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 start this letter sending out all my respects to all involved in
educating and enlightening those persons such as myself.
These past couple of weeks have been a little hectic. Here at
Chuckawalla Valley State Prison, we have had difficulties with the
administration censoring our mail.
With that I am proud to say that they called me back within 24 hours,
saying I “will no longer have any problems receiving [my] mail” :)
Finally, yesterday my name was called to pick up
Sept/Oct. 2016,
No. 52 issue. Honestly I was shocked, empowered to know the feeling
of winning these people is such a childish move on their behalf. I sat
in the dayroom reading the publication with honor and pride.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This victory came through comrades coming
together and
filing
appeals and paperwork on the inside and the outside. This comrade
should be proud for standing up for eir First Amendment rights and
following through on the bureaucratic process that is often there to
wear you down.
However, this is not the first time
Warden
Siebel has assured us that the censorship issue has been addressed.
So we must remain always vigilant. Our rights only exist to the extent
that we struggle for them. And Amerikans will continue to oppress others
as long as imperialism remains in place.
First, before we erect or construct anything we must have a strong
foundation, a base – so to speak. Otherwise the whole structure will
eventually collapse. That said, we must focus most of our energy and
efforts on building a base inside prison, then work our way outwards.
Once we are well-rooted, it will be easy to branch out by sending our
ideology to the streets with serious minded brothas/sistas who will push
the movement out there. However, that is not to say that we shouldn’t be
trying to build out there right now.
Thus, we must advocate for the development of a movement rooted in the
revolutionary tradition that looks out for the interests of all
oppressed people as a whole, opposes fratricidal violence
(black-on-black, brown-on-brown) and work to develop an alliance with
other social movements outside prison.
Secondly, we must understand that even small movements, because they
include people with different ideas, reveal political debates over next
steps, practical objectives, potential allies, and movement tactics. The
idea and politics that guide a specific movement have a profound effect
on its ultimate direction as well as on the activists involved. But, the
guiding politics of social movement don’t simply appear out of thin air.
Rank-and-file BPP members themselves invented the armed self-defense
tactics just as rank-and-file civil rights leaders developed the civil
disobedience and non-violent protest strategy, and these members had to
win others to these new tactics through a process of political debate
and experience. They were leading with their ideas and testing them in
practice.
Political leadership is just this: individuals, with the experience of
struggle, can advance ideas and tactics that will strengthen the
movement and develop to help prepare it for the next stages in struggle
– whether economic, political, or ideological.
Huey P. Newton and others recognized the importance of uniting oppressed
people into a political party that could act as a unit, providing
leadership and an important counter-weight to the overbearing power of
the capitalist state.
I’m going to finish with a quote from one of the leaders of the Black
Power movement, who said “when a people arises, when it develops
awareness, when it is convinced of the righteousness of its actions,
there is nothing that can stop it. The people sweep aside all obstacles
placed in their path like a whirlwind cleaning out all the dirt in a
country.”
Now, we have a lot of work to do before we can go around making claims
like that. But this idea that we need to be building inside right now
is, I think, the only perspective that fits when you understand that
we’re looking at a war against the system that is being launched from
within, and when you understand the scale of resistance that is
necessary.
People are receptive to the “idea” of resisting, but they’re doing so in
a context in which their revolutionary spirit is very weak and needs to
be ignited. But, this is the task of our generation, and I think these
kinds of ideas we are building on now are all about the process of
trying to rebuild that Black revolutionary fighting anti-capitalist
regime.
MIM(Prisons) adds: “Unity from the inside out” is a slogan that
United Struggle from Within has used in promoting the development of
unity among and between lumpen organizations (LOs) in prison. This
slogan echoes the strategy promoted above of building a strong prison
movement to affect the rest of society. Sloganeering is one of the
tactical tasks necessary to build an effective anti-imperialist
movement. Good slogans are based in mass line. This means taking correct
ideas from the masses and reinforcing them through propaganda. Finding
effective slogans and language that connects the mass consciousness to
the revolutionary struggle should be a focus of USW. This is part of
what it means to provide leadership as the comrade describes above.
