MIM Notes 210                   May 15, 2000

Under Lock and Key: News from Prisoners and Prisons

Slavery Means Prisons

by a South Carolina Prisoner

Prisons have become the neo-slave system in this kkountry and 
millions of New Afrikan and latino youth are filling these high-
tech kkkamps -- everyday. We the people must overstand that this 
is not a war on drugs or kkkrime, but it is a war on our youth and 
their future. So if we opposed slavery when our ancestors were 
being held captive on plantations back in the 1800s, then we 
should oppose prisons and form neo-liberation movements to help do 
away with these death kkkamps and to free ourselves and people 
from the wicked hands of KKKorporate, KKKapitalist greed and US 
domination.

No one in their right state of mind can deny that slavery does not 
still exist here in amerikkka. We call on freedom loving people 
all over the world to join in with others who are struggling for 
their independence and their rights to self-determination. We ask 
that you be critical and overstand that real freedom has never 
been given to anyone without a struggle. Therefore, revolution as 
Malcolm X pointed, is based on: "look at the revolution in 1776, 
that revolution was for what? For land... why did they want land? 
for independence... How was it carried out? Bloodshed, number one. 
It was based on land. The basis of independence and the only way 
they could get it was bloodshed."

Thus, slavery is not some righteous creation but is a man-made 
system based on the exploitation of human beings by a hand few who 
thrive off the labor of oppressed peoples to build their super-
kkkomputerized world.

Afrikan people, slavery is not something that is new to us. We've 
known slavery all our lives. Now we must save the blood of our 
babies and we cannot do this if we are still color-blind to our 
present realities in this still racist and sexist society.

What is the sense in teaching our children about our experiences 
here in amerikkka and about the enslavement of our ancestors if we 
don't oppose prison today? Prison serves the same purpose that 
plantations once did here in the south. They break down family 
ties, they separate our kommunities. They cause conflict between 
the house niggers and the field niggers and trust has always been 
a critical issue among Afrikan people [because] through distrust, 
the enemy has always maintained kkkontrol over affairs and 
brainwashed many of our people into believing that slavery is some 
righteous gift from God.

[...]

At one point in our history here in this kkkountry, it was a 
kkkrime to teach other blacks how to read and write. Today, our 
people have to pay to be educated and still many of us (as Curtis 
Mayfield said in one of his songs) are educated fools.

Believing in this system has cost us a whole new generation... We 
cannot blame this system because the system was never designed to 
work for our children and yet we foolishly continue to throw or 
turn our children over to this machine as if its going to fix 
something that was never broke!

Historically speaking, our ancestors were slaves and they knew 
that the only way they could get the slavers off their backs was 
to remove them by any means necessary. Nat Turner proved this by 
example, so what have we really learned from our history? We owe 
our future generations a better station in life. We owe this to 
them! We must decide now!

In summation, I would like to dedicate this article in 
commemoration of Ndugu Kwame Toure who has made that transition 
and become a part of a special circle of energy of our ancestors. 
That special circle of ancestors who have given their lives for 
our people so that we may live. As Kwame would say "What we are 
going to start saying now is "Black Power"!"

Prison labor is the key to the system


I understand all the complaining from prisoners all over the 
nation. But if they sat down and really gave [the complaints] some 
thought, [we'd realize we] have the power to change conditions 
while in prison. Inmates keep the prison running and without us 
doing this cheap or free labor, the prison will no doubt close 
down. Now I've seen in the papers that prisons are about the top 
three money making places on the stock market. Well we can do 
something about that also because once we stop settling for 
peanuts or less and start aiming for something of high value then 
they will have no choice but to see it our way or no way at all.

If we stopped working for them (prison systems) and start laying 
it down and hitting them where it hurts which is in their pockets, 
then they'll start seeing things the inmates' way. If we as a 
whole start laying it down then they will have to pay the officers 
more to get any work done as far as feeding, clothing and medical 
is concerned because if officers have to fix the food, wash the 
clothes, etc. 

We can lay it down doing nothing at all but getting rest, and the 
longer we don't work the more willingly they will submit to us no 
matter what they say by word of mouth. If we don't work, the 
products don't get made or sold so they lose business contracts. 
If the food and cotton isn't picked on time then it goes to waste, 
and if the animals are not fed then they starve to death and if we 
don't work then all shit stops. These officers look at shit like 
it ain't their job to make shit work, they think they are here for 
two reasons to babysit and sit on our asses and give orders, and 
take their anger out on the inmates whenever they feel the need. 
We as inmates have the power to change our conditions. But as the 
century comes in, if we are still suffering the oppression, 
depression of our surroundings then we must like it because we 
haven't taken the necessary steps to change our living conditions. 
So therefore we need to stop complaining because we made the bed 
so now it's time to sleep in it. I leave you in the state of Peace 
and Blessings. A Salaam Alikum.

 -- A Texas Prisoner, October 1999.

MIM responds: We're printing this prisoner's letter because it 
demonstrates the righteous frustration and willingness to fight 
oppression of the Amerikan imperialistic prison system. However, 
the writer combines some of the oppressor's own justification 
along with h arguments.

