MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
www.prisoncensorship.info is a media institution run by the Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons. Here we collect and publicize reports of conditions behind the bars in U.$. prisons. Information about these incidents rarely makes it out of the prison, and when it does it is extremely rare that the reports are taken seriously and published. This historical record is important for documenting patterns of abuse, and also for informing people on the streets about what goes on behind the bars.
A little on a problem I am having. Recently one of the ranking officers
on my unit got in my face and told me “shut the fuck up bitch,” now, I
am very respectful to these officers and I didn’t even snap back at the
officer who did this. I would really like to know what I can do against
this officer legally in response to this incident. Any info would be
greatly appreciated.
I am an incarcerated person in a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
prison named SCI Somerset, located in Somerset, Pennsylvania. An
incident happened on 9 January 2017 at 1600 hour count (4pm). The
regular 2-10pm Sergeant (Sergeant Baserman) and Officer Reesman were
walking past my cell to conduct inmate count. After they passed I needed
to use the bathroom, so I turned my back towards my cellmate (so I
wouldn’t get a write up) and faced the door. The Officer and Sergeant
came back around to go up the stairs, which is by my cell. Sergeant
Baserman, who was second to go up the steps, stopped on the 3rd step and
looked directly over at me. As soon as I noticed I yelled “do you mind
I’m using the restroom” the Sergeant continue to watch me until I was
finished using the restroom.
Later the same evening I sat down and wrote out what happened and asked
to file a PREA report (Prison Rape Elimination Act) against Sergeant
Baserman. I placed this in a plain white envelope and addressed it to
the PREA Lieutenant, DL Abbott. Three days later I went to be
interviewed by Lieutenant Abbott. He stated he was going to pull the
camera footage. In the meantime I would be interviewed by the Psych
Department to see if mentally I was okay, then interviewed by the
Pennsylvania State Police. Within a week I saw both the Psych department
and the Pennsylvania State Police. The Pennsylvania State Police said
during my interview they couldn’t find any video footage but would go
back and look again. I heard nothing after that interview.
About a week later I went on writ for court to SCI Benner Township. I
was gone for almost a month. The day after I came back I was called up
and served with a misconduct. I was written up because they say they
couldn’t find camera footage and said I made up a story. A week later, I
went in front of the hearing examiner S. Wiggins. Despite never having
another misconduct on me or even a block card (a negative housing
report) and being a model prisoner, this hearing examiner still found me
“guilty” and sanctioned me to 30 days cell restriction, which is total
confinement away from general population.
My family then emailed the facility PREA Coordinator Mr. Allen Joseph
(also a deputy here) asking for his help in regards to this misconduct.
A few days later he called me over to an office, along with my unit
counselor, and states he had gotten an email from my family and didn’t
care if we chose to expose the conditions of the prison as my family had
stated. He stated also that I deserve the punishment I received. After
this meeting I returned to my cell. Let the record reflect, that I was
still on the same housing unit with this Sergeant and there had been
nothing but retaliation since that with the Sergeant. My family also
contacted Central Office for PREA, who also stated this prison is in the
wrong.
For the record, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
Inmate Handbook, which is given to every prisoner when arriving to their
home prison, page 7, section 8, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)
DC-ADM008 number 2, the last sentence reads “you will not be retaliated
against for reporting an incident of sexual harassment or for providing
witness testimony.” This prison has clearly violated this and continues
to violate this and many other PA DOC policies. They interpret policies
the way they want and enforce them how they want. Even Superintendent
Wingard does nothing to help the situations in here and instead helps
make it worse by sticking up for his staff whether they are right or
wrong. Please take a stand with me and expose these prisons on their
intolerable wrongdoings and let them know they can’t get away with this.
Join with me and take a stand!
MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade exposes what we’ve
heard
from other prisoners: the “Prison Rape Elimination Act” or PREA is
at best ineffective and at worse turning into a tool for abuse and
retaliation against those who attempt to make PREA reports. We need to
continue to expose these situations. And we ask our readers to chime in
on whether there is a better tactic we should consider to fight these
abuses. While we often try to use the law to our advantage, filing
reports and lawsuits even when we don’t expect to win, we are hearing
more stories of retaliation than victories using PREA.
It has become very common here at Fort Madison [Iowa State Penitentiary]
for any harassment by staff to either go un-addressed and/or covered up.
Moreover, it has been made very clear any attempt by prisoners to report
any harassment or any other misconduct by staff will result in
retaliation by staff either physically, sent to lockup for some
unexplained reason or in most cases prisoners are shipped out to a
federal prison and continually moved around to prevent the inmate from
filing any additional complaints. This treatment has worked on 99.9% of
the prison population in Fort Madison for years and prevented them from
reporting any harassment, abuse or any other mistreatment.
