As part of an effort to highlight different titles in our distro catalog, we’re going to be doing semi-weekly blog posts to “feature” different zines.

This week’s featured zine is “Writing to Prisoners: Frequently Asked Questions.” Published in 2013 by Black Cat Factory with text borrowed from Leeds Anarchist Black Cross, “Writing to Prisoners” is a great introduction to writing to prisoners. It covers the basics from how to find prisoners to write to and the mechanics of doing so, to suggestions about the oftentimes more difficult question of “what to write about.”

From the zine:

“Probably the easiest and arguably most important aspect of supporting prisoners is writing to them. One of the hardest things for many prisoners to cope with is the feeling of isolation – being cut off from friends and family and everything they know in their normal lives. A letter or postcard from the real world, even from a complete stranger, helps to maintain a connection with the outside and relieves the infernal tedium of a regime that often involves spending 23 hours of the day in the same cell. For a first-time prisoner, especially in the early stages of a sentence, this type of support can make a huge difference, helping them cope with the unfamiliar and often intimidating surroundings. For political prisoners, victims of miscarriages of justice and those fighting back from within, it’s a simple message of solidarity – you’re not on your own!”

You can order the zine online from us or download the PDF and print your own copy. It makes a great zine to hand out at a prisoner letter writing night or while tabling in support of political prisoners.