Jail Solidarity
Definition
The pre-planned support structure that keeps arrestees fed, charged-free, and visible while in custody and wins their release — jail support phone tree, support committee, and the visible rally outside the station.
It is part of action-planning for any action with arrest risk: the campaign commits in advance to a named jail-support coordinator, a phone tree, an arrestee-care package, a lawyer on call, and a public communication plan for the first 24 hours.
The practitioner literature (Ruckus Society, the Anarchist Black Cross, XR’s steward handbook) treats jail support as a reciprocal obligation: anyone who goes to jail has the right to expect that the campaign will be there, and anyone who stays out has the obligation to be there for those who go in.
FAQ
What is jail solidarity?
Jail solidarity is the pre-planned support structure activists commit to before any arrestable action. It keeps arrestees fed, charged-free, and visible while in custody and works to win their release. The practitioner literature (Ruckus Society, Anarchist Black Cross, XR’s steward handbook) treats it as a reciprocal obligation.
What does the jail support structure include?
The jail support structure includes a jail support phone tree, a support committee, and a visible rally outside the station. Campaigns also commit in advance to a named jail-support coordinator, an arrestee-care package, a lawyer on call, and a public communication plan for the first 24 hours after an arrest.
Why is jail solidarity treated as a reciprocal obligation?
The practitioner literature treats jail solidarity as a reciprocal obligation because anyone who goes to jail has the right to expect that the campaign will be there for them, while anyone who stays out of custody has the obligation to be there for those who went in. Both roles are expected.
When should jail solidarity be planned?
Jail solidarity must be planned in advance, before any action with arrest risk takes place. It is treated as part of action-planning, so the campaign commits to the support structure ahead of time and names the coordinator, phone tree, and lawyer ahead of the action.
What are the goals of jail solidarity while an arrestee is in custody?
The goals of jail solidarity while an arrestee is in custody are to keep them fed, to keep them charged-free where possible, to keep them visible to the public and to the press, and ultimately to win their release from custody as quickly as possible.
Full page: [[jail-solidarity]].