Jail Solidarity 

After you have been arrested, it can be very inspiring for the group to engage in jail solidarity. It is best to discuss and plan this in advance..

When arrested, each person has one of the following choices: not giving your name (noncooperation), giving your name but refusing bail (bail solidarity), or fully cooperating by giving your name and paying bail. If several members of the group are willing either to not cooperate or to engage in bail solidarity, then you can begin planning your jail solidarity. As a group, you can negotiate your cooperation for concessions from the jailers. For example, you can bargain for access to a phone, the press, or your lawyers, demand no bail money as a condition of your release (commonly called "personal recognizance"), or try to prevent the segregation of the participants. The jail system is not designed to respond to a group; it is designed to isolate and demoralize you. The stronger you stand together, the sooner it will be exhausted and meet your demands, or even let you go! Unfortunately, because of the philosophy upon which the jail system operates, jailers are trained to be purposefully vague and inaccurate as a security measure. You never know whether what they tell you is the truth or not. This keeps you disoriented and unable to trust any of the information you receive. Therefore, it is best not to believe anything the jailers say. Remain calm and polite, and use any dialogue with your jailers as an opportunity to explain why you believe in the actions of Food Not Bombs. Highlight the ridiculousness and irony of arresting people who are giving away free food. In nonviolence theory, this is called "speaking your truth to power." Trust yourself, and remain committed to the plan the group made before the arrest.