"THERAPEUTIC" ALTERNATIVES TO PRISON & THE U$ INJUSTICE SYSTEM
by facility RAIL
As both MIM Notes and MIM Theory #11 have shown, the incarceration rates in the imperialist U$ have been steadily increasing. This is part of Amerikkka's growing attack on oppressed nations within its borders. One of the main weapons in this offensive is the alleged "War on Drugs". The U$ has been using this "War" as a cover for increased repression in both tactics (pigs with M-16's) and harsher sentences. As more and more white nation youth get caught in the "crossfire", so to speak, the same white society that begged for harsher measures in the 80's (when they thought drugs were only a problem for the oppressed nations), has been crying out now in the 90's for the need for "rehabilitation." Now that white Amerikkka's material interests are affected, the U$ government has felt the need to show a change of heart.
A KINDER, GENTLER EXPLOITATION
In response to these calls for "rehabilitation" of drug offenders, the U$ injustice system has increasingly been working with programs that claim to offer this. Various programs called "boot camps", "thereputic communities", and "work- therapy" programs have been proliferating nicely off this. While they may all differ slightly on minor points, they all serve the same function, and operate similarly. Within these programs, "patients" often work 11-15 hour days performing harsh physical labor. In return they receive no payment, and are told their work is in return for room and board (as if the state and federal grants; mandatory welfare and foodstamps for "patients"; and other sources of income are not enough!). This room and board usually consists of drafty buildings (which are often rodent infested) and high fat, high calorie food filled with salt. This way "patients" gain weight and "look" healthy.
Medical and other services are often minimal, maximizing profit. Instead of going to the people performing the labor, the profits they make for the institution go into the exploiter's pockets, providing them with an easy source of free labor for their business-in-the-guise-of-a-program. In addition, these programs use bourgeois psychology to attempt to convince the masses imprisoned within them that struggle is useless and that society will never change. They push the concept of "acceptance" on their victims, telling them that "accepting" the injustice and oppression of capitalist society as essential to their "recovery".
These programs also routinely restrict political and religious mail of anyone adhering to a non=state- approved ideology and place similar restrictions on visitation, all in the name of "therapy".
EXPLOITATION & THE COURTS: PERFECT TOGETHER
Representing the latest development in imperialist tactics, these programs offer free labor and pro- system propaganda all in one package. There is much good publicity to be gained from this for the courts, as well, since they can now say "See, we let them go to a program" and such. Relations between the directors of these programs and government officials are normally very cozy. The director of one such program in New Jersey is known to be extremely close to both the mayor and police chief (the police force in this town is renowned for its brutality and corruption, as well as its harassment of activists) of the town the program is based in.
The profit-based motive behind these programs is made clear when it is also understood that certain county courts have actual contracts to supply a certain amount of individuals; the formation of drug courts (DCI) in the state of New Jersey that habitually sentence people to lengthy program stays; and most programs' participation in the MAP program providing for the early release of prisoners to programs (not to mention $30,000 a head for the "non-profit" program!)
While pointing out the position these programs serve in imperialist society repression, it must be stated that there is often a much-reduced chance of physical harm, and the length of stay is still less than that of the average prison sentence. Therefore, individuals facing prison time MAY wish to look into the prospect of getting stipulated to a program. As well, I feel the need to point out that the issue of drug abuse is a serious one for the revolutionary movement to tackle (MT#9 was a good start).
In the way of self-criticism, I formerly abused narcotics, but now feel that most drug use is simply escapist and serious comrades would do better to spend the time and money doing Party work. 'Tis better to work to destroy imperialism, then use drugs to hide from the horrors of it. Work with MIM and RAIL to expose the system of national oppression known as the criminal injustice system!
CRITICISMS & SELF-CRITICISM
The [facility] RAIL collective recognizes the unparalleled value of criticism and self-criticism to the revolutionary. Only through criticism and self-criticism can correct revolutionary line be achieved, and (in our current circumstances, somewhat more importantly) can we recognize, compensate for, and correct our errors on a personal level. We realize that beyond organizing & educating others, and studying on a theoretical level, that building for revolution also entails changes in our personal attitudes and behaviors as we break free of imperialist society conditioning.
We should welcome opportunities for criticism and self-criticism as important struggles to become better, more effective revolutionaries. In keeping with this belief, the collective issues the following self-criticisms.
