Attica Lives - Abolish All Prisons Podcast

This episode we will discover the first prison of the United States, which is not only to be understood as a model prison in terms of solitary confinement but also set the fundament of the Prison Industrial Complex. Timestamp: 00:00 - 04:00: Introduction 04:00 - 10:00: The Pre History of the Walnut Street Prison 10:00 - 25:00: The Development of Walnut Street Prison 25:00 - 37:00: Forced Labor in Walnut Street Prison 37:00 - 42:59: Balloon Lore References Casella, J., Ridgeway, G. and Shalev, S. (2018) Continuity in the Face of Penal Innovation: Revisiting the History of American Solitary Confinement. Available at: https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/media/publications/Continuity_in_the_Face_of_Penal_Innovation_-_Revisiting_the_History_of_American_Solitary_Confinement_2018.pdf (Accessed: 13 June 2026).Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (n.d.) Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3569&context=jclc (Accessed: 13 June 2026).Robertson, B. (n.d.) ‘9 January 1793’, This Day in Aviation. Available at: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/9-january-1793/ (Accessed: 13 June 2026).

In this episode, we talk about faith in prison. What does faith mean for people incarcerated? What’s the legal base of religion in prison? What does that have to do with discrimination? Timestamps: 00:00 - 02:30: Introduction 02:20 - 08:16: RLIUPA and the legal base of faith in prison08:16 - 18:00: Discrimination of faith in prison (CN: death penalty, police brutality, violence) 18:00 - 35:00: Spreading faith in prison (CN: death penalty) 35:00 - 43:00: The story of prison fellowship 43:00 - 51:19: Michael Tisius, faith and his death (CN: death penalty) References: American Bar Association (2023) Missouri Executes Michael Tisius. Verfügbar unter: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/committees/death_penalty_representation/publications/project_blog/missouri-executes-michael-tisius/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Amnesty International (2023) USA: Erneute Hinrichtung in Missouri. Verfügbar unter: https://www.amnesty.de/mitmachen/urgent-action/usa-erneute-hinrichtung-missouri-2023-06-09 (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Bowers, M.P. (o. J.) Melissa Potts Bowers. LinkedIn-Profil. Verfügbar unter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-potts-bowers-6a970940/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Core of the Heart (o. J.) Core of the Heart. Verfügbar unter: https://coreoftheheart.com/en-eur (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Crenshaw, K. (1991) ‘Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color’, Stanford Law Review, 43(6), S. 1241–1299. Verfügbar unter: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039 (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Nevada Current (2024) More Lovelock Inmates Allege Religious Discrimination. Verfügbar unter: https://nevadacurrent.com/2024/11/01/more-lovelock-inmates-allege-religious-discrimination/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).New York City Department of Correction (2024) Directive 3261: Religious Programs. Verfügbar unter: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doc/downloads/directives/Directive_3261_Religious_Programs.pdf (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Office of Justice Programs (o. J.) Investigating the Impact of Religiosity on Emotional and Behavioral Coping. Verfügbar unter: https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/investigating-impact-religiosity-emotional-and-behavioral-coping (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Prison Fellowship (o. J.) Prison Fellowship. Verfügbar unter: https://www.prisonfellowship.org (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Prison Journalism Project (2025) Why Do Some Prisons Restrict the Practices of Five Percenters? Verfügbar unter: https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/06/03/why-do-some-prisons-restrict-the-practices-of-five-percenters/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Prison Journalism Project (2025) Religious Items in Prisons Cost More for Muslims. Verfügbar unter: https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/06/10/religious-items-in-prisons-cost-more-for-muslims/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Springer Nature (2025) ‘Religious Identity, Discrimination and Prison Experiences’. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy. Verfügbar unter: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40352-025-00340-w (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).This Is Reno (2024) More Lovelock Inmates Allege Religious Discrimination. Verfügbar unter: https://thisisreno.com/2024/11/more-lovelock-inmates-allege-religious-discrimination/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Turner, R.J., Oakes, B.A. und Ulmer, J.T. (2008) Religion and Adjustment to Incarceration. Verfügbar unter: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18981285/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).YouTube (o. J.) Video: Michael Tisius Execution Case. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVB3qW9PC0A (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).YouTube (o. J.) Video: Religious Discrimination in Prison Systems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgMmqN79kg (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).Zhang, J., Johnson, B.R., Levin, J., Cullen, F.T. und Vander Laan, M. (2012) ‘Religion, Prison Adjustment, and Recidivism Among Former Inmates in Texas’, Justice Quarterly, 29(1), S. 103–128. : https:/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22887692/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Rest in Peace, Rodney Hulin. This episode deals with the Ellis Unit in Texas. We learn the history of that prison, law enforcement brutality and hear from stories from (former) people incarcerated there. We also learn some pop cultural references. CN: Rape, Suicide, Murder, Death Penalty (which is murder), Racism, Timestamps: 00:00 - 03:04: Introduction 03:04 - 06:57: The History and the Construction of Ellis Unit One06:57 - 10:45: Death Penalty. Remember James Broadnax. 10:45 - 16:24: Ellis Unit One Steve Earle and Dead Man Walking 16:24 - 21:00: Eroy Brown, Exploitation and Racist Framing 21:00 - 27:00: The Suicide of Rodney Hulin 27:00 - 36:00: The Escape of Martin Gurule 36:00 - 40:00: Death Row If you seek help:https://www.nsvrc.org/find-help/ (USA) https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/help-after-rape-and-sexual-assault/#:~:text=the%20rape%20and%20sexual%20abuse,GUM)%20or%20sexual%20health%20clinic (UK) https://envr.eu/find-my-victim-support/ (EU) https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory (Australia) Please, do not hesitate to seek help. References: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15XRV5DTprFTQOC01NVaAwvxHqaYOH2M9g-L7Er5kjA4/edit?usp=sharing

