Under Lock & Key

Expand the Under Lock & Key section of MIM Notes for the October 15!

Help fund four page ULK pull-out edition

by an Illinois prisoner

Clenched fist salute. This is a call for prisoners to contribute funds, art, and 
articles to publish an expanded pull-out edition of Under Lock & Key for the 
October 15, 2000 issue. October 15 is the final day of MIM's second annual End 
the Amerikan Lockdown Month (September 13-October 15). This is a month 
designated for increased education and agitation against the u.$. criminal 
injustice system. Prisoners can make a dramatic contribution to this month by 
making publication of an extra four (4) pages of Under Lock & Key possible.

MIM and its newspaper MIM Notes expose the many faces of imperialism. MIM Notes 
is a very effective communicative exponent providing the correct analysis of 
current international/world events, events that affect the masses/oppressed and 
benefit capitalist exploiters. The Under Lock & Key section is devoted to the 
prison system's torture chambers, an important aspect of imperialism within u.$. 
borders. By helping to expand the Under Lock & Key section you can actively 
contribute to building more public opinion in favor of the just struggles of 
prisoners, and to building organization and independent institutions of and for 
the oppressed people. MIM Notes is one independent institution of the oppressed. 
Because it is funded independently we are able to publish from the perspective 
of the international proletariat. With this analysis, we reach prisoners and 
those on the outside.

It will cost $400 to print an additional four (4) pages of Under Lock & Key for 
the October 15th issue. This is a goal we should unite to achieve and we can 
achieve this by contributing in several ways:

(1) Prisoners who can afford it should also donate and contribute $3-$5 or more.

(2) Prisoners can forward copies of MIM Notes to relatives and request that they 
make $10-$20 donations for the "October 15 issue of Under Lock & Key."

(3) Supporters on the outside can contribute $10-$20 donations or more.

(4) Prisoners can contribute art and write articles which will give substance to 
the four additional pages of Under Lock & Key.

(5) Contribute stamps and pre-stamped envelopes to MIM throughout the year 
during each month prior to EAL Month (September 13-October 15). This will help 
MIM by reducing its costs on postage to prisoners.

Be sure to mark any money or stamp donations "for October 15 ULK" if you want to 
contribute to this issue.

Let's combine our funds, resources, art, energy and intellect to not only shake 
the walls and very foundations of imperialism but to completely overthrow it. 
MIM serves the people and does so continuously with limited independent funds 
and contributions. So we too can help Serve the People. Power to the people, and 
we are the people. Let's get busy, let's do this, act now, don't procrastinate. 
Pass the word so we can continue agitation. Crush the beasts of imperialism.

*********

Florida prison steals educational material

Just two weeks ago we went through serious harassment. These beasts in Brown 
came and pulled us out of our cells

 -- we are in a security risk unit called "Close Management"(C. M.). They went 
through our letters and property, taking what they pleased. They took monthly 
educational books that we bought, with our family's hard earned money, to study 
and learn the truth about politics and religious beliefs. They stated after 
taking our books that they were contraband. They say we are only allowed to have 
four books now in total, including educational and religious books. Only a few 
weeks before this shake down, we were allowed to have four reading books, not 
including religious and educational books.

Please note, we are confined to a 10 x 10 cell by ourselves 24-7. We are only 
allowed to come out to shower three times a week, for five minutes. Also so-
called recreation is for three hours a week even in the rain. Like dogs they 
have us stand in the rain, and hope to see us get a cold, and die.

The medical system is a joke. They see you and tell you you're okay and charge 
you a co-payment of $4.

The books they took from us are for our educational benefit. They want to keep 
us blind and locked down, away from the truth of the European ways of 
corruption. We are supposed to be in a correctional institution for 
rehabilitation. They want our brothers and sisters to stay blind to the truth 
and ignorant.

Your brother in the struggle,

 -- A prisoner in Florida, 4 April 2000.