1) Objectively serving imperialism through past dealings with drugs. Through our escapist use of drugs we sought to hide from the horrors of imperialist oppression, rather that organize for a revolution to stop it. Through our purchase of drugs we served imperialism both by providing an excuse for increased pig presence in our communities, and money for CIA operations in Third World nations struggling for liberation. Finally, through our sale of drugs, we led others down the escapist path.
2) Failure to struggle to advance the line set forth in this resolution. In the past year we have seen many good comrades who have had quite advanced theory and practice leave the program (often to face long prison terms), without taking into account the consequences of their actions. Criticism and self-criticism could have helped avert these occurrences.
As revolutionaries, our primary goals should always be to prepare ourselves for struggle, and to free ourselves (and others) from imperialist restrictions as soon as possible. Thus, if one is stipulated to 18 months here or face a 7 flat, the comrade should be encouraged to stay in the program and reminded of his duty to the People. Finally, by carrying out intensive criticism and self-criticism publicly, we will show the People our dedication and determination, winning their respect.
ATTENTION PRISONERS: JOIN RAIL IN ORGANIZING THE CRIMINAL INJUSTICE SYSTEM TEACH-IN
A clenched fist salute to all brothers and sisters imprisoned in U$ gulags. The Maoist Internationalist Movement and the Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist League firmly support the struggles of prisoners as they oppose the unjust prison system in Amerika. The targeted harassment and brutality of members of oppressed nations and of the poor by pigs on the streets; the inadequate access to legal resources for oppressed nationals and the poor; the denial to a jury of your peers; the disproportionate sentences received by oppressed nationals; the disproportionate convictions of the oppressed; and brutality and inhumane conditions in the prisons are all methods of war which we are fighting against in solidarity with you.
MIM works toward the end of oppression. The battle which is at the forefront of the path for the liberation of the oppressed is national liberation for all oppressed nations. Without national liberation and with the imperialist oppressors on their backs, oppressed nations cannot struggle to eradicate class inequality and gender oppression. Without national liberation, a people cannot fully develop its own economy, teach its own history to its own people and lead its own people in political affairs. MIM unites all who can be united in genuine support of national liberation.
In the United Snakes, what this means is that we oppose the domination of the Black nation, the Latino nations and First nations by the white settler nation. We oppose the use of white cops to occupy and round-up members of oppressed nations. We oppose the use of laws created in the interests of the white nation to imprison more and more oppressed nationals. We see the prison system and the entire white nation's legal system as tools which are used to continue the domination of the oppressed within the United Snakes.
In our organizing work, we work on the outside to mobilize activists who are broadly against national oppression and we also mobilize people on the outside who may only want to work against one specific aspect of Amerikan Injustice -- maybe people who support Affirmative Action, or people who oppose the death penalty or people who oppose police or prison guard brutality. The people who work on single issues of opposing oppression can be important allies if directed by the Party to do the most effective work.
Across the country, outside of the prisons, we have been holding events to educate community members, students and local activists about the systematic use of prisons as tools of national oppression, social control and genocide. The events are geared toward educating people about the facts and struggling with them to do productive work that will aid our ultimate goal of ending all oppression through revolution.
This educational work is only one aspect of the work that MIM and RAIL do which is necessary to build opposition to Amerikan settler colonialism. We also need to further develop various other independent institutions of the oppressed. We would like your help with pushing the struggle forward. We are working on the expansion of programs which address some of the needs of prisoners in their struggles against oppression. To do this, we need prisoners across the country to contribute to and expand existing people's programs and direct efforts in the most effective way to expand and build other necessary people's institutions.
This year we are helping to build for the March 27 Jericho'98 march on Washington D.C. which focuses on the release of comrades incarcerated for their political activism. As a part of this work we are organizing a teach-in on the criminal injustices system the day after the march (March 28). We need your help to build Jericho'98 and the struggle to End the Amerikan Lockdown. The teach-in will involve people engaged in many different forms of activism around prisons and we will use this opportunity to build greater unity and strengthen our struggle against the criminal injustice system by sharing information and ideas. We would like statements from our comrades behind bars to read at this teach-in. Statements about conditions, struggles you have been undertaking, or on the general nature of the criminal injustice system are all welcome. We encourage all our comrades behind bars to send us statements and information that we can present at the teach-in.
Send statements to educate and mobilize!
