MIM Notes 189 July 1 1999

UNDER LOCK & KEY

REAL CRIMINALS ARE PROPONENTS OF AMERIKAN PRISONS 

In Bayside State Prison where several inmates were murdered by 
officers and kept hush-hush from the media, they have a gang of 
officers called the Cow Paster Gang which they proudly advertised 
it in the News papers that it is a secret society made up of 
correction officers in Bayside and Southern State facility. They 
never had a problem in Jersey with gangs. What about the brutality 
and the abuse of the officers. I guess I will be abused til I max 
out because I refuse to give up my right to any type or form of 
belief.

I am not a dangerous person nor do I believe in violence. So how 
can they say with their personal opinion that I am a threat to the 
security when I don't have any institutional infractions or have I 
been investigated for any illegal activities within these walls. 
Only because I am a Latin King. Nothing else.

Promises come in that if I sign [form agreeing to sever all ties 
with "security threat groups"] I will get more privileges in each 
phase and the more I sign these forms the more privileges are 
returned. Plus we are placed two (2) inmates to a cell the size of 
8' by 10'. We are not allowed to write other inmates, we are not 
allowed to order books, we are not allowed to have any hobbies, we 
are allowed one non contact visit with family only once a month. 
One 15 minutes recorded phone call a week, showers every other 
day. Eat cold food, no ventilations in these sealed rooms, 
recreation every other day in a cage 24' by 24' for 10 minutes.

What's sad is that when I entered the system there was educational 
programs, now there is zero, none in the prison system. They are 
nothing but human warehouses.

You know that Jersey has among the top three states in this 
Kountry with the highest return of inmates within two years? 84% 
of the inmates released in jersey return back within 2 years. What 
is Jersey doing wrong? Do they want this because it is the most 
and first Federal funds, of which is the easiest to steal money of 
and from?? The D.O.C. received $975,000 for one year for this 
unit. Where is that money, the inmates build fences around here. 
Only one officer to the units and in fact many other officers come 
here to hide and sleep. No extra security for we are locked in our 
cells 23 hours a day and never make any contact with the officers. 
They have full control. Any body with common sense can see that 
this is nothing but a form of to manipulate money under the table. 

We are not allowed to organize in here for they have an infraction 
called group demonstraction. There is a lot of bias in the prison 
system. The Latinos catch no breaks in Jersey at all. I'm hispanic 
with some common sense. I encourage my latin brothers to read and 
study. That alone is why I'm in here in this gang unit.

-- a prisoner in New Jersey



ORGANIZING MUST BE DEDICATED, CONSISTENT 

Uhuru. Revolutionary Greetings. I have been locked up inside of 
these dungeons for 12 years and during these years, I have 
experienced and witnessed the brutality of the establishment, both 
physically and mentally and I thank the almighty creator for 
giving me the strength to stay strong and not break weak.

During these many trials that I have encountered, I have waged a 
continuous battle against them as well. I have rebelled just about 
any way I could. It seems that during these moments, I have always 
turned toward many so-called organizations for help in my battle 
only to be ignored. I would always see the establishment's side of 
the story printed or what have you and it would and still does 
anger me because of what was being said and how they always 
justify their actions. When this would happen, I would write 
various organizations, send petitions, etc. in an attempt to have 
our side of the story heard and bring attention to the situation. 
But like always I realized that it was just a bunch of talk and no 
action.

After a period of time, I just wanted to say fuck it and give up, 
but the warrior instinct wouldn't allow me to do it. Every prison 
that I have been to, I've spearheaded many positive things by 
agitating, educating and organizing and each time I've been met 
with resistance and eventually lockup. I have and always will 
champion for the right to be heard, but many established 
organizations on the outside seem to want prisoners' voices 
silenced.

Many prisoners that I have come in contact with want to become 
organized, but they always pose the question: once we are 
organized where do we go? This is a very haunting question because 
if we don't have the proper outlet it will only lead to a deadend 
and deadends bring frustration which causes many to give up.

The reason many prisoners look for help from outside organizations 
is because many have been disconnected from family and friends and 
not being connected leaves many feeling totally abandoned. There 
are many problems that exist within these dungeons that can be 
corrected if we had the help of someone outside. I know people 
outside have many priorities that are just as important and that 
is respected, but to say one thing and do different clearly shows 
contradiction.

I am not criticizing all underground support networks, but I 
criticize the majority. There are many brilliant prisoners inside 
these dungeons with no sense of direction and when someone comes 
along to show them the right path they are normally silenced by 
the establishment by being separated. Outside of the Third World, 
prisons are gigantic laboratories where all experiments start 
before reaching society, so there should be serious attention paid 
to this wicked system. We have something that we would like to 
share with the outside, but how can we when there is no 
communication network? We can show support to the struggle in many 
ways, but if we don't have the vehicle to do so or the support 
then it is useless.

Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win. Sasa!

--An Indiana prisoner, 10 May, 1999.


