Matthew Stillman - Author of the 'terrorist' smears against John Bowden and the Anarchist Black Cross - is discredited.
In April of this year, following an allegation by a right-wing American social worker at Castle Huntly open prison that I was in contact with a ‘terrorist group’, I was returned to a high-security prison and my chances of release on parole after 25 years in jail effectively sabotaged.
So apparently grave were the allegations made by the social worker, Matt Stillman, that the Scottish Prison Service decided to instigate a ‘psychological risk assessment’ of me in order, they claimed, to ascertain the extent of my sudden and dramatically increased danger to the public. In fact, a simple two minute review of the ‘terrorist’ group’s website would have revealed it to be Anarchist Black Cross, a perfectly legitimate and legal prisoners’ support group. Instead a senior forensic psychologist based at Perth Prison, Dawn Harris, was commissioned to write a report on me for the Parole Board and to assess my suitability for a return to an open prison. The expectation on the part of those who asked Dawn Harris to prepare her report was that, like all compliant prison psychologists and social workers, she would focus her attention on what was considered the pathology of my character and personality, and add some intellectual muscle to Stillman’s ridiculous claims regarding my politics.
Unfortunately for them, Dawn Harris began her assessment of me by investigating Stillman’s claim that ABC was a ‘terrorist group’. A quick search of the internet, as well as the elicited views of senior police officers, established Stillman’s claim to be a complete falsehood, and Harris later included in her report a verbatim description of the origins and principles of the ABC group and reported its claim that my release from prison was being hindered by a straightforward intention on the part of prison officialdom to punish and victimise me for campaigning for prisoners’ rights over two decades. She then wrote of my relationship with ABC in the following way: “As such, Mr Bowden’s connection with the ABC group could be viewed as a legitimate way of him trying to express his frustration about his situation in prison. Although he still has the same political views that he once expressed through violent means within the prison system, he now seems to try and raise awareness of these issues using non-violent strategies, including writing for the organization ABC.” Stillman’s evocation of ABC as a dangerous gang of ‘eco-terrorists and paramilitary members’ was exposed for what it was and had always been, a blatant lie motivated by an intention to prejudice and destroy any chance I might have of release on parole.
Harris concluded her report by recommending my immediate return to an open prison, which naturally irked the administration at Castle Huntly open jail who had hired Stillman to do a hatchet job on me and had expected Harris to do likewise. In fact, Harris’ report caused embarrassment and discomfort, and I remain in a high-security prison because the governor of Castle Huntly has now decided that a ‘risk management group meeting’ should take place in order to formulate a strategy of control over me. No date for the meeting has been given.
So a senior psychologist of the system’s choice dispels completely the fantasies and lies of an idiotic and dubiously motivated prison social worker, and yet I remain locked up in maximum security because the people responsible for my treatment since April won’t concede that victimisation lay at the very heart of their motives and actions.
Of course what really galls the Scottish Prison Service is that the protests and complaints organised on my behalf by ABC and others, and their claim that Stillman had lied about the nature of ABC’s politics have now been validated by someone working at the very heart of the system, supposedly one of their own.
It is now established beyond doubt that Stillman’s professional integrity is irreparably compromised and his motives deeply suspect. In relation to this matter, he is now the subject of two separate investigations, one by the Social Services Care Commission, and the other by the Scottish Prisons Ombudsman.
At the end of the day, however, Stillman was little more than a willing instrument of people holding management positions at Castle Huntly prison, people who deliberately and calculatedly engineered my removal from the prison and tried their damnedest to prevent my release from prison indefinitely.
John Bowden
6729
HMP Glenochil
King O' Muir Road
Tullibody
Clackmannanshire
FK10 3AD
So apparently grave were the allegations made by the social worker, Matt Stillman, that the Scottish Prison Service decided to instigate a ‘psychological risk assessment’ of me in order, they claimed, to ascertain the extent of my sudden and dramatically increased danger to the public. In fact, a simple two minute review of the ‘terrorist’ group’s website would have revealed it to be Anarchist Black Cross, a perfectly legitimate and legal prisoners’ support group. Instead a senior forensic psychologist based at Perth Prison, Dawn Harris, was commissioned to write a report on me for the Parole Board and to assess my suitability for a return to an open prison. The expectation on the part of those who asked Dawn Harris to prepare her report was that, like all compliant prison psychologists and social workers, she would focus her attention on what was considered the pathology of my character and personality, and add some intellectual muscle to Stillman’s ridiculous claims regarding my politics.
