MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
Under Lock & Key is a news service written by and for prisoners with a focus on what is going on behind bars throughout the United States. Under Lock & Key is available to U.S. prisoners for free through MIM(Prisons)'s Free Political Literature to Prisoners Program, by writing:
MIM(Prisons) PO Box 40799 San Francisco, CA 94140.
I am enclosing a memo distributed to the captive population in
response to the uprisings by the Americans’ oppressed New Afrikan
population. It is claimed that their actions are not punitive, but of
course that is clearly not the case. There is evident fear of the latent
power of their oppressed nationalities confined within their prisons, as
can be noted at the end of the first paragraph.
“As you are aware our Nation is facing difficult times as emotions
run high and peaceful protests have turned into violently charged
demonstrations. In an effort to maintain the safety and security of the
institution, a lock down has been initiated. This lock down is not
punitive. … However, we are committed to preventing any type of
disruption from occurring, and I strongly emphasize any type of violent
behavior will never be accepted or tolerated at this facility.”
MIM(Prisons) adds: This action by the federal government reveals
the level of fear that they have right now of the oppressed nations and
the youth in general in this country. Prison officials display the same
hypocrisy as the police on the streets who have responded to peaceful
demonstrations again and again with violence against people for
exhibiting their First Amendment rights. Young people are coming home
from protests permanently disabled. While thousands are being locked up.
As statistics on police murders and violence are gaining interest, we
must ask what about the “peace officers” behind bars? How many have they
killed? How many Black men are dying at the hands of the state where
cell phone cameras are illegal? Where peaceful protests always face
repression and there’s no videos to post online?
On 24 May 2020, the Republic of Aztlán (ROA) participated in the
action at Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution that was organized by
the families of prisoners. There was over a hundred people in attendance
and everyone was fired up about this concentration kkkamp that holds
their loved ones. The ROA came to support the families and to add our
resistance to the pot.
Lompoc has the highest cases of COVID in the U.S. federal prison
system. The main organizer’s own husband just got tested positive for
COVID. So this is ground zero for the prison epidemic in the United
$nakes. For this reason the ROA felt it important to go.
Upon arrival we noticed that the prison pigs were out in force. Lined
up at the gates with cars parked as if someone may try to drive through
the gates. They were definitely ready. The families were chanting
slogans such as “Let them go” and “No justice no peace” …people were in
overall good spirits. So it was very good to see that our energy
injected a fire into the bunch. We soon had the mostly Chican@ families
chanting “Free Aztlán!” with bullhorns and “Lompoc is a concentration
kkkamp!”
Meanwhile we agitated the pigs with a bullhorn in front of the
families by yelling things like “You’re a modern day Nazi!” and “Pigs
are occupiers and terrorists!” They were very taken by surprise by how
we addressed them and how the crowd cheered as we all got fired up
really quick.
The ROA also used this opportunity to pass out leaflets of our Ten
Point Program. We are a Revolutionary Cadre Organization that sees
itself as an embryonic Provisional Government. We are a Government in
waiting for the Chican@ Nation. Once a civil war pops off the ROA will
be organized to step in and seize power for Aztlán. Raza, we need to
organize on a bigger scale and transform our Lumpen organizations to see
a bigger goal. Fuck controlling blocks, cities or states we should be
organizing to gain independence and run a Peoples Government.
The ROA is here to politicize and prepare our raza for self
determination in the truest sense. All power to the raza who sacrifice
to take it!
2 June 2020 - Hello Brothers and Sisters en La Lucha! Much has
happened since my
last letter.
On April 30th my CPAP was returned, but only after I agreed to be
moved to a single cell. This being said, the fight isn’t over. Of all
the CPAP/BiPaps confiscated mine is only the 2nd one returned to date.
As a result, my family received a phone call from Mary Donovan, there
have been many lawsuits filed on CDCR because of the Gestapo-like
tactics with which they confiscated our DME’s (Durable Medical
Equipment), which is lawful.
On 22 May 2020, I was finally called for an interview on my Health
Care 602 I filed on April 10th when they confiscated our CPAP’s/BiPaps
and still to date have not had it returned to me at the first level?
They seem to be purposefully delaying it to fit their agenda. So, we
continue to fight, til everyone gets their CPAPs/BiPaps and nebulizers
returned.
