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.
Several of us prisoners filed a grievance on sexual misconduct against
us by a correctional officer. The investigators here did not take this
complaint seriously or investigate thoroughly, and even told me maybe
the officer was joking around. They then intimidated most to drop out of
the complaint. Now there are only two of us who refuse to be intimidated
and give up, but we have faced much reprisals. Both of us have been
removed from our jobs and many officers here stop and search me almost
every day. I have been discriminated against and called racial names by
several officers.
I continue to file complaints on many staff here but it seems to do no
good. When I go the wrong route and disrespect them back, I get written
up and disciplined. There is much corruption at California Medical
Facility and most prisoners are afraid to do anything because they do
not want to lose their jobs and property, and have their cells searched
and tossed up.
I complained all the way up the ladder and they all do nothing to
rectify the situation. The supervisors think their officers can do no
wrong.
MIM(Prisons) adds: Enclosed with this letter was a copy of the
author’s first, second and third level appeals regarding employee sexual
misconduct:
“I’ve been working in kitchen for over 3 years. I have not had any major
issues. Until CO Liggett took over as culinary supervisor. He
continuously makes sexual remarks, like you going to suck me off, and he
rubs. You can interview all inmates in kitchen/dining halls and I’m sure
most will agree with these allegations.”
“I believe the ISU and COs here are not taking this seriously. Myself
and another inmate [X] have been retaliated against for filing this and
other 602s [grievances]. We have had our work cards confiscated and are
not allowed to work. I believe the right thing to do is to remove CO
Liggett from his supervisor position.”
The matter was referred to Office of Internal Affairs (OIA) for an
investigation. The third level decision denied the appeal, but mentions
the OIA inquiry which is still pending on the outcome of the
investigation.
Finally, after the third level appeal decision, the author wrote a
letter to the Warden requesting his intervention. The Warden responded
“A review of your appeal record indicates no staff complaints have been
submitted regarding your situation, and this matter should be handled
through the appeals process.”
This response appears to be a form letter, completely dismissing a very
serious issue without any real investigation. We have seen copies of the
appeals from the prisoner and the appeals decision from the prison, so
this suggestion that the Warden’s claim that no staff complaints have
been submitted is just ridiculous. The Warden could not have missed this
extensive paper trail if he had actually looked at the record.
This blatant disregard for sexual harassment and abuse of prisoners
comes as no surprise in a society where sexual assault in prison is seen
as a legitimate punishment and something to joke about. While in general
when we talk about gender oppression and sexual harassment we are
talking about men abusing wimmin, in prison the prisoners are put in a
position of submission and powerlessness that leaves the majority,
including the men, subject to gender oppression.
by a North Carolina prisoner August 2014 permalink
Here in Tabor Correctional Institution in North Carolina, the
officers/facility heads use a method that can be compared to the methods
of Mr. Willie Lynch, who was a business man who had an affinity with
“breaking slaves” in the Jim Crow south. Patsy Chavis is the facility
superintendent/master here, and if we analyze the actions that she and
the officers display, you’ll see some characteristics of hers that are
similar to that of Willie Lynch.
Education
In the early days of slavery, it was forbidden to educate a slave. If a
slave was caught reading, writing, spelling, etc, s/he was severely
punished, sold, or killed/lynched, because the overseers/masters felt
that if you give a slave an inch, he’ll take a mile, and a slave should
know nothing but how to obey his/her master. They felt that educating a
slave would make h unfit as a slave and s/he would become unmanageable.
Here at Tabor CI, Patsy Chavis censored some of the best political, law,
historical, and educational books one could buy. She wants prisoners to
stay uneducated, miseducated, undereducated and simply illiterate, so
that we will remain in Tabor City razor wire plantation as a prisoner.
Brothers who are fighting their cases who are ordering criminal law
books are getting their books rejected. Those who are into politics,
they are getting their magazines, books, and newsletters censored. Those
of us who are Afrikan/Black and are ordering books or materials about
our history, culture, way of life, etc, are being banned because they
feel that it will cause “organized activity.” Instead, we are forced to
read books on Hitler, how to enslave Blacks, the American revolution,
etc. These books promote “organized activity” among the Euro-whites, who
are a part of white supremacy organizations.