MIM responds: In response to your comments about support for 
prisoner organizing, you are certainly correct that this is 
something people on the outside should put their time into. We 
appreciate your forthrightness in bringing up this issue of 
organizing in your first letter to us. MIM holds that prisoners 
are one of the few most likely revolutionary social groups in this 
country - so as a revolutionary party our interest in working with 
prisoners is clear, we need to be organizing among all people who 
can be united for support of anti-imperialism and anti-militarism 
under Maoist leadership.

You should understand though that MIM is a Communist party, not 
merely a prisoner support organization. Our primary task is to 
build public opinion in favor of the just struggles of the 
oppressed, and we do this through having a party organization, 
publishing a newspaper and theory journal, and a great deal of 
other work. It's true we do some work that takes the form of 
support for prisoners. One example is the Serve the People Free 
Books for Prisoners Program, another is helping prisoners to 
counter censorship of their mail. We do these things because the 
lack of political study materials, and censorship of mail are two 
problems that stand in the way of prisoners' organizing.

You have been open with us and we will be open with you as well. 
Our work is directed by very specific goals. We aim to continue to 
build a vanguard party (see the MIM Theory enclosed with this 
letter for more on that), to do our party work, and to lead united 
front organizations as well that will do work in their areas. So 
when you mention support of people on the outside, we think of 
that in terms of leading USW (see below), leading RAIL (see below) 
to do education and agitation around prisons issues, continuing to 
publish the Under Lock & Key pages of MIM Notes, and other work in 
the same vein. Since you have clearly given a lot of thought to 
the issues of leadership, follow-through, and other aspects of 
organizing among large numbers of people, we will be very 
interested to know more of your thoughts on United Struggle from 
Within, and on MIM's own work.

MIM has initiated a prisoner anti-imperialist organization United 
Struggle from Within (USW), which is led by MIM and is a place for 
anti-imperialists to organize from within the prisons system. 
Currently USW comrades have advanced our campaign against 
censorship, they have formed study groups and worked with MIM to 
organize anti-imperialists inside and out of the prisons. This is 
something to think about if you are interested in activism 
exposing the Amerikan prisons system and in organizing as part of 
a general anti-imperialist movement.

The Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist League (RAIL) - a MIM-led anti-
imperialist mass organization for non-prisoners - has been 
focusing on censorship, payment for imprisonment (e.g., prisoners 
being forced to pay for medical care) and prisoner labor as the 
objects of investigation and exposure. RAIL organizes people 
through public events and discussions, flyers and publications 
about imperialism in general and the prisons in particular. USW 
will take a similar role in educating people about prisons while 
organizing against repression in the prisons system.



ILLINOIS USES ADMIN. DETENTION TO SILENCE ACTIVISTS 



I'm writing from the Tamms Supermax in Illinois. I was abducted 
from [another prison] population. Like a majority of the Tamms 
population I'm not here due to any type of infraction. I've been 
charge-free for a year and a half now. I'm under administrative 
detention status. Their reason being that I have influence in an 
organization. This is their main method of filling these chambers, 
to take the word of a stool pigeon and run with it, regardless of 
his reliability.

I've been reading MIM Notes for the past two days. What I've read 
makes me feel the strength in all those revolutionary voices. I 
feel their presence and the pride to fight all the odds against 
us. Brothers have died in the struggle. I will take my burning 
desire of revolution to the world with me. It's been a part of me 
for many years. ... I will be a "machinating" revolutionary till I 
breathe my last breath.

--An Illinois prisoner, 11 May, 1999



TEXAS' INCREASED REPRESSION 



... Well comrades, here on the Allred Unit they are almost 
completed a new Super Max Seg that will hold approximately 1500 
known gang related inmates, 2 to a cell with a shower built inside 
the cells, no windows, no sunlight. They started building that 
Super Max Seg in October, and they are nearly finished with it, 
they turn 4 buildings into Protect Custody. {...} Most of C/C 
MED/Custody have been on Lockdown since Nov., Dec., Jan. 1999. 
{...} Oh yeah, they did all the Muslim brother bad for Ramadan on 
this racist Unit, spearheaded by Lt. Berger, Stg. Anderson, they 
totally disrespected their inmates and their beliefs they 
discriminate against them, made them wait as long as 10:00 at 
night to feed and the food was sloppy together cold, etc. This was 
more HATE than anything. They tried to portray all of the Muslim 
as gang related, it was a total mess man it was wrong how they 
treated the Muslims for Ramadan. Had one guard run around 
hollowing "Ramadan my ding dong," and shit like that. Need I say 
more.

Your Brother & Comrade,

 - A prisoner in Texas, 4 Feb 99



PRISON AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE



I am a prisoner confined in the state of Massachusetts at M.C.I. 
Walpole State Prison and has been confined in the state as well as 
the Federal Bureau of Prisons since October 27, 1974 for various 
crimes. When I was first sent to M.C.I Walpole in 1974 I thought 
[...] it was one of the worst prisons in the country along with 
San Quentin, Attica, Michigan, etc. 

