Under Lock & Key

Separation & Segregation in PA

I've been reading the MIM Notes for a few weeks now, and I found 
it very inspiring. Our people have suffered long enough in the 
hands of the oppressors.

I'm currently being held at S.C.I. Albion, where Latinos are 
labeled as "gangs." Whenever the C.O.'s see more than five Latinos 
together we're forced to break up into twos.

Also, my fellow Comrade was transferred to another prison because 
he was asked by a C.O. here during a cell search if he was a 
"NETA," (Once again, I remind you they label us as gang members), 
so my fellow comrade responded, "Yes, I'm a devoted revolutionary 
minded individual." So for that response, my fellow Comrade was 
transferred to another prison. That's one form of abuse we Latinos 
face behind the walls: "Separation & Segregation."

To us it's political education to fight the abuse these crackers 
use on us.

Therefore I would like to start receiving MIM Notes so I am my 
brothers can increase our knowledge of the Movement. I will like 
to give my "Amor de rey" to all true Black and Gold fighting for 
the struggle behind the walls.

The struggle continues!

 -- PA Prisoner, 10 October 1999.

Indiana Prisoner Hunger Strikes

I am writing this letter from the Maximum Control Complex in 
Westville, Indiana. I am requesting your help as I prepare to 
protest several conditions that are taking place within the 
confines of these walls. Your letters, calls, petitions, etc. will 
be greatly appreciated. I am planning to go on a hunger strike to 
protest the following:

*police brutality as a form of recreation;

*poor medical care;

*illegal conviction by the hearing committee;

*overt racism by White staff, which is 90% here while the prison
population is 97% Afrikan;

*food isn't properly prepared;

*food is tampered with by staff who retaliate against prisoners 
for something that they provoke;

*prisoners on level 5 pod have very limited access to the law 
library;

*we aren't fed properly which results in drastic weight loss;

*our grievances remain unchanged and unresolved.

The administration has done nothing positive in terms of resolving 
the problems here at this facility and from all indications, they 
have no intention of rectifying the many wrongs that pervade this 
facility. Censorship has been stepped up in the guise of security 
concerns and this practice allows staff that are untrained and 
unqualified to read our mail. So whenever there is something 
within the content of our mail that these untrained staff do not 
understand, they immediately label it a threat to security. The 
staff that deal with our mail are the same staff who many of us 
have encountered either verbally or physically. So the chance of 
our mail being handled by revenge-seeking staff is great. This 
form of harassment is just another wicked tactic that 
administrators use to retaliate against prisoners.

The newest form of harassment is gang labeling. There are several 
staff here that are living out their detective fantasies and in 
doing so, they have caused many to suffer by labeling many 
prisoners as gang members without having anything to substantiate 
it.

There are several prisoners who have been falsely labeled without 
ever being involved in any so-called "gang activity." There are no 
write-ups, or any other documentation that staff can show, other 
than their word. Many incidents here are hard to dispute from our 
side because the staff's word is always given credibility over a 
prisoner's. There is always a clean-up person on stand-by waiting 
to cover up the truth.

I am willing to sacrifice myself by going on a hunger strike to 
expose these barbaric conditions that are taking place here at 
this facility, but I will need your help and support. Letters, 
calls, petitions, etc. demanding an unbiased investigation will be 
greatly appreciated. It is a goal of mine to fight ceaselessly 
against oppression and to penetrate the public's consciousness 
with truth about what goes on in these dungeons. Contrary to 
popular belief, these prisons harbor human beings, not animals and 
sub-humans. I ask that you show your support by making inquiries 
into these situations here and demanding an investigation into the 
wickedness that is taking place within these walls. Any letters, 
calls, or petitions should be sent to the addresses below. Your 
support makes a difference. Dare to struggle, dare to win!!!

-- An Indiana Prisoner, 24 November 1999.

