California Prisons

I’m writing in regards to a letter I had read asking for us prisoners to provide art in order to convey the message of injustice in prison. As you know in prison there are many unjust actions that occur on a daily basis so there is a lot to draw on. However, one of the many recent hardships brought upon us Mexicans (specifically northerners) is a mass validation sweep in High Desert State Prison on 8/4/09. 58 northern hispanics were taken off the mainline without due process and stuck in Ad-Seg (Z unit). Now we are all diligently striving to appeal these false fabricated lies on our people but administration has found a new way to hinder our progress by preventing us ample time to go to the law library, making it difficult to get Title 15s, make copies, etc.

The above memorandum is a response to a petition for the correct handling of grievances signed by dozens of prisoners held in the Kern Valley State Prison KVSP) Administrative Segregation Unit. In it the Appeals Coordinator does the job s/he was hired to do: ignores the complaints of the prisoners, baselessly denies any accusations of illegal activity, and employs the bureaucratic runaround tactic (in this case advising the prisoners to seek redress within the same system they are complaining about).

Shortly after receiving this memo, the USW leader of this campaign in KVSP did follow the advice given and filed a group appeal on a 602 form. To our knowledge, he has not yet received a response for this group appeal.

Regarding a complaint about the failed grievance system, we do not expect the Appeals Coordinator to admit guilt. But it can be valuable to go through their steps to seek remedy to create a clear example that their system does not work. The CDCR Office of Internal Affairs “concluded the issues can more likely be managed at the institution” rather than the state level. What? Obviously it can’t; that’s what the whole petition is about. And the Appeals Coordinator says to file a 602 regarding the corrupt 602 system.

For those trying to find a strategy to combat the injustices of the prison industrial complex, we recommend working in the Maoist framework toward a world without oppression. You can do this by contributing to MIM(Prisons), spreading the grievance campaign, or starting/joining a Maoist cell in your own area.

Los Estados Unidos es el crisol de culturas del mundo. Un poco de todo y de todos habita esta tierra. Mejor dicho, es la tierra de la oportunidad ¿pues qué más se puede esperar, no? De norte a sur, de este a oeste, gente está haciendo hasta lo imposible para llegar hasta esta tierra de lamento. Por supuesto que es la tierra de las oportunidades, claro, de la oportunidad de ser golpeado, derrotado, pisoteado y escupido por todos lados.

Mientras la gente del Tercer Mundo o de los países empobrecidos están bajo la falsa percepción de que este es el lugar idóneo para estar y progresar, haciendo cualquier intento necesario para llegar hasta aquí; la agencia militar del ICE se sienta desde arriba de la cerca de púas y espera el momento oportuno para brincar sobre sus espaldas y, o bien, permitir la explotación de su trabajo o enviarlos de regreso a su desastroso ambiente del cuál están huyendo.

Siendo un individuo nacido aquí en estos Estados (Des)unidos, viviendo entre los mismos imperialistas, mi opinión sobre el tema de la situación fronteriza o del encarcelamiento de otros camaradas de otros países—que desean mejorar su situación por tomar un poco de lo que estas serpientes imperialistas han tomado de ellos—puede ser tomada como la de una persona que está mirando desde afuera.

Pero confíe y créame, que soy un hermano mirando desde adentro. No soy ciudadano U$, tampoco soy amerikkkano. Mi padre es descendiente Samoano y mi madre es descendiente de África, punto. Soy inmigrante junto con todos los individuos en este país desunido que no es indígena. Colón y su escuadrón llegaron de Europa huyendo de malas condiciones y buscando una oportunidad para mejorar sus condiciones y escaparse del hambre capitalista de la reina. ¿Dónde estaba el ICE en ese entonces? En el mismo barco del Mayflower que trajo el primer cargamento de esclavos africanos, probablemente él era el hijo de puta que manejaba la nave. Cuando uno piensa sobre la fundación de los E.U. como un país desunido se debe pensar en los inmigrantes y salta-fronteras de esta tierra. Todo desde los ingleses, los alemanes, los franceses, hasta los holandeses y irlandeses fueron los que llegaron a esta tierra infringiendo a los nativos.