There was nothing but rebellion against the oppressor (the guards) 
who was assaulted, maimed, and forced out of the prison by way of 
injury acquired on duty or retirement because we as solid convicts 
could not be controlled. 

In August 1979, Ax-Handle Fenton who was the warden at the federal 
prison at Marion and Lewisburg was found guilty of beating 
prisoners off the bus at Lewisburg. He became a consultant for the 
Department of Corrections and thereafter locked up the whole 
prison and shipped out a lot of the incorrigibles, un-desirables 
and not wanted convicts to other state segregation units and as 
far as to various Federal prisons. This tactic of shipping 
convicts out of Walpole state prison on four (4) separate periods 
within 1979, 1980 and through 1995.

While all the ship out of convicts was going on they was bring it 
out men prisoners who had never done any time or other inmates who 
became friends off the administration who had assisted in making 
sure the institution had ran smoothly working, cleaning, and 
cooking. While the prison guards was abusing and assaulting 
convicts in the west wing segregation unit.

Since 1985 there has been a new baby boom of gang-banger, 
administration inmate assistance who is working with this prison 
officials to suppress any struggle of guys who wants to rebel and 
change things to the way it use to be. The guys who is confined 
don't know who to trust because the snitching and being an 
informant is rampant. I once was a prison you could lose your life 
at any time and day by various groups, i.e. Murder Incorporated, 
Death Valley, over the Hill gang, etc. etc.

[...]The way it is now Massachusetts has a control unit which is 
called the Department Disciplinary Unit (DDI) and I would like to 
hear if there is any other state or federal control unit where 
convicts is not allowed to purchase any canteen with the exception 
of stamps. We are not allowed to purchase food from the canteen, 
and the maggot officers is the only ones who passes out the food 
trays. And due to the facts convicts be working out in the cells 
or has to eat what little food they are given. The swines is 
taking it upon thereself to adulterated our food trays with spit, 
mice droppings, human feces, un-authorized medications (this is 
only being done to certain convicts) in retaliation because there 
might be grievances filed against them, assaults them, or the 
reasons of the placement in the DDU. There is some inmates, 
prisoners, convicts that is aware that these swines officers is 
tampering with the food and some of the responses is that "oh it 
aint happen to me" well how would you know? If there is a swine 
that dont like you or be accident given anyone the wrong tray then 
you got it.

Its time to stop and allowing tub swine cops to do whatever they 
want and nothing is not being said or done. They already had took 
the contact visits, personal cloth, canteen items, yard-
recreations, what is next. Its dimte to wake up and stop the 
maddness that there doing because it affects us all. Because what 
they do to you and nothing is done and they feel oh they can do it 
to me or anyone else. So step up to the plate and get involved in 
the struggle to change the way the prison is running.

--a Massachusetts prisoner



STUDY GROUP CONTINUES AS LEADER IS TRANSFERRED FROM LOCK-UP

". . . I'm taking most of the literature you sent me off lock-up, 
but the study group which I established up here has collected some 
materials and I am leaving a couple. . . the conditions in this 
yard as well as any other across the state is drastic. There is no 
pay for incoming prisoners as of Jan. 1998 (as you know) and those 
who are convicted in kangaroo court of a major 'violation.' . . . 
I will be among those who receive no 'pay' (what little there 
was). It will be harder for me to buy any material as I have done 
in the past, because of soon having to provide for my basic 
necessities which were provided while on lock-up. I know this is 
not a big issue with you from the prisoners side, but I've always 
strived to contribute financially where possible to the struggle."

 -- South Carolina prisoner 7 December 1998.



MIM responds: MIM appreciates hearing about successful study 
groups, and also about comrades' financial contributions to our 
political work. We remind people on the street who say they don't 
have a dollar to donate to MIM Notes that our comrades under lock 
and key manage to send us money, because of the belief that MIM's 
revolutionary work is the best around, and well worth contributing 
to.



MIM ON PRISONS & PRISONERS

MIM seeks to build public opinion against Amerika's criminal 
injustice system, and to eventually replace the bourgeois 
injustice system with proletarian justice. The bourgeois injustice 
system imprisons and executes a disproportionately large and 
growing number of oppressed people while letting the biggest mass 
murderers -- the imperialists and their lackeys -- roam free. 
Imperialism is not opposed to murder or theft, it only insists 
that these crimes be committed in the interests of the 
bourgeoisie.

MIM does not advocate that all prisoners go free today; we have a 
more effective program for fighting crime as was demonstrated in 
China prior to the restoration of capitalism there in 1976. We say 
that all prisoners are political prisoners because under the 
dictatorship of the bourgeoisie, all imprisonment is substantively 
political. It is our responsibility to exert revolutionary 
leadership and conduct political agitation and organization among 
prisoners -- whose material conditions make them an overwhelmingly 
revolutionary group. Some prisoners should and will work on self-
criticism under a future dictatorship of the proletariat in those 
cases in which prisoners really did do something wrong by 
proletarian standards.