MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
www.prisoncensorship.info is a media institution run by the Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons. Here we collect and publicize reports of conditions behind the bars in U.$. prisons. Information about these incidents rarely makes it out of the prison, and when it does it is extremely rare that the reports are taken seriously and published. This historical record is important for documenting patterns of abuse, and also for informing people on the streets about what goes on behind the bars.
I want to thank you for sending me the newsletter. I’ve been getting
fellow prisoners together to help change the ongoing troubles we’re
having here on the John B. Connally Unit. I’ve had my mom email the
Ombudsman due to the fact that the Warden stated everyone filing a
grievance on his officers actions or the units conditions will find
themselves in building lockup, facing disciplinary.
So we can’t write a Step 1 or 2 cause they are getting stopped by the
officials. Right now we’re on lockdown due to a racial riot that
happened due to the guards making our environment ‘hostile.’ A lot of
the guards don’t be wearing they mask; and they haven’t been vaccinated,
yet they lock us down when one or two people take down our mask.
We try to get an ‘informal resolution’ but they refuse to talk with
us. Sgt. J Sandoval stated “fuck you, we don’t care.” Exact words. When
they put us on 23 hour lockdowns they make it into a 26 or 28 hour
lockdown cause they don’t want to let us up. Some of the guards are
19-20-21 year olds who’ve been an officer for 2-3 months, and they get
rank and misuse their power. I’ve also written the Ombudsman and my mom
emailed him.
The riot was Brown vs. Black cause the Blacks don’t wanna wear they
mask and were tired of going down behind one or two people. Last night
everyone had enough, grievances don’t get addressed. They write bogus
cases for going to respite for heat restriction. TDCJ policy says we’re
allowed respite 24 hours 7 days a week even during count yet when we go
to respite, Sgt. Reed and Sgt. Sandoval write out of places cases when
policy says we’re allowed respite. Also, August 1st TDCJ is trying to
take all our pics of females away and calling pics of women in lingerie
or exotic poses ‘contraband.’
In the past few years censorship in TDCJ has reached epic
proportions. In March 2020, the board on criminal justice enacted new
restrictive policies regarding mail correspondence, greeting cards, and
receiving monies. After a year of wide-spread resistance to this fascist
policy, an exposé was written by Kerri Blessinger of the Houston
Chronicle’s criminal justice department along with an inside comrade of
the National Freedom Movement - TX Chapter.
The public outcry that resulted from this article which spoke
specifically to the denial of greeting cards, moved TDCJ officials to
annul this restrictive policy and now captives are again allowed to
receive cards.
If the story ended there, things would be all well. Unfortunately,
TDCJ officials have sought to retaliate against the prisoner population
by instituting even more arbitrarily restrictive regulations.
Set to take effect on 1 August 2021, the newly amended Board
Policy(BP) 3.91 will effectively ban ANY/ALL publications, photos,
drawings, and images that We could possibly receive. This amendment bans
any items showcasing thongs, lingerie, buttocks, sex toys, or bodily
fluids, as well as photos that hides someone’s face.
Nearly all publications and photos one gets are subject to this rule.
Harmless publications such as US Weekly, OK, National Geographic, Muscle
Fitness, etc can/will be denied due to this rule. Accordingly, this
denies TDCJ captives their visual stimuli, in the case of isolated
captives in RHU/solitary such persyn will have NO visual stimuli at
all.
The politicized prisoner collective known as Tx T.E.A.M.O.N.E. is
calling ALL prisoners in teKKK$a$ to join Us and the souljas on ALLRED
seg in Our campaign. We are striving to amass 75,000 grievances on this
issue. Included please find a sample of a step 1, shortly We will
distribute a step 2 and a petition to be sent to TDCJ Director of CID
and the Chairman of TDCJ. We must showcase a show of solidarity as
teKKK$a$ captives.
Offender Name:____________________ TDCJ#___________________
Unit:_________________________ Housing Assignment:____________ Unit
where incident occurred:______________________
who did you talk to?_________________________When?________________
What was their response?________________________________________________
What action was taken?________________________________________________
sample: BP-3.91, amended on 6/25/21, goes into effect on 8/1/21, and
effectively bans ANY/ALL publications, photos, drawings and images that
we could possibly receive. This edict is in direct violation of our
First Amendment rights against censorship, and fails to satisfy the
four-part Turner test as TDCJ officials have failed to justify
this policy.(see: TURNER V. SAFELY, 482 U.S.78(1987))
TURNER QUESTION ONE: Is the regulation reasonably related to a
legitimate, neutral government interest? These magazines are non-nude,
and are commonplace with no age requirement to purchase them. Thus, TDCJ
cannot possibly believe such magazines may cause disorder or violence,
or will hurt a prisoner’s rehabilitation. Prisoners have a right to
non-obscene, sexually explicit material that is commercially produced,
MAURN V. ARPAIO, 188 F.3d 1054(9th Circ.1999).
