Last week I received a mail violation notice from the mail room [The violation was for a letter we sent this comrade. The reason on the notice reads, "STG-No MIM is considered ideology/commie stuff." STG stands for Security Threat Group.] I read your packet from a friend that is part of the movement. In this packet it said for me to get a hold of MIM if this were to happen. I am not STG-gang-related nor am I apart of a non-authorized organization.
The reason why this gets to me so much is because Oregon Department of Corrections at OSP let another kind of newsletter come in through the mail. And to my understanding it caters to the Skin Head movement. I find this very troubling.
This was going to be the first reply I received from MIM if it wasn't violated. So thanks for getting a hold of me or at least trying to. Please don't stop trying. I am going to put in for Administrative Review and I'll keep you informed of the outcome.
- an Oregon Prisoner, March 2006
MIM responds: We have sent this comrade a copy of our self-help guide to fighting censorship and encourage h to keep up h efforts. While the reasoning for this censorship is unclear based on the written comment, "STG- No MIM is considered ideology/commie stuff", it does seem to indicate that we are being censored because of our ideology. Of course, it is illegal for prisons to censor materials because they disagree with the ideas of the materials or the group sending them. We share this comrades concern that the staff apparently has greater unity with the ideology of racist groups, if that is their basis for choosing what to censor.