This is the most important episode of this podcast. In this episode, we learn what the PIC exactly is and how it is connected to other terms like mass incarceration, the War on Drugs and The New Jim Crow. We learn why the US keeps people incarcerated to generate profit and who is involved in that. Timestamps: 00:00 - 03:23: Introduction 03:23 - 09:10: The Prison Industrial Complex & The Normalisation of Punishment. Why Private Companies need Prisons to survive. 09:10 - 14:14: The Connections Between The Military Industrial Complex & The Prison Industrial Complex 14:14 - 28:28: Forced Labor (Slavery) in prison by private companies 28:28 - 37:16: Profit and Medical Experiments on People Who Are Incarcerated 37:16 - 45:00: Private Prison Corporations. The Brazoria Tape 45:00 - 49:21: The Global Prison Industrial Complex References: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Lp5a41QZdetsw6rnF7_CfHJswcDtBgiCdTJwCjaay8/edit?usp=drivesdk

In this episode we’ll make a journey through the history of the Folsom State Prison in California! What Johnny Cash had to do with Folsom and how creative people are when it comes to escaping that hell, you’ll find out in this episode. Timestamps: 00:00 - 03:22: Introduction 03:22 - 09:00: Folsom Prison Blues and Johnny Cash 09:00 - 27:30: Folsom Prison History 27:30 - 35:07: Glen Sherley, The Greystone Chapel & Johnny Cash35:07 - 43:00: The Great Folsom Train Escape 43:00 - 46:00 The Folsom Double 46:00 - 52:00: Carl Reese and His Diving Plan 52:00 - 01:00:24: The Folsom Escape That Got The FBI involved 01:00:24 - 01:03:25: Folsom Today References: Quellen: CDCR. (2023, 8 Juni). Explore the history of Folsom Prison. CDCR. Abgerufen von https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2023/06/08/explore-the-history-of-folsom-prison/Folsom Cash Art Trail. 13 Fascinating Facts, Stories and Tales about Folsom Prison. Abgerufen von https://folsomcasharttrail.com/the-trail/blog/13-fascinating-facts-stories-and-tales-about-folsom-prisonGenius. Johnny Cash – Greystone Chapel Lyrics. Abgerufen von https://genius.com/Johnny-cash-greystone-chapel-lyricsFlux Magazine. Glen Sherley: When Johnny Cash met the man inside … Abgerufen von https://www.fluxmagazine.com/glen-sherley-johnny-cash/YouTube. (o. J.). [Video]. Abgerufen von https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keVKhjUHlLs&list=RDkeVKhjUHlLs&start_radio=1YouTube. (o. J.). [Video]. Abgerufen von https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeZRYhLDLeU&list=RDAeZRYhLDLeU&start_radio=KQED. Songwriter in a Cage: Meet Glen Sherley, Johnny Cash’s Friend in Folsom. Abgerufen von https://www.kqed.org/news/11642653/songwriter-in-a-cage-meet-glen-sherley-johnny-cashs-friend-in-folsom?utm_source=chatgpt.comPrison Journalism Project. (2021, 18 Mai). Old Folsom State Prison was the end of the line. Abgerufen von https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2021/05/18/old-folsom-state-prison-was-the-end-of-the-line/YouTube. (o. J.). [Video]. Abgerufen von https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6HMjC1ssZc&list=RDe6HMjC1ssZc&start_radio=1
Nguyen, M. (2023) How to Write a Letter to an Incarcerated Person. Innocence Project. Verfügbar unter: https://innocenceproject.org/news/how-to-write-a-letter-to-an-incarcerated-person/Small, J. & Lewis, S. (2024) Whistleblowers Paint Picture of Violence at New Folsom Prison. KQED. Verfügbar unter: https://www.kqed.org/news/12018761/whistleblowers-paint-picture-of-violence-at-new-folsom-prisonBlake, A.L. (2021) Old Folsom State Prison Was the End of the Line. Prison Journalism Project. Verfügbar unter: https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2021/05/18/old-folsom-state-prison-was-the-end-of-the-line/Small, J. & Lewis, S. (2024) ‘How to Kill a Cop’: Death, Despair and Corruption in California’s Most Violent Prison. KQED. Verfügbar unter: https://www.kqed.org/news/12017652/how-to-kill-a-cop-death-despair-and-corruption-in-californias-most-violent-prisonThe Sacramento Bee (2025) [Article on Local Crime and Folsom Prison]. Verfügbar unter: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article301505859.htmlKCRA News (2025) California State Prison Sacramento Injuries. Verfügbar unter: https://www.kcra.com/article/california-state-prison-sacramento-injuries/64055726FBI (o.J.) Glen Stewart Godwin. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Verfügbar unter: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/additional/glen-stewart-godwinHistory.com (o.J.) A First-Time Offender Ends Up on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. History Channel. Verfügbar unter: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-7/a-first-time-offender-ends-up-on-the-fbis-ten-most-wanted-listFolsom Cash Art Trail (o.J.) 13 Fascinating Facts, Stories, and Tales about Folsom Prison. Verfügbar unter: https://folsomcasharttrail.com/the-trail/blog/13-fascinating-facts-stories-and-tales-about-folsom-prisonFind a Grave (o.J.) Carl Frederic Reese (Memorial 92905672). Verfügbar unter: https://de.findagrave.com/memorial/92905672/carl_frederic-reese

