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Top Maryland Brutality
...Comrade the pigs here oppress, repress and suppress us so much that it doesn't make any sense at all. The pigs here will put you in this three piece [contraption], which is leg shackles, handcuffs and this black box with a chain around your waist. Then put you in your cage for 24 hours or more and will not take them off. Then sometimes they beat you in your head a few times with a nightstick or flashlight and refuse you medical treatment, whatsoever. But they say that's legal....
-- A Maryland Prisoner, 24 September 1998
Top The 5%ers continue to struggle in South Carolina
Here's the deal with our lawsuit pertaining to the nation of Gods & Earth (5%) here in Slave City (S.C.). The defendants have given in to letting us keep our literature on lock-up once you have been designated as a (5%). They agree in short that this ban violates our 1st amendment (right) of the constitution (Freedom of Religion). I say this to our best effect, if they agree to this, they agree that we, the nation of Gods & Earth (5%,) are a religion!!! Now that this has happened we can finally appeal the decision that the judge ruled against us on last year. Strongly feel my brothers who are suffering hold your head. We will find peace!!
--A South Carolina prisoner, 16 September 1998
Top Prisoners Beaten for Blood
Well today the SCDC [South Carolina Department of Correction's] staff/security came around to every prisoner and just literally took our blood whether we submitted or not. I mean we don't have any type of privacy whatsoever! The blood work was to test for HIV/AIDS. And there was no refusal whatsoever.
At one time a prisoner could refuse, but now Michael Moore will get it any way he can. I have seen more blood spilled on the floor than would fill up one tube! The correctional beasts (c/o's [correction officers]) were having a ball while they were beating prisoners down just to get what they wanted.
I know this has to be some sort of violated act of this so-called constitutional amendment of Amerikkka, but what can we do? If a person doesn't want to know if he's positive or negative, that's his/her prerogative.
I remember reading MIM Notes (beginning of this year /end of last year), Under Lock and Key and the Comrade stated that we are laboratory mice in a big ass laboratory, just being used for experiments. Next they will say we do not have the right to live. But the only logical reason for this HIV/AIDS this is to get a higher budget for an AIDS Fund, and in the end whoever is in need will receive the same old generic products...
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, 24 July 1998
Top South Carolina Brief
...As of June 24, 1998 the South Carolina DOC [Department of Corrections] began censoring all general outgoing and all incoming mail. No longer can we write brothers who have been shipped to other institutions around the state. The prisoncrats are still in the blind with the materials you provide. But when the snakes get word from their brothers in other states they will inform us of their disapproval, but now it's cool.
...Labor Sucks! 55% of the population works for free. The other 45 % still falls under the policy 8 cents per hour. We work 8 to 12 hour days, five days a week. We pay for mail and all commissary items plus restitution for any damages we do. We don't have to pay for any medical care of medicine, yet that's probably going to be changing soon....
-- A South Carolina Prisoner, 29 June 1998
Top Pigs Plant Drugs on Latino Prisoner
I would like to share an incident that took place on 8/29/98. When recreation is called in this Facility, my regular everyday thing would be my most favorite thing, watching some TV. But on that day, it was a living nightmare for me. While watching TV... I sat down and waited for the facility movie to come on. When the movie began everything seemed to be fine.
[Then] two officers approached me and ordered me to comply with a pat frisk. When I stood up from my seat, the CO W. Burn performed his pat frisk. I thought that maybe it was a regular routine being that these officers do this for a living. But it wasn't a regular routine at least not for them, it wasn't.
When W. Burn finished his pat frisk, another officer by the name of J. Edwards approached me and stated "I seen what you dropped on the floor." I asked, "What is it that you seen me drop officer?" He said a pack of cigarettes containing 36 bags of a controlled substance. At first, I laughed because I thought they were only playing. But when he showed me the drugs, I told him that wasn't mine, you are framing me. I never in my entire life thought that someone or anybody would ever frame me with drugs, especially in prison.
However, they placed me in a special housing unit (SHU) where I awaited the outcome to this living nightmare... In my entire life I never thought anything so meaningful (sic) and so corrupt would ever destroy my entire life.
These officers, W. Burn and J. Edwards, are lying about me having drugs in my possession. The truth to this matter is I was framed by both officers. I do have one officer claiming to see me not dropping anything or holding any pack of cigarettes... What makes me so afraid is that even with all these witnesses and I still got charged with two years in the box. The captain who held my hearing also claims to know who the drugs belong to and still he charges me with the drugs.
