Political Prisoners

A WebQuest for 9th Grade ELA

Designed by

Ms. Kelly
lkelly9@schools.nyc.gov

Introduction

In class we have recently finished reading Monster, by Walter Dean Myers. This book focused on the main character, Steve Harmon, who is in jail. We wrote literary letters based on Monster and other subjects. We have also discussed political prisoners and how people end up in prison for their beliefs. Sometimes, political prisoners commit crimes for which they feel justified, and other times they are innocent of the crimes for which they have been convicted. Most political prisoners are guilty of committing an action against the government. Is the action justified? That is for you to decide.

The Task

Your task is to research one person who is considered to be a political prisoner, decide whether or not you think that person is guilty based upon your research, and write a letter to that person in prison in a format similar to the one we have been studying in class.

The Process

1.      From the list provided, choose a political prisoner that interests you.

North American Political Prisoners     

Black Liberation  Most of the following prisoners are serving time for "crimes" in the name of black liberation. Many of them are former members of either the Black Liberation Army, or the Black Panther Party, or both. They are either in prison for their clandestine actions against government and corporate entities, or because they have been framed by the authorities.  

Sundiata Acoli #39794-066, USP Allenwood, PO Box 3000, USP Allenwood, White Deer, PA 17887. 

 Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin #EF492521, Georgia State Prison, 100 Georgia Hwy 147, Reidsville, GA 30499-9701.  

Herman Bell #79C0262, Eastern Correctional Facility, Box 338, Napanoch, NY 12458-0338.  

Bashir Hameed (J. York) #82A6313, Box AG, Fallsburg, NY 12733. 

Mumia Abu-Jamal AM8335, SCI Greene, 175 Progress Drive, Waynesburg, PA 15370-8090.  

Abdul Majid (Anthony Laborde) #83A0483, Drawer B, Green Haven Correctional Facility, Stormville, NY 12582-0010.  

Jalil Muntaqim (Anthony Bottom) #77A4283, Box 618, 135 State St., Auburn Correctional Facility, Auburn, NY 13024.   

Hugo Pinell #A88401, PO Box 7500, SHU D3-221, Crescent City, CA 95531-7500.  

Mutulu Shakur #83205-012, Box PMB, Atlanta, GA 30315.  

Cuban Five  The Cuban Five are five Cuban civilians who were accused of espionage and conspiracy when spying on anti-Castro leaders in Miami.   

Ruben Campa #58733-004, FCI Oxford, Box 1000, Oxford WI 53952-0505.  

Rene Gonzalez #58738-004, FCI Edgefield, Box 725, Edgefield, SC 29824.  

Antonio Guerrero #58741-004, USP Florence, PO Box 7500, Florence CO 81226.  

Gerardo Hernandez #58739-004, USP-Lompoc, 3901 Klein Blvd., Lompoc, CA 93436.  Luis Medina #58734-004, USP Beaumont, Box 26030, Beaumont TX 77720-6035.  

 Native American  

Byron Shane Chubbuck #07909051, US Penitentiary, PO Box 1000, Leavenworth, KS 66048.  

Eddie Hatcher #0173499, MCI, PO Box 2405, Marion, NC 28752.  

Leonard Peltier #89637-132, PO Box 1000, Leavenworth, KS 66048.   

Luis V. Rodríguez #C33000, PO Box 7500, Crescent City, CA 95532 7500.   

Puerto Rican Liberation  

Haydee Beltran #88462-024, SCI Tallahassee, 501 Capital Circle, Tallahassee, FL 32031. 

 Oscar Lopez Rivera #87651-025, Box 33, Terre Haute, IN 47808. 

Carlos Alberto Torres #88976-024, PO Box 1000, Oxford, WI 53952. 

2.      Using the links provided, research the life and case of the prisoner you have chosen.

§         This site has a list of the prisoners and related websites http://www.prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/pplist-alpha.shtml

§         This site has brief biographies of some political prisoners http://mxgm.org/web/biographies/index.html

§         Check this site for FBI information on the person you chose. Just enter the name in the search box and see if anything comes up.                           

   http://foia.fbi.gov/

§         When all else fails, an easy way to look up information is by typing the terms into a Google search, using quotations.                                                   http://www.google.com

3.      Based upon what you have researched, answer the 7 following questions.

1)      What is this person accused of?

2)      Where did the incident occur?

3)      Who else was involved in the incident?

4)      Where is the prisoner serving his/her sentence and for how long?

5)      From the facts you researched does it seem that the prisoner received a fair trail?

6)      Is this person a political prisoner? Explain your reasoning.

7)      Do you think this person is guilty? Why or why not?

4.      Write a letter to the prisoner you have researched using the following format:

-         Date

-         Greeting (Dear _____________)

-         Introduction

-               - Who you are.

-               - What interests you about the prisoner or his/her case.

-         Body

-               - One connection to the person, subject, or case.

-         Conclusion

-               - A question or opinion about the case or prisoner.

-         Closing

Evaluation

Describe to the learners how their performance will be evaluated. Specify whether there will be a common grade for group work vs. individual grades.

Conclusion

Once you have completed this task, you should have in-depth knowledge about a particular prisoner or case. Why is this person important? How can we learn from this person’s case? What are you going to do to help the person if you think they are innocent?

Credits & References