MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
www.prisoncensorship.info is a media institution run by the Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons. Here we collect and publicize reports of conditions behind the bars in U.$. prisons. Information about these incidents rarely makes it out of the prison, and when it does it is extremely rare that the reports are taken seriously and published. This historical record is important for documenting patterns of abuse, and also for informing people on the streets about what goes on behind the bars.
I wanted to report some things that have gone on since Sept. 2018 I
filed 4 grievances while housed on Wallace unit on the following: both
cards 1/2 card AM shift refuse to turn us out to law library on time.
Law library for G4 offenders is from 6:15-8:15AM daily except Tues/Thurs
6:30-8:30AM because general library runs 6:00-6:30AM Tues/Thurs.
Ms. Reyna has been a helpful librarian allowing us ample time to check
out a book and review periodicals at the law library.
Mrs. Jones/Mrs. Wagner have been exceptional when I filed for copies of
disciplinaries.
The grievance coordinator Ms. Merket hasn’t been as helpful. I had sent
I60s to her asking for grievance # from past dates and none come back.
She did however tell me that if I was requesting documents that I must
request through open records. About two weeks ago, Lt. Michael Tapscott
on 2 card got upset that I filed a grievance because staff wasn’t
keeping withdrawals I60s, deposit slips, grievances securely there.
Sgt. McQuirk was switched to 1 card PM shift. Michael Tapscott got his
Lt. status back recently. Sgt. Tanner Mortensen on 2 card stated
“grievances cause problems.” COV Martinez/Lt. Corey Henry concurred the
same thing! It is like they don’t like being grieved.
Lt. Henry is our building Lt. Lt. Potter told me on 11/18/18 in front of
Ms. Aguilar LVN “She doesn’t need a long story” when addressing the pill
window situation. On commissary day 11/18/18 between court time and
4:30PM, Sgt. Soto, Lt. Potter failed to call control J2 for pill window
on E, F, and G wing. People in the day room were telling on Enriquez
“Pill Window.” Enriquez stated they haven’t called for it. Lt. Corey
Henry told me to talk to Lt. Potter that he wasn’t aware that J2 G4s
weren’t at PM pill window. I filed the step 1 and they resolved it and
started running G4s during count or when building count cleared. I
talked to Ms. Hargrove LVN about the situation and she told me to
breathe. Ms. Hargrove is the type of person that doesn’t like me to
initiate conversation. She just wants to get things done.
There is miscommunication on the unit severely on G4s. We are not
afforded commissary weekly like G2s. They run OS every other week on
$35.00 spend. The dates they ran us are follows: Oct 12, 24, Nov. 19. We
go after J1. They don’t have the holiday/hygiene pack in stock. We need
to be able to go weekly. On my last unit Hightower, G4s went on Monday.
Hightower is a small farm built like Wally Wallace. Lt. Henry would lock
the wing if we were disorderly, etc. Major Bristow seems to participate
in groupthink instead of being different from his Lt. The gang members
disrespect the pigs. Mr. Alamonte sprayed an 18 year old Black man as he
came out the cell for not obeying an order.
Laundry Sgt. Buske continues to screw comrades over on clothes giving
them bigger sizes saying “I don’t have mediums” (grievance # was filed
last week)
They are mad that a comrade is exposing their deliberate indifference.
Comrades are scared to file grievances.
I’m trying to put together my next civil action as we speak. Peep this.
On 10/16/18. I was placed in confinement. When being placed in
confinement, the PIGs (Pro Imperialist Goons) put you in the shower till
they find bed space or someone who is compatible with you. This takes
hours. Yes, they had me standing in a shower stall from around 12 noon
until about 10 pm, despite me informing the PIGs (Pro Imperialist Goons)
over and over again that I had medical conditions. I just had hernia
surgery in 2016 and I got a history of hemorrhoids. None of these issues
had bothered me in years as medical records will show and prove.
After standing in that shower stall so long, my hernia started hurting
really bad, my hemorrhoids flared up so bad I couldn’t have a bowel
movement for three days.
I saw the doctor on 11/9/18. I saw the doctor and was prescribed
Naproxen’s 375 mg (pain pills) and some stool softeners and hemorrhoid
ointment (extra strength). I’m trying to find out if I got a civil
claim. I gotta hit the law library when I get released from confinement.
