UkFeatureJohnBowden

Table of content :

Somewhere to draft an article on John Bowden's treatment in prison and Anarchist Black Cross.

The initial plan is for this article to:

1. Report on the demo and the call out for the demo
2. Link to the articles about his ghosting
3. Explain what prisoner support is
4. Link to the articles by him reposted to the site
5. Link to the upcoming protest

John Bowden: Prisoner Support is not Terrorism

On Saturday May 25th, activists held a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament, as part of the growing Hands off John Bowden Campaign. The demo was called by a group of Friends of John Bowden. Brighton Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) has called for another demo outside the London Parole Board HQ on Friday 8th June at noon.

Articles by John Bowden: | Uprising at Shotts prison | Brutality at Full Sutton | When is a Prison Reformer Not a Prison Reformer? | David Blunket Sanctioned The Machine Gunning Of Rioting Prisoners | "Riff-raff" prisoners? | Investigation into racist abuse at Whitemoor Prison

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John Bowden spent much of his childhood in the care system, and as a young man was one of three men involved in a murder. His co-accused have both been released, and in 2006 John was moved to an open prison, and began a series of weekend leave in what appeared to be a programme of preparation for his release. He also began working with mentally and physically vulnerable people in the local community.

According to Joe Black of Brighton Anarchist Black Cross, the prison service decided that John had "formed an inappropriate attachment" to his social worker, and a decision was made to allocate an independent social worker to write a report for the parole hearing. The social worker chosen was an American called Matt Stillman, a right winger who wrote a report alleging that John was "linked to terrorism".

Whilst John's original crime was not politically motivated, he became politicised after entering the prison system, and has been a a long-term prisoner resister and an articulate opponent of injustice, who has built links with Brighton and Leeds ABC. It was these links that social worker Matt Stillman focused on in his official report dated 12th March 2007, where he wrote:

"Bowden has written for a self-proclaimed anarchist website called ABC Brighton, and says he supports many of their ideals and actions. A review of this website brings into question the nature of this group. The members of this group appear to be primarily eco-terrorists or para-military members involved in what they see as battles against political systems and principles.....".

"In a previous report from HMP Edinburgh it was reported that Bowden had received visits from people involved in terrorism."

As a result of Matt Stillman's report, John has now been ghosted to closed conditions at HMP Glenochil.

Brighton and Leeds ABC strongly deny any links to terrorism, and the intervention is yet another example of attempts to brand the anarchist movement as terrorist so that a clampdown can be orchestrated under cover of the so-called 'War on Terror'. Any prisoner who builds links with the ABC which provides material and legal support, as well as political literature to prisoners, is likely to face similar pressures.

UK Links: Friends of John Bowden | Leeds ABC | Brighton ABC | Manchester ABC | History of Anarchist Black Cross (ABC)

International Links: Women's Anarchist Black Cross | Anarchist Black Cross (Australia) | Anarchist Black Cross Network | Anarchist Black Cross Federation | ABC Copenhagen

Newswire Articles

• Picket of Parole Board HQ in London on Friday 8th June in support of John Bowden - Join the latest action in support of long-term prison resister John Bowden and the Anarchist Black Cross Network on Friday 8th June in London.
• The World says: “Hands Off John Bowden!” - Report on the International Day of Solidarity in support of John Bowden.
• International Day Of Solidarity In Support Of John Bowden - Friday 25th May has been called as an international day of solidarity in support of long-term prison resister John Bowden, and in support of the Anarchist Black Cross
• Statement by John Bowden - Statement of John Bowden for the International Day of Solidarity in Defence of Himself and the ABC: Friday 25th May 2007
• International Day of Solidarity with John Bowden, 25th May - There will be a demo outside of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, 25th May. For people who cannot be there, we are calling for solidarity action on an International Day of Solidarity.
• Demo in Support Of John Bowden HANDS OFF JOHN BOWDEN! STOP THE HARRASSMENT Demo outside The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh Friday May 25th 2.00pm
• John Bowden Ghosted Long-term prison resister subject to puniative transfer.
• John Bowden Writes From Glenochil Prison Long-term prison resister John Bowden writes about his recent 'ghosting' to Glenochil maximum security prison, and about attempts to smear the Anarchist Black Cross as a "terrorist" and paramilitary" organisation.
• Interview with John Bowden An old interview with John Bowden from Schnews
• John Bowden - Paying The Price For Speaking Out Scottish prisoner John Bowden is being targetted and punished for daring to voice dissent.
• Anarchist Black Cross vilified as terrorist organisation UK State attempts to keep John Bowden behind bars
• Please Take 5 Minutes To Help A Prisoner Long-term prison resister John Bowden is currently being victmised for his politics and for his links to the Anarchist Black Cross.
• TEAR DOWN THE WALLS! Pamphlet by long-term prison-resister John Bowden released.
• Uprising at Shotts prison On 2 January at least 80 long-term prisoners at Shotts maximum security prison in Scotland staged a mass protest by seizing control of two wings of the gaol for 19 hours. By John Bowden
• Brutality at Full Sutton The segregation unit at Full Sutton maximum security prison in York is again the focus of complaints concerning staff brutality and serious questions should be asked about the type of treatment meted out to long-term prisoners in segregation units throughout the dispersal system. By John Bowden
• When is a Prison Reformer Not a Prison Reformer? The tale of Mark Leech, ex-prisoner and prison reform entrepreneur. By John Bowden
• David Blunket Sanctioned The Machine Gunning Of Rioting Prisoners The true mentality of former Home Secretary David Blunket and his political supporters within the government was chillingly revealed in October of this year with the revelation that he had ordered an ex-Director General of the prison system to sanction the machine gunning of rioting prisoners at Lincoln jail four years ago. By John Bowden
• "Riff-raff" prisoners? On the 26th of September, Mark Leech, ex-prisoner and prison reform entrepreneur, was interviewed by the media concerning the transfer of Jeffery Archer from North Sea Camp open prison to inner city Lincoln jail. By John Bowden
• Investigation into racist abuse at Whitemoor Prison Evidence has been mounting for some time that prison officers operating regimes in the segregation/punishment units of the maximum security dispersal jails such as Frankland, Full Sutton and Whitemoor, are systematically brutalizing prisoners.