The prisoners at the Wabash Valley Corrections Institution (WVCI) have brought numerous class action complaints against the officials here for a number of reasons.
The prisoners at WVCI are being denied proper and adequate medical care and treatment. After signing up for a sick call, it often takes 14 days to a month before the prisoner gets medical attention. There is no medical unit or hospital on the grounds of this institution. The prison is not equipped for an emergency situation. Often prisoners are not allowed to see a doctor when they are injured but are told to sign up for a sick call.
The dental treatment is also inadequate. Prisoners are put on a waiting list and may wait up to a year before they are seen and receive treatment. The officials at WVCI are denying prisoners proper medical and religious diets. The prison often runs out of food before feeding all the prisoners at WVCI. Food portions have been cut and we are not getting enough to eat here. In addition, the dining hall is located just outside the prisoners' cells and the stench of bodily waste and unclean cells reaches the tables. The officials here have done everything in their power to make this institution unlivable.
There are very few jobs at WVCI so prisoners are just being warehoused. There is inadequate access to the law library and legal materials. The law library is only open four hours a day. In addition the library is too small; it can accommodate only 15 people at a time. At most 30 prisoners a day can gain access to the law library and this without a doubt interferes with prisoners access to the courts.
Many prisoners who have filed class action complaints against the officials have been retaliated against, by way of shakedowns, delayed mail delivery, and 3-4 week delays in having money added to prisoner trust accounts.
We need help to bring an investigation against the officials at the Wabash Valley Corrections Institution to find out where all the food and money for prisoners is going. We need help to expose the injustices of this institution.
--an Indiana prisoner, 4/25/95
THE BIG COVER UP!
June 12, 1995, the FBI is supposed to be coming back up to Maryland Supermax to investigate the inhumane conditions that are present in this fucked up joint! These Uncle Tom pigs in this prison plantation are just constantly violating our rights by beating men in three-pieces [shackles] half to death. Now the pigs have their Uncle Tom helpers over in the Supermax to try to clean some of the blood and confusion off their hands. The pigs can't break men, they can only make us stronger; from their control units and so called pink room. It's really the stink room, from the feces and piss that is thrown all over the room. It doesn't have anything in it but one hole in the middle of the floor and a window for the pigs to see you.
Just last month the TAC pigs suited up on a brother on lock up for bucking not to lock in. They told him to lock in because he passed a brother on the Pod A waiting Pod. The TAC pigs used their institutional toys: their black sticks and chemical mace on the brother. One officer pulled a shank out of his vest and stabbed the prisoner in his arm. They beat his head with their black sticks and continued to kick the prisoner after they had hog- tied him and were dragging him in his own blood!
It is hard to revolt behind the door and in a three-piece. Plus I received your brief letter and MIM Notes. I myself and a selective group of comrades at this location express our thanks to MIM for producing such a conscious, uplifting paper.
The theory of MIM is helping us comrades to advance toward conducting an organized revolution toward this corruption, oppressive and exploitative conditions that we as political prisoners and oppressed peoples are conditioned to in this New World Order. We are learning to put in effect the MIM Theory, but there is much more that must be learned. We comrades stress to MIM to keep the literature of conscious awareness coming. We appreciate what you do for prisoners.
The struggle must continue, that is why it is a must for the youth to be schooled to help advance our ability to fight the war of oppression and inhuman ways. Comrade, you say we are young in this fill of agitation and education. But the productive solution is to demand a complete change toward this fucked up condition we oppressed people are faced against. On lock-up there are a few of us who are trying to successfully start a MIM study group. We'll appreciate all literature and books.
Information is Power!
Toward the struggle --a Maryland prisoner, 6/15/95
BLACKS REBEL AGAINST DOUBLE-STANDARD IN CALIFORNIA
In recent months there have been some vicious armed attacks perpetuated by Black inmates upon staff. These incidents didn't just involve ordinary low- level lackeys; Sergeants and Lieutenants were victimized in each occurrence.
Three incidents occurred in a matter of just seven weeks, (this included time spent on lock-down). The first of these events happened on May 5, 1995, when five inmates stormed the administrative building of their facility with shanks. Several Correctional officers were wounded, including a Sgt. and a Lt.
The second incident occurred on the week of June 12, 1995. Two officers had an altercation with a Black inmate. A Sgt. came to assist the officers and the inmate kicked the Sgt. in the neck. The third incident occurred on June 18, 1995, when three Black inmates stabbed one Lt. and one correctional officer and punched another in the face.