In addition, i have initiated a MIM Grievance Campaign on CDCR due to
the CPAP’s confiscation (H.C. 602 tracking #CMF HC 20000538). Thank you
for all the support!
On another note, I want to extend our support to everyone out there,
we stand with everyone in solidarity with those protesting police
brutality. La Lucha Sigue! Inside-Outside-One Side!
MIM(Prisons) adds: In addition to the organizing this
comrade describes above, on 11 May 2020, comrades in Anti-Imperialist
Prisoner Support participated in a phone zap campaign to demand that
California Medical Facility return these medical devices.
The Director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice(TDCJ) is
Lorie Davis, and she ordered TDCJ for all units to follow a list of
sanitation [protocols]. You can email admin@tpride.org to get this list
that’s been ordered, and the phone number to call to report failure to
follow these policies is below.
I wrote Lorie Davis and reported TDCJ Telford Unit not following
policies implemented by Director Davis, and they still haven’t been
implemented. Assistant Warden Mr. Marshall called me out and threatened
me, told me to stop writing, and to set down.
My Texas Pack which I hustled hard to get has now come up missing. I
think my legal mail is thrown away. If you can please send me a Texas
Pack, I can send a donation when I get out, for all the hard work you do
and help any way I can.
I need you to call Lori Davis, and please leave my name out of it. I
fear what could happen. Right now I’m on the worst effected unit with
COVID-19. There’s been 4 inmate deaths, 80 sick and 31 officers have
gotten it. And the administration refuses to give any disinfectant to
segregation inmates.
By Lorie Davis, we are supposed to be getting Double D
[disinfectant]. We’ve not gotten it once. Bleach is not being used or
anything else in administrative segregation.
**1-844-476-1289 is the number to report this
Also contact the TDCJ’s Director of Administrative Risk and Review
Management Marvin Dunbar at (936) 437-4839 **
The Johnnies (sack) meals we get have little to no food on them.
Special medical-prescribed meals, meat frees, are not sent out but every
once in a while. Also we are not getting beverages of any kind.
We need you to report these things on Telford. Thank you for your
time.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This is one of many reports we’ve been
getting regarding prison staff not following basic sanitation guidelines
in prisons across the country. We just heard from a comrade who got eir
parole delayed on a bogus rules violation write up in California for
signing eir name on a group grievance that staff were not wearing masks.
Not only are staff putting prisoners lives at risk by not following
these procedures, but they are punishing people for bringing it to their
attention!
This is in response/follow-up to the “PA
Mail Disrupted” article on pg. 13 of ULK 66. Enclosed is some info
printed off of the internet that you may or may not be aware of. It
substantiates what both the comrade that wrote the article and also what
MIM(Prisons) responded.
You are probably aware by now, but the “policy” of staff photocopying
our privileged correspondence (legal mail) has since been lifted and we
now receive the original documents once again. This is ONLY for
privileged correspondence from courts and licensed attorneys with
approved “ACNs” (Attorney Control Numbers). This changed over a year ago
and I’ve provided a copy of the policy update with this letter.
This is a huge victory and to the best of my knowledge, aside from
the individual (or groups of) prisoners who I’m sure filed
grievances/lawsuits,, etc. to bring about this change, I believe the
ACLU played a major role in this win.
But of course it’s one battle in a much larger war. Our “regular”
mail is still being scanned by Smart Communications in Florida as well
as our photos from family and friends.
All books/publications still must go through the “Security Processing
Center” to be heavily scrutinized and censored, which leads to it taking
a MINIMUM of about three weeks for us to receive our books. Sometimes it
takes upwards of two months.
An alternative to the poor quality printed (copied) photos (I’ve
persynally received numerous photos that the jail has printed on the
opposite side of the SAME page as my letters, which I hope I’m
not the only one that sees this as ridiculous, lazy, and flat out
disrespectful) is to receive “photo books” via apps such as FreePrints,
FlikShop, Shutterfly, and Snapfish.
These photo books are more expensive (around $10-$15) but are MUCH
better quality than receiving the printed copies through Smart
Communications. But the photo books must come (from the app) through the
Security Processing Center.
