New BMU program - another name for repression

In this prison our captors have created a new punishment program called behavior modification unit (BMU). Any one that receives 2 serious write-ups or one serious write-up and 2 administrative rules violation reports within 180 days is considered a program failure by the pigs and will be sent to the BMU facility here in the prison. Also being a participant of a prison gang or a street gang member or participation in organized criminal activity will be grounds for placement in the BMU. In this BMU facility captives have to remain disciplinary free and complete an "educational" and "self-help" program which our captors call individualized treatment plan (ITP). The ITP may include but is not limited to, completion of anger management programs and participation in narcotics anonymous, alcoholics anonymous, and a program the pigs call lifer's group. If the ITP has been completed, or significant "progress" has been made, captives in BMU will graduate to the next step as authorized by the pig committee and the captives will receive certain privileges.

The property captives can have in BMU is very limited: one wedding band, one soft cover religious material, one soft cover dictionary, one prescription eyeglasses, one pair of athletic shoes, shower shoes and writing material. Reading materials are very limited also: one newspaper, one magazine, and one prison owned paperback novel. All issued allowable reading materials will be issued on a one-for-one exchange for each captive assigned to the cell.

Captives in step one, the initial placement of BMU are not allowed to make phone calls, are allowed one quarter monthly canteen draw ($45), get a minimum of ten hours of out of cell time per week which includes dayroom, workshops, and self-help group activities. Out of cell time is limited to contact with BMU prisoners only and get non-contact visits from their families. If the BMU captive meets the goal of the ITP he will "graduate" to step 2.

Step 2: one phone call per month, one half monthly canteen draw ($90) minimum of 10 hours out-of-cell time per week, which includes dayroom, workshops and self-help group activities, and non-contact visits from families. If the captive meets the goal of the ITP he will graduate to step 3.

Step 3: Slave labor. Captives "eligible" for a job within the BMU only. These captives receive one phone call per month, one half monthly canteen draw ($90). A minimum of 10 hours of out of cell time per week, which includes yard, dayroom, work-shops, and self-help group activities, and contact visits. This "privilege" of working for the pigs within BMU housing unit includes sweeping and mopping the tier and dayroom and cleaning the showers.

Step 4: Upon completion of the ITP captives will be re-housed in the general population.

All captives of the BMU are cell fed. This BMU program lasts 90 days. I'm pretty sure this prison is receiving a lot of money from the state at the tax payers expense for this new program that this prison is passing off as rehabilitation. People in prison don't need the white man's anger management program, NA or AA. Prisoners here need vocational classes and job training: meaningful programs that will reduce recidivism.

- A prisoner at High Desert, January 2006