Amerika calls itself the 'Land of the free' yet it has 2 million people locked up 

A commentary from Mumia Abu Jamal

And letters from Indiana prisoners

February 15 marked the arrival of the two millionth prisoner
in Amerikan prisons. This is just another landmark in the
runaway incarceration in Amerika that helps the imperialists
control the population. With a higher proportion of people in
prison than any other country in history, the u.s. comprises
5% of the world's population but has 25% of the world's
prisoners.

The lockup craze in the united $tates hits the oppressed
nations within u.s. borders disproportionately hard. One in
three Black youth is in prison or on parole. And as MIM points
out in every issue of Under Lock and Key, the u.s. imprisons a
higher proportion of Blacks than even was found in Apartheid
South Africa.

Yet in spite of these statistics, the presidential campaign
again makes an issue of being tough on crime. George W. Bush
proclaimed with pride his position in support of even harsher
sentencing for drug offenses. In Texas under his governorship
the prison population rose from 41,000 to 150,000, much of the
rise from prosecution for drug possession. The Republicans are
not alone in their crime crusades. Clinton has increased
mandatory minimum sentences, put more cops on the streets and
built more prisons. Both Democrats and Republicans trip over
each other to declare themselves the toughest on crime. This
position appeals to their settler nation constituents.

The united $tates spends $45 billion every year to hold
prisoners in its dungeons. This money brings jobs to
predominately white communities which have learned the
economic value of the war on crime.

The "war on crime" is very popular with the white nation in
the united $tates. The prison industry is the biggest employer
after General Motors, with more than 523,000 employees.
Locating prisons in rural communities has had a tremendous
impact these areas, providing jobs for many white people. The
export of prisoners from the cities led to a 5% growth in the
population in rural areas over the decade between 1980 and
1990.

The $45 billion spent on prisons is only a part of the money
spent to control the Amerikan population. This number does not
include the cost of an occupying army of cops, which spends
its time in oppressed nation communities shooting down people
like Amadou Diallo. This number also does not include the cost
of the injustice system, which gives oppressed nations a trial
by very partial juries and imposes harsh sentences for actions
that the government of this country carries out daily without
repercussion.

MIM marks the year 2000 and the incarceration of the 2
millionth prisoner in the U.$. with our Under Lock and Key
2000 campaign mobilizing both prisoners and people on the
outside to fight the INjustice system. If you would like more
information on setting up educational events in your area to
build the ULK2000 campaign, contact us.

Note: Guardian (London), 15 February 2000.

In a few moments we will bring you a commentary by Mumia Abu 
Jamal. Mumia is a Black Nation revolutionary fighting for his life 
on Pennsylvania's death row. Mumia was framed for the murder of a police officer because 
he is an outspoken opponent of Amerikan imperialism.

[ All Things Censored Vol 1 track 5. Cornel West :41 ]

[MAJ Man is the Bastard track 7 Legalized Crime, 2:56

Health Conditions in Indiana

I became sick in here from eating the food in the dining hall,
others got sick also. The doctor told me I had gas and gave me
some gas tablets and told me that there is nothing wrong with me.

Later that evening I was rushed back to the health care staff
again by wheelchair. I started vomiting a thick yellow substance
and blood with chills and a fever. The doctor and nursing staff
sent me back to the dorm in pain. The next morning I started to
brush my teeth and discovered my tongue was black! The C.O. and
O.I.C. were notified by my roommate; I was told that I would have
to wait until the next shift for medical help.

Upon reaching the Health Care Staff again that morning the nurse
drew blood and the doctor was still saying that there wasn't
anything wrong with me. I told and showed him that my tongue had
turned black and he said that it was normal because I was
vomiting. I then began to fear for my life in here.

Another guy there started taking some X-rays of my stomach area.
He told me that there was a problem around my colon and appendix.
I was finally taken to Wishard Hospital in Indianapolis. I was put
on antibiotics and another liquid by I.V. for 4 days. I was told
that my white cell count was very high and what ever I ate had
poisoned my system. My bowels had turned black also.

I had 4 specialists on my case all wanting to do surgery, but
afraid of what was causing this problem. I also had 4 special
kinds of X-rays on my abdomen. I was told that I couldn't eat or
drink anything until they found out what the problem was for sure.
Well, for 7 days I couldn't eat or drink anything and had a fever
over 101 degrees for 3 days.

Thank you for your concerns, comrades.

In solidarity,

-- An Indiana Prisoner.

