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.
Jasiri X is a hip hop artist from Pittsburgh who raps the news over some
dope beats produced by The Grand Architect Paradise Gray of X Clan. The
two release these tracks as videos on
youtube.com in a
series titled “This Week with Jasiri X.” Jasiri X is popular in activist
circles, frequently performing and speaking at benefits and rallies.
We’ve been bobbing our heads to his tracks since the release of
OG3 - Oscar Grant
Tribute in January 2009, but in light of his most recent release,
American Workers
vs. Multi-Billionaires, we decided to take a closer look.
OG3 tells the story of the murder of Oscar Grant and the
rebellions following his murder, from the points of view of Oscar Grant
and the protesters. Although the facts aren’t 100% correct in
OG3, it is a good example of the many tracks Jasiri X has
released about police brutality and aggression against Black people in
Amerika. A track titled
Free the Jena 6
was one of the first that got peoples’ attention, and he continues to
shout out victims of police execution and violence by name.
When working on an international piece, Jasiri X correctly draws
connections between police brutality here and imperial aggression
against Third World peoples around the world. He recently released a
track about the uprisings in Egypt with M-1 of
Dead
Prez, titled We
All Shall Be Free!
Despite his revolutionary lean, Jasiri X still holds on to his
Amerikanism on several issues, which comes up big time in American
Workers vs. Multi-Billionaires. The video for this song was shot
inside the capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin, against a backdrop of
labor aristocrats raising a stink to keep their “fair share” of the
imperialist pie. The title implies that a line is being drawn between
Amerikan “workers” and the capitalist multi-billionaires with this union
busting legislation. However, as outlined in several articles and
books(1) Amerikan “workers” are actually fundamentally allied with the
imperialist, capitalist class on an international level. It is only
because of the pillage of resources and lives in the Third World that
the government employees in Wisconsin even have health care in the first
place. Defending this “right” to health care is essentially the same
thing as supporting Amerikan wars, which Jasiri X says he is against.
History has shown that the multi-billionaires won’t give up theirs
without a fight.
“When did the American worker become the enemy? Why is wanting a
living wage such a penalty?” - Jasiri X from “American Workers
vs. Multi-Billionaires”
The Amerikan “worker,” or labor aristocrat, is the enemy of the majority
of the world’s people because their lives are subsidized by the economic
exploitation of the Third World. Third World peoples’ sweat, blood, and
lives are wasted to pay for the Amerikan “worker’s” pensions and health
care. This is because most of the “work” that Amerikans do does not
generate value; we have a service-based economy. The only reason our
society has such a disproportionately high “living wage” (as if those
who make less die) is because we are comfortable swinging our
weight around in imperialist wars of aggression to extract wealth from
the Third World. Jasiri X seems to be opposed to this extraction of
wealth, but does not make the connection that Amerikan “workers” are
directly benefiting from it, and not just the multi-billionaires.
Jasiri X seems to adhere to an anti-racist model of social change.
Besides being supported by an incorrect analysis of history, it also has
him defending Obama as a Black man, rather than attacking him as the
chosen leader of the largest and most aggressive imperialist country in
the world. Jasiri X correctly pins Obama as an ally of the Amerikan
people; their key to a comfortable lifestyle and fat retirement plan.
But as an ally of the oppressed, Jasiri X should accept that Obama, and
the labor aristocracy, are enemies of the majority of the world’s
people, and leave patriotism behind. Agitating for the betterment of
people in Haiti, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, etc. as Jasiri X does through
some of his raps, while at the same time defending Obama and the
Amerikan “worker,” is a recipe for stagnation. If we want to end
oppression the world over, we need to have a clear idea of who are our
friends and who are our enemies.
I want to illuminate my thoughts regarding a “secret” Massachusetts DOC
policy that this state utilizes to hold us for long stretches in
solitary settings. We are frequently charged with violating a secret
regulation (103 DOC 514), yet we have no access, nor does the public, to
view this secret policy. The DOC expects us to abide by a regulation
that we are not allowed to read.
103 CMR 430 seeks to ensure fairness in the prison disciplinary system
by clearly defining and providing transparent notice of the procedures
by which disciplinary issues are handled. If the goal of 103 CMR 430 is
to promote order in the Massachusetts prison system and affect positive
change in prisoner behavior, the applicable regulations, and standards,
must be clear and readily available to the prisoners who are held
accountable for transgressing these behavioral benchmarks. If they are
not, the result on the prison population will be confusion, not
conformity. Prisoners cannot change their behavior to abide by a set of
regulations they are not allowed to view. We are owed due process under
the 14th Amendment, but due process is not being afforded to us.
In Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 US 539 (1974), the Supreme Court
held that advanced written notice of regulations a prisoner is allegedly
violating is one of the minimum requirements of procedural due process.
Furthermore, a common person could only guess at what does or doesn’t
constitute engaging in STG activity. Charging us continuously with
STG-related offenses while denying us access to definitions of STG or
STG activity conflicts with the purpose of 103 CMR 430, and the due
process clause of the 14th Amendment. We must stand up and demand that
the Massachusetts DOC reveal this secret policy!
As suspected, our appeal to the corrupted grievance system was denied.
It has been decided that we continue our punishment here in
Administrative Segregation (Ad-Seg), all because we 16 Brothers were
observing
Black August.
These pigs can stop a revolutionary but they will never stop a
revolution, by the words of Brother Fred Hampton. Black August is a
peoples’ holiday, so why should I be punished for it? It’s a proven fact
that this administration used my observation to place and keep me in
Ad-Seg.
The mentality of tyranny is a war of psychology via
technology, technically diversified con-fused like a
tie-dye’d brain is stained with illusion and lies dispel, rebel,
and defy the pail; head like a bucket, it’s time to chuck it life
on the line - F…K it!
You have an obligation time to stop duckin’, time to start
buckin’ Revolution is bubblin’
Peroxide da line Oxygenate ya mind We have been deprived all of our
lives given enough scraps to barely survive I’m feelin a vibe of
Free ya mind its in vogue don’t be so shallow and the rest will
follow led by the dialectical materialist kind
Now lets begin - power up equip to it and stick like Bruce Lee
Roy’s chop sockie flick a sho’ nuff revolutionary kick Word, it’s
a U-N-I-T-Y hit!
Who did what who called the shot I just don’t know all I
know is that it shouldn’t have been so Malcolm should have lived
until he was a thousand years old or even more some say it was
the COINTELPRO of that I’m sure but what made negroes gun down
our hero and turn around and practice non-violence towards a
savage who threatens our very existence while Malcolm was plotting a
resistance against the nemesis these imbeciles was plotting
against the shining prince they’re worse than Judas because
Judas had a conscience so he hung himself after his treacherous
action but after the treason these Judases are still
breathing why don’t they just die and make us rejoice with
joy non-believers disguised in Black skin sabotaging the struggle
that they don’t believe in so they use their skin to deceive men
niggas killed Malcolm X and niggas will probably kill me too
You got to be naive to believe you can determine friend from
foe just based on skin color alone and not by the content of the
character I see the niggas but where my brothers at Bob Marley
said that they sold Marcus Garvey for rice Then they ambushed Bob
Marley in the night They say the eyes never lie but experience
tells me that they don’t always tell the truth
niggas killed Malcolm X and niggas will probably kill me too
Huey Newton was still an asset yet slugs put him in his
casket while agent provocateurs that deserve death remain in
our midst misfits in positions of leadership navigating the lives
of the less fortunate the blind leading the blind now we can’t
find our way out of this maze that got us trapped and strapped
with gats that we only aim at Blacks
niggas killed Malcolm X and niggas will probably kill me too
I’m analyzing this self hatred wondering why this Black life of
mine ain’t considered sacred in a blink of an eye a nigga would
lay me dead on the pavement but if my pigment was white a nigga
would think twice fifty times before he contemplates homicide I’ve
stared into the eyes of these boys who claim to be real men and
I’ve seen the fear that paralyzes that make them throw away their
weapon when the cops hit the intersection we’re conditioned for
submission so the prisons are full of Blacks who hate
Blacks and back stab each other because they’re petrified of the
real nemesis life sentences and these fools are complacent with
just being jail house celebrities all is vanity buy up the
commissary and live good in the penitentiary while we’re
becoming liabilities to our families where’s the sanity?
niggas killed Malcolm X and niggas will probably kill me too
I was recently able to read a new publication which was published by the
RCP-USA titled “Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North
America” (draft proposal) from the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA.
I have been at many prisons in California where I came across RCP
literature, including its newspaper ‘Revolution.’ While at first glance
this RCP literature may seem “progressive,” and a novice revolutionary
may even think the RCP is fighting in the best interest of the masses, a
closer look into its political line may surprise many prisoners who are
developing their political stance.
