MIM Notes 192 August 15 1999
Amerika: Land of 1.8 Million Prisoners, Home of Cowardly 
Repression and Censorship

Prison administrators across Amerika commonly prevent prisoners 
from receiving MIM Notes or other correspondence from MIM, such as 
books from the Serve the People Free Books for Prisoners Program. 
Over the last year, MIM and prisoner allies intensified our 
efforts to end the censorship of MIM Notes and to increase 
prisoners' ability to read what they want and speak their minds.

Some people who hear about this censorship do not care, because 
they do not agree with the politics in MIM Notes. This is a 
dangerous position that exposes the myth of free speech in 
Amerika. But even these people should be aware that dictionaries, 
Spanish textbooks, and books on political science, history, even 
English literature are returned without reason or just thrown out.

Recently, letters to MIM-led mass organizations like United 
Struggle from Within and the Prisoners' Legal Clinic were 
censored. The letters discussed topics such as setting up study 
groups, legal cases and prisoner health issues. Many mailroom pigs 
have determined that letters, information on legal work, and mass 
organizations are the working of so-called Security Threat Groups 
a.k.a. "gangs." Anything STG-related, written by gangs, or bearing 
alleged gang symbols can be censored. Many prison pigs consider 
the Puerto Rican flag to be a gang symbol. This (temporarily) 
justifies censorship of MIM Notes issues with that flag. Prison 
officials in Michigan considered something in MIM Notes #189 to be 
a gang symbol. The choices: photographs from protests against 
Amerikan bombings, the revolutionary feminism symbol, the hammer 
and sickle, or art detailing a prisoner in chains.

Another common reason to censor MIM Notes is because the last page 
is in Spanish. As we reported in earlier MIM Legal Notes articles, 
prison officials are not allowed to deny material on the basis 
that it is not in English. Instead, the material is to be reviewed 
by a guard who can read the language. Hundreds of newspapers and 
books sent by MIM have been censored on the basis that no one is 
available to read the Spanish to determine its content. Once would 
be annoying. Hundreds of times show it is just pigs being pigs.

The number one justification given to censor newspapers, 
dictionaries, and the like is because they are alleged "threats to 
the facility." The letters, books, and newspapers MIM sends to 
prisoners are not related to criminal activity. They do not 
violate or advocate the violation of prison policies, state, or 
federal laws. When challenged, no prison official has been able to 
argue ITAL why and how END MIM Notes (or dictionaries) cause a 
threat to their facilities. In fact, prisoners articulate to MIM 
that learning political philosophy and organization has helped 
them to stop antagonisms between prisoners -- and organize against 
oppression instead.

Because these excuses for censoring MIM Notes and other materials 
such as letters and dictionaries are so paper-thin, it is clear 
that this is political censorship. MIM Notes exposes both the 
particular crimes of prison guards and administrators and the 
general way in which Amerikan prisons are a tool of oppression. 
MIM Notes carries out revolutionary agitation against the 
imperialist system of which Amerikan prisons are a part. We must 
be doing something right, because the prisoncrats have responded 
by trying to shut us up.

To combat this censorship, prisoners file grievance after 
grievance, despite the threat of retaliation. Prisoners who 
exhaust the grievance process then litigate to stop censorship in 
their states. Some have already been successful, while others are 
still developing their cases. The Serve the People Prisoners' 
Legal Clinic has increased work against censorship and publication 
rate of MIM Legal Notes.

Imprisonment in Amerika is meant to strip people of their rights, 
yet prisons have to deal with the contradiction that courts have 
allowed prisoners to retain some so-called rights. MIM seeks to 
utilize such contradictions under imperialism. While such legal 
battles will not end the oppressive nature of Amerikan prisons, 
fighting for winnable reforms that lessen repression enables us to 
organize more effectively against imperialism.

MIM and RAIL have increased efforts to build public opposition to 
censorship in the context of anti-imperialism by pounding the 
pavement, holding revolutionary education events, and giving 
benefit concerts. In several states, MIM is working with lawyers 
and liberal prisoner supporters to plan courses of action in the 
courts and to learn tactics to decrease censorship.

MIM's goal is to end oppression. To speed this along, we need the 
newspaper and information to reach destinations -- the hands of 
more masses. Prisons are not the only culprits censoring MIM 
Notes. MIM work is censored in urban areas and college campuses 
daily. MIM focuses against prison censorship at this time to win 
gains for one of the most repressed and revolutionary groups in 
Amerika.

MIM's literature program is in the tradition of Serve the People 
work of the Chinese Communist Party and the Black Panther Party. 
MIM's STPs and independent institutions of the oppressed meet the 
needs of the oppressed while building more opposition to 
imperialism. MIM sends books to prisoners to counter the absolute 
void of education in prisons and to help prisoners learn the 
necessary theoretical and historical information to launch 
successful blows against oppression. Despite censorship, this work 
continues and we urge increased involvement from outside masses. 
MIM welcome libertarians, liberals, anarchists, humyn rights 
activists and all those willing to fight for freedom of speech to 
work with MIM on this campaign against censorship. The 
ramifications go far beyond the work of MIM. Readers with legal 
experience should consider spending some time with MIM. You can 
work on key cases to assist prisoners in gaining access to the 
press, medical care, exercise time, educational books and classes 
and other things they are denied like pens, writing paper, 
uncontaminated food, blankets, and toilet paper. For those with 
money, we need financial support. MIM is willing to train those 
committed to help but without relevant skills.

For information on revolutionary events, shows, and work with 
prisoners in your area, contact mim@mim.org