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.
A lot of talk and discussion has been flying lately about the recent
exposure of the United $tates’s massive worldwide spying apparatus.
While the European Union superstructure of imperialist nations and
empires cry “Foul!,” their cries are for show only. In January 2012 the
E.U super-state shot down a proposal that would have made it illegal for
the United $tates to spy on E.U. citizens. The Amerikans threatened
economic warfare and the U.$. administration heavily lobbied E.U.
officials to crush the proposal before it was brought to member nations
for referendum. E.U. officials promptly did so, proving the United
$tates to be the current dominant world imperialist superpower.(1)
A reason some European countries/empires are reluctant to raise much of
an outcry is because most communications at some point have to travel
thru U.$. telecom and internet servers. European imperialist countries
can then backdoor their own countries’ warrant requirements by just
requesting the information from U.$. spy agencies. Britain has also been
known to do this to monitor insurgencies in its colonies.(2)(3) These
revelations bring about the question, how else does this issue affect
colonized peoples and the Third World?
The United $tates set up the notoriously corrupt Mexican government’s
entire telecommunications network to spy on its own citizenry, and of
course to allow the United $tates to monitor all communications passing
thru Mexico.(4) As stated above most of the world’s communications will
pass thru U.$. systems and systems set up by the United $tates. This
allows the Amerikans to spy on the entire world’s communications,
thereby helping them to control entire populations, and manipulate
governments and markets, which explains why the United $tates is so
willing to export this technology.(5)
The United $tates and Israel have been exporting this technology for
years.(6) One of the largest electronic surveillance companies Verint
was founded by former Israeli intelligence officer Jacob “Kobi”
Alexander. The CEO is Dan Bonder, former Israeli army engineer.(7) The
United $tates uses a lot of Verint software for eavesdropping. Another
major client of Verint is the government of Vietnam, who uses Verint
technology to monitor dissidents and silence them.(8)
Another large U.$./Israeli intelligence firm, Narus, provides
eavesdropping technology to the Chinese Government, which uses the
technology to monitor citizens, silence dissidents and to prevent
Chinese workers from organizing. Narus also provides and has provided
its services to the oppressive regimes in Egypt (Mubarak), Libya, and
Saudi Arabia.(9)
Without this U.$./Israeli technology these repressive governments could
not track VOIP calls or block “unapproved” websites or track
dissidents.(10) These systems allow these repressive regimes to impose a
stranglehold on their citizenry/workers on behalf of the U.$.
imperialists. This makes these U.$./Israeli firms not only responsible
for helping to maintain this stranglehold but also largely responsible
for the death, torture, and detention of the citizens and workers of
these countries.
MIM(Prisons) adds:In issue 33 of Under Lock & Key we
are focusing on the importance of independence in order to achieve
self-determination. U.$. surveillance is just one more thing to consider
in trying to maintain independence. One positive result coming out of
the information released about the NSA’s global data mining operations
is a flurry of support in the First World (from people who haven’t had
to worry about things like COINTELPRO in the past) for independent, open
source technology projects that focus on providing security to all. Many
of these we mentioned in our article
Self-Defense
and Secure Communications in ULK 31. But using better
technology is not the only lesson to take from this. Another lesson is
that more traditional forms of communication, in societies less
integrated into the imperialist system (where resistance also happens to
be more fertile) will be an even better route than depending on
technologies, such as social media, where the imperialists can easily
dominate.
The digital age is slowly reaching behind prison walls. So much so that
the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation recently
began implementing cell phone blocking technology around its prisons.
MIM(Prisons) regularly receives emails from comrades behind bars via
state-run email systems for prisoners. While we have long promoted
careful study and practice around the use of computers for revolutionary
work, we have generally felt this material had little immediate
relevance for our comrades behind bars. This is changing.
While pointing to resources for further study and giving pointers on
what the risks of using computers and cell phones are, we have
historically veered away from recommending certain technology. This was
partly due to a desire to prevent the state from building a profile of
the technologies that we rely on, and partly because there are
organizations more focused on these questions that will have more
up-to-date and in-depth information to offer. While the latter is still
true, there are a few technologies that are so standard that we see
little risk in mentioning them by name.
Another thing we want to touch on here is imposing higher standards for
our electronic communications from other revolutionary organizations.
Recent communications we’ve received have reinforced to us the need for
diligence in having secure communication networks. So let us begin with
some basic principles.
Assuming that we have a practical interest in developing communications
with another revolutionary organization, there are three political
questions that we must ask about the organization: 1) what is their
political line? 2) what practice can we see to prove they are consistent
in implementing that political line? 3) can we confirm that we are
talking to someone that represents the organization? Once we decide to
communicate with an organization we must then be concerned with who
knows that we are communicating and who knows what we are saying to each
other.
On our website we have our
public email
address, a form to submit anonymous messages, and our public GPG key
to encrypt messages to us. Our website has been online for over 5 years
and has material dating back that far demonstrating our work and our
political line. We believe this is a good model that would allow another
group to confirm who we are and communicate with us securely and
anonymously via the internet.
The downside to the public email address is that it is easily targeted
for monitoring, allowing the state to know who is contacting us. This is
why we have the anonymous form and why we tell people to email us from
addresses that are not linked to them persynally. For prisoners, one may
think that one’s mail is monitored anyway, so emailing is no greater
risk than sending a letter. However, there is an increased risk in that
digital communications provide for permanent documentation of who you
communicate with and what you say, allowing for easy data mining of that
information later. This is possible with snail mail, but it requires
more effort by the state and is not done consistently; at least for most
people. Emailing is convenient, and is a fine way for prisoners to
contact us, but be aware of the increased ease of surveillance. If you
are using non-state-sponsored technology, then you should consider using
the tools we mention below if you have access to them.
For other revolutionary organizations, if our only communication is via
anonymous email then we need a way to confirm who you are. Having an
established website with your public email address and public GPG key on
it and then using that GPG key to encrypt all email is a way to do this.
GNU Privacy Guard (GPG) encryption
should be used for all communications. Not only does it prevent a
snooper from reading intercepted messages, it allows the receiver to
confirm the identity of the sender if they have a trusted GPG key from
that party. Email addresses are easy to spoof, while it is practically
impossible to spoof GPG signatures.