Just keeping you up on beat. Don’t forget to inform me how I can send
you some funds from my account. And let me know if you know any criminal
appeal lawyers. I’m trying to get free.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela
Duckworth Scribner, 2016
[Editor’s note: This review of Grit follows on several articles printed
in ULK 63
about the book and lessons we can glean for our organizing. This comrade
offers a more in-depth review of some of the practical uses for our
work, but also some criticisms of the politics of the book. We encourage
readers to check out ULK 63 for more on organizing theory and
practice.]
I really like this book, not just because I found lots of useful tactics
and strategies for pursuing my own personal goals in life, but because I
was able to see that I’ve already been putting many of the author’s
suggestions into practice, both in my capacity as a revolutionary and as
someone pursuing a particular goal: my freedom. Therefore, in writing
this review, I have not only tried to sum up the tactics and strategies
I found most useful, but those which others might find use for as well.
However, this review is not without criticism.
The author of this book, Angela Duckworth, is a professor of psychology
at the University of Pennsylvania and she wrote this book to make one
basic statement: success in any endeavor is dependent on the amount of
time, hard work, determination, and effort that someone puts into
something.
Now this concept might not seem so special or even new to someone, but
to a dialectical materialist, it speaks power to truth in that it
demolishes certain idealist and metaphysical notions about what it means
to be gifted and blessed in bourgeois society. Of course, as a
dialectical materialist, I also understand that this book must be viewed
with a critical eye, as it contains both positive and negative aspects.
Professor Duckworth makes it a point to begin eir book by explaining
that lofty-minded individuals aren’t usually the type of people to
accomplish much of anything. Rather, it’s those with a “never give up”
attitude that will reach a marked level of success. Professor Duckworth
also successfully argues against the myth that the only thing that
matters is “talent.” Instead she says a bigger factor is developed
skill, which is the result of consistent and continuous practice. From a
Maoist perspective this means that it is people who take a materialist
approach to life and who understand the dialectical interplay between
people and people, and between people and their surroundings, that will
go the furthest the fastest.
In addition, the author puts forward organizational guidelines that are
useful to just about anyone, even the imprisoned lumpen. How prisoners
decide to exercise the professor’s tools is entirely up to them. We
would hope however, that USW members and other allies participating in
the United Front for Peace in Prisons would use the lessons in
Grit to further the anti-imperialist prison movement, as what
they essentially amount to is the piecemeal approach to struggle.
So what does it take to develop grit as the author defines it? The
following are just some of the book’s pointers that I could relate to
and I’m sure you can too:
Having direction as well as determination.
Doing more of what you are determined to do and doing it longer equals
grit.
Learn from your mistakes.
Grit is more about stamina than intensity (“Grit is not just working
incredibly hard, it’s loyalty”).
Do things better than they have ever been done before.
Goals are essential to strategizing long term, and you must also have
lots of short-term goals along the way.
Having goal conflicts can be healthy: what may at one given moment seem
contradictory may in fact be complementary.
Don’t be intimidated by challenges or being surrounded by people who are
more advanced or developed. This can only help you grow.
Overextending yourself is integral toward growth, it’s what helps you
develop. Also, repetitive diligence cultivates.
Daily discipline as perseverance helps you to zero in on your
weaknesses.
Passion is a must!
Go easy on newcomers.
Look for quality over quantity when measuring growth.
What we do has to matter to other people.
Have a top level goal.
Stay optimistic!
Maintain a growth mindset.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Following through is the single best predictor of grit.
Getting back up after you’ve been kicked down is generally reflective of
grit. When you don’t, your efforts plummet to a zero. As a consequence,
your skill stops improving and you stop producing anything with whatever
skill you have.
So now that we’ve looked at tools for overall improvement, growth and
development let’s look at some specific tips on how to add a little more
intensity to our routines and organizational skill set. The author talks
about something she calls “deliberate practice.” Deliberate practice is
a technique or range of techniques that people across different
professions use to become masters in their fields. Whether someone is a
spelling bee champ, professional basketball player, or computer
programmer, all these people have one thing in common: deliberate
practice. I include the message here because it can be useful to
revolutionaries. Simply put, deliberate practice is all about becoming
an expert at something. Deliberate practice is the essence of grit:
Wanting to develop.