The society that U.$. prisoners dream of is one that turns the pyramid
of power upside down where those on the bottom of today’s totem pole are
the ones who have a say in running a society based on new democracy as
was seen in Mao’s China where landless peasants were freed from the
chains of oppressive feudalism and colonialism. The prisoner in today’s
capitalist Amerika understands that such a society will not come easy
and we learn this valuable lesson by attempting to change the oppressive
environment behind prison walls. We learn ‘grass roots’ organizing and
how hard it is to kick start even simple resistance to injustice on a
micro-level.
As we learn these lessons we also begin to see what it will take to
change a society, combat the capitalist and build the revolution. One of
the key components of transforming society is a vanguard party; this is
common sense as we know from the prison experience that issues that are
not coordinated often prove disastrous. So on a large scale effort like
transforming society we can see how a political party would be needed to
lead the masses on the right path to liberation on all fronts.
Understanding this we often meet others in prison who seek out political
parties and begin the arduous work of studies in all the revolutionary
groups’ theories, their political line, so that we can determine who is
the vanguard party, who has the correct political theory on what it will
take to reach liberation here in the belly of the beast.
I began to really study the RCP literature as it is a party that claims
to be struggling on behalf of the people. Along my path of really
analyzing the literature of the RCP is where I stumbled upon its stance
on the oppressed nations’ right to self-determination.
The portion of this constitution that is of concern is “Article 11.
Regions, localities, and basic institution, Section 3. minority and
formerly oppressed nationalities.” This section starts off pointing out
the crimes and injustices that were perpetrated against oppressed
nationalities by the former government of the USA. It explains how in
the future socialist state they believe elections and legislature would
work, among other new rights, in the interest of the oppressed.
Subsection “A. African-Americans” correctly states that under a new
socialist state Black people would have the right to self-determination
all the way up to the right to secede and form a separate country
outside a new socialist republic if Black people so choose. This is
correct. The ability for an oppressed nation to govern themselves is a
right that all should have under a socialist society.
Under Subsection “B. Mexican-Americans” the guarantee to the right of
self-determination up to the right to secede does not exist. Rather in
subsection B2 it states:
“Relations with Mexico, and policy with regard to the former southwest
region of the imperialist USA, shall, from the time of the founding and
in the first few years of the new socialist republic in North America,
take into account the nature of the society and government - and the
level and character of revolutionary struggle - in Mexico, as well as
the actual extent of territory which has been liberated through the
revolution which led to the defeat and dismantling of the imperialist
state of the USA and the founding of the new socialist republic in North
America. At the same time, the necessary consideration shall be given to
the situation in the world as a whole, in determining how to proceed
with regard to this region. In this over all context and also taking
into account the sentiments and aspirations of the people in the region,
in particular those of Mexican origin and descent, the question of
whether to return at least parts of this region to Mexico, and/or
whether there should be established, within parts of this region, a
country that is separate from both Mexico and the New Socialist Republic
in North America, shall be taken up by the government of the New
Socialist Republic in North America.”
The above portion of the RCP document is an incorrect line. The fact
that RCP feels that once a “socialist republic” is established that the
Mexican people would not be entitled to their right to full
self-determination but rather their right to secession would be “taken
up by the government of the New Socialist Republic in North America” as
they put it is simply wrong. All communists should uphold the right to
self-determination! The Leninist principle of self-determination is an
essential aspect for a socialist party in general and would surely be a
requirement for a vanguard party in particular.
The RCP has also stated the same line for the “Native Americans” - that
if it took power the RCP itself would decide on the future for “Native
Americans” but would allow “autonomous zones” for the “Native Americans”
within an RCP socialist republic.
This line will prove to be a grave error for any party that sets its
sights on attaining state power. National liberation struggles will not
cease to exist until oppressed nations acquire full liberation -
regardless of who is in power, denying their freedom. Lenin understood
this and thus promoted self-determination as he understood that the
basis for revolution is liberty at its core.
What seems to be lost on the RCP is that the oppressed nations, whether
Latino, First Nations or any other, are not going to put their lives on
the line to transform this society only to allow themselves to be ruled
by what the RCP feels is best. Once oppressed nations see a New
Socialist government is truly in the interest of the people it is for
them to decide to join this republic. The vast majority of the land
today is First Nation/Mexican land and for RCP to state they’ll decide
on who lives where is ludicrous. This position is as ridiculous as if
the oppressed East Indians and other Asians living in South Africa were
to create a party, gain power and then tell the native “Black” South
Africans “we’ll decide if you can secede or where you’ll live”! This
colonization is incorrect and does not represent a righteous
revolutionary line.
