Appeals to Sacramento Politicians Lead to Improvements at KVSP
I’m reporting from Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP). I’ve been engaged in the last 16 months educating our comrades to the increasingly aggressive tactics California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has taken in the course of systematically depriving us of every human and civil right a prisoner is supposed to retain. I’ve also been attempting to strengthen communication and, aside from a select few, have been met with complacency and apathy.
We few have organized effective communication with one another and have
used creative strategies to combat certain conditions we’ve been
experiencing. At first, utilizing the 602 grievance process was only met
with rejections, so we took our well written 602s (grievances) that used
Department Operations Manual (DOM), California Code of Regulations (CCR)
Title 15, California penal code, and U.S. law, and bypassed the lower
level institutional coordinators and submitted copies to:
-
Governor Brown, State Capitol, Ste. 1173 Sacramento, CA 95814
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CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate, 1515 S. St., Ste. 330, Sacramento, CA
95811
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CA Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Capitol Bldg, Rm 4005, Sacramento, CA
95814
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Inmate Appeals Branch, Chief CDCR, PO Box 942883, Sacramento, CA
94283-0001
And other relevant heads of department and politicians. The outcome has led to a spotlight shining down on KVSP administrative staff with official reprimands and supplemental memorandums and addendum. Warden M.D. Biter has been reprimanded to the effect of: stop superseding the DOM, CCR, and other applicable state and federal law, and to honor the CDCR 22 written request process that was formulated after the 2011 hunger strikes, and 602 grievance process. I’ve only been told this and cannot provide documentation, but it comes from reliable sources within administrative staff who are against the institution head’s policies.
Ever since these reprimands have supposedly taken place, there has been a notable change in everything. Our 602s are being accepted for review, 22 forms are being answered within time limits, program has resumed on modified procedure, and our food is adequately proportioned. We’ve had no cases of staff misconduct, threats of any kind, or adverse retaliatory actions from administration, from January through today’s date of 5 June 2012.
I’ve created a private law library of essential regulatory content and political value which has been utilized and facilitated by interested prisoners and we are accumulating knowledge.
These are still initial stages and our struggle needs lots of work, but even minor accomplishments are boosting morale. I encourage everyone to take the steps we’ve taken and stay strong and diligent. Keep records, daily logs, and file immediate complaints of misconduct.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This prisoner is setting a good example of how to push forward the legal struggle for basic rights. And this article provides some good advice for California prisoners working on the grievance campaign demanding that grievances be addressed. Improving conditions within which prisoners live and organize is an important step in the struggle against the criminal injustice system. We know these reforms will only bring short-term relief, as the system itself serves the interests of the ruling imperialists and so substantive change will not come until we overthrow imperialism. But these battles are important for both education and the successes they bring.
