Prisoners Report on Conditions in

Federal Prisons

Got legal skills? Help out with writing letters to appeal censorship of MIM Distributors by prison staff. help out

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.

We hope this information will inspire people to take action and join the fight against the criminal injustice system. While we may not be able to immediately impact this particular instance of abuse, we can work to fundamentally change the system that permits and perpetuates it. The criminal injustice system is intimately tied up with imperialism, and serves as a tool of social control on the homeland, particularly targeting oppressed nations.

Anchorage Correctional Complex (Anchorage)

Goose Creek Correctional Center (Wasilla)

Federal Correctional Institution Aliceville (Aliceville)

Holman Correctional Facility (Atmore)

Cummins Unit (Grady)

Delta Unit (Dermott)

East Arkansas Regional Unit (Marianna)

Grimes Unit (Newport)

North Central Unit (Calico Rock)

Tucker Max Unit (Tucker)

Varner Supermax (Grady)

Arizona State Prison Complex Central Unit (Florence)

Arizona State Prison Complex Eyman SMUI (Florence)

Arizona State Prison Complex Eyman SMUII (Florence)

Arizona State Prison Complex Florence Central (Florence)

Arizona State Prison Complex Lewis Morey (Buckeye)

Arizona State Prison Complex Perryville Lumley (Goodyear)

Federal Correctional Institution Tucson (Tucson)

Florence Correctional Center (Florence)

La Palma Correctional Center - Corrections Corporation of Americ (Eloy)

Saguaro Correctional Center - Corrections Corporation of America (Eloy)

Tucson United States Penitentiary (Tucson)

California Correctional Center (Susanville)

California Correctional Institution (Tehachapi)

California Health Care Facility (Stockton)

California Institution for Men (Chino)

California Institution for Women (Corona)

California Medical Facility (Vacaville)

California State Prison, Corcoran (Corcoran)

California State Prison, Los Angeles County (Lancaster)

California State Prison, Sacramento (Represa)

California State Prison, San Quentin (San Quentin)

California State Prison, Solano (Vacaville)

California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison (Corcoran)

Calipatria State Prison (Calipatria)

Centinela State Prison (Imperial)

Chuckawalla Valley State Prison (Blythe)

Coalinga State Hospital (COALINGA)

Deuel Vocational Institution (Tracy)

Federal Correctional Institution Dublin (Dublin)

Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc (Lompoc)

Federal Correctional Institution Victorville I (ADELANTO)

Folsom State Prison (Folsom)

Heman Stark YCF (Chino)

High Desert State Prison (Indian Springs)

Ironwood State Prison (Blythe)

Kern Valley State Prison (Delano)

Martinez Detention Facility - Contra Costa County Jail (Martinez)

Mule Creek State Prison (Ione)

North Kern State Prison (Delano)

Pelican Bay State Prison (Crescent City)

Pleasant Valley State Prison (Coalinga)

Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility at Rock Mountain (San Diego)

Salinas Valley State Prison (Soledad)

Santa Barbara County Jail (Santa Barbara)

Santa Clara County Main Jail North (San Jose)

Santa Rosa Main Adult Detention Facility (Santa Rosa)

Soledad State Prison (Soledad)

US Penitentiary Victorville (Adelanto)

Valley State Prison (Chowchilla)

Wasco State Prison (Wasco)

West Valley Detention Center (Rancho Cucamonga)

Bent County Correctional Facility (Las Animas)

Colorado State Penitentiary (Canon City)

Denver Women's Correctional Facility (Denver)

Fremont Correctional Facility (Canon City)

Hudson Correctional Facility (Hudson)

Limon Correctional Facility (Limon)

Sterling Correctional Facility (Sterling)

Trinidad Correctional Facility (Trinidad)

U.S. Penitentiary Florence (Florence)

US Penitentiary MAX (Florence)

Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center (Uncasville)

Federal Correctional Institution Danbury (Danbury)

MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution (Suffield)

Northern Correctional Institution (Somers)

Delaware Correctional Center (Smyrna)

Apalachee Correctional Institution (Sneads)

Charlotte Correctional Institution (Punta Gorda)

Columbia Correctional Institution (Portage)

Cross City Correctional Institution (Cross City)

Dade Correctional Institution (Florida City)

Desoto Correctional Institution (Arcadia)

Everglades Correctional Institution (Miami)

Federal Correctional Complex Coleman USP II (Coleman)

Florida State Prison (Raiford)

Graceville Correctional Facility (Graceville)

Gulf Correctional Institution Annex (Wewahitchka)

Hamilton Correctional Institution (Jasper)

Jefferson Correctional Institution (Monticello)

Lowell Correctional Institution (Lowell)

Lowell Reception Center (Ocala)

Marion County Jail (Ocala)

Martin Correctional Institution (Indiantown)

Moore Haven Correctional Institution (Moore Haven)

Northwest Florida Reception Center (Chipley)

Okaloosa Correctional Institution (Crestview)

Okeechobee Correctional Institution (Okeechobee)

Santa Rosa Correctional Institution (Milton)

South Florida Reception Center (Doral)

Suwanee Correctional Institution (Live Oak)

Union Correctional Institution (Raiford)

Wakulla Correctional Institution (Crawfordville)

Autry State Prison (Pelham)

Baldwin SP Bootcamp (Hardwick)

Banks County Detention Facility (Homer)

Bulloch County Correctional Institution (Statesboro)

Calhoun State Prison (Morgan)

Cobb County Detention Center (Marietta)

Coffee Correctional Facility (Nicholls)

Dooly State Prison (Unadilla)

Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison (Jackson)

Georgia State Prison (Reidsville)

Gwinnett County Detention Center (Lawrenceville)

Hancock State Prison (Sparta)

Hays State Prison (Trion)

Jenkins Correctional Center (Millen)

Johnson State Prison (Wrightsville)

Macon State Prison (Oglethorpe)

Riverbend Correctional Facility (Milledgeville)

Smith State Prison (Glennville)

Telfair State Prison (Helena)

US Penitentiary Atlanta (Atlanta)

Valdosta Correctional Institution (Valdosta)

Ware Correctional Institution (Waycross)

Wheeler Correctional Facility (Alamo)

Saguaro Correctional Center (Hilo)

Iowa State Penitentiary - 1110 (Fort Madison)

Mt Pleasant Correctional Facility - 1113 (Mt Pleasant)

Idaho Maximum Security Institution (Boise)

Dixon Correctional Center (Dixon)

Federal Correctional Institution Pekin (Pekin)

Lawrence Correctional Center (Sumner)

Menard Correctional Center (Menard)

Pontiac Correctional Center (PONTIAC)

Stateville Correctional Center (Joliet)

Tamms Supermax (Tamms)

US Penitentiary Marion (Marion)

Western IL Correctional Center (Mt Sterling)

Will County Adult Detention Facility (Joilet)

Pendleton Correctional Facility (Pendleton)

Putnamville Correctional Facility (Greencastle)

US Penitentiary Terra Haute (Terre Haute)

Wabash Valley Correctional Facility (Carlisle)

Westville Correctional Facility (Westville)

Atchison County Jail (Atchison)

El Dorado Correctional Facility (El Dorado)

Hutchinson Correctional Facility (Hutchinson)

Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility (Larned)

Leavenworth Detention Center (Leavenworth)

Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex (West Liberty)

Federal Correctional Institution Ashland (Ashland)

Federal Correctional Institution Manchester (Manchester)

Kentucky State Reformatory (LaGrange)

US Penitentiary Big Sandy (Inez)

