MIM NOTES No. 201            January 1, 2000

Under Lock & Key

Segregation in Indiana: exposing the lie of rehabilitation

You ask about conditions in the [Indiana State Penitentiary] ISP? 
Well here it goes ... I am currently held in A.S. (Administrative 
Segregation) over here. There are 165 cells in a prehistoric 
cellhouse on the East side of D-C-H at the IN State Prison. We are 
locked down 23 hours a day five days a week, and 23 and a half 
hours a day two days a week; which is a total of six hours a week 
out of the cell. The policy to be in A.S. is: to be a violent or 
disruptive offender with some other specifications of time clear 
on conduct reports and being in a specific credit class. Being 
[Credit Class] C.C. 1 is good, C.C.3 is bad. But as all of us on 
A.S. know, the administration makes up the rules as it goes along 
and blames a lot on overcrowding of bed space.

Here is where A.S. is a joke to us. A lot of us over here have 
come from the IDU, [Secure Housing Unit] SHU or [Maximum Control 
Complex] MCC at Westville. When released from any of these 3 
disciplinary tombs [Indiana Department of Corrections] IDOC policy 
states the offender is to be placed in the general population to 
resume rehabilitation and correction. But no, we are placed in DAS 
for anywhere from 90 days to ? I have been over here five months, 
and that is after spending six-and-a-half months on IDU. I 
currently have 11 months' clear conduct, I'm in C.C.1 and I'm 
going home in 60 days and I am at present being denied the IDOC 
policy of pre- release transitional unit and classes. I have not 
given up the fight to get over there however! Either way my day 
will come!

The newest development of oppression is that the commissary has 
gone privatized leading to outrageous prices on Aldi Brand foods, 
if you feel me. A six-pack of soda pop is $3.00, a ramen noodle 
soup is 25 cents, a pair of MAC-5 headphones is $35.00 which is 
$15.00 over the street price, basically the prison and private 
business are splitting a 40-50% profit on commissary items sold. 
They are also making us pay for the lost or stolen state clothing, 
when a lot of times C.O. s will take clothes on a shakedown just 
to be taking something, not only leaving us with less than issued 
and needed, but also now we have to pay for it. Those on A.S. are 
given $5.00 a month state pay, DOC policy says $13.65, but we 
receive $5.00! The Indiana Reformatory and the Correctional 
Industrial Facility both have A.S. units where offenders receive 
$13.65 a month, but at ISP we receive $5.00 a month. Lawsuits on 
this are currently in the courts. But shit, they charge us $5.00 
to receive health care, plus another $3.00 if you need a 
prescription. So That is $8.00 total, on $5.00 a month that's damn 
near two months' state pay not counting cosmetics, which are now 
90 cents to $1.30 for a bar of soap and $1.75 for a bottle of 
shampoo. A toothbrush is 45 cents, toothpaste is $1.35 to $2.50. 
All these necessities, on $5.00 a month state pay with no 
opportunity for work or school. Now tell me that is not 
oppression!

We recently went on lockdown for ten days because two C.O.s lost 
some keys and an offender found them, so now they locked down to 
change the locks on the entire 500 range. The same two C.O.s still 
work the cell house. Who suffered even worse oppression for the 
C.O.s mistakes? We did! Furthermore, the majority of us on A.S. 
are affiliated with one organization or another: Latin Kings, 
Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, 5%ers, Aryan Nation, out of 165 of 
us in A.S. approximately 149, are affiliated! I know us L.K. s are 
marked STG, I got paperwork to prove mine! Anyway my hand hurts 
from writing, peace be unto you 360 degrees of S.K.L. to all the 
L.K. s nation wide!

Amor con mucho respecto,

 -- an Indiana prisoner.