Not just more time on task, but better time on task.
Focusing on improving your weaknesses; intentionally seeking out
challenges you can’t yet meet.
Practicing alone, logging more hours than with others.
Seeking negative feedback for the purposes of improving your craft.
Then focus in on the specific weaknesses and drill them relentlessly.
Don’t be afraid to experiment if you find yourself getting stuck or even
if you’re not. Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone even
if you’re already doing good. Who knows, you might do better.
Now, at the beginning of this review, I said this book was not beyond
criticism. So here are some problems I found with Grit.
To begin with, the author caters to the idealist Amerikan ideology of
“pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” and failing to take into
account the structural oppression faced by the internal semi-colonies in
the United $tates. Furthermore, most of the author’s case studies, those
who she refers to as “paragons of grit,” come from privileged
backgrounds and their success in life can be easily linked to the
surroundings in which they were allowed to develop their skills to their
fullest potentials. Compare this to the experience of the oppressed
nations: the lumpen in particular who exist along the margins of
society, or the Chican@ semi-proletariat who must struggle in order to
meet its basic needs. Therefore, all is not simply a matter of will and
determination for the oppressed as we might be led to believe. There are
a variety of social factors in place which the oppressed must contend
with in the grind of daily life.
Another problem I have with this book is where the author makes the
statement that it generally takes up to 10,000 hours or 10 years of
practice for someone to become an expert in their field. The author
bases this hypothesis on data she’s gathered in preparation for eir
book. This inherent flaw in the professor’s work is exactly the type of
problem that comes from applying bourgeois psychology and sociological
methods according to bourgeois standards within a narrow strip of
bourgeois society. This was something of a turn off to me as I grappled
with the concepts from a revolutionary perspective. I can imagine how
discouraging it can be for our young comrades or those otherwise new to
the struggle to read that it takes 10 years to become an expert in
something, especially when they come to us eager to put in work. I
wonder if I, myself, would have continued engaging Maoism if I would
have heard or read this book when I was a newcomer? I would like to
think that I had enough grit to not listen to the naysayers and instead
keep on pushing, but I just don’t know.
Maoist China also grappled with similar questions during the Great Leap
Forward (1959-61) and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
(1966-76). Beginning with the Great Leap Forward, there were those in
the Communist Party, as well as in the economic sector, who advocated an
“expert in command” approach to work and politics. The people pushing
this line believed that only those with years of study or practice in
China’s greatest institutions or in the West’s most prestigious
universities were qualified to lead the country towards socialism. Most
of these people would turn out to be enemies of the revolution and
ultimately responsible for putting China back on the capitalist road.
On the other side of the discussion where the Maoists who advocated the
slogan “red and expert” to emphasize the importance of revolutionary
will and determination over that of expertise. In other words, it was
more important to pay attention to the masses motivation of serving the
people according to revolutionary principles than to the bourgeois
commandist approach of top down leadership and authoritarianism that was
the essence of “experts in command.” Furthermore, the Maoists understood
that to overly emphasize a reliance on the bourgeois methods of
organization for the purposes of efficiency and profit was not only to
widen the gap between leaders and led, but to return to the status quo
prior to the revolution. What’s more, those calling for expert in
command were also criticized for their stress on theory over practice
and adoption of foreign methods of organization over that of
self-reliance and independence. As such, the Maoists opted to popularize
the slogan “red and expert” as they believed this represented a more
balanced approach to political, cultural, economic, and social
development. To the Maoists, there was nothing wrong with wanting to
become expert so long as the concept wasn’t separated from the needs of
the people or the causes of the revolution.
