Federal Prisons

I am at the Powledge Unit and when it rains our bunks leak water on where we sleep. The medical here is very bad. They do not like to do their job, all they do is stay on the computer texting their friends and family, and not the job that they are supposed to do.

When state-level petitions fail, we now have this petition to appeal to the Department of Justice. This federal level appeal may help put pressure on the state corrections departments ignore our appeals

Mail the petition to your loved ones and comrades inside who are experiencing issues with the grievance procedure. Send them extra copies to share! For more info on this campaign, click here.

Prisoners should send a copy of the signed petition to each of the addresses below. Supporters should send letters on behalf of prisoners.

Section Chief – Special Litigation Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20530

ACLU National Prison Project, 915 15th St NW, 7th floor, Washington DC, 20005-2112 (for those ready to bring class action lawsuits)

Office of the U.S. Attorney General, 1425 New York Ave. NW, Washington DC 20530-0001

Director/Commissioner/Secretary of Corrections (for your state)

Agency or Facility Grievance System Director or Coordinator (for your state)

MIM(Prisons), USW
PO Box 40799
San Francisco, CA 94140

I have served nearly 25 years prison/jail time in the United States. In fact, all but a small portion of my adult life has been spent behind bars. My California tour includes Chino, Soledad, Solano, Calipatria and Donovan. In Nevada: Southern Desert, Lovelock, Ely and, yes, Hight Desert State Prison (HDSP). As you can probably imagine, violence and drugs are common fare in most of these institutions. And while a few of these places were just plain filthy, others simply stagnate with the decay of deliberate indifference. I've done "hole-time" in all of them and certainly thought I'd seen it all.

Boy was I wrong.

Let me spell it out for you: B.M.U. (Behavioral Management Unit). Described by COs, Medical Staff and other institutional employees as the "Zombie Unit," the "Weirdo Pod," the "Freak Show," the "Psych Ward," and "Behavioral Mismanagement" and affectionately referred to by the prisoners as the "Beat-a-Motherfucker-Up" Unit at HDSP.

Absolutely and without a doubt, the worst of the worst. In the short time, 90 days, that I've been here within this restrictive unit I've witnessed unchecked violence, coercion, extortion, drug abuse, overdoses, 3 attempted suicides and "senior" officers feeding prisoners food which had fallen on the filthy unit floor before being placed on the serving trays and given to prisoners.

The most disturbing incident, by far, occurred on 24 December 2017, this past Christmas Eve, when an emotionally wrought prisoner, was locked in the shower for approximately 4 hours after stating to staff that he was having suicidal thoughts. During this time the prisoner was slamming his own head against the metal grating. I witnessed the COs laughing and encouraging the prisoner to bang his head harder and advising him to use the tiled wall at the back of the shower stating, "Bang it against the tiles, they're harder." By the time medical staff did arrive the prisoner was a bloody mess.

According to the HDSP BMU Manual: "The Behavior Modification Unit (BMU) will house inmates who have been housed in segregation for 90 days or longer, to assist in the reintegration into a lower custody level."

How I ended up here isn't much of a mystery. About 4 weeks after arriving at HDSP, while I was still in the "Fish Tank" I made the mistake of telling the case worker that I was appealing my jury conviction and needed request forms for the law library. At which point I was advised that I was being "sent to BMU." From that moment on, all access to the legal materials I require for my case have been denied despite numerous verbal and written grievances. In fact I spent the first 9 weeks in BMU confined in my cell without so much as a book to read. My only contact with the administration was the initial interview with the token mental health worker who advised me that "this rehabilitation program is the warden's baby."

Well, I'm here to tell you that as a person who struggles with PTSD, the constant and continuous confinement to a cell without any mental stimulation whatsoever can be devastating to an person's mental health and psyche. While confined in this unit I have experienced an increase in PTSD symptoms, ten times the frequency that is usual for me. Furthermore, I found it extremely unsettling that after completing the program, as a "graduation present," I was escorted into a small room filled with BMU staff members where I was threatened, berated, belittled and finally told to just "Get the Fuck Out."

I'm not sure what to expect next. The lack of access and communication with the outside, the restricted closed custody level 4 housing, the refusal on the administration's part to answer or address any grievance combined with limited family contact by phone has reduced me to an uncertain, fearful, panicky, hopeless, helpless mess. And, by the way, I have absolutely zero disciplinary history. Not a single "write up" for anything.