Clearly the DOC isn’t happy that we’ve found a “loophole” in eir
ridiculous policy regarding photos and I’ve witnessed a fellow
prisoner’s ENTIRE photo book be rejected because ONE out of 25 of the
photos depicted eir young daughter throwing up the “peace” sign. It goes
without saying that ey claimed it was a “gang” sign. How ignorant and
disrespectful can ey be? Obviously this question is rhetorical because
clearly ey will stop at nothing and have no boundaries when it comes to
censoring and harassing prisoners here in PA and around the country.
Bottom line, this is proof that we can achieve victories, albeit
small ones, but victories nonetheless when standing up for our rights
against the systematic oppression at the hands of our captors (the
State).
So I hope it will encourage all of us to keep fighting and keep
standing up for the what we believe in and what we know is right.
Just recently, the national grievance petition that I drafted got
published in several newspapers. Then our cell block got raided multiple
times, and cellphones were confiscated. Well the C.O.’s put the searches
off on my organizing and blaming me for the raids. As a result, a XXXX
gang member stabbed me 5 times in the back with an ice pick. I am
recovering fine but it just goes to show how far these fascists will go
to shut me up.
Next, I would like to update you on these petitions. So on 8 May 2020
citizens in Raleigh, N.C. did a vehicle protest blaring horns, marching
with signs in front of Central Prison in Raleigh & prisoners on the
inside went on a 3 day hunger strike and refused to lock down at the
facility.
On 9 May 2020 many protests broke out at the Neuse Prison inside and
outside demanding N.C. prisoners’ human rights.
On 10 May 2020 women prisoners at NCCIW also protested on the inside
while dozens of cars blared their horns outside of the prison in
solidarity and marched in front of the prison until local police from
two agencies were dispersed to break the crowd up.
Prisoners are tired of being restricted from writing to other
prisoners of the opposite sex. Tired of paying $10.00 for prison rule
violations, restrictions on who can send us money, life sentences and
all the b.s. time we are being sentenced.
We’ve been here, at least some of us. Our last issue of ULK
was ULK 69, which came out in October 2019. In that issue we
announced a planned pause to launch a new newsletter in January. Those
plans fell apart in December when most of those
comrades left the project.
Wait, i’m new, i never even got ULK 69
If you wrote us for the first time after we mailed out ULK
69 you should have got some kind of response from us. Many new
subscribers were only sent a back issue of ULK and no further
info. This issue (70) should get everyone up to speed. However, due to
the shelter-in-place orders and our limited resources we are not doing a
mailing to our full subscriber list. Only those who write in after this
issue is released will be sent a copy.
How are you doing?
We’re doing as good as we can. The setbacks in December were
challenging. But those of us who remain are healthy so far, and are not
facing any immediate setbacks from the pandemic. In fact, we saw a 42%
increase in data pulled from our website in April, which we imagine is
related to people sheltering in place to avoid COVID-19.
What have you been up to?
We’ve actually done a lot in 2020. Before the comrades left this
winter we had spent a lot of time working with our partners in RAIM to
develop plans for the newsletter, as well as developing our ideological
unity around Maoism. Besides some edits to our definition of Maoism, we
put out an extensive
response to the book Continuity and Rupture, which goes
through the history of Maoism here in occupied Turtle Island and relates
it to the International Communist Movement (ICM). We could not fit that
essay in this issue of ULK, but if you are interested please
write in to request a copy. You can also get a copy of the book itself
from us for $8 (stamps or ask us for info on how to pay by check) or
work trade. It is a good explanation of some of the concepts behind
Maoism and where it comes from. However, our essay addresses some
serious disagreements with the historical facts and some of the author’s
political line. We recommend it to all who are studying Maoism.
Since the last ULK we’ve focused much energy outside of
prisons, to invest in building a more resilient movement on the streets.
Of note, we launched a new online platform that has been in the work for
years, which has allowed us to build with a number of new comrades. We
released plans for the launch of Anti-Imperialist Prisoner Support
(AIPS), a mass organization for people on the outside to support USW and
MIM(Prisons) work. Our subscribers can now link up their outside
contacts with AIPS to make direct contributions to Maoist prisoner
support in the United $tates. Just have your people get in touch with us
via our website www.prisoncensorship.info/contact
.
We took the opportunity of the intro study group coordinator leaving
to revamp the entire course, both the study questions as well as the
format. This new format allows people to complete the course at their
own pace, rather than having to wait for the next course to start, or
for others to answer. We hope this means our subscribers will be able to
develop their political consciousness more rapidly and with sustained
interest. The new format is already showing good results in the
responses we have seen.
