We Demand Our Grievances are Addressed in Texas

We Demand Our Grievances are Addressed in Texas

Inspired by the California petition for the proper handling of grievances, comrades in Texas made a petition specific to their state.

Our ability to fairly have our grievances handled is directly related to preventing arbitrary repression for people who stand up for their rights or attempt to do something positive.

From a comrade in California:

“I have sent MIM(Prisons) a letter of grievance for use by CDCR prisoners. Its purpose is to petition the Director of Corrections to investigate the purposeful failure of the 602 procedure [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation grievance process] within CSP-LAC. This is something somebody put together for the general population here on C-yard. It is our intention to flood the Director’s office with these petitions in hopes that it will shed some light onto the illegal acts in which these pigs are willing participants. We are being forced to file these petitions due to the unfortunate fact that the vast majority of our 602s are not being filed or properly heard.

“The idea is to distribute this petition to all CDCR facilities and to have as many people sign and mail the petition to the Director’s office as possible. Once all parties receive their responses concerning the petition, all responses along with contradictory paperwork should be sent to MIM(Prisons), the Prison Law Office (which is specific to CA), the Office of Internal Affairs, etc. Our goal is to expose CDCR, its administration, and facilities as tools of repression and the lengths that they will go to to cover their crimes.”

Prisoners are being recruited to lead this campaign where they are being held. Supporters of prisoners can join this campaign by printing out the petition and sending it to their family members, loved ones, and comrades inside. They can also send letters on behalf of prisoners to the addresses listed.

Sending in one petition to the Inspector General won’t get results, but getting multiple people to send out the petition will not only amplify the opposition to the problem, it will also bring those prisoners together around a common goal. Use this campaign to build unity behind bars.

Spread This Campaign!

There is a generic country-wide petition that can be used by anyone in the United $tates. A step up from using the generic country-wide petition is to modify one of the state-specific petitions to work in the jurisdiction where you’re held. Using one of the state-specific petitions as a format, rewrite the quotations and citations included on it. If you do this research and send us what needs to be rewritten for your particular state, we will gladly send an edited, accurate copy to other USW and Legal Clinic folks in your state.

You will need to research who to CC: (carbon copy) the letter to for your particular state. The U.$. Department of Justice and Office of Inspector General are the same for all U.$. prisons, but your state’s ombudsman and internal affairs officers will be different. The Prison Law Office is a non-profit organization that provides legal support to prisoners facing civil rights abuses, but it is particular to California. If you know of an organization in your state that is similar to this, they should be included on your petition.

If you can’t give any other form of support for this campaign, you can at least sign the online petition. This online petition was created by prisoner members of the Texas Prisoners’ Freedom Agenda with the intent of “sen[ding it] to select members of the Texas legislature once sufficient names have signed it.”

