Valdosta Correctional Institution - Federal

I'm currently one of hundreds of prisoners placed on tier because of my alleged validation. Please allow me to explain.

Since 2011 Georgia Department of Corrections has declared war against all prisoners validated "MOB" (Goodfellas, young mafia family) by prison officials.

All prisoners validated "MOB" have been on a never-ending lockdown because of incidents that happened amongst prisoners in 2011. Prisoners validated "MOB" have been the only ones locked down as a whole since then. Regardless of participation or if they just coming in the prison system if they validated "MOB" they automatically get locked down and placed into Tier Phase 1.

In 2013 GA DOC implemented what they call "Tier". Which at the time they told us “this is not a disciplinary program". All prisoners validated "MOB" was automatically placed on tier even prisoners just coming in the system go straight to tier because of their validation to the "MOB".

While on this program we've been stripped of all rights, liberty, privileges and some have even lost their life trying to get away from this oppression being administered by GA DOC. Tier was originally a three-phase program each phase 90 days and upon completion of the last phase prisoners will return to population!

On Phase 1 prisoners are not allowed to have no personal property at all: clothing, food, books, magazines, newspapers, radios, and hygiene are all restricted. On phase 2 you can have up to $15 in hygiene but all other items are restricted. On phase 3 you can get a limited commissary but all other items are restricted.

GA DOC implemented a phase 3 plus to hold all prisoners validated "MOB" on this never-ending lockdown. For the past 4 years we're the only group held on tier as a whole, we're the only group not allowed to complete the tier and return to population. And while we're held on tier we still have no rights or privileges. Our visitation is limited to two hours and at some prisons our loved ones have to drive four and a half hours to only see us for 2 hours, no contact. Our visitors are limited to two visitors so if you have more than one child only one can visit with one adult.

Our phone is limited to 3 15-minute calls a month (one call a week). Then miss a week. Our commissary is limited and at some prisons you can only buy sweets and other non healthy items that cause diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Food on trays have been cut back which have caused all prisoners on tier to lose large amounts of weight.

At the prison I'm currently at we only allowed recreation two days a week (Monday and Wednesday) leaving us locked in 2-prisoner cells 24 hours a day 5 days a week in extreme temperatures.

Cells have no sockets therefore we are not allowed to have fans and temperatures often reach high 90s, & every time you move you sweat. Even if you lay still you sweat and in cold months cells are freezing. It gets so cold we don't be wanting to get out the bed to grab the tray out the slot.

Sanitation only get ran when they have visitors coming. Trays we eat off be 1/2 clean and often have food from previous meals stuck in corners. Cells are full of insects, bugs and spiders and some prisons rodents & many other type bugs.

The prison I just left prisoners in a 2-prisoner cell can't flush their own toilets and sometimes have to go hours smelling feces or urine because the officer too lazy and don't want to flush the toilet or he get mad at another prisoner and won't flush no one toilet. (Georgia State Prison)

Prison officials have had us writing statements say we don't fear for our lives and we have no enemies on a compound and they still don't let us out. All they do is rotate us from prison to prison with false promises to let us out. The only ones they let out is dudes who not "MOB" but get validated for talking or walking with someone validated "MOB". Some prisoners have been validated "MOB" by prison officials because of where they from (Atlanta Georgia). Prison officials automatically make you "MOB" or blood if you from Atlanta and Young or have a lot of tattoos. You've had prisoners write statements renouncing their validation and prison officials still refuse to let them out.

Many attempts have been made to grieve these issues that's on camera but all our grievances are denied or never responded to. We are in desperate need of any help or advice needed to take these oppressors to court and challenge this "Tier" this cruel unusual punishment and discrimination being administered by prison officials.

Law library is inadequate and prison officials don't have no one trained in law to assist us. They don't have books in law library and it's only one computer and no one show us how to operate it. I can be reached at this address.

I'm writing to let you all know of the way Georgia prison system have broke the very soul of us prisoners. Not only have they broken the souls of many, but they're using our own kind (prisoners) to oppress for them.

Here in Georgia, they have a program Tier II that's violating a lot of the human rights. It's a 9 month program as you're told, but any type of rebellious actions will lead to a prisoner doing years on said program. The cells are very nasty, bugs are always getting on us behind these doors, the food is very small amounts, cold and if one speaks out too loud then you do not eat per the supervisor. The grievance process is a joke, there's a copy of what the chief counselor sent me, for a grievance that I wrote 3 months ago, funny how the lady put January 3, 2016 isn't it.

I'm an inmate who's been on this said program Tier II farce. The Tier II program has 3 stages that one must complete. We have had many brothers who have stopped eating, but all is done placed on a strip cell. I myself have set many cells on fire, been tasered, and pepper sprayed for standing up for the rights of us prisoners.

A lot of the world was stressing Black Lives Matter, what about inmates lives matter? Every other day in some city or state a prisoner dies from hands of the overseers. I'm located in Valdesta State prison, in Georgia where prisoners have been murdered, beat, etc. The saddest that I have witnessed two fellow brothers of mine started a fire and the officers did nothing, being that both of 'em was trying to not do their jobs. When we prisoners started kicking and banging on the door, due to the smoke was very thick in the dorm, they then chose to come in the dorm and went to the cell that was ablaze and asked did the prisoners wish to see mental health. To make a sad story short, both prisoners died due to the smoke.

I'm very sad to say that only about 15 prisoner stood up on September 9, 2016. Others just talked about it. Today is January 9, 2017 and it's been 3 hours since the officers last came in the dorm to check on us inmates. I've been beating on the door and yelling to get their attention. Well I was just dropping you all some words letting you know what's going on. I will keep you updated on what all me and others are doing to free ourselves of this slave lockdown.

