In Amerika's dismal crypts, Religious organization banned as a
gang

Letters from prisoners describe their torturous conditions after being labeled gang members.


In this month that MIM has designated to oppose the political
repression of Amerikan prisons as part of the Under Lock & Key
2000 campaign, we must acknowledge a deepening of the trend of
stigmatizing prisoners for their political and organizational
affiliations. In the 1990s, prison authorities throughout the
united snakes initiated what they call "Security Threat Group"
policies, by which a sweeping array of physical or language
characteristics can be used to label prisoners as "Security Threat Group" or gang
members. To begin the year 2000 the Michigan Department of
Corrections has added the Melanic Islamic Palace of the
Rising Sun, a prisoner religious organization, to its list
of Security Threat Groups.

Much as the psychiatric industry makes a living off of
generalizing individual behaviors into a broad theory of so-called
normal humyn mentality, the Security Threat Group policies take the approach of
stigmatizing the languages and clothing styles of the oppressed
nations as symbols of gang affiliation. MIM Notes has written in
the past that the Security Threat Group policies are therefore a means of stifling
the independent culture of the oppressed nations. Two magazines of
Black culture -- VIBE and Blaze -- have been censored for
including "gang signs." This begs the question of whether the Michigan Department of Corrections 
sees all manner of Black expression as a gang expression and the
answer seems to be yes.

A prisoner in Michigan writes on January 18: "The entire
membership of the Melanic Islamic Palace of the Rising Sun were
summoned to the control center this morning by the Assistant
Deputy Warden of Programs, Assistant Deputy Warden of Security and the Chaplain. We
were told effective immediately that our religious organization
has been deemed and classified as a Security Threat Group and as of today is no longer a recognized religious organization.

[Prisoner religious organizations must be recognized by the prison
for their members to set up services, and meet together for
purposes of observing their religion.] We were ordered to turn
over all of our religious paraphernalia. We were told that any
attempt to practice our religion would result in a security
placement in level five. We were told that our executive
leadership was already on lockdown in segregation across the state
and that this directive comes from Director Martin himself.

"It is my opinion that the the Melanic Islamic Palace of the
Rising Sun has contributed much to the
raising of culture and political consciousness inside these
dungeons and pits. The reward for effectiveness within the belly
of the beast is censure and banishment. They came at us for
various reasons. I believe the main reason is the sophisticated
level of organization. Any level of organization inside these
dismal crypts is viewed as a threat by those charged with keeping
us disorganized. Any group that is politically conscious, and
actively working to spread that political consciousness is a
threat to the new centurions and their masters."

MIM agrees. We call all prisoners in this country political
prisoners because the prisons in this country have demonstrated
their purpose as warehousing the oppressed nations as a means of
preventing their political activity. Those who by their conditions
have least invested in fitting themselves into the scheme of this
society, and those who are most likely to rebel against Amerika
are locked up. Naturally their attempts to organize from within
prisons are also greatly restrained.

For this reason MIM places emphasis on organizing absolute
opposition to the u.s. criminal injustice system. We work to
support revolutionary reforms -- those reforms that make our work
possible -- like combating censorship so that we may pursue
relations with those behind the walls. But we do not pretend that
this system can ever be made into something that will serve the
needs of the oppressed by "making the streets safe" or by "getting
the criminals behind bars." The criminals are those who funnel the
oppressed to prisons instead of schools. As Maoists we work for a
system in which all people will have the basic rights to housing,
education, work, health care and political activity. The
imperialists' criminal activities include denial of these basic
needs and repression for those striving for them.

The prisoner writes: "the state took away religious services
from the Melanic Islamic Palace of the Rising Sun. You would think
that they would encourage such devices for some guys to better
themselves, but it seems to me that they do not want or need these
guys to better themselves. I look for some form of reaction any
day now. I will keep you all posted on it. Until next time, Power
to the People!"

MIM invites all comrades behind the walls to send us your updates
on this situation as well as similarities throughout Amerika. It
has also been our experience that comrades have come to the MIPRS
apolitical and wind up doing work with MIM in opposition to
imperialism. We look to sum up the lessons of different methods of
organizing and the party's press is the place to do that. The
pages of MIM Notes will be open to you this month and every month
to expose the political repression of prisoners in these united
snakes.