La única diferencia entre ellos y muchos inmigrantes del tercer mundo es que éstos no pueden permanecer mucho tiempo bajo el sol sin quemarse, ni tienen ojos rasgados ni pelo crespo ni saben lo mínimo acerca del comunismo. Ellos son blancos. Ellos nada más buscan el crecimiento y desarrollo imperialista de su raza blanca, y la destrucción de la gente del tercer mundo y el espíritu comunista. Ahora, no estoy jugando la carta racista aquí, así que no lo tomen como si, pero para poder tratar efectivamente este problema necesitamos dirigir el hecho subrayado de la ideología imperialista blanca y el concepto de supremacía blanca. Desde el principio de la expansión colonial, el hombre blanco a estado delegando una campaña en la cual él es el hombre superior del planeta tierra y todos deben arrodillarse frente a él y su semilla, alabándolos siempre. En su campaña le ha declarado guerra a todas las naciones que niegan reconocer esta supuesta superioridad y intentan no sólo suprimir estas naciones sino suspenderlos de su existencia (i.e. las primeras naciones de Norte América). Cuando los esclavos africanos empezaron a escaparse del rebaño de sus dueños y comenzaron a causarle tremendo dolor a la señorita libertada, los europeos pronto respondieron con la KKK, que al cambio intentaron de desanimar a los africanos a que huyeran por medio de ataques terroristas. No es muy diferente hoy en día excepto que dejan sus batas blancas y suásticas en casa. Cuando piensas en la agencia de ICE y a lo que se dedican, lo único que les falta son las batas blancas.

Permiten que la gente de países pobres entren al país saltando fronteras, les permiten que trabajen en los campos de algodón, o bodegas, y después en cuanto de pronto ya no necesitan de la mano de obra barata los mandan a un nuevo “campo de control social” o los mandan fuera de los Estados Unidos y de regreso a su país asolado por la guerra imperialista.

O se ama o se odia, o se acepta o se niega. La única manera de eliminar el problema fronterizo es acabar con el imperialismo y su ideología que lo mantiene vivo.

MIM(prisiones) responde: Mientras sobre todo correcto, este camarada falla en distinguir entre la ciudadanía de un país y la nacionalidad. Estamos de acuerdo que, en este país, para estar al lado del opresor uno debe renunciar cualquier la pertenencia a la nación yanqui. También estamos de acuerdo que hay varias nacionales en Norte américa y muchos de ellos sufren de la opresión de las nacionales amerikanas y kanadiences. Esto es señalado en el rechazo de derechos propietarios, aprisionamiento masivo, guerra química por medio de narcóticos, el alto paso de muertos por enfermedades prevenibles y terrorismo policiaco de la policía estatal.

No obstante, siendo un miembro de una nación opresiva en Norte américa no significa que no seas ciudadano. La diferencia siendo en que, como ciudadano puedes trabajar legalmente y ganar mala paga, a pesar que ya es bastante más difícil conseguir el puesto para uno que para los blancos. Aunque migrantes a veces pueden ganar mucho más que otros en el tercer mundo, ellos enfrentan explotación aquí en los e$tado$ unido$, y otras formas de opresión que muchos ciudadanos legales no necesitan temer.

Estamos de acuerdo con la idea de que este compañero no es un ciudadanos de E.E.U.U. debido a la posición de prisionero del Estado.
Miramos hacia prisioneros y migrantes adentro del país como fuerzas revolucionarias potentes porque no disfrutan de plenos derechos de la ciudadanía. Aparte del hecho de que más y más presos son inmigrantes, esta es la conexión que hace que el tema de los migrantes sea muy importante para los presos de este país. La lucha de liberación nacional será dirigida por los que entre los oprimidos que tienen un gran interés frente al imperialismo.

La analogía entre I.C.E. y la KKK está sumamente a la medida, aunque diríamos que “los Minute Men” son el comparativo más directo. Pero ICE se diferencia en que sus agentes son muy bien pagados por lo que hacen, no solamente voluntarios de su nación. Los dos juegan una parte en el manejo de las naciones de esta gente explotada para el beneficio de su nación.

