MIM Notes 211                   June 1, 2000

Prisoners on Hunger Strike to Fight Tamms Conditions 

Tamms Supermax, Illinois, 1 May -- About 200 prisoners at the 
Tamms Supermax STG prison started a hunger strike to expose and 
fight conditions and the denial of basic needs. After a week, 
about 50 prisoners remained on hunger strike according to the 
Uptown People's Law Center. Tamms Supermax is one extreme example 
of Amerika's war against the oppressed. To enforce social control 
and national oppression, Amerika now incarcerates more than 2 
million people. By MIM's calculations based on the current rate of 
increased imprisonment, this number will increase to 10 million by 
the year 2020. Amerika imprisons oppressed nation men in numbers 
far disproportionate to their numbers in the general population. 
Caging them prevents them from organizing for revolution within 
their national territories. And enforcing inhumane conditions is 
meant to discourage organizing behind the walls. 

An Illinois prisoner writes: "In March 1998, the Grand Opening of 
their $72 million [Closed Supermaximum Security Prison] was 
supposed to be the best thing that happened for the safety, health 
and well-being of the Illinois Department of Corrections employees 
and the general population prisoners. 

"Now here's what they have not said: *That each person sent here 
was only to do 12 months to complete their behavior levels and 
then sent back to an open institution. No one has left and it's 
ITAL two END years later. *That a number of the prisoners that 
were sent here have become mentally ill from the lack of contact 
with other human beings, no audio/visual, no telephone to hear the 
voices of families and loved ones.(See MIM Theory no. 9 for an 
analysis of Imperialism & Psychology as well as the analysis of 
mental illness under imperialism.) *That over 50 IDOC employees 
from [guards], counselors, nurses, mental health staff, etc. have 
quit working in just the past year. For example, the head chaplain 
H. Barker was placed on leave (fired) for giving each prisoner 
here a memorandum that serves as an affidavit telling all about 
the religious persecution and discrimination against us prisoners 
in this zoo! *That the true reason there aren't many problems good 
enough to be reported to the outside world is because other 
prisons are being run very close to the same way as Tamms." 

As the prisoner states, the conditions at Tamms are similar to 
that in other prisons -- specifically other Supermax prisons. 
Prisoners are one of the most potentially revolutionary groups in 
the United $nakes because of the conditions they face. Prisoncrats 
know this and work to make sure the prison conditions cause 
disunity between prisoners, disconnection with the outside world 
and break prisoners' revolutionary spirit. 

Prisoners demand basic humane treatment 

The below list of demands by the hunger striking prisoners is 
partial. For a complete list, contact MIM. The outline published 
here testifies to the way in which prisoners are abused, treated 
like animals and are denied basic and reasonable needs. Many of 
the demands illustrate how the prisoncrats' psychological (as well 
as physical) war against prisoners is aimed at destroying their 
spirit and at breaking lines with supports. For more information 
on the conditions at Tamms, contact MIM for MIM Notes no. 205 
(March 1, 2000) and MIM Notes 196 (October 15, 1999) issues which 
give detailed accounts of the ongoing abuses against prisoners at 
Tamms. The list of demands was submitted to MIM by an Illinois 
prisoner on May 1, 2000. 

A. Health 1) We demand that all prisoners suffering from 
psychological and/or mental illness be removed from Tamms, where 
often times they are ridiculed, harassed and provoked by 
overzealous and unprofessional prison guards; 2) We demand that 
the gassing of inmates with poisonous gases that injure everyone 
on the Pod cease at once; 5) We demand that Tamms C-Max 
immediately permit prisoners to possess clothing that is suitable 
to the climate in compliance with Departmental Rule 502.210(a); 6) 
We demand the right for those of us who have difficulty with 
English to have access to bilingual IDOC personnel on the medical 
staff. 

B. Arbitrary - Vague - and Unwritten Policies 1) We demand the 
abolition of the "renunciation policy" as the only way out of 
Tamms. By adopting this policy, the IDOC has clearly embarked upon 
a course of conduct that will ultimately lead to prisoners and/or 
their loved ones being physically assaulted and/or murdered. If a 
prisoner does not agree to renounce his alleged gang affiliation 
and provide compelling and convincing information (become an 
informant), he will spend the duration of his sentence in strict 
isolation at Tamms; [MIM adds: this is one of the topics covered 
extensively in MIM Notes no. 205 where we compared Apartheid in 
South Africa with the national oppression and conditions within 
Amerikan prisons.] 5) We demand that the arbitrary "administrative 
leave" imposed upon chaplain Hal Barker be removed, and that he be 
reinstated as the facility chaplain. Additionally, we demand that 
IDOC cease its retaliation against chaplain Hal Barker for his 
exercising his First Amendment rights of religious beliefs and 
speech in exposing Tamms system of unwritten policies. 