TURNER QUESTION TWO: Does the regulation leave open another way for
you to exercise your constitutional rights? No. As an Ad-Seg inmate, the
only visual stimuli we receive are pictures and magazines. Yet the very
images that are being banned are the EXACT same content any observer can
see on TV. Newspapers have circulars with bra sales, etc. Effectively
banning those as well. BP-3.91 destroys our ONLY visual link to the
outside world.
TURNER QUESTION THREE: How does the issue impact other prisoners,
prison guards, or officials and prison resources? BP-3.91 treats ALL
inmates, especially Ad-Seg, like sex offenders and pedophiles, creates
unrest throughout the prison population, and punishes non-sex offenders,
while GP sex offenders still see images that arouse them on TV. It
punishes normal inmates while missing the intended targets.
TURNER QUESTION FOUR: Are there obvious easy alternatives to the
regulation that would not restrict your rights to free expression? Yes.
Restrict these BP-3.91 original to the Grievance DEPT. on (date) copy to
my records BP-3.91 is too vague, encompassing a littany of
correspondence (see: Alello V. Litacher, 104 F. Supp. 2d1068,
1045-81(W.D.Wis.2000) which struck down similar ban). BP-3.91
actually says, “Any photo that conceals or hides the face of the
individual photographed in a manner that prevents identification of that
person.” What penological interest does this serve? And during a
pandemic when people are still wearing masks?
Action Requested: That the DRC and TDCJ repeal or annul BP-3.91 in
its amended form as it does NOT pass the supreme court’s TURNER
test.
ALL TDCJ inmates should file a grievance on this issue, it affects
all genders and sexualities as pics with an erection will not be
allowed. The paper trail begins now, and We may have to file a class
action on this issue. By all means, COMBAT GENOCIDE!!
UPDATE: Grievance officers here are saying this is
not a grievable matter. THIS IS NOT TRUE. We suggest that if others run
into this problem they should write i60 informing the GR.DEPT that the
Offender Grievance Operations Manual (OGOM) says that policy is
grievable, due to the fact that We are grieving the unit’s
interpretation of the new board policy. Prisoners should also see
Thornburgh V. Abbot, 490 U.S. 401 (1989). Be sure to attach the
returned step 1 to i 60.
Here officers are also saying that we can’t grieve it because the
policy isn’t effective yet, and we can do so on 8/1 when policy goes
into effect. This policy must be resisted on all fronts on all units.
[By the time you receive this it will be in effect.] A separate, more
extensive petition has also been submitted to the Deputy Executive
Director and a phone zap was scheduled to occur on 1 August by outside
supporters.
What’s up comrades, friends, and supporters? i wanted to provide a
response both to USW Comrade N’s and MIM(Prisons)’s commentary that was
published in ULK 72: “Orientating
USW Organizing Strategy in Light of TX Victory.” Really, my comments
are more general rather than a direct disagreement with either Comrade N
or MIM(Prisons).
First, ‘N’ asserts that “from an organizers perspective, these are
not battles in which we can effectively push anti-imperialism forward,
much less MLM.” The comrade mentioned phone access as an example of a
battle ey was speaking of.
i’ll argue that the above assertion is incorrect and unscientific.
MLM, dialectical materialism, is universal, meaning it can be applied to
all phenomena. Further, dialectics shows us the true
interconnected nature of social phenomena and if we acknowledge that is
true, than how can we then deem that prison struggles aren’t aligned
with anti-imperialism? Like MIM(Prisons) added, “with the correct
leadership, and keeping our eyes on bigger goals like the UFPP, and
uniting others around a list of more impactful demands, reformist
campaigns like phone access could be productive.”
As organizers, we are focused on inspiring commitment within the
masses. Looking at the psychology of the masses under imperialism, we’ll
observe that the most effective way to capture the masses attention is
to organize around their immediate interests. The more mature and
in-depth communist outlook will develop in stages as study and struggle
continue. However, the first hurdle is to establish principled unity in
furtherance of an objective/program.