Partly as a response to the struggles gripping China during the time,
but more so as an attempt to meet Chinese needs, the Communist Party
initiated the “sent down educated youth” and “going down to the
countryside and settling with the peasants” campaigns in which thousands
of high school and university age students were sent on a volunteer
basis to China’s rural area to help educate peasants. The students lived
and toiled with the peasants for months and years so that they would not
only learn to empathize with the country’s most downtrodden, but so that
the revolutionary will and resolve of the privileged urban youth could
be strengthened. Part of the students’ mission was to build the schools
in the countryside and teach the peasants how to read and write as well
to help advance the peasants’ farming techniques according to what the
youth had learned in the cities. While these students may not have been
“experts” in the professional sense, they did more to improve the living
conditions of the peasants than most professionals did criticizing this
program from the sidelines.(1)
The barefoot doctors program is another Maoist success story which even
Fidel Castro’s Cuba came to emulate. The majority of China’s population
were peasants and had virtually zero access to modern medical care. To
address this problem, peasants were given a few years training in basic
medical care, and sent to work in China’s rural area. Again, the focus
here was not on expertise, but on practice and revolutionary will for
the sake of progress not perfection. While those trained certainly were
not expert medical doctors, they were of more use to the peasants than
the witch doctors and shamans they were accustomed to.
While Grit offers a lot of useful information for comrades with
little organizational experience, we should keep in mind that much of
what we communists consider correct methods of practice has already been
summed up as rational knowledge by the revolutionary movements before
us. Bourgeois psychology can be useful, but history and practice are our
best teachers. Look to the past and analyze the present to correctly
infer the future.
As Mao Zedong Stated: “Marxists hold that man’s social practice alone is
the criterion of the truth of his knowledge of the external world.”(2)
MIM(Prisons) responds: Throughout the book, Duckworth focuses on
high-performance bourgeois heroes and institutions, in order to address
the question of “what makes them the best at what they do?” In answering
this question, the author does briefly acknowledge that access to
resources can play a decisive role in one’s success in a particular
field. That might mean having money to pay for pool access to become a
great swimmer. In another way, access to resources might boil down to
the semi-random luck of having a decent (or crap) coach in public school
sports. Of course there are socio-economic reasons why good coaches are
at certain schools and not others, and why some schools have sports at
all and others don’t – and those are reasons linked to the three strands
of oppression.
Duckworth’s analysis of how we (as outsiders) can influence someone’s
internal grit underlined how big of an influence one persyn or
experience can have on someone else’s passion and perseverence. For
example, we don’t need material resources to change our attitude and
behavior to a “growth mindset.” And, while a broader culture of grit is
certainly preferable, we can still make a big impact as single
organizers – in many of eir examples, the paragons of grit cited one or
two key people in their lives who played a major part in their success.
And ULK’s contributors’ persynal histories in “Ongoing Discussion
of Recruiting Best Practices” confirms this.
Duckworth’s analysis on this topic is outlined in “Part 3: Growing Grit
from the Outside In,” and MIM(Prisons) has been discussing this section
at length to improve our own practices. We have an extremely limited
ability to organize and influence people – we are only struggling with
our subscribers through the mail, which comes with many unique
challenges. Our subscribers have access to very little resources, and we
can’t buy them the world. But if we can make even our limited contact
more effective – through our study, execution, experimentation, and the
feedback we receive – we believe we can still make a big impact.
Duckworth helped build my confidence that even though i’m only one
organizer, and i’m not really that talented at it to begin with, my
efforts still matter a lot.
While Duckworth does good to knock down the idols of talent, ey replaces
them with the hardworking individual, rather than the knowledge of the
collective, and group problem solving. The group is acknowledged as one
thing that can help you as an individual become great, in eir discussion
of the “culture of grit.” The examples from China that Ehecatl brings up
emphasizes that our goal is not to be great as individuals, but to serve
the people by bringing together different sources of knowledge, to see a
problem from all sides, and to engage the masses in conquering it.
In a related point, Ehecatl says that we need to “do things better than
they have ever been done before.” I’m not sure of the deeper meaning
behind this point, and it’s one that i think could be read in a
discouraging way. We certainly should aim to do things better than we
have ever done them. But if we know we can’t do them better than
everyone ever, then should we give up? No, we should still try, because
“effort counts twice” and the more we try, the better we’ll get at
it.(3) And, even if we’re not the best ever, we can still have a huge
impact. Like Ehecatl writes above, we don’t need to clock 10,000 hours
before we can make big contributions.
To deepen your own understanding of the principles in Grit, get a
copy to study it yourself. Get Grit from MIM(Prisons) for $10 or
equivalent work-trade.