CN: racism In this episode I explain based on the book „The New Jim Crow“ by Michelle Alexander why the US justice system is based on slavery and how slavery has an impact today in the incarceration system. Timestamps: 00:00 - 12:30: The history of slavery and colonialism 12:30 - 20:30: The Jim Crow laws as a continuation of slavery 20:30 - 34:17: The New Jim Crow and the current justice system references: Chase, R. T. (2012) '“Slaves of the State” Revolt: Southern Prison Labor and a Prison-Made Civil Rights Movement, 1945–1980', in R. H. Zieger (ed.) Life and Labor in the New New South. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, pp. 177–213. DOI: 10.5744/florida/9780813037950.003.0007 (online edn, Florida Scholarship Online). Accessed 9 Oct. 2025. OUP Academic+1Clarke, D. and Everet, S. (1998) The History of American Slavery. North Dighton, MA: World Publications, Incorporated. Google BücherTischauser, L. V. (2012) Jim Crow Laws (Landmarks of the American Mosaic). Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood. AmazonHillebrink, S. (2008) The Right to Self-Determination and Post-Colonial Governance: The Case of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. The Hague: T.M.C. Asser Press. WorldCatKlinkers, I. and Oostindie, G. (2003) Decolonising the Caribbean: Dutch Policies in a Comparative Perspective. London: Routledge. RoutledgeAlexander, M. (2016) The New Jim Crow. Masseninhaftierung und Rassismus in den USA. Übers. Gabriele Gockel & Thomas Wollermann. München: Verlag Antje Kunstmann.

Timestamps: 00:00 - 13:12: Introduction 13:12 - 23:50: Mass Incarceration and its history 23:50 - 42:12: The War on Drugs and the legal legitimacy of repression of people who are using drugs 42:12 - 47:26: Critical Thoughts & Racism in the US system & The 13th Amendment #abolishtheprisonsystemReferences: Britannica – War on Drugs
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2025. War on Drugs. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/war-on-drugs[Accessed 26 September 2025].US Sentencing Commission – Individuals in Federal Bureau of Prisons
United States Sentencing Commission, 2025. Individuals in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. [online] Available at: https://www.ussc.gov/research/quick-facts/individuals-federal-bureau-prisons [Accessed 26 September 2025].Office of Justice Programs – Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986
Office of Justice Programs, 1986. Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. [online] Available at: https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/anti-drug-abuse-act-1986 [Accessed 26 September 2025].The Sentencing Project – Mass Incarceration Trends
The Sentencing Project, 2024. Mass Incarceration Trends. [online] Available at: https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/mass-incarceration-trends/ [Accessed 26 September 2025].National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI):
National Research Council, 2013. Health and Incarceration: A Workshop Summary. [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201966/ [Accessed 26 September 2025].Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP):
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2025. Incarceration. [online] Available at: https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/incarceration [Accessed 26 September 2025].Vera Institute of Justice:
Dholakia, N., 2025. Mass Incarceration Is a Public Health Crisis. [online] Available at: https://www.vera.org/news/mass-incarceration-is-a-public-health-crisis [Accessed 26 September 2025].Wiley Online Library:
Alexander, M., 2015. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. [online] Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-9125.12374 [Accessed 26 September 2025].

The Sentencing Project:
Ghandnoosh, N., 2023. One in Five: Disparities in Crime and Policing. [online] Available at: https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/one-in-five-disparities-in-crime-and-policing/ [Accessed 26 September 2025].Books:Dan Berger – Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era: Berger, D., 2014. Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.Michelle Alexander – The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness: Alexander, M., 2010. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New York: The New Press.