Our most pressing strategic goal as anti-imperialist/Maoist
organizers behind enemy lines, is developing cadres to re-enter society
with the ability to be impactful in the “free world” anti-imperialist
struggle. This is our link to a totalizing revolutionary strategy
outside the walls. The quality-of-life reforms are connected to the
strategy of cadre development because PE (political education) is made
up of 3 parts. Those 3 parts are 1) organizing, 2) educating and 3)
mobilizing. So in undergoing/providing proper PE we must study and
practice organizing, educating, mobilizing. We must observe the
knowledge-practice-knowledge method in all aspects of our development to
ensure we achieve our highest potential. So there’s an identity between
study and struggle, they go hand-in-hand and because we’re not in a
‘revolutionary situation’ our struggle, or practice, will undoubtedly
include (some) reforms.
However, it must be noted and articulated to the masses involved in
that struggle that whatever particular battle is being waged at the
moment isn’t the end-all be-all, but is only a tactical maneuver that
was set in motion with the strategy in mind of advancing the
organizational, educational and mobilizing capabilities for all
involved. The real crux of the issue is never the demands in the prison
setting. The real crux of the issue, as it pertains to linking a
totalizing revolutionary strategy, lies in the practical experience
gained by the masses in asserting their collective power. For, how will
we seize state power if the people lack the strategic confidence to
assert their power? We have to increase the collective practical
experience of contesting the state as a united body. From a lead
organizer’s perspective, putting campaigns into motion, communicating
internally, advancing understanding of self and the people, practicing
discipline, teaching discipline etc., all this does what? It prepares
you for your return to the semi-colonies and general public with
experience in organizing, educating, mobilizing people to assert their
collective power. The differences in context have little effect on the
objective advancement of a comrade’s development.
Additionally, we must also account for other aspects of the
fundamental contradiction within prisons, which is badge versus captive.
In our efforts to organize, educate and mobilize, the badge is not gonna
remain still or unmoved. The badge, like the bourgeoisie on the outs, is
gonna utilize both coercive and brutal methods to maintain complacency
with the social order among the social classes, or in this case the
captives. Also, we must acknowledge that the lumpen is a vacillating
class anyway and in prison the masses of lumpen will vacillate between
escapism, complacency, underground capitalism, etc. anyways. Therefore,
acknowledging that these currents will continue with or without our
efforts of revolutionary organizing because we still operate under
imperialist, bourgeois dictatorship, it is imperative that we exercise
every opportunity to advance our aspect of the fundamental contradiction
in prison. In doing so, we work towards manufacturing conditions within
prison that will be more conducive to our anti-imperialist goals.
While organizing around more impactful demands, the badge is still
gonna utilize its double-pronged strategy of coercing or abusing. When
the latter won’t work, the former will come in the form of cosmetic
reforms. Those cosmetic reforms, even when they’re not demanded by
organizers, still hold the possibility of pacifying individuals, making
them complacent sleep walkers again. My point is that, at present, we
can’t escape these tendencies from either side or the results they may
or may not render, but we can’t allow these tendencies to keep us on the
sideline, all “study” no struggle.
Lastly, i wanna clarify that none of the above is to assert that we
should chase after any old reform or ‘change.’ As MIM(Prisons) states,
leaders must make that determination, and furthermore, should educate
the masses on why we will or will not seek certain reforms or
campaigns.
In this process, i’ve learned the necessity of adequate communication
with the masses and unity-struggle-unity internally among cadres, as a
tool in struggling against a tendency towards tailism. What has come of
this is a re-organizing of the TX Team One under a clearer program and a
better understanding (a collective understanding) of what our strategic
and tactical goals are, uniting the most committed partisans around
those goals, and developing these partisan’s PE. We’ve downsized, what
one may call ‘purging,’ but i like to call ‘cutting the fat’ and we are
working on our next courses of action.
I’ll never speak ill of the dead. However, if by telling their
stories, we can prevent needless suffering, then those stories must be
told. There is both beauty and power within our words. If we are to
progress from erudite to enlightened, then we are obligated to speak
effectively and responsibly. Sometimes, the greatest damage is done by
not speaking up or not speaking out.
When I first saw Ms. Woods, I couldn’t help but ask my neighbor “Wow!
Who is that?” Oh sure, I’ve seen some very attractive guards down here.
But this girl seemed almost too pretty to be working at a prison. My
cellie spoke up and said “Do yourself a favor bro, leave that one alone.
She’s poison candy. Nice shiny wrapper on the outside… but completely
toxic inside.”
I take everything with a grain of salt down here. Surely, this was an
exaggeration. I thought these two were just being cynical. Time in here
has a way of making people jaded. You’re either going to get better or
bitter. Unfortunately, their warnings proved to be both timely and
accurate. From the first moment she opened her mouth, the most venomous
hatred imaginable spewed out.