PRISONER'S MURDER BURIED UNDER FOOTBALL COVERAGE
[This letter was shortened due to limited space. The full letter can be found in Mass Rail No. 11 -- MIM]
... Paint peeling gray, tall walls of wretched woe encircles MCI-Walpole. The maximum-security state penitentiary in Massachusetts currently operating in a "pseudo-lockdown fashion". Keeping the vast majority of its 900 prisoners confined 22 1/2 hours daily, in their respective single cells. Rehabilitative, school programming is non-existent, other than the substandard GED video educational programming administered via the prison's tv- cable system. Separated thus and existing so, you'd think prisoners continually demonized by "free-society" and banished from within its midst wouldn't have commonality. Well think again! For being a "Fan" enthusiastically endears individuals across the human landscape. Nowhere is that more evident than New England's Patriot football arena. The commonwealth's circus-maximus, adjacent to its' Penal Purgatory Realm...
... The home game was the 35th sell-out ... 60 thousand plus, screaming zealots, who'd driven without pause or consternation past the foreboding gray structure of MCI-Walpole prison. [Which is] a place where prisoner on prisoner, and/or staff against prisoner violence is commonplace and sometimes fatal. Examples of this can be found in the July 25, 1997 incident where a white officer got the worse end of an altercation with a black prisoner. [The prisoner] who was later beaten severely by a host of other white officers. As were the four unfortunate black prisoners who'd been deemed insolent for laughing at the hurt (in pride and physically) officer.
Not even one week later, a Haitian prisoner was accosted and severely beaten down by white officers, causing his death. His family and attorney's poignant pleas that somebody should tour MCI-Walpole and investigate the steady stream of incidents of violence going on unchecked as 'reports' indicated, apparently fell on deaf (political/judicial/societal) ears. Media coverage was minimal at best, but rumors that the Patriot might be leaving New England caused a major hue and cry from across the commonwealth. Media coverage was maximum, telephone lines were overloaded with concerned callers all fanatically voicing an adamant sense of both anguish and ire that this was being allowed to occur.
In the midst of this frenzied-furor, the death/murder of Haitian prisoner, Abel Remy, was swept aside. Proof positive that the priorities of the public are very distorted, immoral and locking in humanity. Such that an outpouring of rage was not forthcoming when a human being's life was snuffed out by those entrusted to watch over it within the criminal "justice" system.
20 "seasons" ago, then state Senators, Jack Backman and Bill Owens and Rep. Doris Bunte toured MCI- Walpole with representatives of the media. Afterwards they met with then Governor, Michael Dukakis, advising him on conditions at MCI-Walpole and demanding an investigation into abusive treatment of prisoners.
A year later Senator Backman announced he intends to file legislation establishing a state policy that Walpole be closed and requiring a preliminary planning for phase out. In the two decades since those courageous politicians asked for human changes in correctional operating policies, the differences are very superficial and cosmetic at best, because the mindset allows Walpole to be violent remains intact.
Herein MCI-Walpole, prisoners were occupied August 31, 1997, with massive television coverage of the spectacle surrounding the death/murder of Princess Diane (of Wales, England) and the pro-football season opening televised games. Early Sept. 1, 1997 prison -wide, correctional officers dressed in all black, went unit after unit awakening and transferring pre-picked prisoners within MCI- Walpole. Unbeknownst to prisoners was the fact that other prisoners located at the MCI-Concord (reception center) were also being rousted from their sleep to be transferred up to the higher security confines of Walpole. Or in the unlucky case of a busload of prisoners (about 45) sent to Texas in exchange for some prisoners already housed there.
The "justification" for all these moves was, as reported by local media, working in collusion with prisoncrats and politicians, attributed to "safety- concerns" from an alleged increase in problems with (minority) gangs at the Concord facility. Which [the Concord facility] was even then locked down ostensibly stemming from an Aug. 27, 1997 melee in the prison's main-yard, involving between 30 -40 Hispanic and Black prisoners. When the truth eventually became known, the reason why the prisoners were incited was because of the many rumors running rampant within the general population of an impending transfer of prisoners to Texas. Which eventually became a reality.
In insidious and racist fashion, malevolent administrators were able to circumvent state law and constitutional mandates prohibiting segregation of prisoners by race using the vague and nebulous reasoning of safety concerns for their further stigmatizing and locking-down of these transferred minority prisoners in a newly designated Security Threat Housing Unit. Bringing the total up to six units.
All in all these racially tainted MDOC-machinations ratcheted up higher to boiling point in an already seething caldron of prisoners' emotions, stemming from the lightly media-publicized death/murder of Haitian prisoner, Abel Remy. A Black man who was screaming in agonizing pain from the brutal beating given to him by all white correctional officers herein Walpole, Mass. While in New York, a fellow Haitian, Abner Louima was screaming in similar pain due to all white law enforcement shoving a plunger up his rectum!
