Florida Prisons

June 16, 2017 was a day of my current prison life that I would never forget, no matter how hard I try or no matter what my mental health counselors tell me about “letting go.” On this particular day, I was being escorted down the walkway at Suwannee Correctional Institution by a prison official by the name of Sergeant Moore, when out of nowhere Sergeant Moore placed his right leg in front of my shackled feet and slammed me face first on the concrete floor, splitting my bottom lip on impact and knocking out three of my front teeth. Then he began repeatedly punching me in the face while stating “I’ll catch you in this blind spot every time mother fucker.”

As this tragic incident was taking place, another prison official by the name of Lieutenant Riegel ran up to me, grabbed both sides of my face, and banged my head against the floor three times before more officers responded to the scene to take me to medical. I was taken to an outside hospital for facial trauma.

The bad part about this entire incident is that neither the prison’s administration nor the Inspector Generals Office did anything about this incident, because the prison officials fabricated the paperwork stating that I attacked Sergeant Moore. In reality, Sergeant Moore was the one who attacked me, out of retaliation for the ongoing problems I was having with security at Suwannee C.I.

In addition, I was in full restraints from my hands down to my waist and feet at the time of this incident, which made it impossible for me to have attacked Sergeant Moore. The prison administration knew this. However, they still swept this incident under the rug like they tend to do when officers brutally assault prisoners.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve always heard of officers jumping on inmates in full restraints, but when it actually happened to me, my eyes were instantly opened to the corruption that’s taking place in the Florida prison system, especially at prisons like Florida State Prison, Suwannee Correctional Institution, and Union Correctional Institution.

For example, there’s something called the “Cell Extraction Team,” which is a group of five officers, dressed in riot gear, whose sole purpose is to go inside of a cell and restrain a prisoner who allegedly “refuses” to submit to hand restraints. However, instead of sticking to the sole objective, these officers are often times going inside these cells and brutally beating inmates by kicking them, punching them, kicking their teeth out, etc. And while they’re doing this, they’re yelling “stop resisting.” How can an inmate possibly resist when five officers are beating him? The entire time they’re doing this, another officer stands in the doorway to block the view of the camera. I’m currently speaking from personal experience.

Another example is there’s something called “Property Restriction,” which is when officers strip a prisoner of all his property and clothes and leave them inside their cell in just a pair of boxers to sleep on the hard metal bunk, for allegedly “misusing” their property. However, instead of using property restriction for what it’s intended for, officers are using this as a tool to simply strip a prisoner of all their clothes, and they are mainly doing this in the winter time. Once again, I am speaking from personal experience. Most states have actually abolished property restriction practices in prisons, deeming it cruel and inhuman treatment of prisoners, but it is still going on in the Florida prison system.

Truth be told, officers aren’t the only ones that’s participating in the corruption. The nurses are guilty as well because whenever officers assault inmates, instead of documenting our injuries, nurses are covering up for the officers by not documenting our injuries.

In addition to that, whenever we file grievances reporting what officers are doing to us, the grievance coordinators are throwing away grievances. Which is why I’ve decided to write this short story to shine some light on the corruption that’s taking place.

The worst part is, the Florida Prison system administration is fully aware of this cruel and inhuman treatment that’s being inflicted upon inmates, because they’re the ones who sign off on the paperwork. Yet still they’re not doing anything about it.

No one deserves to be treated this way. The readers of this article can even go online and see with their own eyes that Suwannee C.I. was under investigation for this same corruption a few years ago.

Now, I know some people may feel like we are criminals so we deserve to suffer in prison. However, our mistakes don’t define who we are as a person. It’s our heart. And I know there’s people in the community who know some very good-hearted people that’s locked up in prison. In addition to that, since I’ve been incarcerated, I’ve written three novels and I’m currently working on my fourth novel, which shows that coming to prison has actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Because if I hadn’t come to prison I would have never discovered my God-given talent.

My only desire now is to expose the corruption in the Florida prison system because not only are these officials mistreating us, but they are also taking advantage of us.

I’m just trying to show the community how corrupted the prison system is, and it should not be this way. Prison is supposed to be a place for prisoners to rehabilitate themselves before they go back into society. But how can we rehabilitate ourselves if we are constantly being mistreated in prison, and then they wonder why prisoners get out of prison and do the same thing. Because we didn’t learn anything.

And whether or not the community believes it, prisons are some of the most corrupted places in the world. I’ve seen officers purposely put two inmates in the same cell, knowing that both inmates were having problems with each other. And these are just some of the things prison officials have been doing.

