UPCOMING EVENTS

PAST EVENTS

3/1–Saturday–10:30 AM. A talk on “Human Contact Deprivation”
Cynthia and ex-prisoners will speak about Tamms at Sacred Heart Church in Joliet.
Sacred Heart Parish, 337 S. Ottawa Street, Joliet IL 60436

3/3–Monday–4PM. Press conference and spoken-word event
Featuring Baba Griot and Richard Wallace!
Jane Addams Hull-House Museum
The University of Illinois at Chicago
800 S. Halsted (M/C 051), Chicago IL 60607-7017

3/8–Saturday–6:00-8:30PM. Letter-signing to Tamms prisoners and kick-off for Supermax Subscriptions with rare performance by Kent Lambert!
Mess Hall. 6932 N Glenwood Ave, Chicago 60626

Supermax Subscriptions is a collaboration between Temporary Services, Sarah Ross and the Tamms Poetry Committee to purchase magazines for supermax prisoners. Participants use their extra frequent flyer miles to purchase the magazines. Our first target is Tamms C-MAX.

We are kicking-off the Supermax Subscriptions project on the day of the ten-year anniversary of the opening of Tamms supermax prison. Together, we will sign letters to each man in Tamms C-MAX, asking them to pick their magazine preferences. Please join us--each handwritten signature will show them that someone on the outside knows and cares about their situation.

Watch this page (http://www.temporaryservices.org/supsub.html) to learn which Tamms prisoners will participate and how to send them gift subscriptions.

3/10–Monday–10PM. Chicago Peace Party at Danny’s
Benefit for Tamms Year Ten Campaign–half of bar proceeds go to our campaign.
Danny’s Bar. 1951 W Dickens Ave, Chicago IL 60614  

Once a month Danny's hosts a Peace Party to raise funds for a worthy cause. March's Peace Party will benefit Tamms Year Ten--half of bar proceeds go to our campaign.

Kent Lambert will be starting off the music at 10 PM with a short set of records that are in some way related to issues invoked by the Tamms anniversary. A few sad songs to start, but by the time the "real" (and totally excellent) Danny's DJs take over you can expect some proper party music.

3/15–Saturday–9PM. A Benefit For Tamms Year Ten
Featuring Elmore James Jr. and Rupert (Jaimie Branch/Marc Riordan/Toby Summerfield)
The Hideout. 1354 W. Wabansia Ave, Chicago IL 60622

We are proud to have the support of Elmore James Jr.--fantastic bluesman, slide guitar player and the son of Elmore James. Opening the show will be Rupert, a trio of three of Chicago's finest young musicians: trumpeter Jaimie Branch, drummer Marc Riordan, and guitarist Toby Summerfield. Toby's stunning 20-piece orchestra (which includes Jaimie & Mark) Never Enough Hope played last weekend, and we couldn't be more pleased that these three amazing players will be lending their talents to our cause. Former Tamms prisoners and family members of current Tamms prisoners will speak between sets. Matt Fields will DJ the Hideout's weekly dance party after the show.

Elmore James, Jr.–incredible bluesman and slide guitar player with rousing, soulful Broomdusters band.
www.elmorejamesjr.com/
Rupert--a trio of Chicago's finest experimental jazz musicians: trumpeter Jaimie Branch, drummer Marc Riordan, and guitarist Toby Summerfield.
www.myspace.com/rupertchicago

4/19–Saturday–9PM. Roommate’s We Were Enchanted record release show!
Featuring a song about supermax prison inspired by writing to men in Tamms C-MAX.
Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave, Chicago IL 60622

 

4/20–Sunday–noon to 4PM. The Sewing Rebellion + Tamms Year Ten
Mess Hall, 6932 N. Glenwood, near Morse Stop on the Red Line
Radical Sewers will be an ally for human rights!  Sewing for the Tamms Year Ten Campaign!
As well as the usual sewing activities, The Sewing Rebellion will be producing hoods, patches and banners to be worn at the Tamms Year Ten public action on April 28 before the hearings of the House Prison Reform Committee. It doesn't matter if you know how to sew, you can come and help! We will also be stenciling!
 

