FREER x UMAW
Instruments Into Prisons

FREER artist Dane Newton shown with IIP-donated guitar. (Buena Vista Correctional Center, Jan. 2024)

FREER visual artist (Territorial, Lifers Groove), E. Brokencoyote (upper left) pictured with native group and IIP-donated ceremonial rattle. (Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility, 2024)

🚨 BIG THINGS COMING! 🚨

As we move into our FREER era in 2024, we see vast potential in the Instruments Into Prisons (IIP) program. We believe it is a natural extension of FREER Records’ mission to not only build the careers of artists we work with, but to spread those resources even further when possible. Moving forward, our goal is to relaunch this initiative starting with a series of NYC-based benefit concerts to help fund the very real costs of moving donated and/or newly purchased gear into the hands of artists inside of prisons across the country.

In 2023, IIP changed its pace and redirected its course. After two years of fierce commitment and output, donating over $18K worth of gear to over 12 facilities, this volunteer-run effort took a down-shift in momentum as we geared up for our epically massive Ten Year Celebration of Die Jim Crow. We faced this down-scaling head-on with a publicized push to fulfill as many outstanding gear requests from musicians inside as possible before winding down the effort, which we were able to accomplish minus a few exceptions.

As we re-launch, our goal with IIP is a quality-over-quantity approach, emphasizing fewer but more intentional donations with the added goal of increased transparency and efforts to follow-up with their usage inside.

Our biggest need right now is purchasing equipment, but if you have any of it, please contact t[.]jamison[at]freerrecords[.]com to discuss next steps. 🤝

You can view our archive of past updates below:

UPDATE 6 / UPDATE 5 / UPDATE 4 / UPDATE 3 / UPDATE 2 / UPDATE 1

Our intake form for gear donations can be found here.

Contact:

Ted Jamison
Operations Coordinator
t.jamison at freerrecords dot com.

Mission:

On April 22, 2021, Die Jim Crow Records (DJC) and the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) launched a gear drive to support incarcerated musicians.

Prisons across the country too often lack access to quality instruments and proper environments for making music. Our mission for the Instruments Into Prisons campaign is to supply DJC-affiliated musicians and non-affiliated alike with tools outlet to express their creativity while serving time. For some, this may be the remainder of their life.

Most donations of gear for music production and performance will be utilized (and then some) by these musicians.

Banner photo: (L-R) Phillip “Archi” Archuleta, Kevin Woodley, Gilbert “Lefty” Pacheco & Michael Tenneson of Territorial. Photo: Fury Young

Michael Tenneson (of Territorial), Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility, 2020

Michael Tenneson (of Territorial), Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility, 2020

Silent Jungle (of The Masses), Allendale CI. 2020

Silent Jungle (of The Masses), Allendale CI. 2020

Flyer by Lilah Larson

Original Flyer by Lilah Larson