C. Grievance Procedures 1) ... We demand that counselors and 
grievance officers cease deciding grievances so as to hide 
unprofessional and/or racist conduct of some prison guards, a 
requirement that is mandated by the Department's own training 
manual; 2) We demand the right for non-English speaking inmates to 
speak to bilingual personnel during the grievance process; 3) We 
demand the right for prisoners who have mental disabilities to 
have helpful assistance in the grievance process. 

D. Mail Handling 1) We demand the abolition of the practice of 
arbitrarily delaying the delivery of incoming as well as outgoing 
mail. Such practice is contrary to Departmental Rule 525.120(a); 
2) We demand that the practice and/or policy of removing ... the 
postmarked dates on our incoming mail cease immediately; since 
this is done deliberately to conceal the fact that our letters are 
being withheld by prison officials beyond the date they're 
supposed to be delivered. 

E. Programs and Education 1) We demand the abolition of the policy 
that prohibits prisoners in segregation status from participating 
in Tamms educational programs; 2) We demand the right to take the 
GED for credit. 

F. Segregation 1) We demand the abolition of the unsanitary policy 
that prohibits prisoners in segregation status from taking more 
than one shower per week. 

G. Visits 1) We demand the abolition of the policy that requires 
prisoners' visitors to submit a "visitor request form: fourteen 
days in advance. All visitors must be listed on a pre-approved 
visiting list in the first place. Therefore, the "visit request 
form" is redundant and is designed solely to discourage visits; 2) 
We demand the abolition of the demeaning and dehumanizing policy 
of requiring prisoners in segregation status to weak handcuffs 
during no contact visits; 3) We demand the abolition of the policy 
that prohibits prisoners in segregation status from receiving more 
than one visit per month. 

H. Telephones 1) We demand that prisoners classified as 
administrative detention status be allowed to make phone calls in 
accordance with Departmental Rules 504.660(d) and 525.150; 2) We 
demand that prisoners classified as being in segregation status be 
allowed to make calls in accordance with Departmental Rule 
504.620(q). 

I. Recreation 1) We demand that prisoners be provided a broader 
range of outside recreational opportunities, other than those that 
are allowed now, which is only to pace back and forth in a 
concrete box where the only equipment is a rubber handball. 


End the Amerikkkan Lockdown 

MIM supports the Tamms prisoners in their fight for better 
conditions. This is a struggle to improve immediate conditions 
without stealing profits and natural resources from the Third 
World. Furthermore, the struggle should be supported because its 
demands are for basic necessities and the end to harassment of 
prisoners. Fighting for these goals to improve Tamms conditions 
can provide for a positive example of how prisoners can obtain 
reforms as a necessary step to freeing up their ability for 
broader struggles like anti-imperialism. MIM does not encourage 
prisoners across the board to organize hunger strikes. These 
things must be done with preparation and with the knowledge that 
the state will fight back with forceful retaliation. In the case 
of the Tamms prisoners, they have done preparation to ensure that 
their voices on the outside will be heard. MIM Notes exists as a 
forum for proletarian news, prisoners we work with sustain the 
practice of publicizing their activism in our press. The Tamms 
prisoners have also gotten their story published in Chicago 
newspapers, and by general anti-prisons activists on the web. 
Beyond outside support, prisoners waging any form of action must 
prepare in many ways for it to be a success. Above all, the 
education needed to connect their specific battle to the battle 
against imperialism should be present. The need for sustained 
education is evident as we view the history of Attica -- college 
programs have been shut down in New York State prisons and many 
youth still do not understand that the Attica brothers' struggle 
reflected the pervasive conditions of imperialism. MIM encourages 
readers on the outside to join us in supporting prisoners' 
struggles against oppression. There are many forms that this 
support takes: from publication of conditions, to sending 
educational materials, to building MIM's Serve the People 
Prisoners' Legal Clinic, to assisting the efforts of PIRAO to 
provide logistical support for released prisoners. Write MIM for 
more information on this year's Under Lock and Key 2000 campaign 
and for ways to support Tamms prisoners and all prisoners fighting 
oppression.