MIM Notes 208                   April 15, 2000

Under Lock & Key Amerika incarcerates, doesn't educate

For the month of April and throughout the ULK-2000 campaign, I 
would like to interject my point of view and standpoint on 
"prisons v. education," being that I am a POW and the lack of 
quality and adequate education does play a part in my 
incarceration. It is important for the oppressors to keep the 
oppressed oppressed and under-educated if not mis-educated. 
There is a big market for stupidity and ignorance and money to 
be capitalized from it. In your letter on the issues raised 
for April's ULK-2000 campaign, your suggested article or essay 
topic was "What are the educational opportunities in prisons 
today and how are they different from the past?"

The answer to that is simple. There are none (educational 
opportunities) and there's no difference from the past. Once 
you're in the institution these imperialist puppets could care 
less if you learn anything or any level of productivity. The 
connection between poor educational opportunity in the 
community and the lack of education in prison is that it 
guarantees the return to prison rate by damn near 100%. 

Let's reflect: One day there was a killing in my neighborhood, 
and the news crew was out there the next day. I guess trying 
to get a story asking people why there was so much crime and 
violence in our community? And drugs being used and sold. With 
a bandanna around my face and locs on, I told them to take a 
look around -- the people of the community are just part of 
the problem. That when you've got people in high places 
depriving people by making laws that only apply to the 
privileged instead of all, then you can expect such things.

I personally went to school for 12 years of my life and not 
one thing that was taught to me benefited or prepared me for 
the real world or dependence on society. Sure, I learned the 
basics how to read and write and pay bills. But I didn't learn 
a thing that prepared me or landed me a job decent enough to 
pay the damn bills once of out high school. They say this is a 
free country but the institutions are designed to keep the 
poor from obtaining a better or higher education.

I'd told the news crew that I was just out of prison with a 
high school diploma and quality skills in welding, maintenance 
plumbing, carpentry, with certificates in all areas including 
construction. I had informed that I was rejected at the local 
employment office looking for employment in any field. 

Now right up the street in my neighborhood new homes are being 
built and I'd told them that right that very moment not one 
Black or minority from that area was up there doing even the 
simplest thing (hammering nails into boards), but you want to 
know why things are like they are. Yeah right.

I'd told them that they are asking the wrong people. Who they 
need to ask is the president of the United Skanks and his 
cronies. Ask George Bush and his side-kick Bennett what 
happened to all the billions and millions in drug money they'd 
seized during their so-called war on drugs that was supposed 
to go back into the communities and rebuild, and for education 
and rehab. Shit! People who need help can't afford it. The 
government was supposed to pay for drug programs for people 
who needed and wanted help.

But slick Willie was slick about it. He built more prisons 
which started off under the guises of drug rehabilitation 
centers, which upon completion became concentration camps for 
the so-called overflow of the criminal justice system.

Why does this government spend so much money and resources on 
imprisonment, and neglect education for the oppressed. Good 
question. It don't take a rocket scientist to figure out that 
the institution of the South and the passage of slavery is in 
full effect in the United Skanks of Amerika and abroad.

In the constitution the 13th Amendment clearly states that 
"slavery:"

Section1: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, EXCEPT as 
a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly 
convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place 
subject to its jurisdiction. 2. Congress shall have power to 
enforce this Article by appropriate legislation (proposed 
January 31, 1865; ratified December 6, 1865; certified 
December 18, 1865.)

Need I say more? It's the slave trade 2000 under the guise of 
a criminal system. Every time a politician opens his mouth 
about getting tough on crime the public is being misinformed.

You think about it. The money people of this country don't 
want to get caught up in the world viewed as cruel exploiters 
having people overseas working for pennies manufacturing their 
goods for sale here in the states for 20 times the amount it 
cost them to make their product. ...

So why not try this so-called joint ventures program with 
criminal labor under the guise that the prisoner would be 
earning minimum wage, but he'll only get to see a small to no 
percentage of it because he's told that what's cut is going 
toward room and board. Child support but his kids will still 
be on welfare, and the victim restitution fund for which none 
will ever see the proceeds.

Sure. Let's institute slavery through prison (slave) labor. 
But I'll get into that in my prison slavery letter.