4/26–Saturday–11AM to 4PM. Freedom School Communiversity
All day education on the prison industrial complex.
Participants will learn about Tamms from ex-prisoners.
719 S. State St., Suite 3N, Chicago IL 60605

4/27–Sunday–2PM to 6PM. Unseen-A-Thon
Take a stand for someone in solitary confinement—literally. Allow yourself to be warehoused in the walls of the gallery for a good cause—the Tamms Year Ten Campaign and International Rescue Committee. Come by the gallery for more information.
1915 S. Halsted St., Chicago IL 60608

4/28–Monday–10AM. HEARINGS ABOUT TAMMS C-MAX
House Prison Reform Committee of the Illinois General Assembly
James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph, Chicago IL 60601, Room 2-025, 10 am
Press event at 9:00 am in front of Thompson Center.
Press conference at 9:30 am before the hearings.

4/29–Tuesday–4PM to 5:30PM. Northwestern University lecture
Center for International and Comparative Studies series: “Torture in the Era of Democracy” Ex-prisoner Akkeem Berry and attorney Jean Maclean Snyder will speak about Tamms.
Northwestern University, BCSIS conference room
1902 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208 (free parking behind the building)

6/14–Saturday–12:00. Puerto Rican Day Parade
Tamms Year Ten is marching in this awe-inspiring parade with our favorite people--the Saints of Humboldt Park. We are proud to be part of it, and we dedicate our participation to Anibal Santiago who has been in Tamms for ten years and is still maintaining and finding a way to help others.

6/22–Sunday–2pm-5pm. TY10 Meeting
Saints of Humboldt Park building
2638 W. Division St., Chicago IL 60622
(near Division and California)
This will be a campaign-wide discussion and training about our goals and our media message, and how to promote them effectively. We are so excited to have Gordon Mayer of Community Media Workshop and Chris Giovannis of Hammerhard Media leading this meeting. We need to all get on the same page with our strategy so we can communicate effectively about Tamms supermax prison and get this bill passed.
 

6/27–Friday–7pm. Film Screening of "Through the Wire"
2620 W. Division St., Chicago, IL 60622
The evening will include the showing of "Through the Wire" - a documentary of a women's control unit, featuring several female political prisoners. Speakers will include: Jan Susler of the People's Law Office and ex-Tamms prisoner Johnnie Walton. Join us to learn why prison control units need to be shut down, how they are a violation of human rights, and the experiences of the Puerto Rican political prisoners & social prisoners who spent time in these units.

7/26 –Saturday– 12 - 8 PM.  Southside Peace Fest
115th and Halsted, Chicago

Now is the time for the youth to come out and speak against the violence in our community. The Peace Festival is a celebration; a remembrance of life.  In an effort to heighten awareness on gun violence in our communities we are reaching out to the young community for their support. 

Supported by the entertainment community, this year will focus on creative expression through the form of entertainment and community-orientated programs to speak out against the epidemic in our communities.  Throughout the event their will be artist performances, a car show competition, a  3-on-3 basketball tournament and  much more.  

8/1 —Friday—6:30 PM. Tamms Letter Writing at Insight Arts
1545 W Morse, Chicago

Please join us to read and answer letters from prisoners from Tamms. We will also plan our next writing event, and hope to plan on a schedule of more frequent meetings. We will bring a page (front and back) of short poems to enclose with our letters, so please email any poems that you would like to see us include to YearTen@riseup.net.

Check out Insight Arts' other upcoming events

8/6 –Wednesday– 7:00 PM. Throwing Away the Key
600 S. Michigan, Chicago

This year marks the anniversary of two notorious landmarks of Illinois corrections—it has been 30 years since the abolition of parole and 10 years since the opening of Tamms supermax prison. Now two House Bills have been introduced to restore some balance between punishment and rehabilitation.

Speakers will discuss the shattering impact of long-term sentencing laws, and the psychological and physical damage caused by prolonged solitary confinement. StillPoint Theater will present an excerpt from “Sisters Rising” in which ten formerly incarcerated women tell their story.

The event is held in anticipation of upcoming public hearings on HB 4154, the Elderly Prisoner Sentence Adjustment Act, and HB 6651, the Tamms Supermax Prison Reform Bill, and will be moderated by WVON talk radio host Cliff Kelley.