One of the documents we link to on this subject is titled
Surveillance Self-Defense. We think
this is an appropriate title, and we need comrades to think beyond fists
and guns when they think about “security” and “self-defense.” Even if
you don’t use computers or cell phones at all, then you must have a
basic understanding of the risks to come to that decision (unless you
are in prison and have no choice in the matter). While martial arts are
great in many ways, we do not see hand-to-hand combat as a decisive
aspect of the struggle at this time. And since we have assessed our
strategic stage to be one where armed struggle would be a fatal mistake,
we do not require or promote weapons training. We do require regular
study, review and practice of anti-surveillance technology of our
members. And we hold those we relate to to similar standards. The worse
your security practice, the more risk you are to us, and the less we
will interact with you. Simple as that.
While being effective in self-defense requires further study than this
document, we want to give some simplified recommendations here to get
people started:
When you carry a cellphone it is easy for the state to know where you
are and to electronically record sound and even video of your
surroundings, even if your phone is off
Encrypt your data, if possible encrypt your whole drive including your
operating system; there are different tools to do this effectively, but
TrueCrypt is a popular
cross-platform tool
As discussed above use GPG to encrypt messages and confirm who messages
are from
Of course, prisoners using state-owned computers will not have the
option to use any of these technologies, so it is mostly just a question
of using email or snail mail. But if you are looking forward to a
release date and hope to keep in touch with MIM(Prisons) then it would
be worth learning more about these technologies and tactics to protect
yourself.
How we approach self-defense is very much informed by our political
line. Our line leads us to focus more on the First Amendment than the
Second. But ultimately there are no rights, only power struggles.
Currently, we do not have the ability to defend the movement militarily,
but we do have the ability to defend it with a well-informed electronic
self-defense strategy. And just as computer technology, and the internet
in particular, was a victory for free speech, it has played a role in
leveling the battlefield to the point that the imperialists recognize
computer warfare as a material vulnerability to their hegemony. The
Obama administration has gone so far as to call journalist Julian
Assange a “terrorist” after WikiLeaks published documents that the
United $tates did not want the world to see.(1) As the means of
production advance, we must learn to utilize the emerging technologies
for both offense and defense in the interests of the international
proletariat.
The pigs have been up to the same old stuff around here. Three days ago
they shot and killed one of the brown brothers with the mini 14 assault
rifle, the same rifle type the media and congress has been trying to
ban. Two guys were attacking another guy and they were on him and
wouldn’t stop. So the pig stopped it with the assault rifle. The
official report is that the victim had a stabbing instrument in his
hand. But the men who were closest to the incident said they saw no
weapon.
Of course they did the routine investigation and sent out some COs to
ask if anybody saw anything. And of course no one wanted to talk. The
pigs have brainwashed so many of us that we believe if we report on the
pigs’ wrongdoing then that makes you a snitch. A lot of guys are afraid
to write a grievance for fear of being labeled. The bad thing is the
pigs have their compradors in place to push this point.
Some guys here on a facility organized a food strike to protest the fact
the kitchen has a mice/rodent problem. It was only one building. There
was no communication that it was going to take place. They did it and
got some people’s attention. Inspectors came out and looked at the
kitchen and gave the kitchen workers a pep talk and told them they
needed to tell the population that the problem was being taken care of.
All they did was put some mouse traps down and nothing else.
Hopefully the population continues to stand up for themselves. If this
is a sign of change I hope it continues because the pigs got nervous
when those guys refused to eat.
MIM(Prisons) adds: The righteousness of opposing “snitching” is
in the idea that you don’t go running to the oppressor to deal with
problems among the oppressed people. In other words, don’t snitch to the
oppressor on the oppressed. There is no such thing as snitching
on the oppressor. To report abuse of the pigs, you are not
bringing the oppressor into a conflict among the oppressed; the
oppressor already is the source of the conflict. And if the
oppressed don’t have the means to resolve that conflict, then it may be
tactically correct to turn to other oppressors to resolve that conflict.
It is true that the prison administration gets nervous when prisoners
organize. The more we can unite around common goals, the more power we
will have. If the oppressed stay quiet and disunited, there is no
counterbalance to the abuse that prisoners face.
Let’s face it, most people coming to prison don’t arrive with people’s
safety at the top of their priority list. Most come to prison with their
homies’ or comrades’ safety in mind, but that is about it. Most come
from an existence where, if you are not sharp-witted, treacherous or a
cold hustler, you don’t eat or you don’t survive.
Being raised in this mind frame is not easily forgotten, so the economic
hurdle is key in a prisoner’s mindset. Many grew up in an environment
where other nationalities are frowned upon or there are open hostilities
between different nations. Then there are the mentally ill prisoners who
may kick off some shit over nonsense and others follow suit. There are
so many factors that make prisons unsafe that one can write a book on
them rather easily. Each factor has many ways in which to approach it
and combat it as well. But at the end of the day safe prisons anywhere
in Amerika will only come from the hands of prisoners ourselves.
In a capitalist society prisons are not created to rehabilitate
prisoners or teach us, they are designed to warehouse and neutralize us.
So the first step in attempting to create safer prisons is understanding
this. There is one key that unlocks the door to getting safer prisons
and that key is education! I am not talking about Amerikan education, I
am talking about revolutionary education. Rev Ed transforms people and
betters people in all areas, including interacting with one’s fellow
prisoners. Take away Rev Ed and one is left with backwards thinking,
reactionary behavior, abuse, set tripping, predatory behavior, religious
nonsense, drug and alcohol addiction – all the tore up tradition that
has self-destructed entire generations.
Ignorance of who you are will always bring out the worst in you. Knowing
where one comes from, the deep tradition of resistance and legacy of
struggle will always propel one in a positive path, a peaceful path,
because when we learn who the real oppressor is we no longer look at
another prisoner as the bad guy. Rev Ed teaches us that prisoners in
general are an oppressed class and when we really grasp this there’s no
way can we walk around trying to pick fights with our fellow prisoners.
Even the thought of this becomes absurd. Instead we are walking around
trying to share revolutionary ideas and exchange revolutionary
literature in our quest to revolutionize these hell holes. This must be
our focus if we want to have the greatest impact that we can to make
prisons safer.
I won’t sugar coat it: this is hard work. When I read about shit popping
off in what amounts to lumpen-on-lumpen crime I feel your pain because I
been there and I still experience bullshit that clings to many of those
who continue to hold on to nonsense or reactionary views. So I know how
it is when violence ensues around you, especially if you have been
working to educate people for a period of time.
These challenges don’t change the fact that if you want a safe
environment in prison you need to educate your fellow prisoners. The
best way to do this is to start with yourself and your cellmate if you
have one. I have always had long exchanges of ideas with a cellie.