David Wade Correctional Center (Homer)

LA State Penitentiary (Angola)

Riverbend Detention Center (Lake Providence)

US Penitentiary - Pollock (Pollock)

Winn Correctional Center (Winfield)

Bristol County Sheriff's Office (North Dartmouth)

Massachussetts Correctional Institution Cedar Junction (South Walpole)

Massachussetts Correctional Institution Shirley (Shirley)

Eastern Correctional Institution (Westover)

Jessup Correctional Institution (Jessup)

MD Reception, Diagnostic & Classification Center (Baltimore)

North Branch Correctional Institution (Cumberland)

Roxburry Correctional Institution (Hagerstown)

Western Correctional Institution (Cumberland)

Baraga Max Correctional Facility (Baraga)

Chippewa Correctional Facility (Kincheloe)

Ionia Maximum Facility (Ionia)

Kinross Correctional Facility (Kincheloe)

Macomb Correctional Facility (New Haven)

Marquette Branch Prison (Marquette)

Pine River Correctional Facility (St Louis)

Richard A Handlon Correctional Facility (Ionia)

Thumb Correctional Facility (Lapeer)

Federal Correctional Institution (Sandstone)

Federal Correctional Institution Waseca (Waseca)

Minnesota Corrections Facility Oak Park Heights (Stillwater)

Minnesota Corrections Facility Stillwater (Bayport)

Chillicothe Correctional Center (Chillicothe)

Crossroads Correctional Center (Cameron)

Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (Bonne Terre)

Jefferson City Correctional Center (Jefferson City)

Northeastern Correctional Center (Bowling Green)

Potosi Correctional Center (Mineral Point)

South Central Correctional Center (Licking)

Southeast Correctional Center (Charleston)

Adams County Correctional Center (NATCHEZ)

Chickasaw County Regional Correctional Facility (Houston)

George-Greene Regional Correctional Facility (Lucedale)

Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (Woodville)

Montana State Prison (Deer Lodge)

Albemarle Correctional Center (Badin)

Alexander Correctional Institution (Taylorsville)

Avery/Mitchell Correctional Center (Spruce Pine)

Central Prison (Raleigh)

Cherokee County Detention Center (Murphy)

Craggy Correctional Center (Asheville)

Federal Correctional Institution Butner Medium II (Butner)

Foothills Correctional Institution (Morganton)

Granville Correctional Institution (Butner)

Greene Correctional Institution (Maury)

Hoke Correctional Institution (Raeford)

Lanesboro Correctional Institution (Polkton)

Lumberton Correctional Institution (Lumberton)

Marion Correctional Institution (Marion)

Mountain View Correctional Institution (Spruce Pine)

NC Correctional Institution for Women (Raleigh)

Neuse Correctional Institution (Goldsboro)

Pamlico Correctional Institution (Bayboro)

Pasquotank Correctional Institution (Elizabeth City)

Pender Correctional Institution (Burgaw)

Raleigh prison (Raleigh)

Rivers Correctional Institution (Winton)

Scotland Correctional Institution (Laurinburg)

Tabor Correctional Institution (Tabor City)

Warren Correctional Institution (Lebanon)

Wayne Correctional Center (Goldsboro)

Nebraska State Penitentiary (Lincoln)

Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (Tecumseh)

East Jersey State Prison (Rahway)

New Jersey State Prison (Trenton)

Northern State Prison (Newark)

South Woods State Prison (Bridgeton)

Lea County Detention Center (Lovington)

Ely State Prison (Ely)

Lovelock Correctional Center (Lovelock)

Northern Nevada Correctional Center (Carson City)

Adirondack Correctional Facility (Ray Brook)

Attica Correctional Facility (Attica)

Auburn Correctional Facility (Auburn)

Clinton Correctional Facility (Dannemora)

Downstate Correctional Facility (Fishkill)

Eastern NY Correctional Facility (Napanoch)

Five Points Correctional Facility (Romulus)

Franklin Correctional Facility (Malone)

Great Meadow Correctional Facility (Comstock)

Metropolitan Detention Center (Brooklyn)

Sing Sing Correctional Facility (Ossining)

Southport Correctional Facility (Pine City)

Sullivan Correctional Facility (Fallsburg)

Upstate Correctional Facility (Malone)

Chillicothe Correctional Institution (Chillicothe)

Ohio State Penitentiary (Youngstown)

Ross Correctional Institution (Chillicothe)

Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (Lucasville)

Cimarron Correctional Facility (Cushing)

Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution (Pendleton)

MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility (Woodburn)

Oregon State Penitentiary (Salem)

Snake River Correctional Institution (Ontario)

Two Rivers Correctional Institution (Umatilla)

Cambria County Prison (Ebensburg)

Chester County Prison (Westchester)

Federal Correctional Institution McKean (Bradford)

State Correctional Institution Albion (Albion)

State Correctional Institution Benner (Bellefonte)

State Correctional Institution Camp Hill (Camp Hill)

State Correctional Institution Chester (Chester)

State Correctional Institution Cresson (Cresson)

State Correctional Institution Dallas (Dallas)

State Correctional Institution Fayette (LaBelle)

State Correctional Institution Forest (Marienville)

State Correctional Institution Frackville (Frackville)

State Correctional Institution Graterford (Graterford)

State Correctional Institution Greene (Waynesburgh)

State Correctional Institution Houtzdale (Houtzdale)

State Correctional Institution Huntingdon (Huntingdon)

State Correctional Institution Mahanoy (Frackville)

State Correctional Institution Muncy (Muncy)

State Correctional Institution Phoenix (Collegeville)

State Correctional Institution Pine Grove (Indiana)

State Correctional Institution Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)

State Correctional Institution Rockview (Bellefonte)

State Correctional Institution Somerset (Somerset)

Alvin S Glenn Detention Center (Columbia)

Broad River Correctional Institution (Columbia)

Evans Correctional Institution (Bennettsville)

Kershaw Correctional Institution (Kershaw)

Lee Correctional Institution (Bishopville)

Lieber Correctional Institution (Ridgeville)

McCormick Correctional Institution (McCormick)

Perry Correctional Institution (Pelzer)

Ridgeland Correctional Institution (Ridgeland)

DeBerry Special Needs Facility (Nashville)

Federal Correctional Institution Memphis (Memphis)

Hardeman County Correctional Center (Whiteville)

MORGAN COUNTY CORRECTIONAL COMPLEX (Wartburg)

Nashville (Nashville)

Northeast Correctional Complex (Mountain City)

Northwest Correctional Complex (Tiptonville)

Riverbend Maximum Security Institution (Nashville)

Trousdale Turner Correctional Center (Hartsville)

Turney Center Industrial Prison (Only)

West Tennessee State Penitentiary (Henning)

Allred Unit (Iowa Park)

Beto I Unit (Tennessee Colony)

Bexar County Jail (San Antonio)

Bill Clements Unit (Amarillo)

Billy Moore Correctional Center (Overton)

Bowie County Correctional Center (Texarkana)

Boyd Unit (Teague)

Bridgeport Unit (Bridgeport)

Cameron County Detention Center (Olmito)

Choice Moore Unit (Bonham)

Clemens Unit (Brazoria)

Coffield Unit (Tennessee Colony)

Connally Unit (Kenedy)

Cotulla Unit (Cotulla)

Dalhart Unit (Dalhart)

Daniel Unit (Snyder)

Darrington Unit (Rosharon)

Dominguez State Jail (San Antonio)

Eastham Unit (Lovelady)

Ellis Unit (Huntsville)

