Federal Prisons

I would like you to know, not to long ago this unit stopped offenders from being able to use the restroom during our session. I am in the law library every day up to 3 hour a day M-F without being able to use the restroom. But in this same building they allow offenders from GED, Cognitive Intervention, and Changes to be able to use the restroom. Its not right when you have offenders in the law library fighting criminal appeals, civil cases, grievances etc. and not able to use the same restroom the other offenders use who are not in the law library. Would you know if there anything that I could do to be able to get this unit to allow us to use the restroom without them ending our session?

I have previously written to MIM(Prisons) about a rejected issue (ULK59) which was actually afforded back to me following MIM's stern response.

I am now writing about the lack of medical care at Stafford Creek Correction Center in Washington. I hope that my letter will at least inform your readers or perhaps even act as a conduit for change, improving the conditions for all.

Simply put, I have been trying to get an eye exam for months. I have astigmatism, and I have been wearing prescription glasses since childhood. My current glasses, which were issued to me nearly four years ago, now make me dizzy and give me headaches at times. Worse yet, I can only read a few pages before the headaches become unbearable. Reading novels has been my favorite past time, and I cannot even enjoy that anymore.

Initially I was given a Visual Acuity Test, and I was informed that I would indeed be seen by the optometrist. Unfortunately, this decision was later reversed for no apparent reason. I have already filed an official grievance against the medical provider. Now I am being told that I can actually get an eye exam, if I pay the entire cost – not the usual $4 inmate co-pay, but the full cost of the examination, which would be more than my y early income here.

I have always heard of such terrible stories of people fighting for months or even years to receive the most rudimentary medical care, and now I have become one of them. This whole thing is very frustrating, but I am trying to remain positive.

I’ve received your January/February 2018, no. 60 ULK magazine which I feel is one of your best issues yet, full of very good information which I’ll definitely let out to others to read and then send out to a friend later on. As I’ve told you before, I am a Euro-Amerikan, Indian-Amerikan mix, 62 year old retired US military, 90% VA disabled retiree presently at the TDCJ nazi concentration camp Wynne Unit in the Oppressive/suppressive slave state of Texa$$.

Back in September, apparently at the direction of the Administration, the local Doctor, one Theodore R. Hall, began a campaign of removing people’s medical restrictions. In my case, without even having seen me. And then he retaliated on me after having me tossed from his office by removing even more of my restrictions. I immediately did an Informal Resolution to the UTM Health Care Administration Ms. Jaime Williams. No help there! I did a step 1 and step 2 Grievance with the usual predictable results and I’m certain the step 2 never left this unit as it only had a completion date with no signature and no ID No. of an investigator on it.

I wrote numerous offices, organizations, VA, Texas Vets, TIFA, Texas Civil Rights Project, and several lawyers for help. The only one that wrote back was Texas Vets and he was confused as to my predicament and so I got absolutely no help. I’m convinced TACJ is intercepting and destroying a lot of my mail seeking legal helps and to the Dept. of Justice.

I wrote the ARRM Administrator and Health Services Division who told me to use the Grievance Procedures even though I’d explain it doesn’t work and that I already had, the main Grievance office in Austin told me the same thing. I contacted the Texas Disability Rights Protection and Advocacy Agency who told me they could do nothing to help me, the International Humanitarian Law Institute in St. Paul, MN too. You name it, I’ve more than likely written to them as I wrote to at least 25 different places, no help at all. Not one lawyer or law organization has ever returned any sort of answer to me in years, nor have the DOJ, nor have any of the ACLU offices.

It seems that no one will take on the TDCJ or their very corrupt Parole Board. Speaking of which, I firmly believe it is because I am a very outspoken prison activist that I have not made parole yet, the first 3 times I received a 3 year set off. This time I got a 5 year set off until January, 2023. I think they will try to keep me and let me die in here due to their sleep deprivation, bad food, neglect, contaminated water and their “Health Care” routines. I haven’t been beaten or threatened or harassed by the Administration. Oh no, they do treat me very politely, it’s what goes on that I can’t be made privy to that worries me behind the scenes that they do in their paperwork and records.