Whatever revolutionary publication I had I would read it, or my cellie
would, and we would discuss what we agreed with or disagreed with. Once
me and my cellmate were on the same page we would begin to educate our
neighbors on either side regardless of who it was, passing publications
and eventually books, and eventually involving the whole tier or pod.
Many times this process would begin by just passing a publication to
someone or telling one persyn to read it and pass it down the line.
After a while the questions will begin. This is one way I have
experienced creating more educated prisoners and thus safer conditions.
I have also found prisoners who could not read or write, and the state
usually does not have material or classes for these people, so I would
tell these prisoners I’ll spend the time and effort to teach them to
read on the condition that they must in turn teach someone else once
they are able. One time I taught a prisoner to read out on the mainline
and when I saw he had not found someone to tutor I went around and found
someone for him. I would go to the law library when I was on the
mainline and see someone trying to maneuver in the law and I’d reach out
to help this persyn. These people were all different nationalities but
in order to create “peaceful prisons” I have learned that you can’t
limit yourself to your own nation; someone has to build that bridge of
relations. If I get to a yard where there is no bridge, I will fill the
vacuum because someone has to.
What I have experienced in doing time (and I have spent more time of my
life incarcerated than out in society) is that the majority of violence
that occurs is over a business deal gone bad, either drugs or gambling
debts. So if we have enough discipline to cut this out of the picture
would reduce a lot of the violence. The next issue is predatory behavior
which is just one persyn or group oppressing or attempting to oppress
another, either because of ones nationality or what geographic location
one grew up in. If you refrain from this behavior safer prisons become
even more of a reality.
In California, prisoners in Pelican Bay recently issued a
statement
to end hostilities between all nationalities in California prisons,
county jails and streets. This is unprecedented in California where
lumpen-on-lumpen crime has gone on with deadly consequences for many
years. This is only a step, but it is a necessary step in building any
type of serious change or any transformation in each nation. The days
when the state would pit prisoners on prisoners in California and use us
as gladiators for their amusement are over. Prisoners have finally
identified the real problem we face, i.e. the real oppressor. And if
California can do this and if those in Pelican Bay SHU, who the state
claims control all California “gangs,” can do this then there is no
reason why every prison in Amerika can’t do the same and call for an end
to all hostilities in all prisons, jails and streets! This is a
necessary step if prisoners ever hope to create real safe zones in
prisons.
We are seeing history play out in California where our future is in our
own hands. If we want to have prisons where we can really rehabilitate
ourselves then we must make it happen and the only way for this to
happen is if we do so collectively and by ending the hostilities between
all nationalities. This knocks down barricades that would otherwise slow
down this process. This is not saying we don’t have differences, there
are many differences, but once you identify your oppressor you realize
that lumpen-on-lumpen crime is not helping to reduce our oppression.
It’s very simple and all groups of all nationalities here in Pelican Bay
SHU have agreed to this agreement. If we can do it so can you!
The real safe prisons will come when prisoners can exercise forms of
people’s power in these concentration camps. People’s power exists when
contradictions are resolved without having to rely on the state. Like
the example I gave of helping my fellow prisoners to read and write or
do legal work. Most prisons do not have programs for this, so rather
than sit around and complain about it I started my own program on the
mainline.
People’s power can also be solving problems and preventing violence
through mediation which does not involve the state. In Pelican Bay SHU
there is the “Short Corridor Collective” which is a representative from
each group Chicano, Black, white and sub groups, which seeks peaceful
mutual resolutions to problems affecting prisoners. They even have come
out with certain demands to the state. If Pelican Bay SHU can do it why
can’t other prisons across the United $tates form collectives that seek
peaceful resolutions to issues affecting prisoners? The answer is they
can, and they must, if real peace and progress are to be achieved within
prisons.
Political education is the key. Once someone learns real history and
understands the class contradictions in the United $tates, and how our
oppression can actually be traced directly to capitalism, there is no
way they will want to waste time on nonsense. Instead of sitting around
gossiping about other poor people who are locked up and plotting on how
to hurt other poor people, these educated people will instead study,
educate others, form study groups, share progressive literature and
books, and create independent institutions behind prison walls in order
to advance the prison movement as well as the movement, for humyn rights
more broadly.
The only thing I see in the way of us not having safer prisons is us not
making these prisons safer!
El 20 de Agusto 2012 salió un articulo alegando que el Richard Aoki un
Japonés y también unos de los primeros miembros del “Black Panther
Party” (BPP) era una rata del FBI, esta declaración esta hecha por el
periodista y autor Seth Rosenfeld en su libro titulado: subversivos. La
guerra del FBI contra estudiantes radicales y el crecimiento del poder
de Reagan, que estuvo disponible convenientemente el 21 de Agusto.
También el 7 Septiembre 2012 Rosenfeld publicó un artículo consecutivo
con 221 paginas de documentos recién liberados del FBI los cuales él
cree que implican mas a Aoki como agente del FBI.(1)
Pero hay que empezar con la perspectiva política de Rosenfelds porque
todos sabemos que no existe un periodista imparcial. La opinión de
Rosenfeld sobre las luchas liberativas es revelada en su caracterización
del frente de liberación del tercer mundo (TWLF) en el cual Aoki se
enredó era un movimiento estudiantil violento (2). El le echa la culpa a
los huelguistas del TWLF por la violencia en 1968-69 en los colegios
universitarios en la área Bay, y no a los puercos. Aunque los
estudiantes nunca iniciaron la violencia y de hecho fueron rociados con
tanto gas lacrimógeno por los puercos que los arboles en la plaza Proul
dentro la Universidad de California en Berkeley todavía molestaban los
ojos de los estudiantes hasta el próximo año de escuela. Asi mirando las
cosas de esta perspectiva debemos poner en cuestión la estimación que
hizo Rosenfeld de el FBI.
Richard Aoki influenció el partido mucho al principio y es famoso por
conseguir las primeras pistolas para el BPP de acuerdo con su biografía
Aoki ayudo a construir la ideología tremprana de los panteras Bobby
Seale y Huey Newton mediante su relación colegio Merritt y por su
sugestión con literatura material y político debates con ellos.(3)
Ademas del con ellos en el trabajo por la frente liberativa Tercer
Mundial vía la política alianza - Americano Asiatico, Aoki se quedo
cometido político y revolucionario hasta su muerte en 2009,
sorpresivamente señor Rosenfeld es de San Francisco y estuvo
investigando para su libro desde 1982 pero apenas en 2002 o 2003 se
entero de Richard Aoki.