Estelle 2 (Huntsville)

Estelle High Security Unit (Huntsville)

Ferguson Unit (Midway)

Formby Unit (Plainview)

Garza East Unit (Beeville)

Gib Lewis Unit (Woodville)

Hamilton Unit (Bryan)

Harris County Jail Facility (Houston)

Hightower Unit (Dayton)

Hobby Unit (Marlin)

Hughes Unit (Gatesville)

Huntsville (Huntsville)

Jester III Unit (Richmond)

John R Lindsey State Jail (Jacksboro)

Jordan Unit (Pampa)

Lane Murray Unit (Gatesville)

Larry Gist State Jail (Beaumont)

LeBlanc Unit (Beaumont)

Lopez State Jail (Edinburg)

Luther Unit (Navasota)

Lychner Unit (Humble)

Lynaugh Unit (Ft Stockton)

McConnell Unit (Beeville)

Michael Unit (Tennessee Colony)

Middleton Unit (Abilene)

Montford Unit (Lubbock)

Mountain View Unit (Gatesville)

Neal Unit (Amarillo)

Pack Unit (Novasota)

Polunsky Unit (Livingston)

Powledge Unit (Palestine)

Ramsey 1 Unit Trusty Camp (Rosharon)

Ramsey III Unit (Rosharon)

Robertson Unit (Abilene)

Rufus Duncan TF (Diboll)

Sanders Estes CCA (Venus)

Smith County Jail (Tyler)

Smith Unit (Lamesa)

Stevenson Unit (Cuero)

Stiles Unit (Beaumont)

Stringfellow Unit (Rosharon)

Telford Unit (New Boston)

Terrell Unit (Rosharon)

Torres Unit (Hondo)

Travis State Jail (Austin)

Vance Unit (Richmond)

Victoria County Jail (Victoria)

Wallace Unit (Colorado City)

Wayne Scott Unit (Angleton)

Willacy Unit (Raymondville)

Wynne Unit (Huntsville)

Young Medical Facility Complex (Dickinson)

Iron County Jail (CEDAR CITY)

Utah State Prison (Draper)

Augusta Correctional Center (Craigsville)

Buckingham Correctional Center (Dillwyn)

Dillwyn Correctional Center (Dillwyn)

Federal Correctional Complex Petersburg (Petersburg)

Federal Correctional Complex Petersburg Medium (Petersburg)

Keen Mountain Correctional Center (Keen Mountain)

Nottoway Correctional Center (Burkeville)

Pocahontas State Correctional Center (Pocahontas)

Red Onion State Prison (Pound)

River North Correctional Center (Independence)

Sussex I State Prison (Waverly)

Sussex II State Prison (Waverly)

VA Beach (Virginia Beach)

Clallam Bay Correctional Facility (Clallam Bay)

Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (Connell)

Olympic Corrections Center (Forks)

Stafford Creek Corrections Center (Aberdeen)

Washington State Penitentiary (Walla Walla)

Green Bay Correctional Institution (Green Bay)

Jackson Correctional Institution (Black River Falls)

Racine Correctional Institution (Sturtevant)

Waupun Correctional Institution (Waupun)

Wisconsin Secure Program Facility (Boscobel)

Mt Olive Correctional Complex (Mount Olive)

US Penitentiary Hazelton (Bruceton Mills)

[Abuse] [Jefferson City Correctional Center] [Missouri]
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Denied Legal Rights at Jefferson City CC

Love & Prosperity from behind enemy lines. It's been over thirteen months that I have been locked in the Segregation Housing Unit (SHU). I've recently been separated from all my brothers of war, and transferred to a new concentration kamp. And I tell you, this new plantation has these prisoners (slaves) domesticated. But I observed the same thing at my last concentration kamp, and look what happen to that plantation (it closed).

Re-education, and re-activating that radical recalcitrant is our duty, to those who have not yet awaken from out of the matrix. I believe that it is a necessity to constantly educate myself if I intend to re-generate The People.

As I'm currently committed to this mission, I also happen to find myself engaged in a battle with this new plantation staff. Whereas I have been at Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC) for nearly a month, and these pigs are denying all policies and procedures.

First, I have been in the SHU my entire stay at JCCC. Since being here I have been denied my right to access the court afforded to all prisoners by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.

I have been deprived from obtaining any case laws because the librarians are asserting that I do not have Qualified Legal Claim (QLC) on file. How can this be when I have a court date scheduled in two weeks?

Wherefore I've followed Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) and wrote the classification staff requesting to be approved for QLC, but you have a better chance of hearing a bird speak English than receiving a response back from a case-manager working in the SHU.

Jefferson City Correctional Center SOP 8-1.4 Access to Law Library Material

1. Offenders in a special unit may not be afforded direct access to the law library; however, limited access shall be provided as follows:

A. offenders in a special unit must show proof they are working on a qualified legal claim:

(1) Classification staff will verify this utilizing the Qualified Legal Claims Verification Form.

(2) Qualified legal claims will be reviewed at least once a year to ensure they have not expired.

It is highly unlikely that I'll receive any case law to further prepare myself before my court date. But to make things worse, I'm being denied my right to the grievance process. I requested an Informal Resolution Request form, to file on the deprivation that has been occurring. I have yet to receive a response or IRR, and this was three weeks ago.

Second, (Yes, there's more) Upon arriving at JCCC I have been furnished none of the necessities I require to stay in communication with the outside world. (pertaining to my address book)

Whereas we are not allowed phone calls while assigned to the SHU, at JCCC. Whereas, our First Amendment right guarantees us communication with the free-world. Me and my comrades are being denied this right by being unable to obtain our address books.

SOP 21-1.2 Administrative Segregation: Assures the we allowed to possess address books and sacred writing. In which me and my comrade were never provided ours from out of our personal property upon arriving at JCCC.

SOP 21-1.2 Administrative Segregation: Also provides that offenders may request property that is allowed in the SHU by submitting a request to classification staff.

I've already done this multiple times and have yet to receive a response.

Third, offenders are afforded Library reading material. This reading material is supposed to be circulated around by second shift pigs. I have been here a month and I have yet to see officers passing out books.

SOP 21-1.2 Administrative Segregation: (1) Library reading material should be provided in the unit in accordance with standard operating procedures.

Library books should be distributed weekly.

1. The Librarian will ensure the books for distribution are available in the unit, updating the selection on a monthly basis.

Fourth, SOP 21-1.2 Administrative Segregation provides that offenders should be permitted to retain prescribed general educational development workbooks or correspondence courses as in accordance with institutional services procedures regarding correspondence courses.

So I came to the conclusion that everything that is supposed to be entitled to JCCC prisoners, as asserted in SOP policies and procedures, is not being provided. This is just an aberration, for those who reside in the free-world and wish to know how the system is supposedly rehabilitating the so-called demented offenders. Because they are not following any of the policies and procedures laid out in their Standard Operation Procedures.

Furthermore, they're even denying me my right to file a grievance on their violations of policy. I wrote my beautiful Black Queens to have them call up here and tear them a new asshole, also I requested of them to call the central office to inform them of what has been occurring at their plantation (prison). I also wrote the central office to inform them of the deprivation prisoners have been experiencing in the SHU at JCCC.

