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Kite Line

News & Politics Podcasts

Kite Line is a weekly radio program and podcast that focuses on issues in the prison system and beyond. On the inside, a message is called a kite: whispered words, a note passed hand to hand, or a request submitted to guards for medical care. Illicit or not, sending a kite means trusting that other people will pass it farther along, until it reaches its destination. We make this show to pass along words, across the prison walls.

Kite Line is a weekly radio program and podcast that focuses on issues in the prison system and beyond. On the inside, a message is called a kite: whispered words, a note passed hand to hand, or a request submitted to guards for medical care. Illicit or not, sending a kite means trusting that other people will pass it farther along, until it reaches its destination. We make this show to pass along words, across the prison walls.

Location:

Bloomington, IN

Description:

Kite Line is a weekly radio program and podcast that focuses on issues in the prison system and beyond. On the inside, a message is called a kite: whispered words, a note passed hand to hand, or a request submitted to guards for medical care. Illicit or not, sending a kite means trusting that other people will pass it farther along, until it reaches its destination. We make this show to pass along words, across the prison walls.

Language:

English

Contact:

(812) 269-2512

Episodes

270 | A Slightly Bigger Cage – Jail Expansion for Monroe County

9/23/2021
In 2008, Monroe County moved to build a new, expanded jail -framed as a “justice campus” using humanitarian rhetoric. In response, a diverse group of local residents founded an organization called Decarcerate Monroe County (DMC). Here is how they later summarized their activities:“DMC’s framework included embracing alternatives to punitive justice, promoting ways to decarcerate, and... The post 270 | A Slightly Bigger Cage – Jail Expansion for Monroe County first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:29:00

269 | A Perfect Storm – Conditions at Attica

9/17/2021
This month, we are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Attica prison uprising, a high point of the cycle of prisoners’ struggle of the 1960s and 1970s. We share experiences from former Attica prisoners Joseph Hayden and Carlos Roche, and attorney Elizabeth Fink, who all describe the events of that day and the days leading... The post 269 | A Perfect Storm – Conditions at Attica first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:39:17

268 | The Attica Commune

9/10/2021
Three years ago on Kite Line, we aired an episode about the Attica Prison Uprising of 1971. This week, September 9th to September 13th, will mark fifty years between us and the event. We share this piece again today, with updated contributions from its author, analyzing the growing challenges to our collective survival, both inside... The post 268 | The Attica Commune first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:35:38

267 | We Are Human Beings: Words From an Attica Rebel

9/3/2021
This month, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Attica prison uprising, a high point of the prisoners’ movement of the 1960s and 70s. On September 9th, 1971, prisoners revolted, building on their own organizing and local grievances, as well as responding to the assassination of George Jackson by guards at Soledad Prison in California. ... The post 267 | We Are Human Beings: Words From an Attica Rebel first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:01:21:36

265 | Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, Part One

8/20/2021
We start out by sharing a statement from Jailhouse Lawyers Speak about the Shut ‘Em Down campaign, scheduled for August 21st and September 9th, historic days for Black struggle inside and against prison. Afterwards, we share the first of a two-part conversation between Nicole Fleetwood and Micol Seigel. Fleetwood’s recent book, Marking Time: Art in the... The post 265 | Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, Part One first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:01:16:58

264 | Summer of Kites 2021

8/13/2021
This week, we share urgent messages – kites – sent by a range of people caught up in the prison system. It’s important to listen for the voices of prisoners, whether it’s the hunger strike declaration by a longterm inside organizer like Shaka Shakur, Jessica Reznicek’s reflections as she is about to enter prison as... The post 264 | Summer of Kites 2021 first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:01:31:38

263 | Passing Time

8/6/2021
This week, we return to our conversation with David Campbell, a former antifascist political prisoner from New York. In this episode, Campbell continues to talk about his time on Rikers Island, this time focusing on jobs and other ways that people pass the time inside- sleeping, video games, visits, and how the tedium of incarceration... The post 263 | Passing Time first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:30:34

262 | Standing Together

7/30/2021
This week, we are highlighting two experiences of outside solidarity with prisoners. First, we share audio from last week’s rally in Indianapolis for clemency, including a recorded statement by Leon Benson, a longtime imprisoned organizer, as well as a speech by his son, Leon Bluitt, about the impact of growing up with an incarcerated parent.... The post 262 | Standing Together first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:23:15

