Federal Prisons

I am having a lot of problems with the medical department here at Michael Unit. I had surgery on my ankle in 2004 and had an ankle brace and medical boots so i can walk better than what i do. They tell me i don't work so i don't need them. But the concrete hurts my ankle and the nurses don't care, like P.A. Schafer don't.

Since early January there has been a lot of reconstruction going in in this old building. A lot! There is dust and other materials in the air from the workers scraping old paints from the walls, and the grinding of metal, etc. Needless to say, these acts have polluted the air. Not many guys are complaining, or talking about this matter so far, but I know that having to breathe in contaminated air for weeks can't be so healthy. So, I want it to be known, and I intend to write to other outside organizations in hopes of letting my words spread.

I want ya'll to know that in January of this year, a prisoner was beat to death by his cellmate. Where were the guards? This took place here on High Security, where we are kept on lock 24/7.

Mission Statement:

In the aftermath of two small-scale race-based "isolated" incidents that occurred on B-facility in January of 2016 at Kern Valley State Prison, the Free Speech Society was able to successfully initiate a conflict resolution committee as a part of the inmate advisory council (IAC) that has been established at this prison.

The conflict resolution committee ensures the de-escalation of potential conflicts between various groups/formations on B-facility. As it constitutes a body of like-minded individuals that is both representative of the totality of the various groups/formations on B-facility, but also capable of resolving potential or actual conflicts in a responsible, positive, and expeditious fashion. In the past, Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP) administrators, which is inclusive of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations (CDCR) headquarters in Sacramento, California have made errors in one form or another, by failing to ensure the engagement of the primary stakeholders that are representative of those groups/formations actually engaged in a conflict, nor has there been a body of "like-minded" individuals specifically tasked with resolving potential conflicts before they mature into actual hostile-based conflicts, whereby unnecessary disturbances become manifest, which jeopardize the safety and security of both prisoners and staff.

Per Departmental Operations Manual (DOM) 53120.5.3 (viz. "Special Concern Sub-Committee") the KVSP B-facility Men's Advisory Council will enact the Conflict Resolution Committee (CRC). The CRC is convened for the sole purpose of resolving potential and actual conflicts on B-facility whenever and wherever they occur, and effectively articulating these resolutions to the entire prisoner population, with special attention given to the groups/formations in conjunction with the Agreement to End Hostilities (AEH).

Because appropriate representation is essential to the resolution of conflicts in an effective and responsible manner, the composition of the CRC will reflect prisoner representation from each specific group/formation who will in turn be responsible for engaging and positively resolving any subdivisions in these groups.

A basic outline of the CRC representative body will consist of a representative from each of the following groups/formations:

• BGF
• Surenos
• Whites
• Others
• Crips
• Bloods
• Mexican nationals
• Bay area Blacks
• Hoovers
• Muslims
• 415

Because of the sensitive nature of this special concern sub-committee, the CRC must have access to the units on B-facility, per approval of the facility captain. The daily activities of the CRC are designed to increase dialogue across cultural lines of every formation/group to promote a stronger foundation upon which issues can be put forward and resolved in a constructive manner. Communication and timing are essential components to preventing conflicts before they mature into hostile-based conflict. Therefore, CRC members must be able to talk to who they need to, when they need to. Our objective is to be proactive in resolving potential and/or actual conflicts within the general population. All prisoners are encouraged to relay any and all potential conflicts to the CRC so they can be resolved in an expeditious manner. The function and activities of this committee shall be to ensure equal and effective representation of the entire general population in the resolution of potential and actual conflicts on B-facility. The entire CRC body will abide by the by-laws of the Inmate Advisory Council (IAC).

MIM(Prisons) responds: What started as a report on the breaking of the AEH at one of the largest California state prisons, has been turned around to a testament of the practical work of the AEH. The release of comrades from SHU is at play here in ensuring that the AEH is upheld by the prison masses in a way that addresses the needs of the masses.

In short order, comrades at KVSP have put to work the tools at hand to address the contradictions among the people there in a practical way. This is an example that should be followed and repeated throughout the state and the country. All that said, in the long run we must caution against depending on institutions of the state to meet the needs of the oppressed. Conflict is not the natural state of the oppressed, it is created. And the history of CDCR is one of utilizing, encouraging and even creating divisions among the prison masses for its own interests.

When the Short Corridor Collective asked the CDCR to distribute the statement calling for an Agreement to End Hostilities (AEH), that was a correct tactical approach to working with the state. When the CDCR refused, it still strengthened the cause of peace and unity among the oppressed. In a recent essay a USW comrade lays out the history and current reality of the MAC/IACs in California prisons.(1) While their formation was based in the strength of the prison movement, they have since been used to undermine the movement, as the comrade argues, as a sort of neo-colonial force akin to U.$. foreign policy abroad. Meanwhile, another comrade in Pelican Bay who has been struggling to build peace reports that attempts to work within the MAC and within an approved Inmate Leisure Time Activity Group have both resulted in increased harrassment by staff who see unity as a threat.