Updates/Reports from Inside

• TDCJ Expands Repression of Their Own Policies (May 2023)
• Halting OGOM Distribution Until DRC is Challenged (February 2023)
• Grievance Tips & New Grooming Policy in TX (July 2022)
• How can i help get grievances heard in Texas? (June 2022)
• TDCJ Upholds Censorship of their own Grievance Manual (April 2022)
• Substantive Grievances Work If You Follow Up (March 2022)
• Duplicate Grievances and Send to District Clerk (February 2022)
• Criminal Gangs Controlling Mail and Punishing Grievers in TX (February 2022)
• No Grievance Officer in Stiles Unit Going On One Year (February 2022)
• Connally Unit Denying Grievances and Retaliating (November 2021)
• Grievance Campaign in McConnell Unit, TX (November 2021)
• Warden Retaliates Against Grievances, While TDCJ Creates Hostilities Among Prisoners (July 2021)
• Locked Down and Threatened with Psych Eval for Complaining About Food (December 2020)
• Grievance Campaign Takes on COVID-19 Practices at Prince Daniel Unit (October 2020)
• Mishandling of COVID-19 in Texas Prisons (August 2020)
• Tough Talks of a Scared Pig (May 2020)
• Typewriter Supplies Seized for Helping Others with Grievances (April 2020)
• Conditions in Polunsky (January 2020)
• Staff Ignoring Assaults (January 2020)
• Blind Prisoner Discriminated Against in TX (January 2020)
• Ambivalence in Texas Prisoner Organizing (January 2020)
• Laws Exploit Loopholes in Grievance Procedure (December 2019)
• Initiated Hunger Strike on Tuesday November 19, 2019 (November 2019)
• Ad-Seg "Changed" to "Restricted Housing" (November 2019)
• Forgery of Grievance and Denial of the Right to Grievance (October 2019)
• Conditions at Clements (September 2019)
• Dirty Games with Grievances in Hughes Unit (August 2019)
• Campaign Materials Received but Confiscated (July 2019)
• No Accountability with Grievances in Texas (May 2019)
• Diabetic Refused Insulin in Texas (May 2019)
• Texas Confiscating Offender's Grievance Operations Manual (May 2019)
• Texas Bans Mailing its own Grievance Manual to Prisoners (April 2019)
• Texas Still "Losing" Grievances (April 2019)
• Successful Chow Hall Campaign (March 2019)
• Texas Stalling Grievances (March 2019)
• Grievance Black Hole in Texas Polunsky Unit (March 2019)
• Grievance Malpractice at Ferguson (March 2019)
• TX Denture Denial Class Action Suit (January 2019)
• Grievance Campaign needed in Texas (November 2018)
• Grievance investigators protect staff at Dalhart (September 2018)
• Parole revoked for false charges; grievance appeal useless (July 2018)
• TDCJ Erroneously Coding Grievances, Denying ADA Rights (July 2018)
• Grievance Battle Sustainability (July 2018)
• Educating to Stand Up Against Grievance System (May 2018)
• Dirty tricks frustrate grievances in Texas (March 2018)
• Medical grievances held, denied at Beto I (February 2018)
• USW work gives long-time comrade confidence to file (February 2018)
• Using Texas Pack to Help Others (February 2018)
• Grievances Ignored, bribes demanded in Texas (December 2017)
• Grievance system a failure in Texas (May 2017)
• Medical test results withheld in Texas (May 2017)
• Rat Infestation and Black Mold (February 2017)
• Texas Polunsky Unit destroying property, denying grievances (January 2017)
• Texas Telford Unit Warden Denying all Grievances (January 2017)
• Texas tossing out grievances (December 2016)
• Texas Reform Updates (September 2016)
• Grievances consistently returned as invalid in Texas (September 2016)
• Texas Comrades Need to Step Up (September 2016)
• Clemens Grievance System Fails but TDCJ Headquarters Investigates Complaints (September 2016)
• Perseverance and Commitment in Texas Lawsuits (September 2016)
• Grievances and Excessive Heat (July 2016)
• Unresolved Grievances, Stolen Mail (July 2016)
• Hostil Environment, Grievances Tossed at Polunsky (June 2016)
• Step 1 and Step 2 Grievances on Indigent Mail Campaign (May 2016)
• Trying to Defend Rights in Texas (April 2016)
• Fabricated Disciplinary Reports in Texas (April 2016)
• No Work, No Medical Needs (March 2016)
• Cotulla Unit Warden Responds to Indigent Mail Step 1 Grievance (December 2015)
• Update on Lawsuit on Inadequate Rec and Food (December 2015)
• Lawsuit on Inadequate Rec and Food Pending, Seeking Assistance (November 2015)
• Lawsuit Filed Against Corrupt Grievance System (November 2015)
• Indigent Mail Restrictions Silences Prisoners (September 2015)
• Ferguson, a Condemned Unit (September 2015)
• Plan of Attack on Texas Hiding Grievance Manual (August 2015)
• Following Policies or Following Whims? (June 2015)
• Finding Unity in Texas through ULK (June 2015)
• Texas Hides Grievance Manual from Prisoners (November 2014)
• Officers Boast About Death of Prisoner (September 2014)
• Downloadable Grievance Petition, Texas (August 2014)
• Response to Texas Petitions Falling on Deaf Ears (July 2014)
• Texas Petitions Fall on Deaf Ears, Need to Shift Campaign Target (June 2014)
• Texa$ Grievance Guide (December 2013)
• Tactical Move in Texas Grievance Campaign (September 2013)
• Exposing Guard Brutality and Coverup in Texas (August 2013)
• 50 Texas Prisoners Sign Grievance Petition (April 2013)
• Texas Prisoners Win Victory by Filing Mass Grievances (April 2013)
• Fighting for Food in Texas: Grievance Strategy Response to ULK 31 (April 2013)
• Grievances Denied in Texas (March 2013)
• Grievance Victories are Won Through Unity (March 2013)
• Texas Grievance Retaliation and Successful Tactics (March 2013)
• USW Grievance Petition Wins Battles in Texas (December 2012)
• Exposing the Clique of Oppressors at Estelle (October 2012)
• Texas Grievance Investigators Must Be Fired (October 2012)
• Unprovoked Beatings of Prisoners in Texas Must be Stopped (October 2012)
• Grievance Campaign Improving and Growing (July 2012)
• Grievance Petition Spreads in Texas (June 2012)
• False Charges and Grievances Ignored in Texas (March 2012)
• Fighting Unjust Grievance Denials in Texas (February 2012)
• Texas Grievance Petition Updated (2) (January 2012)
• Texas Limits Privileges and Denies Grievances (December 2011)
• Texas Grievance Petition Updated (September 2011)
• Fighting Inadequate Food in Texas (June 2011)
• TDCJ: File Grievance to Fix Grievance System (April 2010)