Just another day on the battlefield: push-ups and pepper-spray. We hold the advantage. Due to the enemy's underestimation of the people. They characterize us as illiterate animals who'd rather be at each other's throats instead of detaching the leg from the body that presses down on all of the prisoners and proletarians' throats. We out-class the enemy on every level. Mass, fitness, age, experience (in guerrilla fighting), and even intellectual. But for some reason the vanguard is few in numbers. Unity among the oppressed has been dis-jointed. We have been deceived by propaganda propagated through the media and taught to us inside authoritarian schools. Consolidate with us Guerrilla Fighters (Young Radicals) and assist in helping dismantle the enemy that has been repressing the Blacks, Browns, Indians, and even the Poor Whites. Monopolizing capitalist economic growth off of prisoners.

To my young warriors, understand, just because we choose to engage the enemy in peaceful manner, does not make us peaceful.

"Attaining one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the pinnacle of excellence. Subjugating the enemy's army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence. Warfare should not be undertaken unless the state is threatened. Haste, fear of being labeled a coward, and personal emotions such as anger and hatred should never be permitted to adversely influence state and command decision-making. The army must not be rashly thrown into an engagement, thrust into war, or unnecessarily mobilized.

“If it is not advantageous, do not move. If the objective can be attained, do not employ the army. Unless endangered, do not engage warfare. A ruler cannot mobilize the army out of personal anger. The general cannot engage in battle because of personal frustration. When it is advantageous, move; when not advantageous, stop. Anger can revert to happiness, annoyance can revert to joy, but a vanquished army cannot be revived, the dead cannot be brought back to life."-Sun Tzu, The Art of War

As I require assistance from comrades in the realm of the free-world, please call up here if possible and demand action for the issues asserted earlier in this scribe.

- That prisoners in the administrative segregation housing unit be provided reading material from the Library; as afforded by SOP 21-1.2

- That prisoner in administrative segregation be provided educational material, when requested; as afforded by SOP 21-1.2

- Also, that prisoners in administrative segregation be afforded the opportunity to file grievances.

I respectfully request that you call up here at Jefferson City Correctional Center at (573) 751-3224 and Request to speak with Warden Ramey. Also call the Central Office (573) 751-2381

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[First World Lumpen] [ULK Issue 69]
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Re-defining Toughness

bookmark69

First we must begin with asking why do we have a gangster mentality? It is because we know we are under attack, and the form of warfare is oppression and prejudice. We act in a way of gangster mentality because we know we must defend ourselves, and our minds from such attacks. Therefore, we are defensive. That is where the mind frame stimulates from.

We are active in battle on these streets because we are no fools, we know survival is at stake. Although street and hoodlum affairs keep every gangster blind to which war we should really be fighting; our focus should not be going against a gangster’s mind, our focus should remain on ending all attacks so that a gangster no longer has to pay any mind.

The best way to begin re-defining toughness, is through understanding; by first accepting every man for who he is, as he is. It isn’t the gangster that needs to change, what needs to change are the threats against us that have made us what we are.


MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade raises a good point about the system of oppression that breeds the gangster mentality. Understanding where people's mindset comes from is a good first step to changing that mindset. And as this writer reminds us, we shouldn't blame people for the culture that created them. The next step is transforming this lumpen outlook into a revolutionary outlook. And that's the long-term struggle that we're taking on in prisons right now. Conscious comrades behind bars can step up and build by educating others. We can focus on building peace between lumpen organizations through the United Front for Peace in Prisons. And through this peace we can turn our warfare on the real enemy, the criminal injustice system.

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[U.S. Imperialism] [Fascism]
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Do the Imperialists Want Fascism?

The declining rate of profit is an unavoidable problem under capitalism, and a move toward fascism among the imperialists is primarily a result of this declining rate of profit. Some could interpret this to mean that fascism is an inevitable outcome of late-stage imperialism. But fascism isn’t actually in the interests of most imperialists, if they can avoid it. And today, most are in denial that the declining rate of profit is even a problem. In the 1930s such illusions were smashed by the realities of the Great Depression. Since then, the imperialist countries have managed to put off any comparable economic collapses at home.

Barring such extreme conditions, most imperialists don’t want fascism. The protectionism and extreme militarism that come with fascism are bad for most capitalists’ profits. Militarism is good for increasing demand by destroying capital and infrastructure, and creating a market for very expensive military hardware. And some imperialists are just ideologically geared towards fascism for subjective reasons. But the problem is, imperialism is also bad for profits in that the rate of profit declines as capitalism advances. This is an inherent contradiction in capitalism. Profits come only from the exploitation of humyn labor. And so, as more efficient equipment is built, and worker productivity is increased, and automation is expanded, profit margins fall. Similarly, when the proletariat rises up, capitalist profits are also impacted. Both of these contradictions can push the imperialists towards fascism.

With the global markets entirely divided up under imperialism, there isn’t any easy way for the capitalists to increase their individual profits. Only with the destructiveness of world war and re-division of territories can this be changed.

While most imperialists do not favor fascism in their own countries under normal conditions, they do readily export it to the Third World to maintain imperialist interests there. The United $tates is the main force behind fascism in the Third World. These countries are not imperialist so they can not be fascist independently. However, their imperialist masters can and do impose fascism from the outside when they deem it necessary to retain control. We have seen this over and over. In Latin America, where the United $tates fears any sign of bourgeois nationalism, there is a particularly brutal history. Just two examples are seen in the coups to overthrow Allende in Chile and Arbenez in Guatemala. After the coups, the U.$.-backed replacement governments massacred supporters of the democratically-elected governments as well as other activists and communists.

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[Campaigns] [Allred Unit] [Texas]
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No Accountability with Grievances in Texas

Here in Texas, we are having severe problems with ACCOUNTABILITY with the guards, rank, staff, employees and wardens. The grievance system is a joke. Broken, and in itself corrupt, a conflict of interests. Endlessly, we, here in Texas, have tried every known rights group, agencies and firms only to be put off with our Grievance System.

Texas, it seems, has some type of trump card on extreme abuse and violation of its prisoners and their rights. They (the Texas Prison System) change policies, rules and laws ONLY to please the ones in control.

In 2015 and 2016, inmates in Texas filed over 151,000 grievances. Over 80 percent of the grievances were about prison guards, staff, medical denials and abuse. All 80+%, of course, were denied, with no fault found on guards, staff or medical. Some of these grievance issues include no fans in the day room and living areas, with all windows welded shut. No type of air cooling system. The heat and air is in itself unbearable at all hours during the summers.

The guards need no reason for how they handle inmates, or the way they treat and mistreat them. They are always in The Right. The inmate is always in The Wrong, and that is that. Medical denial, and being in severe distress is the norm. Availability of ice water is extremely limited, the guards, of course get all they need. Broken water systems and the inability to cool the living areas, even at night has made many sick. Is there any wonder why there are so many heat related deaths and suicides here in the Texas prison system? Some inmates have tried to seek medical help, only to be charded $100.00 co-pay and then receive no help at all! Where do you turn? The Grievance System? The wardens? Where is there any help?

Hundreds of inmates are forced to eat their meals with no teeth at all, being denied dentures. Here within the last few years to date, wardens have been escorted off the unit for corruption, some showing up drunk day after day. It is out-of-control, no accountability. Texas Department of Criminal Justice employees do what they want, when they want, how they want, and answer to no one for their actions!

A new policy was just passed in 2016, allowing TDCJ Administration to re-class thousands of inmates, some who have been here, like myself, 19 years or longer, with clean records, blemish-free disciplinaries, good forced work records (inmates in Texas are payed no money or anything for their labor with Good Time/Work Time meaning nothing towards release) and clean conducts, to give back the ten-year-earned G2 status, placing back to a lower status (what they do to disciplinary or problem inmates). Placing us all back with the very ones causing trouble or just arriving in the system. A violation of our supposedly protected due process rights and a Texas Law, where it is illegal (or so we thought) to change any law, policy or rule to make it retroactive where it has a negative effect on our sentence or time, placing us all back to G3 status, taking our ten-year-earned (which was extremely difficult) status, jobs and housing assignment privileges.