The above examples are not the only books they have in our library. They
have fantasy, urban, western, etc., which are books that keep you
diverted from the truth, promote genocide of Blacks (i.e. urban novels),
and annihilation of the Indians by the cowboys. So if you’re trying to
become intellectually inclined in a certain field that is beneficial to
self it would be difficult, and the publications you order will be
censored or banned.
Degradation/Belittlement
Another tactic of Mr. Willie Lynch was to make a slave feel like they
are lower than the belly of an ant. Debasing was commonly used against
slaves to let the slave know that s/he had no value and was just merely
existing. This was done to make the slave more submissive to the will of
h master, so they would feel that being a slave was the best thing that
happened to them.
At Tabor City corrections, the facility heads/officers treat the
prisoners exactly like the master/overseers treated their slaves. On the
med control unit racial epithets, derogatory words, threats, etc. are
continuously said by these racist euro-white officers. They cheerfully
and gladly state that “Blacks need to be locked down/enslaved” and they
are trying to bring the klan back. When we complain to the master, Patsy
Chavis, she disregards our complaints as lies and sympathizes with her
offices.
Food/Clothing
In the early slave days the overseers used to provide slaves with a
certain amount of food, and an outfit that was supposed to last them a
whole year. Well we don’t wear the same clothes for a year, but Patsy
Chavis has cut our shower time down from 5 days a week to 2 days a week,
which leaves us with the same clothing on a majority of the week. When
we get new clothing, they come shredded, stained with blood and other
substances, and we are forced to wear them or we’ll get written up and
charged $10 and put in a dry cell naked for 72 hours.
The food they give us is not the portions that are recommended by the
Department of Public Safety. We don’t receive the proper calories, nor
are we given healthy food. They starve us and proclaim that we’re given
the right amount, but when we lose an excessive amount of weight they
say we’ve not been eating or starving ourselves.
These are just some examples of conditions of this prison. Patsy Chavis
has mastered the art of Willie Lynchism and broken the majority of the
prisoners at Tabor CI. You’ll hardly see a rebellious prisoner because
they keep the hot heads or rebellious individuals like myself alone.
These pigs pick and choose their prey, just like the slave holders used
to do at slave auctions. They instill fear in many to create a divided
population among prisoners, to keep prisoner from rebelling. North
Carolina is the new Jim Crow south and Patsy Chavis is Willie Lynch, the
slave/prisoner breaker.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This is a good analogy between the prison
superintendent in North Carolina and Willie Lynch, showing how they
shared similar tactics to control people. However, we would clarify the
analogy by saying prisoners in the United $tates are not slaves in the
economic sense. The labor of prisoners in Amerika is
not
a source of profit for the prisons or government. In fact prisons
are a money-losing enterprise for the state. Slavery is a system
characterized by the capture or purchase of humyns for the purpose of
exploiting their labor. Amerikan prisons are used for social control,
not labor exploitation.
Estoy peleando esta política del Departamento de Correcciones del Estado
de Washington; “c ) Publicaciones en lenguaje extranjero no serán
permitidas con la excepción de publicaciones religiosas.” Ellos dejan
entrar cartas en lenguaje extranjero hasta 10 paginas. Antes del 2010
ellos acostumbraban a dejarme pasar libros y magazines en español, pero
entonces ellos cambiaron esa norma.
Estoy familiarizado con el paquete de censura de MIM(prisons), pero no
hay nada que aplique a este asunto. Yo agote todas mis quejas. Su última
respuesta fue que ellos tenían intereses de seguridad y que esto era una
amenaza a la seguridad de la institución.
He escuchado que hay Estados que dejan entrar literatura en lenguaje
extranjero, ademas oí que el sistema Federal también lo hace. Estos
puercos me dijeron que no hay ley constitucional del Estado o Federal
que me apoye a recibir libros o revistas en un lenguaje extranjero.
Estoy pidiendo la ayuda de los lectores de ULK alrededor del país que me
aconsejen con una causa o ley que yo pueda usar en un argumento o
juicio. Yo no sé cómo presentar una demanda pero tengo que aprender de
algún modo. Ya escribí al ACLU y a otras organizaciones, pero ellos
nunca me dieron respuesta.
Si ustedes tienen algún consejo por favor mándenlo a MIM(Prisons). Yo
realmente se los agradeceré. Y finalmente a todos en el estado de
Washington, sería bueno si podemos unirnos en este y muchos otros
asuntos.