Unfortunately for them, Dawn Harris began her assessment of me by investigating Stillman’s claim that ABC was a ‘terrorist group’. A quick search of the internet, as well as the elicited views of senior police officers, established Stillman’s claim to be a complete falsehood, and Harris later included in her report a verbatim description of the origins and principles of the ABC group and reported its claim that my release from prison was being hindered by a straightforward intention on the part of prison officialdom to punish and victimise me for campaigning for prisoners’ rights over two decades. She then wrote of my relationship with ABC in the following way: “As such, Mr Bowden’s connection with the ABC group could be viewed as a legitimate way of him trying to express his frustration about his situation in prison. Although he still has the same political views that he once expressed through violent means within the prison system, he now seems to try and raise awareness of these issues using non-violent strategies, including writing for the organization ABC.” Stillman’s evocation of ABC as a dangerous gang of ‘eco-terrorists and paramilitary members’ was exposed for what it was and had always been, a blatant lie motivated by an intention to prejudice and destroy any chance I might have of release on parole.
Harris concluded her report by recommending my immediate return to an open prison, which naturally irked the administration at Castle Huntly open jail who had hired Stillman to do a hatchet job on me and had expected Harris to do likewise. In fact, Harris’ report caused embarrassment and discomfort, and I remain in a high-security prison because the governor of Castle Huntly has now decided that a ‘risk management group meeting’ should take place in order to formulate a strategy of control over me. No date for the meeting has been given.
So a senior psychologist of the system’s choice dispels completely the fantasies and lies of an idiotic and dubiously motivated prison social worker, and yet I remain locked up in maximum security because the people responsible for my treatment since April won’t concede that victimisation lay at the very heart of their motives and actions.
Of course what really galls the Scottish Prison Service is that the protests and complaints organised on my behalf by ABC and others, and their claim that Stillman had lied about the nature of ABC’s politics have now been validated by someone working at the very heart of the system, supposedly one of their own.
It is now established beyond doubt that Stillman’s professional integrity is irreparably compromised and his motives deeply suspect. In relation to this matter, he is now the subject of two separate investigations, one by the Social Services Care Commission, and the other by the Scottish Prisons Ombudsman.
At the end of the day, however, Stillman was little more than a willing instrument of people holding management positions at Castle Huntly prison, people who deliberately and calculatedly engineered my removal from the prison and tried their damnedest to prevent my release from prison indefinitely.
John Bowden
6729
HMP Glenochil
King O' Muir Road
Tullibody
Clackmannanshire
FK10 3AD
e-mail:
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Comments
Hide the following 6 comments
good luck john
21.08.2007 08:36
supporter
Suggested action
21.08.2007 15:43
Governor :Ian Whitehead
Deputy Governor: Jim McKay
HM Prison Castle Huntly
Longforgan
DUNDEE
DD2 5HL
Tel:(01382) 319333
Fax:(01382) 360510
SPS:
Justice Minister:
Danny
eejits on lib-com again - please help!!!! comment i made on there
07.09.2007 16:18
They're not only dissing john, but mark, and danny- tho not sure who he is, but heard he ok and is starting scottish abc or has already, though aint had time to read all posts and see what is happening, as been pretty busy, then ill.
So only went on there first time in ages last night and had an old message from breakout which i replied to then scanned couple of posts but had to go out, but when i just heard this, went and posted quickly.
This is fkn pukka news about John _ anyone know if he's moved yet, and any ideas on how we're gonna get him properly free now??
POST ON LIB-COM below
ain't been on here for ages, heard of and know a little about Danny,thought he was ok - tho do not know enough to form an opinion, just seen posts on indymedia i like, don't know about all this stuff and if peeps are talking about him, jno idea what all this stuff about rape is, but i am in no fkn way condoning anything like that - will investigate later as limited time.
Thought this was a site for /about John Bowden, just came on here to spread the good news(though few posts i read on 1st page or 2, most of youse probably won't regard this as good) that John is returning to an open.
I think what John done over 25 years ago is fkn sick, and he is aware of this as we was mates and used to write/phone each other regular for over a year and think he would be 1st to agree.