Currently on a day to day we are faced with dealing with situations that
are not part of our sentence. For me I have to decide what approach or
tactics I can use dealing with correctional staff whose behavior has
escalated from being rude to disrespectful and retaliative. Here, in
Washington, Correctional Officers (COs) try to gain popularity amongst
their peers by doing disrespectful things and abusing their authority in
order to impress each other. They do things like slam your cuff door,
kick your door while you sleep, and put your handcuffs on too tight.
I’ve seen officers tampering with an offender’s food. This causes me
anxiety. I suffer from panic attacks and my mental stability can’t
handle the paranoia.
It’s like figuring out how to deal with a high school bully. I’ve
completed courses in Non-Violent Communication (NVC) and also dispute
resolutions. I’ve taken classes on human relations and was a very
popular person out in the community where I am from. The CO is a new
kind of bully. Similar to a bad boss you can choose to submit to their
abusive ways, you know, favoritism, laziness, lying to offenders,
slacking off, pretending as if their job is hard and stressful. You can
become more passive and avoid conflict and simply stay out the way. Take
the disrespect with a smile, do your time, and go home. My father told
me to do this, to succumb to their oppression, do your time, and come
home.
Because I’ve been sentenced to 126 months to life they have extended my
sentence 3 times due to infractions and some made up reason concerning
my mental health. I am a convicted sex offender guilty of rape in the
2nd degree domestic violence. A crime I committed against the mother of
my child. Having said that, I understand the ideology that a sex
offender is a pathetic human being deserving of whatever treatment he or
she has coming. However, with crime, and I mean any crime now, there are
people who will suffer indirectly. Families and loved ones who care get
victimized when an offender is in prison and receives unfair, cruel and
unusual punishment, abuse and neglect and these are people living the
right way.
For a criminal to just avoid conflict, do his time and get out, is far
more damaging because you left that offender in a cycle of behavior that
leads to more crime and often someone’s death. So no I don’t choose to
just do my time and go home. I continue to make a difference, that’s how
I do my time. If god wants me to be in here for 20 more years so be it.
I am helping the men in here internalize change. I may have stopped a
family member or loved one from harm by providing new perspectives and
ideas that change minds and unlock potential.
So these five tactics I’ve come up with have nothing to do with
avoiding. Just providing solutions.
Before deciding to deal with any issue check your intentions. Deciding
whether the issue is detrimental or not and it has nothing to do with
your ego.
Learn the 7 habits of highly effective people. Use them, practice them
with your comrades. Seek first to understand all angles, give little of
your reasoning but get all of theirs. That way you can punch holes in
their lies and stories.
Push paperwork, write grievances and kites, use them as documentation.
Because you never know when it may go to a lawsuit. Of course, that is
not the goal, but fairness and equal protection treatment is.
Transfer power, officers tend to make a lot of mistakes but be
considerate of their intentions. A lot of times it’s because they
haven’t been told something or simply feel discomfort. You can ease the
tension by helping them see the bigger perspective simply by asking
questions. So that way they can come to their own conclusions.
Be reasonable, listen to reason and compromise. In the end it is all
about respect. You will have officers who are flat out disrespectful. A
lot of them feel they have to operate this way in order to get
complacence and respect. So you can’t take it personal but you should
handle all your issues at the lowest form always.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We want to applaud this comrade’s
commitment to do more than just do eir time, instead trying to transform
the consciousness of others while locked behind bars. There are a few
things in here we want to comment on. First, many will criticize us for
even printing something written by a sex offender, but we want to push
people to consider the ideas rather than judging them based on the
background of the people who put out the ideas. 2+2=4 no matter who says
it. But even more importantly, someone who previously advocated that
2+2=5 can change and learn why eir previous answer was wrong. We believe
the same is true of all people who commit acts against the people with
sufficient self-criticism and re-education.
As far as the tactics proposed by this comrade, we agree with the points
that promote checking your ego, and filing grievances and maintaining
documentation. However, we have some disagreements with this writer’s
proposals about how to deal with people. First, when dealing with our
comrades we should not tell people to “give little of your reasoning but
get all of theirs.” If this comrade is suggesting we do this with the
enemy then that’s fine, but with our comrades we should be honest and
straightforward about our reasoning as we seek to build unity and
respect.