Consequently, I’m sincerely asking that the community assist us with pushing the “Prison Lives Matter Organization” (PLM Organization) because it’s only so much us as inmates can do from behind the doors. I’ve already written the blueprint for the PLM Organization and I don’t mind sharing it with someone who’s interested in being the co-founder of the organization. However, I’m looking for people who’s sincerely going to put their heart and dedication into bringing about a change in the Florida Prison System. If you are a serious inquiry, then you may contact MIM Distributors for information on how you can contact me, and you can be part of the PLM Organization.

PTT from MIM(Prisons) responds:We fully echo this comrade’s call for people on the outside to get involved in supporting prisoners’ struggles. We are even recruiting for our own outside-support organization, and it’s in a similar phase as PLM Organization. The main thing lacking right now is people getting involved. If you are inspired to contribute to prisoners’ struggles in Florida or elsewhere, but can’t join MIM(Prisons) at a cadre level for whatever reason, we would be ecstatic to support the development of a new prisoner-support mass organization.

We have a policy that we don’t build organizations outside of the MIM(Prisons) umbrella, but a prisoner-support mass organization led by MIM(Prisons) can work in united front with other groups like the PLM Organization. Or maybe the Maoist-led mass organization takes on the work that encompasses what PLM is out to transform, so prisoners have an organization they can turn to rather than needing to start their own from behind bars as individuals. There’s a great opportunity here and we encourage “people who’s sincerely going to put their heart and dedication into bringing about a change” to get in touch with MIM(Prisons) directly via our contact page.

We have a different view than this comrade about the role of prisons and the causes of criminality in our present United $tates society. Where ey says that going to prison was a blessing in disguise, we ask, "why aren't there opportunities for certain populations of people to develop their talents outside of prison?" And where ey says mistake don't define a persyn, we ask, "why are people committing these mistakes in the first place?" And "who gets to say what counts as a crime, or not?" Clearly there are many, many people in U.$. society who do things that harm many other people, and they are not considered to be criminals, and are not punished by the court system. So, why is that?

It would be great if prisons were a place where people who harm other people go to see the errors of their ways and transform into people who are able to contribute to society. Like this comrade who started writing novels and advocating for prisoners’ rights behind the walls. In fact, that’s what prisons were like in communist China under Mao Zedong, and that’s a social model that we look to for inspiration and guidance on how we can create it in our own future. Chinese society under Mao is where we get our name “Maoist” from. We are big fans.

And we look to Chinese society under Mao for how we can create a culture and economic system that means people aren’t committing crimes that stem from survival needs, or mental health issues, or historical trauma. Imagine how much less harm there would be in the world if these low-level “crimes” became obsolete – if people’s survival needs were met, mental health was taken care of, and historical trauma was healed and not perpetuated. Not to mention if the capitalist crimes against humynity were abolished, and we had clean rivers, and all peoples were allowed to thrive.

So we think prisons in this country are working exactly as designed. They’re not really “corrupted,” because the entire purpose of them is for social control, to keep certain populations and certain ideas suppressed. Every act that communicates that “prisoners’ lives don’t matter” and “you can’t do that” is part and parcel to prisons under capitalism. When you consider that capitalist prisons aren’t meant to rehabilitate “criminals,” you can see that they are actually working perfectly. Whether by punishment (beatings, isolation) or reward (TV, privileges), U.$. prison administrators are doing their job and doing it well.

MIM(Prisons) aims to get at the root of this suffering, which we see as the capitalist economic system itself. On the surface, the economic system might seem unrelated to abuse of prisoners, and to a certain extent we could have better prison conditions (prison reform) under capitalism. But as Maoists we are out to create a world free from all oppression, not just a relief of some oppression for a few groups. Where some groups are given privileges, other groups are still suffering and often times suffering worse to make up for it. We believe that only through addressing the root cause of the suffering – capitalism and imperialism – can we fully support prisoners’ struggles here and around the world.

I was released from confinement on 7 January and sent to the main unit, only to have a false DR arranged for me on January 15. I have now missed 4 visits planned with family to sit in a locked room. On January 15 I was on my bed at 7:42 AM count when the sergeant accused me of using the F word in dialogue she fabricated to have an excuse to haul me off to confinement. On January 22 I was given 30 days with credit for only 3 of 8 days. I had been locked in a room for this lie. I just spent 5 weeks locked in a room for the last false DR and only out 8 days.

I got copies of your petition and sent them out to federal/state courts, local legislators, member of congress, Ocala Star Banner and Miami Herald newspapers. I put out an order to show cause for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to the federal court to ask the Florida Department of COrrections(FDOC) to stop locking me in a room at the same 3 prisons to torture me, breaking the law to falsify state documents to justify the retaliation. I was assigned an attorney by the federal appellate court last month for my FDOC case with my case classed for oral arguments which is only granted in 20% of cases. I hope to hear from her soon.

