John has consistantly resisted the brutalisation of prison system throughout his 25 years inside and is being targetted for refusal to bow down and tow the line by the prison authorities. Having patently failed to break John through systematic beatings, ghosting and years of sensory deprivation in solitary confinement, the prison authorities are now trying to prevent John ever getting out using the smoke screen of the politically motivated ravings of Matt Stillman, a right-wing American social-worker brought in from outside the prison service to deliberately concoct a negative parole report.
In this supposedly objective report Stillman writes "Bowden has written for a self-proclaimed anarchist website called ABC Brighton, and he says he supports many of their ideas and actions. A review of this website brings into question the nature of this group. The memebers of this group appear to be primarily eco-terrorists or para-mililtary members involved in what they see as battles against political systems and principles." As we have seen recently in Spain and Italy this is part of a slippery slope by which the uthorities, by labelling ABC groups as terrorist organisations because their prison support work involves contacts with prisoners that use extra-judicial methods in their actions against the organs of state repression, they can target all anarchsits for repression as terrosrist.
Support the campaign by coming along to the picket. Bring banners. Or if you can't make it ring, fax or e-mail the Parole Board on that day.
Parole Board for England & Wales
Grenadier House
99-105 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 2DD
Telephone: 0870 420 3505
Fax: 020 7217 0118
Email: info@paroleboard.gov.uk
Chairman: duncan.nichol@paroleboard.gov.uk
Chief Executive: christine.glenn@paroleboard.gov.uk
Parole Board of Scotland
Saughton House
Broomhouse Drive
Edinburgh
EH11 3XD
Telephone: 0131 244 8373
Fax: 0131 244 6974
Send a card reading 'Hands off John Bowden' to the Scottish Prison Service Headquarters, and also don't forget to send John a card or letter to support him in his struggle for freedom.
Check out www.myspace.com/friendsofjohnbowden for more information about his case and for a letter written by John about what has been happening to him.
John Bowden,
6729,
HMP Glenochil,
King O' Muir Road,
Tullibody,
Clackmannanshire,
FK10 3AD
Scotland
Scottish Prison Authority:
Audrey Parks,
Governor,
HMP Glenochil,
King O' Muir Road,
Tullibody,
Clackmannanshire,
FK10 3AD. Scotland
Scottish Prison Service:
Scottish Prison Service Headquarters
Communications Branch, Room 338
Calton House, 5 Redheughs Rigg
Edinburgh, EH12 9HW. Scotland
E-mail: gaolinfo@sps.gov.uk
Tel: +44(0)1259 760471
Fax: +44(0)1259 762003