A Texas Judge, Ellison, wanted to know why TDCJ-ID could not provide information on how many heat related illnesses and deaths had occurred since 1990. TDCJ-ID stated that they were not keeping count!

There is no type of accountability whatsoever. The corruption within the system is at its highest! It is a fact that no one cares. If you are ever incarcerated, at some point, God forbid, you may fully understand and see first-hand how out-of-control it really is. Faced with all that is going on in prisons, all over, can you please tell me how is anyone to have any type of hope if you trust the current system? It is broken. Nothing, "NOTHING!" works!

Yes! Please send me several (if possible) petitions on the new follow-up petition written to federal law. We want to hold Texas accountable to federal requirements!

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[Censorship] [Abuse] [US Penitentiary Terra Haute] [Federal]
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No First Amendment Rights for Revolutionary Prisoners

On October 11, 2018 I was transfered from US Penitentiary Terre Haute, to the Communication Management Unit (CMU) better known as "Guantanamo North," which is located in the old Death Row unit at FCC Terre Haute. The BOP stated reasoning for this transfer is the forming of a "group identified as TREASON while housed in general population" (see attached Notice to Inmate of transfer to Communication Management Unit).

The document goes on to state: “Allegedly, the group was initially formed to fight for equality for all inmates and individuals, who felt oppressed by the government. As the group began to gain members and notoriety, the focus shifted from standing up for the oppressed, to organizing a movement to overthrow the government..."

Though strategically false as it relates to the founding and initial goals of TREASON, and tactically devoid of specific information regarding the religious cornerstone of TREASON, and speciously crafted to ensure CMU placement, and thus in effect to monitor & silence me and more essentially to stop the fires of TREASON from spreading uncontrollably. Yet for present purposes let's assume it's all true & accurate, every word of it, how is this advocacy and group not guaranteed the constitutional right and protection of freedom of speech & assembly.

That is to say, does a citizen's 1st Amendment rights die at the prison gates, become obsolete at the prison gates, or is it simply a fact the prisoner dies a civil death upon entry to United States' penitentiaries. Last I checked Supreme Court case law, advocating the overthrow of the Amerikan government, even the violent overthrow, is neither illegal nor unconstitutional. And in fact violates no laws, statues, or regulations in this country; nor does it violate any B.O.P. rule and I received no incident report for any misconduct as it relates to TREASON. So this begs the question why have I been transfered to the ultra secret CMU, subjected to sensory deprivation, complete separation & isolation from general population.

It should be understood I'm physically confined in FCI Terre Haute, yet this unit (the old Death Row) is completely isolated, it has its own mess hall where all 30 of us eat, has a TV room, exercise room, several cages for recreation, a room that serves as our chapel, 5 computers for a law library, a separate 6 cells for SHU, 2 showers, and, what appears to be where the electric chair was is the barbershop. Three officers are within the unit at all times, and a fourth officer sits enclosed in an office controlling who can enter or exit this unit. Monday through Friday there is an assigned "Intelligence Research Officer" and Case Manager. This unit has exceptional monitoring, there are numerous cameras in every area, along with a "live" listening device in every section, which are monitored at all times by the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU). All my communications incoming or outgoing are reviewed (examined for approval) by CTU and the Intel Research Officer. No address or email can be placed on your correspondence list unless approved by CTU, all books, magazines, newspapers, etc. are subject to CTU approval. And all mail to members of the "news media" which used to be unread and allowed to be sealed as special mail per 28 CFR 540.20(a) must now be read, copied, and forwarded to CTU for approval prior to being mailed.

Based on this CMU placement, I've been told that TREASON constitutes a Terrorist organization, and I am now the leader & founder of a Terrorist organization. In fact the enclosed pictures, originally allowed into the USP Terre Haute, have now also been deemed "contraband" and I must mail them out of the facility or have them destroyed. Each time I've begun to write my book, it too has been confiscated as contraband, for referring to/promoting TREASON. In fact, my writing of the ideological doctrine for TREASON, and passing out these pamphlets amongst the Treasonists is another justification for my CMU referral & placement (Again see notice of CMU referral).

"In an effort to advance that agenda, you dispersed information packets to the members of the group, which included the varying definitions of Treason in different countries and the penalty imposed by those countries, for committing Treason."

Again, is the passing out of pamphlets, even if you strongly disagree with its contents, not protected by the 1st Amendment? And why is there NO Due Process (eg. adversarial hearing) prior to a person's referral to CMU. I was placed in SHU for investigation on July 12, 2018 and referred and accepted to CMU before October 11, 2018 by the assistant director of the BOP and CTU. To appeal this placement prisoners are directed to file a (grievance) "BP-8," "BP-9,"and "BP-10" which are all decided by BOP officials subordinate to the BOP Asst. Director and thus could never and would never be overruled.

Just as consciousness & resistance rises in the society at the election of Trump, the same occurs in Amerika's prisons. Despite the fake prison reforms, these men look around daily with no hope, knowing they will die here, that they're not going home. So I speak on politics, correlating Amerikan politics & Trumpism to their plight, pointing out who the oppressor is and the real right to be waged in here and out there. Each day I explained the reality of Fox & Friends and turned convicts into Political Prisoners. Alarmed, the prison administration took immediate repressive actions! I understand the BOP's logic, segregate the lead Treasonist and hope to silence TREASON. No different than what the government did to the BPP, AIM, SNCC, and SCLC targeted and repressed by J. Edgar Hoover via COINTELPRO which stated as a primary goal to stop the rise of a "Black Messiah" and prevent the unification of militant organizations.

Jeff Sessions stated his intention to follow suit on August 3, 2017 when he issued the FBI report "Black Identity Extremists Likely Motivated to Target Law Enforcement Officers.” The Patriot Act is COINTELPRO 2.0, and has implemented on a national & international scale the same goals and extreme repressive measures to be employed even in prison—without any form of Due Process. Aware of the history of this country, (The Saint John Brown was hanged for TREASON) and knowing I'm confined to cages where the media attention is minimal or non-existent, I'm not shocked, surprised, or cowed. As I knew I was on top of their food chain, for the NPR interview I did w/ Joe Shapiro & NPR, and my essays & posts on LivefromLockdown.com and Facebook, not to mention the litigations of I've repeatedly filed against rogue BOP officials and draconian conditions of confinement. Placing me in the SMU three times didn't break my spirit nor deter me, so now I'm isolated in the CMU aka the Terrorist Unit. If Moses, Jesus or Muhamad were alive today, they too would be in the CMU, ADX, or Guantanamo Bay! None of these Prophets would be been embraced by Trumpism, conservatism, or the United States of Capitalism...Facts!

The BOP came for me for many reasons, one of which is the US Supreme Court's decision in Ziglar v. Abbasi (2017) which in sum and substance denied any cause of action through Bivens litigation for 1st Amendment violations, and only permits extremely limited court redress for prisoner suits. Due to this decision prisoners will have their rights violated by Federal Officials, and be unable to file a suit, via Bivens; since Congress has for decades failed to pass a statute equivalent to 42 USC 1983, which allows state prisoners to file suit in Federal Court when their constitutional rights are violated. There is no Federal equivalent statute for Federal prisoners. So all over the country US Attorneys (who represent BOP officials when they are sued—free of charge) have been filing motions to dismiss prisoner suits for all 1st Amendment violations, from New York to California!