I cannot seem to get any help from the judicial/executive/legislative branches of government. My mother has contacted the House of Representatives member to try to get help. I have written the governor, FDOC secretary, and DOJ IG recently. Another inmate gave me a stack of articles on FDOC problems, criminal justice reform and Lowell specifically to copy as supporting documents for my outgoing packages. I should have 10 more copies to get out soon to different addresses.

This is now 31 trips to confinement since 2010, 150 disciplinary reports, years of lost gain time and almost half my time locked in a room. I have retired all I write to your website www.prisoncensorship.info so they can review the postings of Florida prisoners.

The nasty sergeant stored my medication, deodorant and most of what I was allowed to have to deprive me of basic necessities. I was not fed dinner on January 23 deliberately and they “lost” my laundry bag.

…A Lt here at LCI was arrested last year for child sexual abuse. I was able to read all the articles about this. He was promoted year after year even after serious allegations were made against him for sexual misconduct and other crimes. The FDOC secretary is trying to claim they need more money and staff. Last month I was given 5 false DRs while locked in a room doing nothing wrong. The personal vendetta has gone on for years. When I was here before in 2018 the staff threw my food on the floor and charged me with battery pretending I threw the tray I never touched. They ambushed me with chemical weapons warfare while I was locked in a room and helpless. This practice seems to have been stopped. I have not seen this done since 2018.

Is there anyone I can get to help me forward out emails to the legislators and U.S. Congress. I was able to get the request form to appear before the Florida Senate that I have tried to get since 2018 from a library. Most of the management here have been persecuting me since 2012, only to get promoted. We are getting a lot of publicity. Lowell made national news in 2019 for a silent protest held after a prisoner was paralyzed after an altercation with 4 male employees. She is 51 and now a quadriplegic. The Lt who was arrested for child sexual abuse was one of the ones involved. Please let me know how I can help MIM and send me another blank petition for Florida so I can update the information on this form.

America, you exposed the line
Back in my younger days your judges had their axes to grind
You promised us that justice was really blind
But that is not what we would find
You just saw me as someone who was born to do time
Yeah, I’m from Florida, the sunshine state,
But you’ve sent me to prisons more times than I’ve made it across the sunshine gate
Unless i’m riding on the prison bus
Your green dollars all say “in God we trust”
But to you I’m worth about a hundred grand a year
And all the people that I know have all passed through here
It’s just how you keep the spirit cause it’s so strong-willed
So I turn on my TV and stare at the screen
and it’s a habitual liar named Trump
And he has big plans to buy a wall
But unfortunately that’s not all
He also wants to split the families apart
And stop the Black & Brown people from a better life and a fresh start
So I guess that the rumor is true
That the Black & Brown are not red, white or blue
But I guess that’s just america’s plan
The rise of the Ku Klux Klan
That’s spread all the way from the back woods
And the secret meetings wearing white hoods
And elevating them to become the police
Then the local judge, and even the mayor of the big city
And then a department of corrections union member
Funneling a percentage of their pay
To keep the disadvantaged people locked up all day
By paying politicians and telling them what to say
Like “we’re tough on crime”
And then they pass a thousand laws at a time
And have no respect for our civil rights
So we are doing lifetimes of wasted days and wasted nights
But now I can clearly see through your soulless eyes
And your great american white lies
But I vow to stop you from suppressing my kind
Because yes america, you exposed the line.

My name is XX. I am a Florida prisoner,housed at Martin CI. I am writing in the behalf of all prisoners regarding your 9/16/19 audit. We couldn't help but notice that you did not speak with prisoners, leaving us no choice but to conclude that 1) your are not working in the interest or welfare of prisoners or society. And 2) You feel that we are so bell curved that we are not worthy of speaking for ourselves regarding prison conditions. So how objective can you or your audit be if it is based only on one side of the system? How much do you care about genuine rehabilitation or penological interest if you visit a prison for days,and not consider speaking to prisoners regarding Prison conditions?

It is obvious that you are not interested in implementing genuine rehabilitation and effective change to this amerikkklan prison industrial complex. The personality of your auditors showed that you and the state harbors the very same opinion of prisoners,that everyone in prison is an animal who deserves to be there and tortured while there. It is clear that you came to see only the fiscal aspect of Martin CI, while turning a blind eye on the living conditions and well being of prisoners. It's all about money for you, so please allow me to inform you of what you chose not to see,much-less,make public.

