We Keep Us Safe(r)
This section is meant for people navigating the criminal legal system themselves. If you're supporting someone, see our Supporter Pages.
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You might be very afraid about the idea of being sent to prison. But where does this idea come from? Who are you afraid of? Who do you have the most affinity with?
It’s true that prisons aren’t nice places to be. In some cases, to some people, they can also be very dangerous. Prisons cause very real harm and trauma – they even reduce life expectancy. But in many cases the thing that makes our prison systems so unsafe are the actions and neglect of correctional workers and administration. This could mean outright violence from a correction officer (CO) - but it also means things like choosing not to provide appropriate health and mental health supports, or intentionally maintaing environments where prisoners feel competitive instead of cooperative.
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The only way to resist the intentional isolation and violence of the criminal legal system is to build and rely on relationships with other prisoners, and legal supports on the outside.
Administration and staff are not interested in the physical or emotional safety of most prisoners. If you are facing the possibility of jail or prison, we encourage you to consider building solidarity and power amongst prisoners. These can help keep us safe as we navigate the process.​ See below for ways the prisoners and their supporters have collaborated to build power and create better situations for themselves.​​
During an Arrest
It’s easy to feel like we have no power in an arrest situation. In most cases that’s true; during an arrest our compliance is maintained with force and we have little to no control over the process. But - there are a couple instances in which we can build or hold power, even as someone being arrested.
One way is by simply not talking to the cops. Seems basic, right? But it can feel complicated – especially if our family is pressuring us to own up or cooperate with police, or police are telling us they already know everything because a friend snitched you out. No matter what anyone tells you - staying quiet puts you in the best position to beat the charges and keep others you care about safe. That’s a huge amount of power!
A second way is by building and showing solidarity with others during an arrest or while detained at the police station. We are not going to lie; this will not always work. Sometimes it even gets you in trouble. But it has also been used in situations to build power amongst those arrested. Click to read stories below.​
Solidarity and
Connection
There are prisoner support projects throughout Turtle Island. While each one is organized by different people for different reasons, they typically offer ways for prisoners to receive support & get their voices heard. In the Hamilton area, two such projects exist.
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Barton Prisoner Solidarity Project
BAPSOP runs a phone line at Barton Jail and provides listening support to prisoners, as well as support to prisoners who want to organize in Barton for better conditions.
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The Prison Project runs phone lines throughout Ontario. They also provide listening support to prisoners, will send printed resources, word searches, etc. to prisoners, will help amplify prisoner experiences, and help support prisoners to collectively organize amongst their ranges, prisons, or province-wide.​