To the staff,
I was certainly happy to receive a subscription to your organization's paper MIM Notes, but due to the restrictions this prison has put upon publications that don't promote the u.s.a. (united snakes of amerikkka), I'm going to have to have you cancel the subscription. Since you did inform me that I was to let you know whether or not I was receiving the paper, I'm doing so. I did enjoy the few issues I was able to receive before they started to censor it.
Although I'm no longer able to receive your paper, that will not stop me from continuing to send you articles which give you another perspective to look at from inside here. I believe in what you are doing simply because this system is a dirty, racist, and corrupt one that needs to be brought down. Continue the good work.
--A Pennsylvania Prisoner, Sept. 22, 1996
FAT, LAZY PRISONCRATS IN AMERIKKKA
...Being an inmate I can't even begin to describe just how incredibly, unbelievably disgusting the Department of Corrections truly is. It is hard to believe that there could be such incredible laziness and apathy on the part of the staff and the different institutions that I have unfortunately been incarcerated at. The sheer amount of laziness and incompetence is almost indescribable.
It is utterly disgusting to think that the average correctional officer makes more money in one week of doing nothing sitting between a desk gossiping, joking or talking sports that a subsistence farmer in the third world makes in an entire year. Not only do the correctional officers (CO's) do nothing, but what few menial simple tasks that they are supposed to do, they do reluctantly at best.
The correctional system of the state of Massachusetts is a sham. A multi- million dollar scam that does absolutely nothing to rehabilitate the inmates who are incarcerated, nor does it give them anything constructive to so with their time. Ninety percent of all funds spent on correctional institutions is spent on staff. The three institutions that I have unfortunately been incarcerated at are ridiculously overstaffed with twenty CO's tripping over each other, just to get out of each others way.
There is no task too menial or simple that they do not try to avoid and are consistently trying to fake injuries to get out of 'work'. The simple fact is that CO's do not do anything even remotely similar to work. Their idea of work is to sit behind a desk and act like a juvenile delinquent. Nor do they respond well to any emergency or disturbance. Considering the outrageous amount of money that they make, one would at least expect them to at least do this competently.
The entire criminal justice system is a multi- billion dollar scam that is thoroughly corrupt and filled with people who could not possibly work at a real job, one which requires anything more than showing up for 'work' and then doing nothing for eight hours. Meanwhile some people who actually do produce, construct and manufacture the things that we do use to make our lives comfortable and convenient, often do not live as well as the scum in the so-called criminal justice system. It is particularly disgusting for me being a former blue collar worker to witness this bizarre spectacle.
The longer I am incarcerated, the more painfully obvious it is that the personnel at the correctional jobs could not possibly do any real work. Work that involved any decision making, any use of hand or power tools, anything involving measuring of any type of math, or anything that required any thought process. They are secure in their 'jobs' so long as they don't do anything except the absolute bare minimum and show up when they are expected....
The staff at prisons are no better than welfare recipients, or should I say no different than welfare recipients, as neither one are expected to do anything for their checks. The entire concept of rehabilitation is a bad joke at best. The trend to build more maximum security prisons in the future will turn prisons into little more than warehouses for humans.
I would also like to call attention to the sickening amount of sheer waste that takes place daily at 'correctional' institutions across this county. The attitude of the staff does much to encourage this waste and abuse of the state's resources. At the same time, the staff can be very tight with these same resources if it inconveniences the inmates. At times it is almost impossible to obtain a bar of soap, although soap along with a number of other items are routinely wasted on a daily basis.
...It is impossible to even begin to articulate the sheer insanity of prison. As an example, it is cold and rainy outside and yet in my cell it is blowing cold air out of the air conditioning vent. All summer, nothing but warm air ever came out of the vent, but now that it is getting cold outside, cold air is coming out. Unfortunately this is all too common for prison, everything is ass backward and for the staff this is something that they joke about and think is funny. Of course most staff members have the mentality of juvenile delinquents even thought they are supposedly law enforcement officers. The mentality of a prisoncrat is thoroughly incomprehensible for any rational person to possible understand....
Unlike other people in the workplace, who must work within strict guideline, a prisoncrat is free to issue directives that are totally arbitrary in their nature.... A prisoncrat is under no restraints. He is free to do as he pleases, so long as it is considered constitutional by the courts. Even when a policy of the DOC [Department of Corrections] is found to be unconstitutional, prisons are notorious for either not changing the specific policy, or delaying [the change] as long as possible.