1. YOUR MEMO

You chose not to notice that the memo informing prisoners of your visit was posted on 9/13/19,not the mandacious 8/21/19 date it claims. In fact,fixed prison yard and dormitory video surveillance will show that prisoners knew nothing of your coming until Martin CI administration went all in, forcing prisoners to work all through the weekend, prettying up the plantation for your visit. Sidewalks were pressure washed, trays in the kitchen we're soaked in soap water overnight in cofinement carts, for mold. Laundry stayed open all weekend. Dormitories were painted and repainted with $2 paint,saves money. We thought Donald Trump was coming to visit. Now had that memo of your visit been posted in time, I would have sent you an in-advance list of attractive sights to see while on your Martin CI tour. I still can't believe you didn't see or noticed these inhumane and contradicting living conditions. Then too, if you did notice them and acted objectively by moving for genuine rehabilitation and effective change, what then would happen to FDOC as a 13th Amendment slave housing industry? Too many people will lose jobs, too many investors will lose money. What makes us still think, that the state would spend mega millions building prisons, just to turn around and genuinely rehabilitate itself, and prisoners into not getting rearrested, or changing the way the state itself, including law enforcement and state attorneys, see poor and miseducated people. I'm boring you with this, so I'll get to the point.

2. WHAT YOU CHOSE NOT TO SEE AT MARTIN CI

9/18/19,btwn hours of 3 PM & 7 PM. While you conducted your psuedo-audit, Sgt. Swain had a handcuffed prisoner, laying on the hot pavement, in front of the dining hall, in the hot sun, for about 3 hours, because Sgt. Swain caught him coming out of the chow hall with a bag of ice. How could you have missed that? Or the fact that it is so hot in the dormitories, that prisoners have to resort to stealing ice from the chow hall, or take several showers a day despite 5 PM shower rule, or put plastic bags on windows to direct air flow to themselves, risking confinement trying to cool ourselves.

While prisoners are being placed in confinement for possession of tobacco in violation of Christmas.33-401.401, prison staff are smoking freely, and with impunity, above the law despite FL statutes(944.115) prohibiting use of tobacco on all state prison property.

Warehouse is filled with long expired and outdated food products, for prisoners consumption,ordered and delivered that way due to being much cheaper than what tax payers are charged. So the profit can be pocketed by higher-ups.

Rats: hundreds,if not thousands of them living under the oven in the baking room of Martin CI kitchen.

Trays,cups,and sporks: Moldy,worn out and torn,and being washed by hand, in cold water, in giant garbage cans, rather than by dishwashing machine with legally required water temperature and detergent.

Food Portions: Exiguous,and food is prepared intentionally bad for the swill and to keep canteen sales up. And prisoners are being rushed to eat their meals in less than 3 minutes like animals.

Whites and blues being washed together in the same load with no bleach. Whites (underwears) are coming back literally brown, dirtier than when turned in, exposing prisoners to jock-itch, urinary track infection and other dirty under wear related illness. While prisoners are not allowed to hand wash their whites, or use clothes lines. You need to see how brown, our whites come back.

Robbing our families, through us, price gouging, way above fair market price, especially considering the fact that prisoners earn no income for performance of prison labor, this price gouging amounts to economic war, not on prisoners, but on families and friends of prisoners, whom are being punished by the state for supporting prisoners. Prison staff are paying half price for same like food items that prisoners and their law abiding civilian visitors are charged double and triple.

Once a week if that. There are never enough staff to conduct recreation, but there are always more than enough thrill seeking goons when it's time to apply excessive force on handcuffed prisoners. They appear out of thin air like magic.

According to facilitators,the head of Martin CI education department, Dr.Layton, received an annual education budget of only $1500 while security security has unlimited access to program funds, while canteen profits pay for the very same handcuffs, pepper spray, tactical gear, and all else used against prisoners,in what is called the Department of Corrections. What kind of education can prisoners get on a $1500 budget?

Then you wonder why there are so many stabbings. This is clear proof that the state and it's avaricious superiors and investors have no interest in genuine rehabilitation. The worse part is the fact that the state will not allow prisoners to become independent thinkers capable of determining their own social and political destiny. We are not allowed to genuinely rehabilitate ourselves. Not allowed to even order certain books,or publications,under the guise that certain books can be a threat to the prison system.

A prisoner may read a certain books and become too positively or essentially self aware and disciplined. Positive Prisoner self control is the total opposite of FDOC standard of rehabilitation,the dumber a prisoner,the better for FDOC. being autodidactically genuinely rehabilitated is considered the ultimate threat,and a crime to the state. If every Prisoner become genuinely rehabilitated,the prison system will be rendered irrelevant, out of business, obsolete, thus genuine rehabilitation or correction of any kind for prisoners or staff, is no where in FDOC's thought or mission.

FDOC is robbing prisoners loved-ones,by use of prisoners,charging .39¢ per postage stamp which cost only .7¢ wholesale at JPay. A .32¢ profit per stamp,which go towards buying the very same pepper spray, handcuffs,and all else used against prisoners. The mosquitoes hate the very same cows off whose blood they cannot live without.

