Under Lock and Key RAIL Radio Program for May 21, 1999

On April 10, the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist League sponsored a Books 
for Prisoners benefit concert in Western Massachusetts. A significant 
sum was raised for this program. Bands travelled from as far away as 
Maine to perform. The bands were Assfaggot, Critical Mass, Corporate 
Death Squad, Commonwealth, Baracus, Publik Access, einstein, and a 
Global Threat were mostly punk and hip-hop Bands.

At the show, the purpose of the Books for Prisoners Program was 
explained, and letters from prisoners were read. Samples of music from 
the show and these prisoner letters will be aired on this program.

Behind the stage was a large banner that read "Support Free Books for 
Prisoners, Educating and Organizing for Revolutionary Change."  This 
banner sums up the purpose of the MIM Books for Prisoners program, and 
explains how it is different from other programs.

The MIM Books for Prisoners program is a tool to not only educate 
prisoners but to organize to change the society.  Many other book 
programs, while positive, stick to only to a reformist charity agenda. 
It is a sign of the sickness of the U.$. justice system that it denies 
educational materials to prisoners. Books are in short supply in prison, 
libraries contain little beyond bourgeois fiction, mail is censored, and 
college education programs have been eliminated.

As one letter from a Pennsylvania prisoner read the concert explained:

[sentenced twice]

So sending in more fiction is ok. Sending in political books is better. 
But the best practice is to not only send political books, but to 
struggle with the prisoners over the content of the books and their 
application to revolutionary change.

The Books for Prisoners program breaks away from
traditional charity-type donation programs and provides books on mainly 
on
Revolutionary History, World Movements, and Black, Latino and First 
Nation
culture and nationalism. MIM and RAIL send free newspapers and books to
prisoners to provide them with the knowledge and tools necessary to end
the oppression in U$ society and around the world. In other words, MIM 
and
RAIL give prisoners the chance and opportunity to organize themselves 
and
take part in the revolutionary struggle to change society.

Between bands, RAIL read letters from prisoners and showed movie
clips on the inhumane conditions in Maximum-security control unit cells.
This helped keep a revolutionary edge to the show, and pushed the
necessity to act on prison injustice. The letters from prisoners made it 
possible to inject the struggle of prisoners into a student & youth 
cultural movement. 
Later, one speaker talked about the case of imprisoned Black Panther 
Mumia Abu Jamal, and a RAIL activist discussed the struggle against 
control unit isolation cells.

During the concert, Critical Mass played a song about the importance of 
working to free incarcerated revolutionary leaders:

[Free all pp clip]

RAIL is always looking for new ways to build support for the MIM Books 
for Prisoners program. Doing events like the benefit concert are an 
excellent way to educate and organize people against prison injustice. 
Historically, the fringe music scenes of punk, hard-core and hip-hop 
have been our most vocal allies.  But fringe music must take on the 
entire system with an eye to changing it. Culture is one of the most 
important aspects to building public opinion, and so we should promote 
progressive cultural works while criticizing pro-imperialist culture. We 
need a culture that pushes for national
self-determination for all nations.

Among the achievements of the concert was the way in which it brought 
together a variety of types of music and political beliefs to support 
the Books for Prisoners Program. That night, Communists, Anarchists, 
Libertarians, and people who call themselves non-political all agreed 
that Books for Prisoners was a good program. For the
future, we hope to gain more support from other sectors of culture while
further revolutionizing our current allies. 

For information on how to contact any of the bands, or support the books
for prisoners program, contact RAIL Radio.

One letter from a New York prisoner read at the concert explained why 
the Books for Prisoners Program is necessary. It was written several 
years ago for an anti-prisons rally at the University where the concert 
took place.

[NY pris ltr]

One Critical Mass song the audience found popular was "Smash All 
Prisons". On their cassette, Da Wizard describes the need to struggle 
against prisons. 

[Da Wizard clip "I've had people come up to meÉ.. 25sec]

[Smash all prisons]