Related Censorship

Click for more	STATE	DATE	TYPE	TITLE	REASON GIVEN	FACILITY	DIRECT LINK
	[TX]	04/04/2019	letter	TDCJ Offender Grievance Manual	DRC upheld censorship for "contradiction with BP-03.91, Uniform Offender Correspondence Rules" [Download Documentation]	Polunsky Unit
Follow Up Correspondence 03/15/2019 Prisoner informs MIM Dist of censorship Show Text I would like to inform you that my Offender Grievance Manual has been denied/censored by my unit mailroom, this morning 3/15/19. I appealed the denial and will also be submitting a Step 1 and Step 2 grievance to protest the access to courts or denial of due process. The appeal receipt states that "outside persons desire to appeal submit a written appeal to the Director's Review Committee PO Box 99 Huntsville, TX 77343-0099. The appeal must reach the DRC within two (2) weeks of the notification date listed." They conveniently denied my manual on a Friday. Noe the letter will take at least 4-5 days to reach you becuase the mail has ran for the day. So it won't leave until Mon-Tue. I am marking the envelope as "urgent attention." Hopefully you submit an appeal also in time. Please respond back letting me know you received my letter and the unit did not "misplace" it in processing. 05/23/2019 MIM Distributors appeals censorship to DRC Show Text MIM(Prisons) PO Box 40799 San Francisco, CA 94140 May 21, 2019 Texas Department of Criminal Justice Institutions Division Director’s Review Committee PO Box 99 Huntsville, TX 77342-0099 Re: Appeal of Censorship of Publication TDCJ Offender Grievance Manual Attempted delivery to XXXX, Polunsky Unit To Whom It May Concern: We are in receipt of a Director’s Review Committee Decision Form (hereinafter, “Form”), dated April 4, 2019 concerning the decision to uphold censorship of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Offender Grievance Manual. We are the mailing entity listed on the form. We would note that we have never been provided notice of the censorship related to the Form as required by Federal case law. Due process requires adequate notice of the reasons for censorship. Instructive is the District Court’s reasoning set forth in Prison Legal News v. Jones: “Procunier demands that the publisher "be given a reasonable opportunity to protest" the censorship. Id. at 418. For an opportunity to be reasonable, the publisher must know of the grounds upon which the publication has been censored. See Henry J. Friendly, "Some Kind of Hearing", 123 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1267, 1280 (1975) (explaining that it is "fundamental" to due process that "notice be given . . . that . . . clearly inform[s] the individual of the proposed action and the grounds for it"). This knowledge component of due process does not turn on whether the publication is the first copy or a subsequent copy. What matters is the basis for censorship. If a subsequent impoundment decision is based on a different reason not previously shared with [the publisher], due process requires that [the publisher] be told of this new reason.” 126 F. Supp. 3d 1233, 1258 (N.D. Fla. 2015) (emphasis added). It is an arbitrary and capricious use of power to censor the TDCJ’s own publication, the Offender Grievance Manual. As a government publication it is freely available and not subject to copyright protection. Further, since the TDCJ fails to provide the manual in its law libraries, we have a Constitutional right to distribute the manual. In plain English, the TDCJ’s censorship of its own manual relating to offender grievances is “asinine.” Is the TDCJ publishing offender manuals which do not comply with TDCJ censorship guidelines? Your failure to provide notice of censorship as well as the arbitrary and capricious nature of the censorship is a clear violation of our Constitutional rights as the mailer of the manual. We look forward to your reply concerning this censorship of the TDCJ Offender Grievance Manual and potential litigation concerning same. Please govern yourself accordingly. Sincerely, MIM Publishers
	[TX]	03/01/2019	letter	TDCJ grievance manual	unknown - no notification given, prisoner reported on unconfirmed mail form	Stringfellow Unit
	[TX]	02/01/2019	letter	Grievance Campaign Info	unknown - no notification given, prisoner reported not received on Unconfirmed Mail Form	Powledge Unit