MIM responds: Prisoners throughout the united snakes can relate to 
this comrade's experience with paying for his own imprisonment. 
Policies requiring prisoners to pay for more of their own basic 
needs are being inked as MIM Notes goes to press. Prisoner co-
payments for medical care are common, with some states charging up 
to $5.00 per visit. Such policies are fueled by the reactionary 
idea that prisoners are "living off the taxpayers." But this false 
impression stems from the belief that justice in Amerika is blind, 
and that prison is just sentence for crimes committed. MIM 
disputes both these ideas as bullhockey.

That the majority of organizations that have members in 
Segregation at Indiana State Penitentiary are members of oppressed 
nation organizations is not a surprise. The united snakes has 
always held substantial minorities of the oppressed forcibly 
within its borders, Prisons in Amerika are designed to repress 
those who would rebel against u.$. imperialism from within. 
Oppressed nationalities more than 50 percent of the prisoner 
population in this country even though whites are a decided 
majority in the general population. Numerous studies have shown 
that all other things being equal Blacks are executed in wildly 
disproportionate numbers, and that prisons serve no rehabilitative 
purpose. In many states ex-prisoners are not allowed to vote in 
elections, and finding work after prison is difficult.

MIM looks at increasing charges to prisoners in terms of the 
prisons' function for national oppression. We organize prisoners 
to expose and oppose the conditions of their confinement. But we 
do this in the context of a broader struggle to eliminate the 
system of imperialism that prisons serve.

Harassed while on hunger strike

I want to say that since coming off hunger strike, I've been low 
profile trying to regain my strength ... During my hunger strike 
the super-pretendent came and talked to me. During our talk I was 
asked not to wake a sleeping giant. When I explained to him that 
waking sleeping giants was my obligation, the super-pretendent 
became very irritated. After my strike was over, I was moved from 
the segregation's short term to long term, but dig this. I was put 
on a range where they throw feces, piss, scream, yell, flood, etc. 
every day. This is no coincidence that I was moved over on this 
range. It was done to try and silence me!! There isn't one sane 
soul on this range who I can hold a decent conversation with let 
alone talk and share politics with. I am used to this type of 
shit, but it only makes me stronger. It they keep moving me 
around, I will eventually come into contact with somebody who will 
listen ...

Keep the Revolutionary Nerve! Stay Strong and always continue to 
move forward, backwards never!

 -- an Indiana prisoner.

"Gun control" and prisons, who wields the weapon?

A shout goes out to all my Brothas and Sistahs in the Struggle. 
... I commend those who are struggling to bring about a 
revolutionary change. To all POWs and P.P.s stay strong, continue 
to struggle, keep your heads up and always keep the nerve! All 
power to the righteous people!

The issue of gun control is being mockingly debated by the powers 
that be so that it will appear to the public that there is a great 
concern to do something about this crisis. We shouldn't be fooled 
into believing that a particular community of people who are 
protected by private armies is really concerned about guns in 
their communities. ... 

Gun control is a guise for the powers that be to justify killings 
and brutality by the police. This is being done so that the 
transition to martial law will go undetected. This system is being 
implemented with each tick of the clock, and before long, the 
whole United Snakes will be an outright police state. Curfews will 
be in effect and enforced by the National guard, in some states 
curfews are being enforced by the police already. ...

Keep in mind that the same system that dominated South Afrika, 
(curfews, shootings of innocent people, police brutality etc.,) 
has come to the shores, covertly! This is being done in a way so 
that the public won't detect it, and when we (Revolutionaries) try 
to bring this and other sinister situations to light, the powers 
go all out to silence our voices! ... The majority of the T.V. 
shows that dominate the airwaves, if not all, are sending 
subliminal messages that martial law is coming, with their police 
oriented themes. Damn! What a coincidence. Laws are being passed 
to favor the police while the brutality and killings continue to 
increase! They are even justifying and condoning this shit just 
like in South Afrika!