Una nota final sobre las definiciones, una pregunta que ha surgido en la discusión de este tema es cómo se utilizan los términos “migrante”, “inmigrante” y “no ciudadano”. Como se mencionó anteriormente, los no ciudadanos son personas sin derechos de ciudadanía legal, y en los prisioneros de E.E.U.U, mientras que por lo general legalmente a los ciudadanos, se le podría incluir en este grupo o al menos considerados ciudadanos parciales. Los inmigrantes y los migrantes no son ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, un inmigrante es alguien que se muda a otro lugar para vivir. Los migrantes son personas que viajan de un lugar a otro con el fin de encontrar trabajo. Puede que no tengan un hogar, pero a menudo no tienen una familia que envían dinero y prefiere estar con ella.

We talk a lot about what’s going on in the prison system but what about what’s going on in the county jails? The Los Angeles County Jail (MCJ) where the infamous headquarters is located is like CDCR’s notorious “green wall”. Operation Safe Jail (OSJ) is no more than a prison gang, more so than those who are validated and serving time in CDCR’s SHU facilities. Just like the green wall, they bet on human cock fights and beat you down to the point where you can’t even walk anymore. In prison I dropped out of a prison gang and have been doing my time in SNY facilities also know as PC (Protected Custody).

In August 2009, as I was getting booked through the LA County Jail processes and being interviewed by officers. I informed them that I was put on the hit list by a [lumpen organization] member and was put in PC in State Prison and that I should be put into PC in the county jail as well since I still do fear for my life and safety. They housed me in high power fish roll 4500 for 3 weeks with no contact with anybody, no visit, no phone calls, nothing. After that I was interviewed by OSJ and I explained to them my situation and they promised to put me in PC. But to my surprise they lied to me because I was declassed to General Population. I did start to refuse but officers grabbed me, by twisting my arms they forced me to walk to another floor where I was to be housed in GP. I refused and pulled away from their torturing grasp. They took me down and beat me with unnecessary force. They tasered me while I was on the ground for a long, long time. After I passed out. I awoke to them still beating on me hand cuffed. They were even tasering my hand cuffs.

When it was all over they promised to put me in PC if I did not say anything to the lieutenant or anybody while they put me on camera where I was to be asked some questions that I was to answer “I don’t want to talk about it” to every question, or I would be put back into GP. So I did what I was told for fear of my safety. To my surprise I was medically cleared and they put me in a cell in Green Light Fish Roll for PC process. They also told me that if I had any complaints they would put me in GP.

I really needed to see a doctor again. But I couldn’t ask for fear that I would be put in GP so I did what they told me. Well, everybody else on Fish Roll heard my cries of pain and suffering and they called “man down” for me which I begged them not to for fear that they would think I’m still complaining. They finally came (officers and nurses) and took me to the MCJ’s clinic where they transported me to LCMC where they discovered that I have a collapsed lung. It it wasn’t for everybody calling man down for me I would have died that night.

Of course they lied on the report and submitted it to the DA for prosecution. They gave me 2 years with 1/2 for resisting. I am now in prison because LA County failed to serve and protect, as their motto says.

I am writing to you to seek advice, assistance or referral on how to get word out about biased racial profiling, mass validation, and their failure to follow their own policies and laws. Now let me just give a quick run down on what is going on here at High Desert State Prison (HDSP). In August 2009, the California Department of Corrections’ goon squad, Institutional Gang Investigators, took all personal property from all “northern Hispanic” inmates on C-facility and at this time removed between 40 to 50 “northern Hispanics” from the mainline and validated us as prison gang members. Several inmates were placed on potty watch. (This is where inmates are placed in a diaper taped up and handcuffed 24 hours a day and forced to use a plastic bag to relieve themselves.) The inmates were eventually validated as gang members and are retained in ASU and we are not being transferred to appropriate prisons. Most of the points used against us were either made up or do not meet guidelines of the law to validate us. There are a lot of violations of federal and state laws going on here but I’m going to keep this brief.