On the other hand we think this writer gives too much credit to officers
suggesting that they can be won over through respect and consideration.
While it’s true that we don’t need to start with aggressiveness and
should seek to diffuse situations that might work against us, we should
not fool ourselves into believing that officers will come around to our
side if we just treat them nicely. The prison system is set up to put
officers in a position where abuse of prisoners is encouraged. It’s not
just personalities of individuals or lack of perspective that cause the
problems, it’s the system itself. We need to be clear on this so that we
can stay focused on the system as the enemy.
by a Pennsylvania prisoner December 2016 permalink
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was created to help prevent
sexual assault and sexual harassment inside U.$. prisons and to hold
fully accountable those found guilty of sexual misconduct. But is this
really the case? I beg to differ with those who fully support PREA.
As a transgender woman, I am victimized daily in one way or another at
the hands of my fellow prisoners and staff. I should feel free to report
sexual assault/sexual harassment, but the fact is, I’m afraid to or at
least reluctant to do so. The pigs in authority here in this particular
gulag have decided to create a stipulation that prevents me from coming
out of my cell without being video/audio recorded via hand-held
camcorder. I am being told that it is for my safety and that of others.
I say bullshit. This is retaliation at its finest, subtle and cloaked.
I am at the fascists’ mercy for shower, yard, law library and anything
else out of my cell. If my captors decide they don’t feel like going
through the motions with the camera (which is often) they simply have to
claim that the camcorder is unavailable and/or out of service for the
time being. Thus my right to shower, yard, law library, etc., is more
often than not violated. I’ve pointed out numerous times that there are
video cameras in every area of the prison, and there isn’t a spot in
this place that I can go that is beyond the view of a camera, but the
pigs say that audio is needed for my claims of sexual harassment. When I
point out that a majority of my sexual harassment allegations occurred
when I was inside my cell, they have nothing more to say, as I’ve
tripped them up in their own game.
It’s simple. Things like this are done to discourage anyone from
reporting any type of PREA violation whether it happened or not. Fear of
retaliation alone is a violation of PREA standards. I wonder just how
many others are experiencing this type of issue and what as a whole, we
can do about it. Any suggestions, comrades?
MIM(Prisons) responds: Gender oppression is one of many forms of
abuse faced by prisoners in the Amerikan criminal injustice system.
While the PREA laws appear on the surface to take this problem
seriously, we have seen that in practice PREA is more about image than
action. And this is not the first report we have received about
manipulation of the PREA laws to actually harm those who are
experiencing the sexual harassment. We have
written
previously about PREA and the problems of sexual assault in prisons.
Our overall conclusion is that we can not rely on the oppressors to
enact policies that will stop oppression. Instead we look to the example
of groups like
Men
Against Sexism, an organization in Washington prisons in the 1970s,
to defend against sexual assault and change the culture of what was
acceptable among prisoners. Organized action by the oppressed at a group
level is necessary to overthrow patriarchy.
Read
more about Chris Dorner, another cop who diddn’t play by the
rules of the imperialists
I recently received my first issue of Under Lock & Key (52).
I must say that your cause is a noble one. From 2009 to 2013 I was a
police officer with the Birmingham Police Department here in Alabama. I
got into the law enforcement profession with the sole intent of making
the world a better place by serving the people, upholding the
constitution, and taking dangerous criminals off the street. It didn’t
take me long to realize, however, that the most dangerous criminals were
my very own fellow officers. Everywhere I looked within my department
was corruption, tyranny and oppression.
The details of all the events that led up to my incarceration as a
political prisoner are too numerous to list in this letter, but I assure
you, they are atrocious. The basic gist of it is that after repeated
attempts to corrupt me and indoctrinate me as an oppressor, and my
subsequent refusal and threats to report my knowledge of corruption
within my department to federal law enforcement authorities, officials
from my department erroneously charged me with setting fire to multiple
abandoned and condemned houses that were being used as dens for drugs
and prostitution. This is all a vicious lie concocted by the government.