Inmates are routinely denied due process, subject to harassment, abuse, etc. by the guards, and the administration. Rarely if ever does a guard get fired or even disciplined for their actions. Prisons give those who have an authority fix, but can't cut it as cops, a playground to abuse and raid the state treasury every week....
...As I type these words it is a bright sunny day outside, and yet the main yard is closed today. Yesterday it was pouring rain and the yard was open. Does this make any sense? Of course not! But then again, nothing in prison makes any sense. Considering the mentality of the people attracted to this kind of 'work', one can not expect any of the rules and procedures to make any sense....
--A Massachusetts Prisoner, Oct. 2, 1996
MIM COMMENTS: Overall this letter does an excellent job demonstrating the laziness and incompetence of pigs, who are paid extremely well. It is intentional that prisoncrats are rewarded for their laziness and harassment of prisoners, it is not that the prison does not make sense. Prisons in Amerika are meant to control and warehouse people. Pigs put the air conditioning on in the winter and the heat in the summer, intentionally to torture prisoners.
It is not because of the idiocy of prisoncrats that prisoners don't have soap and aren't allowed outside in nice weather. This is the point of prison, to punish and torture those who are a threat to Amerikkkan society.
Remember it is the law enforcement officers and the imperialists who are the real criminals. Often so- called "juvenile delinquents" are just rebellious youth trying to survive in an oppressive society. While both welfare recipients and prisoncrats may not be expected to work for their check, they are not the same. People on welfare do not get paid to verbally and physically harass and torture human beings on a regular basis, but pigs do.
It is the oppressive imperialist system that is the main enemy here. We must educate and organize in order to dismantle this system, stop the torture and free the oppressed.
--RCG1, Oct. 29, 1996
A NOTE TO TEXAS PRISONERS
T.D.C.J. Prisoners, if you ever had a problems getting U.S. mail into or out of any Texas Prison, note that a class action suit has been filed in Federal Court. The attorney for the plaintiff (inmates) class is:
Mr. John Paul DeGeeter, with the Law Firm of Visson and Elkins, Attorneys at Law, 2300 First City Tower 1001 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77002.
Write a brief summary of the problems you have had with incoming or outgoing mail, or describe your problems with mailroom staff and send it to Mr. DeGeeter. Keep your letter short, free of emotion and make it businesslike.
--A Texas Prisoner, Sept. 26, 1996.
**MIM received the following article from a Michigan prisoner. The article highlights his battle with a new and unproven method of drug testing . It was printed by the Spectator July 1996 on page 16, and was written by another person, possibly a fellow prisoner.**
PRISONERS BALK AT NEW DRUG TESTING
The controversial PharmChek sweat patch used as a mechanism to detect drug usage among prisoners has found its was into SMI-Central Complex. The patch began as a pilot program at the Egeler Facility and after what could be deemed as favorable results by the MDOC [Michigan Department of Corrections], the patch has replace the traditional urinalysis form of drug detection.
However, prisoners at the Egeler Facility and SMI- Central Complex have made complaints as to the validity of the patch. At the Egeler Facility prisoners complained of irritation of the skin beneath the patch, rashes, puffiness and severe headaches. Prisoners at SMI-Central Complex have complained of similar reactions. A new twist has recently come into question that involves prisoners who allege to use no types of drugs, testing positive for morphine and opiate based drugs. Prisoners have also complained of being allergic to the adhesive used to secure the patch while others have made accusations that the adhesive literally removed their skin in the removal of the patch and yet no remedies have been provided.
An incident concerning a prisoners whose patch was beginning to come off in the shower, and the prisoner reported the incident to an officer, who in turn observed and placed their initials on the patch to verify that the prisoner had not tampered with the patch. However, the prisoner received a major misconduct for substance abuse which has the potential of forfeiting his visits for 30 days on the first incident and on the second his visits will be permanently revoked. Also, the prisoner could forfeit all of his good time as a result of a bogus substance abuse infraction. Also prisoners who are found guilty of substance abuse will lose their job, potentially their parole, in addition to their security status. So as you can see, there are serious repercussions to being found guilty of a patch that has not yet been proven to be an accurate detection of drugs.
The patch has been criticized in comparison to its traditional counterpart. No one seems to know why the MDOC has chose the patch over urinalysis. Some feel the MDOC has an agreement with the manufacturers of the patch. Others say testing with the patch is less of a financial burden upon the MDOC.
