[News] Support Jalil Muntaqim's Bid for Parole!

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Dear Friends,
I am forwarding you all a letter from Jalil Muntaqim (aka Anthony Bottom), 
a New Afrikan revolutionary and prisoner of war.

Jalil was 19 years old when he was arrested. He is a former member of the 
Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. For the past 32 years, 
Jalil has been a political prisoner, and one of the New York Three (NY3), 
in retaliation for his activism in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Jalil was born October 18, 1951, in Oakland, CA. His early years were spent 
in San Francisco. Jalil attended high school in San Jose, CA, where he 
earned a scholarship to an advanced high school math and science program. 
He also received a summer scholarship for a San Jose State College math and 
engineering course. Jalil participated in NAACP youth organizing during the 
civil rights movement. In high school, he became a leading member of the 
Black Student Union, often touring in "speak-outs" with the BSU Chairman of 
San Jose State and City College.

After the assassination of Dr. King, Jalil began to believe a more militant 
response to racism and injustice was necessary. He began to look towards 
the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense for leadership. After moving back 
to San Francisco from San Jose, he was recruited into the BPP by old 
elementary school friends who had since become Panthers.

Two months shy of his 20th birthday, Jalil was captured along with Albert 
"Nuh" Washington in a midnight shoot-out with San Francisco police. When 
Jalil was arrested, he was a high school graduate and employed as a social 
worker.

While in San Quentin prison in California in 1976 before being moved to New 
York, Jalil launched the National Prisoners Campaign to Petition the United 
Nations to recognize the existence of political prisoners in the United 
States. Progressives nationwide joined this effort, and the petition was 
submitted in Geneva, Switzerland. This led to Lennox Hinds and the National 
Conference of Black Lawyers having the UN International Commission of 
Jurists tour U.S. prisons and speak with specific political prisoners. The 
International Commission of Jurists then reported that political prisoners 
did in fact exist in the United States.

Jalil put out the call for the Jericho March on Washington in Spring 1998, 
which was answered by over 6,000 supporters demanding recognition of and 
amnesty for U.S. political prisoners. The Jericho Amnesty Movement (JAM) 
aims to gain the recognition by the U.S. government and the United Nations 
that political prisoners exist in this country, and that on the basis of 
international law, they should be granted amnesty because of the political 
nature of their cases.

Since in New York prisons, Jalil wrote and submitted a legislative bill for 
prisoners with life sentences to receive good time off their minimum 
sentences. This bill was introduced to the NYS Assembly Committee on 
Corrections. Jalil has filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of prisoners.

Jalil has received awards of appreciation from Jaycee's, NAACP, and Project 
Build for his active participation and leadership. After many years of 
being denied the opportunity to attend college, Jalil graduated from 
SUNY-New Paltz with a BS in Psychology and a BA in Sociology in 1994. He 
would like to pursue his Masters degree, but has not been allowed by DOCS.

Jalil has worked as an educator of other inmates and practices organizing 
and advocacy whenever possible to ensure the most adequate, humane 
treatment for all people. He has been repeatedly punished for these 
activities, through physical abuse, formal discipline, and numerous prison 
transfers. Jalil is presently working to develop a National Prisoners 
Afrikan Studies Project (NPASP), a new non-profit organization dedicated to 
educating prisoners.

During his imprisonment, Jalil has become a father and a grandfather. He 
states, "I came to prison an expectant father and will leave prison a 
grandfather." He will appear before the New York State Parole Board in July 
of 2004.

Please forward this email to lists and individuals you feel would be 
sympathetic and willing to write a letter in support of Jalil.