Because violence in Walpole is such a common occurrence (be it staff on prisoner, or prisoner on prisoner). When an Asian convict was tossed from the third tier and the sight of his brain matter splattered on the floor caused a rookie officer to rush from the scene, visibly distraught from what he'd seen, some prisoners found cause to laugh and joke about the overall situation. Sad, but true none-the-less...
Neither the incident with the Haitian or Asian prisoner was cause for a great hue and cry from the general public herein Massachusetts, because people were more alarmed and concerned with the possible move of the New England football team out of state. With everyone having an opinion on radio and tv- pundits encouraging the citizenry to vent their anger at politicians in the upcoming local elections if the Patriots are allowed to leave Foxboro.
One suggestion floated by a harried state legislature looking for feasible financial packages to pay to keep the Patriots in the commonwealth, was to get prisoners to press Patriot logo license plates. Which would be then sold to the public at $55 dollars a set. This in turn was estimated to quickly raise about 1.5 million dollars. That would help pay debt services on the borrowing of the 20 - 30 million dollars need for Foxboro Stadium renovations.
Once again the priority of people in Mass. are shown to be misplaced. All money raised is better spent on other pertinent public services in dire need of financial infusion. [Services] that the legislature says isn't readily available because the state can't afford these "liberal luxuries". Meanwhile the communal infrastructure continues to decline into decay. The Circus Maximus games must continue at all cost and the legitimate social concerns are deemed to be trifling issues.
Money could also be well spent here in Walpole, where the "Pat's Plates" are to be manufactured. The first place to start could be within the food service area. Which is serving substandard small food portions. [Substandard portions are served] so often that on September 24, 1997, prisoners, who had access to the prison's chow hall, began a weeklong boycott in protest. The only thing that came out of this unified showing of prisoners was the `leaders' were placed in segregation and the min-end of Walpole was placed on "pseudo-lockdown". Money was also a central issue of why a Muslim prisoner was removed from Walpole. He was seeking funding similar to that received by the Christian and Catholic departments respectively. Even while stating that their money was constrained with an overburdened budget, as with every new fiscal year, the MDOC [Massachusetts Department of Corruptions] spent money needlessly. This year it was on replacing perfectly good windows in the units' observation galleries with new reflective, tinted, one-way mirrored windowing. Painting of the units was also done unnecessarily at an exorbitant coast, herein the Circus Maximus. Meanwhile prisoners and plebeians in the public, cheer on the Patriots!
Some prisoners, not completely inundated by the mass entertainment culture and asleep to the sleight of hand tricknology of the Mass Department of Corrections, voiced displeasure with the latest policy change. Which rescinds prisoners from being able to receive two and a half days per month participation in the institutional GED video programming schooling, because the MDOC provided program was deemed to be substandard! Truly the time went backwards more than one hour this year at daylight savings time, and the Circus stays open.
-- A Massachusetts Prisoner, 15 November 1997
"MY NAME IS NOT MUMIA ABU-JAMAL"
Even though, with all due respect, my name is not Mumia Abu-Jamal, I am one of a million people that are incarcerated in this country for political reasons. Yes, that's correct. There are over one million political prisoners in this country.
This fact may shock most people but the most shocking aspect of this fact is that the vast majority of those incarcerated in this country for political reasons are not aware of the fact because the vast majority have no politics, per se.
Now, logic begs to ask, if someone who doesn't have a political bone in their body, let alone exercise it, how then, can they be incarcerated for political beliefs? The answer, of course, is that we're not incarcerated for our political beliefs but for those beliefs pressed on us or oppressed upon us by the system, for we live in a system that now defines social problems as public health problems.
We also live in a system that seeks more ways to incarcerate more of its people instead of seeking more ways to free them. The war drums of the system upon its people can be heard loud and clear throughout this nation. Specifically in California where anti-affirmative action, anti-immigration, and anti-bilingual education is not only the law of the land but politically correct.
Dostoyevski's challenge, to all citizens, still rings true today, in that, "The degree of civilization in a society can be determined by examining its prisons." I'm saddened, though, that most people will not take up this challenge because they are truly afraid of what they will find which is sadly a truth within itself.