For the most part, the only people who are exempt from patch testing are people who have excessive hair. "If a prospective donor has excessive hair on the parts of the body recommended for patch application, do not shave area. If excess hair is not able to be determined visually, apply patch. If the patch adhesive does not provide a complete seal around the absorbent pad because of hair, this person is not to be considered a prospective patch donor and another method of testing for drugs should be used."
The PharmChek sweat patch has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to be worn to collect sweat. According to a PharmChek medical briefing report, "PharmChek has also been cleared by the FDA to be used to collect sweat specifically to be used to test for cocaine, opiate and amphetamine use." What seems somewhat suspicious is that applications to FDA to use the patch for testing PCP and marijuana are currently being reviewed by the FDA. However, the PharmChek sweat patch can be used to test for all 5 drugs for criminal justice clients (prisoners). It doesn't make very much sense that the FDA would allow prisoners to be tested when they have not approved this product. Some say the MDOC has taken it upon themselves to implement the patch without FDA approval. Others say prisoners are in fact the product of field testing for the FDA which by law and policy is illegal.
A medical briefing report, states that a most likely cause of an allergic reaction would be the adhesive on the patch. Allegedly no allergic reactions have been reported. However, the medical briefing states, "at the end of the training manual are pictures of what severe reactions look like." If no allergic reaction have been reported where did the pictures come from?
Writer's Note: The FDA is being contacted by this office and we will give an up-date.
WASHINGTON CENSORS MIM NOTES
(MIM received this letter from the Washington Department of Corrections)
Incoming mail to the offender may be disapproved for receipt for any of the following reasons: (i) The mail contains information that which, if communicated would create a risk of violence and/or physical harm to any person. I rejected per Headquarters.
--Sgt. J. M. Sinprez, Oct. 1, 1996
Letters of protest may be sent to: Director, Division of Prisons or Community Corrections, PO Box 41100, Olympia, WA 98504-1100, or Sgt. J. M. Sinprez, State of Washington Department of Corrections, Clallam Bay Corrections Center, 1830 Eagle Crest Way, Clallam Bay, WA 98326-9723.
MIM NOTES GETS TO SOME PRISONERS IN WASHINGTON STATE
To my Comrades in arms,
I am very pleased to inform you that MIM Notes are being delivered here at Airway Heights Correction Center. At this point in time, there has been only one issue rejected. Their reasoning was it was banned state-wide.
I would also like to tell you that quite a few people have shown great interest in reading my papers. I am going to talk to the library here to see if we can get them [prison officials] to order them [MIM Notes]. I am very interested in any books or other avenues of obtaining more information and insight into the movement.
Sincerely yours, --A Washington Prisoner, Sept. 30, 1996
TENNESSEE CONTINUES TO CENSOR MIM NOTES
(MIM received this letter from Warden, Howard Carlton to a Tennessee prisoner)
Rejected Mail - TDOC [Tennessee Department of Corrections] Policy 507
I am in the possession of a magazine addressed to you from "MIM" Distributors. The periodical contains extremely racist material and is discouraged inside a penal facility due to its direction toward violence, therefore, I am not allowing you to receive it.
You have the right to appeal my decision to Mr. Jim Rose, Assistant Commissioner of Operations. You have 15 days to appeal, after which the magazine will be returned to the publisher. I suggest you cancel your subscription.
His Address [Jim Rose]: Tennessee Department of Corrections, 4th Floor, Rachel Jackson Building, 320 Sixth Ave North, Nashville, TN 37243-0465
--Howard Carlton, Warden, Sept. 9, 1996
Letters of protest can be sent to Jim Rose at the address above or to Howard Carlton, Warden, Department of Corrections, Division of Adult Institutions, Northeast Correctional Center, PO Box 5000, Mountain City, TN 37683-5000
STUDY GROUP FORMED TO FIGHT REPRESSION IN ILLINOIS
Comrade,
I am writing to inform you that I have started a study group here at this hell hole and would like to request any and all material I can use to learn and teach with. I would appreciate any assistance you could provide. Thank you.
--An Illinois Prisoner, Oct. 1, 1996
P.S. Pontiac Correctional Center (I.D.O.C.) has found a new way to prevent us from communicating with the free world. It is called confiscation of contraband. The following items are considered contraband in segregation: pens, pencils, markers, or anything that writes. This is in retaliation to us writing the director of the I.D.O.C. about the way Pontiac's warden deprives us Brothers in segregation the use of the phone. No use if in c- grade, knowing every resident in segregation is in c-grade. And how we can't have envelopes delivered to the outside by the state anymore even if you are indigent.
