Federal Prisons

Upon entering the custody of Atchison County Jail, I was on several different medications, including insulin, glyburide, clonadine (high blood pressure), metaformin, hydrocodone 7 (neuropathy nerve damage), and other medications that I can't recall. It wasn't even 2 weeks before all my medications were dropped but my metaformin. Common sense will tell you without my medications my blood sugar, blood pressure and pain was all increased. Instead of readjusting my meds, I was placed in lockdown for medical observation which lasted a week, and my condition didn't improve any at all.

I arrived here in August 2016, and an A1C test should have been done soon after my arrival. However, it wasn't done until November 2016. The next day I was told by the nurse my A1C came back as 11.8 when it should be around 6.0. The nurse commented that it was the second highest that she has ever seen. That same day they decided to drop my sugar checks to 1x a week when common sense would tell you it should have been increased, not decreased. It was 2x a day. I should also be on a low carb diet but instead I'm on pretty much on an all carb diet.

I have been complaining about my eyesight and requesting an eye exam but being told my eyesight is not bad enough that I need an eye exam nor am I at risk for an eye disease. Yeah nothing about that statement makes any sense, one of the first things to go with diabetes is eyesight.

Since being here they still haven't tested my kidneys, cholesterol level, or dental. They did check my neuropathy once but wouldn't do anything for it. They checked my blood pressure a few times which has been high every time but they refuse to give me medication. I get charged $10 every time a nurse sees me. I'm charged for meds but this place will not give you a 30-day supply upon release.

I have filed two lawsuits because of this and have been retaliated against. The jail will not provide me copies, notary, or access to law library. I'm not allowed to work to pay off my fines. I put in for a sentence modification but was denied because captain told court I am a behavior problem although I have not been in any trouble at all.

MIM(Prisons) responds: Lack of medical care leads directly to disabilities and worse health problems, as this writer so clearly demonstrates. As the "Disabilities and Anti-Imperialism" article explains, this medical neglect is a product of capitalism, where the needs of the people are ignored if they run counter to the needs of capitalist corporations to profit.

Wealthy people have access to good healthcare within the United $tates, but marginalized communities, like prisoners and lumpen on the streets, are shut out from this service. And as we regularly hear in the debates over the Affordable Care Act, many middle-class Amerikans are also lacking access to affordable healthcare because of the individualist profit-driven system.

We know that providing good healthcare is possible on a broad scale, but it will require first a government that is truly working in the interests of the people, rather than one focused on maximizing profits for the First World. We have a good example of health care truly serving the interests of the people in China between 1949 and 1976 under socialism. They focused on preventive care, sanitation, and education, combined with a massive campaign to get health care out to people in the countryside who were previously unable to access doctors.

Before 1949, life expectancy in China was just 35 years and the illiteracy rate was 80%. In 1979 life expectancy rose to 68 years and illiteracy had declined to less than 7%. As a part of the dramatic improvements in health, the Chinese infant mortality rate was reduced to a lower level than in New York City.(1)

Essentially China achieved health for its population comparable with much wealthier countries by the end of the 1970s by focusing on serving the people rather than serving the profits of the wealthy. Building such a system of health care came only after the forceful removal of imperialist powers from China and the destruction of the former institutions of rule.

High Desert State Prison (HDSP), the largest prison in Nevada, housing some 3,500 inmates, has been on total lockdown for 4 days, and will remain so for at least two more weeks. This means that we will receive no yard, tier, phone, canteen, or access to any reading material.

Why is HDSP on lockdown? Because in a single week there was two "staff" assaults, and at least 8 fights.

But the pigs are doing nothing to investigate the cause of the violence. For example, that the temperature of the cells was reaching at least 90 degrees. While we have no cold water to drink, and are forced to be housed with individuals we do not get along with for up to 21 hours a day. And there is nothing for us to do: no programs, work, games, etc. We are literally trapped in cages like animals.

So how does HDSP deal with the violence? They enhance the inhumane and deplorable conditions by locking us down. Most of us do not have televisions, and with no access to any library we sit in a cell and twiddle our thumbs.

Violence and anger can only be expected as a result of such conditions. However, comrades, we must recognize that we do not win when we direct this anger and frustration towards each other.

Our focus must be on targeting the administrative policies which are responsible for our current state of existence. There is already a grievance campaign underway challenging OP516, the level system. And comrades from the United Struggle from Within in Nevada just started a new grievance campaign in regards to AR801.

AR801 is a programs AR that states that Ad-Seg is to receive a minimum of 3 hours out of their cell, and closed custody inmates are to get a minimum of 5 hours out of their cells per day. This same AR lists a ton of programs which are approved by the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC).