For the most part, I wouldn’t have to be around her very much. I’d
managed to land a good job at our unit print shop. Four days a week, I’d
be gone for 12 hours a day. Guards here work 4 on 4 off. So that even
further reduced my chances of seeing her. I figured I could handle just
about anything for 3 days. Guess I was wrong.
My very first run-in with her happened on a Saturday. I knew to be at
my cell when they called count time. They came through and did their
thing. Then the lights turned out. I went into the restroom to finish
getting ready for visit. I heard a door pop open moments later, only to
be followed by her screaming “10 bunk!” then a string of profanities.
Talk about getting caught with your pants down. She walks by while I’m
still on the toilet, screaming, “You’re getting a case!”
My neighbor walks over and says “She took your I.D. bro! And your
house is thrashed!” Sure enough, I get back to my cubicle and it’s a
mess. Everything is on the floor. She wasn’t even doing a search. She
simply did it out of spite. By the time I get things almost back in
order, it’s about to be lunch. She’s still got my I.D. card, but now
she’s nowhere to be found. Great. Hopefully, I can track her down before
I get called in for visit.
Sure enough, lunch rolls around and I gotta tell them to punch in my
number. “Ms. Woods took my I.D.” The guard at chow hall looks up and
smiles, “Sucks to be you!” By the time I get back to the wing, they call
me for visit. I leave to find the sergeant to explain that I can’t get
into visitation without it. He tells me, “She probably went on break to
write you up. Don’t worry about the case. I got you. From now on, you’d
better steer clear of that one! Got it?”
The weeks fly by, and I’m fortunate enough to only see her in
passing. Oh sure, she’s definitely pretty to look at, but now I avoid
her like the plague. All I’m trying to do is stay out of their way.
One day my boss at print shop says “Okay, shut it down. They’re
racking up the farm.” We get out to the back gate and they make me sit
down. All these guards go running past us headed for one building.
Two guards are talking between themselves, but we can hear over the
radio chatter that there has been another assault on staff. Now these
guards start to argue, “Look, I don’t care where you put them! But they
gotta be out here so that ambulance can come in!”
By the time we get back to our own building, all hell has broken
loose. We can hear the warden’s voice on another radio screaming, “LOCK
IT DOWN!!” They got one of the halls blocked off. As we walk by to go
back in our wing, we can see all these burgundy pools of coagulated
blood. This is bad.
Soon as we walk in, they ask me, “Did you hear about Officer Woods?
DUDE … he beat the brakes off of her!” I look down at him and ask,
“Who?” his eyes get real big when he says “Smitty! I thought y’all knew.
Man … he just flipped out! Followed her right out the door into deep
space, knocked her out, and then went to WORK on her! After that they
say he just walked up to the desk and turned around so they could put
the cuffs on him.”
After three weeks of lockdown, we were finally able to go back to
work. Then I learned the rest of the story. Seems that while Smitty was
off work on his bereavement, Woods went in and tossed his cell. The
straw that broke the camel’s back was when she took his pictures off his
wall. You see … this poor man had just lost his mother, sister and baby
daughter, all in quick succession within about six weeks of each
other.
Now, of course, I wasn’t there to see it, but everybody says he got
down on his hands and knees to BEG that woman not to take those precious
photos. I’m told that even after he explained their sudden deaths, she
callously laughed in his face and said “Forget your dead family.” Only
she chose to use a different “F” word.
That beating wasn’t what killed her. It was the lifestyle. Reports
say that they saved her life multiple times, both on the way to the
hospital and in the operating room once she got there. There was
extensive reconstructive surgery. Nobody will even know the full extent
of the traumatic brain injury. It’s often those scars on the inside,
that just won’t heal.
After a few months off, she returned to work. Doctors had done an
amazing job, considering the extent of her injuries. Her entire face was
pulverized. Oh, she was still somewhat pretty. But those drop dead
gorgeous, model-quality features, were long gone. Her nose, eyes and
cheekbones weren’t the same. People couldn’t tell if they were dentures
or implants, but that smile would never be the same either.
You see … all along, she’d been manipulated and exploited by the
gangs. For almost her entire tenure, she’d been smuggling in dope and
cell phones. The perverts had simply preyed on her own insecurity. How
could somebody so stunning on the outside be completely devoid of the
true beauty that only comes from within? The only way prison officials
ever found out about her activities was when they busted somebody with
one of those phones.
The photos and videos were as numerous as they were explicit. So was
all that contact information. It was a treasure trove of evidence. She’d
also been prostituting herself. The predators had simply used her, then
discarded her like some piece of garbage. Administration walked her off
the unit in disgrace.
