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 am writing with grave concern to the health, safety, treatment and
welfare of prisoners at Cobb County Adult Detention Center (CCADC). We
have asked for assistance, placed internal grievances and other inquiry
to this supplication to no avail. I hope you or someone you know can
help us.
We are given soiled and stained clothes and linen.
We are often without hot water.
Only certain inmates get juice at lunch (which is a lack of equal
treatment).
The air quality/ventilation is poor, causing us to cough and sneeze, and
we’re not sure what’s in the air.
There is black mold in the showers (which is potentially cancerous). In
addition to the black mold there is fungus, mildew and bacteria in the
shower.
Our drinking fountain is shut off, and we are forced to get drinking
water from the bathroom sink where the toilets are, where people brush
their teeth, blow their nose, wash their clothes and bodies. This is
disgusting.
Black particles are in the water which leaves a residue in your cup.
During transport, we are shackled at the ankles, waist and handcuffed
with no seat belts, with some prisoners extradited in kennel trucks for
hundreds of miles.
Life is jeopardized by placing prisoners in wrong population.
Life is also jeopardized with the judge stating your charges at your
first appearance, in front of other prisoners, even after you state you
knew your charges to keep them from being stated openly.
There are no cameras by/in the dorm to record/capture abuse by deputies
and/or other inmates.
It takes 15 to 30 minutes, or more, for medical or other emergency
response.
Wrong medicine is dispensed to prisoners. One had to be recessed and
hospitalized.
We are not given bleach or other germ-killing and/or cleaning supplies
to properly disinfect toilets, showers, etc.
There is an appearance of misappropriation of government funds. CCADC
vehemently renders a regime of depraved propaganda for a disparaged
profligate profit. The leadership’s resistance to improve the dismal
inflictive behavior by the deputies and at least render humane treatment
is utterly despicable. The abuse is ubiquitous and they treat us as if
we are detritus. We are innocent till proven guilty, yet our religious
rights, due process, equal treatment, and civil rights are oppressed and
violated daily. We seek an inquest and thorough probe by an outside
source/entity. We seek justice. We want our civil liberties to be
adhered to; we want to be treated like are are human. The harassment,
the unhealthy, unsanitary, unsafe conditions and abuse must cease and
desist.
As a Black nationalist and a member of the Nation of Gods and Earths
(NGE), I identify politically as Socialist. See my nationalism is on the
lines of Pan-Afrikanism in alignment with the RBG and Global Panther
movements. I push the Panthers 10 point program, though I be considered
a Political Prisoner under the 8th demand of the 10 point program. I am
a force of change even in here, by having intellectual exchanges
regularly with members from all ethnic background and mindsets, sharing
books full of facts about revolutionary struggles, facilitating a weekly
NGE meeting where 23 prisoners discuss positive change ideals for the
family units and communities.
We discuss a new underground railroad; as a network of Blacks, Asians,
whites, and islanders inviting Latin@ immigrants into our homes for
hiding purposes if and when the mass deportation starts taking place. We
recognize we the oppressed nations in the United Snakes aren’t several
groups divided by race and ethnicity, but one group oppressed by
capitalism in an effort to create a new economic slave class of citizens
who barely survive while corporation owners benefit from the labor of
these masses and live lives of lavish ecstasy. We have to unite as one
with the Third World nations under the umbrella of Socialism. We are
going to change law through proposing new legislation, creating a more
equal legal system for our advancements as a single people, with one
universal goal and intention “Self Rule & Self Govern”.
This is Revolutionary and will take the effort of the people to become
self-educated in these crucial areas. Taking our united fight to the
floor of the United Nations and to every block in every country known to
man.
Know you not that Governments are insurgent forces feeding off of the
progress of the masses. There is no freedom under capitalistic rule,
because everything has a price in a capitalistic society and so freedom
is way too expensive for the common man.
We strive for the power to go from thought to product with outside help,
from concept to conception without enlisting our oppressors. After 500
years we haven’t created one gun, produced one car, owned one textile
company, sent one astronaut to the moon by our self; we’ve done
absolutely nothing to advance our independence from our oppressors. Not
because we love them so much we don’t wanna leave them but because the
global system built around us has grown so much over the years that no
matter where you are in this world, the effects of this government are
felt and the ways of oppression continue to change due to its appetite
and need.
Black Nationalism is not a hate group, based on racism. No we want all
people to take care of their own, mate within their own and know about
there own greatness. We also want this for ourselves.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This study group is serving as a think
tank, coming up with original ideas that clearly demonstrate their
internationalist framework. Engaging the masses in developing these
ideas is an important task for developing the leaders of tomorrow’s
revolution. MIM(Prisons) works to leverage our own resources by
providing material and ideological support to projects like this. If
you’re in prison, work with us to build a local study group. If you’re
on the outside you can help us promote independent institutions of the
oppressed like this one by
donating books, money
for postage and printing, typing services, helping to fight censorship
battles and by getting involved in our prisoner correspondence work.