261 | Prison by Any Other Name, Part Two

7/23/2021
This week on Kite Line, we continue our conversation with prison abolitionist journalists Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law. We share the second half of our discussion on their recent book, Prison by Any Other Name: Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms. The book is an in-depth look at the various “alternatives to prison” that are held up... The post 261 | Prison by Any Other Name, Part Two first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:01:05:42

260 | Prison By Any Other Name, Part One

7/16/2021
This week on Kite Line, we speak with prison abolitionist journalists Maya Schenwar and Victoria Law. We share the first part of our discussion on their recent book, Prison by Any Other Name: Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms. The book is an in-depth look at the various “alternatives to prison” that are held up as substitutes... The post 260 | Prison By Any Other Name, Part One first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:54:21

259 | On Strike

7/9/2021
This week, amid a spate of prisoners’ strikes, we share our monthly round up of prison disturbances for June 2021, compiled by Perilous Chronicle. Prisoners are hunger striking across the continent, agitating for safer conditions, and pushing back against labor exploitation. We share an excerpt of the story entitled Prisoners Strike Against Racism and Colonialism in Canada’s... The post 259 | On Strike first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:36:38

258 | Stick-up on Rikers Island

7/1/2021
This week, we continue talking to David Campbell, former anti-fascist political prisoner who recently did a year on Rikers Island. In our last conversation with David, he discussed the circumstances of how he ended up in the Rikers facility- the short of it being that he was sentenced to his time after a fight with... The post 258 | Stick-up on Rikers Island first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:36:37

257 | Cory Cardinal, Rest In Power

6/25/2021
Our episode this week is a memorial to Cory Cardinal. Regular listeners will remember Cory as the organizer of the recent hunger strikes in Saskatoon Correctional and as a past contributor to Kite Line. An inspiration to many and a tireless advocate on behalf of incarcerated people, Cory passed away earlier this month. Written and... The post 257 | Cory Cardinal, Rest In Power first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:01:27:15

255 | Marius Mason and Eric King

6/11/2021
Our show this week returns to June 11th, the international day of solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners. The focus of June 11th is overcoming the isolation that these long-term prisoners face, as the movements they participated in years ago give way to new struggles and new generations of radicals. The day of solidarity works to... The post 255 | Marius Mason and Eric King first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:32:53

254 | Ongoing Threats to Eric King

6/4/2021
We start off this week’s show with a roundup of prison disturbances compiled by Perilous Chronicle. Afterwards, we speak with Lauren Regan, the Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center. Regan has been on the show before to discuss state repression and her efforts to support people facing political charges. She returns today to... The post 254 | Ongoing Threats to Eric King first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:32:50

253 | Truth Never Dies

5/28/2021
This week, we hear from Koby Bluitt, daughter of Leon Benson, a long time Indiana prisoner and organizer. She tells us about Leon, their relationship, and her current efforts to help him get free. We’ve covered Leon’s case on Kite Line before: a case of poor eyewitness testimony that helped convict the man of a... The post 253 | Truth Never Dies first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:23:30

252 | Advice on Confinement and Release

5/21/2021
This week, we share two stories from people reflecting on their time inside and on re-entry. Both have wise words about surviving incarceration, and the overall political context of prisons. First is David Campbell, a former political prisoner at Rikers Island in New York. We will hear more from David later, but in this episode,... The post 252 | Advice on Confinement and Release first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:29:21

251 | Parole Illinois, Part Two

5/14/2021
Last week, we heard from Kim, Shari, Lauren, Pablo and Brian about Parole Illinois, a group fighting to reinstate, as they put it, “earned discretionary reentry”. This is the last of a two-part conversation with them. In 1978, Illinois abolished discretionary parole system. Today, it remains one of just sixteen states (plus the District of... The post 251 | Parole Illinois, Part Two first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:01:11:43

250 | Parole Illinois, Part One

5/7/2021
We start this episode with our monthly list of prison disturbances compiled by Perilous Chronicle, an journalistic collective that tracks prisoner protests across the US and Canada. Afterwards, we share the first part of a conversation with people working with Parole Illinois, a group campaigning for a fair and inclusive parole system. In 1978, Illinois... The post 250 | Parole Illinois, Part One first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:32:52

249 | Studying Against Repression

4/30/2021
On today’s episode, we share two perspectives on the role of study, as practiced in the face of repression and directly against repression. First, we complete our interview with Garrett Felber, with a focus on his termination by the University of Mississippi in retaliation for his outspoken criticism of its white supremacist structure and how... The post 249 | Studying Against Repression first appeared on Kite Line Radio.

Duration:00:16:54

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