Illinois legislators
Reps. Eddie Washington, Art Turner, and Ken Dunkin
 
Dee Battaglia
the first female African-American warden of a maximum security prison
in the U.S. (Statesville)

Rev. Paul Ford
Justice/Witness Ministries, Covenant United Church of Christ
 
Co-sponsors:
National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Tamms Year Ten
Citizens for Earned Release
Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media
John Howard Association of Illinois
Long Term Prisoner Policy Project
Families of Statesville
Statesville Speaks
Campaign to End the Death Penalty
Liberal Education Department, Columbia College Chicago
Critical Encounters Initiative, Columbia College Chicago

Media Advisory

 8/20 —Wednesday—10 AM. Prison Reform Committee Hearing on Elderly Sentence Adjustment Act
James R. Thompson Center, 16th floor, Room 503
100 W. Randolph Chicago IL 60601

If you are the family member of a long-term prisoner, or just believe in rehabilitation, support the Elderly Sentence Adjustment Act.  House Bill 4154 would give elderly prisoners who have served 25 years the chance to petition for a sentence adjustment.  If you don't show your support, how can you expect legislators to show theirs?

Friday, September 19th – 7PM: Mess Hall (6932 N Glenwood, right by Morse Red Line)

The Prison Poster Project is an artistic production that aims to expose how the prison industrial complex affects our diverse communities and to challenge current reliance on prisons as a solution to social problems. Over the past 5 years a collective of artists and activists on the outside and over 100 people in prison have collaborated to visually depict the multitude of issues facing the 2.3+million incarcerated people.

This workshop will be a narrative-picture-presentation taking participants through the historical roots of prisons, resistance to them and into the daily life of people living behind the razor wire. There are over 40 illustrations in this digital slide show which is narrated largely through transcriptions of prisoner’s writings.

Our mission is to create a public education tool that can be spread widely throughout the movement inside and outside of the walls. The first version of this of this project will be available in the form of a dvd and booklet at our workshops and soon on our website. Our presentation hopes to spark dialogue and debate, to understand and strategize, to motivate and inspire. We choose to use art because art makes knowledge accessible across age, race, class, gender and geographic lines. Through this project, we can amplify the voices of many that go unheard and generate visions of a more just and caring world.

for more info, prisonposterproject (at) gmail (dot) com

Roundtable discussion with legislators, Dept of Corrections, and Tamms Year Ten 
These negotiations are sponsored by Rep. Julie Hamos, sponsor of HB6651.
Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle, across from the Thompson Center.
October 10, 2-4pm.

Fundraiser for Rep. Eddie Washington, Chair of the Prison Reform Committee
Exposure (Restaurant) 1313 S Wabash Ave, (312) 662-1082
5:30-8:30 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 9

Faith Summit for Criminal Justice Reform
People of faith in Illinois are calling for a justice system rooted in the principles of restoration, rehabilitation and healing. Be part of change. Join us!  Tamms Year 10 is planning on participating in this event.  More details...

UIC Forum
Corner of Roosevelt and Halsted
Chicago, IL
Sunday, 10/5
1:30 PM-2:45 PM Resource Fair
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Faith Summit

Chicago CR10 Report Back
Critical Resistance's 10th Anniversary conference is over, but we're not finished!

Imagining a World without Prisons - Healing our Communities

Chicago's Citywide Report Back on CR10
Called by the Chicago chapter of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) and sponsored by local organizations.

When: Saturday, Oct. 11th, 2008 2:00-4:00pm

Where: St. Martin's Episcopal Church - 5710 W. Midway Park

Join us to hear reports from an array of Chicago-area activists who attended CR10. Come out to share and learn about ways you can get involved and continue to support this work.

The Tamms Poetry Committee Needs You!

The Tamms Year Ten campaign (http://www.yearten.org/) has been working
tirelessly to coordinate hearings on the dire conditions at Tamms Supermax
Prison in Southern Illinois, to pass House Bill 6651 (which would vastly
improve conditions at Tamms) & to drum up public support for the men being held
in these torturous conditions.

Members of the Tamms Poetry Committee, are meeting at the Mess Hall on Saturday
Oct 18th @ 7pm to coordinate a mailing to the men at Tamms to let them know
what's been going on & where things stand with the campaign. We'll also, of
course, send a new poem.  Come out and show your support to Tamms prisoners--
sign letters, lick envelopes, eat, drink and learn about recent Year Ten news.

What: Tamms Poetry Committee Meeting & Mailing

When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 7pm

Where: Mess Hall, 6932 North Glenwood Avenue Chicago, IL 60626
(@ the 'Morse' stop on the Redline in Roger’s Park)

What to bring: your most beautiful pen, snacks and drink