	[TX]	09/01/2018	letter	Grievance Campaign Info	unknown - prisoner reported did not receive on unconfirmed mail form	Hughes Unit
	[TX]	09/01/2018	letter	Grievance Campaign Info	unknown - reported not received on unconfirned mail form	Jester III Unit
	[TX]	03/01/2018	letter	Grievance Campaign Info	unknown - prisoner reported not received on Unconfirmed Mail Form	Wynne Unit
	[TX]	07/01/2017	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given, prisoner reported not received on Unconfirmed Mail Form	Clemens Unit
	[TX]	11/01/2016	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given. prisoner reported not received on Unconfirmed Mail Form	Lynaugh Unit
	[TX]	11/01/2015	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given, prisoner reported not received on Unconfirmed Mail Form	Robertson Unit
	[TX]	09/10/2015	zine/pamphlet	Under Lock & Key 45 (July 2015)	Reason C. Pages 1 & 6 contain information detailing Prison strikes.	Bill Clements Unit
Follow Up Correspondence 09/10/2015 Form Filed: Publication Denial Notification from Mail System Coordinator Panel Show Text (c) It contains material that a reasonable person would construe as written solely for the purpose of communicating information designed to achieve the breakdown of prisons through offender disruption such as strikes, riots or security threat group activity. Remarks: Reason C. Pages 1 & 6 contain information detailing prison strikes.
	[TX]	09/10/2015	zine/pamphlet	Under Lock & Key 45 (July 2015)	pgs 1 & 6 contains information on detailing prison strikes	Jester IV Unit
Follow Up Correspondence 09/10/2015 Form Filed: TDCJ Publication Review/Denial Notification Show Text (c) It contains material that a reasonable person would construe as written solely for the purpose of communicating information designed to achieve the breakdown of prisons through offender disruption such as strikes, riots or security threat group activity. Remarks: pgs 1 + 6 contains information on detailing prison strikes
	[TX]	08/25/2015	letter	grievance petitions	multiple copies of a letter (2 letters given to prisoner)	Clemens Unit
Follow Up Correspondence 08/25/2015 Prisoner appeals censorship Show Text Does the offender wish to appeal the decision? Yes. 08/25/2015 Form Filed: TDCJ Correspondence/Contraband Denial Form Show Text Denied: Multiple copies of a letter (19) Received: 2 letters given to offender Does offender wish to appeal the decision?Y Yes 8/25/15 09/25/2015 Director's Review Committee upholds censorship 09/25/2015 Form Filed: TDCJ Directors Review Committee Decision Form Show Text The DRC has rendered a decision regarding your appeal of the Unit rejection of preprinted forms of a letter (16) [sic] received in contradiction with BP-03.91, Uniform Offender Correspondence Rules. ... It is the decision of the DRC to uphold the Unit rejection of the above mentioned item(s). 09/26/2015 Prisoner filed step 1 and step 2 grievances, awaiting response.
	[TX]	08/10/2015	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given This was overturned	Allred Unit
Follow Up Correspondence 09/08/2015 Director's Review Committee REVERSES unit denial of TX Pack 09/08/2015 Form Filed: TDCJ Directors Review Committee Decision Form Show Text The DRC has rendered a decision regarding your appeal of the Unit rejction of blank grievance form mailed from ... It is the decision of the DRC to RVERSE the Unit denial of the above metioned item(s).
	[TX]	08/10/2015	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given This was overturned	Allred Unit
Follow Up Correspondence 09/08/2015 Director's Review Committee REVERSES Unit denial of TX pack 09/08/2015 Form Filed: TDCJ Directors Review Committee Decision Form Show Text The DRC has rendered a decision regarding your appeal of the Unit rejection of blank grievance form mailed to you from... It is the decision of the DRC to REVERSE the Unit denial of the above-mentioned item(s)
	[TX]	07/01/2015	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given	Wynne Unit
	[TX]	05/01/2015	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given	Hughes Unit
	[TX]	04/01/2015	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given	Lynaugh Unit
	[TX]	01/01/2015	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given	Dalhart Unit
	[TX]	01/01/2015	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given	Allred Unit
	[TX]	04/01/2014	letter	TX Campaign Pack	unknown - no notification given	Dalhart Unit