Send protests to:

Mr. Edward L. Cohn, Commissioner
E334 Indiana Government Center South
302 West Washington St.
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
phone (317)-232-5715

Mr. Frank O'Bannon, Governor of Indiana
206 State House
200 West Washington St.
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Civil Rights Commission
100 North Senate Ave., Rm. N103
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

National Prison Project
1875 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 410
Washington, D.C. 20009

Fighting repression under STG label

I have first-hand experience of the ongoing censorship battle and 
am labeled a Security Threat Group (STG) member. It seems to me as 
a Latino that Latinos in the MDOC are targeted for this newest 
oppressive policy based solely on their nationality. Upon arrival 
at this facility Latinos are monitored. Within two weeks we are 
called out and asked which gang we are affiliated with, photos are 
taken of any tattoos, etc. I was called out, locked down in the 
control center, while guards were ordered to shake down my cell, 
taking photos of pictures on my pin-up board and my jacket was 
taken from my cell and photographed. Their reasoning was that it 
has a gang reference or that a specific gang (STG) is known to 
wear this type of Starter jacket of a professional baseball team.

After this first episode took place I was called out by an STG 
coordinator and interrogated. They informed me that every piece of 
mail is copied and mailed to other facilities in this state are 
photocopied and sent back to the facility I am housed at. The 
interrogating pig added that they know I am encouraging unity 
among Latinos in prison. For this I am labeled as a threat. I 
cannot receive mail in my "native" language or cultural language 
of Spanish because the prison workers can not read the words. By 
the STG policy on mail they claim if mail can not be interpreted 
it will be rejected as a potential threat to security.

In the past MIM lit was rejected for insurrection. As I began to 
fight and protest this they changed their reasoning to state the 
Spanish could not be interpreted. They then claimed that MIM was 
gang lit and had clear gang symbols. MIM assisted in this last 
battle which we won. The issue is supposed gang symbols appears to 
be a primary focus now within the MDOC to censor not only MIM and 
other political lit, but also many magazines such as the "Vibe" 
incident printed in the RAIL pamphlet, that is Black and Latino 
oriented and presents cultural reflection of oppressed nations 
advancing.

It is clear we must increase our fight against the added racist 
policies within Michigan and across the U.S. Take a stand!

-- a Michigan prisoner

MIM responds: MIM has referred to STG policies as extra-legal 
sentencing because as this comrade reports, prisoners are handed 
additional post-conviction punishment that is never discussed in 
court. Legislation of the Klinton administration has increased the 
difficulty for prisoners attempting to protest their conditions of 
confinement through the court system. That new developments making 
prisoners' lives more difficult have come up in a Democratic-party 
presidency should not be a shock, but it should help to convince 
activists both inside and outside the walls that revolutionary 
change is a necessity of bringing justice to Amerika's captives.

MIM recognizes the particular problems of Latinos in the prisons, 
but we point out that while native Spanish speakers are unable to 
receive publications in their own tongues so are Chinese and 
Albanians to name only a few recent cases. Italian Sylvia 
Baraldini recently won return to her country after years in 
Amerika's Bureau of Prisons. Even Canadians trapped behind the 
walls in Michigan have protested their forced isolation as friends 
and relatives must cross borders, change money and navigate a 
foreign legal and government system to provide support. For that 
matter Black prisoners in northern Michigan, upstate New York and 
downstate Illinois have pointed to the added punishment of being 
caged prohibitive distances from their states' urban centers. This 
notoriously makes family support difficult, and places prisoners 
among small-town whites who may as well be speaking a different 
language.

MIM echoes the Michigan comrade's call to continue the struggle 
against censorship and newer methods of politically isolating 
prisoners and prisoner activists. We recognize that these policies 
are enacted against oppressed nationals to silence them within 
prison, just as the oppressed are placed in prisons to begin with 
as a means of preventing their organization for national self-
determination. The best response to STG policies and the rest of 
the violence that is Amerika's criminal injustice system is to 
study, struggle with and work with MIM in a united front opposing 
imperialism and militarism. Through deepening the work of 
independent institutions like MIM Notes we can educate more 
prisoners and people outside the walls on the workings of this 
kkkountry's government. Through such education and organization we 
will form a better, socialist, society.

