Michael Unit - Federal

When I first got to the Michael Unit about 8 months ago I was placed on safe keeping for my protection, but I’m still considered General Population (G.P.) because we still get all the regular privileges of G.P. prisoners - we are just housed separately.

Anyways I get here and there are no showers, no rec, no day room, no TV, and no phones on this section. We had to sit down multiple times in large groups in order to get administration to force the C.O.s to just give us showers. Oh and mind you that they are housing medium and high security prisoners on the same section as P4 and P5 prisoners. We are not supposed to be housed amongst each other at all.

Well, the staff aren’t doing anything about getting what we are supposed to have. After about 60 days I started initiating I.C.S.s, or “use of force”, causing ranking C.O.s to come down and force regular C.O.s to do their job. We kept getting Johnies for food with basically nothing in them. Then they started to feed half of us and the rest we had to force them to feed us.

So because I orchestrated all this sitting down and standing up for all our right (yes, I initiated this behavior to buck the C.O.s), I was assaulted. We set fires, flooded, and basically forced the wardens to fix our problem, but it only lasted so long before we would have to do it again.

We finally got them to start leaving all the doors open 24/7 so we could run our own showers and day room rec and forced them to put in phones. Then they brought the tablets T.D.C.S. system wide. So I believe that the administration on this unit has orchestrated the assault on me that occurred on January 31, 2023.

So let me explain exactly what happened leading up to this assault seven days prior.

A prisoner set a fire in his cell and attempted to kill himself through smoke inhalation. I got the picketts attention after the prisoner passed out. I ran in and dragged him out of the cell and put out the fire. About six days later they moved me into the cell the prisoner tried to kill himself in. So the next day they moved some prisoner into the cell with me. I only weigh 110lbs. This offender weighs 190lbs, 30lbs over the 50lbs weight difference limit per housing policy. That’s two violations already. Next I was talking to my family via tablet two days later. Then, bam, I get blind-sided and the prisoner assaults me. I wind up with 5 stitches above my right eyebrow, 3 staples in a gash on my head, and 2 in another gash on my head. They rushed me to the hospital.

When I got back, a Lieutenant asked me to write a witness statement for an Offender Protection Investigation (O.P.I.). My statement was: “My life is not in danger. I do not want to file an O.P.I.” They filed it on my behalf anyway and placed me in another building with no light and brought my property the next day. The next day, they moved me back to the same cell with a new cellie, another major violation because I was still under O.P.I. status, supposed to be in a Restrictive Housing Area by myself until I saw the Unit Classification Committee. On 8 February 2023, I was moved again. I had basically nothing of what was in my cell and they did not even inventory any of it. I lost stuff that meant a lot to me that is irreplaceable because of sentimental value. They also “lost” my state ID somehow.

So I am filing a §1983 Civil Claims Suit again TDCJ Michael Unit Administration as a whole because I believe this was all set up… for me to get hurt because the U.C.C. major said, “We have to ship you to cover our ass because we fucked up.”

I filed my step 1 on and got it back. Today I’m filing my step 2.

This is my first civil suit. I am asking for any material to help me in winning this suit. As of right now prisoners are helping me with what they can and said that I need to get a copy of the Jailhouse Lawyers Handbook but I don’t have the resources nor funds to purchase one. I am not the first offender this has happened to on this unit but I do want to be the last. I am going to do everything in my power to ensure it does not happen again.

I have been fighting for prisoner rights for seven years now and they finally broke the last straw with me. I’m going to war with this pen. To the courts.

Here on 12 Building we are still setting fire and flooding everyday. Please help us.

MIM(Prisons) responds: Much respect comrade for what you are doing on behalf of Texas prisoners in the face of state violence and repression. Much respect to the comrade for taking care of fellow prisoner and saving eir life as well. We have placed an order for you for the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook. We do not offer legal assistance ourselves, but encourage you to continue to report on your organizing efforts here in Under Lock & Key.

Organizing is spreading around the Dillard v. Davis, et al. Civil Action No. 7:19-cv-0081-M-BP lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s use of long-term solitary confinement. Prisoners held in Allred Unit, ground zero for the Restrictive Housing Unit, and Michael Unit have filed motions to join the class action suit.

A comrade in Stevenson Unit wrote to say that there are only 12 restrictive housing cells there and they are only used very short-term. But ey is sharing the motion and other campaign materials with contacts inside and outside to support those in RHU fighting for their humyn rights.

Shutting down long-term solitary confinement is one of the key campaign demands of the Juneteenth Freedom Initiative, calling for a boycott of Juneteenth until real freedom is attained in this country. The lawsuit points to the irreparable harm on mental health caused by long-term solitary.

Anyone who is in a Restricted Housing Unit in Texas can use the linked example motion to join this lawsuit. The motion should be sent to all three addresses listed at the end of the attached PDF. Please download and distribute to those you know in Texas torture chambers!

