Additions/Updates to the #OpPenPal Mailing List

Several names have been added or updated on our mailing list recently, and we wanted to take a moment to introduce them.

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Sebastian ‘Sabi’ Senakiewicz (NATO 5):

Sabi was sentenced to 4 months in a boot camp for non-violent offenders after accepting a non-cooperating plea agreement. He “graduated” from boot camp and was expecting to spend some time on house arrest while waiting for his deportation proceedings to be completed, but instead was pulled over and taken into immigration detention as he and his mom were driving away from the graduation ceremony. He will likely be held for a week or two before being deported to his native Poland.

Please send urgent letters and postcards today!

Sebastian Senakiewicz
#205-283-357
McHenry County Adult Correctional Facility
2200 N Seminary Ave
Woodstock, IL 60098

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Jason Hammond:

Jason Hammond, Jeremy’s twin brother, was arrested July 11 for allegedly being involved in an altercation between an anti-racist group and white supremacists in Tinley Park, IL over a year ago.

 He is currently being held at Cook County Jail with an unreasonably high bail of $100,000 cash. This means that 100% of the bail amount must be paid for Jason’s freedom.

We visited Jason this week. You can read about it here.

Jason Hammond
#2013-0712237
PO Box 089002
Chicago IL 60608

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Gregory Koger:

Gregory Koger is a prison activist who was sentenced to 300 days for videotaping a public meeting in 2009. He served about 2 months but has since been working to appeal his case. At a hearing this week, he was taken back into custody to serve the remainder of his sentence. He is on hunger strike in solidarity with prisoners in California and around the world.

You can get updates or donate at his support site, or read an article about the most recent developments in his case.

Gregory Koger
#2013-0723091
PO Box 089002
Chicago IL 60608

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Marissa Alexander:

In April 2010, Alexander, then 29, fired a warning shot to stop her abusive husband. She was a battered wife and he was coming towards again, fully intending to do her harm. She was frail at the time, having just given birth days earlier. Alexander did not fire the shot directly at her husband. The bullet ended up in the ceiling and no one was hurt. Her abusive husband even claimed he meant to ‘lay hands on her’ and that she did the right thing in trying to stop him. Yet, Marissa Alexander was arrested and is now serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Marissa Alexander
#2012033887
500 East Adam St
Jacksonville, FL 32202

July FlikShop Drive for Weev

On July 19, a friend visited Weev at the Federal facility where he is being held. He is finally out of SHU (aka solitary confinement) but still faces harsh treatment on a daily basis. You can read her full account of the visit here.

One thing we have learned is that Weev is not receiving most of his mail or books. The most reliable way to contact him is through FlikShop, a service that allows you to create customized postcards on your computer or phone that are then printed and sent to inmates – all for under a dollar apiece, postage included.

As such we will be hosting a FlikShop drive for Weev the last week of each month. We ask you to send him at least one card during this week (although feel free to send as many as you like). Just for fun, we’ll choose a photo theme each month. Be creative!

If you prefer to send a regular postcard or letter, those are always appreciated, we just can’t promise he will ever see them. We also encourage you to write to him during other times of the month, but thought it might be useful to have a structured recurring event.

WHAT: July FlikShop Drive for Weev

WHEN: July 24-31

WHERE: https://flikshop.com/

WHO: The entire Internet – tell your friends!

PHOTO THEME: Freedom

MAILING ADDRESS:
Andrew Auernheimer
#10378-010
FCI Allenwood Low
Federal Correctional Institution
PO Box 1000
White Deer PA 17887

If you buy FlikShop credits in bulk, each individual card is cheaper. Please feel free to send cards to other prisoners on our mailing list while you’re at it!

P.S. You can tweet out the photo(s) you are sending to us @OpPenPal as well as @flikshop.

Open Communiqué by Migs (Mark Neiweem) of the NATO 5

This letter by Mark Neiweem (aka Migs) of the NATO 5 was originally posted at the NATO5support. In it he discusses why he agreed to change his plea, describes his time in maximum security at Cook County Jail, and explains why jail support is so incredibly vital.

Comrade Migs, NATO 5 prisoner

Greetings of solidarity, comrades and friends.

I sincerely hope this communiqué finds all of you in the very best of health and highest of revolutionary spirits.

I am coming to all of you with all the love and admiration in my heart to thank you for the love, compassion, and solidarity you’ve given me since I was captured, along with 4 other comrades and brothers in struggle, in May 2012.

As most of you know by now, I eventually took a non-cooperating plea after deciding trial was not the best option for me. Though some of you may be disappointed I didn’t “prove my innocence” at trial like so many expected me to do, others were relieved to finally have some closure and an end in sight. I feel I should say why I chose what I did, for this is the first time I’ve been able to speak about this case without formal state persecution.