MIM(Prisons) agrega: Esta es una importante batalla porque esto es un
claro rechazo al acceso de materiales educacionales para toda raza, y es
especialmente importante para estos prisioneros quienes no dominan el
idioma ingles. Esta evidente opresión nacional tiene que ser peleada.
Esperamos con ansias oír de nuestros lectores con sus sugerencias de
como enfocamos mejor esta campaña.
On a daily basis, we here at the McConnell Unit experience backlash for
any and every thing we do to stand up for ourselves. I have been at a
receiving end for some time. I have now been confined as a “security
threat group (STG) member or leader” and am constantly being watched by
the pigs. I am a considered a confirmed gang member despite ten years
without any major disciplinary cases, gang involvement/activity, or
fights.
Now, because of that my mail has gone missing, and has been denied
without my knowledge. The mailroom staff has to notify and give you a
pink paper to let you know your mail was denied and for what reason. My
family has received two of their letters returned to them as “denied”
yet I have never been called to the mailroom as per policy to be advised
that I am being denied a letter. Plus the last thing I received from
MIM(prisons) was the three past issues of ULK. As you can see I am
targeted. I am used to it.
I spoke with the Gang Investigator two weeks ago. I told him that I am
not gang related, have never been, and his response was plainly “we can
start the process to get you off file, but it will take a year.” This is
after I have already gone through the process twice in ten years.
I have been pushing hard on our section for unity and peace amongst
Latinos and Afrikan Amerikans. There is a lot of racial hatred on this
unit, and no one seems to want to get along. Since 2007 I have tried and
tried to make peace between two races who are always at each others’
throats. I put up articles from ULK on a common area bulletin
board so all these brothers can open their eyes to what they are too
blind to see. I speak individually to different people and tell them
they have the power to change the minds of these new “inmates” coming in
and teach them that they are not inmates, they are human beings!
Furthermore color is not a factor. All the pigs see is white uniform.
All we see is skin color. And that is wrong, brothers.
We need to realize that together as one solid voice we can move
mountains. We can be heard! We can achieve. Stop looking at each other
with malice and hate. The pigs will take all your property, destroy your
pictures, confiscate your commissary, and lock you up under false
pretenses, yet some will overlook that only to fight the next brother
because he owes a soup (25 cents) or changed the TV channel. Open your
eyes! All of us!
We recently came off of a 30-day semi-annual lockdown. B-side on the
unit is all lifers and medium custody prisoners. We had not been to
store a week before lockdown, and after lockdown (on the 16th of July)
we still have not been to commissary. Today is the 26th. So that’s 47
days more or less. On the 21st we staged a sit in. We agreed that we in
solidarity would go to lunch and all of us would sit down in the hallway
until the majors and wardens came to speak to us. Fifty of us inside and
out of the chowhalls, all in unity, sat down requesting the wardens to
come speak. Sure enough all the lieutenants, captains, majors and
wardens came to speak to us.
I told them (at all times) that it was a peaceful demonstration about
our mistreatment on many issues but also concerning commissary being
denied to B-Side while A side had gone twice to commissary and were
fixing to go for a third time. Despite cameras to record us “initiating
riots,” and threats about being locked up and given disciplinary cases,
we stood our ground. (Although some ran away at the first sign of the
wardens coming and some did not actually attend the sit-in.)
The main warden speaking told us he would work on getting us commissary.
He gave us his word and we in unity and unison got up and went back to
our building. Our commissary schedule was dated as us not going to store
until the 29th. But thanks to our actions we started going sooner, on
the 24th.
We have 3 pods on our building and when we told the other 2 pods to help
us they refused. We did it alone. Yet thanks to us they are going to
store. Ironic that they believed our actions would be in vain yet enjoy
the victory we achieved.
Basically we need to stand together. Not in violence. That only gives
them the excuse that we belong in prison. Instead we all need to unite
in solidarity. I would rather fight 5 years to live my next 15
peacefully and not mistreated rather than live all 20 under mistreatment
and torture! And to all the brothers in here that sit back and take it:
Why talk about war stories of you being this big bad “gangsta” out there
who takes nothing from no one and give a story of “don’t disrespect me”
only to sit back and be compliant with the pigs?