La demanda de Rosenfeld inició mucho debate por la internet y el radio
si será verdar o falso, aunque nosotros reconocemos que siempre esta
presente la posibilidad que cualquier persona puede ser agentes del
estado pero MIM(Prisiones) prefiere estar de acuerdo con los que vienen
a concluir con evidencia reales antes de denunciar al legado de Aoki al
estado, viendo objetivamente la evidencia siguiendo la demanda es
inconcluyente porque el articulo original estaba muy sensacional, vago y
con mal cotizaciones de la entrevista con Aoki en 2007 por cual el autor
entremete como su admisión. Además de estas distorsiones la única otras
evidencias son los documentos del FBI por cual son ambiguos con
cotizaciones diciendo que Aoki proporciono información “única” pero no
esta al disponible por otros recursos y el testimonio de los ex-agentos
FBI de por cual abra nomas uno que conoció a Aoki también esta
muerto.(4) Pero todavía ningunos de los documentos dicen cual tipo de
información Aoki proporciono al FBI porque todo estuvo borrado. En el
programa de radio Apex Express un amigo cercano de Aoki, Harvey Dong
ofreció a los escuchadores una lectura de las partes pertinentes de los
documentos del FBI, citados por Rosenfeld (y también excertas de los
papeles de colegio de Aoki) (2). La única información que alegan que
vino de Aoki en los primeros documentos del FBI es supuestamente de el
mismo Aoki y podiar ser obtenido usando intersepciones telefónicas o un
agente dando información de Aoki, soponer que los documentos liberados
por el FBI son real, los que fueron liberados el 7 Septiembre si
establecen que Aoki estaba dando información al FBI desde 1961 hasta
1977 pero muy poco de la relación esta revelado.
El hecho de que el FBI borró todos los nombres de las personas y
organizaciones que alegan Aoki proporciono información hace imposible el
especular su asunto y enredo con el bureau el articulo consecutivo de
Rosenfeld usa muchas citas de las 221 paginas/documentos indicando que
Aoki dio información valorosa pero cualquier detalles que pueden
soportar esta demanda están asbestos o borrados y aunque salieron las
publicaciones de estos nuevos documentos todavía no hay ninguna
información por cual el tipo de inteligencia que dicen que el dio al FBI
del BPP u otros grupos, aunque nosotros siempre tenemos que estar trucha
por la posibilidad que un camarada puede ser un agente, pero primero
tenemos que ver evidencia de sus males hechos contra el movimiento antes
de condenarlo especialmente si hizo mucho para avanzar la causa.
Es muy probable que el FBI esta dandole la imagen de rata al Aoki para
quitarle su crédito como tercer mundial activista y revolucionario,
quitarle crédito a los pantheros como peones por el FBI y mas simple
para vender copias del nuevo libro de Rosenfeld. Una lección que
aprendimos con los Pantheros y otros movimientos políticos de los 1960s
es la importancia de seguridad. Los ataques del cointelpro contra los
Pantheros ayudó a MIM construirse como una organización semi-clandestino
por cual practicamos nuestros relaciones como camaradas alrededor de
asuntos políticos y no de relaciones personales. Lo más interesante es
en 20 Agosto el FBI todavía tenia que liberar 4,000 más páginas de
documentos que tenía contra Richard Aoki, pero estaban diciendo que no
tenían un archivo del Aoki, esto no pueder ser la verdad porque él éra
muy activo políticamente. Rosenfeld y otros miraron el FBI retener los
documentos como implicación de Aoki como rata soponer que estos reportes
eran proporciones de Aoki dentro el tiempo de 20 Agosto y 7 Septiembre.
La FBI liberó 221 paginas de documentos que tenio de Richard Aoki y
adentro del debate nosotros vemos que la FBI seleccionó un tiempo tan
oportunistico para liberar estos documentos por lo cual llegamos a
cuestionar su legitimidad ¿porqué la FBI liberó documentación que dice
Aoki no ha proporcionado información con valor? Esta controversa esta
jugando con sus agendas para socavar activistas revolucionarios y sus
movimientos… La desconfianza que vino al resultado de esta demanda es en
un clásico ejemplo perfecto en cual el BPP siempre citó al Mao por decir
“no hay derecho de hablar, sin investigación, este escandalo en contra
de Aoki debe servirlos como un recuerdo como el dar la imagen de rata a
uno puede impactar nuestro movimiento anti-imperialista y especialmente
nuestro organización dentro prisiones porque unos de los principales del
frente unidos por la paz en prisiones es”unidad.” Nosotros luchamos para
unir a los mismos que luchan por nuestros mismos intereses y para
mantener la unidad, nosotros debemos que tener una linea abierta de
comunicación, cadenas y asegurar resolver cualquier situación con hechos
reales, esto es una necesidad, porque asi como los puercos usan tácticos
como rumores, ratas, y falseamiento para dividir los oprimidos, los
puercos miran a nuestra unidad como el fin de su reinado(5).
Desgraciadamente esta es una lección que vamos aprender cada tiempo como
la demanda que todos en las yardas SNY o custodia protectiva son rata y
rumores en la yarda no significa nada si esta ausente la evidencia
suficiente para llamar alguien más como un agente del estado, algunos
veces recibimos sugestiones de otros camaradas que debemos pedir papeles
y archivos del estado correccional vía los camaradas antes de aceptarlos
en USW para determinar si están bien por sus cargos y dónde y cúal yarda
estaban en sus pasados, esto es como decir que debemos preguntarle al
estado a quién debemos dejar entrar al USW. Esto no nadamas suena
ridículo en teoría, porque sabemos de un caso donde una rata le dieron
falsos papeles y lo dejaron salir a la población general para ser un
lugar teniente en un LO en California.
El estado siempre va poner energía para hacernos suspechar a uno de
otras, como revolucionarios compañeros nosotros no debemos de hacer las
cosas mas fácil para ellos, al reverso nosotros debemos comunicarlo
directo si pensamos que algo esta mal porque nuestra lucha es muy
importante para enredarlos en lo sectario y rumores. Aunque salga
evidencia en el futuro que pruebe Aoki proporciono información al FBI y
les ayudo atacar la lucha liberativa todavía no vamos estar devastados y
también no estamos de acuerdo con Fred Ho’s método subjetivo en defender
a Aoki aunque si estamos de acuerdo con las consecuencias por las
alegaciones si sale real si es verdad que Aoki era un agente, qué
importa? Porque sí es era un pobre agente, porque hizo mas para el
movimiento que para destruirlo (6) Mirandolo así es correcto y junto a
nuestra mirada como mantener seguridad dentro el movimiento prisionero -
anti-imperialista, nunca hay que darle al puerco oportunidad a
destruirnos más - dando más información de la que se debe saber y
aplicando altos estados de nivel diferentes a los miembros nos va ayudar
a asegurar que de gente más por la causa que al enemigo.
