MIM Notes No. 198, November 15, 1999

Under Lock & Key: News on Prisons and Prisoners

Tough to educate yourself in prison

I'm a Death row prisoner in Indiana. I would love to receive your 
newsletter.

I live off of $13 a month state pay, so I can't afford to survive, 
let alone send any dough. I would truly be grateful if I could 
receive your newsletter. It's just so hard to educate yourself 
when you can't get your hands on the literature.

Thank you!

--An Indiana Death Row prisoner.

MIM Responds:  MIM Notes is free to all people living under lock & 
key, for the reasons this courageous prisoner explains. If you 
have time to write, you can help to support your own subscription 
by writing for MIM Notes. You can explain what conditions are like 
on the death rows in your state -- both so that prisoners in other 
systems and people on the outside can understand and educate 
themselves about this facet of imperialism.

For our readers who are not in prison, it is important to 
understand that prisoners are not "living off the tax payers" as 
the reactionaries claim. $13 per month is not enough to live on 
because prisoners must buy basic necessities like soap, aspirin 
and vitamins, and sometimes even toilet paper from the prison 
store. The prisons do not provide the basics and definitely do not 
supply a full range of educational materials. This is why we run a 
Serve the People Free Books for Prisoners program -- to organize 
the resources and efforts of students, families and activists on 
the outside to help serve the organizing needs of prisoners.


Legal battles go only part way

...I read the Cain v. MDOC article and its nothing that these 
people (US system) have been doing for years but I see where y'all 
try to point out winnable legal battles.

Here in Texas some class action suit was filed a long time ago 
(1972) which had the Feds monitoring the prisons. But little by 
little the control is being given back to the prisoncrats and they 
will have complete power to rule over its prisons and I predict 
for the worse. We have a 3-step grievance process and they have 
done away with the one that went to the deputy director. They hate 
the grievance for those that know how to use it but what they 
really hate is when they put down something on paper (grievance) 
and cannot lie out of it. 

Respectfully,

-- Another Texas prisoner.

MIM adds:  Agreed that repression and censorship is nothing new to 
the Amerikan prison system. MIM publicizes conditions in prisons 
to organize and build support for revolution. Federal (or other 
types) of oversight, grievance procedure changes and the halting 
of some repressive policies will not end the violence against 
prisoners at the hands of the state. This is because the 
foundation of prison is social control and repression within a 
system fundamentally based on exploitation for the profit of 
imperialists. Only revolution will end the madness that is the 
Amerikan prison system -- but there are many steps to fighting a 
successful revolution. Education regarding conditions is one of 
those necessary steps.


Me and My Big Mouth

Twelve o'clock noon september 7, 1999
Pseudo-retaliation for the guard
The administration had stabbed by a prisoner
scores of prison pigs jack-booted germans
with german shepherds patrolling the ranges
Mangy colonists disorganizing entire cells
A noise of prisoner voices rising in complaint
conversations crisscrossing cell-House air space.
I wait for hours in a vacant cell, the only one
Knowing the truth of it all
How they created a weak emergency through
The blood of a pig
To harass their rotting captives (broken property)
It was the, "Fuck ISP"* poem this time
But my words
If my words mean that much to them
Free all political prisoners:  Peltier, Mumia, Conway,
Woodfox, Shoats, Wallace, Hampton jr. the Afrikas, all.
Go ahead
Listen to me and my big mouth:
Freedom.

an Iowa prisoner, 7 September 1999.


Prison oppression, nothing new, nothing changes

I've read several letters in your newspaper from Texas that 
referred to the cruelties in our Administrative Segregation Units. 
I would like you to know that a couple of years ago the Federal 
Judge of the Eastern District Court of Texas told the TDJC [Texas 
Department of Criminal Justice - ed] to reorganize their Ad-Seg 
procedures because the present classification system is still 
unconstitutional. However, any changes made so far have only been 
on paper. Ad-Seg units continue the same abuses reported to Judge 
William Wayne Justice back then.

A Texas prisoner.

