We all know, or should know, that prisons are not there to protect us the general public, but are there to protect the wealth and privileges of those who govern us in this unequal and unjust society. When an individual is locked up in one of the state's many cages of repression, it is not just one person suffering, it is a chain of individuals and families that suffer stress, trauma, and in many cases increased poverty and deprivation. despite the fact that the state's cages of repression are full to bursting with human suffering, we seldom hear the voices of those at the receiving end of this inhumanity.
The
Running Wild Collective of Australia, has put together a journal called
"Paper Chained" comprised entirely of works by those who are, or have been, victims of the state's incarceration policy. It is available free.
The first issue of “Paper Chained: a journal of
writings and artistic expressions from beyond the bars” has been
published with contributions from individuals who have been affected by
incarceration in Australia and overseas. You can access this journal for
free online, download a PDF, and print your own copy. If none of these
options are accessible for you, you can request a printed journal.
All this information is available on our website, please feel free to share the link! https://runningwild.noblogs.org/
NOTE ON PRISONS
Suspended over our everyday lives are the shackles and cages that could be
forced
on us if we offend the rule of law. Law which exists to control the
intricate details of our lives, from what we consume, to how we can live
and love with others.
These are laws we never consented to
being governed by, laws that were written before we even had voices to
raise, which we cannot easily (or, arguably,
meaningfully) change
and which do not protect us. If we offend the rule of law by “breaking”
one of these codes of conduct, we then face the brutality of the justice
system. A system that again was formulated without our contributions or
consent; that hurts and punishes those who offend and those who love
them and leaves the greatest criminals of all, the politicians, bankers
and CEOs, untouched and unexamined.
We firmly believe that with the destruction of systems of oppression such as
state and capital, “crime” as we know it would largely cease to exist. We believe
that
if people were empowered and free to live under principles of
self-determination and mutual aid, they would naturally work together to
address conflict and threats against their own and others’ safety and
wellbeing.
We call for the abolition of all prisons and detention centers. None are free until all are free.
I hope this journal gives you understanding, hope and a glimpse of freedom.
“Editor”
Running Wild Collective
HOW TO ACCESS
View online here.
Download PDF
Print Your Own:
If you would like to print your own copy please follow the instructions below:
1. Download
Covers
2. Print with the following settings: Booklet print, 2 sided – flip on short edge, colour, A3 paper size
3. Download
Inner Pages
4. Print with following settings: Booklet print, 2 sided – flip on short edge, black and white, A3 paper size
5. Put your inner pages inside the cover, staple or tie together with string and enjoy!
Request a Printed Copy
If you would like to request a printed copy of the journal, you can email us at runningwild@riseup.ne
t or send a letter to PO Box 1989, Armidale, NSW 2350.
Please note – if you can print your own or read online, please consider these options. We have limited funds and would like to prioritise printing for those who cannot access the journal through other means.
Visit ann arky's home at
www.radicalglasgow.me.uk