On my parole denial they cited reason 2D in all 4 of my denials as being a threat/danger to society. You ought to see me, I hobble around on a cane and lose my breath in less than 50 yds, and I’m slow, everything hurts too. I have to lever myself up any time I get out of bed, onto the toilet, or off the seat in the chow hall and I can barely keep my food tray steady. This place is full of DANGEROUS old men :), pfffft! I definitely do not recommend this gated community and old folks home of Texa$$ to anyone, and the way we got treated and abused, well if you did it on the outside, they’d put them in prison. That’s exactly where ALL the pigs deserve to be put anyway!

I’ve also shared out to several people the Texas Grievance Pack you sent me and I’ve written for and given at least 6 Jailhouse Lawyer handbooks to likely inmates that will use them of all races of our apparently lower classes of our great ‘Merican society of the have-nots and poor and with any power to protect us from the Upper Elite Ultra Wealthy who actually run (ruin) our country.

I call out all the brothers and sisters on the East Coast especially to Maryland to let your voice be heard. Over the years I been reading a lot of progressive literature including but not limited to Prison Legal News, BayView, Lawyers Guild, Under Lock & Key, News and Letters, and MIM(Prison), just to name a few. However I have never run across an article from our comrades in Maryland prisons.

Why are these brothers and sisters in the Maryland prison system so silent while there is so much to expose in regards to the daily oppressions that we face daily at the hands of Mr. Charlie?

Why is there no mentioning that the Western Correctional Institution – ECI housing unit 4 – Segregation unit continuously steals the inmates foods, stamps, cosmetics and even foot wear when they are housed in HU4? We are talking about the officers stealing the residents properties with impunity.

Why there is no mentioning of said ECI staff refusing to issue ARP and appeal forms to residents and when you complain they retaliate with lock-up, butt naked cells and if you are fortunate transfer. I know as I am in federal court with them right now.

Why are there no mentions of the continuous increase in commissary items, but no increase in the inmate wages for more than a decade. Imagine going to school for a meager wage of $18-19 monthly? Yet, 10 stamps = $5, toothpaste = $3, two next one soap = $1, a deodorant = $3 and $5 to phone. That’s $17 and you had not even gotten a noodle.

How about these fallacious infractions being written against the brothers. They are then offered 30-60 days seg. And if they fight, albeit innocent they will be found guilty then given 180 days on the regular. Why should a former officer at an institution become that institution's regular hearing officer. That's a conflict of interest. That is the case at WCI in Cumberland and their hearing officer, Sipes, he was a former Correctional Officer and is familiar with all the staffs who write these bogus tickets to deprive brothers of their good days and early release.

What about all the doors on lockup now being chained shut with leg irons, i.e. cell 2&3 bath have a pair of leg irons connecting each doors together. If a fire starts inmates are going to perish as they will not be able to open all these doors in time. I noticed on numerous occasions it took them minutes to open up a normal handcuff. Sometimes, they have to call another officer to assist, or to borrow another key in order to open handcuffs. In reality, there is a fire hazard waiting to happen, also a violation of the fire marshall code.

Why is there no mention of ECI administration banning the serving of coffee on lockup because I complained about it being served cold?

There is so much stuff for brothers within the Maryland system to enlighten the public about, yet we are all silent. Are we all complacent or scared of what Mr. Charlie might take from us why are we resigned to this oppression?

Wake up my brothers and sisters in Maryland, there are work to be done. Banging is not all, we need to get work, to get outside and often brothers and sisters to know about our plight. We need to unite to let others know about us.

I wrote this piece because I was being irked by brothers talking to one another. I made a copy and posted it inside the dormitory as I always do. I also posted "Incarcerated Minds" by a California prisoner (March 2016).

Backbiting is a disease that is tearing the fabric of our brotherly threads of unity. Let's keep it all the way 100. When one possesses commissary, tennis shoes, cigarettes, drugs, cell phones or just a swagger that another desires and has no means to obtain it or lack a hustler's ambition to go and get it, one will begin to spread a venom in the community. This venom begins to seep into the heart and mind of the speaker until he becomes tainted, corrupted and eventually a hater. He hates himself foremost but will try to contaminate thy neighbor as though you are the culprit in his wicked heart.

He will attempt to turn people against you! He will "shake salt" on your name. He will snitch on you, do anything within his will power to aid in the destruction of you. One must be mindful of their thoughts, because they will become your words and eventually your actions! Get up off your punk ass and be your own man! Do for yourself and just maybe that fortunate comrade will aid you in your journey to become successful. A grown man talking about another man is weak! And the one who listens to and condones this trash talk is no better for not operating on the heart of that brother and extracting this cancer out of him.