The bottom line comrades, HDSP under Warden Williams has failed to implement any rehabilitative programs. The violence, anger and frustration is his and his administration's fault.

We must heed the USW call for peace and unity and challenge the administration's policies. We need all of you to file grievances challenging these policies. But even more important, we need you to have your family and friends to call the office of the director and ask why HDSP prisoners are being denied all access to rehabilitative programs, school, and work. Have them call 702-486-9938 and complain.

Until then, comrades, do not allow your anger and frustrations with the pigs to be misdirected toward one another.

MIM(Prisons) responds: The United Struggle from Within comrades in Nevada are doing solid work organizing and educating folks in that state. They have set a good example of initiating targeted campaigns that could improve the lives of many prisoners. This is a good way to get folks participating in the struggle in a concrete way. But we must remember to tie these battles to the broader struggle against the criminal injustice system, and imperialism.

If we don't make these connections, we are misleading people, letting them think that these campaigns alone are all that is needed to change the system. And we know that's not true! We know the injustice system won't be reformed into a system of justice. It is rotten to the core because it is serving imperialism, which exists off the oppression and exploitation of entire nations of people. The wealth and power of the imperialists and even the "middle classes" is not something those folks will give up without a fight.

Let's follow the example of the Nevada USW comrades, and build important campaigns relevant to each prison and state. And always keep our work in the context of the anti-imperialist struggle.

19 August 2017 — Hundreds rallied outside the White House today for the "Millions for Prisoners' Human Rights March." The event was organized by U.$. prisoners and outside groups to focus on the issue of the 13th Amendment, which allows for the slavery of convicted felons in the United $tates. During the march to the White House, the most common signs were: "Abolish Mass Incarceration", "End Racist Prison Slavery" and Industrial Workers of the World membership cards. The latter were hard to read for the casual observer and did not reinforce the message of the march. There was one red, black and green flag, and representatives of the Republic of New Afrika in attendance.

While more than half of the participants were local, people from many states were in attendance, including New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, California and even Alaska. The crowd was a mix of movement elders, formerly incarcerated people, self-described "socialist" organizations and many youth for whom this was their first participation in the prison movement.

Last weekend's neo-nazi march, and murder of a young womyn, in nearby Charlottesville, Virginia was a motivator for a number of people to come out today. Some were there because of prisoners who had told them about the rally and asked them to participate. On the one hand this demonstrates the ability of prisoners to provide leadership to people on the outside. But these people were reachable by prisoners because they were involved in the movement already and the misnamed "Millions" for Prisoners rally proved the goals of the organizers to be a bit loftier than what was achieved.

In contrast to the hundreds in D.C., the so-called "Free Speech" rally in Boston today brought out tens of thousands of counter-demonstrators. Of course, they had the benefit of free advertising from all of the corporate news networks. The sight of hundreds of torch-wielding white men marching, chanting Nazi slogans, last weekend was rightfully jarring to many. Yet, innocent Black and Brown men are much more likely to die at the hands of the police or prison guards at this time than at the hands of a neo-nazi (that isn't employed by the state).

"Prisoner Lives Matter!" was one chant that rang true in D.C. For if there is any group whose lives are at risk, and whose unnecessary deaths receive little attention, in this country more than New Afrikan people in general, it is prisoners.

People at the march reported that some prisons had visiting shut down or were on lockdown today to prevent any group demonstrations on the inside. This is another example of why MIM(Prisons) thinks the First Amendment is a more important battle front than the Thirteenth. Just the idea that prisoners might organize a protest is enough to trigger state repression. Organized prisoners are the lynch-pin to a meaningful prison movement, so the right to organize must be at the forefront.

When this correspondent asked participants what the most important issue in the prison movement was, many weren't sure because they were new to it. Many had a hard time picking just one issue because there are so many things wrong with the U.$. injustice system. But the one response that was more popular than ending slavery in prisons, was the disproportionate arrest, sentencing, imprisonment and mistreatment of oppressed nations. While almost always phrased as "race" or "people of color", it does seem that the national contradiction is at the heart of what people see as wrong with prisons in the United $tates. Even the focus on the 13th Amendment was regularly tied to the history of slavery of New Afrikans by speakers. One speaker called prisons the "new plantation", which is true in that they were both institutions to control the New Afrikan semi-colony. But one was an economic powerhouse fueling global imperialism, while the other is a money pit that the prison movement aims to make a liability to the imperialists.