So now my chances of being able to turn to the Federal Courts for equitable or constitutional redress for the BOP violating my rights to Free Speech & Assembly, or for a denial of due process in my referral to CMU, are slim to none based on the Ziglar v. Abbasi decision. Not a single person in the mainstream media machine covered this Supreme Court decision or its expansive effects on prisoner/citizens' ability to seek redress ("Thorny Issue for court: Free Speech meets Police Power"-NY Times) and not a single legislator Democrat or Republican has even considered drafting Federal legislation to protect prisoner/citizens' rights to seek judicial redress of cruel & unusual punishment, and 1st Amendment (eg retaliation) violations and other enumerable Constitutional Infringements by Federal BOP employees.

So in a nutshell, I know I'll Max-out from the CMU (no rehabilitative programs for the CMU terrorists), fortunately that's 3 years away...a few people have been in this unit over 7 years, and counting! So the answer to the rhetorical question is NO, prisoners do not have any 1st Amendment rights that the pigs are bound to respect.

Yet I expect no different, from a nation that capitalized off of my dehumanization, whose wealth and institutions thrived from slave states, Jim Crow segregation, mass murder of Natives, and now mass incarceration. I expect none of my rights to be respected, and fully understand why the oppressor would immediately perceive unification of oppressed prisoners as a danger & threat. A threat to be isolated, silenced, and subjected to long terms of solitary confinement. The BOP survives as all tyrants through Divisions, Tokens, and Violence. Divisions are promoted = self segregations: Black prisoners sit here, Mexicans over there, White there, Natives there, further sectionalization ensues through the gangs all promoted and permitted for population management by BOP officials. Tokens, through job placement the BOP creates tokens as the best jobs go to conformist inmates, medical, UNICOR, education, and yard while recalcitrants are assigned as shower orderlies or no job—creating a class system by pay grade. Violence, arbitrary, random yet pervasive violence is employed, staff attack prisoners, encourage prisoner-on-prisoner attacks, and keep violence always just below the surface.

Think about old Whitey Bulger mysteriously landing at USP Hazelton in general population—a known FBI information and the BOP acts surprised he's dead in under 24 hours! But it's okay because he was despised and so it was okay (to dehumanize) to do that to him! And no one was fired!

Warden Krueger was alarmed by me because he kept seeing numerous prisoners come to mainline (the chow hall) with the exact same "Hammer & Sickle" tattooed on the right side of their necks. And the prisoners were all different races & nationalities, this is what alarmed him and his administration; Black, Latinos, Asians, Caucasians, Natives! Then all these prisoners study amongst each other, walk the yard with each other, eat together, but what really got under his skin was seeing transgender prisoners as part of this movement. A part of this unification without any discrimination or hate which him and his administration promoted. I had individuals from every gang, and faith, unified under one banner with one goal...TREASON!

I would have 12 prisoners in my cell on any given day educating them on what unites us and who our enemy is and the real politiks behind our imprisonment—so the warden issued a new rule, 2 inmates per cell! He began sending C.O.s into my cell to confiscate pamphlets I had typed up, then these officers would sneak back into the cell to replace them, when I had left the unit. They were running covert document grabs inside the prison! Twenty, Thirty years ago there was always political prisoners, conscious prisoners politicizing the prisoners, educating them. But today in the BOP all these prisoners are either in ADX or dead, the few still in population no longer can identify with the young prisoners of today that are consumed by Gangism, Drug Consumption, and their own misery. Politicizing and unifying the prisoner population is a danger & threat to prison administration, so they labeled me a terrorist and had me placed in the Communication Management Unit, with prisoners captured on the battle fields of Afghanistan and members of ISIS and on my 29th day in the CMU there was a homicide.

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[Campaigns] [Arizona]
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Arizona Grievance Battle Sample Letters

Dear Administrators,

This is an official legal notice to inform you all about certain violations and misconduct transpiring here at this facility, by your prison employees. This memorandum is being sent so that you all cannot deny knowledge of situations occurring beneath your supervision. And so that petitioner/prisoners can show a judicial court of law that we did all that we could to resolve issues internally.

Jesus, his disciples, journalists and various others were murdered or severely persecuted/oppressed for exposing injustices, for speaking the truth. Therefore, it should not be difficult to believe that similar punishments are occurring here today at this facility, prisoners are suffering various punishments for exposing injustices, for filing grievances. Suffering punishments that are illegal and require correction!

Require correction in order to prevent/deter continued misconduct by prison employees who think it is okay to harass and retaliate against prisoners for their filing grievances or for whatever unwarranted reason prison employees are engaging in such vile behaviors. Correction and intervention is required in order to protect prisoners from the destruction of their personal/legal properties like written testimony from other prisoners who bore witness to certain incidents. And other evidences/exhibits being compiled to help support claims of various sorts.

Failure to adhere to this plea for help will likely result in continued abuses of authority, abuses of process, continue degrading, humiliating conditions of confinement which violate state/federal laws and constitutions. And will likely result in permanent injury, whether mentally or physically.

Prisoners’ primary problem revolves around #1 Prison officials utter disregard for their own rules and regulations that governs their duties to receive, process, investigate and respond to prisoners grievances. And #2, gravitates around prisoners suffering reprisals for their utilizing the grievance process in an attempt to resolve complaints. Some of these conspiratorial practices to violate grievance policy, and prisoners First Amendment rights, including manifold reprisals like intimidation, intimidation through the destruction of personal properties. These reprisals only compound upon the existing problems that myself and others are experiencing. The ignoring of prisoner complaints not only allows for whatever issues to continue to occur, but also encourages unruly employees who engage in out of control misbehaviors. No need to mention that this also allows illegal conduct to go on unchecked.

The grievance process is established to resolve grievances/conflicts to ease tensions at the lowest levels possible, and is/should be available to prisoners for the opportunity at informal resolution and formal review of all issues which are not informally rectified. The grievance policy also provides for timely administrative responses to submitted complaints, so that prisoners wouldn’t have to bother an already busy justice system.

Administrative personnel, the grievance officer, are responsible for promoting meaningful dialogue and timely written responses. All appropriated personnel are responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the grievance process for all the obvious reasons. And that appeals are presented to the appropriate personnel for a meaningful review. Wardens, administration etc are responsible for the wellbeing of their prison population. And not just form risks posed form other prisoner, but also against those risks and dangers being inflicted by out of control prison employees. The grievance process is really the only way us prisoners have to present and alert prison officials of any risk or harm. Really the only way to safeguard prisoners from whatever they might be experiencing. The grievance policy should not be ignored, and neither should this memorandum.

Please adjust the following to your own states constitutions.

Under article 11 section 5 of the Arizona constitution, the right to petition and the right of people to peacefully protest/assemble for the common good, shall never be abridged. The universal declaration of human rights, guaranteed under article 8: Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by a competent tribunal for any acts that violate fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution or by law.

And although prison officials can ban certain protests like mass groupings to protest conditions of confinement so long as prisoners have other ways to voice their grievance complaints i.e. the grievance process. See Duamutef v. O’Keefe, 98 F.3d 22 (2nd Cir 1996). BUT – prison officials CANNOT retaliate neither harass prisoners for utilizing the grievance process to complain about wrongs being committed.

