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Kite Line

Kite Line is a radio program devoted to prison issues around the Midwest and beyond. Behind the prison walls, a message is called a kite: whispered words, a note passed hand to hand, or a request submitted to the guards for medical care. Illicit or not, sending a kite means trusting that other people will bear it farther along till it reaches its destination. On the show, we hope to pass along words across the prison walls.

December 17, 2021: Carceral Nonprofits

We are sad to report that Russell Maroon Shoatz, who was recently granted compassionate release after his decades in prison, has passed away. This week, we return to the final part of our conversation about carceral non-profits with Zhandarka Kurti and Jarrod Shanahan. Kurti is a professor of criminology and Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago, and Jarrod Shanahan is …

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December 10, 2021: Twice-stolen Wealth

This week, we cover carceral non-profits in an interview with Drs. Zhandarka Kurti, a professor of criminology and Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago, and Jarrod Shanahan, professor of criminal justice at Governors State University in Chicago. Bella Bravo interviews Zhana and Jarrod, who are abolitionist scholars researching incarceration, and in recent years, their work has turned to the reconfiguration …

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December 3, 2021: Brutal Jail Conditions in Maricopa County

We begin our episode with our monthly round up of prison disturbances contributed by Perilous Chronicle. We close out the episode with a call from Adrien Espinoza, who is currently housed in Maricopa County in Arizona. Espinoza, who got his paralegal degree inside, has contributed to the Prisoner Correspondence Project, the Silvia Rivera law project, and intends to work in …

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November 26, 2021: Prison’s Durable Harm

Our news today is focused on the long-term consequences of incarceration.  Not only was one of the oldest juvies in the country finally shut down due to systemic abuse of young prisoners, but a number of old school imprisoned militants, from Khalfani Khaldun to Sundiata Acoli, are being hit with repression or are fighting for late-life release.  Reflecting prison’s extended arc …

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November 19, 2021: Prison Phone Exploitation

This week we continue to talk to our guests about prison phone industry giant Global Tel Link and its attempt to whitewash its image by donating money to Sesame Street. Recent grassroots activism from incarcerated people and advocates have led to a wave of legislation mandating reduced costs or even free phone calls in some cities and states. Unfortunately, Tennessee …

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November 12, 2021: Prison Phone Justice

This week, our guest is Bianca Tylek, who fills us in about the prison phone industry. GTL and Securus among others profit off of prisoners and their families by charging them exorbitant fees for access to the phone lines which are so key for surviving prison. Recent coverage confirming that Sesame Street had entered a partnership caused outrage and shone …

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November 5, 2021- The Long Tail of Abuse in the NY Carceral System

This week, we finish our conversation with Kelly Grace Price about the campaign to close Rosie’s. Rosie’s refers to the Rose M. Singer Facility, an all-women’s jail on Rikers Island. On average, Rosie’s detains around 630 women, girls, transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex females while they await trial. Suzanne Singer, the granddaughter of the jail’s namesake, wrote an op-ed for …

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October 29, 2021: Close Rosie’s

This week, we hear from Kelly Grace Price, a co-creator of the Close Rosie’s campaign. Rosie’s refers to the Rose M. Singer Facility, an all-women’s jail on Rikers Island. On average, Rosie’s detains around 630 women, girls, transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex females while they await trial. Price deconstructs the reformist arguments made NYC Board of Corrections and shows how …

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October 22, 2021: Hard-earned Wisdom

We start off this week’s episode with an update on Marius Mason’s transfer to a men’s facility.  Marius is an imprisoned environmentalist who, in addition to waging an Earth Liberation Front sabotage campaign, was an important aboveground organizer for social movements in Indiana and Michigan for decades.  He came out as transgender while in prison, and has recently spoken out …

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October 15, 2021: Jessica Reznicek – Dignity in Rebellion

This week, we hear from a friend and supporter of Jessica Reznicek, who was recently sentenced federal prison after she admitted to sabotaging the widely opposed Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in 2017. In this episode, Monte tells Jessica’s story from her childhood influences to her experiences in the NoDAPL Movement, in solidarity with the struggle of the Standing Rock Sioux.  …

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