Having faith in the old saying “the truth shall set you free” and the
belief that we are innocent until proven guilty in this country and will
receive a fair and honest trial, I chose to fight my case in our
so-called criminal justice system or, as I quickly discovered, the
criminal Injustice system.
I was informed very arrogantly by the investigators (Birmingham police
officials) that they had “hand picked” the judge who was over my case
and if I didn’t accept a plea deal then this particular judge was going
to “crush” me. The judge himself even told me that if I accepted the
plea deal he would show me mercy, but if I rejected the plea deal and
took my case to trial then “there would be no mercy.”
Refusing to be bullied and intimidated into confessing to crimes that I
did not commit and begging for mercy when I had done nothing that
required it, I proceeded to trial. After an unfair and totally biased
and one-sided monkey trial in a Kangaroo court (it took me a while to
realize I wasn’t at the zoo), I am now firmly of the opinion that D.A.
stands for “Disinformation Agent” and that our judges have even less
honor than a thief in the night. I was not allowed to present video
evidence that proved my innocence and showed intimidation and coercion
by police officials. Unfortunately, I was wrongfully convicted and
sentenced to 100 years in prison.
I am not submitting my story as an invitation to any pity party, but
merely to attest to the corrupt and broken system that I’m ashamed to
say I once worked for. A system that sends a man to prison for 100 years
for non-violent property crimes where no death or injury occurred;
crimes that he didn’t even commit.
Now that I am condemned to rot in prison for the rest of my life while
my two young sons remain orphaned since I was their only parent, I guess
that I’m just supposed to accept my fate. Well, my eyes are wide open
now which is why I believe in and uphold the
6 points of
MIM(Prisons) and the
5
principles of the United Front for Peace in Prisons.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This writer gives us a good example of why
we say that we must judge people by their actions and not just their
history. People are capable of learning and changing. Someone who was
formerly working for the oppressors can realize their mistake and join
the cause of the oppressed. Most often this happens when someone loses
their position of privilege, but sometimes it can happen just through
education.
During the Chinese Cultural Revolution some people were imprisoned for
anti-people activities and provided with education about why it is wrong
to oppress other people. And we have examples of people who came out of
these prisons devoted to serving the people, thoroughly ashamed of their
former harmful actions and committed to change. This education is easier
when we have state power and the government is working in the interests
of the oppressed, but even now we can score victories, especially behind
bars, with those who came to prison with erroneous ideas and
participated in actions that harmed the people. For this reason we must
judge people not by what they say, or by labels they have been given,
but by their actions. Those who demonstrate to be consistently working
on the side of the oppressed have a place in the revolutionary united
front.
As a Black nationalist and a member of the Nation of Gods and Earths
(NGE), I identify politically as Socialist. See my nationalism is on the
lines of Pan-Afrikanism in alignment with the RBG and Global Panther
movements. I push the Panthers 10 point program, though I be considered
a Political Prisoner under the 8th demand of the 10 point program. I am
a force of change even in here, by having intellectual exchanges
regularly with members from all ethnic background and mindsets, sharing
books full of facts about revolutionary struggles, facilitating a weekly
NGE meeting where 23 prisoners discuss positive change ideals for the
family units and communities.
We discuss a new underground railroad; as a network of Blacks, Asians,
whites, and islanders inviting Latin@ immigrants into our homes for
hiding purposes if and when the mass deportation starts taking place. We
recognize we the oppressed nations in the United Snakes aren’t several
groups divided by race and ethnicity, but one group oppressed by
capitalism in an effort to create a new economic slave class of citizens
who barely survive while corporation owners benefit from the labor of
these masses and live lives of lavish ecstasy. We have to unite as one
with the Third World nations under the umbrella of Socialism. We are
going to change law through proposing new legislation, creating a more
equal legal system for our advancements as a single people, with one
universal goal and intention “Self Rule & Self Govern”.
This is Revolutionary and will take the effort of the people to become
self-educated in these crucial areas. Taking our united fight to the
floor of the United Nations and to every block in every country known to
man.