However what worries me - someone has satisfied the conditions for release under bourgerious capitalist law, i.e. served over his full scentence(most , even nonces never do) and proved he is no longer a threat to society.
(as a lifer his position is slightly diff but i assume most aware of this)
Now, cos of the ABC's being called terrorists, and John's refusal to denounce his anarchist principles, he was taken from a open prison, after being in community for untold time incl visits home, and working outside with vunerable people, even before he was in the open - was on work release, kept in solitary, place probably was locked down and he was sent back to a closed higher cat prison, despite having broken no rules,etc,etc.
Sorry if i'm a tad naive, but in light of how the s.o.c.p.a. is being used, it worries me that people are kept inside, no longer for their original crime - which was nasty and brutal - i am not saying otherwise - but are kept inside for political reasons, I have seen john as a political prisoner for a long time - not in the sense that he was in for a politically-motivated crime, but the fact that he took the hard road and became political within jail - like many have e.g. malcolm x and george jacksonm(soledad brother and honary member of black panthers, )
NOW THERE IS NO DISPUTING JOHN IS A POLITICAL HOSTAGE AND YOU CAN TAKE THIS POOSITION WHILE STILL NOT CONDONING HIS ORIGINAL CRIME.
Anyways, sorry if i wrote this wrong, as time constraints mean i have to write quickly, so this is just a quick answer, not a considered position, thoughdefo believe 100% , that in some way, john is now a political hostage/prisoner.
received this e-mail via Mark, who i have only ever exchanged a few personal e-mails with after he e-mailed me and asked me for an add on myspace - so i do not claim to be his mate or speak for anyway but myself.
Just don't know why some are calling him ina disparaging way - SUPER-ANARCHIST.
Is it somehow wrong to be passionately committed and active. He has never bigged himself up to me or on any public thing i've seen - in fact i was not aware of how much he done, he never mentioned any actions in any kind of 'i'm a better anarchist than you' stylee. Also his myspace is private, so if he wanted to be a 'super-anarchist' why the feck would he not have it public and use it to 'share' his super style actions FFS.
Hopefully this remark is directed as some who maybe see Mark as some kind of superhero, and are tied up with all the crap that goes with personality politics, and hero-worshiping - which as d.i.y. punkish type of class-struggle anarchist i find abbhorant, and nothing to do with anarchism - in fact, against the spirit of it.
nuff said, for now.
e-mail re sttement of John reads
On Friday the 31st August, representatives of the management at Castle Huntley prison and Glenochil prison met at Glenochil and agreed to accept the reccomendation of Dawn Harris [see
I would like to express my deepest heartfelt thanks to the ABC and others who expressed support and solidarity with me over the last few months, and provided me with the strength and encouragement to endure the consequences of Stillman's ludicrous allegations.
John Bowden
m.caroline F.T.S.
e-mail:
kj10680@yahoo.co.uk
Support John Bowden
09.09.2007 02:05
About time we do, carry on doing the same.
He's done his time, and proved his no danger, yet he's banged up while theres beasts walking the streets.
All cos he 's POLITICAL VIEWS
He should of been out months ago, getting him back in an open is just the start.
Act Up Now;)
michael
Hope John Bowden is back in an open prison and soon free
11.09.2007 03:55
I don't think he would have made it. if he had not had such a good friend to lean on.
Now my brother will soon be free, but poor John, who by rights, should have been out ages ago, is still locked up.
Ally my family and friends, and my brothers girlfriend and his friends, were so happy to hear that John would be returning to an open soon, and be free to see his wife and family, as they are suffering also i imagine, having expected him home soon.
And imagine, john starts to go home regularly, then all of a sudden, over-night, is snatched back to a locked up prison, and they can no longer wait for his weekend visits,etc.
And he has done nothing wrong, he broke no rules, yet still him and his family suffer.
IS THIS SOME PLAIN OLD VINDICTIVNESS ON THE PART OF THE SCOTTISH PRISON SERVICE to pay him back for all the times he stood up to be counted, and showed solidarity with others, like my brother, and many, many more.
Please, do what Danny suggests and lets get this man home.
Is there anything else we can do to help.
Sinead D
Sinead
set the captive free!
11.09.2007 07:51
He's a top geezer who helps any other con out, why the turnkeys hate him
pete