Menard grievance procedure a joke: Prisoners must arm themselves with the law

I would like to enlighten (though most are probably aware) my fellow comrades of 
the United Struggle from Within (USW) as well as other political prisoners in 
the United $nakes of the systematic practice that prison officials use to deny 
prisoners adequate redress through the prison's grievance system. Here at Menard 
Correctional Center in Illinois, the grievance procedure is inherently corrupt 
and biased. It is virtually impossible to obtain satisfactory relief for 
grievances on the institutional level.

The only real chance that prisoners have of getting meaningful results on their 
claims is through filing an appeal to the Illinois Department of Corrections 
(IDOC) administrative review board. Even this procedure is woefully inadequate, 
due to the slowness of this process. Prisoners grieving adverse disciplinary 
hearings are forced to serve out the entirety of whatever sanction has been 
imposed [while they grieve the charge that brought on the sanction]. Talk about 
injustice. 

I know this problem is not just confined to the parameters of Menard 
Correctional Center. This is widespread in every gulag across the nation. My 
advice for combating this problem is for comrades to mobilize with other 
prisoners in their respective facilities and file class action lawsuits or 
injunctions to obtain court orders compelling prison officials to improve their 
grievance systems. This requires that comrades be knowledgeable towards the law 
in order to bring about such actions. It is wisely suggested that comrades 
organize legal research programs to educate fellow comrades on civil law. This 
will equip them with the know-how and necessary tools for fighting the unjust 
acts that are frequently perpetrated by our modern day slave masters.

-- The maddest comrade in amerikkka!!

[an Illinois prisoner], 22 December, 1999.

MIM responds: We support the efforts of prisoners to arm themselves and each 
other with knowledge of the law that can help them to manage the day-to-day 
difficulties of prison life. In many cases such knowledge is necessary to 
pursuing political activism, as the prison administrations often use their 
authority to retaliate against prisoners for their organizing efforts. Where 
prisoners have legal study groups or committees we encourage you to work through 
MIM's Prisoners' Legal Clinic (PLC) and to publish articles based on your 
research in MIM Legal Notes so that comrades around the country who are involved 
in political struggle can benefit from your knowledge.

If you would like to work with the PLC and are not already engaged in other 
areas of the law, we suggest that you take on some area of law or prison policy 
relating to censorship. We have prioritized battles against censorship because 
we must win these if we are to continue organizing, after all we cannot do work 
with prisoners with whom we cannot correspond and who are not allowed to receive 
MIM Notes. Some censorship topics you can take on if you need ideas: censorship 
in specific states/federal districts; guide on protesting censorship in your 
state system (refer to specific policy numbers, and grievance forms if 
applicable); availability of grievance procedures within the prison and more in-
depth coverage of foreign language material being denied. Unfortunately, we do 
not foresee a time when we will have exhausted the need for legal research on 
censorship, so please heed this Illinois comrade's call and keep the articles 
coming.

New Jersey increases exploitation

On 11.20.99 myself and the other prisoners here in a New Jersey administrative 
segregation unit received a memo stating that beginning on the 29th of February, 
automated deductions from our accounts for the payment of debt balances will 
begin.

As I am quite sure you are aware, since 7/98 there has been a 10% surcharge on 
every item purchased by a prisoner from the institutional commissary. This 
surcharge was said to be for the redemption of monies owed to the V.C.C.B. 
(Violent Crimes Compensation Board). This surcharge applies to every prisoner in 
this state, regardless if they owe this fine or not.

The DOC pays the average prisoner in STGMU Ad-Seg $27.00 per month, and for an 
overwhelming number of us this is the only income we have. That comes to about 
$1.27 per day for a 21-22 days per month period. 

The DOC now proposes to take 33% ($8.91) of this $27.00 per month to purchase 
our toiletries and the basic sustenance needed to supplement the meager meals we 
receive. I almost forgot to mention, of that $18.09 that we will be able to 
utilize for commissary purposes 10% ($1.81) must be deducted for the VCCB 
surcharge, actually leaving us with a total of $16.28.

-- a New Jersey prisoner.