On the other hand, some capitves that are continually provoked are
forced to physically retaliate against staff that abuse their power. I
personally feel any harassment or physical altercation between staff and
offenders is never the answer. Thus I’ve been trying my damnedest not to
do so. Instead I felt it’s very important for me to report my situation
to the outside world. By doing so I’m hoping the necessary authority
outside these walls will get word and answer our pleas for assistance to
bring an end to staff’s mistreatment, thus hopefully preventing further
altercations between staff and offenders.
For the past six months I have been repeatedly verbally and physically
harassed by certain staff. I’ve repeatedly properly reported each
incident to all necessary staff and the Ombudsman’s office. However
reporting such misconduct by staff has only resulted in retaliation by
staff including sexual harassment, and may result in me going to lock up
in the future. Nevertheless, this will not stop me from reporting these
very serious issues that need to be addressed.
Yesterday was Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. Yesterday was also two days
after the fifteenth anniversary of intifada hero Marwan Barghouti’s
illegal abduction from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
It is on this day that American-backed Israelis, in action opposing the
two-state solution, chose to put Palestinian reconciliation and national
unity symbol Marwan Barghouti in solitary confinement.(1)
Solitary confinement is a practice widely implemented as a form of
discipline and political repression in the #1 prison state in the world,
the United States. Used to repress protests of inhumane conditions,
solitary confinement is itself widely considered inhumane particularly
when done for long periods of time. Some Palestinians have been in
solitary for years. Other kinds of worse treatment often accompany
solitary confinement. It seems likely that Marwan Barghouti will be in
solitary for several days at least.
A long-time prisoner himself with an immediate interest in the outcome
of the protest like any of the other “security prisoners” in Israeli
prisons, Barghouti was reportedly leading a large prisoner hunger strike
against inhumane and illegal treatment of thousands of Palestinians in
Israeli prisons. One of the things the prisoners are demanding is an end
to solitary confinement, which it seems Barghouti could be in until the
hunger strike ends. A mass hunger strike in 2014 lasted two months.(2)
Reactionaries are trying to get the public to associate the open hunger
strike with the murder allegations against Barghouti. They are
suggesting Barghouti is the only reason for the strike. The
hunger-striking prisoners’ demands include an end to health negligence
and an end to detention without trial. I$rael is holding hundreds of
Palestinians without Israeli citizenship in administrative detention.
Because of multiple anniversaries in 2017 related to the colonization
and occupation of Palestine, massive protests would have happened
whether Barghouti was alive or not.
Many in various countries do consider Marwan Barghouti – one of several
imprisoned members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, belonging to
different parties – to be Palestine’s “Mandela,” a potential future
Palestinian president. Barghouti was taken by the imperialist settler
formation and Amerikan outpost named “Israel” fifteen years ago and
subjected to a show trial in a kangaroo court. An intifada figure and
strong supporter of Palestinian nationalism and independence before and
after being abducted, Barghouti is reportedly able to unite various
groups of Palestinians in a way that few are. Many people in various
countries already support Barghouti’s release.
Barghouti supported the Oslo Accords in the past. Azanian Anglican
archbishop Desmond Tutu nominated Barghouti for the Nobel Peace Prize in
June last year. At his show trial, Barghouti noted in Hebrew that he was
a figure for peace for two peoples.
Barghouti has supported trying different approaches, permitted under
international law, to ending an occupation that is illegal. Months and
years after major waves of protest and resistance, there are still
thousands of Palestinians in I$raeli prisons for resisting the illegal
occupation and settlement. One of them happens to be Barghouti.
Since the I$raeli goon squad kidnapped Barghouti in 2002, the highly
influential and extremely wealthy United $tates has had many years of
chances under various presidents to secure Barghouti’s release. It
hasn’t happened. Two-term Democratic president Barack Obama didn’t do
it. Instead, Obama deceived Palestinians and gave Israel a
record-breaking aid package. Obama sought to protect the image of
Democrat warmongers and do-nothings, and the United States’ image, after
now-President Trump won the U.S. election and it became obvious that the
United States was going to lose its undeserved standing as a peacemaker.
The West Bank and East al-Quds (“Jerusalem”) already had tens of
thousands of illegal settlers at the time of Ariel Sharon’s al-Aqsa
provocation against the two-state solution in 2000. For years the United
States has verbally supported the two-state solution and verbally
opposed settlement construction, in land universally understood to be
occupied territory, while hampering the two-state solution and
supporting settlement construction in actuality. Whether Barghouti would
ever be president or not, Barghouti’s continued detention is hampering
processes Palestinians need to go through to arrive at important
decisions with a higher level of unity.
The two-state solution isn’t total liberation of Palestine. Many
Palestinian leaders and figures mediating Palestine’s international
struggle support it. Some Palestinians consider the two-state solution a
temporary step. According to survey reports, many support some
approaches to it more than they support others. Though not always
agreeing with or emphasizing some approaches to the two-state solution,
Marwan Barghouti has supported it.
Despite internal disagreement about specific issues and
non-Palestinians’ demoralizing statements about the ability to end and
reverse settlement activity, the Palestinian nation as a whole is still
struggling for the two-state solution in the midst of U.S. hindrance and
the intransigence of some Zionist and non-Zionist elements in Israel.