Know you not that Governments are insurgent forces feeding off of the
progress of the masses. There is no freedom under capitalistic rule,
because everything has a price in a capitalistic society and so freedom
is way too expensive for the common man.
We strive for the power to go from thought to product with outside help,
from concept to conception without enlisting our oppressors. After 500
years we haven’t created one gun, produced one car, owned one textile
company, sent one astronaut to the moon by our self; we’ve done
absolutely nothing to advance our independence from our oppressors. Not
because we love them so much we don’t wanna leave them but because the
global system built around us has grown so much over the years that no
matter where you are in this world, the effects of this government are
felt and the ways of oppression continue to change due to its appetite
and need.
Black Nationalism is not a hate group, based on racism. No we want all
people to take care of their own, mate within their own and know about
there own greatness. We also want this for ourselves.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This study group is serving as a think
tank, coming up with original ideas that clearly demonstrate their
internationalist framework. Engaging the masses in developing these
ideas is an important task for developing the leaders of tomorrow’s
revolution. MIM(Prisons) works to leverage our own resources by
providing material and ideological support to projects like this. If
you’re in prison, work with us to build a local study group. If you’re
on the outside you can help us promote independent institutions of the
oppressed like this one by
donating books, money
for postage and printing, typing services, helping to fight censorship
battles and by getting involved in our prisoner correspondence work.
I received September/October issue of Under Lock & Key. I
have a couple of comments to share, regarding what I read. One person,
page
9, thought the AEH in California meant he had to love someone who
killed someone over his “views and beliefs.” That’s not what you’re
being asked. It would seem to me that if we look around there are
serious issues that could be dealt with more effectively if we were to
combine our resources. I’ve been in here going on 50 years, and trust
me, I don’t like everyone I work with. Doesn’t matter – if we’re
fighting the same enemy.
Secondly, regarding the Texas gulag system hiding the prisoners’
grievance manual, doesn’t the state have an Open Records Act, or FOIA
law? Even a backwater like Texas should have at least one of them.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This brief letter is very relevant to the
question of the United Front and who we can unite with. We agree with
this writer that we can be more effective united, and it is definitely
true that we don’t have to like everyone we work with. The views and
behaviors we have learned over a lifetime of living under capitalist
patriarchy are going to be filled with stuff that other people don’t
like. And perhaps more importantly, those people who aren’t even
interested in trying to fight their patriarchal views or other
anti-people beliefs might still be potential allies. We don’t have to
like them, but if they are down for fighting on the side of the
oppressed against the criminal injustice system we can ally with them in
the United Front for Peace in Prisons. Over time we can also hope to
educate them further in the various forms of oppression and perhaps
awaken a broader desire for justice and equality. But we do not need all
of our allies to also be close comrades. To require this would mean
sacrificing our goals for unattainable ideals.
Every popular movement is confronted with a common obstacle: change. As
life progresses, it evolves in a never-ending forward trajectory.
Because of this fact, the current questions, problems and circumstances
facing the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist movement will never be the exact same
problems in the future as they are today. This is an undeniable fact. As
comrade Mao faced different variations of imperialist opposition than
those faced by Comrades Stalin, Lenin and Marx, so too does the current
struggle and fight for communism face distinctly different obstacles.
Tactics and strategy are the only effective measures against an
ever-evolving foe. Every popular movement has set down tactics and
strategies for overcoming determined opposition and many have adhered to
them uncompromisingly, to the fatal detriment of their movement.
Inflexibility, lack of progressive and innovative thinking, an unbending
determination to follow a set course and finally stagnation. All
cancerous to a movement.
History gives us examples of movements that have failed for lack of
adaption and others that have survived by adapting. The Cuban wars for
Independence are examples of the latter. Beginning in 1868, the Ten
Years War began in earnest, led by Carlos Manuel de Cespedes. As their
reality changed so too did their tactics and strategies. There were
three major stages to the struggle that lasted over 30 years. La Guerra
Chiquita in 1879 (the Small War) was the second, followed by the Spanish
-Cuban-American War (1895) which ended in 1889. In each stage there were
new leaders; Antonio Maceo, José Martí, Calixto García, Máximo Gomez and
others. These revolutionaries never stopped evolving and adapting to the
reality of their circumstances.
