Under Lock and Key

What's the solution?

Contribution is the correct solution:

Expand the Under Lock & Key section of MIM Notes for the October 
15 issue of MIM Notes End the Amerikan Lockdown Month by helping 
fund four (4) additional pages for ULK

by an Illinois prisoner, edited by MIM

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.

Medical neglect in Ohio wimmin's prison

In July 1994, while an inmate at X, I was taken to [the] Hospital 
with severe abdominal pain. I was given several pelvic 
examinations by different doctors. I was told that the chief of 
gynecology wanted to examine me; I was very concerned. I kept 
asking what was wrong with me. After the exam, the doctor told me 
that a report would be sent to Y facility and that the 
institution's doctor would speak to me.

Upon my return, I questioned the nurse on duty about what was 
wrong with me. I was told that the doctor would call me if 
necessary. I was never called to medical services. Two weeks 
later, confused and still in great pain, I returned to medical. 
[Dr. Neglect] began yelling at me, telling me that there was 
nothing wrong with me. He asked if I had any idea what it cost 
every time an inmate wanted to be taken to the hospital for 
menstrual cramps. I tried to explain to him that the pain I was 
experiencing was not merely menstrual cramps. He was completely 
unconcerned.

For the next year and a half, the abdominal pain increased and was 
constant. I repeatedly saw [Dr. Neglect]. Each time [Dr. Neglect] 
told me that I simply had cramps. By early 1997, I was in agony. I 
was bleeding constantly. [Dr. Neglect] said I was in early 
menopause. When I began to experience bladder control problems, 
[Dr. Neglect] said all women experience bladder spasms at one time 
or another. When my bowel movements became pencil thin, [Dr. 
Neglect] told me to drink more water.

I begged [Dr. Neglect] to send me to a gynecologist; he told me 
that he would have to examine me before referring me to [the 
outside medical clinic]. However, he could not do a pelvic exam 
while I was on my period. I explained to him that I had been 
bleeding constantly for 11 months! By this time, I did not feel 
that I would stop bleeding on my own. [Dr. Neglect] told me to 
come and see him when I was off my period. Then and only then 
would he examine me. My symptoms intensified. When my hair began 
falling out [Dr. Neglect] said it was due to stress.

During this time, my work assignment was working at the 
Fairgrounds. My health was so impaired that it was impossible for 
me to function normally. My supervisor and the officer were very 
concerned. My supervisor repeatedly contacted Y facility medical 
services. Each time I was told that I should "put my feet up."

Finally, on July 1, 1997, I passed out in my dormitory. I was 
taken to medical services. My pain was so intense that I was 
unable to walk. A nurse was on duty that evening. She was shocked 
by my appearance. Most of my hair was gone and I had lost 50 
pounds.

I was placed on bedrest and scheduled to see the doctor. The 
following week I was seen by [Dr. Neglect]. By this time I had not 
been able to hold any food down. This time [Dr. Neglect] agreed to 
send me to [the outside medical clinic]. The next week I was seen 
at [the outside medical clinic]. I was immediately taken to have 
an ultrasound. A huge mass was visualized in my abdomen. The 
doctor told me that an appointment was being set up at [the] 
Hospital as soon as possible. 

I had numerous CT scans, bloodwork etc. In June 1997, I was sent 
to the [another] Clinic to see Dr. X. He told me that he felt that 
I had ovarian cancer and would need immediate surgery. I signed 
consent forms and was returned to Y facility. My condition 
worsened.

I began having intense rectal pain. [Dr. Neglect] gave me a pain 
pill, but still I didn't go to surgery. Each week I would go to 
the Clinic to see Dr. X or to have transfusions. Each time, Dr. X 
would tell the officer with me how important it was that I have 
surgery immediately. In late August, I was against taken to [the] 
Hospital with a huge peri-anal abscess. Surgery was performed and 
I returned with my rectum and the abscessed area filled with 
packing. The surgeon sent additional packing and post-surgery 
instructions for the medical staff. Again, I was placed on bed 
rest.

For the next two weeks, I never saw anyone from the medical staff. 
The abscessed area was never cleaned, the packing never changed.

Two weeks after the rectal surgery I was being transferred to [the 
outside clinic] for pre-op testing. As I was being escorted to the 
front entrance, the nurse asked if I still had packing in my 
rectum. I told her that it had fallen out. The nurse then said 
that she had better check the area. She checked it in the 
visitor's room.

The next morning, I was transferred from [the outside medical 
clinic] to [the] Hospital where I finally had surgery. 
Unfortunately by the time surgery was performed, the benign 
fibroid tumor had grown so large that my bladder was crushed and 
required surgery. I had to have a complete hysterectomy. My colon 
had been crushed by the tumor as was my rectum. I was forced to 
have a colostomy.