Palestinians and various Arabs and Muslims do not support the two-state
solution any less than the Amerikans, who take advantage of conflict and
violence in the Middle East, do. As discussed on this website [see
notes], even Hamas and Iran support the two-state solution more than the
United States does in reality.
Israelis have a chance to oppose West Bank annexation, oppose West Bank
settlement activity, and support Palestinian independence. They have a
chance to live in relative peace by ending their idolatrous attitude
toward the United States and ending their dependence on that hegemonic,
rogue aggressor for support in the midst of worsening conditions.
However, the I$raeli entity stupidly chose to put Barghouti in solitary
yesterday. In a month and a half is the fiftieth anniversary of the 1967
Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Syrian
Golan. It is possible the Hunger Strike for Freedom and Dignity will
still be going on then.
Regardless of intent or how anyone feels about the two-state solution,
the broad Palestinian unity around the prisoners’ hunger strike may be
helping to promote Palestinian reconciliation and unity in other areas,
and advance the two-state solution. That is true even though some of
what the hunger strikers and prisoners are asking for could be won
without freeing prisoners or winning a sovereign independent Palestinian
state.
In the United States, there are also hunger strikes including strikes
over solitary confinement.(3) So-called intersectionality in the
Palestine-United States context is sometimes discussed in terms of
pursuing equality with oppressors within a single state. Unity of
Palestinians with various perspectives inside and outside prison,
though, has the potential to contribute to Palestinian nationalism.
Within U.S. prisons, unity of various whites and people in different
non-white nations (including the Chican@ nation, the New Afrikan nation,
and First Nations) often targets repression affecting many different
prisoner demographics. This benefits the oppressed and activists inside
prison, and can benefit fights for the self-determination of oppressed
nations. Often this has nothing do with uniting Amerikans in general, or
with advancing integrationism, which is a dead-end. Incarceration in the
United States, and incarceration of so-called security prisoners and
other Palestinians in I$raeli prisons, show oppressed nations’ need for
self-determination.
In response to the Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike, some are
downplaying Palestinian unity or trying to take advantage of differences
and discourage supporters by saying the strike is just about Barghouti.
Yet, many different movements in Palestine have members in Israeli
prison and are supporting the strike.
In a statement on the hunger strike, Barghouti refers to “mass”
arbitrary detention and mistreatment and opposes occupation.(4)
Barghouti refers to “the nation” to which prisoners belong, and “every
national liberation movement in history.” Barghouti identifies Israel as
an occupying power. The prisoners’ suffering is related to the suffering
of the Palestinian nation.
“The eldest of my four children is now a man of 31. Yet here I still am,
pursuing this struggle for freedom along with thousands of prisoners,
millions of Palestinians and the support of so many around the world.
What is it with the arrogance of the occupier and the oppressor and
their backers that makes them deaf to this simple truth: Our chains will
be broken before we are, because it is human nature to heed the call for
freedom regardless of the cost.”
Among other things, Barghouti addresses collective punishments.
“Palestinian prisoners and their families also remain a primary target
of Israel’s policy of imposing collective punishments.”
“Among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians whom Israel has taken
captive are children, women, parliamentarians, activists, journalists,
human rights defenders, academics, political figures, militants,
bystanders, family members of prisoners. And all with one aim: to bury
the legitimate aspirations of an entire nation.”
Some are using the failures of Amerika’s phony leadership as an excuse
to oppose the two-state solution, Palestinian nationalism in general,
and peace efforts in general. This is unfortunate. The United States
must be opposed. In the international sphere, there needs to be new
leadership in coordination with Palestine. Other countries need to
influence Israel. Palestinian officials must give up any remaining
illusions they might have about the Amerikans. The United States has
proved uninterested in taking serious steps to resolve the conflict. In
fact, it promotes and benefits from it. The United States, itself an
illegitimate settler entity, is hegemonic, just gets in the way of real
peace efforts, and is losing whatever credibility it had in the context
of Mideast peace. The AmeriKKKan population has repeatedly proved
willing to support or go along with U.S. aggression in the Middle East
and, as a whole, is interested in the so-called Israeli-Palestinian
conflict only enough to make things worse. The Amerikan population
doesn’t really care about Jews and Muslims overseas. When it seems to
care about their conditions, it exploits them for chauvinistic,
jingoistic and warmongering purposes and to justify Amerikan corruption
in the Middle East.
This writer understands why Israeli activists would want to focus on
opposing their own country or its policies. However, globally there
needs to be more opposition to the United States in order to advance
Palestinian liberation. Various elements inside and outside Israel are
accepting U.S. hegemony and failing to support Marwan Barghouti’s and
other political prisoners’ release while opposing Palestinian
nationalism and supporting amalgamation with settlers. That is unwise.