Fear here is so thick it can be cut with a knife. Many prisoners at
California Correctional Institution (CCI) are afraid of the correctional
staff members and other levels of prison personnel. This is largely due
to no cameras anywhere on Charley Yard, not outside nor inside. There
are many members of the so called “Green Wall”, who are notoriously
known for brutality against prisoners especially those of the oppressed
nations. Making Charley Yard a blackhole of sorts, I am a fairly new
arrival with about 120 days.
So many prisoners have told me stories of horrific treatment waged
against prisoners, most of them have been stuck here for multiple years
and are eye witnesses to violent oppression and the continuation of
dehumanizing activities. Some of them as victims themselves, being
beaten with metal clubs that resemble the weapon used by Daredevil, one
of the heroes in the Marvel Universe, and sprayed with mace until soaked
by the emptying of multiple cans. Then handcuffed and dragged off to
cages the size of phone booths, where every available correction officer
corroborate and coerce a single false narrative which in many cases end
up in false charges of anything from staff assault to weapon stock.
The victimized prisoner is sent to Ad-Seg while the false charges are
then investigated by none other than the abusers’ co-workers who find
that the charges are substantiated, in which case the prisoner sits back
there in Ad-Seg unit until they heal at which time they are placed back
on the same yard with their abusers. Though many times these false
accusations go to the prosecutors office and are more times than not
dismissed due to the accusers history being so scared with contempt,
brutality, domestic violence, road rage and false reports in the past.
Sadly all these acts happen with zero technical evidence due to the lack
of cameras, which would hold the wrong-doers responsible for their
actions. Whether they are Corrections Officers, free staff member
personnel or prisoners, there will be physical evidence against the law
breakers creating a much more productive environment, one of mutual
respect.
Ya’ll know I keep it 100%, so I have to say since I’ve been here I
haven’t witnessed any brutality done by guard nor inmate. What I have
witnessed is Correctional Officers ordering a Black prisoner to strip
naked outside on the yard in the dirt. The irony is that the guard who
gave the dehumanizing order was also Black, though surround by his
non-Black colleagues. Another thing I’ve noticed is the level of
communication is negatively charged at prisoners with verbal threats and
disrespect being the norm. I believe surveillance camera would put an
end to Jim Crow Corruption on Charley Yard and this would be great for
both sides of the equation.
I received September/October issue of Under Lock & Key. I
have a couple of comments to share, regarding what I read. One person,
page
9, thought the AEH in California meant he had to love someone who
killed someone over his “views and beliefs.” That’s not what you’re
being asked. It would seem to me that if we look around there are
serious issues that could be dealt with more effectively if we were to
combine our resources. I’ve been in here going on 50 years, and trust
me, I don’t like everyone I work with. Doesn’t matter – if we’re
fighting the same enemy.
Secondly, regarding the Texas gulag system hiding the prisoners’
grievance manual, doesn’t the state have an Open Records Act, or FOIA
law? Even a backwater like Texas should have at least one of them.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This brief letter is very relevant to the
question of the United Front and who we can unite with. We agree with
this writer that we can be more effective united, and it is definitely
true that we don’t have to like everyone we work with. The views and
behaviors we have learned over a lifetime of living under capitalist
patriarchy are going to be filled with stuff that other people don’t
like. And perhaps more importantly, those people who aren’t even
interested in trying to fight their patriarchal views or other
anti-people beliefs might still be potential allies. We don’t have to
like them, but if they are down for fighting on the side of the
oppressed against the criminal injustice system we can ally with them in
the United Front for Peace in Prisons. Over time we can also hope to
educate them further in the various forms of oppression and perhaps
awaken a broader desire for justice and equality. But we do not need all
of our allies to also be close comrades. To require this would mean
sacrificing our goals for unattainable ideals.
by MIM(Prisons) November 2016 permalink
Click to Download PDF Of California Petition
Mail the petition to your loved ones and comrades inside who are
experiencing issues with the grievance procedure. Send them extra copies
to share! For more info on this campaign, click
here.
Prisoners should send a copy of the signed petition to each of the
addresses below. Supporters should send letters on behalf of prisoners.
Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) 2590 Venture Oaks
Way Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95833
Prison Law Office General Delivery San Quentin, CA 94964
Internal Affairs CDCR 10111 Old Placerville Rd, Ste
200 Sacramento, CA 95872
CDCR Office of Ombudsman 1515 S Street, Room 311 S Sacramento, CA
95811
U.S. Department of Justice - Civil Rights Division Special Litigation
Section 950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, PHB Washington DC 20530
Office of Inspector General HOTLINE PO Box 9778 Arlington, VA
22219
And send MIM(Prisons) copies of any responses you receive!