Again, we commend the comrades at KVSP who have utilized the tools available to them to address a very dangerous situation, and we offer our support in those continued efforts. But we recommend that all those attempting to build peace in prisons study the 5 principles of the United Front for Peace in Prisons. Independence is one of those principles, because without independence the masses do not have the ability to make decisions for themselves and provide real solutions.

An incarcerated mind is a waste
If all you do is watch TV and take up space
Open your mind that the real rat race
Is believing in something wrong
If society can't seem to get along
With those of us who choose to stand strong?
Take pride if you don't fit in
Now you are ready so let's begin
Allow me to introduce you to this struggle
This campaign against capitalism
One can't do it alone
We must come together
And build the corner stone
Of this new order
Complete with revolutionary tones
We must become equal
The conflict between our people
Is a mistake
This separation is what "they" count on to keep us oppressed
The continuation of our suffering only persists
If we don't resist
So I ask the reader to take a stand
And see things for what they truly are
And not this fantasy land
We can have our own weapon so stop being complacent
Seek and find
The potential of a unified people
What we can create from these ruins of a slave nation Unlock, break the binds
Of an incarcerated mind

This prison is a mess and should be condemned. Here are some of the things that are going on:

1) Our cells are steel and brick. The heat this winter is being turned on from 9 p.m. - 6 a.m. Temperatures have been high of 50 and lows of 30. The warden, Ms. Frigo, stated to the officers "Tell them to put on their jackets and blankets. I don't care how cold it is." In the summer when temperatures are 115, we only have swamp coolers and swamp coolers don't work over 90 and the rooms are 90.

2) Last year in the winter, there was a power outage and after a couple days they brought in backup generators. The 36 yard wasn't even given extra blankets for the cold.

3) The power went out one day this summer during lockdown and the officers wouldn't open the doors to let air into the rooms and the temperatures were over a 100.

4) I put in an HNR (medical request) for back and knee pain in June 2015. After 7 HNR requests, I was finally seen 6 months later in December. The health care is horrible here. Check to see how many women have died here in the last 2 years because of improper health care. Women have complained of chest pain and other issues and are sent back to their cell and told there is nothing wrong, to drink water and take an aspirin.

6) Improper nutrition - we get milk 3-4 times a week, and no real fresh fruit because everything is canned. We have been fed molded bread, eggs are a treat, we get a hot breakfast, hot lunch, and cold sandwiches for dinner.

7) Indigent people are not given sweats, thermals or long sleeve shirts or hats in the winter. No shorts in the summer. People purchase clothing that can't be taken out of the prison when released but we aren't allowed to give them to the indigent people. Why do we need to purchase clothing in prison or be without?

8) We sleep on steel beds with a 2-inch mattress and no pillows, unless you have money to buy a real pillow during a fundraiser.

9) There are black widows and brown recluse spiders, bugs and ants in the rooms. I reported that we had an ant infestation in our room to the Sergeant and Lieutenant and was told there's nothing that they can do and have to wait for an exterminator. When the exterminator came they only sprayed the kitchen and officer box and did not go into the rooms. We have put grease and pepper in the window to keep out the ants.

10) In the town hall meetings the Deputy Warden continues to state there is no money for anything. We use bed sheets for shower curtains. There is mold in the showers.

11) We are given 1 roll of toilet paper a week, and if you need more you have to buy your own from the store.

12) Jobs pay $0.10 - $0.50. We also pay $100 towards a gate fee that we receive upon release, $2/mo to utilities, 1% is taken out of money sent from our families and from our pay, to pay for the building fund.

13) In the summer 2015 the temperature was over 100, the water pipes busted on the 34 yard so they had no water and all that we have are swamp coolers. So for 2 days there was no cool air. They brought in 1 porta-a-potty for over 200 women to use in the yard. There was no coolers, no showers, no sinks and no toilets.

14) No rehabilitation. We are told there is not enough money for programs. There are no incentives for people to do better.

15) Another time in the summer of 2015 the temperature was way over 100 and the power went out because of a storm. There were no backup generators so we had to sleep with the doors open all night. Inmates slept on the floor just to get air. Power was finally restored around 2-3 a.m.

16) We are given 1 pack of sanitary pads once a month and they limit what we purchase in hygienes.

17) There are signs around the prison that say "don't drink water".