Fortunately another prisoner gave me your Under Lock & Key pamphlet. Hopefully you can get the word out on this de-habilitation program and the warden's dirty little secret.

MIM(Prisons) responds: These dangerous and abusive conditions at HDSP expose the Amerikan prison system for its complete lack of rehabilitation. If the criminal injustice system really believed that prisons are an effective tool to prevent crime, it would not put people in conditions that make their survival on the streets nearly impossible. It would be offering programs to help people learn and change their behavior, and prepare them for life outside. This is just one of the reasons we see the Amerikan criminal injustice system as primarily a tool of social control.

From the beginning of April up until now, there have been three suicides and two suicide attempts at the East Arkansas Regional Unit in our Max Facility. I myself have not yet been sent to the hole so I cannot give a hands-on experience on how people are treated, but I can attest to how people look once they come out after a period of time. One of my Muslims is the most buffed up person in this unit, but after a month and half of being confined he looks as if he hasn't eaten or exercised in months, and he's NOT the only individual that looks this way. Others come out looking sick and malnourished. Brothers are saying some days they go without showers, are left in their pads with the heat up especially around this time of year where temperatures are steadily rising, and their grievances are naturally being ignored. This led many to act out by flooding their cells with their own feces and urine. For others in what has in the past been worst cases, but now in the last month; brothers are taking the suicide route.

What's both sad and suspicious about these suicides is that the individuals attempting, and/or committing suicide are NOT lifers, however individuals who are seen bound to go home. At this time rumors are surfacing that were maybe officers involved with these sudden deaths. Whether true, or not brothers are dying. This has caused the officers to finally start doing their routine security checks which they've not done regularly until these events started taking place. It's sad brothers have to die just so staff can finally start doing their jobs correctly .

7 May 2018 - At the present time, I remain to be still assigned to the Wynne Unit in Huntsville, where the following took place 29 July 2017 and and where continued general mistreatments are being concealed under Sr. Warden Kelly Strong's dehumanizing leadership. The events I am about to describe are completely true and have been documented by the grievance department here on unit - it's the most they are good for, and merely one element of many departments that are a part of the in-house investigation manipulation process.

The ordeal actually started before I even realized it myself. And please note, all dates mentioned here may not be actual dates. I had my date book mysteriously come up missing here recently after cell search.

On 13 July 2017 myself and others witnessed gang intel. Sgt. Marquez physically attack some unknown handcuffed inmate, and to be completely honest I had no intentions of grieving the matter. But, all that changed 2 days later on 15 July 2017.

I was stopped in the exact same hallway by the same Sgt. Marquez and directly threatened that she would "cause [me] harm" if I "got in her business" and that her "word is good." I knew she had seen me in the dayroom window for sure and I didn't say a word as she walked away and I contemplated my faith.

On 17 July 2017, unknown to other inmates, I seriously felt compelled to attempt to take action and so I wrote and submitted a I-127 Step 1 grievance detailing what I witnessed and the threatening verbal message directed at me by Sgt. Marquez. Now exactly 14 days later, after being confonted and threatened, I was physically attacked during 3rd shift in the same hallway by officers Steven Tamez and B. Thorshov around 2:30 am, returning from a very unusually late medical satefy meeting for maybe 50 or more inmates.

Sgt. Marquez wasn't around and it's sad that conspiracy is hard to prove. During the course of being assaulted, I attempted to defend myself which is still my constitutional right with minimal force. And I was no doubt in a situation of imminent danger of bodily injury.

I was wrestled to the ground once other officers arrived, and then placed in handcuffs. No sooner than the cuffs were secured while laying on the floor, officers S. Tamez and B. Thorshov hit me with radios, handcuffs, and the injuries were my left eye bursted open, wounds to the top of my head, right hand and shoulder. Then refused medical treatment a few hours and later seen by a male nurse who refused (ER) treatment, merely given bandages. July 31, 2017 I was merely taken to speak to a Dr. T. Hall who never got up to physically examine me, he did order order x-rays and I had some of the x-rays finally done August 25, 2017.

From the morning of July 29, 2017, I was placed in a cell on prehearing with no lights. I guess where other people couldn't see me and to limit my sight even more, I couldn't stand much light to my eye. For maybe a week and a 1/2 I didn't have any property of mine, but I managed to secure a I-60 requesting to be interviewed & given a lie detector test on August 3, 2017, never a response. I finally got a grievance form and submitted it August 7 and remember the grievance dropped on Sgt. Marquez, I got that returned the next day (8-8-17) and its response was "No substantial evidence could be found to support my claim of misconduct & and that no 3rd party can witness a incident, this office will consider this issue closed."