You are fake if you smile in a man's face and then when he leaves you call him lame or a pussy or whatever terminology used to describe your emotional hatred. This is the William Lynch theory in full effect 300 years later, just as he predicted. Planting dissent within our brotherhood. Our duty is to contradict that theory by uniting amongst one another and doing the total opposite.

I know that it is an extremely arduous task because I'm a proactive man of unity in peace, but when all of us are dead or in jail from this contagious disease that will cause us to rob, kill and destroy one another.

We represent Gangsters, Bloods, Crips, Lords, Pirus, Aryans, Goodfellas, Muslim, Brown pride, even Christians, but everyone of us suffer from the same struggles: incarceration, homelessness, poverty, police brutality, poor education, addiction, etc. Before we can come against each other we need to come together and overcome these struggles of capitalistic imperialism.

Peace to the revolutionary voices of insight. We will combat this capitalist devil through peace and unity. Through camaraderie and communism. The power is vested in the people; We are the people.

MIM(Prisons) responds: This essay really highlights one of the five points of the United Front for Peace in Prisons: Unity. And the writer is not only criticizing those who backbite and gossip, but ey is also doing something about it. Posting articles is a great way to try to get people thinking about something new. It can be less confrontational than attacking these folks directly to their faces. Though sometimes calling out behavior when it happens is also very effective. We want to hear more about the things people are doing like this to build peace and unity behind bars. Follow this comrade's example and send in your reports for the next issue of ULK.

On 15 March 2018, MIM(Prisons) received dozens of emails from corrlinks.com, a website used by some U.$. prison systems to provide email access to prisoners. All were from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and read in part:

"This message informs you that you have been blocked from communicating with the above-named federal prisoner because the Bureau has determined that such communication is detrimental to the security, good order, or discipline of the facility, or might facilitate criminal activity."

It has long been established that it is legal for staff to open and read mail sent into prisons, and to not allow such mail that might pose a threat to safety like communicating information on plans to hurt someone or commit a crime. Quite frequently, publications and even letters from MIM(Prisons) are censored by prison staff for being a threat to security. Legally, this must be based on the content of that mail or publication containing information that poses a direct threat. In practice it often is not, and sometimes we can fight those battles and win.

What the Federal Bureau of Prisons is trying to say here is that members of MIM(Prisons) are not allowed to communicate or associate with prisoners they hold captive, regardless of the content of those communications. This is of course a violation of U.$. law and founding principles. (for more background on related laws and court rulings see our censorship guide)

Such blanket bans have been attempted in the past. Sometimes openly like this one, or like the ban in California, which ended after an out-of-court settlement with Prison Legal News because, well, the CDCR knew what they were doing was illegal. MIM(Prisons) is submitting appeals to this and will update our readers. In the meantime our comrades in federal prisons should continue to contact us via postal mail and keep us updated on censorship on their end.

Electronic Communications

There have been some recent discussions around the use of electronic communications and devices within U.$. prisons and how comrades should approach them. While CorrLinks has been around for some time, more recently prisoners in many prisons can purchase tablet computers for persynal use. Just as we warn people in general about how they use these technologies, those warnings apply even more to prisoners. While the internet provides opportunities for anonymity and free flow of information, this is not really true for the services provided by the state to prisoners. So there is little benefit, and much risk in terms of surveillance and control over a persyn's communications from within prison when using these tools. Thanks to profiteering, we are not even aware of any email services for prisoners that don't charge ridiculous rates.

In general, technology does offer solutions, that are at times better than what we can achieve in real life interactions in terms of both security and thinking more scientifically. To look at some principles of communication that we can apply both online and off, we will look at Briar (briarproject.org). Briar is still in Alpha, and only currently available for Android OS, but has received promising security reviews so far. Briar is an interesting example, because it addresses decentralization, cryptography and anonymity.

One of the biggest problems with the internet today is the centralization that a handful of multinational corporations have made of the traffic on the internet by locking people into certain services. When it comes to email, prisoners have little choice but to use the CorrLinks, centralized service, and face potential bans like this one. On the internet, centralization of activity on certain platforms allows the corporations on those platforms to decide what a majority of the population is seeing, who they are communicating with and when they are no longer allowed to communicate. With Briar, in contrast, one does not even need an internet connection to set up a network of communication with your associates. And even with the internet, each client serves as a node on a decentralized network, so that there is no one powerful persyn who can decide to shut it down. This same principle is applied in real world organizing, where an organization is decentralized to avoid being paralyzed if an individual is removed or repressed.