Recently a Federal lawsuit against Texas Department of Criminal Justice
(TDCJ) was filed regarding the inhumane heat in the prisons. TDCJ
responded that it’s not an issue because they employ huge fans, air
blowers and cold water as preventive measures to ensure safety. What
they didn’t state was that only one of those fans works in every section
(one sits idle) and the air blowers do not work either. And cold water
is hard to get because the pigs don’t let us fill the coolers up until
they feel like it. So that excuse isn’t even true! Open your eyes
brothers in Texas. Enough is enough! The fight continues. Don’t give up
or give in. Never let race be a factor! Power to all people!
MIM(Prisons) responds: We echo this comrade’s call for unity
across all groups of prisoners so that we can join together in the fight
against the criminal injustice system.
Rather than define people by “race” however, we talk about nations.
Racism is the idea that there are different biological differences
between people. The anti-racists still claim people are separated into
different “races” even though they acknowledge that there is no
biological or material basis to this claim. The concept of racial
differences between people
is
a product of national oppression that was invented as an ideological
justification for colonialism and slavery of the “lesser” races.
We recognize that there are distinct nations within U.$. borders with
common language, culture, economics and geography, which face
subjugation as a group. So there are different groups within U.$.
borders, but we advance beyond the anti-racists by defining those groups
materially. The oppressed nations within U.$. borders include at least
the Chican@, New Afrikan and First Nations. Rather than trying to
integrate these peoples into the oppressor Amerikan nation, like the
anti-racists are doing, we work to liberate them from imperialism to
take control of their own national territories and form their own
independent states, free from imperialism and oppression.
In May 2014 I arrived at California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility -
Corcoran State Prison. When I arrived they were about to serve dinner so
I told them I eat Kosher. I’m Jewish. I didn’t get any food. I was
housed in G-yard where I got no Kosher meals. I have proof that I was
approved for Kosher meals at a previous prison, but have been denied
here because I won’t let the Rabbi in Sacramento call my mother.
Keep in mind that there are Muslims and Skinheads that get the Kosher
meal. I have names and numbers of those prisoners. I have been assaulted
twice so far by officers and a lieutenant. Lt. Akin slapped me in the
back of my head, officer Ruiz and another officer grabbed me and knocked
me down. I was refused medical attention and told by medical, “oh you’re
a hunger strike patient, go back to unit.” I’ve lost 17 or more pounds
in a little over a month, but still have been given no Kosher meal. They
keep searching my locker and taking all my food. I have a hell of a
paper trail proving this.
The Pastor Alvarez here put me on the Jewish service list on 4 June
2014, but I have still been denied access to go to Jewish services as of
18 June. The Jewish prisoners (only 7 of us) send me food and the police
take it.
One doctor sent me to a crisis bed. Others sent me back an hour later
saying it’s not a mental health issue, it’s a religious issue. The
doctor has tried to trick me into signing a paper to volunteer to go to
a hospital. I said no, I’m being abused and starved.
Lt. Akin and Sgt. Ibarro threatened to have inmates rape me if I don’t
eat their food. Yet, other prisoners actually took a CDCR 602 group
grievance and over 50 prisoners signed it verifying the abuse. I never
asked anyone to do this, making this a great show of prisoner solidarity
against the abusive officers.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This is a clear example of prisoner abuse and
the power of solidarity fighting this abuse. If prisoners can step up to
demonstrate unity without solicitation and organizing, imagine the power
of a unified prisoner movement led by conscious brothers and sisters
spreading education and drawing connections between these individual
cases of abuse and the broader anti-imperialist struggle. We call on
United Struggle from Within leaders to take these opportunities to build
the movement.
You ever heard that saying “crime doesn’t pay”? I’m gonna keep it real
with you: that’s a bold face lie, or at the very least a
misrepresentation of the truth. I guess it can be argued that crime
doesn’t pay for the person who does the crime, gets caught, and has to
serve a lengthy sentence.
I don’t necessarily accept that premise because for one, a person can go
undetected for a long time, all the while blowing through millions of
dollars in ill-gotten gains; ask Bernie Madoff. Is it reasonable to
conclude that crime didn’t pay ol’ Bernie-Bern? And the U.$. government
is running a Madoff-like ponzi scheme with some of its entitlement
programs; Uncle Sam knows that crime pays.