The introductory study course has been open to prisoners for many
years, and hundreds of people have participated over that time. In 2020,
we started offering our intro study course online for the first time. We
are linking AIPS comrades to our intro study group participants inside,
to help build bridges between inside and outside, and to help everyone
develop their political consciousness more deeply.
Despite the pause in ULK, we have sent in 100s of pieces of
literature each month through our Free Political Books to Prisoners
Program.
Are all your programs still running?
No, we simply cannot do what we were doing until we can get more
comrade time dedicated to those tasks. This will happen by training new
people and/or having others provide the money we need to keep operating
so existing comrades have more time to put in.
Some tasks we cannot sustain at this time are producing
Spanish-language content and coordinating the Prisoners’ Legal Clinic.
Our capacity to appeal censorship on behalf of MIM Distributors will be
even more focused on instances that are being actively fought by our
subscribers. We will still send subscribers Spanish language materials
that are already produced, as well as legal guides available through our
Free Books program.
But ULK is back?
We’re not sure yet. Our plan A was to launch a new newsletter, in
partnership with other cells/groups, uniting on MIM’s 3 cardinal
principals (see MIM(Prisons) points 4-6). This newsletter would have
more than tripled our distribution, with most copies being distributed
outside of prisons. We still think we need such a newsletter to unite a
broader Maoist Internationalist Movement. But until people step up with
the effort, money and political line to do this project, this plan is on
hold.
Plan B is to recontinue Under Lock & Key, to serve as
the voice of the anti-imperialist prisoner movement led by
Marxism-Leninism-Maoism through MIM(Prisons)’s role as editor.
ULK came out every other month and was free to all prisoners of
the United $nakes who wrote us every 6 months to stay on the mailing
list. Whether we can return to that model is still being considered.
Plan C would be doing something less regular, with less content
and/or more restricted distribution, which is effectively what we are
doing with ULK 70. Before we make any concrete decisions, we
decided to put out ULK 70 as a first step in sorting out our
longer-term plan. We wanted to send our readers an update, including all
of the indepth content included in this issue. We wanted to let people
know we’re still here and still serious. And we wanted to make one more
call for support. How we proceed will depend on the response from our
subscribers, as well as potential contributors outside. And, like the
rest of the world, we are not sure what will be the impact of the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
How can i support the newsletter?
In order to consistently produce new issues of Under Lock &
Key, we must fill the gap in resources we had before we stopped.
This gap is in both comrade time and money. One of our biggest successes
in the last couple months has been the launch of the online platform,
and the streamlining of the process of getting prisoner writings typed
and published on our website. Helping out with typing, proof-reading,
formatting and even writing articles for ULK is one way to
help. Providing consistent funding is another. Comrades in prison,
perhaps you can help recruit people to do both. You don’t have to
contribute a lot, but we do need supporters who can contribute
consistently, that we can rely on to keep the newsletter going.
To reignite Plan A we need to develop cells within MIM and mass
organizations that are doing work on the ground that produce diverse
content for such a newsletter, an outlet for distributing it, and
funding.
Currently, Plan C might include publishing a newsletter whenever we
can. This model has the benefit of responding to reader support; as
support goes up, the newsletter becomes more regular. However, we think
consistency is important up front, especially if we are to be effective
at keeping our imprisoned subscribers informed in a relatively timely
manner, as we must do to sustain our movement.
Therefore, we are asking for everyone’s support in making
ULK a regular newsletter once again, to play its unique role of
publicizing and supporting anti-imperialist organizing in the dungeons
of the belly of the beast! For people inside, write to your people
outside and encourage them to get involved. For people outside, contact us with a pledge of
how much you can contribute every 2 months, in work and/or funding.
In April, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) began considering
calls for aid to Third World countries in the face of the COVID-19
pandemic.(1) Since then, finance capital flows have begun moving out of
the Third World and back into the United $tates, resulting in currencies
in those countries losing their value. This is making it impossible for
these countries to pay off their existing debt burdens, as well as to
fund much-needed relief for their people during this crisis.
In our previous
article we mentioned the possibility of the IMF issuing Special
Drawing Rights (SDRs) which would allow all countries to access funds,
via the United Nations, without accruing additional debt and interest.
We have also been echoing the call for complete debt forgiveness, or
jubilee, for the poorest nations of the world.