Everyone and anyone know that U.O.F. paperwork was done to cover her wrong. I never got a response to letters going to disabled sister and daughter that was mailed out Aug. 11 or 12, 2017 til around Sept. 1, 2017 and only after I went out by another name and number. My first grievance concerning matters, I informed administration that I feared further harassment, retaliation and that my life was in danger. Also that these prisons are employed by people who are blood relations, old school mates, friends of friends and sometimes intimately, and for these reasons I requested to be transferred to another unit to deter any direct or indirect transgressions towards my physical wellness or mental health. Yet, my direct pleas to my oppressors were no good.

On Sept. 7, 2017. I was released amd reassigned to med. custody and once 3rd. shift arrived, so did my attacker who refused to allow my cellmate and me out the cell for breakfast and refuse me a medical appointment, not just one night but 2 morning in a row. I wrote & submitted a grievance and there's cameras everywhere but the hallways. The administration continues to refuse to transfer, I have been given writeups for talking in hallway to other officer, locked-up for for not allowing another attacker to pat search me when another officer was available to conduct pat search, I seen officer Thorshov pointing me out to the same Sgt. Schmidt who wrote up for talking in hall to another officer.

During the manipulation of in house investigation, almost every officer who knows me by face were asking "why did I do it?" Word had been circulated I was the aggressor and they ran with it. And some officers are leery around me, a set up. There was a assoc. of state rep. Eric Johnson's called the unit on behalf and Warden Strong informed her and my sister that "I was a bad actor and deserved what I got." This was indirectly admitting these unlawful acts under color of state law. I never got a u.o.f. physical until Oct. 3, 2017 once someone called in here from Mr. Johnson's and they were to cover a bases and its still no u.o.f. statement from me that day or any other nowhere! Yes, I did have a number of witnesses to my to my being attacked as well as others here and the administration is keeping these attacks under wraps here.

On unit, most our grievances are not allowed go off unit as step 2's are suppose to. So our complaints are mostly never heard beyond the unit, generally officers do as they want and lie later. Disciplinary is a big joke cause the (DHO) will allow officers to change up they're written or/and verbal statements during the hearing and even the subcounsel who is to defend us at hearings advocate for the officers cause and never question our violated due process, everyone eats off the same plate.

I seriously feel that we prisoners in Texas and elsewhere should have outside independent oversight committees for a number of functions. In order to bring about real justice to a real injustice system there must be some real change! The people become aware that their tax dollars are being used to promote open but hidden oppression. The 70 & early 80's were killing grounds and its seriously not that way here on the Wynne Unit but, officials are presenting us in this light falsely by rationalizing to the general public & here most recently to the media a few weeks ago. Ms. Strong, put a extreme political twist to manipulate some of her subordinates, her superiors and the voters of Texas.

Recent hungre strike took place due to the general mistreatments under her leadership and the subhuman conditions. We were actually placed on lockdown status we (50 or more) witnessed another inmate being physically attacked by officers and some us were written bogus cases due to us seeing what happened and officials decided to use this opportunity to lock us down and discredit these statements that was turned in opposing their actions. Then we were further oppressed once the Warden (Strong) unleashed the G.I. Sgt. Marquez where was allowed take radio, hot pots or whatever and then a (one) bag of waste wrapped-up in a bag on the runway where someone who ware a sh— bag discarded it, medical don't pick them up, they started our 30 day lock down ever.

After Strong misled the media to thinking inmates were causing disruptions, attacking staff and throwing waste to justify her actions, she left 1/2 of us up off lockdown to cause more strife but no-one went that messy stuff. I guess I should save something for my next report. But I am personally keeping hope alive someone who can give assistance to getting my and others attackers arrested & charged and civil rights complaints against these in & direct position and cause of official oppression under political heat and costly fines. But I been searching for legal assistance high and low. I am not a lawyer nor a politician but, I am seriously finding out that its a lot easier to obtain some legal relief for people who are not Americans. People will send a person to prison when found guilty of mistreatment animal but, turn blind eye to us humans in these prisons. I love dogs and can't wait to me another one and those who are people mistreated all over the earth, I feel that pain in this U.S. prison.