Another dimension to this is the guy who does the crime, gets caught,
gets the court punishment, but has friends in high places who sees that
he gets a pardon. Such as the case with “Scooter” Libby or that
California state politician’s son who Arnold Schwarzenegger granted
partial clemency to. Arnold basically admitted that he did it as a favor
for his politician friend. Ask “Scooter” if crime pays.
Then there’s the people who commit crimes, yet due to their status and
position in U.S. society, never get prosecuted. Anybody remember the
Iran-Contra affair? Plenty of evidence has surfaced that implicates the
CIA with drug smuggling and trafficking during this era. There were
reports from agents with un-compromised integrity filed within the CIA
during this time and bringing this criminal activity to light within the
Agency. Ironically George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and the upper level
intelligence/justice officials, claiming ignorance of the crimes,
avoided legal accountability for this criminal activity. Ask the Bush
politicians if their crimes pay.
The government of Columbia sued the Phillip Morris tobacco company for
smuggling Marlboro cigarettes in to that country, readily accepting
large amounts of cash from traffickers, then smuggling the cash back
into the U.S.(1)
Ironically this criminality didn’t receive much focus in the United
States, nor did the Phillip Morris decision-makers have to defend their
criminal conduct in the U.S. criminal court system. Also RJ Reynolds
(Nabisco) has been sued by the entire European Union for large scale
smuggling and money laundering.(1) Ask the elite Wall Street collective
if crime pays.
We see politicians and government bureaucrats on TV all the time
speaking of their commitment to eliminating crime and their sincere
desire “to see a crime-free America.” I say that they’re the grossest
liars and flatterers, devoid of integrity and a healthy sense of shame
for intentional deception. At best they tell half truths on the issue.
Consider this brief excerpt from Crossing the Rubicon:
“Allegations that the CIA and Department of Justice were complicit in
the flow of cocaine into South Central LA; that the Clintons were
partnered with George H.W. Bush and Oliver North through the offices of
the National Security Council in a little Iran-Contra arms and cocaine
trafficking operation in Mena, Arkansas; and that Hillary Clinton’s law
firm was helping launder the local share of the profits through state
housing agency securities and investments were never addressed,
objectively by the corporate media.”
Notice that this flow of cocaine wasn’t into Beverly Hills or Orange
County. Nevertheless people can speak any number of untrue things with
conviction but the proof is always in the pudding, the pudding being the
person’s actions. The Clintons surely know that their pudding in crime
makes for part of a financially filling pie.
Think of crime and how it relates to your local, state, and national
economies. And of course in a capitalistic nation, one of the main
obligations of a politician is to facilitate the maintenance of a strong
and growing economy. I mean there’s city, county, state, and federal
police; jail and prison staff (guards, probation and parole agents,
medical workers, education workers, maintenance workers, food service
workers, etc.); court staff (judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys,
professional witnesses, investigators, clerks, transcribers, bailiffs,
legal analysts, etc.); and surely some peripheral elements that I
haven’t mentioned, such as the various telephone companies who grossly
overcharge prisoners for collect calls.
To eliminate crime and create this “crime-free America” would be to
eliminate all of these (and more) jobs/money that crime creates. That
would be catastrophic to the U.S. economy. In this crime-free
environment a very slim minority of the displaced workers could be
absorbed into other professions but the vast majority would remain
jobless.
That many jobless citizens is unsustainable in this nation, which has a
consumption based economy. Also the absence of their tax dollars would
certainly diminish, very drastically, government consumption. Which in
turn would cause job and service cuts in other areas, and that trend
would continue on throughout the entire economy. Now, do you think these
politicians really want to eliminate crime, synonymous with destroying
the economy? Of course not! And I can assure you that even if everyone
stopped committing acts that are currently established as criminal, then
acts which are not currently crimes would suddenly be deemed as
criminal. The politicians know, probably better than anyone else, that
crime pays.
As for the bureaucrats, the lie is much closer to the surface with them.
Many of them are employed directly in the criminal justice sector, so
basically their livelihoods is directly dependent on the existence of
crime. So for us to believe their professing that they want to see crime
cease; we are to believe that they want to lose their
hundred-thousand-dollar-plus (in many instances) annual salaries, their
Cadillac benefit packages, and other job-related perks. This absurdity
is almost laughable to any rational being. Even the ones who aren’t
employed in the criminal justice sector are well aware of the negative
effects that an absence of crime would place on the economy. Like
politicians, the bureaucrats know the deal: crime pays.