I spent weeks in the hospital, recovering. In October, I returned 
to y facility. Instead of leaving a horrible ordeal behind me, I 
began a constant struggle with medical services to get supplies to 
care for my new colostomy. The nursing director suggested that 
since the supplies were so expensive that I have my family send 
them in for me. When I told her that would not be possible, she 
told me that I would have to be patient.

I went for days without clean supplies. Several days before the 
"Columbus Day" weekend, I informed the medical assistant that I 
had no colotomy bags. She told me that she had to go out to get it 
as soon as possible. The next day I went to her again, without 
success. I was left for the long holiday weekend without a 
colostomy bag to cover my stoma. I spent 4 days in my room with a 
garbage bag wrapped around my waist to catch the fecal matter from 
my colostomy.

To date, I have not had a single follow up visit to the surgeons 
who told me how imperative it was that I keep my post-op 
appointments.

Three times I have gone to [Dr. Neglect] asking him to send me to 
the appointments. He has refused.

I was in agony for a year and a half. I was forced to have 
extensive surgery and will never be "normal" again. All because a 
benign condition was not treated when it was first discovered. I 
could have had a simple procedure to remove a benign tumor and 
avoided the pain, suffering, and permanent damage to my body, and 
the emotional and mental torture then, and for the rest of my 
life.

[Dr. Neglect] is still the doctor employed to address women's 
health problems here at Y facility.

-- an Ohio prisoner, 16 May 2000.

Anti-'Gang' Equals Counter-Insurgency

I am of German-Native Indian descent but am classified as northern 
Hispanic for that is who I run with for the following reasons. The 
northern Hispanic or norteno stands and fights for social 
equality, respect and education. We understand that only through 
unity amongst the oppressed peoples can these goals even begin to 
be met.

Our group segment is not by any means a prison gang organization. 
We are in fact revolutionaries in a tight knit raza set by all 
means necessary to bring about the desired revolution of respect 
and equality in and around these prison walls. We are a main 
target of the misused authority within this penal system. For you 
see, we will not compromise our beliefs and work hand in hand with 
these capitalist dogs under any circumstances, and for this we 
remain the most oppressed peoples within the California gulags.

They constantly try (and succeed) in validating us as "northern 
structure" thus confining us in SHUs indefinitely. To validate us 
they need a confidential informant, tattoos, a few other things , 
but the catch is for us they only really need a confidential 
informant. ... They are constantly placing us on lock-down for 
mass amounts of time and say we are a violent people when in fact 
we are not, but we do and shall resort to violence if necessary.

The reason why we are so oppressed is quite obvious to one who 
looks at the picture as a whole. For those who can't see it I'll 
break it down for you. We openly advocate socialist reform, unity 
among the masses, and education. Now, our captors are imperialist 
lackeys and rightly see us as a threat to their supremacy, thus 
the intense oppression. I.e. long lock-downs, validation, murder, 
stiffer SHU terms, etc. 

They also indulge in counter-revolutionary tactics such as playing 
on certain group segments' petty bigotries, spreading of all false 
rumors and recruiting individuals to create dissension. These, my 
fellow comrades, are all realities that I and those like me face 
on a day to day basis in these Californian gulags.  Now a lot 
needs to be done if we truly want to be rid of the "imperialist 
boot around our necks". None of the hard work will be done if we 
continue to fight among ourselves behind these walls! We must 
overcome petty bigotries oppressing others amongst us and seek to 
understand that we all share the same enemy (imperialism) and the 
same goal (liberation)!!! I, for the benefit of the masses, shall 
never cease in expressing these convictions no matter the 
adversity! One way forward!

In revolutionary struggle,

-- a California prisoner, 18 June 2000.

Cruel and unsanitary conditions

I am a prisoner at Montana State Prison. I am currently being held 
in the Maximum Security. I am writing this letter as a plea for 
help!

Since being held here in Maximum Security, myself and other 
prisoners have been repeatedly subjected to cruel and unsanitary 
conditions which no human being should have to endure, no matter 
what his or her crime may be.

I have been denied fresh air and sunlight for months at a time. I 
have been denied showers for up to 6 days in a row.

These conditions are clearly a violation of my Federal and State 
Rights under the Laws of Confinement. Federal Law clearly states 
that prisoners be given 1 hour of fresh air each day. Also, that 
prisoners be allowed to bathe themselves every day. The courts 
have said time and time again that repeated denial of these 
necessary privileges is a violation of the prisoner's rights and 
constitutes cruel punishment.

These conditions previously mentioned are only the general 
population problems. Here in Max prisoners held in detention are 
subjected to many months at a time without any visible sunlight or 
fresh air. These men are literally locked in a cell with no window 
for sometimes months at a time.

