I WILL BE FREE...

It's been a good couple of months for some prisoners (hooray!!) with several long-termers appealing and winning and all this despite the recent shutting down on prisoners appeals after the embarrassing Birmingham Six/Guildford Four cases.

In May, Robert McGill was freed after his conviction for murder was quashed. Although Robert's co-defendant had in fact killed a shopkeeper in a bungled robbery, Robert was convicted through Joint Enterprise which allows a person to be charged with a co-defendants actions if they agreed to commit a crime together. Robert had no intention to kill anyone and did not. Now he has been believed.

In June, Emma Humphries case finally came to appeal. At the time of her conviction for the murder of her abusive boyfriend / pimp in self-defence, she was so confused and traumatised that she waived the right to an appeal. After 10 years inside, and hard work by the Justice For Women group, her case was brought back to court and Emma was set free. It also seems possible that this judgement may set a precedent for woman serving time for defending themselves against asshole abusive men, having to fight a legal system biased against women, especially ones who don't bow down to the man-made rules.

Justice for Woman have contact with over 70 such woman in U.K jails. Contact them at 55 Rathcote Gdns, London N8 9NE.

Sara Thornton was also freed at the end of July, on bail pending her appeal being referred back to the Appeal Court by Michael Howard. Sara was jailed for life after killing her violent abusive husband Malcolm. That she's been let out is a BRILL sign, hopefully she'll be free permanently. The Daily Mail has been waging a campaign against her, digging up dirt from her first husband and Malcolm Thornton's relatives, calling for her to be sent back etc. Someone should subject the Mail's editor and journo hacks to a campaign of years of mental and physical abuse, threats and beatings - if you ask me.

George Long was set free in July, after doing 16 years for somebody else's murder of a youth in Deptford, S.London. There was no evidence involved except for confessions made under pressure of repeated questioning. These confessions were quickly retracted. Said to be easily suggestible in his youth, George was easy prey for cops who fitted him into the picture and it took half of his life to prove his innocence.

Our best wishes to the above three and to everyone still inside, fighting the 'justice' system for their freedom.

For more info on prisoners and prisoners fightback, contact London ABC, 121 Railton Rd, London SE24. Fax 0171-326-0353.


M11 PRISONERS GET 18 MONTHS

Jim Chambers and Stuart Edwards, long-term campaigners against the M11 in East London, have been found guilty of causing 35,000 pounds worth of criminal damage to plant and machiner earlier this year. They have been sentenced to 18 months inside. They deny any involvement in the alleged crime.

Send letters of support to: Jim Chambers PV2504 and Stuart Edwards PB1864, both are being held in Pentonville Prison, Caledonian Road, London N7 8TT.

Also write to Mark Skelly FH1589, HMP Brixton, Jebb Avenue, London SW2. Mark got qw months for an aleged role in the Hyde Park anti-Criminal Justice riot last October.