In the end, the prosecution’s job would be easy. She was facing a
long list of criminal charges. I suppose the stress of an impending
court trial, along with everything else, simply proved to be too much
for her. I was SOOOO HOPING that all those rumors weren’t true.
Unfortunately, she really did it. Ms. Woods died of a single gunshot
wound to the head. She put the pistol in her mouth – just to stop the
pain.
We found out about officer Woods’ suicide in 2019. A few months ago,
we found out that Ms. Davis had met a similar fate. We are still unclear
as to whether her death was a suicide or accidental overdose. The
specifics of each of these tragedies is not nearly as important as the
root causes of the problem, which remains the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice. TDCJ does not care about stopping the rampant
corruption and injustice here in Texas. Everyone from the newest
correctional officers to the top administrative officials are complicit
and therefore profits from this malfeasance!
MIM(Prisons) adds: We have seen some interesting things
in the last year or so. Some prison systems have instituted egregious
restrictions on mail claiming it was used to smuggle drugs, and all
prisons locked down completely with no visitors for months due to the
global pandemic. Yet, reports from prison after prison, from state to
state to the feds, have unanimously reported no
change in the availability of contraband during these periods.
The imperialists portray ending crime as a great mystery that can’t
be solved, a timeless problem that we can only respond to with force and
punishment. This is metaphysics, it fails to look at the past, at humyn
societies before classes and poverty, at countries who built socialism
and virtually eliminated drug abuse, prostitution, theft, hunger,
homelessness, etc. These things go hand-in-hand. Our crime-ridden
society is not eternal, it stems from our economic system and is
reinforced by the cultural ideas that come with such a system. Changing
the economic system is hard, it will take determination and sacrifice by
many. But once we do, ending so much needless suffering and conflict
between humyns is not so hard.
In the 27 years of being confined within these walls, the Texas
Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has always blamed families,
claiming that the families are the ones who smuggle dangerous contraband
(cellphones, meth, K2, heroin) into the prisons. As of today, we’ve been
without visits over a year, due to COVID-19, yet this place is still
full of contraband.
Last month several prisoners died from suicide, overdoses, and others
hurt fellow prisoners while high on drugs. In order to cover up what’s
really going on, the unit was placed on lock down, and a team was
brought to shake down and tear up our property. While all this was going
on, the only form of communication with our families, the phones, was
turned off. We were punished because guards brought the drugs and the
prisoners used them.
TDCJ officials and higher-ups refuse to admit there’s a serious
problem within the system, and it’s not the prisoners. Prisoners can’t
go out the gate, purchase contraband, then return to prison. It’s just
not possible. How can prisoners rehabilitate themselves when there’s
more drugs in here than out there? Society should take a closer look at
the real problem and remember that a lot of prisoners will return to
communities out there worse than before, due to the drugs the guards
bring into this place.
Someone with a voice of authority and who’s willing to dedicate
themselves to bringing new change, needs to step up to this problem.
Millions of taxpayers’ dollars are being given to prisons, supposedly to
rehabilitate prisoners – it’s the biggest lie prison officials tell the
public. Only a handful of prisoners are being rehabilitated. The rest
are walking around like zombies high on meth or K2.
I humbly request that my comrades at MIM please help bring this
situation to the proper officials, maybe then change will come, that
will truly help to rehabilitate my brothers in this place, who are dying
from the poison the true criminals (guards) bring to these
prisons.
Under Lock &
Key No. 59 dealt in depth with the problem of drugs in prisons, how
widespread they were, and the very strong material interest of the
prisoners and staff involved in the drug trade to keep that going. The
above experiments of closing down visitation and mail demonstrate
scientifically that it is primarily staff bringing in the drugs. This is
not unique to Texas.
This evidence is damning. And we stand with all comrades locked up
who oppose the scourge of drugs being brought into prisons by the
state’s very own staff. The censorship and harassment of family members
and prisoners themselves also must stop. For our whole lifetimes, drugs
have been brought into our communities by the state and then used as an
excuse to oppress, harass and control. The drugs themselves serving to
control and subdue the people.
We are expanding the work of our Serve the People Re-Lease on Life
program with a new revolutionary 12 Step Program to help those with all
kinds of addictions to re-create themselves as new, revolutionary
humyns. We must build a culture of true rehabilitation that the state is
not providing, as this comrade points out. Only programs of the people,
can really serve the peoples’ interests.
