Political prisoner/prisoner of war (PP/POW)
“Those persons incarcerated as a result of political beliefs or actions consciously undertaken and intended to resist exploitation and oppresion, and/or hasten the implementation of an egalitarian, sustainable, ethical, classless society, predicated on self-determination and maximization of all people’s freedom” – anarchist political prisoner, Bill Dunne
Political imprisonment
We believe that all forms of imprisonment are political. The so-called “justice” system and its prisons are used as weapons of social control by the state. In Canada and the United States, peope are targeted by police and sent to prison in the context of capitalism, white supremacy and patriarchy. Indigenous people, people of colour, youth, poor people and poor women are disproportionately represented in prison.
Politicized prisoners
Many prisoners were not initially imprisoned for their political actions, but became politically conscious while in prison. These prisoners deserve recognition for their contributions to movements inside and outside the prison walls, especially as their political activity is accompanied by harsh state repression.
Toronto Anarchist Black Cross 