We/me need legal help so would you please post this for help on your website or facebook page and allow our voice to be heard, please!

I ain't no bad actor as falsely promoted, I am/we are people who made mistakes as humans do and need someone or a few to open their hearts and understand we can't do this alone, we outside help. I guess I can be contacted direct here and remember the worse thing to do Nothing! IN closing, the Bro. who sent encouragement to me via "Under Lock & Key" I seriously thank you for your article "Successes Against Retaliation" Nov. 2017, I love man and I hope others here, there and everywhere got your vibes...Til next "ULK" keep on spreading the word that oppression under these conditions are unjust condition around the world- Peace!

Our water is bad. I'm writing you for help with a problem we have here on the Ellis Unit. I've written the Justice Department and they wrote baack, saying that that forward my complaint to EPA (environmental protection agency). Now those people haven't told me anything. How do i further my complaint? Also we have a problem with officers cussing out the inmates. Grievances don't work on this unit all grievances are answered the same way, the officers lie they way out of every situation. Please let me hear some feedback from you that can help me. These conditions are nearly impossible to live with and need addressing now!

I read an article that was published in your paper Feb, 2018 about how sheriffs profit by starving Prisoners. Well, I got you one to look into. The only problem is any time the Fed’s have gone to check into him, somehow he gets tipped off. His name is Grady Judd and I was a inmate at his Jail for 8 months in 2007 and if I would not have had money, I would have starved to death like most of them do here. The inmates will hurry to sign a plea agreement so they can either go on probation or to prison so they will get a decent meal, you can get fed better at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter. I have met another inmate that just left the Polk County Jail and has informed me that it has gotten worse in 2017-2018.

What does he do with the tax payer’s dollars? He does not feed their families that are locked up in his Jail. We would like to know why his website says he feeds one thing but that does not show up on the trays. Put a plant inside and he or she would be able to do a great article on it.

PS Polk County also charges a $39.00 book in fee to pay for your underwear and hygiene kit, but you are not getting the underwear and cannot keep your own. More tax money missing. What is he doing with it?

As of March 2018, the North Carolina prison system must recognize humanism as a faith group, allowing its adherents locked within the imperialistic belly of the beast the opportunity to meet and study their beliefs, a federal judge has ruled. The American Humanism Association, and a prisoner with a life sentence, sued state Department of Public Safety officials in 2015. Prison leaders were accused of violating the religious establishment and equal protection clauses of the Constitution by repeatedly denying recognition. U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle (Eastern District NC) wrote that prison officials failed to justify treating humanism differently from those religions already recognized within the walls of oppression. Humanist prisoners have the same Constitutional rights to study and discuss their values as a group — non-theistic.

Since Judge Boyle's ruling, some individuals have reported to Convicts of Righteous, Reform and Liberation (CORRAL), that they are faced with harassment — cell property searches up to eight times a day, water being turned off, mail delayed, and structure issues. One of our board members spoke with the "admpigs", providing a copy of this ruling. And we have been able to establish some middle ground.

CORRAL is a united group that non-violently addresses issues affecting those incarcerated. MIM has been instrumental in our quest, and we are proud to be in association. We developed our study group and board. We have three chapters. "Imperialism must be defeated", so we do our part. Our motto: "Conscience stimulation, comes from education — which propagates liberation!"

MIM(Prisons) responds: This is a progressive victory for prisoners in North Carolina. One of the strategic areas our movement focuses on is defending the Constitutional rights of affiliation and association of prisoners of the United $tates. This is particularly good news in the context of protecting the rights of humanists to come together and discuss their values and beliefs. The first line of the Wikipedia page on humanism reads, "Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition." While there are many forms of humanism and many insightful critiques of it, in general it is a belief in progressive change at the hands of humyns.

I am an inmate at the North Central unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas. About six months ago they started a new mail policy to stop people in the free world from sending drugs through the mail. When this all started we were told to notify our peoples about this new policy which consisted of letters to us being no longer than 3 pages, one sheet, both sides and one side of another, or 3 sheets front-side only.

The letters are copied and originals are shredded immediately, this includes photos which one photo counts as one page. They shred it not caring if it has any sentimental value to you or not. It comes down to us receiving 2 sheets of paper, 3 sides for literature or a photo and one side to copy the envelope. If a letter comes to the mailroom for you that exceeds 3 pages, that night at mail call you will receive a return mail notice at which time you are told to supply a stamped envelope to the mail room so they can return all of your letter back to sender. You get none of it. If you do not supply them with an envelope to return your mail to sender, then after 30 days your mail is destroyed leaving you wondering aimlessly what was written in your letter.