MIM(Prisons) adds: The U.$. imperialists have divided the Chicano Nation (and Latinos in general) in California by drawing a line across the middle of the state and labeling those who grew up north of that line “northern Hispanics.” They call the “northerners” and “southerners” gangs worthy of repression, yet countless comrades have been forced into these groups by the CDCR themselves. Early in the process, they assigned certain prisons and units to “northerners” and others to “southerners.” Then when they want to lock up all the Latinos they can do so and say they are dealing with a “gang.”

It is an absolute joke that this thinly veiled form of national oppression passes as legal in a bourgeois democracy. Of course, there are neo-colonial agents that have played into these divisions from the beginning. Just as the Amerikans divided Korea and Vietnam between north and south by setting up puppet leaderships, they have done the same in U.$.-occupied Aztlán. This is why the demand for the unification of oppressed nations and their territories is an inherently anti-imperialist demand.

The medical and mental health services in here is bad news. Either by sham or lack of care, or none at all. I have bad allergies and a doctor here at CSP-SAC [California State Prison - Sacramento] took me off my allergy medication to treat it. And even worse, a guy who had cancer was taken off his meds that treats his cancer.

For a time, between 1997 and 2001, I was constantly cell extracted and beaten by prison officials just for filing grievances/litigation and standing up for yard, showers, store, mail, medical, law library access, etc.

At this current time I am back in the hole. I’ve been here a little over a year for not accepting a celly. As I stand up to oppression I stand high to death or victory.

We live here at pig central, Richard J. Donovon Correctional Bitch Facility. If you ever want your 14th or 8th Amendment rights violated or be treated like an animal come visit for a while. Prisoner or citizen they don’t discriminate.

I want to share a little story with you. On November 12, 2009 I was in my cell and I broke my window out in protest to some rights of mine that were being violated with the food. Once my window was shattered c/o Rucker and c/o Davis came up to my cell claiming they were moving me to another cell, so I cuffed up without argument or a fight, when my door opened c/o Rucker grabbed me by my throat and slammed me into the top locker head first. I slumped to the floor, Rucker and Davis then picked me up and slammed me into the top bunk striking my chest area with my wind knocked out of me again. I sank to the floor where again they picked me up and slammed me onto the bottom bunk, Rucker forced my arms up as far as humanly possible without decapitating. He placed his knee with all his force into my back so I couldn’t move, while Davis struck me several times in the right ribs and lower back, they both then picked me up and drug me through the broken glass down the tier to the stairs. I got to my feet before they could toss me down the stairs. Once I was downstairs they slammed me into a cage, then pushed me into the cage forcing me to strike my left knee on the steel seat. They then went to their area and concocted a lie that I had assaulted them both, they came back to the cage 5 or 10 minutes later and activated the alarm system.

When the nurse came, well actually before she came, Rucker told me I better pretend nothing happened or another beating would follow. So I lied to the nurse, saying my hands were swollen and my wrist possibly broke because I had been punching the wall. I then claimed I was suicidal so that I could go to TTA for protection (the hospital here), where I then became an “enhanced outpatient inmate” and I was moved to another building specifically designed for mentally ill patients, I”m far from being a basket case but I have my problems.

I waited until their time constraints ran out to write me up for staff assault, which I did not do. Then I filed my appeal on what happened and the misconduct I’m currently in Sacramento at the directors level awaiting his response, so I can take it to the courts on a USC 1983 civil suit. X has been putting me up on legal knowledge and showing how to pursue it, he has been a great help to me on the legal know how. I will fight tooth and nail for justice. This story is actually a lot more complicated, but I do have copies of documents they later falsified and tried to back date. These pigs are stupid.

High Desert State Prison
I am currently in this Control Unit(CU).
There are 96 cells which are mostly housing two prisoners each for a max of 192, but a handful of single cells make it about 187.
The whole prison is not a CU. Z-unit is the only full time CU built for this specific purpose. However three building on D-yard, 6-7-8 blocks, are currently used as overflow and to reward snitches, PCs with comforts and luxuries not afforded to those who see the beast for what it is.