Israelis and the world must act to immediately end the folly of refusing
to negotiate with Palestinian prisoners, and end the abuse of hunger
strike leaders and participants. Marwan Barghouti and other leaders or
political prisoners must be freed from solitary confinement and must be
freed from prison. The practice of taking Palestinians to be imprisoned
in Israel must stop. The world’s countries must support Palestinian
independence and sovereignty regardless of the United States’ priorities
and exert pressure and influence so that demands of the hunger-striking
prisoners are met as long as Palestinians are in I$raeli prisons.
It’s crazy that I read about abuses in other prisons across Amerikkka.
Then it happens to me. On April 15, 2017 at 8:56 at Rockview State
Prison in Bellefonte PA I was assaulted maliciously by two racist pigs,
using the mental health policy to cover up their mess. On Saturday
morning on BB unit at Rockview, which is a RTU block, mostly for mental
health patients, I asked an inmate can I use a broom and dust pan. He
screams I can’t I’ll get in trouble, so the CO whose name is Taylor
yelled at me “get the fukk in your cell,” and I said “why are you
talking to me like that.” Then he said get the fukkk in ya cell. So I
went, then he locked my door with a key.
So I figured I was burnt all day of activities and lunch so I chilled
and put a sheet over my door so I could use the bathroom in peace. While
I was on the toilet, I saw someone at my door. The two guards came in,
Taylor and Stove and closed my door and told me to get up. Didn’t even
let me wipe my ass. Next thing I know Taylor hit me and struck me on the
jaw and followed with a hook to my right eye. I fell to the floor and
Stove hit me in the back of my head (lower occipital lobe) and caused a
puncture which caused a tennis ball size hematoma to rise in the back of
my head. The object he hit me with was a puncher which they make rounds
with. CO Taylor whispered in my ear “Told you nigger we was going to get
you.”
I feared for my life cause they could have killed me and justify it as a
suicide attempt. I filed a grievance and I was placed in the A-seg unit.
Now I am getting “burnt” for showers, yard, and sometimes food,
depending what guards are on. But my argument is not what happeened
cause it happens all the time and gets covered up. But I target mental
health policies and the lack of independent supervisors to make sure
those with mental health problems don’t have to be subjected to abuse.
Most of the people on my block are so heavily medicated that there’s no
challenge to abuse by staff. Staff will single out people like me and
use me as a target so others will not follow or attempt to challenge
them with the pen.
I haven’t even been seen by security to report the abuse. Seems like
they are hiding, I’ve made numerous attempts to have a dialogue with the
head of security but no attempts have been made by him to contact me. So
now I see they are trying to hide something.
Rockview state prison has took up the challenge to become the treatment
center of PA prisons. It wants to be the model of excellence on mental
health treatment for other prisons to follow. But they know how to
manipulate policy to better themselves. one strategy or solution to
abuse can be body cameras on guards who have contact with the population
of inmates. In this way it could decrease the number of assaults at the
hands of guards. And create checks and balances, so we as comrades in
prison don’t have to be targeted and assaulted by racist guards. And not
every assault is a racist attack but of ignorance. But when you’re in
areas that have been labeled as racist areas in books and films, it
places that thought or perception that those working in this prison are
just putting on faces for eight hours to leave and go back to their
hateful ways. I challenge comrades to think of solutions for prison
abuse at the hands of guards, cause grievances is just smoke and
mirrors.
They have ways to tear up or misplace grievances but we need to
challenge the courts and officials to protect prisoners from abuse.
Especially those with mental problems.
On Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at or around 7:50 a.m. COII Cara Brashers
said, “You can only wear one pair of boxers to the showers”. I became
agitated telling her that I have been going to the shower with 2 pairs
of boxers and a towel underneath tied around my waist since my arrival
in housing unit #1 a year prior, as a way to protect my modesty from the
gawking eyes of sick, twisted and demented voyeurs (staff as well as
residents) who stand in their doors body lusting. I stepped back into my
cell getting nowhere and complied. I began to walk quickly to the shower
cell and they began to yank the tether (i.e. leash) attached to the
handcuffs, “You need to slow down”. I explained that it was no reason to
stop in the middle of the wing and could we process to the shower. “You
can go back to your cell, mister”, and attempted to man handle me and
force me to the ground. I wasn’t going to allow them to slam me on my
face, so I politely walked them back up the stairs and asked, “So you’re
going to treat me like this? You want to play games? We can play them.”
They attempted to manhandle me again but weren’t successful.
I walked into my cell and placed my hands through the feeding port and
one of the guards began to twist my hands and wrists violently. I
snatched back and with my uncuffed hand held the tether and asked, “So
ignorance is the only way to get some attention?”, and demanded to see
the shift commander. While this was occurring the handcuff key was
broken and lost, so they were in disarray. CO Postelwait attempted to
swindle me into coming out of my cell. I agreed to give him the cuffs
back. I took a 15 minute wash up in my sink. Afterwards I made Taubah,
and prayer. The Functional Unit Manager, Troy Wade, began to bang on my
door which has written on it, “In Prayer” and ruffed up without
incident. All of my belongings were taken from me. To make matters
worse, everything had mace on it.