We were also complaining about the warden stealing our allowance pay, stating that because we are in seg. we can't receive it even though the person is in Adm. Lock (meaning the warden feels your a threat to him and the institution, so he throws them in segregation). We're fighting now to end this injustice. Oh yeah, Illinois Department of Corrections (Pontiac, Menard, Stateville) are still on Lockdown!
NEW STUDY GROUP FORMS IN TEXAS
Dear MIM,
...My reason for writing is to congratulate you all on a fine, respectful and up front newspaper. Please keep up the good work. My other reason is to inform you all that some more guys and myself have launched a successful organization inside the prison walls. Which is a self- empowerment organization. The organization is called "Brothers of the Future".
This organization has been created to be a catalyst for positive change within the members' lifestyles. We use our cultural studies as a spark that might ignite the fire of our ancestors into our population. We would like to start our own newsletter, whereas we can play a part in getting positive information into the hands of the people.
Could you send me some information on how to start a newsletter and how to get our organization registered, whereas we can operate legitimately in the freeworld. If you know of some brothers who might be interested would you please have them write me. We are looking for outside members.
--a Texas Prisoner, Oct. 2, 1996
MIM RESPONDS: We at MIM are glad that you like our publication MIM Notes. Maybe you would consider working on or expanding MIM Notes instead of starting your own newsletter. Why start a new publication when we already have one you can use. You could expand Under Lock & Key from 2 pages to 4, or have your own biweekly column.
We at MIM would like to congratulate you getting organized and forming a group where you can study and discuss important issues. As for registering as an organization, that depends on the policy at your institution. It varies at different institutions. There is not reason to register on the outside, unless this is as a non-profit to save some money on mailings. Of course the FBI would love organizations to register with them, but why help them in their surveillance of the revolution.
--RCG1, Nov. 13, 1996
MIM AND RAIL GET AROUND IN MASSACHUSETTS
Friends! First of all, let me thank you for sending me MIM's paper and also MASS RAIL's publication. They are always welcome and though provoking to say the least. You guys have been the voice of the voiceless - the convicts serving time in Massachusetts, Texas, and nationwide, and it IS appreciated!!!
I made copies of the Prison Awareness Week flyer, and posted them throughout the institution. It looks so nice and innocent, that it took a while for the pigs to catch on. It was not until they read the Prison Awareness Week Points of Unity, and studied the GREAT artwork (pad-locked mouth), that they caught on.
Special State Police Officers, known as the "I.P.S." (Internal Perimeter Security), who even dress like Gestapo - quickly removed each one, while we were locked down. I fully expect an investigation shall follow. Screw em!
I have also passed on all of your newspapers to friend, for them to read. Then, when all are finished, I slip them onto the newspaper rack in the prison library. There are so many already there, that al least for now, nobody has noticed, and the men are reading your words along with those of the local rags to which the institution subscribes. Perhaps others may try this technique, in their joints.
I must tell you up front, that although I am thankful for all that you are doing for us, that I do not agree, (yet) with the Maoist/Communist ideology, and may never come totally to those beliefs. I am willing to listen. And, I would die to preserve the right for you to say what you say.
You may have guessed that I am white. That does not make me a bad person. I agree with you that the struggle shall start with the most oppressed, an we all know it is not the white man. But, there are many of us inside the wall who support our brothers of all races and creeds. Do not discount us!...
-- A Massachusetts Prisoner, Oct. 27, 1996
MIM RESPONDS: MIM agrees that the revolution must be led by the most oppressed and their interests. But MIM does not discount individuals who are white and have progressive or revolutionary ideas and practices. At the same time, MIM does discount the white nation, as a whole, as a revolutionary force. It is not in the interests of the white Amerikkkan nation to have revolution. They benefit from the imperialist spoils stolen from the majority of the world's people. MIM would encourage white individuals interested in ending oppression to commit nation and class suicide and join RAIL and MIM in the revolutionary struggle against imperialism.
MAIL TAMPERING IN MAINE
I received three copies of MIM Notes, on Sept. 20, 1996, so I know these maggots are holding back my mail. I really enjoyed reading MIM Notes, but since these scum bags are holding them I don't know if I'm going to get my copies or not....
In Struggle, --A Maine Prisoner, Sept. 26, 1996