Here at Corcoran SHU is a big censorship going on. I am allowed to get just 1 book at a time and to send me more than one book they have to be on different days. For example, you send me one book on July 20, the next one has to be send July 21. It doesn't make sense to me, the only logical explanation that I came up with is that they want to make it hard and keep us convicts ignorant so for those who are going out, to be blind and come back faster so they can keep the big "prison industry" getting rich.
- a California prisoner, July 2003
I received your letter last week with the censor information enclosed in it. Thank you for enlightening me on how to deal with my captors. I wrote a 602 appeal on censorship, asking why my mail was censored. I already knew their response. They disavowed any wrong doing. I counter punched and caught them on the chin. My 602 went to the warden to write the final response. To my surprise the warden came down and talked with me concerning my mail. He also disavowed any wrong doing with his staff, but he also brought my little Maoist Internationalist Movement booklet to me. His weak excuse was the mail room sent your mail to another inmate with your last name. We all know it is a lie!
- a California prisoner at CCI Tehachapi, July 2003
Dear MIM, I have finally received the notice from the administration as to why they did not let me receive MIM Theory: they claim that there were racist articles, and that MIM advocated the overthrow of the U.S. government. I have already filed an appeal. I have the cite for Procunier v. Martinez as well as two other cases that lay the guidelines on the limits of the institutions ability to restrict prisoners first amendment rights. The cites are: Procunier v. Martinez 416 U.S. 396, 94 S.Ct (1974) O'Lone v. Estate of Shabazz (1987) U.S. 107 S.Ct 2400 McCabe v. Avave (9th Cir 1987) 827 F. 2d O'Lone v. Estate of Shabazz is a little more strict than Procunier and pretty much sets the standard. I believe there is an argument there for legitimate political literature. I am doing more research. When I find out more I will fill you in as well so you can share it with others who may be combating censorship. If you come across anything please let me know. Their institutional policy is based around literature that pertains to racism and promotes the use of violence against other races or groups to achieve their objectives. That's not MIM, MIM is focused on class struggle. I know, and they know it, that's why they claimed some articles contained racism without providing any details. Yours in struggle,
-- a CA prisoner, CCI Tehachapi, June 2003