MIM(Prisons), USW PO Box 40799 San Francisco, CA 94140
Petition updated September 2011, July 2012, and October 2013,
February 2016, November 2016
After spending the last seven years on level four yards, which should
have never occurred being that I came to prison with 45 points in the
first place, which is level three in custody points for the readers that
have no knowledge of California’s penal point system or its levels of
custody.
At last I find myself on a level three yard here at Tehachapi, which
instead of having more programs, more jobs, more vocational training,
more freedoms, more technology, more respect, more education, more
opportunity, more yard activities, more PIA [work opportunities], and
more counseling. This Charley Yard at Tehachapi A.K.A. California
Correctional Institution has less programs than even the level four, One
Eighty yard at Kern Valley State Prison. This yard of close to one
thousand prisoners isn’t equipped with enough of any of the above
mentioned to ensure service to not even half this prison yard
population. Programs like SRT, Hands of Peace, KAIRD’s, Bakerfield
Community College simply aren’t here and the correctional staff body
suggest a culture of laziness when it comes to being progressive about
creating the opportunities that would make this yard a true level three
or at least resemble such conditions.
Even the cells were much larger at KVSP’s D-yard which is a 180 level 4,
have twice the room as this supposed level 3 cell which after being
small for two prisoners, it is also ill equipped having only one cable
and two electrical outlets. One has to buy additional items just to be
able to share the single cable outlet plus extension cords to use the
electricity source on more than one device at a time. For example we use
a splitter so we can both watch our own TV’s, which by the way is the
only way a prisoner can get reception because in this prison there is no
air signals even in this digital age. With that being true we only get
13 channels and they go out all of the time or the quality is very poor,
meaning white noise, unstable picture, and even half screen shots with
no vocals not to mention no world news or educational channels such as
KPBS, KCEPT or even BBC. The movie channel and college course channels
have more snow and white noise to overcome than the student can
tolerate, but is expected to succeed with at least a C average.
Currently I am A1A unassigned, arriving 18 August 2016 to Tehachapi and
being classified 21 August 2016 by then acting CC2 Hernandez who denied
having knowledge of my GED and failure to look into this matter before
representing me to classification which has marginalized me this entire
time from gaining employment, enrollment into education program such as
Coastline College and much more. Just to find out my records were
received here at Tehachapi’s Charley Yard on 16 August 2016, making it
even more obvious the culture of the staff and there intentions towards
me, a general prisoner, and their job as a whole. They aren’t the
involved Correctional staff I’ve been around on those level 4’s, that
work with prisoners who show they want to program, want to change, want
to rehabilitate. No the staff members here only want to pass the buck,
sit around in offices for eight hours and clock out unless they get
involved in some sort of brutality, mental intimidation or power high at
the expense of a prisoner.
This is no level three prison environment for the reasons
aforementioned. Prisoners are of the nonviolent sort, with no stabbings,
no gang activities, no racial politics and no real provocateurs. What
they truly need is level 3 opportunities. This has to become the focus
of change, saying all I can with no cameras on this Charley Yard.
Knowing who’s word carries more weight, though we know well my word is
my bond.
Every popular movement is confronted with a common obstacle: change. As
life progresses, it evolves in a never-ending forward trajectory.
Because of this fact, the current questions, problems and circumstances
facing the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist movement will never be the exact same
problems in the future as they are today. This is an undeniable fact. As
comrade Mao faced different variations of imperialist opposition than
those faced by Comrades Stalin, Lenin and Marx, so too does the current
struggle and fight for communism face distinctly different obstacles.
Tactics and strategy are the only effective measures against an
ever-evolving foe. Every popular movement has set down tactics and
strategies for overcoming determined opposition and many have adhered to
them uncompromisingly, to the fatal detriment of their movement.
Inflexibility, lack of progressive and innovative thinking, an unbending
determination to follow a set course and finally stagnation. All
cancerous to a movement.
History gives us examples of movements that have failed for lack of
adaption and others that have survived by adapting. The Cuban wars for
Independence are examples of the latter. Beginning in 1868, the Ten
Years War began in earnest, led by Carlos Manuel de Cespedes. As their
reality changed so too did their tactics and strategies. There were
three major stages to the struggle that lasted over 30 years. La Guerra
Chiquita in 1879 (the Small War) was the second, followed by the Spanish
-Cuban-American War (1895) which ended in 1889. In each stage there were
new leaders; Antonio Maceo, José Martí, Calixto García, Máximo Gomez and
others. These revolutionaries never stopped evolving and adapting to the
reality of their circumstances.