Perhaps an even bigger distinction was in the answers given by recently imprisoned people. Their focus was on their struggles upon release and the needs of those recently released. One New Afrikan man talked about his mother dying while he was in prison and him not even knowing at first. He got the news in such a callous way he didn't even believe it at first. To this day he has not figured out where his mother's body is. Yet he has been out of prison for two years and is already working for the mayor's office providing release support and doing motivational speaking.

It is a good thing that the state is doing more to provide services to recently-released prisoners. But we still need programs for those who dedicate themselves to changing the system. The state can't provide that. And it can't serve self-determination for the oppressed. There is much work to be done to build bridges to revolutionary political organizing for comrades being released all over the country. And ultimately, as the state knows and demonstrates, the only successful release programs are those that are led and run by releasees themselves.

I'm currently one of hundreds of prisoners placed on tier because of my alleged validation. Please allow me to explain.

Since 2011 Georgia Department of Corrections has declared war against all prisoners validated "MOB" (Goodfellas, young mafia family) by prison officials.

All prisoners validated "MOB" have been on a never-ending lockdown because of incidents that happened amongst prisoners in 2011. Prisoners validated "MOB" have been the only ones locked down as a whole since then. Regardless of participation or if they just coming in the prison system if they validated "MOB" they automatically get locked down and placed into Tier Phase 1.

In 2013 GA DOC implemented what they call "Tier". Which at the time they told us “this is not a disciplinary program". All prisoners validated "MOB" was automatically placed on tier even prisoners just coming in the system go straight to tier because of their validation to the "MOB".

While on this program we've been stripped of all rights, liberty, privileges and some have even lost their life trying to get away from this oppression being administered by GA DOC. Tier was originally a three-phase program each phase 90 days and upon completion of the last phase prisoners will return to population!

On Phase 1 prisoners are not allowed to have no personal property at all: clothing, food, books, magazines, newspapers, radios, and hygiene are all restricted. On phase 2 you can have up to $15 in hygiene but all other items are restricted. On phase 3 you can get a limited commissary but all other items are restricted.

GA DOC implemented a phase 3 plus to hold all prisoners validated "MOB" on this never-ending lockdown. For the past 4 years we're the only group held on tier as a whole, we're the only group not allowed to complete the tier and return to population. And while we're held on tier we still have no rights or privileges. Our visitation is limited to two hours and at some prisons our loved ones have to drive four and a half hours to only see us for 2 hours, no contact. Our visitors are limited to two visitors so if you have more than one child only one can visit with one adult.

Our phone is limited to 3 15-minute calls a month (one call a week). Then miss a week. Our commissary is limited and at some prisons you can only buy sweets and other non healthy items that cause diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Food on trays have been cut back which have caused all prisoners on tier to lose large amounts of weight.

At the prison I'm currently at we only allowed recreation two days a week (Monday and Wednesday) leaving us locked in 2-prisoner cells 24 hours a day 5 days a week in extreme temperatures.

Cells have no sockets therefore we are not allowed to have fans and temperatures often reach high 90s, & every time you move you sweat. Even if you lay still you sweat and in cold months cells are freezing. It gets so cold we don't be wanting to get out the bed to grab the tray out the slot.

Sanitation only get ran when they have visitors coming. Trays we eat off be 1/2 clean and often have food from previous meals stuck in corners. Cells are full of insects, bugs and spiders and some prisons rodents & many other type bugs.

The prison I just left prisoners in a 2-prisoner cell can't flush their own toilets and sometimes have to go hours smelling feces or urine because the officer too lazy and don't want to flush the toilet or he get mad at another prisoner and won't flush no one toilet. (Georgia State Prison)

Prison officials have had us writing statements say we don't fear for our lives and we have no enemies on a compound and they still don't let us out. All they do is rotate us from prison to prison with false promises to let us out. The only ones they let out is dudes who not "MOB" but get validated for talking or walking with someone validated "MOB". Some prisoners have been validated "MOB" by prison officials because of where they from (Atlanta Georgia). Prison officials automatically make you "MOB" or blood if you from Atlanta and Young or have a lot of tattoos. You've had prisoners write statements renouncing their validation and prison officials still refuse to let them out.

Many attempts have been made to grieve these issues that's on camera but all our grievances are denied or never responded to. We are in desperate need of any help or advice needed to take these oppressors to court and challenge this "Tier" this cruel unusual punishment and discrimination being administered by prison officials.

Law library is inadequate and prison officials don't have no one trained in law to assist us. They don't have books in law library and it's only one computer and no one show us how to operate it. I can be reached at this address.