80% or more of the population is Hispanic, 15% white, and 5% Black. A large majority of us are “validated” as prison gang members/associates and are thereby automatically deemed threats to the safety of others and the security of the institution. This is illegal as none of us have been designated “current active” in prison gangs by OCS, which is the agency responsible for dealing with prison gangs. Likewise, the evidence gathered and used to label us members/associates is also fraudulent and goes against the requirements set forth by their own rules and regulations. Others are here for weapons being planted on them or in their cells. A few are here for stabbing/fighting with other prisoners.

I believe this CU opened in 2005/2006

It was built solely to serve as a CU

We are unaware of state plans to open new CUs but we believe it is inevitable due to the mass “validation sweeps” across California prisons.

At this time Z-unit is run by staff that have little respect for our conditions. We are being denied clothing exchange on a weekly basis. In lieu of that we are given half a bar of soap to wash our clothes and even that is thrown on the ground and kicked under our doors instead of being given to us through the tray slots like decent human beings. We are closed off from the outside world with no access to TVs/radios that are available in other CUs. We are also limited to a single book or magazine in our cells at a time.

Yo tiroteo en pensar que nuestros “sirvientes públicos” están borrando las mentes de ciudadanas estadounidenses con drogas, y que las cortes son tan ineptos hasta acudir trazos insidiosas como medicamentos forzados. ¡Drogas psicotrópicas no son más que envenenamientos lentos! Es una amenaza a la vida, la salud, la mente, y la religión de uno. Las cortes pueden pensar que ellos tienen el derecho legal de borrar las mentes de ciudadanos nacidos libre, pero no solamente es una violación flagrante de nuestros derechos, además es un intento de homicidio. Por lo tanto he elegido protestar en contra de esta atrocidad con una huelga de hambre a padecer de hambre hasta que este envenenamiento malvado pare o yo muera. Yo preferiría morir que verme deteriorarme despacio hacia tal degradación horrenda de vida.

Fui informado que si intento esto ellos obtendrán un orden de la corte a alimentarme forzosamente por un tubo corriendo dentro mi nariz y bajando por mi garganta mientras esté atado a una camilla. Entonces ellos podrán inyectarme con drogas por una jeringa. Por esto, para salvarme la mente, mi salud, y mi vida, me siento que no tengo alternativa fuera de declarar casi cualquier casa que las cortes y el fiscal del distrito quieran de mi para parar este envenenamiento de mi miente, mi cuerpo, y mi alma. Es irónico que esta guerra contra las drogas es usado para desacreditar varias drogas y personas, y luego para forzar ciertas drogas horridas sobre algunas personas y llamarlo legítimo.

MIM(Prisiones) añade: Este camarada hace un importante conexión entre los varios usos de drogas por el estado. Mientras muchos prisioneros están sufriendo de dolencias físicas a causa de ser negados la atención médica que la gente por afuera tienen con acceso fácil, otros no tienen problema agarrando sus “medicinas” que son frecuentemente forzados en de ellos para controlar sus químicas del cerebro. Ambas situaciones dan testimonio de la terrible pérdida de vida que el sistema perpetúa.

También véase un reporte anterior escrito por una camarada californiano en Under Lock & Key 5: Using psychology to drug political prisoners (Usando la psicología a medicamentar presos políticos)

With the fury of a lion,
I attack them with my pen!!
The power of a Panther
keeps me fighting strong with MIMP!!
The anti-imperialist struggle
has me gripped into its grasp!!
The people are my people
locked away in social pens!!
From cherry pickers, to railroad fixers,
all races of poor humans
This U$A ain’t nothing but snakes,
they’re nothing but lies
don’t get it mistaked!!
They thrive off hate, money and rape,
Let’s piss on their flag and create our own state!!
Call up the troops,
and distribute the arms!!
They’re overextended,
let’s bring them some harm!!
An armed revolution
with no sense of charm!!
The fires, the yells!!
Why shouldn’t we rebel!!
They miseducate us!!
They don’t want to pay us!!
Immigrants and prisoners!!
Amerikkka hates us!!
Struggle with MIMP
and struggle for the cause.
Together we’ll stand,
Imperialism’ll fall.

(RC)= These materials are Revolutionary Copywritten. The copying, using, re-publishing of such material for anything other than the anti-imperialist/anti-capitalist movement is a crime punishable by the people.