Meanwhile, we want to work with prisoners and their families to
pressure the state to recognize these facts that are being exposed
thanks to the pandemic. If we can get them to reduce the amount of drugs
their staff sneak into prisons, we can reduce the harm they are having
on our people behind bars.
In Under Lock & Key 71 we promoted a campaign in Texas’
Allred Unit for phone access and video visits during the COVID-19
lockdowns. The campaign won this immediate goal, although the campaign
included a list of 15 demands that included an end to long-term
solitary confinement, good time credits, releases related to COVID-19,
the right to vote and more that were not addressed. Below one of the
leaders draws some lessons from the campaign. Both of the excerpts below
are from discussions among USW leaders on current conditions for
organizing in prisons.
A USW comrade in Texas: Seven days after the phone zap all
prisoners in Restrictive Housing Unit (RHU), even those on level 3,
began receiving free phone calls weekly. The admin bought cordless
phones, there is one on each pod. Each day one section gets calls. There
are only 6 sections per pod, so 1 day of the week is ‘stuck out phone
call day’ for those who may’ve gotten moved, downgraded etc. So the zap
and the strike were a success, but I also observed some keen lessons.
Oh, before I say that let me say that the above arrangement is supposed
to last until the OTS bluephones are installed. This is what we’ve been
told, although I don’t believe it.
Now the lessons: #1. A more profound respect for the necessity to
remain underground. This coincides with #2 which is that the masses,
both those within the organized body (the rank & file) and outside
that body, are EASILY pacified with the simplest reform because for most
lumpen the “invincibility” of the state and admin remains intact.
Therefore if in the event the admin actually budges in any way it is
considered a monumental victory and complacency sets in. That’s what I’m
dealing with now surrounded by masses on the “outside of the body.”
Backtracking to #1, I find myself surrounded by masses on the outside
now because the admin was made privy to my position and influence among
the active protagonists (Team One). As you know, I was isolated,
rehoused. Since then some captives have used their outside contacts to
apply pressure to admin – this resulted in the discontinued practice of
isolation of dissidents on level 3 pods. Consequently I was moved again,
and although things are favorable here in most ways, the point is that
the admin’s success in separating the cadres has circumvented my attempt
to mobilize peers to push the movement forward.
However, I truly think that once the ‘free’ calls are taken away, and
it goes back to $15 for a 5 minute call, and no OTS phones have been
made available, people will see exactly what I’ve been preaching to them
the last 3 months or so, then the material conditions will be ripe
again. In the meantime, I’m working on developing new cadres.
MIM(Prisons): The comrade above reported on repression
and bad-jacketing efforts by the state, but has worked against them
through mass contact and political education. While the focus of the
campaign became the immediate goal of phone access during COVID-19, the
demands highlighted much bigger concerns, including the end to long-term
solitary confinement, which MIM(Prisons) has spent a lot of time
campaigning for over the years. Another USW Leader addressed the issue
of organizing around immediate, minor reforms in the USW leaders meeting
while discussing local conditions in eir prison:
USW comrade N: The most pressing issues at this facility are of
course important to all who feel strongly about them (i.e.: phone access
to loved ones during the lockdown). However from an organizers’
perspective, these are not battles in which we can effectively push
anti-imperialism forward, much less Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM),
without veering into reformist practices of little tactical or strategic
value. I am aware that arguments on principle can be mounted to the
contrary, but absent a practicable, totalizing strategy for revolution
domestically being put forward by an MLM organization that is actionable
in the here-and-now (notwithstanding the exemplary work MIM(Prisons) has
exhibited in their particular field of operations), we cannot
effectively utilize many of these prison struggles as a proper
springboard to corresponding actions in other areas, actions which do
not translate into long-term pacification which benefits their prison
administration in an objective, cost-to-us, benefit-to-them analysis.
If we cannot muster the resources and external manpower to mount a
facility or state-specific campaign for a tactical reform to push our
agenda and continually imprint firmly in the minds of all incarcerated
that we have their best interests in mind, it may be advisable to
abstain from participation lest credit for the reforms go elsewhere and
becomes politically-neutered, or, worse yet, the system co-opts the
struggle as its own and touts its successes (ie. The First-Step Act).
Otherwise, we are gaining no more than sporadic traction amongst those
we are attempting to revolutionize, and then only of a transient nature.
We should not be trying to ‘improve’ American prisons, much like we
should not be attempting to cut a bigger portion of imperialist profits
from Third World super-exploitation for the lower class, yet still
relatively privileged, citizens of empire.