18) There is a woman on 34 yard who was bleeding for months and she kept putting in HNRs and was continuously told there was nothing wrong. Finally 8 months later she was sent to a specialist and told she had cervical cancer that was so far progressed all they could do was put her on chemo and radiation to slow it down. She was told her time is limited and she's going to die.

I wonder if those political prisoners form Fleeta Drumga, to Larry Hoover and many more, are content with solitary confinement due to the abuse of the COs that take place throughout a facility on a daily basis? It's crazy that after 34 months of max security lockdown and the fight I uphold until my assignment back to GP that upon arriving at Hays State Prison, I feel safer being locked down. In about 10 days of being here I have heard, witnessed, and by a mere split second almost became a victimized prisoner. These officers let it be known that they will kill here, my only question is when will my number be called to reap the wrath?

I witnessed a fellow brother receive a flying knee and became over powered and thrown to the cement all because he didn't comprehend a command to get down. I mean, it's 20 officers yelling at 50 prisoners so how could he distinguish the command to him from another?

Simultaneously, another young brother was being attacked by at least 700 lbs of human flesh when he only weighed about 130lbs. He was punch, stomped and tased just for looking at an officer at the time that the staff was riled up from the first of three incidents involving use of force, but I have limited knowledge of that one.

Here, I have been sent, to tame. But my devotion to the cause will only leave me questioning daily; am I next? So, I am determined, as I said in Sept/Oct 2014 issue of ULK, to sink this titanic! From Georgia State Prison to here, my fight has not halted not one bit, the struggle has changed form malnutritional meals and rectal searches to verbal and physical abuse. But nevertheless, it's all a united struggle within!

To my fellow comrades, stay focused, keep ya heads held high. Never forget the struggle we fight together. Stop our gang quarrels and learn why the majority of these gangs were started in the first place. To overcome oppression.

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
by Stanley Nelson
2015

This film screened in major U.$. cities in the fall of 2015. I was planning to use my notes in an article for our 50th issue on the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party. However, in February 2016 the film was shown on PBS with much publicity. Knowing that our readers have now seen the film we wanted to put some commentary out sooner rather than later. But do make sure to check out Under Lock & Key Issue 50 for a more in-depth counter-narrative to this pop culture film.

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution is an eclectic collection of video and photography, along with contemporary commentary from some who played important roles in the Party. The producer clearly had no deep ideological understanding of the Black Panther Party, as critics on the left and the right have already noted. What ey was good at was picking out some good sound bites and emotionally moving clips. Yet, even still, as someone with extensive knowledge of Panther history, i often found the film boring. Most of the audience seemed to enjoy it based on the loud cheering at the end.

I have not watched Stanley Nelson's other films, but it seems that a film on the Panthers is within the realm of previous documentaries ey has produced (Jonestown, The Black Press, Freedom Riders and Freedom Summer). It is curious that ey takes on these topics, and then does such a shallow portrayal of the Panthers. Nelson says ey was 15 when the Panthers formed and was always fascinated with them, but was not a participant in the movement emself.(1)

In line with the lack of ideological understanding, the treatment of Panther leaders was dismissive. The most in-depth discussion of Huey P. Newton was related to eir downward spiral into drugs and crime after the Panthers had been well on their way to dissolving. Nelson features sound bites from interviews calling Newton a "maniac" and Eldridge Cleaver "insane." Eldridge Cleaver was cast as a misleader from the beginning in this film. While both story lines are based in reality, the story that is missed is the great leadership role that Huey played, both ideologically and in practice, in building the greatest anti-imperialist organization this country has seen. At that time Eldridge too played an important role ideologically and organizationally, even if he was less consistent than Huey. Fred Hampton was given a more favorable portrayal by the film, but he died a martyr just as he was getting started. (And despite the attention given to Hampton's assassination there is no mention of him being drugged beforehand, presumably by an FBI spy.) There is a pattern of character assassination in the film that does nothing to deepen our understanding of what the Panthers were, why they succeeded, and why they failed. It will turn some people off to the Panthers and push people towards an individualist or anarchist approach to struggle.

To get an accurate portrayal of the Panthers one is better off watching archival footage, as today you can find ex-Panthers of all stripes, and very very few who uphold the Maoist ideology of the Panthers at their height. Former chairman, Bobby Seale, who long ago stopped putting politics in command, was barely mentioned in the film, perhaps because he refused to be interviewed.(1) Elaine Brown, who took over the chairpersyn position after the party had already moved away from a Maoist political line, does appear but has written a scathing denunciation of the film and asked to be removed from it.(2)

As other critics have pointed out there is a lack of mention of national liberation, socialism, communism, and the international situation overall at the time. It is ironic for a film titled "Vanguard of the Revolution" to ignore the key ideological foundations of the vanguard. This reflects a clear effort to build a certain image of what the Panthers were that ignores the basis of their very existence. As such, this film contributes to the long effort to revise the history of the BPP, similar to the efforts to revise the history of other influential revolutionary communist movements in history. This only stresses the importance of building independent institutions of the oppressed to counter the institutions of the bourgeoisie in all aspects of life and culture.

