Federal Prisons

I don’t agree with the idea of Jackson being a homophobe by stating that unmarried white women are left to become prostitutes, nuns, and/or lesbians; I don’t find it derogatory either. I don’t agree or disagree with his statement. I actually have no judgement on that idea. I don’t understand why MIM says it’s homophobic and derogatory.

MIM(Prisons) responds: The MIM review of Soledad Brother we sent this comrade with a copy of the book includes this critique:

“The first part of the book, mostly letters to his mother and father, is not very political. Jackson uses many sexist stereotypes in this section, often to criticize his mother for failing in his brother’s and his own education. He says, for example, that unmarried white women are left to become prostitutes, nuns and lesbians (p. 45). While it is true that economic forces put more pressure on unmarried women (the fastest growing population in poverty are women and children), Jackson’s stereotype is homophobic and derogatory.

“Much of what could be criticized as sexist in Jackson’s writing is left as ambiguous. He says that ‘The white theory of ’the emancipated woman’ is a false idea’ (p. 46), which is an economic reality of Amerikan capitalism, but no context is given. To his credit he does explain that Black women are the backbone of the family (p. 74).”

The George Jackson reference is as follows:

“In the society of our fathers and in the civilized world today, women feel it their obligation to be ever yielding and obedient to their men. Life is purposely made simple for them because of their nature, and they are happy. When the women outnumber the men in the black societies, the men take as many wives as they can afford, and care for them all equally. In the white for some nebulous reason the men can take only one… the rest are left to become prostitutes, nuns, or lesbians.”

The beginning of the quote is perhaps the more damning part, positing that wimmin have a simpler nature than men and therefore are happy serving them. We hope you don’t agree with that part. The homophobia is perhaps more subtle, but Jackson is clearly pointing to these three options as being not good, and praising Black men for saving Black wimmin from such fates – having sex in exchange for money/things, not being able to have sex, or having to have sex with wimmin instead.

The grain of righteous truth in the Jackson quote is that white society had more fully succumbed to capitalist individualism, so that wimmin are more often left to fend for themselves in situations that are not conducive to meeting their needs. But Jackson contrasts this with the paternalist assumption that wimmin need to be taken care of by husbands in order to survive, suggesting that polagamy is a selfless sacrifice by men. The unique struggle of wimmin under capitalism is a result of the intersection of the patriarchy and capitalism, not about wimmin needing husbands to survive.

Revolutionary greetings to all comrades persevering in the struggle. This article is in reference to the recent rulings in the district courts within the Fifth Circuit, as well as the rulings by the Fifth circuit itself favorable to prisoners. We should seize upon this time to obtain relief for as many comrades as possible within our circuit.

We must exercise caution not to lead any comrades astray into believing that we will ever throw the yoke of oppression by way of the Amerikan nation injustice system and their courts. We can however utilize legal battles in an effort to bring in others from the fringes over to our cause by encouraging and promoting political education and unity, fostering growth and development while continuing to build our strength so that we are able and ready to seize power for the people when that time comes.

With that in mind I now turn to the most recent ruling by the Fifth circuit in August 2017 whereby they confirmed a ruling by the S.D. of Texas in a case on extreme heat. This case: Cole V. Collier, 868 F.3d 354; 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 15847-No. 16-20505 - an appeal from Cole v. Livingston, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 77435 (S.D. Tex. June 14, 20166); is another example that can be emulated by others to obtain relief.

In that case the plaintiffs utilized Fed. R. Civ. P. 23 (a) in order to receive certification of a general inmate class, a heat-sensitive subclass, and a disability subclass; thereby containing a claim for relief for all prisoners in the TDCJ Wallace Pack Unit.

This case follows on the heels of a similar case: Ball V. LeBlanc, 792 F. 3d 584, in which the three prisoners in Angola’s Death Row building obtained relief tailored to them due to the restrictions of the PLRA to extend no further than necessary to correct the violation as to the particular plaintiffs. The plaintiffs at the Wallace Pack Unit however gained an advantage by using Fed. Civ. Rule 23 to obtain a class certification.

In conclusion I would like to encourage all comrades with the ability, to take advantage of these rulings and comb through these cases and the opinions of the judges to address any specific needs so as to obtain relief for their own units where possible. And as for those already engaged in litigation individually to encourage and aid when possible others to be that “Plaintiff” or “Plaintiffs” as I stated in a previous article. As for my own suits against the conditions and extreme heat here at David Wade Concentration Camp I will update my comrades as to any favorable progress. I am currently awaiting a preliminary injunction order to install temperature gauges such as was done in the Ball Case to prove the triple-digit temps. I also want to state that I have just returned here to D.W.C.C. after several transfers that were attempts to frustrate my legal mail and most of my suits. One of these transfers placed me at Camp F on D-tier in Angola’s Death Row building where I was personally able to see the relief provided to the three plaintiffs Ball, Code, and Magree who are housed on C-tier.