Every now and then they will pretend to show concern by using a 
scapegoat to make it appear as if they are trying to correct 
unrighteous acts committed by those who are supposed to serve and 
oppress. This is only a tool to release tension. They apply a 
certain amount of pressure on the masses and then they release it. 
It is all a matter of them manipulating the masses by creating 
tension and then releasing it. This like all their other agendas, 
is a game to them. It is good to pay attention to the events 
taking place around the world that the news broadcast, but always 
keep in mind that the powers are masters at diverting attention 
away from themselves and manipulating. 

Just think, when have you ever known these bastards to let us in 
on their real agenda? By keeping foreign affairs on T.V., in the 
newspaper etc., they allow themselves enough time to put their 
program into full swing on these shores right under the noses of 
the masses because the masses aren't paying attention to the 
affairs over here. It is as simple as that and always done like 
this. ... 

Again, the real concern isn't guns in their communities its just 
that they don't want weapons in the hands of the Revolutionary 
conscious who also have the will to wake up the masses with 
agitation and education. This is their real concern. Someone 
ignorant with a gun isn't a threat to them, but someone with 
proper education is!!! I close with a salute to all my Sistahs and 
Brothas who are struggling to end oppression. Let's stay focused 
on the true problem, Imperialism, and continue to join hands and 
minds to end it forever!!!

Revolutionary Love Always. I close with the famous words of one of 
my many mentors the Honorable Marcus M. Garvey. Awaken you mighty 
people and do what you will!!!

Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win

 --an Indiana Prisoner.

MIM responds: We agree with this comrade's assessment that the 
issue of gun control is of concern to the imperialists only to the 
extent that they wish to assert their control more fully over 
world economics and politics. In MIM Notes no. 194 (15 September, 
1999), we reported that the u.$. prison population is continuing 
to grow even while crime rates are dropping. This is evidence in 
addition to what we already know of the prisoner population 
multiplying several times over the past 30 years, as crime rates 
fluctuate up and down. Rates of crime (as "crime" is defined by 
the courts) bears no relationship to rates of the population 
living behind bars. With each year that goes by, we have more 
evidence that criminal laws are designed to protect the existing 
social system, at the expense of those who suffer by it.

To those who question why we focus so much of our attention on 
prisons and prisoner struggles, MIM has always driven the fact 
that this purportedly democratic country imprisons more Black men 
per capita than Apartheid South Africa before Mandela was 
president ever did. The numbers on who is in prison and for what, 
together with an honest look at the way courts in this country 
function are clear evidence that the criminal justice system in 
the united snakes is a tool for social control of the oppressed 
internal colonies -- the Black, Latino and First Nations within 
u.$. borders. For this reason, we do no read the gun law debates 
so literally as this comrade does. MIM does not focus on the issue 
of gun laws as the imperialists' means of keeping guns away from 
the oppressed. Any time the united snakes government is talking 
about criminalizing more activities, such criminalization will 
come at the expense of increased police repression and expanded 
imprisonment for the oppressed.

We also take a slightly different view of the media confusion 
tactics the Indiana prisoner cites. It is true that bourgeois 
reporting on the conditions of the oppressed within u.$. borders 
is bare; articles about prisons in the bourgeois press are rare, 
and yet prisons are becoming a mainstay of the Amerikan economy to 
the point that they are some states' highest growth industry. Yet 
coverage of international news is not so different. On the whole, 
the bourgeoisie prints news from the imperialists' perspective. 
This is true of articles about the slaughter of East Timorese 
people by the u.$.-armed Indonesian military that somehow forget 
to mention how much military aid Amerika has provided Indonesia, 
and it is true of articles on the starvation of north Korean 
people that neglect the minor detail of u.$. occupation of half of 
Korea that is the principal cause of strife there.

But just as the bourgeois media are culpable for spinning all news 
to suit their sponsors, the vast majority of people in this 
country have a material interest in believing the lies they read. 
Amerikans are not so much distracted by international news 
coverage as they simply do not care about the oppression that 
makes their lifestyles so comfortable. As this prisoner points 
out, the police are a private army that serves and protects the 
majority in this country. The u.$. soldiers occupying south Korea 
and bombing Iraq are part of this same army. Rather than 
encouraging readers to look beneath the international news to find 
out what is happening within the united snakes, MIM Notes urges 
our readers to look more deeply into military conflicts all over 
the globe, and to broaden your understanding of the connections 
between them.

