Supporting Arrestees

When people get arrested at a protest they need support.

Coming face-to-face with the criminal legal system can be daunting, confusing, and disempowering. This can be true whether it’s someone first or fortieth time. 

There is a common saying in activist scenes: the action doesn’t finish until the last person is out of court or out of prison.

This means that: if someone in your group or campaign is arrested for the cause, that event and their need for support does not finish until their court matter is finished (and any conditions they have to fulfil are finished) or they are released from prison. 

Sometimes people may need support after these if they are experiencing any continuing harm from their charges and/or criminal conviction. Check out the section on well-being for ideas on other types of support.

The following articles discuss different strategies for support as well as explaining some of the court/ legal processes, to better inform support.