Prisoners isolated from outside supporters

Here in Trenton State Prison (NJSP) we've lost food, clothing and 
appliance packages. The administration also cut back on our 
visitation privilege where only 60 inmates are allowed visits on 
Sundays, Monday evenings and Tuesday evenings. These are at time 
schedules that cause an inconvenience for the families of the 
inmates, so therefore, most families who are willing to visit 
their incarcerated loved ones, are now unable to visit prisoners. 
I lost a visit about seven months ago because of this new visit 
schedule. There have also been fights between visitors because of 
the limitations placed on the visiting regulations.

 -- a New Jersey prisoner.

Pigs sanctioned to sabotage evidence

The Tennessee supreme court has just ruled that evidence "lost" or 
"inadvertently destroyed" by prosecution, pigs or their agents 
(prison guards or jailers) is justification to deny prisoners or 
defendants post conviction petition if the state claims it was 
"not done in bad faith!" Comrades we all know what comes next with 
this latest judicial "ruling".

The United Snakes Government (U$ Dept. of Justice, FBI, CIA, and 
IRS) has decided it is at war with its own citizens and Waco was 
only the tip of the iceberg as far as tyranny goes. Society 
"decided" through its elected officials and they to political 
appointees (Reno, et al) that "some rights must be sacrificed for 
the government of the greater good!" that "greater good" is 
subjective to the whim of self-serving politicians!

Many prisoners in Amerika today have given up on life, lost hope 
of receiving deliverance from the "belly of the beast" or become 
animals or as depraved as the government. The government pigs, 
corrupt judges, amoral politicians and blood thirsty konservative 
kitizens need prisoners to become "evil" in order to build more 
and better koncentration kamps, "Boot kamps" and maximum security 
high schools for minority children in the upcoming millennium. I 
continue to fight, speak out and try to educate the young 
brothers, but the system encourages and promotes the "thug/gang" 
mentality because this "attitude" says "why read a book"?

 -- a Tennessee Prisoner, 4 October 1999.

New Jersey's control unit

New Jersey has one formal control unit called the "management 
control unit" (MCU). The intended purpose is stated in its name, 
those who are sent to the control unit are majority New Afrikan's 
whom our keepers targeted because of our political affiliations 
and activities, we are labeled members of "terrorist group's" 
"planning to disrupt the orderly operations of the prison."

For many of us once where classified to MCU its indefinite. 
However as a result of a law suit me and another rad filed in 
1992, in a recent settlement we've forced our keepers to adopt and 
codify a exist/release criteria, basically consisting of 
participation the listed programs; behavior modification, anger 
management, substance abuse, and getting a G.E.D. In addition to 
forcing our keepers to adopt an exist criteria, we also compelled 
them to disclose the basis of how so-called "confidential 
information" is gathered, disclosed without risk to the informant.

Lastly as part of the settlement we agreed to having a "Special 
Master" come in and review all the material record our keepers 
relied on in their decision to place kaptives indefinitely in MCU. 
If the "Special Master" finds a lack of substantial evidence in 
the record of individual kaptive's, he will order said kaptive's 
immediate release, in conjunction these kaptive's will receive 
$17.50 for each day spent here in MCU!

On the flip side, if the "special master" finds that our keepers 
had substantial evidence, he'll simply affirm our keepers 
findings.

 -- a prisoner in New Jersey June 15, 1999.

Update on Indiana State Prison

In D-Cell House on the Eastside where I still languish, the 
intensity of repression has increased. Those who maintain my 
captivity have converted D-East into a long term supermaximum, 
punitive segregation unit. Virtually no environmental stimulation 
exists. High intensity warfare is being fully enforced...

Those who maintain this oppressive regime are using this unit to 
forestall the potential revolutionary elements and to destroy the 
growth of a new revolutionary seed that is being planted in the 
minds of our next generation. By creating this tool of repression 
to suppress and silence the revolutionary cadre like myself -- who 
is educating my young Afrikan brothas -- the neo-colonialist 
administration here has been using a subjective criteria to place 
people under repression. ... Other leaders and myself are being 
targeted and subjected to repression for our political activities. 
I have been under this repression since September 1998. I have not 
committed any misconduct. I came here from another institution 
without any segregation time. And I am class one and have not had 
a disciplinary report in well over a year. But it is obvious from 
my current situation that my behavior is not of any concern to my 
oppressor. They are once against persecuting me for my political 
cultural and philosophical views which are not influenced by the 
concept of white supremacy.

