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.
Last summer, around June, I ordered several copies of the North
Carolina Grievance petition from MIM, then had copies made and sent out.
Then I announced to the block how to use the petition forms as a
solution to our grievances not being answered. The forms were then
distributed in the block, door-to-door in our segregated dorm. Sadly
some papers were heard being ripped up as soon as they entered the cell.
I challenged the chicken-shits to reveal themselves, to no avail. The
remaining forms were distributed in other blocks. It wasn’t long before
I realized hardly anyone would use the forms.
A couple weeks later my neighbor mentions the petition during a
conversation with someone else and was telling the guy, “the police gave
it to him, he saving it to the day he need to file a grievance so he
could attach it to the grievance.” Translation: he has no idea how to
use the petition.
Other than some people being lazy and others just don’t care, this is
what I learned:
I can’t assume we are all convicts
Gather participants first and speak to each of them to confirm their
ambitions
Write directions on top of the form, where to send it, such as “send
to address on last page or which ever office/dept you’re trying to
target”
Sometimes an orchestrator may need to influence members to
participate
In Under Lock & Key 83, my article Ruchell
Magee was published with the line:
“He would later impregnate her before his demise, with a son his
mother would deny. A son that would grow into a polar opposite of George
Jackson.”
This was a mistake as i intended to write that Jonathan Jackson’s son
looks like a polarized version of George Jackson. This was merely a
reference to the son’s appearance.
Comrade Ruchell Magee was one of two survivors from the Marin County Courthouse massacre that took General Johnathan Jackson’s life on August 7, 1970 (peace be upon him). Comrade Ruchell Magee is now 84 years old. Ruchell Magee was born in 1939 in Louisiana. He would go on to spend 67 years of his life in unjust captivity, starting the year after the murder of Emmett Till. In 1956, Ruchell Magee (like Emmett Till) was framed in a similar fashion of unfounded accusations of rape, where the victim originally did not identify Ruchell Magee. Nevertheless, he was convicted in a one day trial by an all white jury. After serving 7 years on a 12 year sentence he was released on parole in 1962. Comrade Magee then moved to Los Angeles.
After a 10 dollar quarrel over marijuana ending in a kidnapping charge, Magee was convicted (with little evidence) after a two day trial and sentenced to serve seven years to life on kidnapping charges that legally only carried a penalty of up to the maximum of five years. In 1965 he appealed the charges and was denied. While housed at San Quentin Magee became a jailhouse lawyer. There he met Comrade George who was also serving a Cali-type sentence of one year to life. They were routinely denied by the parole boards. Ruchell was also a major participant in the movement for prisoners’ rights and never stopped fighting for his release.
The Marin County Courthouse Massacre
Around the young age of 15-years old, Johnathan Jackson became politically active witnessing the injustice done to his brother George by the legal system. Johnathan was a very smart student, scoring at the top of his classes.
George Jackson later had Johnathan move in with Angela Davis to keep her safe. There he learned weapons training and dated Angela’s girlfriend who was white. He would later impregnate her before his demise, with a son his mother would deny. A son that would grow into a polar opposite of George Jackson.
The day before the Marin County Courthouse Massacre, Johnathan Jackson sat in the courtroom in a trench with a bag for the trial of James McClain. The next day he visited George Jackson. They spoke, embraced, then left.
A few hours later a Sheriff spotted Johnathan in the courthouse with the same trench coat and bag on from the day before. The suspicious Sheriff approached Comrade Johnathan and asked him: “What’s in the bag?” Johnathan replied:
“Alright gentlemen, freeze. Nobody move. We’ll take over from here.”
After equipping his comrades with artillery the armed defendant James McClain and the witnesses called there for a prison murder, William Christmas and Ruchell Magee, left with the prosecutor, judge, and three jurors as hostages, demanding the release of Comrade George and the guarantee of safety for themselves.
James McClain walked the judge (with a shotgun barrel roped around his neck) to the van with the hostages. As they where leaving the parking lot hundreds of officers took aim on the custom made bullet proof van. A lot of the officials were from San Quentin. As Johnathan was leaving the parking lot holding a handgun out the window he was shot in the hand while holding it out the window.
The rest of the officers opened fire on the van, the shotgun goes off, and the prosecutor snatches the gun off Johnathan’s hand as he brings his hand back in the window with the gun. The prosecutor would then murder Comrade Johnathan, James McClain, and William Christmas. As the Sheriff and state officials continue to shoot the van they eventually shot the prosecutor in the back, paralyzing him. Ruchell Magee was later found unconscious.
Ruchell Magee was charged with murder and kidnapping, along with Angela Davis who allegedly provided Mr. Jackson the guns. In a separate trial Angela was acquitted, but in 1973 Mr. Ruchell Magee was convicted of simple kidnapping and voted 11 to 1 to acquit him of the murder charge.
Even though an autopsy of the judge who had been killed proved Ruchell did not kill him, and no evidence proved Ruchell knew anything about Johnathan Jackson’s plan to liberate the prisoners from the Marin County Courtroom, on 23 January 1973, Magee was sentenced to life in prison.