-- A California Prisoner
OPPRESSION BREEDS REBELLION
... These fascist type gestapo lackeys are at it again within South Karolina's Department of Koruptions (SCDC). Just the past week, these neo- pigz cam and got myself along with three other brother/comrades to place us back on the so-called bad side of the Special Management Unit (SMU) at Lee for not abiding with grooming standards.
As for this placing Askori Souljahs on the chains or full security in what they call level I: For some time now, the oppressive pigs have devised this so-called level system to pacify the prisoners with things such as radios and tv's; phone and visit privileges, etc. in return for allowing them to continue the oppression.
But one who has studied the strategy of revolution knows that oppression breeds rebellion. Therefore they could place me under this kamp and i would still be politically conscious. And i would strive to liberate the thoughts of anyone around me. For an individual as myself, who was placed in the control unit for my STG (Security Threat Group) status, which the pig Michael Moore has targeted to obey the commands of the devil in a white shirt (Captain Hall), it would go contrary to my ideology.
...In the tradition of comrade George Jackson, i rage on against any and everything that advocates this unjust society, plots to imprison the young souljahs, and keeps us away from our own form of social equality. Until the pigs die and their empire crumbles, i remain as always.
In Struggle, -- A South Carolina Prisoner, 11 December 1997
POOR MEDICAL CARE IN MASSACHUSETTS
...Currently I am on isolation for refusing they say, "to give a urine sample". I was unable to give them a urine sample simply because I could not urinate on demand. The so-called free medical care which inmates allegedly receive is a hoax. It is a fraud perpetrated against inmates who are powerless to resist it.
Not only is the medical staff here totally useless, the frequently call inmates to HUS (the prisoner hospital) for the most ludicrous things, all the while completely ignoring any real serious problems. A month ago, I was called to HUS at 8:30 AM to give a blood sample to check for syphilis, which I am absolutely sure I do not have. Meanwhile, I was not seen till nearly 10:30 AM, two hours later, thus wasting my morning. I of course refused the blood sample. Not only have they done nothing about my lower back pain or the two torn rotator cuff muscles I have, they waste my time on top of it. They are not only utterly useless, but worse then useless.
Of course they are all paid extremely well to do little more than pass out aspirin and band-aids, while ignoring serious medical problems. I was informed today, I will receive five days isolation and four weeks loss of canteen for, they claim, "refusing to supply a urine sample". In any case, I will end this letter saying I regret very much that I am unable to receive your literature. It is a totally irrational decision, but one I am powerless to appeal....
-- A Massachusetts Prisoner, 5 December 1997
TEXAS PRISONER CRITICIZES UNDER LOCK AND KEY
I am an indigent prisoner in the Texas slave plantations. Recently I was permitted by a fellow slave to read 4 old issues of MIM Notes still circulating here....To open my comments, I saw in the Sept. 1, 1997 issue, your response to a letter in which you said: "We also disagree with the writer that Amerika is currently fascist." And you also said: "We must correctly analyze the enemy and current conditions."
If you were serious about the latter statement, then I fear that whoever is responsible for doing your analyzing has died and you haven't yet noticed. Amerika is in fact currently one of the most outrageously fascist oligarchies ever to disgrace the human race.
Next, in the same issue, prisoners in New Jersey and Pennsylvania complain about the "low wages" they are paid for their work. You poor, underpaid workers have our deepest sympathy from Texas -- where we are not paid a solitary cent for our forced slave labor. [Labor] ranging from eight to fifteen hours per day, five to seven days per week. Despite the fact that our prison industries each year extract thousands of dollars from the taxpayers for what they list as "wages for inmate labor".
I saw discussions from some inmates complaining about not receiving enough channels on his cable service, and one talking about turning off the TV in his cell. By the Gods! Do you also have a swimming pool, a golf course and tennis courts? I would damn sure love to trade places with either of you!
There was one in Michigan who complained that the pig he got arrested for sexually assaulting him didn't get enough punishment. How did he work the impossible miracle of getting him arrested? The free-world mother in Huntsville would like to know. Since she caught one of our pigs in the act of sexually assaulting her three-year-old daughter, and all they did to him [the pig] was to reassign him to another unit.
For the prisoner in Georgia, in the September 15th issue, who after complaining of work with no pay said, "the only answer is the court room." I say use it while you can friend; it's going fast. They have already removed the law libraries from prisons in some states. Here in Texas they have a simpler solution -- they just automatically dismiss all actions filed by prisoners as "frivolous".