This issue is going to production on the heels of the first countrywide
action engaged in by a yet-unknown number of members of the United Front
for Peace in Prisons (UFPP), representing many political, religious and
lumpen organizations and hailing from the prison systems of Nevada,
North Carolina, Florida, New York, California, Texas, Missouri,
Pennsylvania and the Federal system. Initially called for by UFPP
signatory SAMAEL, MIM(Prisons) promoted the call for the Day of
Solidarity on September 9 in our last issue of Under Lock &
Key as something we felt embodied what the united front is about.
In this issue we summarize what we know so far, but we expect to learn
more in the coming weeks and will continue to report on this important
action.
For our part, MIM(Prisons) made a strong effort back in July to directly
contact all other prison rights organizations and activists on the
outside to let them know about the Day of Solidarity. We also promoted
it generally online and handed out fliers with the five principles of
the UFPP on them at many events related to prisons and peace on the
streets. Other media outlets that promoted the call included the San
Francisco BayView Newspaper, anti-imperialism.com and NorthBay Uprising
Radio (89.5 KZCT in Vallejo, CA), which did an extensive interview with
a comrade about the day of solidarity, the united front and the prison
struggle in general. Other articles in this issue discuss some of the
repression
faced by prisoners and
MIM(Prisons)
leading up to the action.
All that said, the primary focus of the day was the organizing of
prisoners. To facilitate this we distributed updates to everyone
involved about the plans of other groups participating, similar to what
we did during the California strikes. One story we distributed from New
York was from a handwritten kite a comrade passed to another brother at
his facility: “Bro. - Please pay close attention to the article ‘Call
for Solidarity Demonstration September 9’ on page 3. Let me know what
you think. I’ve decided to fast on Sept 9th.” The response was written
on the same paper: “Yes I will fast on that day, it looks better when we
all go to chow but we just don’t eat. Thanks for that information.”
(This was what the 800 Attica comrades did on that day in 1971 in honor
of George Jackson’s murder.) The original organizers got this report and
adjusted their own plans to go to chow and dispose of meals as outlined
in their cheat sheet (see <a href=““Solidarity”>“Solidarity and
Peace Demonstration Builds, Guards Retaliate”). This cheat sheet was
passed on to the comrades in Florida whose report appears below, who
also adopted the tactic:
On 9 September 2012, at Everglades Correctional Institution in Florida,
individual members of The Blood Nation honored the soldiers of Attica by
doing one or more of the following: fasting, boycotting the
canteen/commissary, accepting chow hall trays and dumping them, and
explaining why. Also participating individually were one or more members
of the following groups (in alphabetical order): Black Gangsta
Disciples, Crip Nation, Insane Gangsta Disciples, Almighty Latin King
Queen Nation, Nation of Islam, Spanish Cobras, Shi’a Muslim Community,
and Sufi Community. My apologies to anyone I missed. It was a small step
at a spot with no history of unity, but even a single drop of water in a
dry glass makes it wet. Respect to those who made the sacrifice, those
who joined us midday, and those who expressed interest the day after.
I’m as human as anyone, but let’s TRY to remember who the enemy is!
Good work comrades! Seems like organizations in Florida are open to
solidarity as another comrade from that state reports: “Being that today
is September 9 and a day of solidarity and peace, all sorts of nations
(organizations) got together here in the rec yard and had a jailhouse
BBQ and lived in peace just for the day here at Cross City, Florida.”
Many of our supporters are suffering in long-term isolation, so the
opportunity for mass organizing is greatly limited. A report from
Missouri read:
Today is September 9, 2012. My comrade (my celly) and I are
participating in the mass stoppage of work and fast for our comrades who
fell in Attica. Although we are in Ad-Seg we have chosen to sacrifice:
no food, no [petty stuff], no arguing out the door, only working out
four times for one hour each time, reading, studying and talking
politics. For me fasting is something I do once a month, but today is
the first time I’ve worked out during my fast. My comrade is pushing me
and I’m not stopping. From midnight to midnight is how we’re moving.
This white comrade also reported that he received ULK 27
announcing the Day of Solidarity, while his Black comrade’s was
censored. They report this is a common form of discrimination in
Missouri.
Another great success occurred in Nevada where SAMAEL led the organizing
of a good cross-section of prisoners representing about 30% of the
population. Even if we get no other reports on the September 9 action,
we’d say it was a success just from these examples. But we know from the
list of states above that the day had much broader participation.
The progress represented by prisoners across the country acting in
solidarity as a class took place in the context of the many other
strikes and mass actions prisoners have led in the past year or more
that have built off of each other as
cipactli
writes about in “Prisoner Uprisings Foretell Growing Movement”. This
progress is exciting on the subjective level. And we can look at periods
of mass uprising to see what happens when times are “exciting.” They
tend to be crazy as well. People are confused, trying to figure things
out and the enemy is working hard to confuse them more and divide them.
So it is of the utmost importance that as the new prison movement
emerges that we take time to study questions of security and correct
leadership.
There is the question of security at the individual level, and how we
judge someone by putting politics in command, as discussed by PTT in
relation to
Richard
Aoki. In the belly of the beast, where there is so much wealth and
privilege, security at the group level is very tied up with our class
analysis. As our
Nevada
comrade points out in “Fighting Enemies in the Prison Movement”,
most people in this country will actively support imperialism without
directly getting a paycheck for it, and this is true for a portion of
the prison population as well.
One thing that sets communists apart from other revolutionary trends is
our stress on the importance of correct ideological leadership. Putting
politics in command can guide us in dealing with all challenges we face,
not just security. We recognize that the truth will come from mass
struggle, but that it will not always be recognized by the masses when
they see it because everyone needs to learn to think in a scientific way
first. In order to pick the best leadership, we must all be well-studied
to think scientifically about both history and our current conditions.
As we point out to the
comrade
who suspects we might be CIA, you should be able to judge the
correctness of ULK and to struggle with us where you think we
are wrong to decide whether the risk of subscribing is worth it.