Since no objective criteria exist to enable me to get off this 
unit ... these official expect me to crawl on my hands and knees 
and jump through hoops before the Klan-controlled board decides to 
let me in general population. I be damned if I renounce my 
principles to those who oppress me.

The new reactionary Warden, Randle Anderson is an Uncle Tom. He 
hates anything that looks like him. I can't get him to take action 
against these Klan counselors, case managers and unit managers. My 
legal and personal mail incoming is being systematically withheld. 
I can't call my family because of these racist counselors refuse 
to allow me to use the phone in the evening when my loved ones are 
off of work. The administration here refuses to provide indigent 
prisoners (whose accounts are being illegally frozen for 
disciplinary restitution) with soap, shampoo, razors, deodorant, 
lotion and hair grease.

They claim I owe them over eight thousand dollars in connection 
with an attempted murder of two pigs. But no court has ordered 
this. The law library here is refusing to afford me case laws and 
the counselors refuse to give me paper to write letters and do my 
legal work. The Uncle Tom Warden refuses to acknowledge my 
complaints about this.

Indiana Code 11-11-5-4 makes it clear that none of the hygiene, 
legal research and stationary and mail is supposed to be denied to 
prisoners as disciplinary action. This is being ignored.

Our struggle must intensify against the beast.

 --an Indiana prisoner.

New York prisoner advocates organization

We're subjected to repressive policies handed down by the unseen 
pigs to be executed by the obvious gray uniformed pigs. And still 
many "inmates" refuse to resist. Sacrifices are a must in this 
struggle. But the fear of sacrifice lingers ever presently. Any 
time we attempt to unify and organize a group discussion, we are 
continuously separated and given new worries. Five-dollar 
mandatory surcharges add up and become a burden. Therefore, many 
neglect to participate in resistant methods to thwart the abusive 
repression (i.e. no hygiene supplies, deprivation of recreation 
and property, etc.)

It's true that all we got is us. Nevertheless, it is us who 
sometimes, too many times, hinder each other from progress. We 
must place our individual differences (superficial) to the side 
for a common cause, the liberation form the boot of oppression!

To paraphrase Niccolo Machiavellie's political philosophy: The 
most effective strategy to ruling a people is to keep them in 
opposition with each other. That way they never see who the real 
enemy is.

The struggle continues. Power to the people.

 -- a New York Prisoner, 19 September 1999.

STG classification in Tennessee

At the prison that I'm currently confined in, four of six units 
are maximum security and the majority of these are Security Threat 
Group classifications.

S.T.G. classification is based on the following:

A group of individual's possessing common characteristics which 
serve to distinguish them from other individuals or groups who 
have been determined to be acting in concert so as to pose a 
threat or potential threat to staff, other inmates, the 
institution or the community. To organize or promote, encourage, 
or directly participate in a security threat group or its 
activity.

...But their are folks that have been here four to five years 
without a disciplinary infraction other than what they were placed 
on max for and this prison (West Tennessee State Penitentiary) is 
the worst concerning [S.T.G.s].

First I am a GxD (Guidance Disciple) with tattoos and other 
certified information which established that. But I was placed on 
max for strong-armed robbery, alleging vice lord involvement and 
activities.

Second, at other prisons in Tennessee, an inmate may not be 
labeled as STG without an incident. Here they consider everybody 
as being somebody and there isn't even an internal Affairs to 
substantiate the allegations. An officer just says it and it 
sticks.

Third, due process is compromised from disciplinary members, to 
the Tennessee DOC commissioner. There is no regard to justice 
here, especially when it comes to STG labels.

 -- a Tennessee Prisoner, 19 October 1999.