28 May 2022 UPDATE from Tx TEAM ONE member - Telford Unit: I have submitted my interest in becoming a co-plaintiff to all inhumane conditions in all Ad-Seg/RHU buildings, especially on this unit, and the inhumane/treatment and living conditions endured by all alleged STG prisoners. Because for almost forty (40) years, those of Us that are considered STG’s have been in these living conditions.

I have already written to the Eastern and Northern Districts, United States District Courts. And I have also written to the United States Department of Justice.

Dear Comrades, I have read updates, in the ULK winter 2021, No. 75, and feel the need to clarify things. The nomenclature used in BP-03.91, and the definitions provided within it, are being bent and ambiguously used by both prisoner and TDCJ staff alike. The policy itself is so ambiguous, one would have to guess at how to uniformally enforce it.

The only difference made in the new policy is how ‘sexually explicit’ is defined. I am enclosing a verbatim copy of BP 03.91 as it is currently worded on this date. I witnessed an arbitrary enforcement of this policy on the Michael Unit and have even heard improper incorrect references, by mail staff on the Coffield Unit of what was ‘sexually explicit’. This shows me that even TDCJ staff are ill-informed about what the policy is and its purpose. I had written the Texas Board of Criminal Justice a few months back and they referred my letter to the, now in-house, Ombudsman office. I would encourage all ‘brothers in white’ to familiarize themselves with the policy by reading it themselves in the unit Law Library. (as well as reading ALL of the policies that are currently in place. Simply request the ‘Index of current TDJC policies’).

The injunctions that I have knowledge of, filed against the BP-03.91, argued on the ambiguous nature and verbage of the policy. Images that cause ‘sexual arousal’ are inherently broad. (Hell, I had caught a girlfriend of mine, masturbating to Metalacolypse!)

While arguing the ambiguity of the policy is one undeniable argument, I suggested to a team of litigants to also attack the apparent objective of the policy. To curb anything that ‘sexually arouses’, well, anyone! Banning officers from ‘outrageous’ or ‘extreme’ hairdos, make-up, jewelry, etc. tight pants, or even suggesting that female officers not work in male prisons (no male officers in the female prisons) but even then you would not be able to curb even same sex arousal. It is in applying this argument that we see just how illogical it is to curb ‘sexual arousal’. Exacerbating the ridiculousness of the argument will force them to define and refine the definition of the policy and there is no way that you would be able to legally define ‘cleavage’ as censorable under the First Amendment.

While these are my own thoughts and opinions, I do hope to help as many comrades in their legal efforts. This isn’t something that a phone call will fix but we can change things with well-thought-out litigation. It takes time, but most of us have nothing but time. Intellectuals fight with their words. Learn to use them and wield them with effective effort.

At the current moment i am not involved in any active litigation as my time and energy is currently invested in criminal matters, however, I try to keep up with what is going on to know our environment. I want to thank ALL of you who keep us connected through organization, correspondence, etc. Without you we would most likely be more lost to the cause than anyone could imagine. The support you provide is priceless.

Nothing worth fighting for is ever easily won. Policies are a fraction of the fight. Laws are another. But the biggest fight we face is ignorance. Our own and of the population. This is readily apparent in the policies and laws we find ourselves fighting against. It is a reason for the mission of MIM.

Always onward with more audacity!

I am bringing you an update from inside this Texas Gulag or should I just say Konzentration Kamp, to be exact.

I received my last package from you: the writing tips, more about MIM, how to start a Study Group and the material for the study group I just enrolled in. As I look over all the material, I already started scoping out cadres I will offer the Study Group to. But I want to first build a curriculum before I actually start this group. I have pulled two soldiers to the side, teaching them with what I got. And as we advance in our study group, I will offer my comrades to be a part of the positive peaceful movement I want to establish within this battlefield with the sole purpose of eradicating the criminal mentality and promoting a revolutionary state of mind which will help bring both Unity and Change within our prison conditions. The Militia, a group of conscious, mature-minded men. So stay tuned on updates of the building of this brotherhood of leaders.

In other news, the suicide rate in TDCJ was up 40% in 2018. Yearly suicide attempts have nearly tripled since 2009 going from 700 to 2,000. This is due to the lack of rehabilitation if you ask me: Texas has more prisoners than any other state yet they offer no counseling. I see a lot of suicide attempts; a lot because of the Slave Job (Texas Prisoners still don't get paid for work). No good time, work time, nothing. But they are making a killing through TCI. Here on the Michaels Unit, we teamed up with Administration to start a Suicide Prevention Squad which allows us to offer the people an ear to talk to and even a voice to give feedback.