These attacks cannot be looked upon as just mere random acts of violence carried out by disgruntled, malcontent, or dysfunctional inmates. In order to understand the consequence of these events, one would have to know the history and climate of this institution. In the past three years that this institution has been open, there have been at least three major "insurrections" and numerous minor skirmishes involving Black inmates and staff.
Any civilized human being would be inclined to ask why there is such an overwhelming number of racially motivated incidents at this institution, especially in this progressive state of California, in this fine country of Amerikkka.
The local newspaper (Imperial Valley Press) stated several reasons why the last warden of this institution was dismissed from his post. One reason being that there was an overwhelming number of assaults being carried out at this fine CDC institution in just one year. It was also stated that several officers were recorded saying that this was not one of the best places to work, in fact the worst, and that they would rather be elsewhere. If the staff that is responsible for the safety, security, and welfare of the prisoners would rather be elsewhere, what type of climate do you think this would foster?
Warden Prunty states in his orientation booklet, "Knowledge of the information in this inmate orientation handbook and adherence to the behavior expectations will contribute to the living environment. You will be treated fairly and you will be held accountable for your actions." My question is are the inmates the only ones expected to adhere to the behavior expectations? Not only that, but this warden is being less than truthful when stating, "You will be treated fairly..." in the introduction of his orientation booklet, then 27 pages later it states, "No sagging of jeans is permitted at any time."
It is a well known fact that in California that Blacks 'sag' when they wear their pants, as it is also well known that Latinos wear their pants 'Cholo' style (about four sizes too big), pleated in the front and whites wear dirty jeans as a status symbol. Why then is there only something in this orientation book the disallows behavior peculiar only to Blacks? To add insult to injury, other races are allowed to do things that are peculiar to them and only them, while Blacks get harassed for minor things. These things get labeled as 'gang' affiliated behavior so that it may be seen as justifiable. These are just a few examples of what we get harassed for: wearing one braid hanging down on the forehead, turning the tongue of the boots, and wearing shirts with the collar inside-out.
This may seem like a frivolous or moot issue, but if you look at it for what it is you will see how truly significant this gripe is. Yes, I am boldly standing up and stating that racism exists at this concentration camp and it is rampant!!!
One year ago, there was tremendous racial tension between Black and Latino inmates. Over about a four month period, Blacks and Latinos were assaulting each other with shanks. The end result being that scores of Blacks and Latinos were shipped to SHU (Segregated Housing Unit) programs.
During the course of these events, two particular incidents show how insignificant a Black man's life is to these people. In the first of these incidents, three Latinos brutally assaulted a Black inmate, stabbing him numerous times. These three inmates were sitting on the ground, as is the policy in the state whenever an incident occurs, before instigating this attack. In other words, a separate incident had occurred in the building where all the inmates were made to get down on the ground, either sitting or prone. In which case if you move it is supposed to be seen as an act of aggression and you are supposed to be shot without being given a warning, since one had already been given. Now these three Latinos were about 20 feet away from this Brother (while everyone was down) before they initiated their attack. While this man was being stabbed numerous times, the incompetent officer in the control booth noticed this second incident and yelled for the inmates to stop rather than shooting. The three inmates ceased their attack a few seconds later, unharmed.
Quoting from the warden's orientation book, on the shooting policy it states, "There will be no warning shots fired within the housing units,...An audible warning will be given in less than life- threatening situations." Now it could be possible that I am placing too much value on a Black man's life when asking the question, "Is not a man being stabbed repeatedly by three inmates a life- threatening situation?!?"
The second illustrative incident was: two Black prisoners were fist- fighting in their housing unit, when one was shot in the head by a prison staff. He died before he hit the ground for a fist- fight! These incidents pungently stink of racism toward Black males. Our friendly neighborhood warden would swiftly disagree with me, I'm sure. He would probably refute my claims with the same old tired response used by all the rest of the racist leaders in this fine country by stating that these were all just "isolated" incidents. Well, just how many isolated incidents have to occur for there to be a pattern? Is it 10, 100, 1,000, how many?
Two more incidents that come to mind which are unrelated to the setting of the last two. The first involved two Black inmates fist-fighting in the exercise yard. As soon as one of the officers on the yard shouted and brought attention to the incident, the officer in the gun-tower wildly swung his gun in the direction of the incident and fired without taking aim. The bullet ricocheted off of a wall that was about 20-30 feet away from the two inmates.