Today’s principal contradiction, here in the United $tates, is the
national contradiction – meaning that between oppressed nations and
oppressor nations. MIM(Prisons) provides some very provocative questions
as to secondary contractions, their influence on or by and in
conjunction to the current principal contradiction. Class, gender and
nation are all interrelated.(1) Many times, while organizing our efforts
and contemplating potential solutions to the principal contradiction, we
overlook the secondary and tertiary ones. Such narrow-mindedness
oftentimes leads to difficulties, hampering efforts toward resolution.
Other times it makes resolving the principal, effectively, impossible.
Analogous to penal institutions making it possible to punish a citizenry
but impossible to better it due to the irreconcilable contraction
between retributive punishment and rehabilitation. This is why reforms
consistently fail and prisons persist as a social cancer.
In regards to intersecting strands of oppression, prisons are
illustrative of more than pitfalls of narrow-mindedness (i.e. reform of
one aspect while leaving the rest intact). Prisons also provide numerous
examples of oppression combinations. Interactions of nation and gender
oppression are some of the most evident. Penal institutions are
inherently nationally oppressive, because they are social control
mechanisms allowing capitalism to address its excluded masses. Since the
United $tates is patriarchal in practice, prisons over-exaggerate this
masculine outlook, creating an ultra-aggressive, chauvinistic
subculture.
Intersection occurs oft times when a female staff member is present.
Other than the few brave people, most wimmin in prison are regarded as
“damsels in distress.” Generally speaking (at least in Colorado prisons)
a male will accompany a female; though, most males make no effort to do
this for other men. Capitalism’s undercurrent to such “chivalrous
actions” is rooted in wimmin being the weaker, more helpless and
vulnerable gender. In prison, machismo culture such is the chauvinist’s
belief. While many wimmin aid in their inequality by accepting,
encouraging, or simply not protesting such “chivalry,” brave,
independent wimmin experience a form of ostracism – they are derided, an
effort to enjoin their conformity. At the same time men are being
chivalrous, they sexually objectify females, further demeaning them,
reinforcing their second-class status under machismo specifically and,
capitalistic patriarchy generally.
Furthermore, there is also the ever-present nation bias
(e.g. hyper-sexualizing Latina females, white females should only
fraternize with whites). As prisons are “snapshots” of general society,
the contradictions – their intersecting and interacting – hold useful
material for revolutionary-minded persyns.
Intersection of different oppression strands (as shown above)
demonstrates that the resolution of one does not automatically mean
resolution of others. For instance, should machismo in prison dissolve,
the national oppression will still remain and vice versa. Prisons are an
encapsulation of society, meaning, their abolishment will not
necessarily translate to class, nation, gender contradiction resolutions
throughout society. Although, it is a very good, versatile place to
start. Penal institutions are more of an observation laboratory where
the effects and affects of contradiction co-mingling manifest. A place
to watch, document, analyze, formulate and possibly initiate theory and
practice. There is no better way to comprehend oppression than to
witness it in action. Nor is there any better way of combating the many
oppressions than from the front lines.
I am writing you at this time to submit my first article and to request
books for myself that I will also share with others. I’m sure the Texas
prison system is different then other states prison systems, one being a
credit dispute resolution, where prisoners (offenders as we are now
called) can dispute their begin sentence date, time earning class, and
custody. But then the reply is “we can not change this without a court
order.” I challenged my begin date that was calculated by TDCJ who is
cheating me out of four months. If the error is on their part why would
I have to go back to court to force them to calculate my time properly?
If they aren’t going to help then why even have this department?
The disciplinary department is also similar where cases are judged based
on “officers statement,” because the officer states you committed an
infraction, you are guilty. Even if you have evidence to the contrary.
No actual evidence is investigated. Then prisoners must file a grievance
which is also not properly investigated and the reply is usually a
non-answer that has nothing to do with the problem. To receive proper +
fair procedures, both disciplinary infractions and grievances should be
handled by impartial persons outside the TOCJ system where these people
are not related to, or friends of the very officers who are writing
these cases or being investigated on grievances.
