Texas prison system oppression and waste

Greetings to all my brothers and sisters in the struggle for justice and peace. I'm writing to you from one of Amerikkka's Texas Gulags, straight from the pit of hell, where Satan's demons run this system -- the Nazi Greyshirts; where innocent men and women are put to death on the Texas Concentration Camp death row; where men are murdered, beaten, and worked like dogs in their sweatshops, without pay.

We work years to stay out of trouble to earn what is called "good time and live class," and then one major disciplinary case can take all that away. A lot of times the cases are bogus. These officers can lie about anything and their word is always taken as right, but no matter what we say we're found guilty, and we never win on the grievance process.

I'm doing time for giving one of these Nazi Greyshirts a black eye eight years ago. But they can murder, and do everything else illegal, and never see one day in jail. Texas is not the only corrupt system; this whole government is sick and corrupted. Our very own president can bomb countries for oil and kill hundreds of thousands, but it's not murder what he does? I do time for a black eye while all my loved ones stand by waiting for me to come home. I came down when I was 22 years old and I'll soon be 33. All these years of my life gone.

All I can say is I'm with all of you in spirit and heart in this great struggle. One day I'll be able to be on the streets and help if I can, but until then I can only write and say, "March on brothers and sisters and stay strong. The ones who keep up the fight will prevail in the end."

--A Texas Prisoner, May 2004

MIM responds: Thank you for your letter. When they impose a definition of crime under which you are in prison while the president is in his hot tub in Crawford, they not only do an injustice to you and your family and community, they also waste the vast human resources of millions of people who should be doing meaningful work for the people. And beyond that, they actively block those prisoners who are attempting to improve their lives from getting the education they need. See the letter below.