Anarchist Prisoner Needs Support

Chris Plummer is an anti-racist anarchist activist imprisoned in Texas. After being involved with the squatting movement on New York\’s Lower East Side in the late 80\’s and early 90\’s he took to travelling the country connecting with various libertarian counter-culture groups. During this time, he and some friends formed the United Anarchist Front, a group designed to carry out actions against agents of fascist terror, particularly the cops and organized white supremacists. He was convicted in 1993 for his part in an action carried out on a Nazi-skinhead house in Houston, Texas. Police found Chris\’ fingerprints at the scene and he was arrested later that year. The action was intended to halt the American Front, an openly fascist group proud of its record of racist violence, from spreading propaganda in local neighborhoods and schools. No one was hurt during the action, only the Nazis hate literature was destroyed. Chris faced several charges including attempted murder. This ridiculous charge was dropped when it became clear that Chris would not be terrorized into turning in his friends. He was, however, convicted of Burglary of Habitation with Intent to Commit Theft, and sentenced to 15 years.

Chris did not stop his organizing efforts after being imprisoned. The Texas prison system has a well justified reputation for being a maelstrom of hate, terror and exploitation. One of the ways that control is maintained by the prison administration is by encouraging conflict between the different prisoner nationalities/castes, or \’races\’. In spite of this environment Chris was able to set up a prisoner organization called Cell One at Huntsville also home of Texas\’ notorious Death Row. One of Cell One\’s main projects was the Texas Prisoners\’ Anarchist Lending Library. With materials made available from outside supporters, the Library made available books, pamphlets and magazines relevant to the struggles of the oppressed for liberation: Black/New Afrikan, Chicano, Native and class struggle histories, anarchist and other revolutionary theory, anti-sexist, anti-racist critiques, etc. In March of 1997, guards confiscated and then \”lost\” all of the books as well as many of Chris\’ personal possessions under the pretext of a \”gang-activity\” investigation. Around this time, intimidation attacks from a Nazi prisoner gang escalated in a murderous assault where Chris had his jaw and cheekbone broken and barely escaped death.

In May, 1997 Chris was transferred to the Hughes Unit in Gatesville, Texas where Chris reported that racial tension and general violence was rampant. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice chose this unit knowing that a paid hit was out on Chris\’ life by Nazi prison gangs. Shortly after the transfer he was put in Administrative Segregation on lock-down (isolation) for arbitrary and unclear reasons.

On August 26, 1997, Chris was again attacked by prison staff. This time in retaliation for Chris speaking out in support of another prisoner, Tony Collins, who had just been convicted of possessing a gun. The prison guards had been threatening Mr Collins\’ life, not an idle threat in the Texas prisons. After Chris had contacted outside groups and threatened legal action to expose this, guards siezed and destroyed all of his property including important legal material. Along with various threats to his well-being, he was told he was now being charged with conspiracy to smuggle guns into the prison — a blatant lie and frame-up.

The guards further actions can and should be defined as torture. For days afterwards Chris had to endure repeated strip searches and cell searches. In his own words \”I have been pulled out of my cell an average of 13 times per 8 hour shift. I have not had a solid hours sleep in 3 days. They refuse to allow me to even have stamps or writing materials. And I have no doubt they will carry out some of their threats.\”

Since that time the situation has grown only more severe. While the prison authorities have relented somewhat in their daily harrassment, both Chris\’ incoming and outgoing mail is being heavily censored. Letters from some of his support groups have been seized as \”gang-related\”, as were his letters to those groups. Neither Chris nor the support groups were informed of this by prison staff. Still worse, Chris was paid visits from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in late October 1997 and was told they will be pressing charges for gun-smuggling. A conviction on these charges would result in 30 to 40 more years of prison.

How long can anyone endure these conditions? We must defend Chris and halt this drawn-out torturous injustice. Not just because Chris\’ life is on the line but because he is one of those who continues to fight in our common struggle for liberation and against injustice. If we ignore his plight our own struggles will be that much weaker.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Please write and call the following prison authorities: Warden Moya Rt. 2 Box 4400 Gatesville, TX 76597 (254) 865-6663; Wayne Scott, Director Texas Dept. of Corrections P.O. Box 99 Huntsville, TX 77342 (409) 295-6371. Demand that the charges against Chris Plummer (#677345) be dropped, threats and harassment stopped, and the stolen property be returned.

If you can provide any legal help or provide funds to cover the many legal costs, please contact: Christopher Lee Plummer #677345 Hughes Unit Rt. 2 Box 4400 Gatesville, TX 76597