Our comrade in
BORO
puts the September 9 Day of Solidarity in this context well when
s/he writes: “Through the lens of a dialectical-materialist, we must see
history as a never-ending stream of past events that gave and constantly
give birth to present realities. This chain of historical events is
constantly moving us forward into the ocean of endless possibilities. We
must use this view of a ‘living history’ as a source of defining who we
are and the direction we’re heading as a people.” (See “Black August and
Bloody September: Stand Up and Remember on September 9.”)
This September protest wasn’t just to spend a day sitting quietly
honoring the past; it was a time to learn from the past and apply
lessons to address our current conditions. The day was a success, but it
was only one step in developing a class-conscious prison movement that
can change conditions. In the coming weeks, we look forward to hearing
of more successes and accomplishments that organizers achieved on
September 9.
We hope that some of the articles in this issue can push forward among
the masses the question of recognizing correct leadership to avoid the
traps of the state and its sympathizers. For those who want to learn,
MIM(Prisons)’s
Serve the People Free Political Literature to Prisoners Program and
correspondence study groups operate year round, not just in August.
On August 20, 2012 an article was released alleging that Richard Aoki, a
Japanese national and early
Black
Panther Party (BPP) member, was an FBI informant. This claim was
made by journalist and author Seth Rosenfeld, whose book
Subversives: The FBI’s War on Student Radicals, and Reagan’s Rise to
Power was conveniently released on August 21. On September 7, 2012
Rosenfeld published a follow-up article, with 221 pages of “newly
released” FBI documents which he believes further implicate Aoki as an
FBI informant.(1)
Let’s start with Rosenfeld’s political worldview, because we know no
journalist is truly unbiased. Rosenfeld’s opinion on liberation
struggles is revealed in his characterization of the Third World
Liberation Front (TWLF), that Aoki organized in, as a violent student
movement.(2) He blames the violence of the 1968-69 strikes of the TWLF
on Bay Area college campuses on the strikers themselves, not the pigs.
Yet the students did not initiate violence, and in fact were sprayed
with so much teargas by the pigs that the trees in Sproul Plaza on the
University of California at Berkeley campus were still irritating
students’ eyes even into the following school year. Coming from this
perspective we must question Rosenfeld’s assessment of the FBI right off
the bat.
Aoki in confrontation with police at a protest near UC Berkeley
Influencing the Party greatly from its beginning, Richard Aoki is most
famous for supplying the BPP with their first guns. According to his
biography, Aoki helped shape the early ideology of the Panthers through
his relationship with Bobby Seale and Huey Newton at Merritt College by
suggesting reading material and engaging with them in political
debate.(3) Besides his work with the BPP, Richard Aoki also did much
organizing and protest work with the Third World Liberation Front via
the Asian American Political Alliance. Aoki remained politically active
and revolutionary-minded even until his death in 2009. Surprisingly,
Rosenfeld is from San Francisco and has been doing research for this
book since 1982, yet it wasn’t until 2002 or 2003 that he learned of
Richard Aoki.
Understandably, Rosenfeld’s claim has sparked a lot of debate on the
internet and radio as to whether it is true or not. While we are open to
the possibility of nearly anyone being an agent of the state,
MIM(Prisons) agrees with those who have held out for clear proof before
we will consider denouncing Aoki’s legacy of the state. Objectively, the
current evidence supporting this claim is inconclusive at best. The
original article was highly sensational, focusing on vague, chopped up,
and misquoted sound-bites of a 2007 interview with Aoki that the author
interprets as admissions of guilt. Besides these sound-bites, the only
other evidence offered are ambiguous FBI documents, citing Aoki as
providing “unique” information not available from any other source, and
the testimony of former FBI agents, of whom the only one that supposedly
knew Aoki is also dead.(4) Yet none of the documents say what
information Aoki supposedly gave the FBI; it has all been redacted.
On the radio program APEX Express, Harvey Dong, a close friend of
Richard Aoki, offered the listener a thorough reading of the relevant
parts of the FBI documents cited by Rosenfeld (as well as excerpts from
Aoki’s college term papers).(2) The only information which allegedly
came from Aoki in the first set of FBI documents is about Aoki himself
and could have been obtained using a wiretap (or informant) on Aoki.
Assuming the released FBI documents are real, the set released on
September 7 does establish that Aoki was giving information to the FBI
from 1961 to 1977, but very little about that relationship is revealed.
First page of FBI documents released under FOIA documenting his role
as an informant for the Bureau.
The fact that the FBI redacts all names of individuals and organizations
that Aoki allegedly provided information on makes it impossible to
speculate on the nature of his interactions with the Bureau. Rosenfeld’s
follow-up article pulls many quotes from the 221 pages of documents
indicating that Aoki provided valuable information, but any details that
might substantiate these statements are redacted or absent. Despite this
release of new documents, there is still no information on what
intelligence he allegedly gave to the FBI on the BPP or other groups.
While we should always be prepared for the possibility that a trusted
comrade is an agent, we need to see evidence of harm done to the
movement to condemn someone who did so much to advance the cause.
It is very conceivable that the FBI is snitch-jacketing Aoki to
discredit his work as a Third Worldist revolutionary activist, discredit
the Panthers as pawns of the FBI, and more simply to sell copies of
Rosenthal’s new book. One of the lessons we learned from the Panthers,
and other political movements of the 1960s, is the importance of
security. The COINTELPRO attacks on the Panthers led MIM to develop as a
semi-underground organization that keeps comrades at arm’s length,
centering around political, rather than persynal, relationships.
Interestingly, on 20 August the FBI had yet to release about 4,000 pages
of documents on Richard Aoki, and was claiming to have no main file on
Aoki himself. This cannot be true considering how politically active and
outspoken he was. Rosenfeld and others saw the FBI withholding these
documents as indicative of Aoki’s status as an informant, assuming these
were reports given by Aoki.(4) Then supposedly some time between 20
August and 7 September, the FBI released at least 221 pages of
documentation just on Richard Aoki. With all the heated debate, we note
that the FBI chose a very opportunistic time to release these documents,
which causes us to further question their legitimacy. Why would the FBI
release documentation that says Aoki didn’t provide valuable
information? This controversy is feeding right into their agenda to
undermine revolutionary activists and movements.