Study, struggle and unite to end imperialism

MIM again I commend you on your work in educating the masses in the struggle to 
liberate themselves from an unrighteous

 -- presently known as capitalism

 -- with its degenerate societal affects. My major concern is the conditions of 
the prisons/jails, not so much the injustices, but the response or lack of 
response by prisoners.

Many times we find ourselves in situations that warrant outside support; then 
there are times when we as prisoners must take the initiative to struggle from 
within. Too many times I hear the ol-souljahs blaming the youth for our 
conditions. In turn, the youth can't relate because many of them are often 
talked at or down to, which can cause confusion or mis-communications. Nothing 
is wrong with constructive criticism toward both generations because we have all 
been derelict in our duties, to one degree or another. But now it's time for us 
as a unit to come up with collective and cohesive plans of action.

Some comrades believe the days of the dragon (C'rad George Jackson) are gone . . 
. I disagree. George was an apolitical lumpen whose conditions and environment 
forced him to become a revolutionary warrior. The conditions that produced 
George are present today throughout the United Snakes prison industrial complex. 
The same conditions that produced the Attica rebellions exist today, but who 
will accept the challenge?

There is an overflow of prisoners who will resist, however resistance comes in 
many forms. Not everyone is willing to sacrifice their lives for change but 
[instead] look for those on the outside to struggle (not with) but for you.

There are many things we can do in the form of passive resistance, as prisoners. 
For example MCI phone company made $68 mill last year alone off of prisoner's 
phone calls. No one can force you (us) to make a phone call. The prisons/jails 
get a kick-back or percentage of every call being made, they (jails) now give 
pin-numbers to make sure their records are accurate so that MCI don't get more 
than their share of the profits. If we boycott the phones, this will put 
pressure on the administrations (prisoncrats) here in New Jersey (or elsewhere).

This form of passive resistance will empower prisoners' representative 
committees to demand food packages, visitation reform, or whatever the prisoners 
decide is most relevant at the time, that's been taken from us. The point being: 
we can read MIM Notes, reflect back on the 1960's and the Black Liberation 
Movement, or the Prison Struggles, but until prisoners realize the need to 
sacrifice to bring about real life changes within the system to benefit those 
held in captivity, then don't expect anyone to fight for us . . . they (masses) 
can only fight with us.

Prisons are big business

 -- again meaning "Big Bucks". We have the power to regulate some of those 
bucks. But where there is no struggle there is no progress. When we stand up for 
ourselves the masses will stand up for us!

All Power to the People . . . Keep Yo head Up! Let's Get Organized!

 -- a prisoner in New Jersey, 13 April 2000.

MIM responds: We agrees that prisoners need to take the initiative to struggle 
within prisons. This is more difficult to do from inside the prison walls than 
it is on the outside. However, there are things that prisoners can do to help 
build a revolutionary movement to seize state power. Prisoners can:

-Write for MIM Notes and MIM Theory.

-Translate articles.

-Contribute revolutionary art.

-Make study packs and/or study questions that we can send to other prisoners.

-Start study groups.

-Struggle with other prisoners.

-Pass around MIM Notes and any other reading material you might have.

-Help MIM educate and organize more supporters (including prisoners' families 
and friends) on the outside. To do this, you can write letters, articles, poster 
text, speeches etc

There may be problems getting different generations of people together for a 
number of reasons. But youth often have the most revolutionary ideas. It's no 
wonder that youth don't respond to a call that blames them for the conditions 
within prisons

 -- something that the imperialists and their lackeys are responsible for.

As for boycotting the phones; this seems like a good idea if there is an 
immediate gain from it, such as increasing visitation rights. That's worthy of 
support. However, it's not surprising that prisoners don't want to give up use 
of the phone.

Alongside boycotting phones, organize prisoners to work for the eradication of 
oppression and the destruction of the imperialist state. If boycotting phones 
will bring winnable gains, place this in the context of anti-imperialism. Have 
you tried uniting youth on this basis?