While it is true that states and private corporations are 
increasing their profits from the exploitation of prisoners' 
labor, we disagree that stopping work would be a reason for the 
Amerikan settler nation to stop or slow its massive imprisonment 
of oppressed nationals. Firstly, we disagree that prisons would 
close down without prisoner labor. The Amerikan prison system 
exists as a tool of social control and national oppression -- with 
or without the extraction of profit from prisoner labor. But 
because the injustice system is the principal tool of national 
oppression within the United Snakes, it makes sense that the 
oppressor will move to squeeze a profit from prisoners.

We also agree that prison work strikes can be useful tactics in 
fighting the oppressive injustice system. However, calling for 
such actions should not be taken lightly. And the absence of such 
actions does not demonstrate that prisoners 'like' prison 
conditions. For any act of protest to be successful, prisoners 
must be well organized and have a carefully thought-out plan. Part 
of carefully planning out successful opposition moves is building 
political support and education. Therefore, the 'complaining' that 
this writer speaks of is not futile. Prisoners write accounts in 
Under Lock & Key of the United Snakes's atrocities and tactics of 
oppression to build opposition to this oppression and to organize. 
MIM leads prisoners to organize others to build a correct 
ideological and political foundation. Prisoner leaders have been 
harassed, tortured and even killed for organizing opposition to 
prison oppression. The support for protest must be built and one 
method for this is the exposure of the United Snakes's crimes.

Prison Slavery in South Carolina

The work conditions in the prisons of South Carolina have changed 
tremendously. At one time from 1986 until 1994 (time frame I'm 
familiar with), prisoners could choose where they wanted to work 
within the institution. And could qualify for jobs outside of the 
institutions in society regardless of your status (violent/non-
violent). Now the outside jobs which pays still ranging from 
minimum wages to higher wages are only given to non-violent 
prisoners. The prisoners who (violent mostly) work within the 
institution have no choice in the job they are assigned. The South 
Carolina Department of Corrections has now employed a job board. 
This job board consists of a case worker, warden or high-ranking 
person, and a kitchen supervisor. Where they assign you to work is 
where you will go. 

The options are very slim, it's work or Admin Seg. and a loss of 
all your good time. The majority of prisoners who go before the 
job board are placed in the cafeteria. Once placed in this area 
you stay until the supervisor releases you, which they never do, 
or you can do something to make them fire you. This results in 
disciplinary actions and since you have been penalized you're not 
free from being placed back in the cafeteria. Whatever the 
administration has to do to force you to work where they want you 
to, they will. In some cases prisoners have been taken to the 
Admin. Seg. holding cell and beaten. The administration expects 
you to give them your best performance when on a job. But they 
don't want to pay anyone for their labor. 

All state pay in South Carolina was eradicated and replaced with 
an indigent bag. This bag contains 3 bars of soap, 2 bottles of 
shampoo, 5 razors, 8 envelopes, 16 sheets of paper and 2 pencils. 
This bag is to last you for a month and if your family sends you a 
money order of $5.00 or more you won't get a bag. But still you 
are expected to work or be penalized. When the inmate pay was 
eradicated, those who were already receiving it had theirs 
grandfathered. They were allowed to keep it under the conditions 
that they not lose their job or catch a major charge. As was in my 
situation where I was working in the cafeteria, the supervisor 
fired me because I refused to let him lock me in a cage. The cage 
is where they house all the pots and pans, can openers, etc. 
There's no bathroom or running water in this area, period. All 
over the cafeteria they have inmates working with knives, 
spatulas, can openers, etc. in the open. But yet they wanted to 
lock me down like a damn animal. Therefore, by me refusing to do 
so my inmate pay was eradicated.

About two weeks later I go in front of the job board and the 
supervisor of the cafeteria tells the board I was a good worker 
and that he wanted me back on his job detail. I protested to no 
avail and had to sacrifice in order not be placed back in the 
cafeteria. Also since the inmate pay was eliminated more prisons 
are opening up PI buildings. This is where they make micro-chips, 
furniture, etc. Inmates in these buildings make $80.00 every two 
weeks in some. And in others they are paid minimum wages.

When the pay was taken the canteen prices went up. A loaf of white 
bread used to cost $0.60, now it's $1.24, chips went from $0.21 to 
$0.63, 2 AA batteries cost $2.78, etc. The personal shoes were 
banned and replaced with those on the canteen which costs $34.00. 
A fan that costs only $9.99 at Walmart, K-Mart, etc. costs $31.50. 
Gym shorts were replaced with shorts that have SCDC on them and 
cost $5.99. And when you leave you must return the shorts to the 
commissary. Not that anyone would want to take them home. But why 
charge a person for supposedly state-issued shorts?

Without the state pay which helped a lot of inmates get by and not 
put so much pressure on their families, inmates have become more 
dependent on their parents. Which the prisoncrats are constantly 
taking their capital gain from. In a sense the state is making our 
families pay for our crimes through this legalized robbery. They 
even took our work credits from us. Whereas we used to get a 2 for 
7 it has been reduced to a 2 for 5. With a 2 for 7 you would get 
your time reduced by 12 to 15 days per month. Now with the 2 for 5 
that has been reduced to 10 days per month. And the way the system 
is set up you are not guaranteed that.