On the internet, we also have a problem of information being available everywhere to almost anyone. It is only recently, with many hacks and data breeches, that people are beginning to realize that encryption is necessary to protect even peoples' basic information. Such information has been used to falsely imprison people, to steal identities, and to just target and harass people. In the real world, people know to talk quietly about certain things, or talk about plans for building peace when that C.O. who is always instigating fights isn't around, etc. On the internet there is the potential for all information to be available for an indefinite period of time, to potentially anyone. So suddenly everything needs to be said in a whisper, or in encrypted form as Briar and other software does.

Related to encryption is anonymity. Whenever one goes online, one must have an IP Address that tells the other machines on the network where you are so they can send you responses. This IP address (typically) is linked to a real world location and often to a specific machine. Previously we have talked about The Onion Router(Tor), which works to hide your IP Address. When on the internet, Briar operates through Tor, when connecting to others on the network. This provides for anonymity. Anonymity does not have as strong parallels in the real world, but might be like putting up fliers in the middle of the night or marching in a protest with a mask on. This is an advantage of the internet. If done properly, we can spread information anonymously, and without fear of reprisal. In addition, anonymity on the internet allows us to share information without the biases that we come across in real world interactions. The internet can be a tool for people to think more scientifically and judge ideas for their merit and not for who is saying them.

As the above example shows, we cannot trust the U.$. government to just obey its own laws and not repress people for their political beliefs. We must continue to stand up to such political repression, while building independent institutions of the oppressed that allow us to continue to organize for a better tomorrow.

In a recent MIM(Prisons) Re-Lease on Life newsletter there was an article on what it is like to be a communist and on probation. In September 2016 in a ULK there was an article about sex offenders and status within the prison. This article will complement both, talking about what my experience has been like over two years as a communist post-probation.

The current revolutionary communist party versus the party branch I have been loyal to and committed to during my 10 years on probation, jail, prison was reluctant of taking me back. The reason why I only was allowed as supporter/sympathizer status was a defense mechanism from the COINTELPRO and now 9/11 days, where the ruling class or reactionaries could use my case if they found out to discredit the party.

The idea of another "other" somehow possibly discrediting the party makes sense. Especially if it was front line news that a socialist party, that has already been attacked throughout its history for all sorts of untrue accusations, was now "exposed" as harboring sex deviants. This would possibly make other party members uncomfortable. And it would appear to other groups that the party was not being a radical feminist communist party.

But my situation became a non-issue, probably due to members forgetting. I joined the same branch I was part of in the past. For a year I jumped into environmental work, anti-war work, feminist work, and helping with a homeless bill of rights. I also jumped into the leadership of an ex-prisoners' organization, as well as with Samizdat Socialist Prisoners Project. Also working on a memoir of my thoughts as a thought-criminal.

When activists and revolutionaries of all stripes found out about me having a background, or of my crime, I did not shy away from acknowledging it. I told them I did not have a victim, that it was a sting by local cops. I am doing what I think communist sex deviants should do: work towards eliminating the capitalist state that creates schizophrenic and contradictory mores and norms in the first place. I was the guy that did prisoner liberation work in my area.

After a year, someone calling themselves a feminist found out what I had done and lambasted me on Facebook. As a white, male, sex offender, atheist, and communist I had to refrain from attacking a female feminist to avoid seeming like a white sexist and chauvinist. So I left the feminist group along with other feminist groups I was a part of.

But it did not stop there. There was nothing I could say to defend my actions or defuse the situation especially on social media. Only two or three people, who were hardly activists, were attacking me, questioning why someone like me should be in a feminist group. They found a paper I wrote about being in college as a sex offender, and did not interpret it correctly as I am no longer entitled, deviant, and uber-sexualized.

Throughout a week of turmoil, many comrades and friends defended me saying that I have never hid what I have done, and no opponent of me reached out to me to defend myself. My comrades pretty much asked if a sex offender's best place is in a feminist group attacking the chauvinism, sexism in the days of Trump, Weinstein, and Brock Turner. Currently after two months, I still have not participated in any feminist-related event.