I had got at a few brothers and let them know about the ULK 
2000 campaign and to send in their views. There's some real 
talent here, I hope you hear from them. Myself I don't think 
I'm that talented but I've got a mind and ear with insight on 
what's going on. As far as writing I have to record my 
thoughts. The pen don't flow fast enough for my fiery 
thoughts.

Not adequately educated myself, (self-taught), this is the 
best I can do. I hope some parts of my letter will at least 
have some insight for others or basis for reference to the 
direction this line is going.

-- A California Prisoner.

"When it comes to education there is none"

The administration here supports "snitching." They have 
started a hot line similar to 911. Theirs is 511 plus your pin 
number. This number is to be utilized when you have 
information the administration deems important. Nearly 3/4 of 
this population is agents for the SCDC at Kershaw.

Law clerks are not allowed in SMU for any reason at all. You 
must handle all your legal issues through 19-11 SCDC form 
request to staff. If you have legal issues, as do half of us 
on SMU, and don't know how to go about doing research, or 
don't know what legal material to request, you are out of 
luck. The librarian doesn't know how to check out a regular 
book without complications less on a law book. ...

As far as education goes on SMU there is none. According to 
the SCDC policy 22-12 (OP) we are supposed to be given the 
opportunity to be educated. And for certain inmates this issue 
is mandatory according to policy. But administration doesn't 
follow it. Upon your request only they will give you some 
study material. But they are not supplying the necessary 
assistance (teachers or aides) to assure that they work is 
done appropriately. I know for a fact that several of these 
inmates over here are illiterate. So they really need 
assistance. There's no way for us to assist one another. Cause 
we are not allowed to take any type of literature on Rec. And 
the way our cells are designed we are limited there too. When 
it comes to education there is none, not as it is supposed to 
be....

-- a South Carolina Prisoner, January 2000.

Indiana prisoner:

"We gotta educate our people"

I would like to speak on a piece that was written in the Feb. 
15th issue no. 202 from a prisoner in New Jersey, "Talk is 
Cheap." He's basically saying actions speak louder than words 
and he's tired of hearing all the rap. In a way I know where 
he's coming from. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but that was 
when my eyes were half opened and I only half listened.

Like Fred Hampton said about observation and participation 
amongst the people. You see, our leaders, political prisoners, 
anyone oppressed all over the world, needs to address the 
people and give them a vivid picture and full insight on 
what's really going on. Yeah everybody talks about fighting 
for freedom but their hearts are not fully in it because they 
might not know why they're fighting for freedom. So we gotta 
educate our people and that's going to take some talking. And 
through talking the people will observe and eventually will 
participate in our struggle. We got to share our experiences 
with them to fully open their eyes. Like my eyes have been 
opened!

I've been seeing it but been too worried fighting off my own 
and representin' my 'hood. I just about turned 20 and have 
been locked up four years. I've just recently started studying 
political science and breaking down this fascist, imperialist, 
capitalist society. MIM Notes has played a big role in my 
insights. We need to keep addressing the people. We need the 
masses to help fight this war, it's the People's War, the 
struggle continues ...

-- an Indiana prisoner, 13 March 2000.

Who are the real criminals?

Racists are still trying to prove that there is a genetic link 
to crime in an effort to declare that Nubian people are more 
prone to crime than White Amerikkkans. History shows 
otherwise.

If there is a genetic link to crime, it would seem more likely 
to be in the White KKKommunity. White nations, once confined 
to Europe, have gone across the world murdering, killing, 
enslaving, raping, and stealing for centuries. Now they're 
bombing any nation that doesn't want to join their New World 
Order.

-- an Indiana Prisoner, 6 November 1999.

MIM responds: We appreciate this prisoner's break-down of 
criminality. For years MIM has pointed out to liberals who ask 
"but would you just set all the murderers and rapists free?" 
that the biggest murderers and rapists are those in the 
imperialist country governments who conduct wars and 
executions, and all manner of non-consensual medical testing 
on Third World peoples. 