To see the full extent of relief provided see: Ball v. LeBlanc, 233 F. Supp. 3d 529; 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 177911.

DARE TO STRUGGLE. DARE TO WIN. ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

I’m writing to ask for more info on the California prison system putting SNY (Special Needs Yard) and mainline together in order to show that nothing has changed and the prisons are still very dangerous.

What I do know is that it started a few weeks ago here at Centinela State Prison and we are hearing of widespread violence at every yard they are doing this on – the so-called 50/50 yards or Programming Facilities (P.F.S.). We have only heard rumors at this point. Of course the staff would never tell us outright, but they do give hints. Any help in this matter will be appreciated. A lot of us here at Centinela SNY yard are endorsed to San Quentin PFS yard. We would love to help stop the violence, but it’s really mainline shot callers that will decide.

Most of us here on the SNY side want to do our time in peace. That’s why we are put on this side. Anyway, thanks for any help on this matter.

A USW comrade reports: Here at Corcoran they’re integrating yards. Now SNY/GP STG I & II are on the same yards, and being forced to program or be labeled program failures.

Legion of USW comments: June 2018 – As predicted the CDCR is doing away with the SNY/GP mainlines in favor of undesignated program yards. Legion did the math on this problem years ago and was made a mad scientist preaching that Black God stuff.

This provides USW a unique opportunity to be at the vanguard of the battle field building bridges instead of barriers. The prols have an opportunity to become the change they want to see. We have to revise and revisit certain debates about what solid looks like. The future is now and we need to adapt our struggle to the new landscape.

Legion is calling all God Bodies into formation! There’s no such thing as SNY or GP on the streets. You have factors and non-factors. We are factors; socially, politically and mentally. USW is where it’s at. Let’s crash the system!

Power to the People!

MIM(Prisons) adds: Early in 2018, the CDCR began transforming Level I, Level II, and, now, some Level III prisons into “non-designated yards”, eliminating the divide between SNY and General Population. This began with the healthcare facilities and fire camps. According to CDCR, SNY was created 20 years ago, and now accounts for one third of the California state prison population.(1)

In a video message on the subject, CDCR Director Scott Kernan calls on California prisoners to focus on themselves. He calls for them to disregard “prison politics.” While tapping into a real mass sentiment that is sick of some of the “prison politics” that leads to unnecessary beef and violence, this appeal to Amerikan individualism is misleading. The new Programming Facilities require prisoners to participate in the CDCR program. This is not really focusing on self, this is joining a group with strict guidelines. This path is a choice. And CDCR wants to make it the most appealing choice.

All humyns live in society. We cannot focus on self without also being part of a society and playing a role in it. For the oppressed, the support of the group is even more important. So prisoners must ask themselves if the CDCR program is the group that best serves their interests. We await reports from comrades inside as to the full implications of this reorganization. But we can look back to the “Step Down Program” implemented for SHU prisoners in response to the historic hunger strikes in 2012 and 2013, which coerced prisoners into accepting the oppressor’s definitions of criminal.(2) The PFS have a similar focus on “programming,” promising a more productive and quicker release in return.

We do not have the info to fully answer the comrade’s question about what is happening in these non-designated yards right now. But we echo the call from ULK 62 for USW comrades in California, especially those in the 50/50 yards, to work to build unity across different groups in these dynamic conditions.(3) As Legion alludes to above, change is in favor of the oppressed, it is only up to us to seize the opportunities that each change offers. For this September 9th Day of Peace and Solidarity, California USW will focus on this issue of the “non-designated yards”, and building peace and unity among these new conglomerates of people. For the next issue of ULK we want to hear about the successes and failures of this organizing, of September 9th, of the 50/50 yards and what it all means for organizing to end oppression on a systemic level.

I’m reaching out to bring awareness to Colorado’s state prison system’s “off record” policy to keep Chicano inmates in fractional warfare/oppression. Colorado has been plagued with the same brown-on-brown violence and ideology as California’s systems for the past 30 years. Only recently has an awakening transformed the “gang banger” mentality of the masses into a revolutionary mental state in the liberation and struggle for Aztlán. This has been met with all levels of repression such as out of state transfers to secret locations, MCC (Colorado’s new politically correct name for SHU/Ad-Seg STG lockdown where inmates can only come out of cell every 72 hours to shower, etc.)