These opponent feminists are a possible example of carceral feminism. The carceral feminists are people who believe the best punishment is a thrown-away prison key. They have allied with conservatives on this issue. If I had my chance to defend myself, I would say I am more committed than any of the carceral feminist armchair activists. I would tell them how most of my close female friends, sexual partners, and even my girlfriend have experienced rape, sexual assault, etc. and they accept me. The one to two years off of probation, jail, and prison have been very rocky and it is hard to figure out my voice and place in the revolutionary struggle. I hope many of the released do not return to a life imposed on them by the bourgeoisie, but partake in liberating a prison world.

MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade's experience speaks to the universal struggle of former prisoners, and more specifically to the question of how revolutionaries should work (or not work) with people convicted of sex offenses. To clarify, ey is working with some organizations that we have significant disagreements with, but that doesn't change the relevance of what ey writes.

This is a case where someone who was convicted of a sex offense is not disputing the accusation. Instead, ey comes to the conclusion that the right thing for someone who committed gender crimes to do is to fight to end the system that creates a culture of gender oppression. This we very much agree with.

We did not see the social media debates with and against this persyn so we can't comment directly on what people said when arguing that ey should not be allowed into feminist organizations. But there are several problems we see with this incident. First, attacking someone on social media rather than taking criticisms directly to em and eir organization does not do justice to the seriousness of this political debate. Also, pushing someone out of an organization before hearing eir side and investigating the issue thoroughly just does the work of the government by dividing the movement.

As Maoists we believe that people are capable of change, and so when we learn about errors people have made we ask for self-criticism and an analysis of why those actions were taken. Those who not only make sincere self-criticism but also demonstrate through their actions that they have changed should be given the opportunity to contribute to the revolutionary movement.

Sex offenders are generally pariahs, both on the streets and behind bars. All people with a criminal record face extra scrutiny, criticism, and ostracization when they hit the streets. It's important that revolutionary organizations don't play into this. We shouldn't dismiss former captives who want to be activists. Instead we should set up structures to help them get involved and support their work. And for those who have committed crimes against the people in the past, we can help them better understand not only why these actions were wrong, but also to transform their thinking to best avoid hurting others in the future and how to build a society that doesn't foster those crimes in the first place.

I would like to participate in the grievance petition campaign for TDCJ in the state of Texas. I am tired of their dirty tricks, underhanded attempts to frustrate the grievance procedure - and render the "vehicle for review" ineffective.

Please send me several copies of the petition so that I can get on board. I have been locked up 10 yrs and I never had a major case. I was written 2 major cases 1 week apart (both are false) and sent to cell block for 6 months, good time taken & 2 lines taken. I want to raise attention to these tactics. I personally quoted policy to warden Kazmierczak, Major Holmes, and Captain Whitney Bruton on 3 different occasions to let them know this was wrong. All that happened was they got more angry and even our health care provider told them my medication was all legitimate. Thank you for your attention and help with this issue. Please send me up to date info that might help.

On the 9th of Feb a peaceful protest (sit in) was staged to protest early "rack up" because TDCJ was short staffed. The unit has been short staffed for awhile. So some prisoners protested, and TDCJ officers responded by "tear gasing" the whole pod. Thoses who were in their cells were gassed as well as the "sit in" group. They put the peaceful, non-violent protest group away in their cells.

The next few weeks some people received riot cases and some didn't. My cell mate was in the cell with me. He received a riot case. We thought that once they checked the cameras he would be shown not guilty. Well that was wrong. He got a case for rioting and we all got a case for rioting, because... well I don't know why. Just a report from Telford Unit.

So I'm at California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility. Here, as Africans, we are constantly on race-based lock-downs. We just came up over the last weekend for one day and went back on on Monday 3/5/18 for weapon stock allegedly missing from another building, which has prompted another massive cell search on top of the one we just had on 10 February 2018. All 8 buildings were hit hard as a punitive measure to oppress people of African colors yet again.

There was a race-based lockdown motion filed in 2014 when CDCR was forced to stop race-based lockdowns for something that another person from another race had did.

I'm also having a lot of problems with Inmate 602 Appeals/Grievances being arbitrarily screened out, rejected and or canceled by an Hispanic Appeals Coordinator SSA Ramos. Even when the 602 filed by Africans have valid merits she screens them out or refuses to process them in a timely manner. Please find enclosed 4 forever U.S. postal stamps to enable you to send me a grievance petition/letter.