Here’s another relevant excerpt from Crossing the Rubicon
“A certain percentage of the prisons in this country are run by private
corporations which trade their stock based on how many human beings they
‘house.’ In pure economic terms, inmates have become inventory. The two
largest of these corporations are Wackenhut and Corrections Corporation
of America. Both of these corporations, through their boards of
directors and executive management have direct ties to U.S. intelligence
agencies, including the CIA.
“All of this means that the corrupt economy makes money by first selling
drugs to people and then putting them in prison for using drugs.”
The parallels between private, for profit prisons and slave plantations
are numerous. Big business are in on the secret, crime pays. So whether
we like to admit it or not, this nation generally realizes a benefit
from crime. It’s always about the dollar here in the United States and
crime-related professions combined makes up a substantial portion of the
Gross Domestic Economy, largely aiding the efforts to maintain a strong
dollar. You can believe those who chant “crime doesn’t pay” if you want
to. As for me, I know crime may not pay for those who are ground to dust
in its machinations (prisoners, parolees, probationers, and drug
addicts) but for many others, crime does in fact pay.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This author makes a good point about the
economic value of the criminal injustice system to capitalists as a way
to employ many labor aristocrats. As we expanded on in our review of the
book
The
New Jim Crow, the system serves primarily as a tool of social
control. While there would be economic consequences to dismantling or
significantly reducing the reach of the criminal injustice system in
Amerika, we can look around the world and see examples of capitalist
countries with much smaller injustice systems which manage to keep their
population employed and living happily off the super-exploitation of
Third World peoples. While in the United $tates a change of this
magnitude is unlikely given how entrenched the injustice system is in
the economic and social fabric of society, it is the social control
aspect that we see as the dominant driving force behind the growth and
maintenance of this system.
Since my last correspondence I’ve experienced the greatest oppression in
my entire 8-year sentence. This past week or so also presented me with
revelation into the power of positive energy and the adverse effects of
negative energy, which can affect your mental and physical health.
At Sussex II State Prison, a pig ran in and dribbled my head 3 times
between his knee and the ground, when I was cuffed and already grounded.
Then, that same pig tossed me in the box and stuck his knee in my neck
with intensive force. At this same time, my arm was being bent so far
back that breaking it was highly anticipated. Furthermore, my ankles and
thumb were in the hands of the pigs. My thumb had nerve damage for 2 or
3 months.
At Red Onion State Prison I was sprayed for a false claim of assault by
a super redneck. The pig first grabbed the shackles as if he was going
to strike me with them, he looked around, and then had his partner use
the can. They rinsed me fully clothed, returned me to storage and then I
tried to refuse to give up the leg irons. They then took me out on the
block and tackled me to the ground. During this they twisted me, bent my
fingers and yelled “stop resisting.” Afterwards I was stripped naked and
8-10 pigs placed a turtle suit on me - chained me - and left me for
about 15 hours. This happened because the officer refused to correct my
negative meal, and I stuck my arm out of the slot because of it.
Those are just two of the oppressive events I experienced in kaptivity.
This week though, it was oppression from kaptive residents. The
oppression came by high energy/high volume gossip, to spread wildfire
word of myself being homosexual. The fire starter(s) knows nothing about
me, knows no one within or outside the block who knows me, and has no
evidence of such activity. Fifteen to twenty people whispered this
around. The way this happened in a rapid and collective manner, you
would’ve thought I was of great status and/or a part of a group that
calls for questioning and violation. I got into a 30-second-or-so
bullshit fight and received rejection from workout crews. The fight was
with a comrade who was supposed to be a good friend and solid
individual, but he needed to protect himself and reputation, so he got
defensive and helped the spread.
My point in presenting this is: I’m not gay and this event is coming my
way at a time when my sentence is over. I’ve never seen or heard of this
shit before. It was so collective and everyone possible was engaged.