I was made to stand naked in the strip cage while they contacted medical
about me having my athletic supporter for my swollen groin and to be
assessed. A contracted nurse came by the name of Jessica Williams who
works for Corizon. I began to tell her that I was having an adverse
effect to the gas and show the peeling skin and blisters on my hands and
arms. I was refused medical treatment, boy oh boy, I had to smile to
quell the anger because I was in no position to strike.
I was placed back in cell without it being cleaned. Gas and more was
everywhere. Sink, toilet, walls, floor and my only place of salvation;
the bunk.
Thirty minutes later I had an attorney visit. I was escorted up to the
visiting room, smelling of mace and wheezing. My hand and arm felt weak
for some reason too. I told my public defender, Brandon Swartz, whom I
have already reported to the Office of the Chief of Disciplinary Council
for providing ineffective assistance of counsel just sneering he said,
“Yeah, I hear you just had a use of force.” I began to explain what
occurred was unjustified, I was ignored.
So here I sit. I have a pad and pen courtesy of my young Kiwe comrade,
and with the assistance of a person affiliated with the blood street
tribe giving me toothpaste and toothbrush. Also a European brother,
who’s the complete opposite of me gave brand new socks. All of this and
more after countless hours of moving 3 twelve foot sandbags and a
mattress from in front of my door, coupled with eluding the pigs.
As I sat, I looked past skin color, lightening bolts, tattoo blue and
read flags, I seen something: UNITY. Despite of our differences, we had
one thing in common. We were resistant to oppression in one way, shape
or fashion. This was enough.
I don’t know if I’ll make it out of the hole, let along prison. One
thing I do know is, I will not be treated like a slave and not resist. I
will not be happily paraded around in nearly transparent underwear. I
will not cower nor accept defeat. I will not, I will NOT!
I’m still alive and pushing. Kicking cuz I can’t stop, won’t stop. Even
if I could, I wouldn’t. They’re attempting to break me. I may bend in
the wind but I will never fold. Mojo of a simba. I am for the struggle,
our struggle. Pumaja sisi Shinta! I shall not refuse my hand nor break
my stride, this oath shall kill me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Chulewa!
I am a Mexican National Citizen raised in the old ways of making
business. Our word was always good to our dying last breath. In prison
politics and Mexican politics, the word is meaningless. (Tell that to
good Tio Colosio, who paid with his life for believing someone else’s
word.)
Well, after 20 years in a main line or so-called active yards, I made
the transition to the SNY yard. Here, I found lots of brothers
(i.e. comrades), that made the transition years and even decades ago.
Fortunately, I escaped the usual brainwashing that my Chicano
counterparts are exposed to in the schools and ghettos. So, I called
quits, and came over to the bizarre world. I found that most of my new
comrades lacked any type of political consciousness. Time after time
they declined my attempt to read some of my literature. It did not
escape my mind that I once was like that too. It took me years to awaken
to the cruel reality of my imprisonment.
Anyway, my first celly was a white male. And I discovered what I have
always known in theory: We are all ignorant, poor, and damned
(regardless of skin color, creed, or gang affiliation). For reasons that
are not pertinent to this essay my new celly only last me less than 24
hours. Nevertheless, he left a deep impression in my consciousness. He
told me that on the line his shot caller actually put a hit on him, over
a $50.00 pruno debt. So he had to assume the position and allowed his
beloved celly, who was a few months short to go home. And he was stabbed
about three times. That is how out of control the prison gangs are.
So that the readers know: The average Mexican National prisoner doesn’t
belong to cartels, or street and prison gangs. Most Mexicanos are
unaware of the avalanche of prison politics coming their way. Without no
shame I can say that had my counselor told me about my expected role to
serve at the active yard I should have checked out right there and then.
It wasn’t meant to be, so I was set up, by a failed rehabilitation
system. I was immediately classified as a “PAISA” or “BORDER BROTHER.”
This STG (Security Threat Group) is under the direct order of the
Sureños Prison Gang (like to be ordered to do hits and follow gang’s
rules).
Unbeknownst to the Mexican, all of these violent incidents will be used
by the Board of Parole Hearings (“BPH”). God forbid one has a stabbing
ten years ago. They literally act the part to be surprised that these
kind of thing happen in prison. Even a disciplinary citation over a
stolen apple will be used to say that one is a danger to the free
community. These pundits actually believe that these gulags are CENTERS
of top notch rehabilitation. And that one insists in misbehaving!
My new celly is an elderly Mexican. He is respectful and knows how to do
time. He too called it quits when he discovered the winds of change in
the air. And before things took a turn for the worst, he made the best
decision in his life. He became another “SNY.” The environment here is
more loose. The gang trip is over. I have not seen any acts of predatory
behavior towards those that are too weak to defend themselves. Then,
there are those that act out as straight protective custody; they
believe that the c/o is their daddy or big carnal. They are loud and
wear their pants half way down their butt. Still the talking with staff
can also be seen at facility “C”, an active yard. They came in to the
program office and spend time with them (getting cozy with the enemy
i.e. the oppressor).