For more information on Jalil Muntaqim, to read some of his writings, and 
for more background information on the New York Three, please visit 
http://www.kersplebedeb.com/mystuff/profiles/muntaqim.html

**********************************************************************

Letter from Anthony "Jalil" Bottom
Requesting Letters in Support of Parole

May 2004

Dear Friends and Supporters:

In July 2004, I will be reappearing before the parole board for release 
considerations. When I reappear before them, I will have completed 32 years 
of imprisonment, the last 27 of those years in New York State serving a 
25-to-life sentence. In July 2002, I was denied parole for the nature of 
the crime and criminal history, despite the fact the parole board 
recognized I had an exemplary prison record. However, under New York state 
parole guidelines, there are no provisions for release because of good 
behavior and performance of assignments. Parole release is based solely on 
the discretion of parole commissioners void of any specific criteria 
requiring my release.

In other words, despite three decades of imprisonment and no egregious rule 
violations, the parole board has the discretion to deny my release on 
parole. What is particularly ominous is the fact Governor Pataki has 
instituted an unwritten mandate that those convicted of violent felony 
offense(s) must complete 85% of their sentence to be eligible for release. 
This mandate adheres to the federal "Truth in Sentencing" laws, which 
provides New York state over $200 million from the government to keep 
violent felony offenders in prison for longer periods of time.

Due to the political nature of my conviction, NYS parole authorities are 
hard to persuade I am a suitable candidate for parole and should be 
released. Additionally, the PBA [NYPD's union, the Police Benevolence 
Assn.] has lobbied against my release by submitting a petition of 10,000 
signatures opposing it; therefore, it is incumbent upon my friends and 
supporters to write letters highlighting my achievements.

Accompanying my request to you, please find a sample letter, which can be 
used as a guide for you to write a letter in support of my release on 
parole. I further exhort that you make copies of this, and distribute to 
others requesting they do the same. It would be ideal to inundate the 
parole authorities with letters of support, urging them to grant my release.

Importantly, all letters written in support of my release should be sent no 
later than the second of July, if possible, and a copy sent to my attorney: 
Ms. Cheryl L. Kates, Esq., Edge of Justice, 121 N. Fitzhugh St., Rochester, 
NY 14614.

Thank you for your support -- together we can win!

A. Jalil Bottom


SAMPLE LETTER
[Date]

Chairman
N.Y.S. Division of Parole
97 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12206

Re: Parole for Anthony "Jalil" Bottom, 77A-4283

Dear Parole Commissioners:

I am writing this letter on behalf of Anthony "Jalil" Bottom, 77A-4283, 
urging your office to grant him release on parole. Over the past three 
decades, he has made exceptional contributions to the prison population, 
and the outside community. While in prison, he has obtained two degrees 
(Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology). He 
has become a published author, poet, and educator. He has established 
various programs in prison, including a Men's Group for therapeutic 
training, African/Black studies programs, a sociology class, computer 
literacy class, a poetry class, and has worked as a Teacher's Aide.

On at least two occasions, A. Jalil bottom has received commendations for 
preventing prison riots (gangs); raising funds for the Children Funds; for 
being the Office Manager of the Computer Lab; and, for being a Teacher's 
Aide. Furthermore, in his thirty years of incarceration, he has maintained 
an excellent disciplinary record and has availed himself of and received 
all the required certificates for rehabilitation programming, including 
some not required for release considerations.

A. Jalil Bottom has been imprisoned since he was 19. He is a grandfather 
and going to be 53 years of age. He has maintained a close, loving 
relationship with his daughter and grandchildren. In 2000, along with his 
daughter and granddaughter, he was depicted in Essence Magazine, a national 
publication, in a featured article on father/daughter relationships. He has 
a family, home and job waiting his release; however, he also has expressed, 
upon release, a desire to obtain a Master's degree to complete his 
education. Statistics illustrate that prisoners released after spending in 
excess of ten years of incarceration, over 35 years old, with a college 
degree, are less than three percent to recidivate. Given the profile and 
experience of A. Jalil Bottom, he is an excellent candidate for release on 
parole.

Based on the foregoing, it is my sincere hope you will grant A. Jalil 
Bottom parole.

Sincerely yours,


***********************************************************************



The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20040531/33727a65/attachment.htm>