On 9/11/19,there occurred a multiple prisoner on prisoner stabbing. The whole plantation was placed on lockdown, collective punishment. RRT, rapid response teams showed up immediately, many from neighboring plantations, in full military tactical gear, clicking-illegal-electric tazer shields and brandishing riot batons to intimidate prisoners while conducting a mass trashing of prisoners cells and property, claiming a so-called mass search. So to keep prisoners from informing the free world of these illegal electric shields and batons, the JPay WiFi was turned off for almost a whole week. In fact, the WiFi is off as I write this on 9/27/19. It's turned off during every lockdown to keep prisoners from reporting what's going to the outside world,to keep the truth from getting out,to kill all transparency. So the story is told only by the real criminals, FDOC.

JPay is taking funds(.39¢ postage)from our prisoner account even after censoring and denying our Jmail from leaving the JPay kiosk system,or reaching it's intended destination.

9/3/19, I plugged my tablet into JPay kiosk to download music. I unplugged my tablet to find that all my political journal notes, essays, and poems, grievance drafts, legal letters, criminal appeal case citings, the event and birth dates,i.e.,my entire calendar section, all stored in my tablet had been illegally accessed, and deleted after being downloaded by JPay. The JPay trouble ticket response basically told me to get lost. Informal grievance response stated that I had exceeded the storage capacity of my tablet, so it automatically deleted, "yes, of all entries on my tablet, just my entire calendar."

The truth is,my tablet comes with 32 Gigs of storage capacity, and there is still space for 5511video grams, so how did I exceed storage capacity? I get censored alot by Jpay, and the political content of my tablet is well known by JPay and Martin CI mail room. It's a known fact, I am being retaliatorily targeted due to my prison activism and political belief. They're reading all my writings right now. This is not the first time, and it won't be the last, and the physical may be next.

Prisoners personal property keep getting lost because overseers do not follow CH.33 F.A.C rules in regards to inventorying and safe guarding prisoners personal property, family photos, legal papers and more. Prisoners personal property keep coming up missing.

Intentionally long counts, so overseers can sloth their senicure days away, hanging out, smoking cigarettes at tax payers expense, while prisoners can't get to their legal deadlines in the law library,or other call outs and programs.

During your audit, if you just stepped one foot in side of wing 4 of A dormitory, you would have been left no choice but to smell and see the clogged up sink in the mop closet. It's been clogged up for months, the water is black, stink and a breeding pond for mosquitoes. It gets over looked every week during inspection. Every senior administrative overseer has taken cell phone pictures of this sink week after week, with the promise of getting it fixed to no avail. Only if you'd entered wing 4 of A dormitory, where your true Accreditation skills are needed. That mop closet is still clogged, stink, and dirty if you think I'm lying or if you need proof. Now you see why the state is in permanent fear of prisoners having any kind of recording devices. These amerikkklan iron curtain issues just mentioned would all been going viral. This is why the prisoners side of prison must be kept concealed at all cost. And you will have to Lynch me to keep me quiet.

If we were to take the key differences as outlined by Willie Lynch such as age, skin tone, gender, etc. and replace them with more viable, up-to-date ones pertaining to the lumpen organization class i.e. nation, tribe, flag color, hood, set, block, race, etc., we get a slightly different blueprint but the exact same end results. Results that Lynch prophesized would be self-generating for generations to come. This blueprint was the same one implemented by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI COINTELPRO which saw the dismantling of our Black Power era vanguard. It is the same blueprint later utilized by law enforcement agencies such as L.A.'s crash unit, gang detail, gang surveillance unit and prison guards: divide and control!

An 11 October 2018 riot at Taylor C.I. saw 15 lumpens, including myself, from different orgs and tribes, beaten, rounded up, beaten some more and emergency shipped to Florida State Prison's (FSP) Control Management Unit. Arriving here and hearing the lumpen-on-lumpen disrespect and set-tripping on the tiers and back-windows was defiling to the sacrifice of blood, sweat and tears that we had made. We had taken one small step against oppression but it was only one small step in one institution. Elsewhere, however, nothing had changed. At Taylor it was Bloods, Crips, Folk, a Stone, a local tribesman and a civilian standing together in solidarity, at FSP it was only business as usual.

Organizing unity at FSP is and has always been a challenge. Although it is not impossible, it hasn't happened much. Some of the main setbacks spawn from accessibility to each other as well as study material due to censorship. Group building is possible but slow as thoughts would have to be put on paper and kited from cell to cell risking being knocked off by C.O.s. Building on the back windows puts you in direct competition with nihilists, agent provocateurs and otherwise anti-revolutionaries, but it also puts you at risk of being placed on strip, written up, or worse for "disorderly conduct" if caught. Censorship is an ongoing problem for many revolutionary publications because it is said to be "inflammatory" and "poses a threat to security." I am not anti-C.O. I believe that C.O.s have a vital role to play in keeping order in a potentially hostile environment. I am anti-oppression. My prophecies arise when certain C.O.s (not all) abuse their authority, overstepping boundaries. Words written on paper do not incite. Oppressive C.O.s incite.