On June 14, Chican@ Power and the Struggle for Aztlán was denied by the publication committee for the following reason: “material which poses a potential threat to the safety and security of the offender population or DOC employees, contract workers, and volunteers by advocating facility disruption or non-compliance with prison rules or regulations.” The truth of the matter is it was denied because it was coming to me at the specific time period when the Chicano masses in Colorado have decided to stop being the puppets for capitalistic racist oppression of a system which actively has aided and facilitated the destruction of our people by putting our lives in danger in numerous ways. The following are small examples of these conditions.

Putting rival members in pods where they are sure to be assaulted so severely that death or attempted murder are likely scenarios. Opening cell doors of rival STGs while inmates are cuffed and shackled to tables, so that they may be assaulted etc. This has been the norm for years. Now that we have risen above the tribal mentality in an effort to educate and raise awareness to the racist genocide of our people that the system has manipulated us into doing with our own hands we are being slammed in cells, censored, and oppressed even harder. I’ll be surprised if you ever receive this letter.

Currently I am in grievance procedures over books. Any material that may help or contacts to further our struggle would be greatly appreciated. Once I finish the grievance process I will send copies of all material on the issue. Thank you for your time. In solidarity with the struggle to end oppression and liberate Aztlán.

Thank you for your publication. I share it with others inside to report the horrific abuse I have suffered recently as retaliation for my federal complaint filed in the local court 4/3/18. On 4/10/18 the harassment started. I was denied my dinner tray and put on camera to be threatened with chemical agents by several staff, none of whom managed to feed me the food brought and prepared for me to consume. Then on April 14th I received 3 false disciplinary reports from different security staff, after none all year. This weekend I was not given the library books sent from the general library. The same officer, Ms Baez was eager to break the law to falsify state documents as leverage ordered by the mobsters in the management but could not feed me or hand me a library book while I am locked in a room. This same officer arranged for more than one inmate to get attacked with pepper spray while doing nothing wrong. The sadistic and malicious use of pepper spray has been reported at FDOC since at least 2007. This is all done on camera with audio evidence with none of the personnel worried that there will be any consequences for their criminal acts.

On April 19, while in the shower, the sergeant Ms Taylor went into my cell and threw out my hygiene supplies just given to me days prior, donated by the community. When I told her I was allowed to have those items and needed a property receipt, she ignored me and went to get the captain Harvey. While I was bathing and unclothed he came into the shower area and began to argue with me. This had all been done to provoke me just as the denial of my food had been done to provoke me. After I was placed in my cell, I was put on camera again to be threatened with chemical weapons warfare by Lt. Desmond, who had never come to my door before. After 10 pm I was taken from my cell again and strip searched in the shower, my room was ransacked and more of my property stolen including my new clothes given to me the day before by laundry. When I asked for my property receipt the officer Ms. Jorgensen rallied to report I was “on the door”. Then a crew of several state workers paid to take care of me tortured me with chemical weapons warfare while I was in my cell not making a sound. My property was all taken away and most of it stolen or confiscated.

To deprive me of basic necessities, shampoo, dental floss, q-tips, vitamins and my legal notebook were taken. I was put in a cell with no bed roll, any of my hygiene or even extra clothes. I would not even brush my hair for days. My legal papers had all been handed off on March 22, 2018 to sabotage my post-conviction relief, crippling me of my ability to handle my legal work. The management had stolen my legal papers sent in to the law library to be copied and typed, then denied me law library access for months which was the subject of the complaint filed in April on Lowell Correctional Institute, the world’s second largest prison for women.

On April 24th the same officer who refused to feed me earlier that month, Ms Baez, threw my tray on the floor, glared at me and headed off to report that I had thrown the tray at her. She had me served with a fake DR for battery. Again I was not fed. Between 4/14-4/28 I was served 12 disciplinary reports falsified by the state workers paid to take care of me and given months of “discipline” so I cannot use the phone, have a razor to shave, earn gain time, go to the dog room, have a visit or check out a book from the general library. My mother, 74 years old, was planning to drive 4 hours to visit me for 2 hours on 4/29 but could not because of the false reports issued by the sadistic sociopaths that gravitate to those jobs because they enjoy hurting people.

I received 2 more DRs in May while locked in a room from the state carrying out reprisal and pretending it is discipline. My grievances are mostly denied and when approved nothing really changes. The officer who threw my food on the floor was promoted to sergeant, her reward for following the orders to persecute me as punishment for exercising my right to access the courts to document the corruption at LCI.