The second incident involved two white inmates fist-fighting on the exercise yard. These two inmates continued fighting for several seconds after being given at least four or five verbal warnings to get on the ground. The officer in the gun tower took aim at the suspects and had a bead on them for a substantial length of time. The said officer chose to let the two suspects continue to fight for several seconds. When the officer decided to shoot, he shot nearly 40 feet away from the incident into the dirt near a crowd of Blacks and Latinos who were sitting on the ground.
I challenge Warden K.W. Prunty to get to the bottom of what is really the problem at this concentration camp. Since being in command of the Gestapo regime that runs this place, he has done nothing to make the "living environment" better at Calipatria State Concentration Camp. He has done nothing more than smolder the flames rather than putting out the fire.
At times his actions can be seen as adding fuel to the fire. It seems that it only takes a few incidents of inmate against staff for there to be a pattern, therefore causing everyone who is an inmate to suffer retaliation from the warden and his dupes.
--a California prisoner, 7/6/95
MC49 replies: The thrust of the California prisoner's letter is to expose the pattern of discrimination which has fueled rebellion. But the California prisoner's discussion of the first incident implicitly advocates increased use of force by the pigs to stop prisoner-on-prisoner violence, particularly if more use of force in certain instances would be a step away from a discriminatory double-standard. MIM does not support *any* use of force by pigs, even to stop masses-on-masses violence. Revolutionary and progressive prisoners need to struggle to be self- reliant and pro-active in stopping prisoner-on- prisoner violence. Likewise, progressives on the outside need to struggle to stop masses-on-masses violence without relying on the bourgeois state.
PRISONER WANTS RESOURCES
...The study group I am part of has been reduced to two members now, due to the transfer of one of our comrades. I was able to move into the cell of the other brother, and we now have unlimited time to study, talk, and express our thoughts on where to go.
In closing, I think MIM Notes should print addresses of resources for prisoners to write to. Not only would this serve as a service for your prison readers, but it could boost the involvement of people outside who take part in these programs.
Thank you, as always, for you support.
--an Illinois prisoner, 10/12/95
MIM responds: Anyone who has resources for prisoners or lists of such resources should send us a note so that we can make this information available to prisoners.
A CALL TO UNITE AGAINST BRUTALITY IN PRISONS
I am writing you so that you would know what's going on in the SMU here at the Florence prison. For the past year and a half I have been beaten down several times and even though I have written many grievances on guards like CSO Shoemaker, CSO Cooper, Lt. Williams, Mr. T. Williams who all work in 2 A-D wing. All of these grievances have been thrown away or denied on the say-so of the cops' word.
Once I was coming from the Law Library. Both CSO Cooper and Shoemaker came to get me. CSO Shoemaker went through my legal paperwork, she pulled out a letter that was given to me by another inmate, and she showed it to Cooper. Cooper then started to push me up against the wall, pulling my cuffs upwards. I yelled in resistance and Cooper told me to shut up before he puts my head through the wall. This abuse lasted a good five minutes.
Then as we going up the stairs on the way to my cell, I felt my paperwork slide, so I stopped to try to straighten it, but my paperwork fell to the floor. Because I was cuffed behind my back, I asked CSO Shoemaker to pick up my paperwork, but she told me to shut up and go to my cell. When I started to ask again, CSO Shoemaker grabbed me in a head-lock and flipped me face-first into the cement floor. CSO Cooper jumped on my back, crossed my legs and pulled them back. Shoemaker then put her knee on my neck, while my face was sideways. Cooper started to pull the cuffs up toward my head. As I started yelling, I heard backup coming. I heard the front gate to the pod open and another cop started kicking me in my side.
I did all I could do to get them off my back and neck. I know one cop was kicking me for a good 5-6 minutes. After I was so hurt, they stopped. When the sergeant came I tried to tell him what happened, but all three of the guards lied. Cooper and Shoemaker said that I tried to kick Shoemaker. That was a lie, all I did was ask for help with my fallen paperwork. When I was put back into my cell Cooper said, "I will get you again."
I want to know what I can do if all my letters are being opened; all my incoming mail is being held. I've written grievances. I went all the way up to Sam Lewis, Director of the DOC, but he says I have to go through SMU. I've done that several times now, and if push comes to shove I will do whatever it takes to keep these two cops off me. Cooper and Shoemaker are a couple of power-hungry pricks who can do anything and get away with it. I will do all I can to see that they get what's coming to them.