The liberation of Aztlán (what is currently the southwestern U.$.) under
an all Latino socialist government must be the primary objective of all
Brown revolutionaries in North America. By showing its true colors, RCP
demonstrates once more that many parties claim to fight for all, but in
the end don’t truly seek liberation for the oppressed nations, as MIM
has correctly taught. It is the oppressed nations ourselves who must
seek self-determination, this can only be done by using Maoism as the
primary vehicle.
We need political parties that guarantee the Leninist principal of
self-determination! we need to build Maoist parties led by and for the
oppressed nations! Long live the national liberation struggles
worldwide.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We have not reviewed this rcp=u$a document
but this criticism is consistent with our readings of other material by
this organization which fakes left but actually opposes the liberation
of oppressed nations, instead favoring the struggles of the Amerikan
white oppressor nation for a bigger piece of unearned imperialist pie.
Based on this comrade’s review, we can condemn the chauvinism of the
rcp=u$a that is writing the plans for some utopian white socialist
state, while asserting that the future of Aztlán is uncertain. If
anyone’s future is uncertain it is the hundreds of millions of Amerikans
whose nation must be destroyed as part of the anti-imperialist struggle.
It is hard for us to imagine how this will happen without the indigenous
people of the southwestern U.$. already being well onto the socialist
road. If we’re going to predict the future, we should be thinking about
how the socialist republics of Aztlán, New Afrika and countless First
Nation states will determine the form of transition for a large Amerikan
population who is generally opposed to the socialist project.
The land question is no more settled for New Afrika than it is for
Aztlán, and certainly not more so than for First Nations. We support all
nationalism, including struggles for independent territory, that is
opposed to imperialism.
West Tennessee State Penitentiary (WTSP) has a lot of house policy
issues. For one, their policies are not always legitimate under
Tennessee Department of Correction penological justifications. On Feb
1st 2001 WTSP Warden Henry Steward and AWO Tommy Mills put out a memo to
the maximum/segregated prisoners about them violating in-house policies.
I am a maximum security/segregated prisoner and therefore I can speak
about the mistreatment and un-professionalism of the prison officials
and administrators.
Max prisoners endure a lot of foul talk and other things that are
unprofessional from the correctional officers who run the units/pods.
Neither the Tennessee Commissioner or Governor has been notified nor
approved of the memo from February. The memo allows the administrators
to take away their personal property, such as TVs, commissary, and other
articles we bought over the years of our incarceration. This is in clear
violation of the 8th and 14th amendments. The 14th amendment protects
prisoners against the deprivation of personal property and liberty
without due process of law. When state law and regulations substantively
limit the discretion of confinement, the state creates an expectation,
and the 8th and 14th amendments protects against the intentional,
malicious or sadistic acts by prison officials towards prisoners. At the
end it’s all cruel and unusual punishment.
All the maximum/segregated prisoners have filed a petition on this issue
and are waiting to hear back from the commissioner. I believe these
prison administrators fail to realize that we as prisoners still have
rights. I again thank you for the help in the U.S. prison struggle.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We welcome the news that our comrades in
Tennessee are coming together to fight repressive policies. We encourage
those in other states to take up their example, and be sure to report on
your work in ULK so that we can share these reports and learn from each
others struggles.
Beanies/caps have been provided for all prisoners in Administrative
Segregation D-yard and Z-unit here. Strip searches will be indoors only
(cells and showers) when it’s 50 degrees or lower.
Due to the petitions sent to internal affairs and the ombudsman about
the violations of the 602 appeal process that were taking place here in
High Desert, an investigation was initiated by the main office of CDCR.
All those who sent said petitions were interviewed here in Z-unit by an
investigator for Internal Affairs and if my memory serves me correctly
the secretary of CDCR.
These “suits” asked about the ongoing issues taking place here in Z-unit
particularly, and High Desert in general. Some complaints were the need
for warming wealth gear, the 602 process, TVs, cleaning supplies, access
to the law library, transfers for validated inmates and those going to
SHUs and mainlines, unjustified validations, and more.