This Cuban example is one that should be followed as it leads to
success. Overwhelming opposition, oppression, and outright violence
assailed these revolutionaries. Yet, they prevailed, overthrowing the
imperial yoke that burdened them for so long. Those struggling for
communism must do the same: adapt and be both reactive and proactive.
Tactics and movement strategy are not principles, they can be and should
be changed according to the present reality. Only fundamental principles
are set in stone and uncompromising. Tactics are meant to confront
specific circumstances. Yesterday’s tactics will not solve tomorrow’s
problems. Evaluating circumstances, employing tactics and strategy,
re-evaluating and employing new tactics and strategies must be a part of
any anti-imperialist/capitalist movement. Without adaptability failure
is inevitable.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We agree with this comrade’s main point
that the revolutionary movement must be adaptable to current conditions
and obstacles. We have overarching political line that is the theory
behind our work, but then we develop strategies from this line which
match current conditions in the world. And from those strategies we
implement tactics suited to our day-to-day work.
The history of the Cuban revolutionary movement does provide some good
examples of adapting to conditions, such as the period highlighted by
this writer. Cuba in more recent years also provides us with some
examples of strategic mistakes and failure to correctly account for
conditions. The Cuban revolutionary strategy led by Castro missed out on
some important global conditions that should have impacted their
strategy, and thus ultimately failed to learn from history. The end
result was a dependence on the social-imperialist Soviet Union that held
back the development of Cuba and forced them into some
counter-revolutionary actions and policies. Maoism was alive and well in
the world at the time of the Cuban revolution but they did not learn
from the successes and failures of China’s experience. The Soviet Union
had already given up on socialism and was building a state capitalist
system when Cuba became dependent on trade in a way that mirrored
imperialist countries’ relationships with their satellite colonies,
keeping Cuba from diversifying crops and forcing Cuban troops to fight
Moscow’s battles in Third World countries.
It’s been rough these past couple months at Gulf Correctional
Institution Annex, that is ever since prisoners attempted to have a
non-violent sit down. On 8 September 2016 Administration walked around
to every dorm stating “We going to treat a non-violent sit down just
like a violent one.” When it came to awaken A.M. food service workers to
report to work, all prisoners sat on their bunk in silence. At
approximately 2:05AM administration gave a final call in L-Dorm for food
service workers to report to their assigned post for work. Every
prisoner refused to leave the dorm and sat on their bunk.
Once the sun began to rise prisoners became aware of the large number of
heavily armed Rapid Response Team (RRT) officers in full body armor
marching towards L-Dorm. A sledgehammer came crashing through two open
bay windows. Once an opening was cleared, officers armed with 12 gauge
shot guns started aiming on those prisoners sitting on their bunks in
L-Dorm. Warden Blackwood ordered all prisoners to lay on their bellies
with their hands on head. The warden ordered officers to switch to live
rounds, safeties off, any prisoner gets off his bunk shoot to kill.
Once the prisoners in K-Dorm and Q-Dorm witnessed how Administration and
RRT members was mistreating prisoners in L-Dorm they started standing up
against our oppressors. RRT members smashed out a window in K-Dorm and
deployed Pepperball Launching System (PLS). RRT members began extracting
K-Dorm prisoners, zip tieing them, and emergency shipping those
prisoners. While in Q-Dorm prisoners were ordered to go into their cells
and close the doors, RRT entered Q-Dorm using Pepperball Launching
System (PLS), noise flash distraction devices, and stinger rubberball
grenades.