These are letters from prisoners


Political repression in NY prison

[...] Speaking of censorship, this is one of the most repressive
tactics administered by the pig administrations within prisons.
Censorship is more about keeping us miseducated than it is about
securing the safety of the facility. This is a proven fact due to
DOC's soldiers being bent on confiscating educational materials.
This censorship system breeds corruption.

Although there are policies and regulations, supposedly in
accordance with the first amendment, governing censorship -- by
designated administrators -- the security staff (a.k.a. pigs in
uniform), conduct their own censorship campaigns during cell
searches. The pigs seize reading material they think is
politically or socially offensive. These incidents are
contradictory actions. If we are permitted to receive certain
publications through the mail, it is obvious that censorship of
the materials should not happen later.

The uniformed flunkies act as if they have their own personal
constitutional agenda. They even take it to the extent of
confiscating photographs of family and friends. They then issue
misbehavior reports under the pretense of "unauthorized
organizational activity." Though all incoming mail is censored by
designated employees, we are burdened with [tiers of] censorship.

For example, I received a photograph in the mail of my brother
posing with an innocent hand gesture. It was allowed in by the
mail administrators. However, when I was transferred to another
facility, it was confiscated by korruptions officers during a cell
search. The confiscating officers labeled it "gang-related"
material and issued me a misbehavior report. The fact that they
issue so many misbehavior reports leads me to believe that they
receive a commission from the mandatory $5.00 surcharge for any
guilty dispositions on a monthly quota.

I was convicted of unauthorized/organizations activity and placed
on thirty days keep, locked with mandatory disciplinary surcharge
in the amount of $5.00. The hearing officer was biased and
prejudicial. There was absolutely no substantiating evidence other
than a uniformed pig's statement. I later appealed the
"superintendent's" designated person's decision to the
commissioner of DOC. The decision was affirmed.

Consequently, I filed an Article 78 proceeding, which is a
petition that challenges the decisions of the department of
correctional services.

After conducting some legal research I came across a similar case
where a prisoner's punishment was overturned because the alleged contraband was approved at his previous facility prior to his transfer. These circumstances are similar, and I'm awaiting word on my appeal.

To reiterate, many uniformed flunkies operate under their own
personal constitutional agenda to mete extra repressive
censorship.

Nevertheless, armed with the proper education we can counter-act
and lift some of the burdens of prison life off our backs!

All power to the people!

 -- A New York prisoner, 27 November 1999.


Ohio: Turning up dead in new prison

This prison opened in 1998 and people are already turning up dead.
The Correction Officers (C.O.s) shot this guy in here. They say it
was "rubber bullets," but there is a lot of stuff going on in this
Supermax prison and we need help to bring it to light. They dog
our phone calls so we can't let people know what's going on. We
don't get fresh air, have lockdown 23 hours a day and 24 hours a
day on the weekends, tight hand cuffs. We'll be out on a visit in
a glass cage, handcuffed and chained up from head to toe.

There are no windows in this place except a little one in the rec.
room and we have an 85% chance to get tuberculosis and all the
other diseases in the air. They are really doing us bad.

-- an Ohio Prisoner.


Separation & Segregation in Pennsylvania

I've been reading the MIM Notes for a few weeks now, and I found
it very inspiring. Our people have suffered long enough in the
hands of the oppressors.

I'm currently being held at S.C.I. Albion, where Latinos are
labeled as "gangs." Whenever the C.O.'s see more than five Latinos
together we're forced to break up into twos.

Also, my fellow Comrade was transferred to another prison because
he was asked by a C.O. here during a cell search if he was a
"NETA," (Once again, I remind you they label us as gang members),
so my fellow comrade responded, "Yes, I'm a devoted revolutionary
minded individual." So for that response, my fellow Comrade was
transferred to another prison. That's one form of abuse we Latinos
face behind the walls: "Separation & Segregation."

To us it's political education to fight the abuse these crackers
use on us.

Therefore I would like to start receiving MIM Notes so I am my
brothers can increase our knowledge of the Movement. I will like
to give my "Amor de rey" to all true Black and Gold fighting for
the struggle behind the walls.

The struggle continues!

 -- PA Prisoner, 10 October 1999.