In place of these measures, the United $tates has set up a system
where countries can apply for dollars in exchange for local currency
from the U.$. Federal Reserve Board. This allows the United $tates to
decide who gets funding. Due to their control of the IMF, the Amerikans
have already blocked funding to Venezuela to combat the pandemic.(2)
The money being offered from the the Fed will also be given as loans,
with interest.(2) Already, the most exploited countries of the world
cannot afford to pay off existing loans. Many countries are spending
more on debt payments than healthcare during the pandemic.(1) In
addition, these loans, unlike the proposed SDRs, will have conditions
that give the Amerikans control over the path of development these
countries take in the future.
The exiting of finance capital from the Third World will have the
effect of passing the impacts of the economic crisis disproportionately
on to those countries. Meanwhile, the United $tates is offering to send
dollars back to put these countries further into debt and ratchet up
further policy control over their economies. While the United $tates is
currently leading the world in deaths due to the novel coronavirus, the
Third World nations are likely destined to see much more dire death and
suffering without debt forgiveness, unconditional aid, and the lifting
of sanctions and embargoes by the imperialists.
In times of capitalist expansion, exporting finance capital works to
transfer wealth from the Third World periphery to the First World
nations. Now that the economy is quickly contracting, the methods above
show how pulling finance capital out of the periphery also transfers
wealth to the First World nations. Ultimately, national liberation
struggles are necessary to free the peripheral countries from the
economic system of imperialism that uses them as a source of wealth at
the expense of much humyn suffering.
After reading the article “34 years too long: The case of Political
Prisoner Dr. Mutulu Shakur” in the San Francisco Bayview
newspaper, Feb. 2020 issue, plus watching the news on the current
events on the coronavirus epidemic, I can’t help but laugh and wonder;
Is this pay back for locking up and killing our New Afrikan healers? As
a young New Afrikan who grew up listening to and admiring the late Tupac
Shakur, knowing that Pac came from a revolutionary background, when
given a chance to study Dr. Mutulu Shakur deeper, I took it and was
astonished that he co-founded the BAAANA (Black Acupuncture Advisory
Association of North America).
It pisses me off how Dr. Mutulu was framed and is still locked up
after serving his 30-year sentence unrightfully. Just as much as the
killing of Dr. Sebz, America doesn’t want to heal individuals not
without capitalizing on it. Now we’re in a period where all the natural
healers are needed, and this epidemic of the coronavirus has individuals
in the multitudes fearing for their lives. Due to the Surgeon General
claiming there’s no cure and advise individuals to self-quarantine if
they have symptoms that coincides with COVID-19. But where’s the natural
healers now? In prison cells or 6 feet under the ground. For every
action there’s a consequence and here’s the Imperialistic-Capitalistic
world consequence for murdering and imprisoning our Brothers and
Sisters.
I knowledge that if the United $tates didn’t do the evil wrong doings
to the New Afrikan community and strayed away from the natural way of
life, as a whole we would be better off like the majority of the
continent of Afrika. Now Amerikkka is going into her rapist tool box and
do what it does best, which is blood suck whoever has the cure dry then
dispose of the evidence.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammed wrote about the Fall of Amerikkka and
said the worst is yet to come. How shit is looking now, the worst is
just beginning to happen to Amerikkka the great. As the New Afrikan
nation is in motion to free our Brothers and Sisters from the belly of
the dying beast. Our next move is in the separation of this failing
nation and watch the fireworks. Amerikkka is in a desperate need for a
healer, or a savior which will only come from US. Who are the Fathers
and Mothers of civilization, Supreme beings.
FREE DR. MUTULU SHAKUR!!
MIM(Prisons) responds: We also foresee challenging
times for the United Snakes empire coming out of th coronavirus crisis.
This creates opportunities for real change, and real change of the
economic system will come when oppressed nations begin delinking from
the imperialist system as this comrade says.
We must caution against taking our critique of the imperialists too
far into pseudo-science. There are many promoting “all natural” cures to
coronavirus to make a quick buck these days. It’s not just the U.$.
President pedaling dangerous unproven solutions. Certainly, if soldiers
like Mutulu Shakur were not targeted by the state, New Afrikans and the
world would be better off. And by seeing through Shakur’s vision of a
socialist future, we will be much better prepared to handle pandemics in
the future, by putting the people before profits.