Feature : Doing Time

"Under a government which also imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison." - Henry David Thoreau

An increasing state reaction to nonviolent direct action is to attempt to control activists through physical imprisonment. Prison has the potential to be an effective deterrent but does not necessarily have to be so. Some activists see punishment as the most important part of civil disobedience, as it is the fear of personal consequences that often prevents us from stopping violence and creating a more just society. The function of punishment - to make citizens internalise control so that they become their own jailers - can be made to lose its effect, according to Per Herngren. Whether or not this is the case, while prison is a possible consequence of our actions as Earth First!, through non-payment of fines or other activity, it is important to demystify the institution through information and preparation.

What To Expect

Based on 'Serving Time in Jail', the War Resisters League Handbook.

"Those arrested as a result of nonviolent direct action have the advantage over most prisoners of knowing that they are there having made a degree of conscious choice; this knowledge can provide a degree of strength.

Being in prison can give a rounded view of the oppressive society against which we struggle in nonviolent resistance - this may be apparent not just in the organisational systems of prison but in the inmates themselves - a significant number of people are poor and/or in prison for poverty related crime.

Prison is a lonely place. It aims to weaken solidarity, to try to isolate people from one another and reduce one's concentration to dealing with the demands of authority and of one's survival.

Entering prison is like going into another culture - new behaviour norms, language, symbols, new reality. You can expect some overcrowding, frustrating and irritating levels of noise and distraction and little personal space or privacy. It may be difficult to sleep, there may be radios and TVs, slamming bars and loud arguments. Time will be distorted: days will slip by but each hour may seem like an eternity. Food will be starchy and dull. You will learn to wait, for a phone call, a shower, a meal, the answer to a question, the time of day.

The warders in prison have a great deal of power and they are aware of this. Long exposure to prison, whether as a prisoner or a guard, tends to have a corrosive effect on one's confidence in humanity, and the warders are victims of this as well. They expect the worst out of people and are not often disappointed. Their principal concern is to preserve order, which demands an atmosphere of unquestioning respect (fear) for authority. This is their contribution to the process of 'rehabilitation', supplanting personal responsibility with thoughtless obedience and submission. Try not to indulge them in their exalted self image - expect that they should act with respect and compassion whilst remembering that you and they have different jobs to perform. Let them be responsible for keeping order while you are responsible for keeping your conscience.

Just because your body is detained doesn't mean you've got to turn in your conscience and convictions along with your other belongings. Whether in prison or not, the freedom we enjoy is always the freedom we claim for ourselves. Being under lock and key does not deprive you of your essential freedom as long as you continue to insist on your power to say 'yes' or 'no' within the limits of whatever situation you find yourself. It was your commitment to make decisions for yourself about what you should and shouldn't do that landed you in prison in the first place and it remains a good principle to live by."

Food

Different diets can be catered for upon request - a vegan diet is guaranteed for members of the Vegan Society (01424 427393) and may be available for others. In recent times some prisoners have gone on hunger strike to demand a diet free of genetically manipulated products. For more on this contact GM-Free Prisoner Support, Dept 29, 1 Newton Street, Manchester M1.

Letters

"While there is a soul in prison, I am not free." - Eugene Debs.

Writing letters is possibly the most important thing that you can do from the outside. Prison distances you from the 'real' world and a friendly letter breaks down that feeling. Remember that all letters are censored, so do not write anything that may jeopardise other actions or anyone else's freedom. Try and find other things to write about than just how great you think the person is and how you feel that you can't do as much. In the words of a prisoner, "Don't send me socks or sympathy. Send me a picture of yourself at the fence of a missile silo."

If you cannot think of what to write, send a card, postcard, picture or poem. Don't necessarily expect a reply as some prisons limit the amount of letters which can be sent out and in those which don't, the prisoner still has to buy stamps and envelopes.

Visits

Remand prisoners are normally allowed regular visits of one to three people (they all have to visit at the same time). Check in advance with the prisoner or their support rather than just turning up - not only will it be disappointing for the person expecting to visit, but as prison is a disorientating experience it can be distressing to expect one person only to see another.

Convicted prisoners are entitled to less regular visits.

Books, Money, Food, Cassettes, Other Consumer GoodsS

Regulations on these will vary - contact the Visitor's Centre at the particular prison for info.

General Support

Action on the above and other aspects of prison can be arranged by supporters on the outside, often via the prisoner's solicitor. Support after prison is also essential.

Experiences

" With the threat of prison hanging over my head I try and find out as much as I possibly can about the prison I am likely to be sent to...I worry about what the other prisoners are like, will I fit in, how much stuff I can take with me, will I be on my own or sharing...When I arrive different questions become a problem: where do I go to eat, to shower, where is everything, this place is big.

After you come out of prison, take a holiday, or rest, to give yourself time to adjust to being out again and having space to move about. Give yourself time and and tell others how you are feeling." - Tracy Hart .

"Prisons and prison experiences vary enormously...The first time I went to a British prison was one of the most hellish weeks of my life: I was beaten up by the guards, denied a vegan diet, taken before the governor three times (and threatened with everything from the punishment block to the psychiatric wing) and put in a cell with someone in for murder and someone in for manslaughter. In contrast, much of my five months in another prison was a leisurely rest - badminton, jogging, table tennis, evening classes, my own cell, passable vegan food, friendly enough screws." - Stephen Hancock.

Further Info

Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group (ALF SG), BCM 1160, London WC1N 3XX.

Spirit of Freedom(Earth Liberation Prisoners), c/o BM HEAL, London WC1N 3XX.

National Prisoner's Movement, BM-PROP, London WC1N 3XX 0181 542 3744.

Women in Prison, c/o Women's Environmental Network 0171 247 3327.

The Daily Hammer (newsletter of the Ploughshares Support Network), no.8 'special issue on prison', PSN, Box X, 111 Magdalen Road, Oxford.

Trident Ploughshares 2000 Handbook 01603 611953.

Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau, 1849.

Any prisoner's diaries that you can get your hands on.