Another setback is leadership. Somebody has to step forward and do what is right. Just because it is right. If nobody starts, then nobody can follow. As leaders it is our duty to guide the hand of young and less experienced brothers, especially when one misstep can weaken our chance of success as a whole. Water has always trickled down-hill so it is the leaders who must unite in solidarity in order to educate the rest of our tribes. Unfortunately, while we never lack those who wish to lead, we do lack those who are qualified to lead leaving room for avarice and chaos where none were meant to exist. Leaders have to step up and step out of their comfort zones and their needs to be liked. If something is wrong, it matters not how many are for it, leaders must stand against it. If a thing is righteous, it matters not how many don't like it, leaders must stand firm in its righteousness. This leads to the biggest setback of all: history.

The Lynch-like mindsets that have been indoctrinated through our histories of tribal genocide is a hard, hot bullet to bite when trying to establish peace with rival tribes with whom we have played live ammunition tag. This is what makes our hatreds towards each other perpetual, spanning generations – loved ones lost. The past is of value only as it aids in understanding the present; and in understanding of the facts of the problem is the first step to its solution. Understanding, as well as communication, can go a long way. Unfortunately, they are luxury not often experienced or allowed in our lifestyles, making way for petty, ignorant issues that often result in violence. We have to start somewhere. The breaking down of our walls and barriers is tantamount to the building up of peace and unity. Even if the peace process begins 1-on-1, 1-by-1, it is a beginning to something bigger than us as individuals, separated, the majority of us were created to override the oppression of our communities and our peoples. But only together can we begin to turn that ideology into a reality.

MIM(Prisons) adds: Transfers and control units are two useful tools of the state to prevent positive movements among the prison population. So we should not blame the masses too much and recognize that we need leaders to step forward as this comrade does. Each one teach one.

While transfers are effective to stifle momentum, we must use them as an opportunity to spread positive ideas to new people. Control units are also effective tools of repression, and we must continue to focus on the campaign to end this torturous practice by the United $nakes.

FDOC Secretary
Mark Inch
501 S. Calhoun St
Tallahassee, FL 32399

February 15, 2019, Between 1 pm and 3 pm, during lunch feeding. On walkway in front of medical building, Sgt. Logo and Overseer, St. Croix were roughly escorting handcuffed prisoner, [X] to confinement. Sgt. Lobo literally took out his side arm canister of pepper spray and emptied it in the handcuffed prisoner's eyes and face area. Sgt. Lobo then slammed prisoner X to the ground and repeatedly kicked him in the back and side. Many other prisoners also witnessed this brutality.

Captain Bensi came running, and rather than stopping the brutality, she literally joined in and participated. Thereby continuing, condoning and encouraging the brutality of prisoner X. Overseer Hampford and all other overseers on the walkway started ordering prisoners to their dormitories so there would be no witnesses. Per Martin CI Policy and Practice, any prisoner caught looking gets the same treatment. This is an ongoing issue here at Martin CI, especially with Sgt. Lobo.

2/6/19: Approx. 1:02 P.M. C-dormitory fixed porch video surveillance will show and prove that prisoners coming from lunch were stuck on the porch outside due to the overseer in the overseer station not opening the two main entrances to the dorm. Sgt. Lobo approached with his large side arm canister of chemical agents in hand (another unknown overseer with him whipped out his handcuffs and fitted it over his fist in brass knuckle fashion), the broken seal in his mouth as he sprayed chemical agents toward the crowded porch causing prisoners (myself included) to start coughing as the overseer in the overstation finally opens the main doors. Sgt. Lobo did this for no other reason other than the fact that he is above the law. There was no disturbance or emergency as is required by SOP to justify breaking the seal of chemical agents canister. And this is Sgt. Lobo's second time doing this in recent weeks that I've witnessed.

1/1/10: between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM. On walkway in front of medical. During dinner feeding and pill call, Sgt. Lobo gassed a prisoner who was already in handcuffs, in the face and eyes. The victim, as always, was a black prisoner.

This policy and practice clearly amounts to summary brutality, battery, excessive force. See Danley v. Allen, 540 [email protected]: "Once a prisoner has stopped resisting, there is no longer a need for force. So the use of force thereafter is disproportionate to the need." The issue here is the fact that these prisoners are not resisting, they are being gassed and beaten, only after they have peacefully submitted to handcuffs. Other prisoners are looking on, but there is no telling how long prisoners can remain tolerant being caught in such bias and no-win-situations. Our backs are being forced against the walls here. Please do something before the worst comes to pass.