Security Threat Group excuse used for censorship

Uhuru, As always, I greet you with Revolutionary Greetings. This 
letter is being written to address the June 9th letter that you 
sent me. But before I do, I would like to say this concerning 
censorship: The title Security Threat Group was started by these 
demonic prisoncrats to intimidate and censor mail at anytime it 
appears that 'special screening' is warranted. As long as 
prisoners allow these barbarians to intimidate them with bogus 
conduct reports and kangaroo kourts, there will never be enough 
pressure applied against these barbarians. There are a few of us 
here fighting censorship. But we are not able to communicate die 
to the fact that the prisoncrats have us separated by design 
(locked up in different housing units). So its hard for us to come 
together as a collective and come up with a way to smash 
censorship. In fact, many avenues that are supposed to be at our 
disposal to challenge issues such as this (grievance system, 
letters to the superintendent, petitions etc)are ran and screened 
by the very people who we are writing and complaining about.

By these avenues being run or monitored by them, it is a deadend. 
So many become frustrated when this happens that they give us. I 
am willing to take on any task given to me, but I would like to 
point out the fact that I am on look up unit where I am limited. I 
have no access to the law library, typewriters, other prisoners 
etc. And the things that I can do are draw up petitions and write 
-- letters and articles. Even when this is done, those things are 
screened until I send them straight out. 

What I propose is this: assign certain tasks to different 
prisoners and give a timeframe when the tasks should be completed. 
Assign some certain tasks for me and I will let you know if I can 
take them on given my limitations. 

I am really serious about working to end imperialism and 
oppression. I will close on that note and await your response.

-- an Indiana prisoner.

MIM adds: At this point, prisoners are encouraged to write 
articles, letters, poems etc that correlate to the various focuses 
of each month during the ULK2000 campaign. See article in this 
issue.

Fight Prison Repression: Fight Imperialism

Clenched Fist Salute! I've been receiving and reading MIM for the 
last few months. Its good to see other comrades out there who are 
supportive of revolution, but it is still a matter of the lack of 
organization amongst those who "know" the benefits of organizing. 
Without organization, there is no discipline and without 
discipline, it is easy for the movement to be infiltrated by 
collaborators, agent provacateurs etc.

Still, this lack of mass organizing should have no effect on 
cadres unity and movement. We constantly concentrate on numbers 
too much (still) when we should be more concerned with quality 
souljahz who will move and be ready to sacrifice certain 
privileges now for definite liberty later. Protracted struggle 
with no terms can only be successful when we as a collective are 
able to recognizer and accept authority through an organized chain 
of command with those who lead and those who follow and as the old 
saying going, those who lead well follow well.

As we prepare to enter the next millenium, we need to directly 
advance toward a movement against the phenomena of imperialism and 
all its branches. If this is failed to be done, there will be 
nothing but further imprisonment of especially "non-white" people. 
Therefore, we are left with only two options, Either we stand and 
engage in protracted struggle or we look forward to neo-slavery in 
its most advanced form. We need to educate our people to the 
sciences of imperialism in all its forms/branches. It's a bigger 
picture than racism and even facism. These are only branches of 
imperialism, tools used in order to disguise the big picture and 
distract one from the main agenda: world domination of unorganized 
nations collectively.

Mental shackles still enslave the masses and for this reason, we 
fail to overstand our position on a world scale and we fail to put 
forth our all in order to overcome our oppression by any means 
necessary. This is the main foundation to our continuing existence 
at the lower echloens of the world's people.

Before we can concentrate on world scale we must concentrate on 
individual efforts. We must unify our isolated activities and use 
the force of collective movements to progress and reestablish 
ourselves as an antiquity.

-- an Indiana prisoner.