 -- a South Carolina Prisoner, March 2000.

Prisons steal prisoners' money

On November 20, 1999 myself and the other prisoners here in 
Northern State Prison administrative segregation units received a 
memo stating that beginning on the 29th of this month, automated 
deductions from our accounts for the payment of debt balances will 
begin.

As I am quite sure you are aware, since 7/98 there has been a 10% 
surcharge on every item purchased by a prisoner from the 
institutional commissary. This surcharge was said to be for the 
redemption of monies owed to the V.C.C.B. (violent crimes 
compensation board) this surcharge applies to every prisoner in 
this state, regardless if they owe this fine or not.

The DOC pays the average prisoner in STGMU (ad-seg) $27.00 per 
month for an overwhelming amount of us this is the only income we 
have. That comes to about $1.27 per day for a 21-22 day per month 
pay period.

The DOC now proposes to take 33% ($8.91) of this $27 which leaves 
us with an average of $18.09 per month to purchase our toiletries 
and the basic sustenance needed to supplement the meager meals we 
receive. I almost forgot to mention, of that $18.09 that we will 
be able to utilize for commissary purposes 10% ($1.81) must be 
deducted for the VCCB surcharge actually leaving us with a total 
of $16.28.

As I have already said this $16.28 per month is a travesty. This 
is the only income most of us have. Plus minus a 50 cent 
transaction fee the DOC also said 5% would be deducted from any 
money received from outside of the institution (e.g. money orders 
received through the mail or visits.) .. This is an outrage and an 
affront to the rights of prisoners.

-- A prisoner in New Jersey, 15 February 2000.

License plates for pennies in Iowa

There is nothing about this country that is free anymore, the 
system has taken it all. Let me show you a little on this Iowa 
prison system alone. They make license plates for cars, trucks, 
anything you drive in this state. There are around three million 
people in this state and let's say five million cars at let us say 
$150-250 a car, at $250 that is around $750 million, not bad for a 
prison that pays inmates $60 for a month's work.

And this is only one shop they got going. I have been looking into 
state and federal governments for years and it all comes down to 
the New World Order, tyrannical governments, and profit-hungry 
corporations, and they are making this prison system into a big 
profit.

-- an Iowa Prisoner, 6 December, 1999.

Revolutionary Education, Commitment and Action

A clenched fist salute! Power to the people; may the revolution 
come soon! I have received the letter and February issue of MIM. 
These past months I have been doing a lot of contemplating and (of 
course) reading.

I have been introduced to Franz Fanon's Wretched of the Earth. I 
now understand why some - many - of us prisoners partake in 
"prisoner on prisoner" violence. Even though we prisoners are 
confined within a society away from society we still exist as a 
neo-colony within a neo-colony the ghettos. And it is much easier 
to take our frustration, pain, and misery (from our oppressive 
state) out on each other than it is to confront our true enemies-
that imperialist beast [U]ncle [$]am 

Fortunately, we do have prisoners and anti-imperialist 
organizations to guide us on the proper path toward liberation 
from the clutches of that repressive beast!

It does not stop there because we need more oppressed citizens to 
open their eyes and lend a hand in this back-burdening struggle. 
The more we learn how corrupt this system we exist under is, the 
better prepared we will be to counter-act!

There are many prisoners who are returning to society (myself 
included). It is our duty to contribute where and when we can. I 
have some practicable ideas I plan to implement when I am 
released.

For instance, one of the more important needs of prisoners is 
physical contact with family. Many prisoners do not receive visits 
because of the unavailability of transportation coupled with the 
cost of transportation.

When this wide-spread problem is addressed this can bridge the gap 
between prisoners and outside support. And support from beyond the 
walls is an extremely vital aspect of being a prisoner under this 
system where many prisoners are shipped to prisons mainly for 
commodities sake.

A lot of our family and friends feel our pain but do not 
necessarily understand what's truly transpiring; needless to say, 
many don't know how to adequately lend us the support we so badly 
need.

I am greatly grateful for organizations like MIM because I have 
been reeducated through MIM's support, rehabilitation has actually 
become a reality.

In contrast, if left up to the status quo, recidivism is 
inevitable which ensures Uncle Sam's profit!

We must first arm ourselves with the correct knowledge to make 
progress in this struggle, before we can seize power, we must 
first know how to seize power!

Power to the people,

-- a prisoner in New York, 13 March 2000.



Are Most People Free?

	by an Illinois prisoner

Are most people free yet in bondage of the mind, or of another?

Many are afraid to delve for fear they might not get an answer 
correctly.

Because most people's dreams and promises are unfulfilled. Is our 
life meant to be spent on this consumption?

Optimistic today and down tomorrow. Most think it would be better 
to let things slide, but for how long? Which I dare to even ask.

Our thoughts are forever turbulent, in different ways.

Think positive and everything'll be all right. That's what most of 
us say.

But I am afraid my blood is not easily cooled. Are most people 
free?