The results of these interviews as well as the hard work of MIM(Prisons)
and all comrades involved has bore fruit. Although we are used to these
charlatans giving us better drag than an eloquent speaking pimp the
following was granted: instead of having an “informal level,” the 602
form goes directly to the appeals coordinator making it harder for
him/her to screen us out unjustly. Also a new “Form 22” has been
provided so that our requests may be answered in a timely fashion by
COs, with a receipt. Now we have a clearer paper trail to use should K9s
decide to implement their underground rules. Attached with this letter
are the notices the administration passed out to us here in Z-unit.
Beanies were provided but no gloves. And as I write this, shelves and
necessary wiring are being installed in one of these sections/tiers here
in the zoo. The K9s cleared out one whole section in order to start the
renovation on February 7 2011.
Although some requests were granted we should all reflect on this whole
situation and take from it an important point that a challenge to this
penal system in solidarity should constantly and consistently be pressed
in order to receive our rights, while at the same time keeping our
sights on abolishing this human warehouse that only benefits this
corrupt capitalist system and nothing else.
I entered Washington DOC less than a year ago, but in that time I’ve
experienced and witnessed first hand the “Department of Corruption.” We
have rights bestowed upon us by our forefathers through the constitution
of the united states of america, so why is it we are belittled to such a
point that we aren’t treated like men, or for that matter prisoners, but
animals in a cage?
The COs and Sgts don’t care about our rights, they only come here to
receive a paycheck. They cuss at us, disrespect us and use excessive
force. In turn we file a grievance or grievances on said officers and
actions and these “grievance coordinators” throw out our claims. Or if
they do respond we get responses like “rewrite” or “not enough info,”
something just to shake us up and to detour us from what happened. This
works to their advantage because most prisoners are too lazy and they
just throw in the towel!
Persistence, organization, education and unity as a “whole body” is the
key to gaining the upper hand against these punks. We need to rise up,
unite and take matters into our own hands because it’s apparent that the
facilities and the states they’re in are stuck on power and control over
the individual prisoner. It’s us coming together and standing for our
rights, fighting the system to be recognized and treated as people and
not animals.
I believe wholeheartedly that a neutral outside company or corporation
dealing solely with grievances and our claims is the only way that we as
prisoners will be treated fairly and with justice. Until that happens we
will continue to be treated like animals and file grievances that most
likely won’t be read and therefore will be forgotten and thrown out,
especially if it’s in the staff member’s best interest.
Is this fair, just or even legal? No it’s not, but until we stand up to
these people and put our proverbial foot down, things will continue as
they are and I guarantee it will only get worse with time.
Comrades, it’s about time something was done about these injustices!
Until next time, keep on fighting the good fight and one day things will
change. Strive for communism!
MIM(Prisons) responds: This is an important issue to organize
around. Not only is it something we can unite all prisoners around, it
can also be the spark to begin developing independent power. Only a
prison population that studies, struggles and works together can protect
themselves from abuses by an oppressive captor.
Comrades in United Struggle from Within have already initiated a
grievance
campaign in many states. Join this coordinated fight to demand our
grievances be addressed. Write to us for letters and petitions you can
use in your own states.
by a Pennsylvania prisoner February 2011 permalink
The U.$. Government is trying to find a new way to kill people of color.
This is suppose to be a country of justice, equality and freedom, yet
thirty five states still carry out the death penalty. Each state now
seeks a new way to carry out an execution because the drug used in the
lethal injection (Sodium Thiopental) is not being produced or exported
to the U$ any longer.
The people who sit on death row are mainly Black and Latino. Death Row
serves as a modern day lynching house for Blacks and Latinos. The state
of Georgia just carried out an execution of Emanuel Hammond with Sodium
Thiopental from an unlicensed company operating out of the back of a
driving school in London, England [Similar controversy occurred recently
in California - ULK editor].
We need to understand what’s going on around us and know our struggle is
never over. And we need to start letting our voice be heard. Look at
what’s going on in Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia. These people are standing
up to their government, letting their voices be heard.
Let’s stand up for our people in Death Row and stop this modern day
genocide.
MIM(Prisons) responds: As
MIM
explained well many times already, the death penalty is good for
nothing more than national oppression. It does not affect the crime
rate, but it does get applied disproportionately against Blacks and
Latinos. We call for an end to the imperialist death penalty, but not
because we are pacifists. We know that the death penalty might be needed
under socialism to deal with enemies of the people but we would not use
this tool widely and we work towards a society where neither police nor
prisons are needed.