As inhumane as this sounds, it is not the entire story. Starting 
many months ago, the staff here at Montana State Prison instituted 
what they call fondly, "The Treatment Plan." By title, this sounds 
like something good and very helpful for prisoner. This is 
terribly far from the truth. "The Treatment Plan" is nothing more 
than a policy adopted by prison staff to all for the most cruel 
and barbaric punishment allowable under their interpretation of 
what state law allows them to get away with.

Prisoners subjected to "The Treatment Plan" are striped completely 
nude. They are to remain so in a "Strip Cell" for at least 24 
hours. During this time, they are given nothing in their cell: no 
mattress, no pillow, no sheets. Sometimes they are given a canvas 
space blanket, but not always. After the first 24 hours, the 
prisoner is supposed to be given and article of clothing of a 
piece of his bedding, the idea being that after several days, the 
prisoner will eventually accumulate his bed, pillow, sheets, 
socks, and underwear. However, this is rarely the case. Often the 
prisoner goes without clothes or his bedding for several days. He 
must sleep on the concrete slab where his mattress is supposed to 
be. It gets very cold in Montana during the winter months. 

Prisoners subjected to "The Treatment Plan" during this time 
nearly freeze. Of course, that is exactly what "The Treatment 
Plan" is supposed to do, torture the prisoner!

The psychological effect the staff envisioned "The Treatment Plan" 
as having, is one of extreme fear. They felt that as the prisoner 
endures "The Treatment Plan" he will be so terrified that he won't 
break anymore prison rules. However, I find that the opposite is 
true. After enduring "The Treatment Plan" the immorality, 
humiliation and indignation the prison is subjected to often times 
lead to rage and anger. The prisoner feels degraded and overtly 
punished, and in my opinion, rightly so! This instills a rage and 
hatred toward guards and prison staff, which leads to increased 
violence and hostilities within the institution. Thus, a vicious 
cycle of violence is repeated. Sadly, the staff here either fail 
to understand this or they just don't care! Given the length of 
time "The Treatment Plan" has been instituted, I tend to believe 
the latter explanation.

Many people on the outside feel that there should be some form of 
rather harsh punishment for prisoners who break rules within the 
institution. However, there are several factors which they seldom 
take into account, or simply don't know about the prison and it's 
internal form of "justice."

When a prisoner violated a rule, he is usually given a written 
statement detailing the rule he allegedly violated. These rule 
infraction reports can be issued by any guard or prison staff 
member. ... In the past, a prisoner couldn't be held in lock-up 
for more than 72 hours without a hearing. However, recently, the 
staff here have adopted policies that allow the time a prisoner 
spends in temporary lock-up to be extended for several weeks under 
varying circumstances. Therefore, a prisoner can be subjected to 
isolation and extreme depravation for many days without even being 
found guilty of violating a prison rule! These tactics have become 
completely out of control.

When a prisoner finally does get his hearing, it is usually 
nothing more than a formality. Prisoners are almost never allowed 
to call witnesses on their behalf or present evidence. Prison 
policy allows for this, but it is almost never allowed. Of course, 
the staff will deny this, but anyone with common sense will 
realize prisoners are rarely given any rights at these so-called 
hearings. Prisoners are always found guilty. The word and 
testimony of a guard or staff member is always taken over that of 
a prisoner, no matter how ridiculous or impossible the accusation 
may be.

Many in society feel this should always be the case. However, 
there are some definite considerations to take into account. There 
are many times this system is abused beyond just the obvious 
reasons previously mentioned. ...

Another aspect is if a guard has a particular vendetta against a 
prisoner that he particularly dislikes, he can simply place 
contraband in the prisoner's cell, or even simpler, accuse him of 
being insolent or disobeying a direct order. ...

Finally, there is a most effective tactics used by prison staff to 
get convictions during prison hearings. When two prisoners share a 
cell, they are both held accountable for the entire contents of 
that cell. If one prisoner hides contraband in his bed and it is 
found, both he and his cell mate are written up and/or placed in 
temporary lock-up, pending a hearing. When the hearing comes, both 
prisoners are found guilty unless one confesses! If one of the 
prisoners doesn't confess, both will be placed in Detention, Max, 
or on "The Treatment Plan." 

This poses several obvious problems. One is that one prisoner is 
made responsible for his cellmate's personal property and 
belongings. The other is that often you have a smaller prisoner 
with a larger prisoner. If the smaller prisoner doesn't confess, 
the larger prisoner will beat him, or worse, when he gets out of 
detention and back into the general population. The smaller 
prisoner doesn't want to be labeled as a snitch, so he takes the 
punishment and the larger, stronger prisoner gets to go back to 
the general population. The hearing officer doesn't care because 
he gets a confession and everything gets "wrapped up nice and 
neat!"