The distrust that has evolved surrounding this claim is classic, and a
perfect example of why the BPP often quoted Mao by saying, “No
investigation, no right to speak.” This Aoki “scandal” should be a
reminder of how snitch-jacketing can impact our anti-imperialist
movement, and our prison organizing especially. One of the principles of
the United Front for Peace in Prisons is UNITY,
“WE strive to unite with those facing the same struggles as us for our
common interests. To maintain unity we have to keep an open line of
networking and communication, and ensure we address any situation with
true facts. This is needed because of how the pigs utilize tactics such
as rumors, snitches and fake communications to divide and keep division
among the oppressed. The pigs see the end of their control within our
unity.”(5)
This is a lesson we’ve unfortunately had to learn time and time again. A
claim that everyone on SNY or Protective Custody is a snitch, or a rumor
on the yard, is not sufficient evidence to call someone out as an agent
of the state. Sometimes comrades suggest that we require USW members to
submit their files from the Department of Corrections to determine
whether they are compromised in any way based on charges, and where
they’ve been housed in the past. They tell us we should ask the state
who we should let into USW. Not only is this ridiculous in theory, but
we know of at least one case where an informant was given doctored files
and released back onto general population to be a Lieutenant in a
prominent LO in California. A piece of paper from a government agency
should only be considered as one piece of evidence, not the sacrosanct
truth.
The state is already putting a lot of energy into making us suspicious
of our fellow revolutionaries; we should not make their job any easier.
Instead we should be communicating with each other directly if we
suspect unprincipled divisions are being fomented. Our struggle is too
important to get caught up in rumor mongering and sectarianism.
Even if evidence does eventually come out which proves Aoki was
providing the FBI with information that actually helped them attack the
liberation struggle, we will still not be devastated. While we don’t
agree with Fred Ho’s subjectivist methodology of defending Aoki overall,
we do have unity with his perspective on the consequence of truth in the
allegation. “If Aoki was an agent, so what? He surely was a piss-poor
one because what he contributed to the movement is enormously greater
than anything he could have detracted or derailed.”(6) This view is
right in line with our view on how to maintain security within the
anti-imperialist prison movement; don’t give a pig the opportunity to do
more damage than good. Distributing information on a need-to-know basis
and applying high standards to different levels of membership will help
ensure people contribute more to the cause than to the enemy.
On July 7, 2012 a kite was passed to me, and it read as follows:
“I might be in some trouble. You don’t know me and this is going to
blow your mind. If I die in the next day Sr. Menendez in Unit 11 is
responsible and probably the warden too. They are going to use inmates
to do it. I threatened the warden with letters to the health department
about blatant violations in the culinary and the way they do laundry and
other things they are getting away with in here. If you hear of an
inmate dying in the next couple of days don’t let my death go in vain.”
Without addressing the veracity of this communication, it is disturbing
for a number of reasons (aside from the obvious). First and foremost is
the specter of the state’s use of inmates (and I use “inmates” here in
the most specifically derogatory and anti-revolutionary sense of the
term) to do their bidding. That a prisoner who sought to expose an evil
visited upon us all would then have to fear reprisal from fellow targets
of the evil, at the direction of the oppressor, is treachery of a
singularly despicable character. (This is nothing new, but its nature
has become more dominant, as is discussed below.) This is aside from the
actual violation of our most fundamental constitutional and human
rights, the subsequent retaliation for exposing this malfeasance of
prison officials and the complete and utter disregard and contempt for
human dignity.
This “tool” culture is becoming increasingly prevalent. Today, not only
do we revolutionary and activist prisoners have to combat the oppressors
themselves, but we must overcome their minions within the ranks of the
oppressed as well – we must be ever vigilant against their agents among
us. Not in the ordinary sense of infiltrators and narcs, but a whole
culture of puppets, sympathizers and panderers intoxicated by
imperialist fictions. What is truly frightening about this new breed of
traitor is this fact: they want no recompense for their treachery. They
believe in the rightness of the betrayal. They believe in the rightness
of their loyalty to the oppressor, the enemy. These “people” are not
seeking gain. They are an enemy cadre, steeped in enemy thought and
ideology. They are (in the truest sense) patriotic Amerikkkans.
Doubtless, the state creates deprivations and uses these deprivations as
bargaining chips to enlist the aid of petty snitches and unsavories of
all types. That is never going to change in or out of prison. That is
not the same animal. What is named here is a devoted enemy, an
unrecognized and unofficial extension of the state in both thought and
deed.
We must be aware of this counter-revolutionary element and be prepared
to deal with them as they arise. There is increased urgency for A) the
unification of all revolutionaries and activists regardless of race,
religion, gender, custody, set or hood; B) critical analyses of the
battle field without set mentalities; and C) application of the
principles and theory which arise out of critical analyses. We must
rethink our strategies and possibly our associations and act based upon
what we have been taught by our conditions, not by what we feel or
desire. The local conditions as applied to the global struggle should
advise us – not predilection.
The only reason why we have remained oppressed is the enemy’s effective
and continuous infiltration and dis-empowerment. It is the enemy’s
ability to disunite and exploit this disunity, which provides them with
a critical advantage. These are textbook guerrilla tactics which
continue to work and reinforce the need for a steel-willed revolutionary
vanguard. As such, we must immediately re-evaluate our objectives and
tactical assessments, and evolve to meet the pale of the enemy. This
requires that we take a long hard look at our environment and account
for this emerging class of “enemy combatants.”
A friend of the enemy is still an enemy.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We recently announced
a day of
solidarity for the United Front for Peace in Prisons, which in part
is about promoting the five principles to discourage the kind of petty
back-biting where prisoners will sell out for small favors from the
pigs. But this comrade brings up a good point, that not all prisoners
can be won over. The divisions created by the oppressors are not just
individuals bought off to carry out individual reactionary acts in
exchange for favors, but also individuals who buy in to the Amerikan
political ideology and truly support imperialism as a system. Both
groups are dangerous to the movement. We must protect ourselves from
these people, both by trying to turn them to the side of the oppressed
while exposing them and avoiding their traps and aggression.
I don’t want to sound rude or suspicious about MIM but I have to be
straight up with you about how I feel pertaining to your activism. I am
concerned you have been already infiltrated or you’re a CIA front
organization claiming revolutionary organizing. I hope I’m just assuming
things, because I have been corresponding and studying with you for
several years. A lot of strange suspicious things happened to me like
the prison guards and other staff trying to cross me out or set me up,
or maybe the COINTELPRO is trying to discourage me. How come every time
somebody gets involved with MIM it seems like that person gets either
killed or in big trouble? Seems to me someone infiltrated your movement.