Struggle with them (and the "ol-souljahs") over how to build a revolutionary 
movement capable of ending the oppression of groups over other groups.

And lastly, we'd suggest that this and other prisoners study MIM Theory #5 and 
MIM's essays on focoism. Learn the difference between ideologies and strategies 
of George Jackson and the Black Panther Party or MIM. Overthrowing imperialist 
oppression cannot be achieved by individualist heroism, but by broad struggle 
led by the oppressed masses.

Black nation behind bars

It has been shown through history how law and order has been used to oppress and 
enslave the Black race. This jail and prison system has always been used as a 
source of free labor for the counties and big businesses. There has also been 
proof that certain laws were and have been passed directed toward the Black and 
Brown races. The prison system has in the past and today created and fostered so 
much frustration and negative attitudes that it becomes a revolving production 
for construction firms, small businesses and communities.

The public is given a picture of a system out of control so they will continue 
to fund a lost cause. There are so many riots and assaults manipulated by prison 
staff to keep prisoners occupied and to produce evidence for the public for more 
money for continued construction of Super Max prisons. The system is being used 
to get the young Blacks under some kind of supervision from an early age (as 
early as 10 years old) and now he has a record that stays with him through 
adulthood. Just as the KKK was manipulated by the government to halt or slow 
down the voting and civil rights of Blacks, the prison system and probation 
officers are used to halt the progress of the Black race.

The entire prison system in Texas has the multitude of Blacks on 22 hour 
lockdown in the most oppressed of conditions with no opportunities for education 
or trade for any type of success once he is released. The juvenile is sentenced 
now so once they turn 18 years old they are sent to adult prison to finish 
whatever sentence they have. The government does not want to produce the racial 
breakdown of the juveniles being sentenced because they already know the answer

 -- which is the majority of Black youths are doing adult sentences. Once this 
system stops being a profit and beneficial to the society and government they 
will look to other solutions.

There has to be an aggressive effort made to reach the Black youth and explain 
to them how the system has set them up for failure since childhood. This is 
where all energy should be directed. Instead of physical intimidation for 
slavery it is now psychological which is harder to prove.

This should be the main goal of religious leaders, organizations, and all

 -- the complete halt of the imprisonment and lack of real educational 
opportunities of the Black youth. The struggle lives!

-- A Texas Prisoner, May 2000.

MIM adds: Two points. First, MIM does not use the categories of race in our 
literature (unless quoting government statistics). Instead, MIM refers to groups 
of people based on their class, national or gendered interests. Referring to the 
Black nation, Puerto Rican nation, nation of Aztlan and First Nations, MIM is 
underscoring the fact that these groups of people are distinct nations. Distinct 
nations should have the right to genuine self-determination and the freedom as a 
people to control and develop their own political, economic, military and social 
institutions. In short, MIM believes that separate nations in Amerika exist. 
Organizing for the liberation of each nation is one of our revolutionary goals. 
Reiterating the oppressor's notion of race, which is socially constructed, does 
not help to educate the masses regarding the need for national liberation.

Second, we agree with the comrade in his/her statement that religious leaders 
and organizations need to halt the imprisonment and lack of educational 
opportunities for Black youth. However, MIM places this struggle within the 
context of internationalism. MIM's main goal is to build opposition to 
imperialism; we do not prioritize the liberation of one nation over others. 
Additionally, these are fine goals for religious and non-proletarian 
organizations. But we must point out that without proletarian leadership even 
these seemingly straightforward goals will be sidestepped by non-proletarian 
organizations or leaders.

Tenn resumes executions

This morning at approximately 2:30 AM, the State murdered a citizen of the State 
of Tennessee. It was the first State sanctioned execution since the 1960s. 
People from Tennessee can look forward to more State murders since all the 
obstacles have been removed.

Whether the individual deserved to die is not relevant. What is relevant is the 
fact that the execution served no logical or rational purpose, other than to 
satisfy prisoncrats and politician's bloodlust. It is a sad day in Tennessee.

 -- A Tennessee Prisoner, 19 April 2000.

