Berkeley, CA - At the end of every college semester, RAIL comrades spend finals week outside the University of California, Berkeley, bookstore collecting books for MIM's Free Books for Prisoners (FBFP). This year, RAIL comrades spent over a week doing outreach and collection at the intersection of Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue for 2 - 3 hours per day. During outreach, RAIL comrades also collected signatures for the petition to shutdown the prison control units. (1)

RAIL comrades passed out flyers which emphasized the importance of programs such as FBFP which help prisoners use their time under lock and key to develop their politics and build towards a more just and productive society. As more education programs are stripped from the prisons, book donations and independent revolutionary education programs are needed now more than ever. Many students were very receptive and said they would rather donate their books to a prisoner than throw them away or resell them.

In general, reception from UC students was very positive, many stopping to take a flyer and returning later with books. RAIL comrades spoke to several Black wimmin who were especially supportive of FBFP and interested in starting similar programs in their hometowns. Several UC students also stopped to ask questions and dialogue about the conditions in Amerikan prisons, as well as the recent torture of Iraqi prisoners. RAIL comrades educated these students about the sameness of the torture in Iraqi prisons such as Abu Ghraib and the conditions in Amerika's Department of Corruptions. Some students also expressed interest in RAIL's increasing presence on the campus.

In all, RAIL comrades raised over $85.00 in donations and between 150 and 200 books. Many books in high demand by prisoners were collected including Black liberation works by Malcolm X, W.E. Du Bois, George Jackson, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Eldridge Cleaver, Angela Davis and Frantz Fanon's "Wretched of the Earth." People also responded to our requests for Marx and Lenin, dictionaries and law texts. Several Spanish/English and English dictionaries were donated, as well as over 30 law books from a UC Raza law group.

Aside from the material support for FBFP, RAIL is able to get good exposure to thousands of students through this campaign. In addition, it is a good way to involve people who really want to do something concrete, but don't know where to start. Next semester, Bay Area RAIL comrades have a goal of recruiting more book collectors and expanding to other campuses in the area. We challenge other RAIL chapters across the country to equal or surpass this year's achievements.