In my own experience as of lately an old girlfriend from 35 years ago has found me somehow, and has decided to write me. She leaves no return address, only her initial and the letters postmarked from Illinois, where I was born and raised. Since she's not leaving a return address I have no way of contacting her and letting her know about this policy. It's pretty cool having someone still thinking about me after so many years. Guess I'll never know what was written cuz her letters will be destroyed without me ever being able to read them.

Isn't this totally against what the First Amendment stands for? I can understand them trying to alleviate the problem of drugs coming in, I can deal with them copying the letters even though we won't be able to smell the scent of a woman after she sprays our mail with the scent of her perfume, but to limit the amount of pages we're allowed to receive is just against our rights. Is this legal and can you help me with this issue? I want to end this letter by saying I really enjoy reading your newsletter please send more, and everything you do and stand for is awesome!

I'm writing on this topic a bit early because a lot of young brothers and sisters don't have true or real understanding regarding Black August and Bloody September. But for those of us who are politically aware, both months are rich with our blood, our struggle, and our resistance. As people who fight oppression during these two months as a peoples' movement we should focus our energies around the discussions and actions of George Jackson, the Black Panthers, Assata Shakur, Che Guevara, and any of the many revolutionaries who have set the stage for us.

We should push political education, progressive action, and the revolutionary history. We should most aggressively focus on the establishment of stronger security, because on 16 April 2018 the Department of Corrections and so-called "Rehabilitation" started a statewide weapons sweep of all California prisons to ensure that no weapons are on the prison yards when the state integrates mainline prisoners with SNY prisoners later this year.

We know first-hand what the power structure is doing — they're hoping that the yards all blow up. That would show that their jobs still matter and that we need to be in prison. This is their most outrageous move in years, and they've been feeding the disconnection of mainline and SNY for years as a tool of divide and conquer. The divide and conquer tactic has never been more effective than it is today.

As they say, a tree without roots is dead, and so is a people who are not rooted. Men such as comrade George, Huey P. Newton and Malcolm X started and enhanced their political line in prison as colonial criminals. Within these concentration camps and deep dark confines of Soledad Prison and San Quentin, the alchemy of human transformation took place. They all began to turn the cells they held into libraries and schools of liberation. As George said, to create a new world we have to be a representation of this new being, "The New Man", in words and in deeds, thoughts, and actions. This new man will be in his highest revolutionary form. So as they turned their cells into classrooms, so must we. And as they internalized the most advanced ideas about human development, so must we.

George stated that:

"I met Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, Engels and Mao, and they redeemed me. For the first four years, I studied nothing but politics and economics and military ideas. I met Black Guerrillas, George Big Jake Lewis, James Carr, W.L. Nolen, Bill Christmas, Tony Gibson, and many others. We were attempting to turn the Black criminal mentality into a revolutionary mentality."

George and his comrades became living examples and inspirations of organized resistance for prisoners across the country. But on 21 August 1971, Comrade George Jackson and two others were murdered along with three prison guards in a gun fight inside one of California's maximum security prisons called San Quentin. For this reason, and many more, we hold bloody August as sacred.

Huey P. Newton was murdered 22 August 1989, in West Oakland on Tenth and Center, by a young drug dealer named Little Blood. He was a product of this system; the young hating the old, the light-skinned hating the dark. That's the same divide we have here today. I can get into the shit and kick up dust with the rest and the best. But I will not allow anyone to stop my hard work in being an organizer and educator. I've given twenty years to this mainline and SNY, so I'm going to push on. As Frantz Fanon stated in Wretched of the Earth, "There is no taking of the offensive — and no redefining of relationships." We know that the power structure wants us dead or locked up. So in case you didn't know, the revolution is on.

MIM(Prisons) adds: The California USW Primer explains how the split between SHU/mainline and SNY in California is at the heart of building a united front of prisoners in the state. All California USW comrades should have a copy of the primer as a guide for their work. Long-time readers of ULK will know that we have printed countless articles addressing this issue. Write in if you can use copies of some of these articles to help in your organizing for the September 9 Day of Peace and Solidarity this year. The campaign to build peace and unity between mainline and SNY will be coming to a head this year, and USW must play a leading role in guiding things in a positive direction as this comrade calls for.