Jail and aftercare

10 mins -- Purpose: By the end of this part, the group will have basic preparedness to advocate for each other in jail, and awareness of jail support and aftercare.

Facilitator:            ; Trainer:            ; Timekeeper:

K: dress for success; plan for aftercare; ...de-escalation; basic needs
A: calm comfort reassure; solidarity and advocacy
S: help in medic / herbalist community; using aftercare sheets

You all are zip-tied and have been on a city bus for hours waiting to go... somewhere? There's a bus driver up front, but no other cops. Sometimes they bring more cuffed protesters and put them on the bus with you.

Activist 1's cuffs are so tight she is pale and sweating, and she has to pee real bad. She mumbles that she thinks she's going to throw up from the pain.

Activists 2 and 4 hurt like hell for like 45 minutes after the pepperspray but then activist 4 started to improve. Now activist 2 is wheezing and crying, and her eyes are still hurting and bloodshot and hard to open hours later.

The rest of your group is basically ok themselves, but are frustrated with the waiting and scared by the pain their friends are in. A whiteshirt gets on the bus and points out activist 1 to the driver, then gets off again.

  • I feel like I know what is the most important situation to try and deal with in my affinity group.

  • I feel like I know some ways to try and deal with my most important situation.

  • Who here has been to jail at a protest?

  • What was the hardest thing about it?

  • What was the best thing about it?

  • How did the people you were jailed with look out for each other or keep each other up while you were locked up together?

  • Was there jail support when you got out?

  • What was getting out like?

Jail support is really really important. We can do a jail support training together with Legal. To get involved with Jail support, get in touch with Shon or            .

Aftercare

  • This is relevant regardless of whether chemical weapons were used or not. Political work is difficult, whether you're a street medic or a community organizer, or whatever. It's important to take care of yourselves, otherwise you won't be able to take care of others, or burn out.

  • We call it "aftercare," but it really starts before:

    • day before: hydrate, get sleep, practice grounding,
    • day of: don't forget to eat, hydrate, bring snacks.

  • Water: dehydration is the number one cause of casualty. First symptoms of dehydration are thirst and often headache.

Internal Decontamination

Sometimes we may experience bizarre symptoms after demonstrations. There is a wide range of what we have seen and heard of, including menstrual cycle disruption, seizures, respiratory infections, and sleep disruption. Although we don't always know what causes them, or if they are even related to chemical weapons or even the demo, there are some basic things we can do to help alleviate them.

  • Liver

    • Avoid toxins, esp. alcohol, also smoking, drugs.
    • Lots of water with lemon
    • nutritive foods, such as artichoke, nettle, leafy greens.
    • liver tonic herbs (milk thistle, burdock root, dandelion root, yellow dock root)
    • plenty of rest. Liver processes at night.

  • Lungs

    • onion cough syrup (chop onion into jar, cover with honey, let steep overnight, no need to strain it out -- antibacterial to lungs, antispasmodic, demulcent (soothing), decreases damage to lungs.
    • mullein tincture or tea -- it's antispasmodic, demulcent (soothing), decreases damage to lungs.

  • Immune system

    • with severe exposure, risk of chemically induced lung infections
    • rest
    • homemade bone broth (like chicken broth) or miso soup with high mineral broth (seaweed or nettle)
    • see an herbalist to work on rebuilding immunity if it is really bad.

Emotional Decontamination

Traumatic events -- can't process at the time, can lead to post traumatic stress, which is a normal response to traumatic or stressful situations.

  • Symptoms include:

    • disturbed sleep and/or intense dreams
    • re-living the event
    • irrational anxiety
    • sweating
    • inability to relate to others

  • Treatment:

    • Debrief w/affinity group, support group or counselor. Awareness can often reduce symptoms.
    • rescue remedy as needed -- contains alcohol, can be put on skin, only affects you in the situation, won't make you more relaxed or calm if you already are. Demonstrate how to offer, everyone practice offering to neighbor.
    • skullcap:lavender 1:1 tincture (1-3 droppersful as needed) for fear, grief/anxiety Lavender helps one to continue to function despite fear and skullcap helps with insomnia, supports nervous system, is quietening and strengthening.

Soft tissue injuries

  • Bruising/sprains-Arnica homeopathic 30C 4 pellets under tongue 4-5 times a day. Take as soon after trauma as possible (limits damage, helps clean up waste)

There is a lot more we could go into and if you're interested in learning more, we offer a 3 hour training which focuses exclusively on aftercare, and goes into detail about wound care and more.

Stuff: nettle/onion soup, dandelion tincture, mullein tea, rescue remedy, homeopathic arnica