Jalil Muntaqim parole board hearing postponed

From: "Political Prisoner News"
Date: Tue, September 22, 2009

Jalil said his parole board appearance was
postponed 30-90 days for lack of records. It is
believed that they want a new victim impact
statement and the sentencing minutes from
California. In the interim he said we need to
continue efforts to build support.

Cheryl L. Kates Esq.
Attorney at Law
Po Box 711
Honeoye, NY 14471
(585) 820-3818
<http://www.cherylkatesesq.com/>www.cherylkatesesq.com


Jalil is asking that we write letters supporting
his 2009 parole. Please address the letter to the
Parole Commissioners (Re: Parole application of
Anthony Jalil Bottom #77A4283) but send to:

NYC Jericho,
PO Box 1272
New York, NY 10013

The more personal and individual your letter is,
the better. You can write about visiting or
communicating with Jalil, or if you haven't been
in direct touch with him, you can write about the
articles you've read by him or any other
knowledge you have of his activities while in
prison. Please say that you are aware of the case
for which he is serving his sentence. You can
also talk about your own perspective - for
example, if you are a teacher, you know how
valuable it is that Jalil has counseled young
prisoners. Any particular slant you can give to
your assertion that he will be an excellent
candidate for release can give the letter more force.

Some of Jalil's achievements while incarcerated:

In 1986, Mr. Bottom drafted a legislative bill
for New York State prisoners to obtain good time
off their sentence. The bill was submitted and
introduced into the New York State Assembly -
Committee on Corrections by former Assemblyman Arthur O. Eve.

In 1994, while incarcerated at Shawangunk
Correctional Facility, Mr. Bottom established the
first Men's Council in the United States prison.
His efforts were featured on television in Japan
and written about in the NY Times. During this
period, he also graduated from SUNY New Paltz
with a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in
Sociology. Instead of resting on his success, he
taught African Studies to a group of prisoners.

On two occasions, he received commendations from
prison officials for quelling potential prison
riots, one in the mess hall at Great Meadow
Correctional Facility and another time in the
auditorium at Greenhaven Correctional Facility.

From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Bottom was the office
manager of the prison computer lab at Eastern
Correctional Facility. His duties consisted of
teaching prisoners keyboarding skills and how to
use computer software programs. Despite his busy
schedule, he found the time to raise money from
inmate accounts to support the charitable Children's Funds.

In 1999, in Auburn Correctional Facility, Mr.
Bottom established sociology, poetry, and legal
research and discussion classes under the
auspices of the Lifer's Committee that he chaired.

Mr. Bottom co-sponsored the Victory Gardens
Project, a program in which farmers in Maine grew
tons of fresh produce for distribution to poor
urban communities in New York, New Jersey and
Boston, Massachusetts. In the four years of its
existence, the Project distributed nearly 10,000
pounds of fresh produce in urban centers.

In response to the tragedy of September 11, 2001,
while in Auburn Correctional Facility, Mr. Bottom
proposed raising funds from inmates to donate to
the American Red Cross. Former Deputy
Superintendent of Programs, R. Nelson
acknowledged Anthony's efforts in a memorandum.

While in Auburn Correctional Facility he worked
as a Pre-GED Teacher's Assistant, earned a
vocational certificate for Architectural
Drafting. Mr. Bottom has proposed and gained the
approval for a Life Skills Program for inmates.

Mr. Bottom is a published poet and essayist; his
writings are found in several University
sponsored books of compilations of prison
writers. He has also written an unpublished novel and teleplay.

Parole Release Plans

In the event that Anthony Bottom's Application
for Parole is approved, and he is released on
bail pending the resolution of present
(California) charges, he would live in either
Syracuse, New York or Austell, Georgia. In
Syracuse, he would apply for the Master's program
at Maxwell School Syracuse University, to obtain
a degree in Public Administration and a
certificate in Health Services Management. In
Austell, Georgia, he has an offer of employment
in the construction field and a home that is to be provided by his mother.

Anthony Bottom has a 37-year-old daughter, two
grandchildren and one great grandchild. Over the
decades of imprisonment, he has maintained a
strong family relationship, although they reside
in California and Georgia. Throughout his years
of imprisonment, there have been continuous
family visits when they were able, including
family trailer visits. As an example, in the
November 2000, issue of Essence Magazine, Anthony
Bottom, his daughter and granddaughter were
featured in an article titled "Daddy Says,"
discussing father and daughter relationships. Mr.
Bottom will continue to be involved in community
service, particularly in regards to AIDS
education. He once initiated a campaign to
provide school supplies to AIDS orphans in Africa.

Remember: We Are Our Own Liberators!
Yours in struggle


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