates. This is the position of the New Afrikan Liberation Collective, an organization founded by two Indiana prisoners, Kwame Shakur and Shaka Shakur. The N.A.L.C. Called for the August 11th demonstration as a part of its growing “Prison Lives Matter” campaign which seeks to build a United Front against the prison system. Since August, Shaka Shakur has come under heavy repression by the administration of Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle. He is currently held in segregation and is being charged with assault against a corrections officer following an altercation provoked by consistent mistreatment. However, we were able to speak with Kwame Shakur, about the new mail restrictions, the New Afrikan Liberation Collective, and its mission to raise consciousness inside and outside the prison walls.

This episode is an interview with Kwame Shakur, who is currently incarcerated at the Pendleton Correctional Institution. On August 11th , Indiana prison activists held a demonstration at the state capitol building in Indianapolis opposing new Indiana department of corrections regulations restricting incoming prisoner mail. The new policy prohibits all mail which is not hand …

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Ray Luc Levasseur. He is a former underground combatant with the United Freedom Front, which carried out a campaign of attacks from 1975-1984 against South African Apartheid and US intervention in Central America. He spent 13 years in solitary confinement after his capture.

This week, he shares with us his thoughts on the impact of incarceration on families, including his time as a parent both in clandestinity and in prison. He talks about his own experiences, leading to insights about the larger issues facing many families, as millions of children are deprived of their parents in a society with record-high incarceration rates.

You can hear the first part of our conversation with Ray here.

We will have a PDF of his piece, Family Values, on our website: kitelineradio.noblogs.org

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Ray Luc Levasseur. He is a former underground combatant with the United Freedom Front, which carried out a campaign of attacks from 1975-1984 against South African Apartheid and US intervention in Central America. He spent 13 years in solitary confinement after his capture. This week, he shares …

Ray Luc Levasseur is a former underground participant in the United Freedom Front, which carried out a campaign of attacks from 1975-1984 against South African Apartheid and US intervention in Central America. He spent 13 years in solitary confinement after his capture.

In the first episode of our series on Ray Luc's experiences in prison and in struggle, he tells the story of how he was radicalized by his imprisonment in Jim Crow Tennessee, his contributions to the movement after his release, his decision to go underground to escape state repression, and his subsequent actions and capture. He also shares his experiences with race and repression, along with other lessons from trial and time on the inside.

We'll be following up in subsequent episodes with more stories about struggles he participated in during his time in federal prison and since his release.

Ray Luc Levasseur is a former underground participant in the United Freedom Front, which carried out a campaign of attacks from 1975-1984 against South African Apartheid and US intervention in Central America. He spent 13 years in solitary confinement after his capture. In the first episode of our series on Ray Luc’s experiences in prison …

This week’s story is that of Kara Wild. An anarchist prisoner from Chicago, Kara is a trans woman who has been in a French prison for over a year and a half. We first give some background on her case, and then hear from her friends and loved ones, who share some stories about Kara.

We close with a song written and performed by Kara herself. Back in April, Kara wrote a powerful letter about her unyielding stance toward the judicial system which you can read at her support site: freekarawild.org. On the site, you can also see her artwork, and get information on how to write to her.