Last year I was assigned several violent roommates at FWRC in Ocala to batter me for my grievances reporting the misconduct of officers at the WFRC. I was given 30 DRs December 2010 to November 2017, and all but 15 were overturned or dismissed through the government probes. The last roommate put me in the ER. She was sent to general population after putting more than one inmate at FWRC in the hospital and I was sent to closed management for more behavior “mediation” (for the 3rd time in 2012) on the pretense I am endangering the inmate population. This is just long-term solitary confinement torture that is expensive, does not improve anyone’s behavior and causes irreparable psychological damage.

I am 41 years old and have hurt no one in or out of prison and did not all of the sudden become violent. I will have permanent scars on my face from the attack on me, all orchestrated by the management at FWRC intent on stifling my efforts to use the grievance process to report the rampant human rights violations in this penal system. The employees receive no discipline and have free reign to break the law to carry out reprisals at the taxpayer’s expense. Many of my grievances are not responded to and what answers I get are full of lies to cover up the criminal acts of the personnel. I have a $65.00 lean on my account for postage, copies and typing fees as a result of seeking relief in the courts, with several courts sanctioning me to prevent me from exposing the corruption in the criminal justice system. No court has intervened as of yet with record numbers of inmate deaths since 2012 even with populations declining along with natural deaths plummeting.

Since 2010 I have received 109 disciplinary reports, hauled off to confinement 22 times, lost years of gain time and been kept locked in a room (at 2-3 times the cost to keep me in GP) about half this period. Blatant retaliation the FDOC pretending it is discipline to justify their wrongdoing. My correspondence to the FPLE, FBI, Florida State Police, Department of Justice, POTUS (2), U.S. Congress, Attorney Generals, U.S. commission on civil rights, Criminal Justice committees, governor, Chief In over Florida, Statewide prosecutor, Florida legislature, local police, local state attorney, etc. is largely ignored. I have spent nearly 13 years in Florida jails/prisons, wrongfully convicted, no attorney I have contacted has ever conducted any real investigation or intervened on my behalf. Each time I am taken to confinement or my property is stolen, gain time revoked, privileges denied and I am kept locked in a room for extended periods of time – days, weeks, months, and even years at a time. The commission on ethics refuse to send me completed forms and the FDOC refuses to notarize them to prevent me from filing complaints on the corrupt officials.

Below are 10 stated facts of oppression here at Brickley’s Unit of ADC:

( 1) there is no air conditioning in cell-blocks, isolation cells, or several population barracks.

2. Sleep deprivation is constant in cell-blocks, isolation and population due to the excessive heat and non-stop noise. Yet in population everyone is forced to work monday-friday without pay under such conditions - - else they will receive a disciplinary and lose their class, privileges, visits, phone, commissary and eventually receive isolation time for refusing.

3. There are only 2 shower-heads to each barracks in population, yet shower times are between 4:30pm and 10:30pm. If caught taking showers out of that time frame, one is subject to disciplinary action.

4. Obtaining proper medical attention is hard in population but even harder in cell-blocks and isolation. Once seen, after the initial $3.00 copay fee from the previous sick-call, the nurse/doctor will only prescribe you the cheapest and bare minimum of medicines so as soon as that expires, if your problem persists, one has to pay another $3.00 copay fee to get those meds renewed. Also, since I’ve been in the cell-blocks and ISO, I have received other peoples’ medicine at pill-call instead of my own several times.

5. Mental-health doesn’t care what happens to inmates here at Brickey’s. Over 20 people have allegedly killed themselves or died smoking (K2) over the past 3 months of me transferring here. I myself was and still am having problems with my mental-health medication. Despite me writing several requests to mental health, writing grievances and overstating to my case manager that I need to see the psychiatrist because my meds weren’t working. Nothing has been done about it, that is why I locked myself down. Since then, every time one of the mental health people make their rounds I verbally tell them the same thing, yet to no avail. I even spoke to classification about this ongoing/worsening issue, yet they keep trying to release me back to population despite that I’ve written and verbally stated due to my mental health state, until I see the psychiatrist again and be placed meds that actually help me, I am a threat to security and don’t need to be in population. They don’t care! Also, every time they try and release me/force me to go back to population and I don’t, I receive another disciplinary.

6. I am currently in a cell that leaks through the ceiling and outside wall onto my mat and table when it rains. In population, several barracks downstairs always flood when water comes under the outside doors during rains.

7. Ants, roaches, mice and spiders are a major problem with the kitchen and cells.

8. In the cell-blocks and in isolation cells, drinks are served 2-3 hours before every meal. By the time food is served, it is usually cold from sitting around waiting to be served. Also, when the drinks are served they are hot or lukewarm a lot of the time and there’s always things floating in it. Our water in general is dingy brown and often stinks.

