Support Jalil Muntaquim's Parole

Greetings,

I received a copy of a letter from Jalil asking that we open his
Parole Campaign for his late summer hearing. I have included main
page of his web site so that you can get the necessary information.
He would like folks to start writing now so that the letters will be
there by early July. Thanks for all your work and please take a few
minuets out of your day to help Free Jalil as it has been a long hard
road epically since his transfer to Attica...Paulette Jericho
Co-Chair http://freejalil.com/

letters to the parole board supporting his request (Re: Parole
application of Anthony Jalil Bottom #77A4283). Please address the letter to:

Ms. Andrea W. Evans
Board of Parole Chairwoman
New York State Division of Parole
97 Central Avenue, 4th floor
Albany, NY 12206

And also send a copy to: NYC Jericho, P.O. Box 1272, NY, 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 and 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, 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 39-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.