I agree with the movement MIM struggles to obtain, through unity and organization we will succeed. I'm still unfamiliar with a lot of the information I received, but as I continue to receive the MIM newsletter I will achieve the knowledge required.

Now, I'm going through a lot at this prison. Since my incarceration I have lost my mom, dad, and a brother to death. My wife and kids no longer communicate with me. When it first occurred I started seeing psychs, doctors, whoever, to try to help because I was lost, depressed, angry. I even tried to kill myself a few years back. Eventually it led me to doing drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, whatever to keep my mind off my loss.

I have no family support and its driving me insane. Prison is supposed to be a place for rehabilitation. It's so much crooked stuff goes on in these prisons, with C/Os lying, saying we did things we didn't do, which is never a way to prove otherwise. They kick our ass constantly, overcrowded, mental program is the worst. They pick up everything possible to prosecute us and give us year after year.

Right now I'm facing 25 years to life for a piece of dope. This is my second time going to court for a piece of dope at this prison and I should know better. But drugs is the only way to deal with my depression without trying to kill myself. My last dope case in prison I took 4 years, they didn't put me in the hole, no counseling, nothing, just right back on the yard with all the drugs. I started using drugs I have never even seen before in life like heroin, meth, whatever they had, and now I'm facing life for a problem I can't control. Prison is a crazy place and messed up place.

- a California prisoner, December 2006