Oregon censorship and repression perpetuated by "minority affairs" coordinator
In the August issue of MIM Notes (#264) you printed an article called repression in Oregon. The article expressed some concerns regarding the minority affairs officer here at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. Right on! Brothers and sisters in the revolutionary fight, freedom must continue.
We can no longer accept the blunt racial acts of this institution nor the discrimination of minority group literature, such as cultural magazines, religious materials, and catalogs that have to do with books written by people of color. We can't put up with Institutional Imperialism and the conspiracy to deny us of cultural growth and knowledge of our own people and heritage.
This institutional bigotry must stop! We can no longer allow these imperialists to treat us as outsiders. They are using prison tactics by using the words "gang related" to deny us the same rights as others. Racism is racism.
On April 29, 2002 I filed to discrimination complaints regarding the censorship of Islamic religious material mailed to me, which mailroom staff used institutional mail rules to deny. This rule was never administered until after it was being enforced. The rule stated that catalogs, advertisements, brochures, pamphlets and materials where the primary purpose is to sell a product or service shall be prohibited. At the same time, under the same rule, allowing others to receive the same materials.
Upon asking someone for an administration review I was first denied until filing my discrimination complaint 4/29/2002. My complaint was not answered until 4/4/03. Four months after not receiving an answer from the institution, I say Mr. P. Maine over near the education department. I questioned her concerning my complaint, she told me she was busy and she didn't have time. Also that I needed to send her a communications kite.
I waited thinking I'd hear something form this woman, as to acknowledge if she was doing her duties and minorities affairs (her job is Minorities Affairs coordinator). After not hearing anything again months later, I wrote her a communications kite. This was 2/10/2002. I explained in my request for an answer that the rule stated I would receive an answer within 90 days per DOC policy.
I received a written notice only almost one year to the date of my initial complaint, 4/29/02. I believe this lady and the institution correctional staff thought that if they waited long enough I would just lay the matter aside and forget about it. Fact still remains that the institution is continually in violation of our constitutional rights here at EOCI. While this minority affairs woman, who just happens to be of white heritage, is working to receive information for the institution.
This woman isn't doing anything but providing cultural get-togethers and movies. Blacks, Latinos, Asians and other groups continue to tell me this woman is a farce. Reality has shown me that this woman can't be responsible enough to fight for our rights. We are being mistreated, abused, denied our constitutional rights as well as our human rights, and fighting legal issues are impossible due to prison delay tactics.
The truth is that Mrs. Minority Affairs overseer P. Maine is not allowing us to have a voice here in this prison and we need someone to help us as the minority group. Fact being that in 1999-2000 an officer was able to get away with wearing a white pillowcase over his head on the Westside of the institution and intimidated Black inmates and nothing was done about it.
--an Oregon Prisoner, May 2003