One prisoner was disabled and confined to a wheelchair due to having
only one leg. This Muslim disabled prisoner had a stinger rubberball
grenade explode under the wheelchair. Officers days later was heard
bragging how it launched the prisoner out of his wheelchair and into a
cell! While in L-Dorm hours went by laying on bellies, prisoners were
denied restroom privileges and forced to urinate into empty powerade
bottles or on the floor next to their bunk. Only times prisoners had
permission to sit up was when bag lunches arrived during breakfast,
lunch and dinner. No drink was provided at any meal to prevent
dehydration. Prisoners began to beg for water around evening. Captain
Shwarz followed by armed RRT members entered L-2. Captain Schwarz had a
9mm handgun in his hand, walked up to the prisoner who had been
requesting water out the window, leveled the handgun on the inmate and
threatened to blow his head off if he did not cease his actions.
Prisoner was then zip tied and escorted to confinement.
The following day inmates was rounded up and placed in Q-Dorm which
became Emergency Confinement. Administration rounded up the majority of
prisoners who had ties to one affiliation or another. This was
administration’s excuse for their excessive force used. The gangs didn’t
force prisoners to participate in the sitdown but as far as the warden
was concern that’s who the blame was going to fall on. Prisoners in
Emergency Confinement were placed under investigation, given falsified
disciplinary reports, unjustly use of force in the form of CS gas,
placed in scalding hot showers for decontamination, escorted back to the
same cell that had not been decontaminated, forced to sleep on steel +
concrete for 63.5 hours, and had suffered a beating from the hands of
officers.
All prisoners in Q-Dorm have been shipped after 60 days. Only 18
prisoners remain now, and have been escorted to P-Dorm regular
confinement. I am the prisoner who suffered beating from Sergeant Kirk
who was escorting me to rec. Captain Schwarz told Sergeant Kirk to “take
care that little bitch for me.” Once outside and out the view the camera
Sergeant Kirk struck me in the back of the head with a closed fist,
slammed me viciously to the ground, elbowed me to the back the head,
while trying to force my hands above my head in handcuffs. I don’t know
why out of the hundred some prisoners in Emergency Confinement that I
was left behind and not transferred. As of now I’ve been sentenced to
150 days disciplinary confinement, my DR’s consist of “Refuse to Work,”
“Participating in Minor Disturbance,” “Gang Related Activity,” and
“Disorderly Conduct.” My grievances are being trashed and I expect more
hands-on retaliation upon my release from confinement. This is all
results of September 9th at Gulf Correctional Institution Annex.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We’ve printed a lot of
reports about the protests on September 9, both as part of the
United Front for Peace in Prisons Day of Peace and Solidarity, and part
of the broader work strike. It is good to hear more details about the
unity and struggle put into action on that day. We also want to publicly
document that brutal, terroristic and illegal behavior of Florida DOC
staff towards the peaceful protesters at Gulf CI Annex. Humyn rights in
action in the United $tates of Amerikkka.
It is not surprising that the prison administrators blame lumpen
organizations (LOs) for the action. Although LOs in some prisons serve a
negative role by pitting prisoners against each other, in many places
they have taken a positive role and stepped up to push unity and
struggle against the criminal injustice system. The potential for these
organizations of oppressed nations, which already have a strong cadre
and the ability to quickly mobilize many, is correctly identified as a
threat by the administration. And it is our job as revolutionaries to
help members push these organizations towards progressive action.
Revolutionary greetings comrades, it has been a while since I reported
from behind enemy lines. As Donald Trump enters the oval office I don’t
see any other choice than to partner with MIM(Prisons) in order to
educate and organize the lumpen underclass. My comrades and I are
actively engaged in a battle which seeks to abolish prison slavery as
well as shed a discerning spotlight on toxic prisons.
I arrived on Eastham Unit located in Lovelady, Texas in November 2016.
This was my second transfer since the September 9th national actions.
I’ve been placed in long-term solitary confinement because of my
organizing surrounding that and other campaigns.
Eastham Unit is one of the oldest prisons in Texas. The plumbing has
deteriorated and corroded in such a way that dirt and sediment from the
soil leaks into the water supply producing a foul stench in the water.
The offensive smell of the water was the first thing I noticed. Officers
here liken the smell to boiled eggs and burnt rubber. ULK 49
(March/April 2016) published an article on
contaminated
water at Eastham Unit and we know the contaminants to be copper and
lead!
