Education and politics in prison

I was reading through MIM Notes #223, December 2000 issue under "MIM's prison ministry advances overcome rightist mistakes." One goal at that point was for "USW to print its own special expanded issue of Under Lock and Key" I would like to utilize my creative energies toward this goal, including deepening the "understanding of what it means to have independent institutions of the oppressed for revolution." It is my firm conviction that the written word is one of our most powerful and effective tools for those of us who are united in the struggle from within and behind the concrete curtain.

On Page 11 of MN 223 in response to Learning from BPP, MIM responds: "Political activism is something that happens in leisure time and that they (people) must make a decision about how they wish to spend their free time." The point of "leisure time" cannot be underscored and reiterated enough, especially in the case of we who are the oppressed national politically and now politically conscious prisoners presently living "life" behind the walls of these Amerikan imperialist style prisons.

As is evidenced (for example) by the fact that California prisoners being housed in Level IV prisons are (for the most part) no longer "required" to work at all, receive no disciplinary actions against them (on the whole) for not working and in fact, in an estimated 85% of the cases of the inmate population, cannot get a job, paid or unpaid to save their lives (figuratively) from hell or high water.

In the same way, educational resources are not being put toward those prisoners with either a high school diploma, GED, above 9th grade level reading competency test score or [god forbid] any type of college degree. The end result of California's undocumented yet firmly established "no work/no school" policy being hours upon hours of basically "leisure time." And the sad truth of the matter is that because these prisoners are not politically conscious and/or politically conscious leadership is not being raised up amongst them advocating revolutionary theory as well as the practice of unity toward the creation of independent institutions of the oppressed such as independent newsletters which chronicle prison times. Precious "time" is being wasted and idle minds are being left to atrophy in ad seg and SHU buildings as a result of the misery produced by boredom, produced by leisure, produced by the fact that, as MIM states (MN #223, pg 10) "In Amerika (even in prison) even oppressed nationals receive a piece of the imperialist superprofit stolen from the Third World." i.e. certain states in the $.S. are so rich that there is no need/requirement for prisoner produced profits, and so long as they do not present any imminent threat to the "Safety and security of the institution" they are indeed "at leisure" to grow fat off of Top Ramen Noodles, Folgers Coffee, Potato chips, cookies and a weekly selection of the latest movies to hit the box office in mainstream society.

This is why I can truly appreciate the "Under Lock and Key" section of MIM Notes, because (if comrades portray it correctly) we can see the contrast in the system, the strengths, weaknesses, loopholes and barriers.

For example, we California prisoners, in terms of manual labor, are quantitatively less oppressed than say a comrade in Angola prison Louisiana. Considering these facts, we must, on the whole, become more selfless, more self aware and more self critical. But I believe it to be well within our grasp to engage in productive political labor leading to the end of our relative oppression and the gain of the security of all our basic needs.

Lastly, I would like to praise MIM in that you "advocate staying within the rules of the prisoncrats where possible, working with other prisoners to end oppression and moving forward to legally challenge rules that prevent further education and organizing." Also, that you "strongly urge prisoners to do what they can to stay out of segregation." (MIM Notes #224, pg11). I/we can appreciate this good, solid, practical wisdom.

- USW comrade, California, January 2006