They don't even allow these new inmates protective custody at this bullshit prison and we just had a brother killed this morning in E-House. Its crazy as hell at this country ass red neck prison and sad to say we have a black warden by the name of Stanley Williams that runs the prison. What a joke!

I've been arbitrarily placed on the Tier II program without any justification other than it being a retaliatory action by GA dept of kkkorections. It seems now that my former cellmate was/is working for this prison administration and framed me by placing a pillow filled with contraband on my bed while the kkkorections emergency response team was escorting me to the showers for shakedown. His loose lips were overheard telling a prisoner that it was a good thing that I was out the way.

Anyway I appealed the write up and the warden/superintendent response stated "Ownership of the pillow and contraband was irrelevant." Even after my former cellmate admitted that said pillow and cell phones belonged to him and wrote three "sworn statements" to prove his point. I don't know where in Amerikkka such an action could take place other than Georgia, so now I'm on the tier program for a slime-retaliatory action by these prisoncrats and their slaves.

All I've done since I been at this kkkamp is to educate and give these slaves some positive for their minds and souls. Every ULK I got I passed it along, every Bayview I get I pass it along and wherever I can be of help in building a movement I'm there. Anyway I've filed 2 grievances. One for retaliation and one for false imprisonment which I've received no response from as to date (one was filed 3/28/2016 and the other 4/8/2016). My attorney is working on this situation but these actions stem from the prison strike of 2010, as they were doing the Tier II placement hearing. Lt Bivens stated or cited my participation in a disturbance Dec 31st 2010 which I never received a write up for and which free world charges were sought by the DOC and dismissed 2013. So it's clear what this is all about. Anyway I've enclosed 10 stamps as a small donation to MIM and will contribute more when I can.

I've read some of your older newsletters. I'm currently stuck in the Tier II program. Upon me first entering the prison system I didn't think they would even consider letting something such as the Tier program exist. I know for a fact that people on the outside treat animals better than we are being treated. I currently live in a one man cell that's infested with spiders, molded vents and rusted sinks that we have to use for drinking water. My living conditions are the reason my attitude has become so angry at everything that moves. It's a mind changing theory.

I've accomplished one of my short-term goals with the help of MIM(Prisons). I received your censorship pack on the situation that these pigs was holding my mail, from y'all and some of my family. Once I read the censorship pack I immediately put it in effect with grievances stating S.O.P. (Standard Operating Procedures) and case laws. Once the administration received my paperwork with the "example of proof and service," that next day I received a bulk of mail from October and also Under Lock & Key issues.

Once that was successful, I gave my fellow comrades the game. Now I'm willing to see what else we can accomplish on this Tier II in order to make our time a little better. As I tell my fellow comrades, we need to educate ourselves to overcome our situation. With the structure of the United Front; principles of peace, UNITY, growth, internationalism, and independence. I'm still trying to learn so I will be able to lead correctly.

With this letter is a donation of 10 stamps. If I had more I'd give more, because I salute what MIM(Prisons) stands for. With that said our strive will continue. And the oppressor will not be able to mentally destroy any more.

P.S. Salute to the Black Panther Party 50 year commemoration. They paved the way!!

MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade is providing an excellent example and leadership organizing against abuse and censorship in the Georgia Tier program. The state is trying to alienate people from each other, cause extreme psychological damage, and use it as a tool to repress any upliftment and organizing. But we do not have to lie down and just take it. As this comrade demonstrates, we can still come together to fight specific injustices, and use that work to build with others. We look forward to seeing this comrade's work grow and contribute to the United Front for Peace in Prisons.

Prisoners here in Georgia are being harassed by the wardens and their administration. Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has a new program it calls the Tier Program, and many prisoners are being thrown into the Tier 2 program for 9 months for petty disciplinary, reports, which is against the U.S. Constitution's 8th Amendment banning cruel and unusual punishment.

Prison officials are also using food as a tool of cruel and unusual punishment towards prisoners. Only half of the population here in prison can afford to go to the store commissary. The prisoners who can't afford store goods are robbing those who go to the store. This creates violent conditions because 90% of the prisoners here are gang-related. And when the gangs go to war it goes down at every prison in Georgia. And some prisoners die in the gang wars. GDC created this problem so they can have a reason to lock all the prisoners down.

I put a 1983 civil suit on Valdosta State Prison here in GA and as a result Deputy Warden Orr tried to have me killed numerous times. On 7 December 2013 I was beaten badly with weapons by 15 prisoners, and I was sent to the free world hospital for 2 days. When I returned to the prison I was placed in lockup where all my property was stolen and the prison officials refused to replace my property. The Warden place me on Tier 2 program with 9 months in lockup as punishment for being attacked and seriously injured while my attackers went unpunished.

MIM(Prisons) responds: We are seeing a lot of reports of repression and resistance coming from Georgia recently. This comrade underscores the need for unity among both individuals and lumpen organizations. It is easy for the prison administration to pit prisoners against each other when they are focused on the fights between their organizations. But the real enemy, the one that is keeping everyone in prisons, denying adequate food, and throwing people in lockup, is the criminal injustice system. This is why we urge prisoners in Georgia to focus on building the United Front for Peace in Prisons. The UFPP's first principle is Peace: "We organize to end the needless conflicts and violence within the U.$. prison environment. The oppressors use divide and conquer strategies so that we fight each other instead of them. We will stand together and defend ourselves from oppression." This is critical to every prison, but in Georgia the recent reports suggest even more urgency to this point.