But in criticizing the pseudo-science of linking behavior and 
genetics, our first line of attack must always be to assert 
our materialism and point out that such pursuits assume an 
ahistorical, asocial vacuum. Looking for a genetics of crime 
is silly and irrational because the causes of social problems 
are not to be found within isolated individuals. The Chinese 
Maoists instead took a dialectical approach to social crimes -
- fostering discussion of their relations to the rest of 
society among criminals. Through this process of thought-
reform and self-criticism, offenders against the people gained 
an appreciation of others in society, and developed their own 
desire to contribute to building socialism. The search for a 
genetic cause of crime is nothing more than a rationale for 
segregating the oppressed.

Diallo shooting makes mockery of "Black History Month"

Well, February is supposed to be the month of Black History. 
But as you can see it's been a bunch of Black pain through the 
streets of Amerikkka as usual. Once again the police get a 
slap on the wrist for killing another brother for no reason in 
New York.

These racist bastards shot this brother [Amadou Diallo] 19 
times out of 41 bullets. But they sit here on the stand in a 
kangaroo court stating that shooting this man was an accident 
because of misconduct. That's a big fucking lie!

As long as our brothers and sisters continue to be brainwashed 
and passive to the dangers happening in our community by 
police brutality, we will always be treated like animals 
inside the racist jungle of Amerikkka.

-- a California prisoner, 28 February 2000.

Capitalism doesn't eradicate drug abuse

Here in Trenton, we also have a zero tolerance rule dealing 
with the drug problem in this institution. The administration 
felt they had to cut our visits to stop drug use. The drug 
problem still exists.

At this point they are running random urine tests, while they 
run these tests at their discretion, it seems we have no kind 
of right to oppose this rule. A lot of inmates have been 
placed in Ad-Seg, some for dirty urine, some could not urinate 
at the time, so they were places in Ad-Seg as well. Then there 
are those who tried to be sly. These individuals used water, 
and still, their so-called urine came back supposedly dirty! 
This proves that this is not about Zero Tolerance, just 
straight out hatred for us. Not only are we thrown in Ad-Seg, 
but also we lose our visits for a year, possibly longer 
depending on how the overseers feel.

-- A New Jersey Prisoner, 17 October 1999.

MIM's response: Eliminating prisoners' dependency on illegal 
drugs would be a good thing, just as eliminating drug abuse in 
society would be. But the "war on drugs," inside and outside 
prisons is just another way to persecute primarily oppressed 
nationals.

Secure Housing Unit

I had heard of the SHU from other prisoners writing about SHU 
in other states, but I had been to MCC (Maximum Control 
Complex) from 1993 to 1995 (25 months) so I had an idea of 
control unit prisons, was I fooled? When I got to the SHU in 
1998 that very first day I knew that things had changed, not 
as far as the prisoners (yet) but I'll get to that.

The SHU prisoncrats had "damn fooled" prisoners into believing 
that this SHU is a "long term lock-up unit, i.e. IDU, DS, 
etc., with the undercurrents of a control unit set up, such as 
the cells, the pods, etc., but the prisoncrats had given the 
illusion that the SHU is "officer friendly" in as much, the 
prisoners (80-85%) have allowed themselves to be pulled into 
this illusion, this falsehood, very deceptive on behalf of the 
prisoncrats.

The prisoncrats have allowed prisoners to get a tel-lie-vision 
30 days after prisoners have been here and the SHU will 
provide that tel-lie-vision (if you're good) if prisoners 
don't put up any resistance to the status-quo. Therefore, this 
has given birth to a person that I (and others) have tagged as 
"inmates." ... Here is how I define inmate: a person in prison 
that is always sticking up for, legitimizing, the prisoncrats' 
actions or deeds; collaborators; agent provocateurs; those who 
otherwise support the prisoncrats.

This "inmate" has been in prisons for years, but on sets where 
the revolutionary line was held very high, these inmates were 
not so prevalent, but all that has changed at the SHU. These 
inmates are on the "frontline" for the prisoncrats here. 
Therefore, the prisoncrats do nothing but sit back and let the 
inmates do their jobs. I find it strange that these inmates 
had become "inmates" for the fact that some of these inmates 
have been on the SHU for two or more years, therefore they 
have been on the SHU with some revolutionary elements, but 
these inmates have accepted their position and nothing or 
nobody is going to change that. And all-too-familiar echo at 
the SHU by "inmates" is: "I ain't trying to hear that shit." 
Yet the "inmates" complain about the inhumane 
treatment/conditions, but are not willing to raise a pen to 
write out those complaints nor to raise their voices to their 
keepers.

