James ”Jay” Ward On Incarceration And His Struggle To Be Free

This week you’ll hear from James "Jay" Ward, a long-time abolitionist who has been incarcerated in Ohio for over half his life, since he was 15. Over the years, he has participated in the national prison strike of 2018, various hunger strikes, and other movements against the abuse and mistreatment of incarcerated people.

One of his major political goals is to educate the public about the struggles he and other prisoners face to create systemic change. Without a sentence reduction, Jay will likely spend the next 25 years in prison as well. Jay is currently raising funds to pursue post-conviction relief so that he can reunite with friends and family and begin a new life on the outside. Despite Jay’s best efforts, he was not able to visit his mother before she died of an illness in 2022. He would like the chance to spend time with his father, who is also in poor health, before he passes.

Jay's links:

• GoFundMe link is here: https://gofund.me/60f1291b
• His ID # is A517461 for those who want to connect via GettingOut.
• Twitter / X: @DecarcerateUS

His mailing address is:

James Ward
A571461
P.O. Box 788
Mansfield, OH 44901