In the July 15 issue a South Carolina prisoner complains that clowns run the prisons from high positions. Here the prisons are run by the individual guards, each of which makes up his/her own rules minute by minute. The only function the clowns in high positions serve is to prevent anyone from investigating. Want to make a bet on which system is worse?
Then in the July 1 issue, I saw the Maryland prisoner who thinks those locked up for child molesting and for killing blacks should stay in prison. Does that include the black who killed a black he caught molesting your child? Does it include the man here serving a fifty year sentence for repeatedly raping a child. Despite the fact that the state's own medical doctor who examined her testified that even now, she is still a virgin, and shows no sign at all of ever having any sexual activity of any kind? Perhaps it is a certain Maryland prisoner who should stay where he is until he learns to put his brain in gear.
-- A Texas Prisoner, 15 November 1997
MIM RESPONDS: This letter demonstrates that prisoners in Texas live under horrible conditions. It is important to know that the conditions on Texas are worse than many other states but at the same time it is the entire prison system in Amerika which serves as an imperialist mechanism of oppression. Because prisoners are murdered and brutalized and forced into labor in Texas does not mean that Amerikan oppression through prisons is insignificant in states where there is less overt tactics of oppression.
Under Lock and Key, as well as other programs of MIM and RAIL to expose the use of the prison system as a tool of national oppression and social control, cover a wide variety of atrocities which the white settler nation commits. We use the pages of MIM Notes and other organs to build unity against imperialism. The pages are not used to state that only the very worst tactic of imperialist domination should be fought. It is the entire system which we must force to crumble!
We argue that all prisoners are political prisoners. This means that it is the entire corrupt capitalistic Amerikan society that creates the conditions of poverty, unequal education and opportunities which the oppressed are forced to endure. All imprisonment under the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie is characterized by injustice. Whether it is looking at the statistical facts of disproportionate imprisonment of oppressed nationals or looking at the fact that the oppressed do not have adequate legal assistance or fair trialsS Amerika uses prisons as a tool against the oppressed and this is political. Again, the tactics of oppressed must be exposed. But it is not only the worst tactics which we fight - we fight the entire Amerikan system!
Note that many of this prisoner's criticisms were addressed by MIM responses in the issues mentioned. So, they will not all be completely rehashed here.
First, as we have stated in MIM Theory #11 and elsewhere, Amerika is not currently fascist. However, we point to the Amerikan prison system as the most fascistic part of Amerikan society. The reason is that in the prison system you can see the merging of state and capital and the use of force to exploit the masses.
Important to the analysis that Amerika's system is not entirely fascist is sizing up the political position of the middle classes in Amerika. The middle classes in Amerika currently support imperialism and the flow of super-profits from oppressed nations to puff up the Amerikan standard of living. The middle classes in Amerika are not being squeezed as they were during the development of Nazi fascism in Germany. Because of imperialism's ability to super-exploit the masses of oppressed nations, the Amerikan government and capital do not need to force the middle classes into labor as what would be necessary under fascism.
It is a minority in Amerika where are forced to work under fascistic relations. The majority in Amerika is not forced through fascistic relations to labor for profit of the state and capital combined. Though there are seeds of fascist ideology among the middle classes, white nation chauvinism to support imperialism is sufficient at this time to perpetuate the interests of the Amerikan settler nation. A threat to these interests would be a well-organized and strong communist movement. And at this time, this threat is not strong enough for the middle classes in Amerika to firmly support fascism.
We do not conclude that the united snakes is currently under a fascist system but instead a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. The dictatorship of the bourgeoisie enables the settler middle classes to benefit from imperialism. When state powers are delegated to capital, capital uses those powers to increase its influence over the state. This decreases democracy and at this point in time there is no need for the state and capital to decrease democracy for the majority in Amerika because the majority in Amerika supports the goal of imperialism.
The injustice system in general and the prison system in particular is the most fascist part of Amerikan society. The injustice system in Amerika is one of the main tools in oppressing Amerika's internal colonies through force. You are correct to point to the outrageous exploitation and oppression which Texas prisoners face, but remember that it is the entire system that is used to oppress and that is why we expose it in its entirety.
You are right that prison industries extract thousands of dollars off the labor of prisoners. The prisoners do not benefit in Texas, New Jersey or Pennsylvania. Texas prisoners get paid nothing, New Jersey Prisoners get 28-30 cents and hour, and Pennsylvania prisoners work 8 hours and get paid for 7 (wage amounts were not mentioned). Texas prisoners are the worst off but it does not mean the objectively the prisoners in other states which are being paid pittances are not exploited.