I found out that if I kept to myself and mind my own business I can fly
undetected. This wasn’t possible in an active yard, because one is
expected to put in work for the prison gang. The new prison gangs at
this side, they pretty much keep to themselves. And do their fighting
without asking for help. Those who do not want to engage in the new
gangs warfare are left alone out of the drama. I have spoken to former
Sureños and Norteños (youth and elderly), and many described themselves
as “Mexicanos” born on this side. Many have realized that the Mexican
National is not their puppet to be used and discarded. They all agreed
that becoming “SNY” is the best decision that they ever took. Their new
leaders are their families, patria, and raza.
Here, former shotcallers and gang leaders are nothing. They are one more
slave among the thousands. Long are gone the days of blood money, glory,
cell phones, and God ego trips over life and death. As for my own
transition from an enslaved active prisoner to an “SNY” it was easy. I
packed my belongings without raising too much suspicion. And at school I
told the officer “that I wanted out of the yard.” They pressured me to
tell what I knew about the big fat sapos and those that are kissing
their ass. I had nothing to tell them.
Even if I knew anything I would never tell them nothing. I am too old to
become a state snitch. So, not all SNY prisoners become snitches. I have
been told that sometimes the officers threaten prisoners by telling them
they will be sent back to the main line. But, this wasn’t my case. (For
your information, the officers will never do that.)
For those that I left behind, stop and think about it, for a long time.
Is it really worth it to give up one’s life by running a fool’s errand?
What they are sending you to do to someone else’s son they will do to
you. The masters of manipulation’s lost cause is not worth it to die or
kill for. Screw their orders, they are not our parents, tios, or big
brothers. They are playing God with your lives and freedom.
They are bloodthirsty sociopaths with our brothers’ and sisters’ blood
on their hands. They are the oppressor’s little brother; they help the
oppressor to keep us in check. Go ahead and tell them to do the killings
themselves. They can’t really hold you up accountable for your word;
that you gave up as a little kid. You did not know anything about life
when they enticed you to join the gang. They never told you that by 15
you would be dead or doing life in the gulags.
They never took you to a funeral and told you: that is you in a few
years. They never took you to the gulags to visit those who are buried
alive. Have they told you that an early death or lifetime in prison was
your future? Odds are that you would have run away ASAP. Thus, at the
age of 20, 30, or even 60 years old, one must truly awaken to the
reality of our predicament and analyze the contradictions of one’s
slavery. So that we can shake off the old chains that bind us to a lost
cause. One must evolve and think outside the box. It is the 21st
Century, our families need us out there.
MIM(Prisons) responds: Lumpen organizations (LOs) in the united
$tates are usually organizations of the most economically marginalized
of the oppressed in this country. Elsewhere comrades have spoke about
the difference between the Neo-Colonial Lumpen Organization (NLO) and
the LO. The experience of the above comrade reflects the practice of the
NLO. But the LOs in general have both capitalistic and
collective/nationalist aspects to them. And those that embrace the
collective aspect (usually in a revolutionary nationalist way), can
evolve to become Political Mass Organizations (PMOs).(1) So while we
struggle with comrades in LOs to move in the direction of becoming a
PMO, the above story is a common one in California as SNY has come to
represent one third of prisoners in recent years.(2)
This comrade also touches on the national question and national identity
in Aztlán. The fact that those of Mexican descent born within U.$.
borders are so likely to identify as Mexicanos speaks to the national
contradiction between the Amerikan settler and the colonized territory
of Aztlán. As this comrade also recognizes we refer to those born north
of the U.$.-Mexico border as Chican@s. The recognition of a Chican@
nation deeply connected to, but separate from Mexico, was the outcome of
the struggles of revolutionary nationalists and communists in the 1960s
organizing Raza in the southwest. For those interested in this topic you
should check out Chican@ Power and the Struggle for Aztlán by a
MIM(Prisons) study group. This book is available to prisoners for $10,
or work trade.
First off I want to say that we are sentenced to prison for punishment
but each day is a struggle inside these walls. The officers treat us
like we’re the scum of the earth and find ways to punish us every single
day. I have been in prison for 15 years and am serving life without
parole for a murder that I didn’t commit but the justice system doesn’t
go by facts only falsehood by the good ole boys. I can’t even go an hour
without the pigs trying to set me up for whatever.
I have been a gangbanger since I was 10 and dropped out in 2009, so by
doing that the pigs think I’m gonna just roll over and do whatever. I
have a few staff assaults and they always win since they work together
to make our days bad.
There has been almost 20 deaths at this prison since 2015 and the
medical here won’t help until we file lawsuits. Their prescription for
everything is ibuprofen and gargle salt water so there’s a lot of
viruses and diseases going around this prison.
