USW Leader Thrown in Hole for Activism

On June 21, 2005, Ronald Henderson was thrown into isolation for organizing a work strike in the mess hall at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, WA. "I've been placed on isolation; no phone, no yard, only a shower every three days. This is part of the disciplinary sanction for the work strike. 10 days iso[lation], 30 days d-seg and a possible IMU [Intensive Management Unit] program." In prisons across the country long term isolation cells have become common tools of repression. Nominally, they exist to house the most violent and incorrigible prisoners, what they call 'the worst of the worst.' The only thing that has proven incorrigible is the u$ injustice system that has always served the interest of the settler nation and has only increased its use of torture in recent years. We know that people are a product of their environment, and a violent oppressive system begets violence and oppression. People can change, but imperialism can not.

However, this incident is a blatant example of a well-established trend that MIM has seen over the last couple decades with the advent of the control unit. People are being thrown into long term isolation not because they are a threat to other people, but because they are a threat to imperialism. Comrade Henderson is a long time activist with United Struggle from Within, and this is not the first time his organizing has landed him in isolation. In California, the largest prison state in the united $tates, half of the people in the control units didn't even break any rules. They are in there on 'gang-affiliation' charges, based on things as little as who they get mail from or talk to, whether they have tattoos or speak another language or what part of California they come from. So we see a preemptive effort to prevent organizing as well the use of isolation as punishment to those who are becoming leaders. As a result people are being tortured for struggling for basic humyn rights, or because they might do so in the future.

Comrade Henderson's recent lock up was a result of his demands for better sanitation. His story begins, "I had been working in the kitchen a few months and an issue came up. I was asked by prisoners what should we do? What were our options? I first initiated a petition, which I was only able to get five signatures before it was snatched up by a c/o and given to his superiors. That was on 6/19/05. I was summoned a few minutes afterwards to the shift Lt. Then I was interrogated and interviewed by custody superiors, Lt. Sgt. and others. I was told I could not circulate this type of document, and was ordered not to and returned to work. They kept the petition document after I clearly asked for it back.

"For the next proceeding days I was approached and asked by numerous prisoners, 'where was the petition?' They wanted to sign. I relayed to them that it had been confiscated. On 6/21/05, as you can read in the enclosed document, I initiated a work stoppage of my own accord. I was the only prisoner taken to the hole after four hours and an institutional lock down."

The referral that was used to put Comrade Henderson in isolation reads as follows: "On 6/21/05 at approximately 1045 hours, officer Craig Jensen announced count in the south dining hall. Instead of proceeding with the kitchen count procedure, all but one inmate remained seated. Count was announced a second time with the same inmate response as had previously transpired. Inmate Henderson then made a comment about inmates wanting showers. Sgt. Bob Patton intervened, explained that showers would be discussed later, ordered the inmates to comply with count procedures.

"Again, the inmates refused and remained seated. Sg. Patton ordered the south dining hall doors secured. The gun cage was manned and inmate Henderson was observed and identified as the primary instigator of the work strike. He was heard and observed making inciting comments such as telling the other inmates not to return to work. Other statements were "We need to stand together" and "We need to stand up for what is right." He was continually observed addressing the group of striking inmates. Only after intervention of CPM Knight, CP Schettler and Lt. Kirshaw did the inmates comply and return to work. Inmate Henderson is clearly the primary instigator of this strike."

The pigs don't mince words, Comrade Henderson is being thrown in a torture cell for uniting the prisoners and encouraging them to struggle for their rights. This is one reason why MIM calls for the closing down of all control unit prisons. They are a threat to progressive organizing on the inside and they are torturing thousands of people as a means of social control. On October 8, MIM calls on all concerned parties to join us for Unlock the Box in San Francisco; an organizing conference to abolish all prison control units. (see http://www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/agitation/prisons/controlunits/unlock.php)

Despite having one copy of the petition confiscated, Comrade Henderson was able to get a copy out with dozens of signatures by co-workers in the mess hall. The petition now has about 100 signatures and can be found at http://www.petitiononline.com/TPR1/petition.html. Supporters can also email the WDOC Director Harold Clarke or WSP Superintendent Richard Morgan at doccorrespondence @doc1.wa.gov to demand that Ronald Henderson be released to general population. Also read more about the unsafe shower situation at Walla Walla in the May 2005 Under Lock & Key (MIM Notes 319).

United Struggle Within

by Ronald Henderson

We are united to fight the global, social, economic and environmental oppression of the war mongering imperialist reigning from their corporate monarchy.

United by a common thread of centuries of enslavement, exploitation, pollution, genocide; of a whole class of humanity.

We struggle in a perennial revolutionary state against the titles of tyranny, the manufactures of hunger, disease, poverty and the product of perpetual servitude. "The struggle may be a physical one, a mental one, or a moral one, but it must be a struggle; power concedes nothing without a demand." says Frederick Douglass.

We look within our passions, our history, our psyches to the deep recesses of the pulsating beat of resistance that has run ubiquitously through all ages and generations of people sounding the call for change.

We look within to inspire the fire to fight the pain, suffering, torture, death, destruction that has become a global nemesis. We now look within first to determine our ultimate destiny.