9. It is very hard to get paperwork back here (especially grievances). Once grievances are finally obtained, written and ready to be signed by a Sgt. or above, they will often walk right past your cell without signing them even when you ask them to. Also, mail is an issue in general - - as far as one receiving it from the outside world. My mail has been lost several times since I transferred here.

10. Most of the TVs are busted out in every cell-block, preventing inmates from watching mandatory news or institutional movies.

Currently housed in a maximum security unit in Arkansas, where laws, rules, and procedures are governed by those of higher stature and officials who have previously passed laws. So why are those rules and laws constantly being overlooked and not abided by, by the staff, wardens, and directors of the Arkansas Dept. of Corrections?

We are on lock down twenty-four/seven, and being on lock down twenty-four/seven, by federal laws and statutes, we are allowed yard/recreation of some sort five times a week, five days a week here at Tucker on Restrictive, Ad-Seq, and Punitive ISO. We are not getting that. For the past three or four months, we have been getting an hour out, sometimes two hours a week. Is this not violating our 8th amendment constitutional right against cruel and unusual punishment? There should be no reason at all we shouldn’t get yard/rec.. At least an hour out of our cells we are required to receive, especially when staff are available to take us out. This is just one issue we have been having here at this unit.

If we don’t follow the rules or ADC policy, we take punishment such as disciplinary, shakedowns etc. Filing a grievance here does no good, so the smoke blows in every direction, but not in the direction of justice. There gots to be a remedy, a way, a path for us on lockdown to get the things we are entitled to. Small things like receiving toilet paper, soap & toothpaste, cell cleanup, barracks cleaned, the list goes on. I know we put ourselves here by committing a crime, that still doesn’t allow the ADC at this unit to neglect us of what we are required to receive! Maybe MIM(Prisons) can help us find the proper direction or procedure to take as a body of those being neglected. Do you have available literature to read & take action? Thanks.

5 May 2018 - The unit has been on lockdown because of a virus that had all of us throwing up and could hardly walk. They locked us down for 30 days but did nothing. It was Naro. Look it up. They had this unit on the internet and Facebook. Then they had 140 offenders that went on hunger strike for some of the wrongdoings that are still going on with the officer. I write more on that later but for now just keep up the good work.

2018 May 7 - You may have seen on the national news a large number of medium custody offenders are on hunger strike. Their main grievance is Warden Strong using group punishment for the actions of individual inmates.

She placed the wing on 30-day lockdown because one inmate was accused of staff assault in the hallway. The incident did not even happen on the wing itself. As a result, the inmate was moved to the disciplinary wing and shipped from the unit. The other 200 men, who had nothing to do with the incident, were put on 30-day lockdown with no hot meals. And all of their cells were trashed by officers doing “cell searches.”

As a result of the media coverage, internal affairs started an investigation into inmates’ claims about the time the unit was hit with a Norovirus outbreak that lasted for 3 weeks. For the immedate future, all grievances are going off unit for review.

I would like the Texas Pack to help inmates file legitimate grievances. For example, being held in dayrooms without a toilet for 3+ hours when cell access is supposed to be granted hourly. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. I’ve enclosed a SASE.

Would you please send anything you have on the rules the guards must follow? Because they make up the rules as they go, with no regard for what policies states in our (GR-106) or (I-202) handbooks. I was told to take my rule books back to my cell, or get locked up today, after telling and showing CO and Ranking COs Hallway and Chow Hall Rules. I was told that policies don’t matter; it’s what they say. Yes, I’m writing this up, no need for audio on the cameras, just watch their actions.

I’m asking for tools to work with, because the law library doesn’t have what I’m asking for (well that’s what I’m told). I’m in there everyday it’s open. I’m not allowed no more than 30 min of extra time a day, because of the number of people I’m helping or those helping me. Plus we have to pack our legal work up, and take it with us, every time we have to use the restroom.

When I write said grievances, without prejudice is what I ask and please that my complaint be truthfully and thoroughly investigated as per AD-03.82, due to me being under duress about said issue. Designees/employees are only observing the proper procedure, without honestly giving effort to ensure fair and unbiased treatment towards inmates. Also their actions of collusion by being conclusive, they also have/has malicious intent and their actions are negligent to their legal responsibility and liability, namely TX Gov Code Section 493.001 Department Mission. Their callous disregard to complaints, etc, that I and my family has copies of, that’s been filed. This is not providing public safety, or promoting positive change in offenders behavior, or reintegrating offenders into society, or assisting victims of crime.

The question is what does the officers actions show? Yes, they know policies, etc, but do they follow them? Officers lie with authority. Please help in any way you can.