In 1987, the Guajardo v. Estelle case, modifying the correspondence regulations in the Texas prison system, was finalized. One of the results of Guajardo was prisoners with less than $5.00 in their trust fund accounts were considered indigent, and thereby entitled to five one-ounce First Class correspondences per week, and unlimited legal and privileged correspondences.

Circa 1998, Jason Powers, attorney at law, with the firm Vinson & Elkins, contacted me informing me the state had filed a motion to vacate Guajardo pursuant to the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA). Powers solicited my assistance in defending plaintiffs' objection to State's motion. Obviously, the plaintiffs failed to prevail.

My concern regarding recent constrictions in indigent correspondence procedures is: Since vacating of Guajardo, indigent prisoner correspondence has been reduced from the 5 personal letters a week and unlimited legal correspondence, to 5 personal and 5 legal correspondence per month. This, when the indigent requirement has remained less than $5.00 since 1978, never being adjusted per the inflated dollar.

As such, I intend to commence a petition campaign directed at State Senator John Whitmire, State Committee on Criminal Justice, demanding not only that the 5x5 weekly indigent correspondence regulations be reimplemented, but that the standard of indigence required be adjusted to reflect a realistic inflated dollar. So fly this by your grievance writers and gauge their thoughts on the matter.

MIM(Prisons) responds: The reduction in indigent prisoner correspondence envelopes has a direct impact on prisoners' ability to stay in contact with family, fight legal battles, and engage in political education and organizing. The criminal injustice system wants to curtail these activities as a part of the goal of social control. As revolutionaries we support campaigns to expand access to correspondence, as we know this is critical to our ability to reach our comrades behind bars. We look forward to input from other grievance campaign participants about this new tactic in Texas.

Another campaign that is active in Texas is the right to access to a law library. We also recently learned that the Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook has been banned across the Texas Department of Criminal Injustice as of October 29, 2015. Texas is continuing a long history of assault on oppressed peoples in that state, and the only way we're going to be able to overcome the new (and old) tactics developed (and re-instituted) daily is to overthrow the state apparatus that makes it possible. Obviously Amerikkka's government system has got to go.

I am responding to your call for campaign updates concerning the grievance petition for this state that another very talented, gifted, and capable comrade put together to address all of our concerns and conditions in Florida. I, personally, think it is a very ingenious, adequate, and brilliant piece of legal work, and believe it sufficiently addresses all of Florida prisoners concerns and problems they might have been experiencing with the grievance procedure in this state. My hat goes off to the 'rade who established this and I offer or extend a firm, tight, and clenched fist salute for hooking this piece up.

The first time I put this petition into effect in Florida was at Dade Correctional Institution in March 2014, about the officials there not acknowledging, not sending me a receipt, trying to ignore or disregard, and not answering certain grievances. The Asstistant Warden for Programs, Mr. J. Williams, called me out personally to his office and told me if I ever had any of these kind of problems again, to just come up to his office personally and if any other staff member asked or tried to stop me just tell them that he sent for me or told me to come up there and he would cover for me - and then he would personally hand deliver to me a copy of the receipt and log number or account for whatever the discrepancy was to make sure that I got a copy of it and received a response to the grievance. Needless to say, I didn't have any more problems or didn't have to do this anymore and all of my grievances were responded to in a timely and legitimate manner.

I also received a letter from the Office of General Counsel, for the Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC), acknowledging receipt of said grievance petition and informing me that he was looking into my allegations and directing the grievance coordinator in Central Office (Tallahassee, FL) to investigate it.

Since that time, I have also shared a copy of this petition with various other prisoners for their review and use to solve, initiate, investigate or inquire into their problems with positive results. However, as you know, I have also recently just re-filed this petition again at my present facility (Wakulla Correctional Institution) concerning another issue and am currently awaiting their reply, response or reaction. Will, again, keep you posted and updated.

So I would like to encourage, promote, motivate, inspire, and advise all prisoners in the state of Florida who are experiencing any kind of problems with the grievance procedure in this state, or who are not having their grievances acknowledged, receipted, accounted for, and answered to please send for their copy of this much-needed petition. A firm, tight, revolutionary clenched fist salute to the author of this grievance petition in Florida.

MIM(Prisons) responds: You can write to us for a copy of the Florida grievance petition, which is also formatted for many other states. We encourage everyone using these petitions to send us your feedback and experiences. We need to know how this campaign is evolving on the ground.