If we are to engage in any prison organizing, then censorship battles
concerning our political ideology, the UFPP and the Re-Lease on Life
programs should take center stage. I find it harder to advocate
quality-of-life reforms which are not linked to a totalizing
revolutionary strategy outside the walls. Our goal is to radicalize
those on the inside, for subsequent outside work. As for our comrades
who do not have the luxury of a release date, or have sentences which
essentially translate into the same, their best hope for release lies
not in reforms but with an all-sided MLM revolutionary organization
planning their release through eventual Peoples’ War. It goes without
saying that for them, and for everyone suffering under American
imperialism, the sooner, the better.
*In case it may not appear as such, all of the above is written in
the spirit of “Unity-Struggle-Unity.”
MIM(Prisons) adds: Comrade N echoes MIM(Prisons) in calling for
campaigns around censorship battles, building a United Front for Peace
in Prisons and developing Re-Lease on Life programs. Ey reflects our
general practice in shying away from inherently reformist campaigns;
ones that do not contribute to our long-term goals and projects. We
include the struggle against long-term isolation on that list, which
Team One included in their demands, but was perhaps dismissed as a
throwaway demand.
Our comrade in Texas suggests that organizing may start up again when
the state doesn’t keep its promises. And we should note that it can be
hard to separate out UFPP development work from reformist campaigns.
Formations like Team One serve to unite different lumpen formations for
common cause. With the correct leadership, and keeping our eyes on
bigger goals like the UFPP, and uniting others around a list of more
impactful demands, reformist campaigns like phone access could be
productive. At this point we rely on the leaders of Team One to make
that determination.
We think both the comrades here are contributing greatly to work on
the ground and to developing the knowledge and line of our movement
overall. We can also say that only focusing on the reformist campaigns,
without the longer goals, is not going to change anything in regards to
ending oppression and injustice. Scientific leadership liquidating its
demands in the masses is an error that will not get us anywhere good
either. We’ve seen many who say they unite with our goals but argue that
the masses aren’t ready for them so they hide their true politics. This
is called tailism, and it has not proven effective in building the
communist movement.
Finally, Comrade N makes the point that we need a broader communist
movement to be guiding our work in a strategic way. The fact that we are
just a prison ministry focused on prisoner support, without a larger
organization/formation to be guiding our work leads us much more
susceptible to the trap of reformism. This is why it is important for us
to be involved in the development of a broader communist movement in
this country and to link up with other forces that have the correct
orientation around key questions for communists.
I filed a grievance on food service here on the Ellis Unit followed
by an Ombudsman complaint. I was put on lock down by the investigating
officer (Captain Wiggins) for no valid reason. Kept there for seven
days, while the “investigation” was done. After that I was threatened by
Captain Livas saying he would lock me up again, justify it by ordering a
psych eval on me and then move me around every two days to “fuck with
me.” He then forced me to sign a statement saying I had no
complaints.
I would like the Texas grievance packet and state-level
petition/grievance campaign info.
We here in High Security (cool-bed housing) wrote about 40 or 50
letters to Warden Smith asking to be allowed 30 prisoners in the day
room and also to be tested for COVID-19 antibodies. We made several
copies and spread them around to have them signed, then we collected
them and sent them to Warden J. Smith and he actually wrote back and
said that he was assessing our request. So we then filled out close to
20 step 1’s [grievance forms] and passed them around. It is not known
how many actually sent them in?
All we are requesting is to be tested for antibodies because we
believe that the way COVID moved through this building, there is almost
no way we did not all contract the virus and obtain “herd immunity”.
That may have been their plan all along at this unit, but they should at
least admit it to the families of those who died. Two prisoners died on
this wing and 4 went to the hospital in 30 days. This pod only holds 62
prisoners so that’s a substantial amount! Most of us had symptoms but
didn’t report them for fear of being locked in our windowless cells
longer. My Celly had it and they took him out and never told me. I only
recently saw him because he has been in the infirmary for almost 2
months. He said he almost died.
We want to be tested for antibodies so that we know who is still at
risk and who has obtained resistance to the virus. I also heard that
they do not know the long-term effects of this disease and that it has
been noticed that it may negatively impact the vascular system. My leg
has been swelling up since September, so I’m having vascular issues and
it would be good to have good information so that doctors can better be
able to treat us.
After submitting our Step 1’s on October 20th, they did random COVID
testing unit-wide on November 10. But they did not do antibody testing
which they have been advertising on the radio for “free”. I am going to
step 2 [appeal] it until they test me for COVID antibodies. They do Hep
C and HIV testing, they need to do COVID antibody testing but they don’t
want to because it will show how unprotected we are here. And possibly
make them liable in some way? Anyway, we are doing what we can. They
have lifted some restrictions, we can go to religious services now and
I’m in school.