When we expose the lack of control that prisoners have over things like reading newspaper or watching TV, we are exposing the fact that prisoners are controlled. We expose the fact that prisoners do not have the ability to gain further education in most cases or the fact that their books are censored when we send them out. Sure, these things are not as egregious as prison pigs murdering prisoners, but we expose it to teach people that Amerika is not about democracy and prisons are not about rehabilitation. Too many people on the outside want to increase the number of Amerika's prisons. It is our job to expose the many aspects which show that prisons are only about controlling the oppressed, they are not about stopping crime and are not about helping people to become productive members of society.
MONEY FOR EDUCATION -- NOT PRISONS
This prison has approximately 600 prisoners, and only two teachers to serve the ones who wish to learn. Each teacher spends about three to five minutes once a week with a prisoner. The administration here refuses to pay the money for the teachers, and refuses to open the school building here at X prison. Inmates or residents here have in cell teaching. Out of Y years in prison, I have never seen such a low level of teaching in the State of Michigan. There's a lot of young guys here, who really don't care about getting an education, and yet we know this is the reason that we are in here, for the lack of education.
I believe that it is relevant that this institution make reading, writing and math more sufficient for inmates or residents.
--a Michigan prisoner, 19 December, 1997
My white teacher dropped me from her class, and claimed her five books back from me but I feel there is no education or rehabilitation in here. The teachers spend five minutes with you. If you are in the hole they drop you some books and expect you to do the work. Also if you want to take the GED test you can't do it from the hole only population.
--another Michigan prisoner, 4 July, 1997
The educational set-up is prisoners can take GED classes [at Michigan Department of Corrections expense]. I have a GED so I am not allowed to attend any schooling. If I request educational text books I am told they need them for prisoners who do not have GED. There are no college teachings at all so if we have GED and wish to continue schooling it has to be done by our own resources. The MDOC does not aid once you have the GED.
--a third Michigan prisoner, 19 December, 1997
MIM RESPONDS: MIM believes that the lack of education for oppressed nationals in Amerika is part of the same system of oppression as the prisons system. Lack of schooling does not cause people to commit crimes and be put in prison; rather lack of schooling is part of the systemic denial of the basic needs of the oppressed under imperialism.
Having whites serve as teachers and guards and the majority of DOC staff overall is another aspect of the same oppression -- it's not enough to lock up the Black, Latino and First Nations in disproportionate numbers, but they must be supervised by white captors as well.
Even under imperialism, MIM advocates that money be spent on education rather than imprisonment, and we believe that there are winnable battles within this general goal. Our Free Books for Prisoners program is designed to provide resources to prisoners which the DOC will not provide.
OPPOSE THE AMERIKAN LOCKDOWN MICHIGAN PRISONER RAPED BY HIS CAPTORS
January 10, 1998
***In the next couple of months, there will be an important parole hearing in Ann Arbor. A prisoner originally from Ann Arbor will be appealing his denial of parole, because he believes the denial was an act of retaliation for his exposure of brutality within the Michigan prisons. The judge who will hear his parole appeal is Donald Shelton, in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. Read more about this case and give your support to this prisoner who has been harshly abused by the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC).***
X* was raped by a prison guard in March of 1996. By his own accounting it took more than a year of repeated complaints from him, and his own submission to a lie detector test, before the MDOC would even begin to investigate his rape charge. Now that the charge is known to be true, the state has let this violent guard plead guilty to charges less than rape, which X says "is the last thing I want," because "as long as the MDOC can sweep this under the rug, nothing will change, and more POWs will be abused."
RAIL sees this case as another nail in the coffin of the MDOC's image as a rehabilitative system. As X points out, sexual abuse of prisoners is "an everyday affair" in Michigan's prisons. Based on their authority over prisoners and their impunity in the face of the law, prison guards are in a position to abuse prisoners who have never been abusive to anyone. The system is set up so that prison will further worsen the condition of prisoners who are already in bad shape, and degrade the conditions of those prisoners who are relatively healthy before they are imprisoned. It is always to the credit of the prisoners who struggle against this system, never to the credit of the system itself when prisoners survive in spite of it.
In a statement demanding reform of the miserable conditions at Attica Correctional Facility in New York, months before prisoners there rebelled in 1971, "under the facade of rehabilitation we are treated for our hostilities by our program administrators with their hostility as a medication." Here in Michigan more than twenty-five years after the Attica rebellion, prisoners are still treated with gross hostility.