Prisoners: Submit your art. MIM and RAIL are organizing a prisoner 
art and poetry show. The money raised will go direcly to Books for 
Prisoners and help cover the costs of mailing and puchasing books.  
Help build revolutionary culture!


Underprivileged in the Belly of the Beast

The prison population in Florida has tripled since 1987, from 
27,000 to well over 67,000 in 1998. With 85% of the adult and 95% 
of the juvenile prisoners illiterate! ... Us prisoners in the FDOC 
and across the nation are just like [Hebrew slaves in Egypt]! The 
government has taken everything away from us, down to our fake 
constitutional access to their criminal injustice system. And what 
do we do? Cry like helpless babies! And as we cry, they stick a 
pacifier into our mouths. What is this pacifier? A television, a 
foot ball, a basketball, foolish games, and special privileges....

MIM, I don't know, but I think the black people here in America 
back has been "broken". They have this great fear of the white 
man. Most of them even see the white man as their God! I believe 
they inherited this fear and the inability to unite in love, from 
slavery. And it was handed down from generation to generation. You 
know: the history reveals that a lot of the atrocities that was 
done of their kids. This was the system the slave master use to 
pass the fear on. ... Knowledge! Knowledge is the sole doctor with 
the remedy for this huge epidemic disease! We the underprivileged, 
are being destroyed for a "Lack of knowledge". ... Because we have 
no knowledge, we failed to see the net set by the fisherman, the 
government. All we see are the small pieces of baits materialism 
which are the crumbs that fall from their table. Therefore, we end 
up as food for their stomach! This being the case, we must get the 
knowledge which will free us from the fisherman's net, before we 
end up in his frying pan! then food for his belly! ... He enters 
nation after nation, in the name of peace and stability. But when 
he leaves, there is only poverty and destruction! We must learn to 
identify this force, under the current disguise of "Peace and 
stability!" It is truly imperialism. Imperialism is a vampire! And 
who are they? To tell the truth in this world, is against the law! 
We have to open our eyes and look?! The Babylonians had long ago 
taken their imperialist game to another level.

a prisoner in Florida


Keep 'em locked-up and locked-out of library

Peaceful greetings to all and my highest of wishes! ... First of, 
I want to inform you that I've been sent to one of these new 
"Supermax" Dungeon called Sussex State Prison.

It's in tune with that "Red Onion" prison. The same things go on 
here as well. Shootings, beatings, and all the unnecessary 
excessive force and brutality. You can check more into our last 
shooting by contacting the Richmond Times Dispatch or the Channel 
6 news. "Prisoner was shot on Feb. 21, 1999 at Sussex State 
Prison."

That was the last one that made the media. But it was not the last 
prisoner to be shot for no real reason. It's like these people 
really get off on abusing us prisoners.

You had asked numerous questions on some first hand information on 
education [programs], how much and at what level do they exist? 
Well it's a good front they put on for the public. Due to the fact 
that they have teachers and classrooms. But only a few students! 
Last I saw it was six per class.

Library: There is one. But only can be used by the students. The 
other 994 prisoners can't use it.

Law Library: There is no law library. If law cases are needed, one 
has to write a request to grievance coordinator and wait a month 
or better before receiving a reply.

This place is really outrageous. As for prisoners, they really 
push that paperwork at them. They set them up with bogus 
infractions so you will be placed in segregation. Then most of the 
time all of one's paperwork in your property will be lost. So as 
you can see we don't have no real wins. Not from this standpoint.

You also spoke of release. I was sentenced to [more than] 17 years 
... for second degree homicide.... They have given me 6 turn downs 
for parole. All for the same reason: serious nature of the crime. 
Which will never change. So how can one make any progress in their 
parole hearing? I see that's it's about "keep 'em locked up" as 
long as possible.

--A Virginia Prisoner


 Prisoners: Submit your art. MIM and RAIL are organizing a 
prisoner art and poetry show. The money raised will go direcly to 
Books for Prisoners and help cover the costs of mailing and 
puchasing books.  Help build revolutionary culture!