2/13/19: Submitted informal grievance RE: 2/6/19 and prior issues in Sgt. Lobo gassings. Grievance still pending. Legal mail being intentionally delayed, haven't had legal mail in 2 days. Can't get out of the dormitory, no reason other than abuse of authority and collective punishment.

With respect, I'm serving a life sentence for armed robbery, currently housed at Martin CI, where prisoners, (myself included) are facing a very detrimental issue regarding continuous risk of contracting cancer and/or other tobacco related illnesses due mostly to constant exposure to second hand smoke from staff members openly smoking cigarettes here and basically at every Florida prison. FDOC staff members are smoking and/or chewing tobacco on prison grounds with only convenient or selective regards for health concerns and F.A.C. Chapter 33-401.401 and Fla Stat.944.115. Per policy and practice, prison staff are blessed with the legal but unrighteous double standard guarantee of unlimited administrative impunity. Their behavior is condoned and encouraged by administration, they are basically above the law. They smoke and/or chew tobacco as they please while prisoners are subject to confinement for use or possession of tobacco products.

I have grieved this issue to the highest level to no avail. See appeal grievances log #18-6-37611, originally informal grievance log #430-1807-0194 regarding Overseer Swain smoking on numerous occasions. See also appeal grievance log #18-643906 originally informal grievance log #430-1808-0351 regarding Colonel Lankford chewing and spitting tobacco juice in an E-4 dormitory garbage can on 8/27/18, approximately 7:45 PM. All grievances were biasly and conveniently denied. This policy and practice continues blatantly and rampantly as of current by almost every staff member from trainee to warden(s).

On 8, January, 2019 I was issued a low bunk pass by medical Dr. Y Resilard. I submitted this low bunk pass to C-dormitory Sgt. Gilbert, who said that she would call housing and have me reassigned to a low bunk. However, a few hours later, upon inquiring the status of the bunk change, Sgt. Gilbert snapped out loud stating, "I'm not helping any fucking body any more, someone stole my pack of cigarettes from my bag in the officer station." Thereby, punishing me for someone else's action by refusing to call housing to honor my medical issued low bunk pass because someone stole her cigarettes, which are prohibited by Chapter 33-401.401 and Fla. stat.944.115. On 1/19/19, as a result, I submitted a grievance on the issue of mentioning the cigarette incident. I'm still assigned a top bunk because of my grievance despite my having a medical issued low bunk pass.

Considering the fact that this is an ongoing issue, there is much more. Martin CI administration are going all out in war on contraband, tobacco. However, this crusade only applies to and against prisoners rather than all within the gates, including administrative higher-ups whom are fully culpable.

On December 22, 2018, for example, two prisoners were hauled off to confinement from CSB medical building lobby for being in possession of tobacco. This incident subsequently resulted in the termination of a medical staff member, a male nurse Mr. Duke. Fired in connection with introduction of contraband, tobacco, and probably prosecuted while prison staff are smoking and chewing tobacco in convenient violation of the very same introduction of contraband rule, Chapter 33-401.401. Thus exposing prisoners, whom are not allowed to smoke or chew, to constant to second hand smoke and serious risk of cancer.

In the administrative war on contraband, tobacco, the rules are subject to change on the fly, depends on which shift is working, the prison is operated this way one hour/day and that way the next. The only thing consistent here is inconsistency. Prisoners are being sent back to their housing units while in the middle of their CSB appoints, being constantly rescheduled. Property, library, chapel, housing, even legal mail gets no priority in the name of limiting prisoner movement in attempt to "stop the so-called passing of contraband," as claimed by Assistant Warden J. Holtz. All this while Martin CI staff members, Warden down to trainee, are the main ones smoking cigarettes and exposing prisoners to second hand smoke and risk of cancer. The rules here are simply being adhered to or applied conveniently only against prisoners.

Prison staff are highly addicted to tobacco products making this a very sensitively and dangerous issue for prisoners to grieve due to knowing staff full tendency to retaliate. Prisoners are in real fear of prison staff retaliation. Prisoners also have permanently instilled justified lack of faith in the grievance process. Prisoners have gotten so used to being ignored, rubber stamped, denied to the highest level. For example, S. Millikens in central office is 100% anti-prisoner, no matter how timely, factual and/or meritorious prisoner's claim(s), it is denied, rubber stamped. I am totally aware of the danger I face for writing this letter. I know what could happen to me. I don't smoke, but I will still end up cancerous, dead, whether I submit this or not. All prisoners may as well resort to smoking cigarette butts dropped by prison staff and catch cancer. We're all going to get cancer from prison staff second hand smoke anyway.