Californian Correctional Officers’ beginning career wages are the
highest in the U.S. at a whooping $48,000, with the prospect of earning
nearly $80,000 annually when reaching the top pay grade.(1) They receive
640 hours of training, and an 8-month probationary period for each and
every new recruit. I don’t believe the average citizen who pays taxes
would approve of how they don’t run the daily prison program on a
regular basis. In essence getting paid well for clocking into work just
to sit in office areas and do nothing until it’s time to clock out.
I’m writing this specifically in relation to practices at California
Correctional Institution (CCI). Today is 18 April 2017 and a part of our
program has been taken for no given reason 71 times just this
year since January, not including a 9-day facility lockdown for the
misplacement of one set of tweezers. The tweezers were lost in PIA [job
site], which disrupted college courses and furthered this lockdown
culture. I’ve spent 7 years on Level 4s where violence was a regular
occurrence and those yards received less lockdown and program
cancellations than this peaceful low-to-no violence yard. With a month
plus of complete lockdown if one calculates partial lockdown, plus 9
building lockdowns where the rest of the yard is programming yet
Building #1 Correctional Officers have decided not to run program
without a given explanation. I feel tax payers would like to know
how their money is being spent, many of them making far less than these
Correctional Officers to do much more.
One has only to think about the mental and physical effects that are
rooted in being locked in a 6 by 8 by 9 feet cell with another human for
over 16 hours a day for months, even years, at a time under the pretense
that the Department of Corrections is using the rehabilitation model,
which was initiated in the 1930s and states that it is a model of
corrections that emphasizes the need to restore a convicted offender to
a constructive place in society through some form of vocational or
educational training or therapy. (Cole, Smith & De Jong, “Criminal
Justice in America 8th Edition.” 2015, pp 328, 362) This is one of my
college courses this semester and all previous citing is from the
textbook.
Isolationistic practices are shown to have double negative effects on
captives in regard to their social skills and behavior. This is due to
the unnaturalness of long periods in isolation, captives become more
agitated when expecting program i.e. readying themselves to go out of
cell for yard, dayroom, school, and self help then without notice they
cancel program without saying nothing. This is unique to CCI because at
all other prisons the building COs let population know there will be no
program. I write this even after talking to Sara L. Smith, Ombudsman, in
person and 2nd Watch Sgt. Bart about this ongoing issue. Both responded
it would be dealt with, yet two days in a row partial program has been
cut with three in-house COs i.e. 2 on the floor plus one in control
booth.
MIM(Prisons) responds: Under capitalism, the criminal injustice
system is primarily concerned with enforcing the conditions that allow
for profit. For colonized nations, this means repression and
imprisonment to maintain the colonial relationship. Therefore, reforming
people is rarely the focus. And how could it be, when there are no
efforts made to address the causes of anti-social behavior in the first
place, which include the dog-eat-dog culture of capitalism?
Unfortunately, the settler nations (like Amerika) are so bought into
this system of oppression that they have little concern for the $80k a
year their tax money might be paying some CO to sit around. That is a
mere drop in the bucket compared to the bombs being dropped on Syrians
right now. One Tomahawk missile, made by Raytheon Co., costs $1.59
million.(2) In the U.$. attack on a Syrian air field a couple weeks ago
(6 April 2017), they used 59 Tomahawk missiles. Yet, according to
multiple polls, a majority of Amerikans supported that attack.(3) And
they have a long history of supporting huge military spending to kill
people around the world. We find it unlikely that they will be moved by
the money being spent to keep a large, idle lumpen population in
prisons. It is up to those affected by the criminal injustice system to
do something to stop this madness creating more madness.
Having literally been raised in the fedz (age 23-40), I developed a
very unique perspective/world view on the “struggle” and the varying
dynamics associated with it. One of the things I saw in the fedz from
the beginning was the abundance of “official” OGs on the yards.
Revolutionaries and street entity! They put efforts into educating males
that, at minimum, one only had to carry oneself with a certain level of
convict decorum if you will, to stay on level 5 lines. The various
nations policed themselves. Which in turn negated much of the
reactionary interracial violence which’d typically occur.
My journey began in a United States Penitentiary (USP) where I lasted 6
months before an encounter in center hallway with an aggressive pig!
Before my 1st full year was done, I’d added 24 more months to the 15
years I’d been given! That set the tone for my bid and life. In that the
hatred I felt for authority manifested quite regularly over the next 2
years. Accumulating a slew of violence shots (writeups), FBI referrals
for prosecution and ultimately my first SHU placement.
What I recall most of my first ADX stay (mid-late 90s) was the standard
of the majority of men I met, be they euro-nationalist, Muslim,
revolutionary nationalist, Chicano, tribal structures, New Afrikan,
tribal cats, etc. All stood firmly against the pigs. Anti-rodent
philosophies included. Granted, we had the typical frictions associated
with being in unnatural environments, forced to occupy very tight
spaces. Many cats got hurt, racial reactionary issues and intra-racial
fratricide due to geographical biases typically. However, I recall many
instances where those of us who had any “credibility” and/or “entity
status” would regularly parley (i.e. politic) to maintain respect
between us and thereby negate potential violence.