After the conviction he was denied parole 16 times and housed at high security prisons like Folsom and Pelican Bay’s Security Housing Unit, while he became one of the most consistent and successful jailhouse lawyers and advocates for prisoners.
Earlier in his bid, Ruchell took the name Cinque from the African leader Sengbe Pieh of the 1839 La Amistad slave ship rebellion, insisting that Africans have the right to resist “unlawful” slavery. Ruchell maintains that Black people in the U.$. have the right to resist this new form of slavery which is part of the colonial control of Black people in the country.
“My fight is to expose the entire system, judicial and prison system, a system of slavery. This will cause benefit not just to myself but to all those who at this time are being criminally oppressed or enslaved by this system.”
Ruchell has now been released on a new bill passed in California that allows incarcerated medical leave for those who are at fatal health risks.
Welcome home the G, AKA General Magee
Sources: The Road to Hell, by Paul Liberatore Ruchell Magee released after 67 years in prison!, by Claude Marks of Freedom Archives
Those who sow discord into unity are our enemies. If we ourselves are
guilty of pushing the people from the movement then we are our own enemy
while we divide and conquer ourselves.
Prior generations fought for change, but today we fight over change:
back-biting our brothers, looking down on the misfortunate, and even
supporting the police in their corruption and brutality.
We are familiar with the divide and conquer tactics of our
opposition; so when our lines of communications are broken, we must have
faith in our comrades and remain loyal or the oppressor will create
division by placing contempt and distrust in your heart towards your
comrades.
We have a prisoner here in “High Risk Security” lock-up who is unable
to operate a tablet. Instead of attempting to show him how to use it,
they decided not to feed him.
This prisoner is clearly supposed to be in a mental institution. He
is too mentally unstable to qualify for recommendation to be released
from High Risk Security stats; and even if they did allow this prisoner
to be released to regular population, his mental condition will cause
altercations with other prisoners or staff. This is a breach of safety
in the department that doesn’t care about mental patients although the
department is quick to provide sentences to subjects they failed to
place in safe environment.
Comrades, we must put our heads together, shoulder-to-shoulder, and
put down the K2. If finding a way to do away with drug test for THC is
the alternative, then we must try. We must band together to overcome
this addiction. It won’t be easy, but it is necessary when you look
around and see our fellow comrades in helmets and 4 point restraints
losing their sanity. Do we even know the differences between K2 and
phenol paper? And molly is meth. That’s worse than crack. Never get high
off your own supply, and don’t inject white substances. I’m not telling
you what to do, but we can not operate or function against our opps
while walking around like crackheads because we’ll be more loyal to the
high than to the movement.
Before I go, I just want you to know, AKs got the floor. We want
peace not war. Less we all storm the doors. When it rains, it pours.
T.R.U.C.E. - Team of Revolutionaries Uniting to Combat the Enemy.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This comrade is one of a handful of
leaders engaged in United Struggle from Within’s Revolutionary 12
Steps training program. We are working to build this program inside
and outside prisons around the country and we need more leaders to get
trained to do so.
The North Carolina United Front for Peace in Prisons (NCUFPP) is
not a gang – it’s a variety of lumpen organizations united in peace in
prisons. No one is over or under anyone in the NCUFPP and we respect and
recognize everyone’s credentials/status.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Why do we oppress one another as we are being oppressed by the fox
tactics of the divider and conqueror?
They’ve programmed many of our fore-fathers to accommodate in the
destruction of our people (the oppressed nations). If we do not band
together we will never win. The lone wolf may become timid, but together
the pack has courage and we are strong.
Without the United Front the ocean will eventually swallow the land.
Give the Man an inch and he’ll take a mile. First our recreation; then
our picture-mail; batteries; and now tissues – what next? Everything
else like visitation, rations, haircuts, supplies, and property – they
take and give back when they feel like it.
When the “Man” (or should we say “children”) don’t get their way,
they’ll throw a temper tantrum and turn to violence and criminal
behavior. Well according to Huey P. Newton (and the U.$. constitution)
we have the right to defend ourselves, don’t we?
We must never encourage their violence among any prisoner because
it’ll encourage the man to continue their violent ways among other
prisoners (comrades) and citizens of society in the outside world in our
homes. If he’ll assault the other prisoner/prisoner group he’ll do it to
you too. The man shouldn’t be consulted to; spoken to; nor indirectly
lead to assume anything about another prisoner. And we all know that
woofing in front of the police is dry-snitching.
We’ve noticed that these children are spraying/gassing comrades for
knocking on the window for necessities such as tissues and then attack
them and placing them on sanctions (taking their property). While there
is no call buttons here for prisoners to use when they need necessities,
this shit is out of order. But don’t let it get you down. Take a break;
enjoy yourself; set back; and relax. Save your energy for Juneteenth.
The last day of our oppression. Listen for the Juneteenth memo on the
yard/seg!