However, when myself and others attempt to or actually exercise our rights to make use of the grievance process prison officials join together to deter, harass, and retaliate against prisoners using a combination of ways that also include #1. refusal to acknowledge/investigate, or respond to submitted grievances. #2. Make false claims that they never received complaints. #3. They also hinder, obstruct justice, lose supporting documents/evidences. #4 Prevent prisoners from filing or being heard on appeal. #5. Illegally destroy, intercept incoming/outgoing legal mail, to prevent filing with the courts. And a slew of other unethical reactions like false misconduct reports adverse/unjustified misclassification etc.

These are but a few of their dirty tricks, and these practices violate conspiracy laws like Title 42 U.S.C 1995(3) & 1986. And are underhanded attempts to assail our efforts to be heard, and to exhaust our internal administrative remedies, which we believe is in an attempt to circumvent the judicial process as 42 U.S.C – 1997e states no action shall be brought with respect to prison conditions under section 1983 of the same title, until such internal administrative remedies are exhausted. Prison officials are deliberately ignoring prisoner complaints, in an attempt to lie/allege failure to exhaust as one of their affirmative defenses a practice that should never be tolerated!

Prisoners obligation to exhaust under the prison litigation reform act or other provisions, only applies, as long as some remedy remains available or a prisoner has been reliably informed that administrative remedies are not available (Brown v. Valoff 422, F.3d 935 (9th Cir 2005). The supreme court requires prisoners to exhaust administrative remedies only to the extent that a remedy remains available, before petitioning for judicial intervention/review. However, this process has become unfair and difficult as prison employees are violating the grievance process and tampering with legal documents/evidence.

Prison employees need to be informed and made to understand the reality of law, that grievances filed through the official grievance procedure, are constitutionally protected. And prison employees deliberate interference with the procedure and retaliations thereafter could/will result in civil and prosecutorial penalties. In conclusion, these problems permeate through to the whole prison population and adversely affect the vast majority. Some prisoners even decline to utilize the grievance process for fear of reprisals, many have been witnesses to these problems going on unchecked and see their fellow prisoners to continue to experience these aforementioned misconducts that are going on with impunity, this creating a whole other set of problems that affects prisoners mental and physical wellbeing. And an internal investigation should ensue.

We persist amidst the onslaught of reprisals so the truth can be told, and to seek justice/correction for all the violations occurring here at your facility.

Thank you for your time and attention. Please acknowledge and respond.


Respectfully submitted
Signature_________________________
Address________________________
CC: ____________________
State of (fill in name)
County of (fill in name)
In the (insert name of superior court or judicial district court)
Case # (initially leave blank, court will assign a #)

(Your name here) Petitioner
v.
(Their name here) Respondents

Petition for a protective/injunctive relief order

Comes now petitioner, respectfully petitioning this court for a protective injunctive relief order, to protect petitioner, his or her rights, personal properties like legal documents and evidences against destruction, harassments or other misconducts by respondents while petitioner seeks to rectify grievances via the grievance process, and then judicially.

Because abuse of authority and internal corruption exists and violations of and conspiracy to violate petitioners First Amendment rights petitioner requires a protective injunctive relief order.

Respondents are infamous for issuing threats to unlawfully segregate prisoners without due process on trumped up charges, or famous for utilizing their authority position to intimidate prisoners for using the grievance process or for pursuing judicial intervention.

Respondents prison officials have already implied their intention to issue reprisals [be sure you include relevant information surrounding your situation to help justify the courts needing to grant your petition. You can even express your not being secure in your persons and effects.]

It would be useful if you did a little bit of legal reading to help you orient yourself. It is not complicated give yourself a chance you might be surprised besides you are going to have to insert your own states statutes or refer to certain court rules if need be. But it sure beats just letting them win and simply do whatever to us, the struggle is real.

Keep in mind this is only an example make adjustments as you see fit.

You can also petition the court for an injunctive relief order in a similar manner, under their duty to investigate and respond to grievance complaints, attach the grievance policy as an exhibit indicate the petition is required to protect and prevent serious harm or other risks that prison personnel are recklessly disregarding.

Afterward you ask for a specific relief like for an order ordering prison officials to begin responding to grievances etc,

by
Wherefore petitioner respectfully asks this court to
#1 order respondents to
#2
#3

All prisons have notaries: be sure to get a notary seal or declare under penalty of perjury that the facts contained in the complaint/petition are true and correct

Signature ________________
Address__________________
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[Abuse] [Wynne Unit] [Texas]
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Property Destruction and Theft at Wynne Unit

The Wynne Unit in Huntsville, Texas is not using responsible searches as posted by the Federal act of Search & Seizures. On 5-6-19, searches began where they destroy family photos, Muslim prayer rugs and things that we buy at the store. Even the sheets they give us themselves have been ripped in half; all because they think they got the right to do so after catching some stupid people smoking K-2 and several were stuck and hospitalized. They're falsely accusing offenders and not respecting their own policies. Like females that catch an an offender using the restroom, they're calling code 205—they haven't even announced themselves as policy says they should and the cases are running through because of a bias in favor of ranking staff. All trash, even the Grievance System is straight BooBoo.

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[Medical Care] [Darrington Unit] [Texas]
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Medical Grievances and Retaliation in Texas

I would like to express my deepest concerns about the poor grievance process and retaliatory nature of the medical staff here on the Darrington Unit in Rosharon, TX. The medical staff of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) diagnosed me with a B12 deficiency which can only be resolved by monthly B12 injections to supplement the low level within my system.

However, upon being transferred to Darrington Unit, Dr. Hulipas declined to administer an injection for three months before the medication was finally given. This particular medication had to be administered every 28 days, nevertheless I would receive the injection only every 45 days or longer. I therefore filed a number of grievances.

In response to the grievances, the grievance investigators instructed the staff to provide the medication as prescribed. The medical unit's reaction was swift as the nurse practitioner removed ten medical restrictions from my file without a thorough examination. My attempt to have it resolved by the grievance process was unsuccessful. In fact, while the grievance investigator ruled that restrictions can be removed, an offender has a right to challenge the removal of restrictions at no co-payment charge. My attempts to be re-evaluated by the medical staff were unsuccessful as well. The grievance coordinator refuses to process the I-127 filed asking to be seen by a physician in order to resolve the issue.

At this time, every restriction was and still is removed leaving this offender in potentially dangerous medical neglect. Hopefully, this letter will shine light on the treatment patients are receiving at Darrington and in Texas prisons as a whole.

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[Abuse] [Ellis Unit] [Texas]
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Living in Third World Conditions at Ellis Unit in Texas

I am writing this in response to several issues we have on the O.B. Ellis Unit. These issues are a daily struggle for offenders. The issues I am raising are: The access to a toilet in common areas, such as dayrooms and chapel, the drinking water that we have access to in our cells, dayrooms, chapel, etc., the new toilets being installed in the two man cells, the illumination of bright lights being left on all day and night, and The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). We as offenders would like the public to be aware of the Cruel & Unusual Punishment we face on a constant basis. All issues can be avoided if TDCJ would address the problems, instead of ignoring them.

First issue is with not having access to toilets in common areas, such as dayrooms and chapel. When in the dayroom they keep the door locked and most of the time we are in there for several hours at a time. We only have access to a urinal in the dayroom and the chapel.