REMEDY: That you in higher office move to objectively enforce lawful adherence to mandated Chapter 33-401.401 and Fla.Stat.944.115 if prison cancer rate and money for cancer treatment of Florida prisoners is a concern, enforce the rules all the way, not just conveniently abasing prisoners, but against all within the gates.

A copy of the foregoing is being submitted to Martin CI mail personnel to be first class mailed to FDOC South Regional Director, FDOC Secretary and Fla Governor Office on 2/18/19.

On 7 January 2019 the Supreme Court refused to take up a First Amendment case challenging the statewide ban of Prison Legal News (PLN) in the Florida Department of Corrections. The ban has been in place since 2009. This appeal was the final attempt to challenge the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which sided with the Florida DOC.(1) Each year thousands of cert petitions are filed with the Supreme Court and most are not heard. As is typical, no reasons were given for the PLN case denial.

The Florida DOC maintains that they are censoring PLN for safety and security reasons. The appellate court found this censorship justified related to certain advertisements in PLN including ads for pen pal services, businesses that purchase postage stamps, and third-party phone services.

We know there is no real safety and security justification for censoring PLN. It's an educational publication that helps many prisoners gain legal knowledge and fight back against injustices. PLN is, however, a threat to the institution of prisons in the United $tates. Prison Legal News fights for prisoners' rights and exposes injustices around the country. This is counter to the interests of a system that is focused on social control.

A number of groups stepped up to file or sign briefs in support of PLN. Of particular interest is one from a group of former Correctional Officers, including some from Florida. They argue, very rationally, that the complete censorship of PLN is an exaggerated response to security concerns and a constitutional violation.(2) Of course these former C.O.s, and many others who support allowing PLN into the Florida DOC, made very narrow arguments that still protected the DOC's "right" to censor anything they deem dangerous. These supporters are just opposing censorship for something so obviously not dangerous as it exposes the falsehood that prisons are censoring mail in the interests of safety and security.

This PLN lawsuit sets a very bad precedent for others fighting censorship as the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision stands. Fortunately it should not directly impact ULK as we don't run these third-party ads. Though Florida did censor ULK 62 for "stamp program advertisement." While we do accept stamps as donations, we run no stamp programs. This goes to show that when there is no justification for censorship, the prisons will just make up things not even in the publication.

Any ruling upholding censorship in prisons is a bad one. This ruling further exposes the reality that there are no rights, only power struggles. The First Amendment only protects speech for those privileged enough to buy that protection.

I am at Santa Rosa, C.I. Today, I write you about a potential civil lawsuit on the basis of an eighth amendment violation of my constitutional rights. In short, I was brutally beaten, sprayed in my face with chemical agents, and sexually abused at Union C.I. on March 26th, 2018 by eight prison guards while I remained in handcuffs and leg irons.

The eight (8) prison guards at Union C.I. retaliated on my for filing grievances and discriminating against me. They beat me, gassed me in my nose, face, mouth, eyes, etc., and forced the handcuff leg iron shackle up my RECTUM into my buttock. I was screaming "PREA" while the cell extraction team held me down. In the shower, they covered my mouth, beating me with their fists and the handcuffs. Cruel punishment!

At this time, they lift me to my feet, bleeding from my rectum, and bleeding from my head, face, mouth, etc., pain in my neck, back, eyes burning, etc. They placed me in a cold cell, butt naked, a/c blowing, no mattress, no clothes, no toothbrush, no toothpaste, no toilet paper, no clothes, no drinking cups, no nothing. Nothing to keep warm and bean bags blocking my cell door to prevent me from receiving any of the above items. At present, great efforts are undertaken by medical personnel to cover up my abuse by falsifying medical records stating "no injuries identified". Trying to cover up for security, I then remained in my cell untreated, which is cruel and unusual punishment.

I am in chronic pain throughout the day and night. It is extremely difficult for me to get any sleep at night due to the excruciating pains in my rectum, my neck, back and body. I hear voices waking up in cold sweat like I'm being gassed and attacked all over again.

May it be noted that handcuffs and leg irons were on me during the entire merciless beating and sexual abuse.

I have begun the institutional grievance process by laying forth the foundation and facts of my case regarding this potential suit. At this point, I have done a lot of research on my own and try to contact people more familiar with the law and trying to get help to no avail. I am still being retaliated against and threatened that if I don't stop writing grievances and filing on this, I'm going to get fucked up. These ofc. are playing games with my mail, food, and threatening to strip me and gas me or set me up or have other ways to harm me.

I still can't find any help I need. I am not going to stop filing grievances. They violated my right and my body. I need legal help. This is not getting covered up.