Indiana Prisoner Hunger Strikes

I am writing this letter from the Maximum Control Complex in
Westville, Indiana. I am requesting your help as I prepare to
protest several conditions that are taking place within the
confines of these walls. Your letters, calls, petitions, etc. will
be greatly appreciated. I am planning to go on a hunger strike to
protest the following:

*police brutality as a form of recreation;
*poor medical care;
*illegal conviction by the hearing committee;
*overt racism by White staff, which is 90% here while the prison
population is 97% Afrikan;
*food isn't properly prepared;
*food is tampered with by staff who retaliate against prisoners
for something that they provoke;
*prisoners on level 5 pod have very limited access to the law
library;
*we aren't fed properly which results in drastic weight loss;
*our grievances remain unchanged and unresolved.

The administration has done nothing positive in terms of resolving
the problems here at this facility and from all indications, they
have no intention of rectifying the many wrongs that pervade this
facility. Censorship has been stepped up in the guise of security
concerns and this practice allows staff that are untrained and
unqualified to read our mail. So whenever there is something
within the content of our mail that these untrained staff do not
understand, they immediately label it a threat to security. The
staff that deal with our mail are the same staff who many of us
have encountered either verbally or physically. So the chance of
our mail being handled by revenge-seeking staff is great. This
form of harassment is just another wicked tactic that
administrators use to retaliate against prisoners.

The newest form of harassment is gang labeling. There are several
staff here that are living out their detective fantasies and in
doing so, they have caused many to suffer by labeling many
prisoners as gang members without having anything to substantiate
it.

There are several prisoners who have been falsely labeled without
ever being involved in any so-called "gang activity." There are no
write-ups, or any other documentation that staff can show, other
than their word. Many incidents here are hard to dispute from our
side because the staff's word is always given credibility over a
prisoner's. There is always a clean-up person on stand-by waiting
to cover up the truth.

I am willing to sacrifice myself by going on a hunger strike to
expose these barbaric conditions that are taking place here at
this facility, but I will need your help and support. Letters,
calls, petitions, etc. demanding an unbiased investigation will be
greatly appreciated. It is a goal of mine to fight ceaselessly
against oppression and to penetrate the public's consciousness
with truth about what goes on in these dungeons. Contrary to
popular belief, these prisons harbor human beings, not animals and
sub-humans. I ask that you show your support by making inquiries
into these situations here and demanding an investigation into the
wickedness that is taking place within these walls. Any letters,
calls, or petitions should be sent to the addresses below. Your
support makes a difference. Dare to struggle, dare to win!!!

-- An Indiana Prisoner, 24 November 1999.



Update on Indiana State Prison

In D-Cell House on the Eastside where I still languish, the
intensity of repression has increased. Those who maintain my
captivity have converted D-East into a long term supermaximum,
punitive segregation unit. Virtually no environmental stimulation
exists. High intensity warfare is being fully enforced...

Those who maintain this oppressive regime are using this unit to
forestall the potential revolutionary elements and to destroy the
growth of a new revolutionary seed that is being planted in the
minds of our next generation. By creating this tool of repression
to suppress and silence the revolutionary cadre like myself -- who
is educating my young Afrikan brothas -- the neo-colonialist
administration here has been using a subjective criteria to place
people under repression. ... Other leaders and myself are being
targeted and subjected to repression for our political activities.
I have been under this repression since September 1998. I have not
committed any misconduct. I came here from another institution
without any segregation time. And I am class one and have not had
a disciplinary report in well over a year. But it is obvious from
my current situation that my behavior is not of any concern to my
oppressor. They are once against persecuting me for my political
cultural and philosophical views which are not influenced by the
concept of white supremacy.

Since no objective criteria exist to enable me to get off this
unit ... these official expect me to crawl on my hands and knees
and jump through hoops before the Klan-controlled board decides to
let me in general population. I be damned if I renounce my
principles to those who oppress me.

The new reactionary Warden, Randle Anderson is an Uncle Tom. He
hates anything that looks like him. I can't get him to take action
against these Klan counselors, case managers and unit managers. My
legal and personal mail incoming is being systematically withheld.
I can't call my family because of these racist counselors refuse
to allow me to use the phone in the evening when my loved ones are
off of work. The administration here refuses to provide indigent
prisoners (whose accounts are being illegally frozen for
disciplinary restitution) with soap, shampoo, razors, deodorant,
lotion and hair grease.

They claim I owe them over eight thousand dollars in connection
with an attempted murder of two pigs. But no court has ordered
this. The law library here is refusing to afford me case laws and
the counselors refuse to give me paper to write letters and do my
legal work. The Uncle Tom Warden refuses to acknowledge my
complaints about this.

Indiana Code 11-11-5-4 makes it clear that none of the hygiene,
legal research and stationary and mail is supposed to be denied to
prisoners as disciplinary action. This is being ignored.

Our struggle must intensify against the beast.

 --an Indiana prisoner.