More than 50 Prisoners at Perth Prison in Scotland went on a work strike on Monday June 10th in protest over what they call 'the deterioration in access to visits'. They complained that there are not enough places for families and friends to visit, and that despite promises and official Scottish Prison Service policy, nothing had been done. They demanded that at least another two visiting places be provided, especially at the weekend, to relieve frustration and anger over the overcrowding that exists.
The statement given out by the prisoners announced that they were withdrawing their labour in a 'peaceful and disciplined protest.' The strike was solid on the Monday, on the Tuesday the cons were locked down and one of the prisoners involved was ghosted out of the prison. The men intended to resume the strike on the Wednesday to protest this move. We don't as yet know how this second strike went.
John Bowden, a longtime prison organiser and rebel who was involved in the strike, was ghosted out on the Thursday to Shotts Prison. John had previously been threatened with being returned to the english prison system, from where he escaped in 1992 and where many regimes and screws have it in for him. This year he was told by the Scottish Prison Service that if he was well behaved for 12 months, he would not be sent back. We're proud to say he couldn't keep out of trouble, although this may well mean him being returned to an english jail in the near future. He says of Perth 'I sense that thinhgs here are moving towards serious and sustained confrontation.' Like everywhere else!
More info and letters of solidarity to John Bowden, 1273/94, HMP Shotts, Shotts, Mid-Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML7 4LF.
You could also write to the Scottish Prison Service and demand that they not extradite him to England: Susan Duncan, SPS, Carlton House, 5 Redhewghs Rigg, Edinburgh, EH12 9HW.
update - JB has now been extradited to an English prison