I would also like to ask is it legal to price gouge on commissary. For
instance a soup is like 5 or 6 for a dollar in the world but in county
all they are charging us $1.00 a soup. Is this legal? The company that
is selling us commissary is also the company that feeds us our 3 meals
and they barely feed up and don’t ever season nothing as well as cook as
if they don’t know how living us hungry with no choice but to pay
ridiculous prices for commissary items. And they also sell us stuff that
isn’t to be resold. Like a box of crackers is supposed to be sold as a
box not individually sold. They break down a box of crackers and sell
them each sleeve for $1.50 that’s $6.00 a box of saltine crackers. Isn’t
this price gouging and monopolizing? They feed us like crap leaving us
no choice but to pay ridiculous prices just cause were hungry. I’ll send
you a copy of our commissary list so you can see for yourselves. I don’t
know I just don’t think they should be charging 20 cents for a pack of
sugar that you get for free when you buy a cup of coffee at a
convenience store or 69 cents for a chico stick please help me
understand this.
I hope this letter finds you in the best of health and highest of
spirits. I am currently Incarcerated in the Bexar County Jail awaiting
trial. I recently read a copy of ULK 64. I must say I loved it. I
tip my hat to all the workers helping the movement of ULK.
I am currently fighting for my 1st & 8th Amendments Bill of Rights.
First and foremost I am considered Protective Custody Special Gang
Management. Administrative Segregation under 21 hour confinement with
meals served in the cells. Only to be let out for about 3 hours to
shower & shave. But most days we are lucky to get 1.5 hours. We are
not allowed to participate in any Jail programs or to attend any
religious services due to Bexar County Jail not having enough sheriffs
to escort us.
I’ve been Incarcerated in BCADC 4 months. I been filing Grievances to
Bexar County Jail Administrator but I haven’t received any response to
any of my grievances. I’ve filed about 10 Grievances. I was hoping you
all could possibly help me in anyway? I am currently fighting my case
but due to my classification status I’m also not allowed to attend the
law library. I’m in somewhat of a rut. How can I properly fight for my
freedom when I’m not even allowed to attend the law library. However I
can fill out via Blue form requesting legal materials. But How do I know
what it is I need if I can’t physically attend to do research? Could you
please send me legal law materials & books? I really really need A
Blacks Law Dictionary. My law library says they cannot send me one OR
allow me to use one. I must request them to define only 5 words at a
time, then wait 10 days for them to provide a response & material.
The system Here is very corrupt.
On 11-1-18 i received a denial of publication, for Under Lock &
Key #63. Stating that pages 1 and 5 advocate for prison disruption,
however I appealed and was again denied. So I had it sent to my sister.I
received Under Lock & Key #64 and was glad to see that it was
not denied.
I’ve been fighting the system for years and have a few people behind me.
The Stiles Unit has been in violation of a Health Code and Sanitation
Violation. 8 building, where I’m being housed, is a building for the
G-5/Close Custody and G4/Medium Custody Offenders, and this
administration has set up a make shift kitchen, the food is always cold,
the trays are not being sanitized because there is no dishwasher in the
make shift kitchen. Offenders handle food without gloves on or hair
nets. I’ve filed a Grievance about it along with 10 other comrades
trying to make a change but the Grievance process is a joke. Sometimes
they never answer grievances. Would you please send the grievance
petition.
During the summer of 2018, the California Department of Corrections
& Rehabilitation (CDCR) attempted to initiate a radical new policy
to re-integrate General Population (GP) and Sensitive Needs Yards (SNY)
prisoners throughout the state. These two populations have been
separated for decades, but are now living together in what they are
calling Non-Designated Programming Facilities (NDPFs).
SNYs were first created in the late 1990s to provide safe housing for
prisoners convicted as sex offenders and other prisoners who had fallen
out of favor with prison gangs. This population exploded during the
early 2000s, when the CDCR began to ease housing restrictions and
criteria on SNYs.
In 2015, the office of the Governor of the state of California, Jerry
Brown, authored the document “The Governor’s Plan: The Future of
California Prisons” in which they published the rising costs and
administrative difficulties related to operating SNYs. It was within
this document that the questions of how to stem the growing need for
SNY, and possibly re-integrate GP and SNY, was first asked. In 2016, a
“SNY Summit” was held by CDCR officials and so it seems that NDPFs
developed from both the Governor’s Plan and the SNY Summit.