Yet, never is this type of bullshit/energy applied to the fight against
the true enemy of imperialist oppression. We have to acknowledge that in
order to get others to move within/for the struggle, the key influencing
factor(s) have to be identified.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This report of abuse by the guards is
nothing new to the pages of ULK, though it is important to
remind our readers on the streets of the brutality of prison guards and
document it for our records. But this report of prisoner-on-prisoner
attacks in the form of gossip and attempts at character assassination is
particularly important for us to discuss.
This is an example of the lack of unity in prisons across the United
$tates, where, as this comrade points out, more energy is put into
attacking other prisoners than into fighting the true enemy of
imperialism. But just as important, we want to address the use of gender
in this particular attack. Claiming someone is gay as an insult or
character attack is a more fundamental problem than just disunity. This
is no different than accusing someone of being Chicano as if that would
be an insult. We can not allow the oppressors to divide us along lines
of gender or nation. Sexual orientation and identity are not a measure
of a persyn’s character. We should look to people’s work fighting
oppression, the way they treat others, and their political outlook.
Lowering ourselves to considering labels and gender/sexual
orientation/identity as decisive is putting ourselves on the level of
the pigs who lock up and beat up people for the very same reasons.
We must build a United Front of all prisoners, coming together against
the common enemy of imperialism. Reject the guards’ attempts to pit
prisoners against each other.
I recently came across something that may be of interest to you. I was
doing some research into this reactionary pro-prison propagandist
organization known as the National Gang Crime Research Center (NGCRC).
It’s run by an adamant apologist for this pernicious system named
Dr. George W. Knox. Dr. Knox and the swine that work for NGCRC routinely
conduct surveys for the gulag system to help them identify and
neutralize any potential “threats.” I was able to get my hands on one of
these surveys and preliminary finding reports that was conducted within
148 gulags in the U$A, representing 48 states, and nearly 150,000
prisoners. Now, the part of the survey that I thought may be of some
interest to MIM(Prisons) is the following:
Low Level of Contamination from the MIM
Some types of political extremist groups try to recruit inmates and
prisoners in America, they can do this through the U.S. Postal Service.
These groups often have sophisticated websites as well. The Maoist
International Movement (MIM) exists to spread communist ideology among
inmates incarcerated in American jails and prisons. It seeks to
radicalize prison inmates and give them a platform for organizing
resistance against the American government. If your inmates are
corresponding with MIM, you might have a problem brewing.
The survey included the question “have any of the inmates in your
facility corresponded with the Maoist International Movement (MIM)”?
Only 4.6 percent of the respondents indicated that their inmates have
been in contact with MIM. Thus, it would appear that MIM is not
effectively reaching out to the vast majority of American inmates. Not
yet at least. Alternatively, maybe such contact with MIM is going under
the radar of prison and jail officials.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This report on “Gangs and Security Threat
Groups” does not include mention of any other communist groups, so we
could see our inclusion as an indication of MIM(Prisons)’s success in
reaching oppressed nation activists and the correctness of our political
line in threatening imperialism and Amerikkkan rule. Communism is our
goal: a society where no group has power over another group. This
threatens the imperialist criminal injustice system for sure. In
reality, as the study admits, they cannot really judge our reach based
on survey of prison administrators alone. We would love to reach the
vast majority of prisoners, but in practice we are focused on those who
are interested in anti-imperialist politics and/or open-minded and
looking to learn. Nonetheless, we take this as a call to action for
Under Lock & Key readers: we need to increase the
percentage of people in contact with MIM(Prisons)!
A few years ago, former Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC)
Director Jeffrey Beard relocated to the California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Director Beard was known for his
tyrannical style of utilizing confinement and isolation for more
sadistic than safety purposes, by increasing constantly the number of
prisoners placed on the restricted release list (RRL). Once on this
list, the only persyn who can finalize your release back to general
population is the Governor of Pennsylvania. Beard, after seeing the
practice of the California STG program, informed current PA DOC
Director, John Wetzel, of these tactics of oppression, suppression and
repression. In the summer of 2012 the Pennsylvania security threat group
(STG) unit was started.
In Pennsylvania, a security threat group is any group of persyns who
continuously ignore the department’s administrative rules, i.e. any
unauthorized group activity. The word “group” is the concealing factor
of the oppressive practices in place in the PA DOC. Members of religious
“groups” such as Muslims, Jews, Moors, Nation of Islam, Nation of Gods
& Earths, etc., are placed on the list of documented STGs violating
the First Amendment right to freedom of religion and freedom of
association. Members of political “groups” such as the New Afrikan
Communists, New Afrikan Independence Movement, Black Liberation Army,
etc. are placed on the list of documented STGs, violating the first
amendment right to freedom of political identification and freedom of
association.
