On this episode, we are joined with someone from IDOC Watch, a group which is organizing alongside and amplifies the voices of incarcerated people in Indiana. In this episode we talk about the history of prison organizing in Indiana as well as the work that IDOC Watch is doing. We also talk about the recent hunger strikes that have been launched by inmates as well as their fight against the censorship of the radical Black newspaper, the SF Bay View.
URGENT: prisoners on hunger strike need folks to call in to Wabash Valley and IDOC administration tomorrow 11/6 pic.twitter.com/1bEwG1Mgyn
— IDOCWatch (@IDOCWatch) November 6, 2017
We also discuss how abolitionist groups on the outside can support ongoing struggles from prisoners on the inside, how we can mobilize, and how we should approach both long term organizing as well as bread and butter issues.
Shaka shares more about the conditions and abuse he’s experiencing in WVCF. Support the hunger strike! https://t.co/xoSAJyOQrS pic.twitter.com/jULsEmwcOD
— IDOCWatch (@IDOCWatch) November 10, 2017
We close by discussing what abolition means and how it differs from reform, and what is next for abolitionists in Indiana. Lastly, we talk about how everyone should call into Indiana prisons and support the current hunger strike, as it has recently become a thirst strike, and calls are needed now more than ever.
More Info: IDOC Watch, Bloomington ABC, and Kite Line
Music: Charles Bradley