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Thanks for writing this. Also a long-term prisoner supporter here, and everything you said is dead-on. I've stuck with a handful of (mostly anarchist) prisoners for going on a decade. It's enabled me to provide consistent correspondence, emotional presence, and material support. I've done more broad-based support for prisoners, particularly those involved in prison rebellion, and this proved unsustainable for me (though I have nothing but admiration for those who aid those in prison who choose to rebel).

While much of my initial contact with people in prison was because they are anarchists, those relationships that I've sustained have transcended politics and become friendships, as you mention. There are plenty of anarchist prisoners I wrote to but didn't jive with, and those relationships didn't last, just like any "non-prison" relationship. Maybe this is too simplistic, but friendship > politics? Politics can be a starting point though.

To end: lots of the US anarchist prisoners are really wonderful humans & I'm lucky to know them.

Thanks @news for making this the topic this week.