MIM(Prisons) responds: It’s important that everyone approach
security and organizing as carefully as this comrade does. We know that
revolutionary movements are infiltrated all the time, from Lenin’s
COMINTERN to the
Black
Panther Party to MIM and beyond. The best we can do is force our
comrades to demonstrate their correct line in practice, and never take
people’s word for their revolutionary commitment. If someone claims to
be a comrade but puts forth a dangerous line (i.e. pushing people into
armed struggle that will get them killed and set back the movement), or
talks a lot but never does any work, we should view them with suspicion.
Similarly, it’s good to question why repression comes down on you after
association with an individual or organization. In prison, unfortunately
this could just mean you are working with a genuinely progressive
outside group, as the authorities can read all your mail and will punish
you for working with such groups. We have countless examples of
progressive organizations being labeled “security threat groups.”
One of the reasons we encourage organizing in a
cell
structure is to limit comrades’ exposure to others. You can do good
work with people at arm’s length, forming cells with those you know and
trust. But in most cases, we recommend comrades in prison stay in touch
with MIM(Prisons) (and others), despite the risks, because of the need
to access both theoretical and practical information to help you
organize.
The danger of infiltration wherever we are is why we disagree with many
who say we should only work with prisoners in general population and we
should isolate SNY prisoners. In our article on
“Security
in the Prison Movement” we argued, “We see this as a line struggle.
Anyone can pretend to be USW inside, just like anyone can pretend to
represent MIM(Prisons) or Maoism. If they uphold the line set forth by
the vanguard organization and/or movement, then they’re out there
working to advance the struggle.”
Everyone should approach working with groups claiming revolutionary
politics with caution. It is possible the CIA is producing Under
Lock & Key or other publications like it, just to identify the
“trouble maker” prisoners. But if you read the pages of ULK you
should be able to determine if the line and actions of our members and
supporters are correct. In the end, if the CIA really was behind this
good publication and its good work, we might be getting more out of that
infiltration than they are.
Recently I received notice of change to regulations number 12-03,
publication date 25 May 2012, effective date 10 May 2012, that is said
to affect sections 3000, 3375 and 3375.6. It states the California
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) seeks to establish
requirements for an automated needs assessment tool to be used to place
prisoners in programs that would aid their re-entry to society and
reduce their chances of reoffending by identifying the criminogenic
needs of offenders.
The presentation appears to be harmless, but it is not harmless for
those ignorant enough to boast about their gang involvement, family
criminality, and other sensitive factors that will become readily
available and quickly cross-referenced and correlated with information
contained in intelligence files. In addition, the information gained
from the compass core assessment official record can be used as an
“administrative determinate” under 15 CCR 3375.2(b)(11) in addition to
3375.3 (9)(4)(A) & (B) which is the foundation not only for
validation but for intelligence analysts.
Issuing a list of demands to prisoncrats telling them what their
validation process should be is ludicrous, as is the idea of telling
your body when it should have the urge to excrete. Cats are quick to
want to make demands without any leverage, though prisoners no matter
where they are confined, have economic leverage that they are not
willing to exercise because cookies are of more immediate import.
Since the 1880s the concept of boycotting, or organizing to engage in a
concerted refusal to have dealings with prison/jail stores or
commissaries, has been a very powerful tool. In California it deprives
the CDCR of a source of revenue. It also affects the bottom line of
prison profiteers, whose profits are guaranteed by what amounts to cash
transactions for hundreds of millions in profits and revenues, courtesy
of prisoners who lack the will to sacrifice luxuries for a while in
order to exercise necessary economic leverage, to compel some
administrative change.
Prisoners in California should remember that canteen goods originally
were purchased at wholesale prices and then marked up 10% and the
proceeds over the costs and expenses went into the prisoner welfare fund
to finance many programs and activities that benefited prisoners. This
changed with the rise of Pete Wilson, the governor who used prisoner
welfare funds to help finance a re-election bid which opened the flood
gates for all sorts of misuse of the foundational purpose of the
prisoner welfare fund.
The validation process is a means of control and manipulation that I
have noted that some general population prisoners and sensitive needs
yard (SNY/PC) prisoners embrace as a sort of badge of honor, only to
belatedly find out the effects. In ULK 26an
Oregon prisoner points to the most significant problems with the
divisive nature in the development of LOs who are in competition with
each other.
It’s common for me to hear cats hollering that they are Blood this,
Blood that. Crip this or Crip that, Norteño, Southsider, Bulldog, skin
head, nazi, etc., trying to tout some bogus gangsta facade that
ordinarily would land them on Corcoran SHU 4B and validated. These
boastful cats are easily co-opted and manipulated. Their delusions of
grandeur provide Institutional Gang Investigations (IGI) with a wealth
of intelligence via their eyes and ears on the tier.
A perfect example is the
Corcoran
prisoner’s statement about cats in ASU I (Administrative
Segregation) laying down in fear of IGI retaliation for exercising their
right to file an appeal! Typically conversations over the tier are
recorded when IGI doesn’t have a reliable agent to make note of what he
sees and/or hears. As to the idea of
not
taking a cellie as a form of protest, the typical response is
privileges taken for 90-180 days and 60-90 days of early release credits
are taken. Cats who are addicted to sports programs or television or
canteen will cave in every time because they lack the will to sacrifice
luxuries for the cause.
Prisoncrats treat gang membership or association as a tool of extortion
used in their agenda of touting the violent nature of street or prison
gangs.
The CDCR is rife with crooked officials and staff and the secretary,
governor and legislature are unable and unwilling to purge itself of
those who regularly falsify reports. Supervisory staff/officials fail to
address the problems so as to encourage the misconduct and repression.
At the same time they are quick to feed a naive public a laundry list of
bogus incidents to justify the administration’s unwillingness to reform
itself.
I try to examine all aspects of the criminal injustice system to see
what tactics we can utilize in our struggle effectively, even if I have
to employ them alone. I sacrifice luxuries already so I know it’s
possible and a little something for all to consider.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade raises a good topic of
discussion: it’s important we evaluate the tactics that will be
effective in fighting prison repression. There are a limited number of
protest options available to prisoners, and some will be more effective
than others. Whichever tactics are best may vary by prison or state, but
the fundamental task of building unity for the struggle remains the same
across the entire criminal injustice system. Comrades in California
continue to strategize on the best ways to build on the recent prisoner
rights activism there. Join United Struggle from Within and work with
other anti-imperialist prisoners so that we aren’t stuck employing
tactics on our own, but rather in a united front across facilities,
organizations and nationalities.