An Illinois prisoner describes segregation conditions in Menard State Prison

Menard is located in the Southern District of Illinois, in an all-
White area. The Staff is all White for the most part. This is not
right due to the fact that the majority of the prisoners are
Hispanic and Black. Since America is supposed to be the Melting
Pot, its prison staff should reflect that Pot. Even if minority
staff have to be bussed for employment.

Segregation inmates are singled out for the harshest oppression
here, such as:

* One 15 minute shower a week
* No food from commissary
* No TV or radio for 6 months
* No contact visits
* No phone calls
* No braids in your hair
* No smoking
* Limited property

 -- An Illinois Prisoner, 22 November 1999.

When this letter was printed in MIM Notes, the Maoist Internationalist Movement responded: 

This prisoner exposes what is true across the country: in prison we see mostly white guards abusing mostly
oppressed nation prisoners. But MIM disagrees with this prisoner
that it is worth bussing in guards to include token members of
other nations. Anyone working for the imperialist prison system as
a guard will be a pig by the very nature of his or her job.
Putting a different face on that pig will not make him or her any
less of a pig.




Guards are the real gangs

MIM I am writing first of all to express my appreciation and
gratitude for receiving MIM Notes for Dec. 1, 1999 and I must
commend you on such an informative issue.

I am writing in reference to the prison and alleged "gang"
problem. It is first of all an actual fact that most prisoners are
apolitical when they enter a prison setting, however its not very
long after that before one begins to educate themselves concerning
the prison industrial complex in regards to race and geo-
graphical, location.

As the convict begins to "connect the dots" so to speak, and view
his/her condition from a historical perspective then begins to
educate his "peers" who are also held captive he or she becomes a
"threat" to the administration. You are then labeled as a "gang
member" and must be isolated from those in general population.

This has become a trend throughout the United Snakes prison
system. In NJ there are no gangs other then the police that patrol
the ghetto colonies and the guards that work within the
prisons/jails. Many brothers may be Muslim, 5% Nation of Islam or
revolutionaries, nonetheless you are characterized as a "gang
member".

This is a very destructive trend because for one to be labeled a
gang member trivializes the mission of the combatants secondly it
misinforms the public who is already (mis-informed) to have more
tax dollars invested into supermax prison kamps "for their own
protection". Finally it opens the door for more brutality against
captives by Nazi type gestopo pigs, also being approved
by the ignorant masses. It is imperative that we all become
politically conscious and recognize that the prison industrial
complex is big business meaning "big bucks" again at the expense
of the New Afrikan, and Latino communities. 

To give a young mis-guided "inmate" a perspective of what's really
going down means the beginning of the end of exploitation of the
masses, held within the confines of these retaining walls. For
those of us who know what time it is and what must be done to
combat this repressive system, must do even more! Transform the
criminal mentality into a revolutionary mentality. We are not
gangstas. Ie. A group of criminals or hoodlums. But politically
and socially conscious "souljahs" and "warriors" fighting for the
liberation of oppressed people here in amerikkka and throughout
the world. Wanting to say peace, but having to wage war! Straight
ahead

 -- a New Jersey prisoner, 7 January 2000.


Security Threat Group classification in Tennessee

At the prison that I'm currently confined in, four of six units
are maximum security and the majority of these are Security Threat
Group classifications.

Security Threat Group classification is based on the following:

A group of individual's possessing common characteristics which
serve to distinguish them from other individuals or groups who
have been determined to be acting in concert so as to pose a
threat or potential threat to staff, other inmates, the
institution or the community. To organize or promote, encourage,
or directly participate in a security threat group or its
activity.

...But their are folks that have been here four to five years
without a disciplinary infraction other than what they were placed
on max for and this prison (West Tennessee State Penitentiary) is
the worst concerning Security Threat Groups

First I am a Guidance Disciple with tattoos and other
certified information which established that. But I was placed on
max for strong-armed robbery, alleging vice lord involvement and
activities.

Second, at other prisons in Tennessee, an inmate may not be
labeled as Security Threat Group without an incident. Here they consider everybody
as being somebody and there isn't even an internal Affairs to
substantiate the allegations. An officer just says it and it
sticks.

Third, due process is compromised from disciplinary members, to
the Tennessee DOC commissioner. There is no regard to justice
here, especially when it comes to Security Threat Group labels.

 -- a Tennessee Prisoner, 19 October 1999.