The SHU, I realize, has given birth to a very dangerous person 
where this prison movement is concerned, as well as our 
liberation. These "inmates" are very confused as to the 
effects of control units on a long term bases, for the fact 
that the generally known tactics of supermax prisons are being 
implemented on a much more subdued level, for the fact that 
the many more devices that show a prison's supposed humane 
side, are nothing but a smokescreen to cloud the reality of 
the SHU: sure these prisoncrats provide a person a tel-lie-
vision after 30 days, allow a prisoner to walk to the shower 
without being handcuffed or shackled, and detail workers are 
allowed to work (sweep and mop) on the ranges from 
approximately 6pm to 9pm every night, but this is all part of 
that smokescreen/illusion of what's really behind the 
functions of a supermax/control unit/SHU, which are barbaric 
and degrading and intend to destroy us physically and 
psychologically.

Our visits, mail, phone calls, and even our dialogues on the 
ranges are monitored. They try to repress our revolutionary 
line/studies, etc. and our thinking. These are but a few 
examples.

These prisoncrats know that isolation/solitary do and will 
effect us in the long run, prisoncrats have seen the effects 
of supermax prisons. And to appeal to their demon likeness, 
they have built even more control units and even more than 
these are going to be built if we as a people (all oppressed 
people) inside these walls as well as "outside" these walls 
don't wake up and realize that prisons as we know them today 
are not serving a purpose other than being modern day slave 
kkkamps. Prisons are big business and the prisoncrats are 
keeping the people blind through their mass media, i.e. tel-
lie-vision, while at the same time keeping a steady flow into 
these prisons.

Over 2 million people are in prisons in the USA. 2 million! 
That's a lot of people, and this government is coming up with 
new laws everyday to put even more people behind bars, more 
"inmates," more control/supermax/SHUs. All for that almighty 
dollar bill.

But a large number of that 2 million don't realize it, or just 
don't care. The "inmates" at this SHU are so content that they 
call these cages their "room" or "house." I hear it everyday. 
Of course, it's criticized constructively but I can't force 
anything on anybody. Some "inmates" are at the point where 
they're slowly killing themselves by allowing the "doctors" to 
give them all types of pills "to help them sleep." For 
example, there are 8 people on this unit on some form of 
"sleeping pill." This is just another "vice" that keeps 
inmates blind of the real issues that confront us in control 
units.

The situation is hectic, more so than I first thought 
possible, but each day that I'm at the SHU I see even more 
that makes me want to do more to show that these prisoncrats 
are not standing on a solid foundation. It is hard when so 
many people here at the SHU are "inmates" but we must not 
allow them to infiltrate what has been in our hearts -- this 
anti-prison movement. ...

The fight to close down control units has taken a 360 degree 
turn towards the long life of control units, and this piece is 
written with the hopes of stirring up some ideas on how we can 
get back that fire that once burned under those who were first 
introduced to supermax prisons. To those prisoners who still 
dwell in these tombs, I need your assistance on breaking that 
chain of [oppression] which has taken a toehold on the SHU. I 
know it would be easy for us to say "forget them, work with 
ones who want to do something about our situation" but that 
leaves us at the SHU with nothing to work with, for these 
"inmates" are in very great numbers at this kkkamp, this not 
to say that some "inmates" can't be guided in the direction of 
shutting down these kkkamps, but in order to reach those 
"inmates" who're willing to give up that status which they've 
acquired at the SHU and their privileges of getting favors 
from the pigs. ...

For us oppressed to survive not only this prison struggle but 
our struggle for freedom from all forms of oppression, we must 
come up with new ideas for our survival. Everything is 
advancing -- advancing very fast, and we must be willing to 
use unconventional methods and ideas. We must make our new 
ideas "popular" and gain the support of people in prison as 
well as those on the streets. We've got to be innovative in 
our new ideas and in our approach to organizing people on the 
streets and in prison.

This prison struggle/movement has gone to the dogs in the last 
10+ years and it's on us to bring it back to the forefront or 
we might as well lay on down. ... I welcome criticism, 
analysis, feedback, or whatever is on your mind concerning 
this piece.

'Till the prison walls of Amerikkka crumble, I struggle,

-- an Indiana Prisoner.