This show includes a live interview with Mostafa Henaway, an organizer with Tadamon and one of the organizers of a May 20, 2017 demonstration in Montreal in solidarity with hunger striking Palestinian prisoners. Mostafa talked to us about the recent suspension of the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners as well as the international solidarity that happened during the strike. We also aired Part 2 of a talk by Ardath Whynaucht, a sociology professor at Mount Allison University. In the talk, Ardath speaks about queer prison justice. We also included two different clips from prisonradio.org – one by Mumia Abu-Jamal about the end of the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners and one by Kerry Shakaboona Marshall about the upcoming Millions March for Prisoners Human Rights, which is happening in Washington, DC this August.

You can download the entire show here

This show featured audio from a talk by Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3. The talk took place on May 19, 2017 in the Hall Building at Concordia University in Montreal. Woodfox spend 44 years in solitary confinement in a Louisiana Prison where he, along with Herman Wallace and Robert King, founded a chapter of the Black Panther Party. Speaking with Woodfox was Arlene Gallone, a Montrealer who is currently suing Correctional Services Canada in a class action lawsuit challenges CSC’s practices of solitary confinement. This show also featured audio from a demonstration that took place in Montreal on May 20, 2017 in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners who were on hunger strike.

You can download the entire show here

Innu land defender, Jeanette Pilot, who has spent years fighting against Hydro Quebec, spoke at UQAM on a panel about warrior women and land defence in April 2017. This episode of the Prison Radio Show includes a recording of her speech from the event. The show also includes a re-broadcast from Kingston’s Prison Radio; an interview with an herbalist named Em who describes herbs that are available in most canteens in prison and can be used to treat common ailments. The show also includes our usual news round up at the beginning.

You can download the entire episode here

This show featured two live phone interviews – one with Justin Piche, who talked to us about a new campaign against prison expansion in Canada, and one with Dara Bayer, who talked to us about the International Conference on Penal Abolition. We also aired audio from Sojourner Truth Radio featuring the voices of family members of hunger strikers in Riverside County Jail in California.

The new campaign against prison expansion in Canada is called #NOPE and they’re collecting signatures here: https://www.change.org/p/justin-trudeau-canadian-prison-construction-moratorium

Information about ICOPA is here: https://icopa17.wordpress.com/

For the original audio from Sojourner Truth Radio, check out https://soundcloud.com/sojournertruthradio/sojourner-truth-radio-detainees-in-riverside-county-jail-launch-hunger-strike

We also shared news from a prisoner correspondent in New York State, Chas Ransome. Chas wanted us to tell folks about an upcoming event called Unite for Parole and Prison Justice: A Day of Advocacy and Action, which is taking place on May 10th, 2017 in Albany, NY. The day starts at 9:30am in W. Capitol Park at Washington & Swan. For more information check out #ParoleJusticeNow! and #ChallengingIncarceration NY

On this show, we aired an interview we conducted with Suzanne Patles, a member of the Mi’kmaq Warriors Society who was arrested and imprisoned in the aftermath of the struggle against shale gas fracking in Elsipogtog in 2013. We also aired audio from a talk by Ardath Whynacht about queer and trans prisoners.

You can listen to the entire show here

This show was almost entirely audio from a talk organizing in Montreal on March 17, 2017 with Robert King of the Angola 3, a former political prisoner who spent 32 years in Angola Prison, 29 of those in solitary confinement. Robyn Maynard introduces Robert King and for the rest of the show, King talks about his life and his politics.

for video of the talk see: https://sub.media/video/robert-king-and-albert-wooodfox-of-the-angola-3-speak-in-montreal/

for more information about the Angola 3 visit angola3.org

to download the entire show go here

This show featured two rebroadcasts – one from CFRC Kingston’s Prison Radio about youth detention (full episode at cfrcprisonradio.wordpress.com) and one from WFHB Bloomington’s Kiteline radio about communities directly affected by police and the prison system (full episode at http://wfhb.org/news/kiteline/). We also shared news items and some Montreal specific announcements including one from DESTA’s Justice Program that we share below.

DESTA Black Youth Network, a non-profit organization located in Montreal’s neighbourhood of Little Burgundy, and dedicated to empowering Black youth in the areas of education, health and personal development, and advocacy also offer support to community members of all ages who are in prison or have been impacted by the criminal justice system. Through their Justice Program, DESTA can provide the following services to prisoners:

-Informal counselling over the phone, available by collect call at 514-932-3242;

-Advocacy & referrals with parole officer, halfway house; and

-Community visits at Cowansville Institution

DESTA says that prisoners are welcome to call on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10-6 for more information. The number for collect calls is 514-932-3242. DESTA says that they forward to hearing from those contacting them about these services.

You can download the entire episode here

This show featured a re-airing of the new prison abolition radio show Rust Belt Abolition! You can find other episodes of this new show here: https://www.facebook.com/rustbeltabolitionradio/

We also spoke live on the phone with Daniel McGowan about the proposed changes to the visiting days in maximum security prisons in New York State and what is being done to fight the changes. Daniel is an environmental and social justice activist from Queens, NY. He was charged in 2005 with 15 counts of arson, property destruction and conspiracy, all related to two actions in Oregon in 2000, claimed by the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). Daniel was facing a minimum of life in prison if convicted when he accepted a non-cooperation plea agreement. He received a 7 year sentence and did most of it in two Communications Management Units. Daniel was released from prison in December 2012 and was on probation for three years until June 2016. He has worked with NYC Anarchist Black Cross, the Civil Liberties Defense Center and the National Lawyer Guild’s Parole Preparation Project and PP Committees. Daniel is on the Certain Days: Freedom for political prisoners calendar collective. More information about the fight against the proposed changes to the visiting days in the maximum security prisons in New York State can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/governor-cuomo-don-t-restrict-visits-in-nys-prisons

We finished out the show with a pre-recorded interview with Lisa from the Canadian Nurses Association. The CNA is currently part of the Prison Needle Syringe Program Nursing Coalition and has been granted intervenor status in the lawsuit filed by four HIV/AIDS agencies and a former inmate who contracted hepatitis C during his incarceration. The lawsuit is against the Minister of Public Safety, Correctional Service of Canada, Commissioner of the CSC, and Attorney General of Canada.

You can download the entire show here

This show features a panel discussion by Freedom Archives feat. Dan Berger, two short pieces by Assata Shakur, and a live interview with a collective member of Toute Detention Est Politique to talk about an upcoming event they are organizing.

The news section features information on visiting restrictions that NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo is trying to implement. For more information on the restrictions and what you can do to help fight them, visit this link

To download the entire show go here

In this episode, we spoke live with Arlene Gallone, who spend 9 months in solitary confinement in the federal prison for women in Joliette, Quebec. Arlene is leading a class action lawsuit against Correctional Services Canada about their use of solitary confinement. She was joined in the studio by Clara Poissant-Lespérance, her lawyer. If you want to reach Clara for more information about the lawsuit, you can call 438-384-7259 or 1-855-552-2723 or email clara@tjl.quebec.

We aired a pre-recorded piece by Muti Ajamu-Osagboro who is an advocate for children and teenagers sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, which he was sentenced to as a teenager. He is currently incarcerated in Pennsylvania. In the piece he talks about the organization Juveniles-R-Us and issue facing juveniles sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

We then spoke live on the phone to Kim Pate who used to be the executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies and has recently been appointed to the Canadian Senate. We spoke about her recent appointment to the Senate and what she plans to do in her new position.

There are news items scattered throughout the show.

You can download the entire episode here