I am sending you this letter to inform you of the ongoing problems that are occurring and reoccurring in Northern State Prison, Newark, New Jersey.
Northern State Prison is a breeding ground for vicious gang members. Approximately 80% of the general population are gang members with about 15% of those gang members housed in the designated Security Threat Group Management Unit (STGMU) and the STGMU's Segregation Unit.
This prison has several other units designed to house known gang members, but these units are being used to house gang members and "regular population," those who are not affiliated with gangs. The guidelines that were created for gang members are being applied to the regular population.
The administration at NSP, their staff and employees of the Department of Corrections are not safeguarding all rights, privileges and immunities for non-gang members. The administration has knowledge of staff placing non-gang members in areas that are not safe. Those prisoners have been exposed to threats, extortion, mental and physical injuries. The action(s) by this administration has been violating the Fifth, Eighth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments' rights of non-gang members.
The entire administrative staff and the prisoner guards run this prison as if they are gang members themselves, treating every prisoner as if they are all bad people. The lieutenants and sergeants act as tyrants enforcing the COs to run down on the prisoners with extreme physical force and verbal harassment. There is nothing being done about any of their actions because the Administrator, Mr. Lydell B. Sherrer is too soft and he is not admonishing his staff for their cruel actions.
There is a serious lack of programs in this prison. There is a waiting list dated as far back as 2003 for people wishing to partake in any of these programs. There are prisoners who need to participate in these programs so that they can advance for better status, parole, zero tolerance, etc. Yet we are stagnated from the possibility of progressing. The few programs that we do have are filled to capacity and under staffed.
The recreational activities are the same. I believe that giving more recreational and educational programs would relieve a lot of stress in this environment. There are limited jobs and if you're not a prisoner with status you are subjected to either work in state-use industries or tier sanitation. There are 320 prisoners per housing unit and approximately 275 of those prisoners are tier sanitation workers with only 10 to 15 of those sanitation workers actually working. Now that's a bad deal for the prisoners.
Administration Segregation
The word ITAL segregation END means to separate or isolate from others. How can NSP call their lock up facility ITAL segregation END when no one is isolated from the next person? Except for protective custody (PC), who are not often protected, there are two prisoners per cell. Where is the segregation? There is no such thing as confidentiality. One can not even be examined by the medical staff, when he goes to doctor call, with a hint of confidentiality. Your business will be broadcasted by one of the CO's, who takes all of the prisoner's information, as a form of entertainment. The CO's are constantly taunting the prisoners, exposing certain prisoners' confidentiality for all to hear.
These prisoner guards (COs) refuse to issue soap, toilet paper, telephone, cleaning supplies to clean our cells and sometimes bed linen doesn't get exchanged. It is very unsanitary how the prisoners have to live in this environment. The prisoners are told that they must purchase toilet paper, soap and other hygienic products from the commissary. There are some less fortunate prisoners who are unable to provide basic toiletries for themselves. There is a kitchen right at the base of the unit, yet, when the food reaches the cells it's cold. And there is no access to a law library or legal assistance, it's a poor situation.
There are members of different gangs in Administration Segregation. These persons are known gang members, so instead of placing these people in the appropriate Gang Segregation Unit (STGMU), these prisoners are forced to lock in cells with gang members of other gangs, thus bringing about mayhem and chaos. These prisoners are allowed recreation twice a week with approximately 14 prisoners per cage. There are rival fights dated 6/14/2005, 6/17/2005 and another date that I can't remember because it was logged in my address book and my book was taken from my cell during cell search. However, on that undated incident a prisoner nearly died (it was that serious). All of these fights were between BLOODS & CRIPS. These fights could have been prevented, but the mind set of these prisoner guards are not concerned with our safety.
As I write this letter, I am putting the safety of my well being on the line because I have written numerous letters to the outside world giving them a view of what's going on inside these prison walls. Most prisoners guards continue to harass me and label me a trouble maker because every chance I get I let the truth be heard.
I pray my words don't fall on deaf ears and that you put this information out for all to acknowledge.
Thank you,
- NJ Prisoner, October 2005
MIM responds:
This comrade is correct stress that the prison administration, as one arm of the imperialist state, is not concerned with prisoners' safety. But rather they pit them against each other as a means of social control. When lumpen organizations engage in anti-people activity and the oppressed fight each other, the imperialists win.
Similarly we can not pit alleged "gang members" against other prisoners. Many oppressed nation youth in u$ concentration camps are members of street organizations that are engaged in anti-people activity. But amerikans don't differentiate between known gang members and other prisoners. Pretty much everyone in prison is a gang member or hoodlum of some sort as far as they are concerned. Therefore the expectation that some prisoners are treated better than their counterparts that are actually members in these organizations is wishful thinking.
The principal contradiction in the world today is that between the oppressed nations and the oppressor nations. That is why the amerikan oppressor nation is happy to label all oppressed nation youth "gang members." And that is why oppressed nation youth need to build organizations that unite the oppressed against the enemy, u$ imperialism. What is going on in NSP's STGMU demonstrates the extent to which the state fears this and is trying to prevent such organizing from occurring.