John “Balagoon” Cole has been locked up in the corrupt Indiana Department of Corrections since the ’70s, where he quickly became a political and religious mentor to many other prisoners. In 1985, he was a leader in the 1985 Pendleton Uprising where prisoners, in response to racist guards viciously beating another inmate, took over a cellblock and held four guards hostage. They presented a list of demands to the media which included an end to censorship of letters and media, the ability to be politically active without reprisal, the establishment of a minimum wage for inmates, and the establishment of a grievance committee for prisoners to safely bring forward issues to the DOC without fear of intimidation, threats, beatings, or any other punishment by guards.
Balagoon was eventually tried and convicted in retaliation for his leadership role in the uprising and sentenced to 84 more years in prison. He is currently seeking a sentence modification to reduce the amount of time he’s forced to be confined behind bars, controlled and monitored every step of the way by the very same injustice system he has been fighting for decades. He was originally sentenced to serve his four counts from the Pendleton Uprising consecutively but is arguing that they should have been done concurrently, which would get him out on time served over the past 43 years. He needs every bit of help he can get to increase the chances of him getting out sooner, to see freedom for the first time in many years, and to bring his dedication to the struggle for liberation to the outside world.
The need to get Balagoon free is even more pressing considering his physical condition. He has been illegally held in solitary confinement for 31 years, and the neglect and horrific treatment during that time has left him with medical issues that the IDOC refuses to treat or sometimes even acknowledge. With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, Balagoon’s health and 61 years of age are an even more dangerous combination than even in normal circumstances behind bars.