My application of historical dialectical materialism has taught me the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) misinforms the public about
conditions inside its numerous slave kamps and gulags. But moreover, I
have discovered a collusive and conspiratorial relationship between
state agencies like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
and TDCJ.(1)
Wallace Pack Unit located in Navasota, Texas is the case in point. The
arsenic levels in the water were at least double the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) standard and the TCEQ knew this for quite some
time. But it wasn’t until Panagioti Tsolkas of Prison Legal News exposed
the contamination that conversations began. However, it took the actual
prisoners at Wallace Pack Unit, with representatives from the NABPP-PC
to take their destiny into their own hands and file complaints with the
federal court.(2)
Already I see a shroud of secrecy and the overt signs of an elaborate
cover-up concerning the water at Eastham Unit. Prison officials, who are
easily identified as members of the labor aristocracy and bourgeoisie
imperialist pig class, do not have a vested interest in the long-term
health of prisoners.
Prisoners at Eastham Unit must fight back! The first thing we do is file
a Step 1 (I-127) grievance form. Then simultaneously, those that have
friends and family must request they file a formal public complaint
online with the TDCJ Ombudsman office (e-mail address
ombudsman@tdcj.texas.gov). While these are marinating we start a letter
campaign to the Prison Ecology Project, P.O. Box 1151, Lakeworth,
Florida 33460.(3)
Behind enemy lines, I will be doing what I can do to attract media
attention and free world help but without comrades actively filing
grievances about the water I will be on the front line by myself and the
oppressor will claim I am just creating lies. A favorite pig tactic.
Even if you’ve filed on this poison water in the past, please consider
filing again. A huge support network is following our work as we combat
toxic prisons. I had a discussion with one of the pigs who works here.
The subject was the closing down of Eastham because of the poison water.
Here is what he said: “You think you can get the state to shut this unit
down on account of the water? They don’t care about that – what they
care about is those 800 acres of corn we got in the ground in them
fields!”
Comrades, I couldn’t say a damn word! Because it will be the lumpen
prisoners who will be picking that damn corn! I must echo the words of
the Free Alabama Movement - “Let the crops rot in the field.” And what
do you think would happen to that corn if the public knew those corn
fields were being irrigated with poison water!? Knowledge is power isn’t
it?
A significant step in this struggle is getting prisoners recognized as
environmental justice communities by the EPA, so that prison facilities
can be forced into compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.(6) However, the state of Texas has
created laws and policies that keep the EPA out of its toxic prisons so
we must create a public outcry in order to knock the doors down! Apply
Pimp C’s “Knockin Doorz Down” as needed! UGK for life!(7)
Dare to struggle, dare to win, all power to the people!
MIM(Prisons) responds: It is great to have clear steps in order
for any tactical work to be successful, so we highlight this campaign as
one with a clear path broken down into small steps, making it easy to
get involved and mark progress. While we struggle on these reformist
campaigns, we also know that they are unlikely to be successful. But
that is all part of building public opinion for socialist revolution. In
a socialist system, as in China under Mao, people’s needs were valued
above profits and prisoners were not poisoned via their water supply.
People should not be forced to get heavy metal poisoning just because
they are in prison (or because they live in an oppressed nation
community as what happened in Flint, Michigan). The EPA, one of those
bandaid organizations of the United $tates government to give people
something to focus on instead of straight up revolution, is unlikely to
categorize prisoners as environmental justice communities, and also
unlikely to enforce their policies in prisons in Texas. Even if they
did, to enforce environmental policies on Texas prisons is a
decades-long struggle, while hundreds of thousands of people will be
forced to drink poisonous heavy metals in the meantime.
Still, we support this campaign and encourage our readers to get
involved. It may win some improvements in water quality that will have a
significant impact on the health of Texas prisoner. Even if the campaign
fails, it is a good example of how futile petitioning the U.$.
government agencies generally is. If the campaign succeeds, it will
likely only be with caveats which undermine the overall campaign, which
we can point to as an example of the futility of reformism. Either way,
Texas prisoners come out better organized and better poised for the only
struggle that has shown any success in valuing peoples’ well-being, and
that’s the revolutionary struggle toward socialism and communism.