I would like very much for your newspaper to add my story ... In my entire life I never held anything from anyone or my family. But in this case, I'm afraid to explain my outcome to this beautiful family of mine. It's hard enough to have 7 months to go home, then tell them that their brother, son, etc isn't coming home any time soon because he was framed. As a person with nothing but kindness and caring for his family, I prefer they wouldn't know. But as a Latin American, my dignity as a person was disrespected by the staff and if I have to make a choice to fight back, it would be a punishment they never had. They violated me and gave me something to think about for a long time, which is a sadness and misleading punishment toward me.
--A New York prisoner, 10 September 1998
Top Gulags Consider Study Group Unauthorized
Revolutionary greetings,
Comrades at MIM, I am writing to inform you that I have been receiving MIM Notes without any problems. I have also set up a study group here in this kkkamp, but it is somewhat on the covert-side, being that most information discussed and received by MIM are considered anti- government. A study group dealing with such material is unauthorized organizational activity and labeled as "gang related".
I've also been corresponding with various OG's from the Brotherly Love Overrides Oppression and Destruction (Blood) organization. I've been trying to correct their theories on the social conditions of the colonized ghetto's youth.
It seems that the Bloods are the fastest growing organization in the New York State (in)correctional system, as well as the most feared. My goal is to redirect their energy. Instead of fighting a horizontal war with other oppressed people, they should educate themselves as well as those of other oppressed organizations and fight on the side of the proletarian struggle. We should harvest the energy of the youth and prepare for the massive thrust in vertical direction against the oppressor....
-- A New York Prisoner, 15 September 1998
Top Pig Harass Study Group
To My Beloved Comrades: MIM
Right now I'm currently being held at one of the most dehabilitating and dehumanizing Koncentration Kamps in Maryland, whose main objective is to destroy the minds of its captives, leaving them mentally deficient. A group of comrades have come together and tried to administer to the disease our people are suffering from. We propagate truth accurate information that'll liberate the minds of our people. We overstand that our people are bond in psychological handcuffs and for them to be free, knowledge of self is the only key. We are not Anti-White, but we are anti-white supremacy, and anti-kapitalism. Our main target is the youth of our race and furnishing them with an Afro-centric thought pattern, as opposed to a Euro-centric thought pattern. We give these young brothers/sisters revolutionary love and dedication for the total liberation of Black people globally. This includes spiritually, physically, politically, culturally and economically.
I'm writing to you to expose the very nature of this prison. We do not involve ourselves in any illegal acts and members of our organization will not indulge in any. All we have done is re-educate the mis- educated, and train these young brothers to become spiritual warriors. Youths in Maryland who were once considered to be the most dangerous in the state are being revolutionized in thought enabling them to go back out into society to fight for the betterment and upliftment of their people.
However, since officials in this Koncentration Kamp found out about our existence, we have been attacked and mistreated. We have never spoken about riots, so they can't use that to justify this mistreatment. There are gangs inside the Koncentration Kamps, so this is what they use to justify this harassment. The thing is, they know that we don't indulge in those types of activities.
Furthermore, the pigs have forcibly taken all of our organizational papers. These papers explain what we are, our mission, as well as rules and regulations. It's a very organized movement and they have the papers and know that all our actions are not contrary to who we profess to be. They know that we're not a gang, but they insist on stigmatizing us to further this harassment.
This is a very racist prison.... Out of 44 prisoners in this isolation unit, only six are white. At least 15 of us are not being charged or convicted of braking any prison rules. Under prison rules, since we are not charged or convicted of breaking any prison rules, we are entitled to recreation and showers once a day, all of our private property, access to the phones, and access to the legal and educational library. However, myself and fellow comrades are allowed only 2 very short showers a week. We are not allowed a regular toothbrush, instead we have a plastic ring with bristles that fits over a finger. Most of our property has been taken or lost. We find bugs and spit in our food. Are mail is being censored.
Certain officials make racial remarks, "You niggers are in our neck of the woods!", "You'll never make it to Afrika from here." When we write ARP's (Administrative Remedy Procedure) it never makes it to the warden. If it does he dismisses it. We need support to end this injustice and we call on your organization to help us end it....
-- A Maryland Prisoner, 5 August, 1998
Top Oppressed Nations Segregated in New York
My cellie and I are here in the SHU [Segregated Housing Unit]. Not only are we subjected to racism. Now they want to tell us that we are not allowed hardback books anymore. Even though most of the brothers are trying to strengthen the mental powers. These pigs will try anything to hold us back. Most of the books we request from the library are hardback.