Texas "pays" prisoners in "good-time", then revokes the credits

What is two faced about this [Texas prisoners being required to pay for medical 
care, toiletries, etc] is that the state does not pay prisoners for their labor. 
But cares to bullshit society that prisoners get paid in good-time credits for 
their labor. In reality, good-time credits are worth zero, for the prison system 
is entitiled to take away any amount of good-time credit due to a fabricated 
disciplinary infraction. If the prison system paid prisoners for their labor, 
they would not be entitled to take prisoners pay due to a fabricated 
disciplinary infraction... 

-- a Texas prisoner, 28 February 2000.

Closed Custody at Kershaw

I was reading MIM Notes 198 and found it interesting. I am a 20 year old 
prisoner in South Carolina at Kershaw Correctional Inst. They have a system 
called "closed custody" here. It's crazy. They treat us like fucking animals. We 
get one hour for recreation and one hour for showers. We only get two phone 
calls a month and have to submit a "request to staff" to the Lt. to make a call 
and he usually returns them late.

We only get to come out for work and we can only work in the cafeteria. No state 
pay. We can't use the library and seldom use the law library. We only get to 
spend $10.00 a week and the prices are outrageous. That goes for hygiene, 
cigarettes, etc. I can't really say too much about what it's like because they 
censor (read) our mail. 

Like the Texas prisoners we also have a three-step grievance process. We are 
constantly on lock down for no real reason and the pigs are like drill sergeants 
constantly talking shit. We get searches leaving the dorm, and every building we 
enter. We get two visits a month for only two hours each and my family drives 
four hours to get here. 

I will be released [soon]. I would like to join your group and meet comrades on 
the outside. Together maybe we can stop this. Free all political prisoners! I'll 
die for mine.

-- a South Carolina Prisoner, December 1999.

Locked down for refusing to buy state shoes

First I would like to say that I just recently received MIM Notes December 15 
1999 from the Correspondence Review Committee... Anyways, I was reading the 
article "In a Prison Cell" from Under Lock and Key, I was impressed over and 
over again to read the essence of my own situation in such simple terms that 
even a baby (mentally) could understand it. That article stated it best when it 
stated that "Prison is the only solution to every problem society is afraid to 
confront." That's just the simple truth. Prison has become an all-purpose 
solution to whatever ails society. Instead of properly addressing the wounds of 
society, a band-aid (prison) is applied when what is really needed is change by 
any means necessary. 

In other news, we're now being forced to pay for the very necessities of life, 
if we have money in our accounts it's taken out for what these pigs are calling 
expenses. If you don't have any money in your account, they make you sign a 
debit sheet (I.O.U) and if you get any money in your account at any time in the 
future, they get theirs off the top. Here's a listing of some of the stuff we 
have to pay for: Soap, shampoo, deodorant, wash cloths, towels, boxers, shoes, 
show shoes, etc. And on top of that it has to be "state" (generic) stuff. So in 
other words they make us buy these things but they only allow us to purchase 
their brand! Myself, I refused to purchase these things, and was punished with 
the suspension of my recreation for refusing to purchase a pair of their shoes. 
I only get one hour of recreation during the week days when the weather permits 
and the rest of the day I'm on 23-hour lockdown. Even when we do get recreation 
we're forbidden to run!

This place is a joke! The guards make up their own rules as they go along and 
their superiors always back them up...

Anyways I enjoy MIM Notes... I'm constantly challenged intellectually by your 
informative articles, they are great tools to continue developing what's 
happening in this imperialistic society.

--A South Carolina prisoner, 27 February 2000.

Shackles on feet and mind

The struggle within the belly of the best is at an all time high. I have been 
placed within the confines of disunity. A place where the prisoners have 
forgotten who the true enemy is. Prisoners have sold out the struggle for 
canteen privileges and extra recreation time.

While the prisoncrats continue their oppressive acts on those who refuse to bow 
down to their level, I have been employed to work on a field crew where a 
prisoncrat rides a horse with a shotgun. And if I chose to work I must wear 
shackles.