K-2 is like crack now. If they give us K-2 and flood the inmate general population that will give us more to fight about while distracting us from what's important. Like issues stemming from over-crowding, or how we are still battling inhumane conditions due to the torching heat. When we ask for respite in designated areas, it's still too crowded. They already got down on some of those brothers under the Heat Lawsuit that was won. TDCJ was supposed to Air Condition certain units, they did, but are already having issues with the cooling system. It's still hot as hell with no solution to this issue. Then to top it off, a lot of brothers under the Lawsuit were shipped to other units. I thought they were protected under the Lawsuit.

Just recently on my unit we had an outbreak of spoiled chicken. The unit got quarantined until the lab results came back. A lot of people got sick, they shut the kitchen down and gave us Johnnies (sack lunches) for a week and a half straight. During that time we ran into the same problem: spoiled beef links in the Johnnies. Everyone then wanted to speak. It took them six more hours to feed us but they gave us two peanut butter sandwiches. Come on! where they do that at?!

Then the next day they pacified us by giving the unit four movies for showing throughout the unit and good sack lunches (Johnnies) but the sad part is that everything that happened prior to that went for nothing. The kitchen is nasty as hell: roaches and all that. Every time the ACA comes is the only major clean up, painting and roach bombing and still no one cares to do nothing about it. They are too busy chasing a high from K-Z or being in someone else's business instead of investigating these folks for the torture they inflict upon us.

Bringing people together is hard here but with the commitment I am standing on, when they knock me down I will get back up. So please understand I am committed to this struggle and ready to organize and put in the work. Take out the old and bring in the new.

Thank you for your time. Please get back with me on the requested items. I am planning on building a treasury to help with future material but it's hard now. It will only get worse if we don't stand up. I also plan on writing an article on Growth.

Once again Thank you for all MIM stands for. It helps us unite.

I personally said that to do some time in any Texas State prison is to do time in one of the nastiest and scariest places. I am not talking about gang affiliation, I am talking about the condition that we are living in and how we get treated worse than animals. I was on a farm that was infested real bad with rats and mice. Then a few years later, I got transferred to a nastier, dirtier unit infested with roaches and ants. We eat ice-cold food. They are supposed to feed us a hot tray, no no no, like I just told you, ice-cold food and beans or corn. And the vegetables are always spoiled. I have complained many, many times. I have had to tell inmates what is going on. Why we let them feed us like animals, but I came to find out that this is a program for inmates with mental problems. So now I know how they don't care about us; feeding us and treating us that way.

I'm writing on behalf of my brothers here at the Mark W. Michael Unit. And respectfully request ULK to please convey our cause for unification throughout Texas prison systems. After a review of the May/June issue number 62 Under Lock & Key, I was very inclined to write this letter. Yes it appears that someone has woken up here in the Texas prison system. The old plantation where Texas prison officials is again up to these old tricks. Units are understaffed and overcrowded, being deprived of sleep, extreme heat, poor ventilation, dayroom overcrowded, and not enough available seats, for the offenders assigned to double cells. Here on the Michael Plantation we have so many offenders that we have a lot being housed in high security, and classified as overflow mis-housing offenders assigned to 11 building overflow, transit and mis-housing. And 12 building ad seg A/B pod as well.

So it's apparent and very clear that Texas prison system once again should be placed up under federal control, due to overcrowding and under staff, delayed medical care, and inadequate medical care, unsanitary living conditions, excessive use of force violation by staff, an enormous amount of suicide throughout Texas prisons. Offenders in high security being deprived of basic human needs, food, not receiving showers daily, due to inadequate staff. The Unit being infested with roaches, unsanitary conditions in the offender chowhall. And them not providing a wholesome and nutritious meal. Black mold in the showers, due to there not being cleaned, and prisoners breaking out with rashes due to exposure to such.

These are not just an Eastham problem, it's a statewide problem. And we urge that the taxpayers, as well as Texas prisoners on these plantations to become more involved, and let our legislature members to investigate these allegations and hold these prison officials accountable as well as the ACA. We need to let our voice be heard, and quit remaining silent about the things that effect us and the environment we live in. We will be forwarding legal documents to the federal district court, for the Eastern district of Texas at Tyler.

It's been a long time coming. Texas prison that the men for their effort to slay the devil and his advocates, and it's time that we do the right thing and bring this to the public attention of what's really going on behind prison walls. I remain committed as a voice for the incarcerated men and women of Texas prisons.

I am still here in TDCJ doing time. I'm still locked in administrative segregation and the living conditions here are still not good. It's better now in this unit than it was 2 years ago, and I believe this is because we have a new dept. warden here in high security and because of all the inmates filing lawsuits.

The main issue that makes it so hard is the excessiveness of force. The officers are slamming inmates to the floor and beating them senseless for something as small as cussing them out.

Getting medical care is a hard thing to do, because the nurses and doctors won't treat us. Receiving medical care here in TDCJ is not easy to do, it's a system-wide problem for everybody involved.

Everybody that works for TDCJ is corrupt in one way or another, and I believe this corruption goes all the way to the governor of Texas.