Also there aren't any white prisoners on our side of the block. It is completely segregated, which is not a problem. But things don't have to pose a problem to be wrong. Most of us down here are awaiting transfer, but for some reason brothers have been down here waiting six to ten months. This treatment is completely immoral and inhumane.
...Brotha's and Sista's it's time for us to unite. We are only as strong as our weakest link....
-- Two Pennsylvania Prisoners, 12 September 1998
CENSORSHIP NEWS
Top Pigs Censor Wisconsin Brutality Article
...Comrades, July 15th's publication ran an exposure on brutality in Wisconsin at the Racine Correctional Institution. I'm telling you, don't think for a second that these KKKlowns do not keep an eye on the "Under Lock and Key" portion of MIM Notes.
This imperialist intercepted, NOT the paper, ONLY the article. In it's place, and so neatly fitted in, was a plainly typed note that read, "Nobody loves you and nobody cares," an smiley face wearing a Wisconsin Department of Corrections cap. I know it was the article of how these imperialistic bastards beat me and strapped me down to a bed -- in another Wisconsin Unit.
But out in general population another brother gets the MIM Notes. His was not censored. So the grapevine was juicy because isn't frequent that good-ole Wisconsin gets exposure....
-- A Wisconsin Prisoner, 20 July 1998
Top Censorship Problems in Pennsylvania
...We are experiencing a great deal of problems in receiving you conscious-expanding newspapers, newsletters and magazines in a number of Pennsylvania Prisons. Specifically those prisons which are located near or around rural townships, where the prison employee workforce is 99.5% white. We are continuously being denied access to your publications on frivolous grounds. We are unable to challenge the official arrogance of the disapproval, as we've never received the publication to begin with.
...To file a grievance complaint is also a pointless effort, due to the fact that the (RRC) Reading Review Committee Chairman is also the Grievance Coordinator and the Superintendent's Assistant. Therefore we have no other recourse but to bring this matter back to you to seek your assistance in dealing with this serious matter.
Not only are these biased people denying us the First Amendment rights of this country. They are also refusing to reimburse the inmates who paid for the subscriptions to those publications which the institution is not allowing them to receive. They're confiscating publications at the front door!, withholding them for a month, then sending us a pink disapproval slip a with a check marking the alleged reason for disapproval. More often [literature is refused] because of something they disliked on some page of the publication.
It should also be noted that magazines on how to hunt down Bambi, kill him and slice him up into sections is permitted without any problems. So are Field and Stream, Guns and Ammo catalogs, Soldier of Fortune, and Rifle magazines. All or any publications which fit the script of the surrounding rural white townships. Prisoners of war kamps located in or near these like minded townships are overcrowded with young and elder Blacks and Latinos from urban cities who make up 82% of these prison populations in Pennsylvania. Where the employee workforce is 99.5% white. So porn magazines and any type of literature, which they approve of the savage images, is a permissible publication according to their mental standards.
I can't speak for the 200,000 plus incarcerated inmate citizens in these POW kamps across the country. Those sista's and brotha's have a voice of their own. However, I can speak for myself! I could care less about how to hunt down, shoot, kill, slice, dice and fry Bambi up for a family meal. What I do care about is having the freedom to choose to read any political ore educational books, magazines, newspapers, etc. which I deem will elevate my social and political consciousness.
I have tried. WE have tried to appeal this matter at the Department of Corrections level. All to no avail. The only recourse I have let is to appeal the matter to you the people to assist us in securing the right to choose and read the materials which contribute to our conscious growth needs.
We cannot allow this beast to completely cut off our communication link with the outside world. Your help and assistance is needed to combat this serious issue.
Yours in Revolutionary solidarity and struggle, -- A Pennsylvania Prisoner, 10 June 1998
Letters of Protest can be sent to: Superintendent, State Corrections Institution, Drawer K, Dallas, PA 18612-0286
Top Victory Against Censorship
Dear MIM,
I just wanted to report that I used your advice in fighting prison censorship and it worked! The Headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ordered this KKKamp's administration to give me any and ALL literature from MIM Distributors.
Today I received the Black Panther Book, four MIM Notes newspapers and a MIM Theory magazine.
The Struggle Continues! Thanks from the Heart, -- A Pennsylvania Prisoner, 6 September 1998