Of approximately 175 captives brought to the Pennsylvania STG program,
95% (166) are of oppressed nation heritage. Out of this percentage,
about 20 were actually told why they were abducted for the program,
i.e. why they were labeled STG members, although the reasons were mostly
untruthful and unjustifiable. There is no appeal process in place to
combat placement in the program. There is no validation/assessment
hearing or procedure in place to present your side of the alleged claims
or bring forth any evidence or witnesses on your behalf. Those who do
attempt to refuse this assignment are placed on RRL. In order to be
released from there you have to agree to do the STG program (the same
program you refused in the first place!).
The tactics employed here are quite surely the same as any other STG
unit. Obstruction of correspondence (incoming and outgoing), no visits
(unless earned through advancing in the program), no phone privileges
(unless earned through advancing in the program), inadequate legal
services and materials (unless earned through advancing in the program),
thought police/Orwellian indoctrination and debriefing systems disguised
as cognitive restructuring. Those who hold firm the belief this is an
injustice are labeled as “in denial and unwilling to give up
participation in group activity.” Those who express their opinions are
titled as “thinking criminally” or using a “gang mentality.” The
guidelines, procedures and policies governing the programs are
restricted to the public. Instead a prisoner supplement handbook is
issued to each captive which quite surely differentiates from the
restricted policy.
Exercise, food, commissary and restraints are used as an enticement
method as well as punishment. For example, you may hear a pig say “if
you program, you won’t have to wear handcuffs.” Or “if you don’t
complete the assignments you won’t be able to order commissary.” To
increase the allure of these “privileges” they make contrasting
practices as hard and uncomfortable as possible. They feed you next to
nothing to increase hunger and craving for commissary. They make all
movements restrained to add to the uncomfortability. This is all done in
hopes of breaking your spirit or to make you “give in to the
inevitable,” to quote a pig.
These are only a few of the ever-changing, ever-occurring issues here
for myself and the komrades. There is a resistance to struggle not only
for our liberties but for those who would come after us as an example of
unity, komradery and solidarity in struggle.
MIM(Prisons) adds: We are seeing this STG classification used to
target activists in
Colorado,
Maryland,
North
Carolina,
Michigan,
as well as
California
and no doubt many more states. While the development of STG programs is
a sign of the strength of the oppressed nation organizations and
political activists, it is also a dangerous tool of repression that we
must expose and fight. Targetting prisoners for “group” or “gang”
activity has long been an excuse to bring down oppression on those with
the greatest interest and organization in fighting the criminal
injustice system.
This prison degrades all to the lowest form. We are repeatedly refused
showers, recreation, and medical attention after being abused by
supervising officials. They are running in on us at 3am in full riot
gear while we are resting in what peace we can get around here. The
Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT) is run by a new sergeant and he
is pepper spraying prisoners who pose no threat. He is ordering his
subordinates to “shoot first and ask questions later.”
We are being subject to excessive rectal searches just to take a shower.
Our food is cold, spoiled and inadequately prepared. We don’t receive
beverages and staff talk over, sweat on, and handle our trays with no
gloves, hair nets, or face masks.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Me and my fellow lumpen comrades
are definitely determined to sink this “titanic” along with other
negligent and corrupt entities within the state. Always remember a
closed mouth doesn’t get fed. It’s time to fight back with our minds,
pens and comradery! Believe me that there’s only so much that we are
going to take laying down! Free all my like-minded brothers of the same
struggle.
MIM(Prisons) adds: There is a growing movement of prisoners and
lumpen organizations in Georgia standing up to the abuse and unjust
conditions in the prisons in that state. Part of this work requires
educating and organizing, and for this we need leaders like this
comrade. Leaders are willing to put in the work exposing the conditions,
and educating fellow prisoners about the need for unity and building for
legal and non-violent actions that will further the anti-imperialist
movement. United Struggle from Within (USW), the MIM(Prisons)-led
prisoner organization, needs more comrades to step up and take on
leadership roles behind bars. Get in touch with us for more information
on working with USW.