I refused the offer, because I am no one's lackey. Many who do work this crew 
not only have shackles on their feet, but their minds also, because they 
continuously clean off plots of land for the prisoncrats who use this land to 
expand their prisons. I might have to live within the beast for a while, but I 
refuse to help expand a building or corporation which will oppress, repress, and 
practice inhumane tactics.

I am now on 23-hour lockdown receiving one 10-minute shower per day. My food is 
stored and served out of the rec room. There's no place in X unit to prepare 
food. The food is brought to this unit on a food cart which has no heating unit. 
The food is left uncovered and is improperly handled. I have waged war against 
these menial tactics through the grievance system.

Also, there's no way to mail our mail, grievances, or any other documents. I 
must seek a reliable prisoner to carry my paper work to the proper place for 
deliverance.

We have only one day to visit medical. And only the first seven to sign up are 
allowed to go out of 120 people per week. The building is a haven for rodents 
which run around like it's alright.

I have brought our problems to the attention of other prisoners in X. But no one 
is willing to address these problems nor come together to devise a plan to 
eradicate them. I also have attempted to start a study group pertaining to 
political and revolutionary type events. But no one will even listen and those 
who do are so afraid of being labeled STG [security thereat group] that they are 
striving to pull me down to their passive and submissive level. But I refuse to 
submit or give up on them. Sooner or later they will come to realize that we are 
all seen as one by the prisoncrats. Until that happens I guess I'm in struggle 
alone here.

-- A South Carolina prisoner, April 2000.

MIM adds: We see the decision to work or not to work within prisons as the 
choice of the individual prisoner. Instead of seeing a refusal to work (not 
related to a strike) as revolutionary opposition, we emphasize organizing and 
building opposition to oppression.

This prisoner is not the first to complain of disunity within prisons when it 
comes to organizing. One point is that we need to remember that it takes time

 -- and a lot of work. Another is that small groups are sufficient to start 
revolutionizing others. Anti-imperialism and internationalism are not beliefs 
that people are born with. In fact, from the moment a person is born, s/he is 
trained under capitalism to be individualistic and non-scientific. Our job is to 
re-educate and organize.

If you do find yourself in a situation where organizing is like running into a 
brick wall, it is a fine thing to take some time out and improve your own 
political and economic understanding. Take the time to read more theory and 
history. And take the time to struggle with MIM about the deeper meanings of 
organizing against imperialism. Many supporters unite with us on the basic level 
that prisons are oppressive. We can always work to build stronger unity. This 
time for study and struggle will enable you to be a better leader and educator 
when you do meet receptive prisoners. And lastly, do not think that because the 
majority of prisoners are not revolutionary that the struggle is futile. The 
majority of Amerikans on the outside are bought-off. Of course their parasitic 
culture will trickle into the lumpenproletariat. Within Amerika, undocumented 
workers and the lumpenproletariat (of which prisoners are a part) are the groups 
with the most revolutionary potential.

Censorship battle won in Florida

Today I finally received MT 11: Amerikkkan Prisons on Trial! After having it 
impounded and denied, I grieved the impounding decision. Of course I was shot 
down through all of my grievances-all the way to the Warden.

So I filed to the Literary Board at Dept. headquarters in Tallahassee which 
quickly deemed it admissible. So it then took a month and a half of paper 
shuffling (prison admin.) and repeated requests (my doing) before I finally got 
it.

When I was able to flip through it the first time I saw yellow sticky-tabs 
throughout that said, "copy this" or "5 copies" etc. They tried to find articles 
which were 'inflammatory' or 'riot inducing.' I noticed they were focused mainly 
on the prison labor articles.

Well I just wanted to let ya'll know I finally received MT11 in my hands! A 
small victory, but a victory no less! I also received Jan. 1st and 15th MIM 
Notes. Thanks for everything. I'm studying hard on these matters - this way I 
can reach out to educate my brothers around me. Stay strong, be proud.

In Struggle,

 -- A Florida prisoner.