There’s been a shortage of staff on super-max. One reason being too
many prisoners are in S.I.B. (self injury behavior) watch and must be
monitored. Once observation and receiving cells are filled to capacity
then guards must (individually) sit outside the housing cells of any
other prisoner on S.I.B.
Phone Zap
From experience in what may have been S. White’s 1st successful
protest in 2019 Oct, outside support via phone zap was effective. All
morning this tied up the prison’s phone line until the prison took the
phone off the hook. The outside supporters then phone zapped Raleigh. So
Raleigh called the prison asking why the phones were off the hook.
There was 9 to 16 comrades in the prison on hunger strike and
multiple people on S.I.B. By lunch 5 comrades were called by Captain
Henderson to receiving and asked what they wanted. All of us already had
grievances being processed about other things. S. White also sent copies
of an anonymous missive to the administration with the policies that
were being breached.
Juneteenth
For the memorial celebration of the Juneteenth we are participating
in the traditional fast (meal refusal) for breakfast and lunch; and
10-20 S.I.B.s.
At North Carolina’s HCAU we want phone calls (iPad), TV news (iPad),
spider-free outside recreation cages built large enough for more than
one person, more food, real hygiene, heater fixed for winter, sally-port
swept and mopped at least once a month, lights off in the day time, and
case workers and fee recommendations for release from HCON on or after
the second 6 month term (infraction free). Feel free to add to the list
(every grievance will differ reflecting the demands of each
comrade).
We’ll like to have outside support phone zap at this institution.
Write MIM to stay updated. We do not expect any assistance from any
boot-licking reactionaries satisfied with the man and any conditions of
solitary confinement. Shall your days be numbered.
Today at Polk Correction Institution the prep-team beat a young man
in full restraints named Mr. Fox as he screamed for help during a
shake-down: video surveillance was not provided.
15 March 2021, a few weeks before the killing of Andrew Brown by
Pasquotank Sheriff’s Department, I was maced, tased, beat, and nearly
killed by almost 20 Pasquotank C.O.s. The beating occurred in 6
different locations in the building including 3 elevators. I received
several life lasting injuries to the head, face, and mouth from being
punched and kicked over a hundred times while laying flat on the ground
on my stomach and/or side. A chunk of meat was ripped out of my shoulder
from being dragged over 50 ft. I was choked while beaten til they
thought and asked one another if I was dead.
Another official cut my thumb with a switch blade and I received
several other injuries that medical refused to treat or document. The
officers said, “they’ll be back to beat me every chance they get and
that I better not eat.”
I was emergency shipped, and 3 hours later pictures were taken of my
injuries when I arrived at Polk Correctional Institution
(High-Risk-Security).
Pasquotank Prison Officials deny to have ever touched me and claim
their innocence while not even bothering to explain how my injuries were
sustained. The disciplinary officer found that the video footage of the
incident had been tampered with and cut-short.
18 October 2021, all mail for North Carolina prisoners will be
received at TextBehind
in Phoenix, MD with long time promises of iPads in the future. Should
department of public safety provide proper video surveillance for safety
before iPads for profit and entertainment? Surveillance is critical to
maintain and monitor unwanted violence.
Relief in the claim I’ve filed against Pasquotank Correctional
Institution include that the courts enforce a policy with an injunction
ordering hand-held cameras be used when escorting offenders or using
force in blind spots.
Unfortunately, body-cams in prison make it harder for guards to
smuggle contraband or have relations which would decrease the rate of
violence from drug related issues allowing more prisoners to focus on
rehabilitation and money management.
With this we would ask for higher pay rates to support our families
and conjugal visits for married couples.
Prayers out for the family of Andrew Brown and the victims of police
brutality.
MIM(Prisons) adds: In the last issue of Under Lock
& Key one of our comrades addressed the use of tablets to
pacify and surveil the oppressed in A
Strategic Objective to Disrupt and Surveil the Communication Between
Prisoners and Our Loved Ones. The article above connects this to the
many campaigns prisoners have waged to get cameras in prisons so that
there is documentation of the regular abuse and illegal happenings that
go on inside.
In 2014, comrades in North Carolina won a lawsuit to [require staff
of NCPDS to record with video cameras any use of force
incidents]((https://www.prisoncensorship.info/article/north-carolina-prisoners-preliminary-victory-on-use-of-force-lawsuit/).
This suit however, left it up to the pigs to determine when cameras need
to be used. As AK47 asks, if the state is to invest more money in
technology, shouldn’t it be on this important task of preventing
physical abuse and drug trafficking, both of which leads to the loss of
humyn lives?
Modern surveillance and communication technology can be used for good
and for bad, for the interests of the oppressed or the interests of the
oppressor. The interests of the oppressed lie in holding the state
accountable for the rampant abuse and drug dealing its employees commit
every day, while being able to maintain connections to society, engaging
in rehabilitation programs where they can speak freely and openly. The
interests of the state lie in pacifying the population with pop culture
media and surveilling the communication of those who cannot be
pacified.