The system here sucks but if you raise enough hell someone will listen to what you say. So I'm telling you out there if you're having problems with your cops in DOC write to the newspapers and MIM, so they can publish the truth, about how cops do wrong and nothing is done to them. If prisoners do anything wrong, the pigs beat the hell out of you. Now is that fair? I say Hell No! We have to stick together in order to beat these assholes. Single we are weak, but joined we are 10 times stronger.
Sincerely,
--an Arizona prisoner, 5/6/95
ZOLO AGONA AZANIA
(Zolo Agona Azania is a Muslim and a conscious New Afrikan Freedom Fighter. He was born Rufus Lee Averhart on December 12, 1954. He changed his name in 1977. He is a writer and an accomplished artist. His specialty is oil painting. He is the author of several works including, "Who Is The New Afrikan?" "World Gangsters" and "Our National Name". His work has appeared in the pages of CROSSROAD and other magazines, newsletters, and journals throughout the world. He has illustrated books by Prince Cuba, Gamba Mateen Rastafari, and Adib Rashad's "Aspects of Eurocentric Thought". )
An ex-offender and tireless activist on behalf of the downtrodden, Zolo Agona Azania (a.k.a. Rufus Averhart) was a marked man. On August 11, 1981, on his way to the grocery store, Azania was stopped by the police, handcuffed, pistol-whipped and arrested without warrant or explanation. The next day the prosecutor filed death penalty charges for the murder of a Gary, Indiana police officer during a bank robbery. Azania was not advised of his rights nor read an arrest warrant of any kind. There was no preliminary hearing, no pre-trial identification, no evidence presented for probable cause for arrest. Instead, he was held incommunicado at the county jail for nine days.
On the tenth day, the prosecutor (Lake County, Indiana) secured a Grand Jury indictment based on false and misleading evidence. A paraffina gunshot residue (GSR) test performed on Azania's hands by the police shortly after his arrest, showed that he hadn't fired a gun. This exculpatory evidence was never disclosed by the prosecutor to his defense counsel, nor was the grand jury informed of it, Azania was not able to even prove that the test existed until four years after being found guilty.
On the thirteenth day the prosecutor secured an arrest warrant based on the grand jury indictment. Azania was framed on trumped-up charges, tried by an all-white jury, and sentenced on May 1982 to electrocution in the Indiana chair. His conviction was for "unarmed robbery class C felony murder" - a non-existent crime. There is no such law or statute on the books in Indiana! Two other men convicted of the same murder were given prison sentences.
On May 27, 1993, the State Supreme Court of Indiana found that the police and the trial attorney, David R. Schneider, were ineffective during the penalty phase. The court reversed the judgment of the post- conviction court and remanded the case with instructions to set aside the sentence of death and to grant post-conviction relief in the form of a new jury and judge for sentencing, or to impose a sentence of years.
Zolo Agona Azania should be set free. Please write or call Governor Bayh on Zolo Agona Azania's behalf, demanding that he be unharmed and granted immediate release from imprisonment. Refer to Case Number CR- 81-401. Please send copies of your letters to Brother Zolo Agona Azania, #4969 at Indiana State Prison, P.O. Box 41, Michigan City, IN 46361- 0041.
Mr. Evan Bayh, governor State House, Room 206 Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 // (317) 232-4567
For more information please contact Zolo's attorneys: Mr. Isaiah Skip Gant, Esq. 222 Second Ave, Ste. 415 Nashville, TN 37201 // (614) 259-0072
Ms. Michelle A. Simmons, Esq. Attorney at Law 119 1/2 West Maumee Street Angola, IN 46703 // (219) 665-9779
PRISONER CONTINUES LONG FIGHT AGAINST CENSORSHIP
Dear friends at MIM Notes,
I used to be at a prison called Potosi, and I used to receive your newspaper. Once the prison censored MIM Notes issue #86, so I filed suit in court. I have a lawyer and a trial is set for October 30, 1995. The prison officials said that MN #86 was full of racially inflammatory articles. That's the reason they gave for not giving me the paper, so I'm suing. I would like to receive MIM Notes again. I will keep you up on how the censorship trial against that prison turns out.
In solidarity,
--A Missouri prisoner, 10/17/95
ILLITERACY AND CORRUPTION IN MISSISSIPPI
This prison is probably the most corrupt prison in America and many other countries. With this population approximately 8,000 strong and 80% being functionally illiterate, you can better understand the corruption and fear most prisoners succumb to.
--a Mississippi prisoner, 10/15/95