Solidarity greetings!
Yesterday a brother happened to send me one of your MIM Notes and I was astounded. Under the current levels of repression I couldn't believe that something this powerful was being let in. I've been up all night reading your newsletter and wondering, "How do I get involved?"
A lot of things you spoke of pertaining to the Security Housing Unit (SHU) are happening here in Virginia. It was like a breath of fresh air to hear someone is fighting against the SHU. It just hurts that no one in Virginia seems to care.
As if that wasn't enough, Virgina has opened these level-5 and level-6 institutions, Red Onion, Wallens Ridge and Sussex. Each institution is armed with shotguns inside the pods, cafeteria, rec yard and gym. These shotguns have rubber pellets but at any time the officers have access to live rounds. We are supposed to be on 20 hours lock and 4 hours rec, but they always find a way to take rec. Most of the time we don't get any rec. The conditions is close to, if not the same as the SHU.
What is more troubling is the criteria it takes to get in these institutions. They're supposed to be for the worst of the worst prisoners, but over 90% of the population came here straight from receiving with no institutional record. I was sent here with no institutional record, and when I wrote to the Central Classification Board their justification was that I had over 25 years so I met the criteria.
It's like there is no set criteria to get sent to these institutions and damn near impossible to get off. You can stay charge free, get your points down and still be overrode to stay here. It is ridiculous and I am fed up. I want to fight against what they are doing to me and prisoners like myself. -a Virginia prisoner
MIM responds: Thank you for your letter. It is important to know that not everything like an SHU is called an SHU -- and sometimes not designating a unit as SHU can give the prisoncrats more flexibility in terms of their arbitrary power to impose punishment and cut costs.