At this time, I personally put down my own “tribal identity” and
embraced a progressive ideological precept, albeit infantile. Three
specific men entered my life and changed it forever: a European
communist, a founding member of the dominant Chicano structure, and last
but not least, a bay area militant turned Muslim! While in “stepdown
units” of ADX, each took time to work with me, share progressive
literature with us, build via dialogue. Many of my/our (i.e. tribal
cats) previously held biases and notions on particular ethnic groups,
etc. These were proven false once we were put within the close confines
of ADX and actually talked.
I learned of various German philosophers (Nieche, Clausowitch) from
euro-nationalists; about Aztecs, Toltecs, etc. from Chicanos under
structure; about Mao, Lenin, Marx from communists; about Chaka, Diop,
Huey P., George, Fred, so many more fallen heroes (and sheroes) from
Afrikan nationalists! All of which giving insight into how these men
thought, crucial to forging any qualitative bonds across both tribal
and/or national lines in prison! I left ADX for Lompoc, where I remained
4 years, got to finally visit my family, and where I was embraced to the
revolutionary nationalist ideology via affirmation and deeds!
There I again encountered some truly conscious men who embraced one and
aided in my growth from tribal reactionary towards revolutionary
activist. [Many comrades freely gave of themselves on a daily to uplift
all of us! What I learned from them was “struggle”! To educated
ourselves and others to learn the needs of the people, stand beside all
who share same struggle (i.e. quest for revolutionary political and
economic change in U$). Skin color being a non-factor in assessment of
one’s revolutionary authenticity. This is a reality I took with me over
the following 5 years, including a (3 year) ADX return. Each line I hit,
my objectives stayed fairly fixed, but open to change depending on
conditions and personnel. This led to many fruitful alliances with a
cross section of the populace on one hand, and quite a few situations
where we organized and in turn undermined the progression of our common
oppressor.
The biggest hurdle that I see to Euro-nationalists truly embracing a
genuinely revolutionary ideology is their own fears and inherent biases.
The fear of being ostracized by other Europeans keeps majority from
standing beside folks of color. Their shared sociocultural backgrounds
with the pigs (in majority of states) oftentimes see the euro-captive
identify with the euro-captor out of some misguided sense of cultural
identity vs. those held beside them, who are of New Afrikan or Latino
ancestry. Ray Luc and Richard W. (rip) showed exactly how one of
European ancestry can be revolutionaries. Neither of them were cowards
about reactionary BS! They walked as men, and as such, all respected
them. And both had full military support of party, tribal sets, etc.
should any of the racists attempt to move on them. Those who are really
striving to be about the struggle stand on “people’s power” not skin
affiliations or entities which espouse supremacist rhetoric.
The article by Bro Rashid (ULK 55, p. 14) I related to as I am
presently housed in the cesspool (twilight zone) of Oregon DOC. What he
described from 2014 could’ve easily been today. Thus far I have lasted 1
month at East Oregon Correctional Institution (EOCI) and 3 months on
this mainline. In both instances I was kited off yard, likely by other
folks of color. My party jacket, coupled with the past tribal ties
(i.e. gang) has apparently moved my captors to indeterminately SHU me.
Oh, and my conversion to Islam a couple years ago likely didn’t help my
cause, considering all of the extremist activities going on globally,
that is. It appears I shall be sent out of state at some point.
Objective being to get the militants up out of ODOC so as to keep these
cats asleep and complacent! Lifers content to own multiple pairs of
shoes; mp3 players, etc. I am constantly amazed, daily, at how warped
these Oregonians ideals are, as they relate to acceptable conduct for
ethical men in prison! Kickin it with pigs is not only accepted by the
so called “good dudes” (Oregon speak for a Euro-captive that is not a
sex offender). Cell soldiering back and forth is a daily occurrence. I
hear an abundance of anti-sex-offender rhetoric, but next to nothing
about the “system” which creates misogynist cats who in turn abuse
women?!
MIM(Prisons) responds: This writer brings up some good examples
from eir history that demonstrate the potential for people to learn and
grow, for unity across groups in prison, and for people of all nations
to take up revolutionary struggle. While there are material reasons why
oppressed nations have a stronger interest in revolutionary struggle,
people from the oppressor nation in prison are in a unique situation
that can inspire them to take up the struggle.
We also want to comment on the last paragraph in which this writer talks
about ethical behavior in prison, as this is an important point. The
ideals that make it correct to talk trash about sex-offenders but not
fight misogyny is something we need to address head on. It is the
patriarchy that makes males feel good to attack those convicted of sex
offenses without thinking about their own patriarchal behavior. Further
the idea that attacking sex offenders is correct but murderers are ok
makes no sense. We need to create a culture where all crimes against the
people are condemned. And then we need to struggle with those who commit
these crimes to see the mistakes they have made and reform their lives.