“Unsurprising Fact” – Letter By Anarchist Prisoner Toby Shone
Some things don’t surprise us and for sure the recourse to judicial options I find distasteful but expedient. Anarchism is either illegal or it is not anarchism as our dear comrade Gustavo Rodriguez reminds us. Nevertheless, over the past few months my lawyers were able to obtain a Security Intelligence Report (SIR) produced by the prison’s anti-terror bureaucrats. This disclosure occurred in the course of a parole motion, which was denied in any event. The Secretary of State opposed my release and used a non-disclosure application to prevent me from seeing or being able to respond to “evidence” used against me on grounds of “national security”. The Parole Board disagreed and granted me access to a scant eight pages of intelligence reports. These cover the time period September 2023 – January 2024 and show an incomplete snapshot of the surveillance and censorship of my correspondence and books, the gathering of information on those that I am in contact with and the intel received about the fireworks solidarity demo at Bristol prison last year when I was detained there. The report revealed the collection of all the names, addresses and personal details of all those who communicate with me. For example, it is noted that one comrade writes that he works as a postman, another comrade “has a daughter in prison”, etc. Also listed in the entries are any personal connections and any details related to affiliations to any groups or tendencies. Geographic analysis using Google Maps has been made to view their locations. The Star and Shadow Cinema in Newcastle upon Tyne is designated a “potential meeting point” and BASE in Bristol described as “a heavily graffitied possible squat or commune.
Thus the level of intelligence and analysis displayed is low and crude but we can anticipate that the data is funnelled to the security services and the police state.
The security regime that I am imposed with is directed from outside the prison by a panel* comprising of senior police, Counter Terror Unit, National Security Division, governmental administration and forensic psychology.
We know that the state is afraid and takes step of repression; however it is rare that we see the evidence and its workings, therefore I am giving this account as my response.
I have nothing to justify.
In this situation I already knew perfectly well before disclosure what the secret “evidence” consisted off – the fact that I maintain my perspective and contacts with the anarchist dependency and with the social movement. The stand that I continue to write “and try to receive” letters and I am sent books and publications with critical content.
I will not apologise one sentence for those things.
I send my greetings to Alfredo, Anna, Juan and all the prisoners and those persecuted in Italy.
To Francisco, Monica and all the imprisoned comrades in Chile.
To the comrades imprisonned and those in struggle in Greece.
To Daniela Klette in Germany, strength.
Likewise to all the comrades detained in every territory and to the groups of action, I send a hug and my complicity.
A warm hug to Claudio who is now free.
To the application of practical theory.
For a black international.
Toby Shone
13th October 2024
HMP Garth
North-West
* MAPPA – Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement
Fallout From Publication Of “Unsurprising Fact”
As the result of Toby Shone having giving the text “Unsurprising Fact” to Brighton ABC, he had a visit from Counter-Terror Prevent duo Ian Turner and Mick McCormack on the morning of October 21st. He was issued 3 administrative sanctions and is now on Basic IEP regime, which means no television and only £5 a week to spend. The sanctions were for: writing an open letter to Joe Black at Brighton ABC on October 13th. [“Unsurprising Fact” was dictacted over the phone]; repeated phone calls to a friend during which she put him on speaker phone so that he could also talk to others in the room; and for speaking disrespectfully about staff including his Probation Offender Manager person Clare Ashton in a conversation with another contact in September. The first two people have been removed from his phone list.
NB: Toby is due to be relased on November 13th, 2024, having served his full sentence. This is just the latest (and hopefully the last) vidictive move by HMP Garth’s “anti-terror bureaucrats” attempt to punish him during his final days at “His Majesty’s pleasure.
Source: Brighton Anarchist Black Cross