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  • Brandon Seward

Organizing Prisoners is a Crime

Updated: Aug 6, 2019


On January 9th 2019 I was indicated by a multi jurisdiction grand jury on one count of felony criminal solicitation of distribution with intent to distribute a schedule 3 controlled substance. The alleged incident took place between December 2016 and June 2017, approximately 2 years ago. The offense is a class six felony and carries from 1 to 5 years in prison and or a fine. Solicitation is essentially urging, advising, or commanding someone to commit a crime. I'm being accused of soliciting someone to sell Suboxone out in society. For the record these alleged drug deals do not involve bringing drugs into any prison! As you all know I am on my 21st year of a 53 year sentence for a 2nd degree murder conviction back in 1998 when I was 18 years old. I have spent more of my life in prison than free and I've spent the overwhelming majority of that time resisting the racist, sexist, and abusive actions of the VADOC. My focus has been educating and organizing prisoners, their loved ones, and orgs around a more just and humane Criminal Justice system here in Virginia. Beginning in 2016 wardens at several different prisons began using emergency transfers on me in an attempt to punish, silence, and intimidate me. Until 2016 I was known as a "Model Prisoner" who worked with staff in treatment programming to reform the criminogenic tendencies of "offenders". Then in 2016 VADOC began viewing my activities as a threat. The fact that prisoners were becoming more politically aware and we were building strong social and political relationships with activists and orgs in society was activity the state perceived as dangerous. Add to that I began SANKOFA Radio [blogtalkradio.com] a internet radio program in which we gave prisoners a voice and a chance to control the narrative. So, Between September 2016 and July 2018 I was transferred between 5 different prisons (BKCC, ACC, SX2, SX1, ROSP). Each time the prisons Investigations Unit was tasked with finding "ANYTHING" they could to criminalize me and punish me. So in the last 2 & a half years I've gotten more charges than I have in the previous 15. I've been accused of everything from work stoppages, to violence against the prison, to organizing petitions demanding relief or else, to now soliciting drug deals. I was transferred to Red Onion in July of 2018 and placed in long term solitary confinement where I was supposed to sit for 2 years. However, because my supporters helped get lawyers and journalist involved the VADOC capitulated to justice. I was released from long term on November 27th 2018 and became officially the first to be released that fast according to White & Case- a law firm fighting extremely hard to bring justice and accountability to Virginia's abusive and arbitrary long term segregation policy. After being in General Population for 3 months I was served an indictment on February 8th 2019 for this spurious offense. This is another attempt to silence one of Virginia's most politically active prisoners. All who know me or know of me in the VADOC (prisoners, families, supporters) can attest to my long standing history of fighting for those who can't fight for themselves! I was called DP before My righteous attribute, "Askari," was given to me by prisoners [my brothers] who love and respect me for my service. Many men in this system will testify to the YEARS of service and subsequent hardships I've endured on behalf of US the most oppressed! This current fiasco will be another example of the length VADOC will go in their Counter Insurgency program against its politically active prisoners. I plan on making Augusta County waste every resource I can of their citizens public fund to prosecute this ridiculous case. I am going to trial, I want a Jury, and I will personally file EVERY pleading I can to ensure the Commonwealth is exposed for their complicity in this act of repression. I am innocent of this nonsense and I can't wait to prove it! It's important for everyone to keep in mind that there are hundreds of prisoners who have been indicted for much more serious crimes including Murder and rape and their indictments don't end up on VADOC's website. Do not be mislead. Many prisoners have been buried in long term solitary confinement or shipped out of state here in Virginia. I am glad that this is being exposed because for too long VADOC has been able to keep hidden it's methods of intimidation and silencing of political prisoners in it's prisons. Begin to pay attention! Begin to ask questions! How many Virginia Prisoners have been moved out of state in the last 10 years because they either file a lot of lawsuits to educate and organize prisoners around their rights? Put that on your website VADOC!


Askari Danos #VAPOC, Red Onion State Prison


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