According to a CDCR memorandum titled “Amended Non-Designated
Programming Facilities Expansion for 2018,” additional NDPFs were to be
created out of existing GP and SNY. The stated purpose for this
expansion was to “…expand positive programming to all inmates who want
it.” The NDPF expansion was scheduled to take place as early as
September 2018 at two different institutions with more to follow in the
months ahead.
The official list of NDPFs is relatively short, and only reflects NDPFs
affecting level 1, 2 and 3 prisoners at this time. However, MIM(Prisons)
has been receiving a lot of contradictory information on this issue from
prisoners, much of which can be attributed to rumors from both pigs and
prisoners. Therefore it is difficult for us to assess the situation and
sum up matters. Naturally these developments have prisoners on both
sides of the fence worked up and full of anxiety.
The forceful integration of GP and SNY prisoners poses obvious concerns
for the safety and security of everyone involved. As dialectical
materialists, the left-wing of United Struggle from Within (USW)
understands that change cannot be forced from the outside to the inside
within this particular situation. Rather, unity can only develop from
the inside to the out, which is why we are against NDPFs. Re-integration
of SNY and GP is something that can only work once prisoners themselves
settle the disputes and resolve the contradictions that led to the need
for prisoners to de-link from the rest of the prisoner population and
seek the protection of the state to begin with.
Contradictions amongst the people must be peacefully resolved amongst
the people; there’s no other way around this. Until this happens, the
new prison movement will remain divided and unable to unite along true
anti-imperialist lines. It is for this very reason that we continue to
uphold and promote the correct aspects of the Agreement to End
Hostilities (AEH), which was developed by prisoners themselves. In the
AEH we see an end to the large scale prisoner violence that racked
California prisons for decades. We also see a possibility for the
re-emergence of revolutionary nationalism amongst the oppressed nation
lumpen of Aztlán, New Afrika and the First Nations.
The AEH is a foundation for the movement, but movements are not built
on foundations alone; for this we need brick, mortar and other
materials. Likewise the building blocks to the new prison movement will
need the contributions and participation of as many of California’s
prisoners as possible if the signatories to the AEH really wanna live up
to the revolutionary ideals which they profess and which so many claim
to be instilled in the AEH, lest the AEH be but a hollow shell.
No doubt that the AEH was hystoric, progressive and even revolutionary
six years ago, but the time has come to amend the document. All language
excluding SNY prisoners from the peace process and casting SNY as
enemies should be revisited if prisoners from the Short Corridor
Collective and Representative Body are truly interested in taking the
AEH to the next level.
For more information on re-integration and NDPFs contact Julie Garry
Captain Population Management Unit (916) 323-3659.
I need Sworn Complaint Form to file criminal complaint against prison
nurse for falsification of State Medical Records with Grimes County
District Attorney in violation of Texas State Penal Code § 37.09 and §
37.10. We have a L.V.N. named Gwendolyn Crawford (a.k.a. “Killer
Crawford the Angel of Death”) who falsified my medical records on
10/18/18 stating I complained of cold like symptoms, when in fact I
complained of a Kidney Infection and Urinary Tract Infection and had a
103.8 Temperature at 6 pm. After Crawford falsified my records I was
sent back to my cell. At 12:30am I had to be carried to medical on an
emergency where I was shaking so violently from the chills from the
fever and infection that guards thought I was having a seizure. R.N.
Benson conducted the test for Kidney/Urinary Tract Infection and test
was positive showing elevated white blood cell count, protein in urine
and fever of 103.8° and Tara Lierdsey, N.P. was called and antibiotics
were prescribed, only after they discovered L.V.N. Crawford had
falsified my medical record 6 1/2 hours earlier. Crawford was
deliberately indifferent to my serious medical needs, practiced medicine
outside the scope of her license and violated State Tort Laws of Medical
Negligence/Malpractice; as well as violated the Texas Penal Code in
falsifying my medical records; which resulted in physical harm,
suffering, and mental anguish.
I wish to file both criminal charges with the Grimes County District
Attorney and wish to file suit in Federal Court for Deliberate
Indifference to Serious Medical Needs in violation of the Eighth
Amendment to the United States Constitution.