Benefit in Long Beach, CA:
Serve the People Free Books for Prisoners

On July 18 [1999], RAIL sponsored a benefit show in Long Beach for the Free 
Books for Prisoners Program. The lineup was mostly punk bands, including: 
Pseudostar, Bad Chili, The Waywards, and Half Happy. All of the money from the 
door went directly to help fund Free Books for Prisoners. 

Before their set, the lead singer for Bad Chili talked a little bit about his 
experiences with the prison system and expressed his support for Free Books for 
Prisoners. He mentioned that going to juvenille halls and to jail was just a 
part of growing up for him. That was what all the kids in his neighborhood did, 
and he just got caught up in the cycle. Although he felt that the corrections 
system played a role in turning him around, he seems to recognize that there are 
better options and went on to support RAIL's work. 

Before starting their set, Pseudostar called up a RAIL comrade to help explain 
the purpose of the show. The comrade told the crowd about the great need for 
political education in prisons, and the constant demand that RAIL struggles to 
keep up with. Pseudostar has already began to work with RAIL to plan more 
benefits in the future, so keep an eye out for that. Another comrade spoke 
later, in between bands, and pointed out the importance of the Free Books 
program in RAIL's efforts to organize the oppressed within U$ prisons for a 
revolutionary movement.