What does this all mean, you ask? Clearly it means that beyond a 
doubt, some prisoners are subjected to cruel and severe punishment 
without having broken prison rules or policies. ... Not only is it 
barbaric treatment, but in most instances, it is also completely 
illegal. Once convicted and placed in maximum custody, these men 
are continually deprived of their state and federal rights. ...

The conditions of the detention cells are horrific. Prisoners are 
held in them so long without sunlight or fresh air they literally 
lose their minds. During this temporary insanity, prisoners often 
resort to self-mutilation in order to be taken to the hospital. 
Often this is the only way to get out of the cell, even if only 
for a short time. Because of this, the detention cells are often 
contaminated with blood and human wasted. These cells are rarely 
cleaned. This means the next prisoner placed inside the cell is 
subjected to disease and filth. These unsanitary conditions have 
been allowed to remain for several years. Just recently, these 
cells were sprayed and painted. However, they weren't cleaned 
first. Prison Maintenance Crews merely sprayed over the blood and 
hair and excrement. It is clearly visible through the new coat of 
baby-blue paint. This was only recently done because of the 
complaints raised by prisoners' families. Still, it is hardly what 
I would call sanitary.

-- a Montana State Prison Prisoner, 19 April 2000.

Taking Revolutionary Initiative in North Carolina

They have labeled me as being a "militant activist" and therefore 
they can lock me up in segregation for no legitimate reason.

I am active in organizing prisoners, but their main objective is 
to break me or provoke me into doing something violent so that 
they can use it against me. They have taken all my law books and 
case materials. N. C. lawyers are afraid to touch my case because 
of the victim and what they call my "radical" agenda.

Due to my experience with this justice system, I know for a fact 
how oppressive it is and that there is a war being waged against 
the poor, especially [oppressed nationals].

At the age of 16, I was imprisoned for 2 1/2 years for a charge I 
was in fact not guilty of. After my release, this conviction was 
vacated in court. They didn't apologize for ruining my life and 
the havoc they wreaked on my family. So anything I can do to help 
overcome them with their arrogant attitude I would be honored. Not 
just here but internationally.

I have tried to interest prisoners in the need for revolution but 
unfortunately, many have a parochial mentality and if they can not 
get immediate gratification they don't want it. Being raised in 
impoverished environments has left them with crab minds and 
passive natures. Also, the language used in your literature deters 
many who may have the desire to participate. You must remember 
that most of us never made it out of high school.

I am a black man; I know my people, and I feel that Black workers 
are also our enemies. Maybe even more so that the White workers 
because they have been led to believe that money is the great 
equalizer. They sell out their families and neighborhood in their 
efforts to convince their bourgeois counter-parts that they are, 
"not like the rest of them". They don't realize that they are 
contributing to the oppression of others and they don't care. 
They're content, and how can you get content people to see the 
necessity of struggle? Just a thought....

Finally, the administration here has recently censored 2 
magazines, SOURCE and VIBE. They claim they contain "gang related" 
material but anyone remotely familiar with these publications know 
that this is not true. Perhaps you can assist us in fighting this 
censorship.

In solidarity,

-- a North Carolina prisoner.

MIM responds: To address a two points made by this comrade: 1. MIM 
Notes is mostly written at a high reading and theoretical level. 
But not all of the articles are beyond comprehension for those who 
have a basic reading level. Non-native English speakers also read 
MIM Notes. You don't have to understand every word of an article 
to get the political gist of that article. Furthermore, if you 
don't understand an article the first time, read it again! Someone 
interested in revolutionary ideas should be willing to spend at 
least that much effort to assess a political line, not to mention 
to advance their own political experience and knowledge. 2. Blacks 
in Amerika are also bribed with superprofits brought in by the 
superexploitation of the Third World masses. They are better off 
than the majority of the world's people and, in this sense, they 
do not have a material interest in revolution. But they do have an 
interest in national liberation, a step that requires the defeat 
of imperialism at home. And this is unlikely to happen without the 
defeat of imperialism abroad.

Prison

People are crushed here each and EVERY DAY
Rights of HUMAN BEINGS are IGNORED
Ignoble are DEEDS of many
Seldom is a KIND WORD spoken in this PLACE
Only the SINCERE and PURE in HEART can UNDERSTAND
Now is the TIME to EXTRACT GOOD FROM EVIL

- an Illinois prisoner, 1 December, 1999

Drugs

Destroying LIVES of DRUG USERS and DRUG SELLERS
Reaching DEEP into the POOR COMMUNITIES of the UNITED STATES
Used to WEAKEN and DESTROY many COMMUNITIES
Giving FALSE HOPE to the IGNORANT to become RICH
Stealing DREAMs, HOPE and PROSPERITY from many Youths

- an Illinois prisoner, undated