They stage us for chow sometimes an hour or more before we leave for the chow hall. We then get stuck in the chow hall for 30-45 minutes before being released to go back to the wing. Once back on the wing we are put into the dayroom for an hour or more most of the time before any in-or-outs are given to go to our cell. One example was on January 18, 2019, when they staged us for chow at 4:00pm and we didn't go to chow until 5:00pm. We made it back to the wing at 5:45pm and at 6:15pm we were still requesting an in-&-out into our cells (where the only toilets are). My stomach was upset and I had diarrhea and needed to go to the restroom when we came back from chow. When we got back to the wing we were put in the dayroom and at that point I asked CO Slider if she could let me in my cell so I could use the restroom, and she told me she didn't have time. I asked her where I was supposed to go and she said "whatever." When I realized I could not hold it any longer I used the only thing made to the restroom in the dayroom. The urinal.

Sargeant (Sgt.) White and CO Bradford were walking down the hall when they noticed me without a shirt on and approached the dayroom window. This is when they realized what I was doing and came into the wing. Sgt. White ordered CO Bradford to lock me up on F-Wing. As CO Bradford escorted me to F-Wing he told me I should have just used the restroom in my pants instead of the urinal, that it would have been better for me. When I got on F-Wing I was placed into a small cage and stripped-out. I asked CO Siad if I could see medical as I had blood on my toilet paper, but was refused medical treatment. They never even took me by medical after handcuffing me (use of force).

Sgt. White came to F-Wing and asked me for my statement on the case for causing a disturbance by using the restroom in the dayroom. I wrote my Step-1 grievance while on F-Wing and got a move slip stating I was moved because of being locked-up. My property was packed and brought to me, which I was missing 1 black bag of coffee and my medical issued lotion. When I received my step-1 back the Warden stated that Officer Slider denies any wrong doing and there was no disciplinary actions taken. The proof of disciplinary action was being locked-up and my property being packed-up. They discarded the case, so I did not receive the case.

I was extremely humiliated by other offenders and the officers on F-Wing. This has caused me to have suicidal thoughts and anxiety attacks. When I received my Step-2 back they still claim "There was insufficient evidence to support your allegations of misconduct by the staff named in your complaint." But then state that "Staff conduct will continued to be monitored to ensure professionalism and policy compliance." Neither investigator for my Step-1 nor my Step-2 ever came to the wing and asked anybody (offenders) what happened during the incident.

The second issue is with the drinking water we have access to in our cells, dayroom, chapel, etc. The O.B. Ellis Unit was built in 1961 and still has lead pipes underground that cannot be seen. Maintenance went through and changed the pipes in the pipe chases to a type of PVC, but not the pipes buried underground. Our sinks have galvanized pipe and fittings used and also have outside faucets installed. Galvanized has been banned in the United States for drinking water and the outside faucets are not FDA approved for drinking water. This is unhealthy and unlawful.

The water coming out of the sinks smells bad and tastes bad, and sometimes it comes out brown. This is the water we are supposed to drink and prepare any food we purchase off commissary with. Not everyone can afford to purchase bottled water from commissary for drinking, nor should we have to in order to be able to have safe drinking water. When the water gets real bad they put up notices to boil the water before drinking. We do not have a way to boil the water before we use it to drink or cook food as our hot pots do not get that hot. They issue bottled water to officers when this happens but not offenders.

The igloos in the dayroom are used for ice water, but they never clean them out. They just empty them in the morning and refill them with ice and water. The tests they say maintenance does on the water is said to pass or exceed the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ), but I do not believe they do. These tests should be done by an outside agency and tested at the source where we get our water.

Jackson v. Arizona, 855 F.2d pt 641(4) 9th Cir. 1959; states polluted water is an Eighth Amendment claim. This is a violation of our Eighth Amendment "The consumption of Hazardous Water." As I stated earlier I have been having diarrhea since being on this unit and would like to know if it is because of the water.

Another part of the issue is that we do not have hot water available in common areas. This is unsanitary as we cannot clean our cells, dishes, clothes sold on commissary, etc., with hot water. There is hot water in the first cell on each row of cells which shows it would not take much to add hot water to every cell. We do not have access to the mop cell (closet) as we are either locked in our cell or in the dayroom. The dorms have hot water at their sinks, so we should have access to hot water in our sinks in our cells.

The third issue is the installation of the new Icon Water Control System on the toilets. I was told that TDCJ received a grant for Ellis and the Estelle Units to save water. The Icon system is being installed as a trial project on both units. They also told me that Lori Davis was not aware of the fact that there is a lock-out feature on them. These new toilets only flush every 5 minutes and if you flush more than once then you get locked out for an hour. They are being installed into two-man cells instead of just single cells. This will be an issue when you have both offenders in the cell needing to use the restroom right after each other. Also, if you get diarrhea or vomiting because you are sick. Davis v. Scott, 157 F.3d 10003, 1006 (5th Cir. 1998). Human feces carries a certain odor plus toxic gases. This falls under Cruel & Unusual Punishment having to deal with other human feces.

The fourth issue is the illumination of the bright lights at night. They do not dim or turn off the lights at night. Some wings have dimmers but not all wings. This is unconstitutional because it does not allow an offender to receive enough sleep. Lemaire v. Mass., 745 F.Supp. at 636 (5) 1990; Keenan v. Hall, 83 F.3d 1083, which states; There is no legitimate penological justification for requiring (offenders) to suffer physical or psychological harm by living in constant illumination.

The fifth issue deals with the PREA standard throughout the unit. First of all the offenders working in an Industry have to get strip-searched twice for lunch chow and twice at the end of the day. We get strip-searched before leaving the building we work in, and then again at the turn-out gate before entering the unit, by the same TCI employees. I was told this falls under two different policies which is okay, except that they do not make the policy for the turn-out gate for all offenders.

On 04/04/19, a Thursday afternoon, Senior Warden Kelly Strong, was outside the perimeter fence watching us get strip-searched with her binoculars. After several offenders had to contact their family that weekend, Monday afternoon they started painting windows black and put up plastic on the fence. There is still a problem as they only painted a few windows and most people stand taller than the painted windows. The guard tower by the back gate can see over the plastic and the log for that tower will show that most of the time its women in the tower.

TDCJ states "Zero-Tolerance" to the PREA standards, which states that opposing gender shall not be able to see your genitals or breasts. Most offenders live in cells and the toilets face the front of the cell. We are not (by policy) allowed to hang anything up to impede the officers to view into the cell. This allows the women to be able to see us using the restroom or changing clothes. The newer units are built out of concrete with solid doors which have two small windows for the officer to be able to see in there. These are also maximum security units, so they could update the cells and install something on the front of the bars.

Now that I was able to bring these issues up about the O.B. Ellis Unit, we hope that people will see the changes that need to be done. We would like to get the help of the public on fixing the issues. Living in the Texas Prison System is similar to a Third World country. The people of the United States of America are supposed to set the standard on how people are treated. This is why we send out humanitarian aid and go to war with countries that have leaders that mistreat their people. We have all done something wrong to end up here, but we still have a right to be treated like human beings. We need the help of people to fight for our constitutional rights while incarcerated as we are limited in what we can do. Most offenders I have met are trying to change who they are and working to be a better man, father, citizen. I want to thank you for taking the time to read this letter and your consideration in helping us. If I can provide additional information, please let me know.

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[Medical Care] [Campaigns] [Terrell Unit] [Texas]
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Diabetic Refused Insulin in Texas

On January 30, 2019 I was taken on bench warrant by TDCJ. The transport officer told the trial court judge that I had to provide my own insulin when I informed the court that I am severely diabetic requiring three insulin injections daily. Despite this fact, TDCJ refuses to provide insulin any time I am transported. The TDCJ grievance office refuses to respond to this complaint. The Terrell Unit grievance office is forging grievances and even signing offenders' names for them and/or refusing to process their grievances, especially with regards to serious health issues.

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