UPDATE: I just got another step 2 back that ignores
my complaints and steals my documents. My step 2 was missing it’s 2
pages of attachments. I know I shouldn’t be so long-winded but I was
letting them have it! I’m going to do what you suggest in your Texas
Pack and grieve the Investigator for not investigating & destroying
documents. This is the second time this happened with a “medical
emergency” grievance having to do with staff not following safety
protocols with regard to COVID.
They never did conduct proper lockdown/quarantine as they took
prisoners out of quarantine on a daily basis and took them to the
medical dept on the 2nd floor so that medical staff did not have to wear
full PPE and they contaminated the medical department by bringing in
COVID-exposed patients. Being in High Security, our housing areas are
equipped with medical triage rooms on every housing area but they never
did use these rooms. They have sinks, paper towel & soap dispensers
but medical would never use these things. They spread the virus by
touching multiple prisoners with the same gloves or unwashed hands when
they dispensed insulin shots twice a day. I’ve filled grievances for 2
years straight and have never gotten anything but outright lies and
denials of fact. It frustrates me to no end. Could you please send me
your Texas grievance petitions?
MIM(Prisons) adds: While data so far is promising,
medical researchers are not yet confident in saying how resilient
resistance to COVID-19 will be among those who have been exposed. So it
is unlikely that antibody tests will be used to allow for more
congregate activities in the near future. However, vaccines should allow
for such group activities. It is important that prisoners receive
vaccines immediately, not just to return to normal like everyone else,
but because they are at a
much higher risk for infection and death from COVID-19 than the
general population.
This report reiterates the failures
of the current system to be accountable for how it treats the
vulnerable. As comrades organize for immediate demands during the
pandemic, they must also build independent institutions of the oppressed
so that we can ensure humyn needs are met in the future.
I’m writing to ask if there is a way to receive the grievance
petition for Texas. As for here all grievances are answered the same.
The lawsuit that was in federal court due to COVID-19 was thrown out for
not exhausting administrative remedies. Also here at this unit we are
not allowed to wear N95 masks. We do not have any rights here.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This comrade is commenting on the fact that
grievances are constantly denied in Texas, like so many prison systems
in this country. Yet, without the proper paper trail of going through
all levels of the grievance process, your lawsuits are deemed invalid
thanks to the Prisoner Litigation Reform Act(PLRA) of Bill Clinton.
Before the PLRA there was actually a semblance of checks and balances
applied to conditions in U.$. prisons. Since then that has not been the
case, and abuse and humyn rights violations occur daily, unchecked. The
COVID-19 pandemic has helped bring that to the attention of the general
public.
This is why USW comrades have written grievance petitions in over a
dozen states to appeal to various state overseers to restore a semblance
of justice to these prison systems. While the victories have been
isolated, it has led to concrete organizing around concrete conditions
faced by prisoners as a class. These injustices demonstrate the bad
faith of the current system that offers no real solutions for the
oppressed.
I’d like to say thank you for your support while we are here behind
these walls, at Prince Daniel Unit in Snyder, Texas. These officers have
it in their mind that we don’t have any rights. They delay my mail and
even send it back to sender. I’ve been grieving this issue, and no
response. Also here you have several C.O.’s who don’t wear their mask.
C.O. Gauna doesn’t wear her mask, and constantly turns on bright lights
while we sleep just to be annoying, and when I complain, her famous
saying is, “You should have never been locked up”. Another C.O. who does
the same, his name is Wilcox. And I’ve written Step 1 and Step 2, with
no good answer.
We are racked up one row and they let two row out sometimes. There
are only 5 people in day room. Showers are not cleaned. If you are an
SSI/Porter, your job is to clean on your hour out and get dirty without
taking a shower and rack up. When you come out on your next hour you
still have to clean. Per Mayor Durben, Capt. Hoover doesn’t have
anything signed by the warden or director of TDCJ about one row, two
row. But we all go to rec and to eat at the same time. I would like a
grievance petition for Texas, so I can share here with my brothers.
So in the Echo it stated that phone visits are $10 for one hour. The
video visit. What about those who can’t afford those visits? Shoot, here
at Prince Daniel Unit prices are going up in commissary and we are
forced to buy what they want us to, because they’re always out of items.
The crazy part is that warehouse is 15 minutes from here, and we have 52
workers who work there and live here on The Unit. I guess you just have
to stay out of trouble to get out. But hell, nobody is making parole.
What can we do? Well brother sorry for the complaining. Until next
time