Join RAIL in struggling against these abusive prison conditions. Work with us to support X in his struggle for fair treatment, and join us in putting the spotlight on Michigan's criminal INjustice system.
*In general, RAIL and MIM do not print the names of prisoners in connection with their cases. In many cases, prisoners can be politically active without bringing consistent attention to themselves. In X's case, he has already suffered rape at the hands of a prison "guard" and is now enduring retaliation for his resistance. Where we are building support for this individual's appeal, we will print X's name if he asks us to. We will not do this without permission first.
Source on Attica: A Bill of No Rights: Attica and the American Prison System by Herman Badillo & Milton Haynes.
BRUTAL BEATING IN MISSOURI EXPOSE THE PIGS! IT'S A MUST!
...I've had an altercation here at Potosi Correctional Center that has more than jolted my thoughts. I'm now in the hole due to a situation that's taken place. Please let me explain.
Some time ago, I recorded this article out of a Black Islamic newspaper called the Final Call. There was this article untitled "Black man accept your own" in it. It seemed to have made some interesting points, so I copied it down. It spoke about how we black people need to start building educational systems for our youth, love one another, buy our own land, and stop being so dependent on those who mean us not good --i.e. The Amerikkkan Government. Also that America has inflicted injustice upon our ancestors all the way up into this present day.
We were going out to school. Since this plantation is on the verge of being on total lock down, we have to give our folders to the pigs and get pat- search before we get hauled off to school. Walking single file, like a bunch of military guinea pigs! No talking, no waving at other prisoners at the windows. Just single file marching with pigs everywhere waiting to fabricate a reason to write you up!
Well I forgot that this article was in my school folder. I gave the pig my folder and he searched through it curiously and spotted the copied article in it. He stated, "What's this." I asked to see it but he wouldn't allow me any view of his now delight. During the course of some indifferent chitchat he finally said that he's not giving it back.
I got agitated with his arrogance and just snatched my paper out of his hand. Before I knew it there were pigs everywhere. "Grab his arms, get his legs!" is all they yelled. I resisted being slammed to the ground, so they politely rushed me against the building and smashed my face into a protruding brick wall, and bloodied it all up! Then they sprayed mace in my eyes, nose and mouth, after they drug me to another designated spot. After I was on the ground they suffocated me by pressing their knees into my back.
I screamed, "I can't breath, I can't breath!" because I was choking on mace and gasping profusely for air. The only response I got was, "So what, you should of thought about that before you snatched that paper you fuck, you ass-hole!" They covertly punched me in the face and sprayed mace in my mouth again.
I could breath no longer. Lost my sight for a short while and felt as if I was going to die. So I just said unto myself, "Fuck it. I'm going to die!" But as these words pushed through my mind I was lifted and drug to this cell. Stripped of all my clothes and comforted by cold steel and concrete for four days.
These pigs mocked me for my efforts to stand on what I believe. This is a prime example of the American Justice System. Also it's a prime example of manifest destiny syndrome. Who made these bitches my keeper? I almost lost my life because I used an improper method in their eyes to stand up for my beliefs. I guess if you're not white, you're not right, huh? This just goes to show imperialism in its purest form.
-- A Missouri Prisoner, 4 December 1997
P.S. By the way they're talking about prosecuting me because after they slammed my face against the wall and almost cracked it open, I tried to free myself from anymore bruises. They "say" I elbowed a pig in the chest, punched on in the shoulder and kicked one in the testicles. So they're going to charge me for a fabricated assault on three pigs. I get fucked up for taking a damn piece of paper and in the process of attempted liberation, I get charged for assault. Bullshit! I need help. Is there anyone I can talk to about this matter? These pigs are probably going to try to give me 10, 20, 30 years for some Bull!
MIM RESPONDS: We're printing your letter to expose this pigs' brutality and also request more advice from Jailhouse lawyers and prisoner paralegals reading MIM Notes. First try the local ACLU and National Lawyers Guild and the sidebar contains some legal resources that were recommended by fellow prisoners.
LEGAL RESOURCES:
The National Prison Project of the ACLU 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 410 Washington, D.C. 20009 (202) 234-4830 www.npp.org
NLADA Directory 16525 K ST, 8th Floor NW Washington, DC 20006 Provides a national listing of free legal services
Prisoners Rights Advocacy Centers of America Inc., 204 Elmo Ave San
Antonio, TX 78225-2140 Attention: Anna M. Dobbyn, Founder