This Cuban example is one that should be followed as it leads to
success. Overwhelming opposition, oppression, and outright violence
assailed these revolutionaries. Yet, they prevailed, overthrowing the
imperial yoke that burdened them for so long. Those struggling for
communism must do the same: adapt and be both reactive and proactive.
Tactics and movement strategy are not principles, they can be and should
be changed according to the present reality. Only fundamental principles
are set in stone and uncompromising. Tactics are meant to confront
specific circumstances. Yesterday’s tactics will not solve tomorrow’s
problems. Evaluating circumstances, employing tactics and strategy,
re-evaluating and employing new tactics and strategies must be a part of
any anti-imperialist/capitalist movement. Without adaptability failure
is inevitable.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We agree with this comrade’s main point
that the revolutionary movement must be adaptable to current conditions
and obstacles. We have overarching political line that is the theory
behind our work, but then we develop strategies from this line which
match current conditions in the world. And from those strategies we
implement tactics suited to our day-to-day work.
The history of the Cuban revolutionary movement does provide some good
examples of adapting to conditions, such as the period highlighted by
this writer. Cuba in more recent years also provides us with some
examples of strategic mistakes and failure to correctly account for
conditions. The Cuban revolutionary strategy led by Castro missed out on
some important global conditions that should have impacted their
strategy, and thus ultimately failed to learn from history. The end
result was a dependence on the social-imperialist Soviet Union that held
back the development of Cuba and forced them into some
counter-revolutionary actions and policies. Maoism was alive and well in
the world at the time of the Cuban revolution but they did not learn
from the successes and failures of China’s experience. The Soviet Union
had already given up on socialism and was building a state capitalist
system when Cuba became dependent on trade in a way that mirrored
imperialist countries’ relationships with their satellite colonies,
keeping Cuba from diversifying crops and forcing Cuban troops to fight
Moscow’s battles in Third World countries.
It’s been rough these past couple months at Gulf Correctional
Institution Annex, that is ever since prisoners attempted to have a
non-violent sit down. On 8 September 2016 Administration walked around
to every dorm stating “We going to treat a non-violent sit down just
like a violent one.” When it came to awaken A.M. food service workers to
report to work, all prisoners sat on their bunk in silence. At
approximately 2:05AM administration gave a final call in L-Dorm for food
service workers to report to their assigned post for work. Every
prisoner refused to leave the dorm and sat on their bunk.
Once the sun began to rise prisoners became aware of the large number of
heavily armed Rapid Response Team (RRT) officers in full body armor
marching towards L-Dorm. A sledgehammer came crashing through two open
bay windows. Once an opening was cleared, officers armed with 12 gauge
shot guns started aiming on those prisoners sitting on their bunks in
L-Dorm. Warden Blackwood ordered all prisoners to lay on their bellies
with their hands on head. The warden ordered officers to switch to live
rounds, safeties off, any prisoner gets off his bunk shoot to kill.
Once the prisoners in K-Dorm and Q-Dorm witnessed how Administration and
RRT members was mistreating prisoners in L-Dorm they started standing up
against our oppressors. RRT members smashed out a window in K-Dorm and
deployed Pepperball Launching System (PLS). RRT members began extracting
K-Dorm prisoners, zip tieing them, and emergency shipping those
prisoners. While in Q-Dorm prisoners were ordered to go into their cells
and close the doors, RRT entered Q-Dorm using Pepperball Launching
System (PLS), noise flash distraction devices, and stinger rubberball
grenades.
One prisoner was disabled and confined to a wheelchair due to having
only one leg. This Muslim disabled prisoner had a stinger rubberball
grenade explode under the wheelchair. Officers days later was heard
bragging how it launched the prisoner out of his wheelchair and into a
cell! While in L-Dorm hours went by laying on bellies, prisoners were
denied restroom privileges and forced to urinate into empty powerade
bottles or on the floor next to their bunk. Only times prisoners had
permission to sit up was when bag lunches arrived during breakfast,
lunch and dinner. No drink was provided at any meal to prevent
dehydration. Prisoners began to beg for water around evening. Captain
Shwarz followed by armed RRT members entered L-2. Captain Schwarz had a
9mm handgun in his hand, walked up to the prisoner who had been
requesting water out the window, leveled the handgun on the inmate and
threatened to blow his head off if he did not cease his actions.
Prisoner was then zip tied and escorted to confinement.
The following day inmates was rounded up and placed in Q-Dorm which
became Emergency Confinement. Administration rounded up the majority of
prisoners who had ties to one affiliation or another. This was
administration’s excuse for their excessive force used. The gangs didn’t
force prisoners to participate in the sitdown but as far as the warden
was concern that’s who the blame was going to fall on. Prisoners in
Emergency Confinement were placed under investigation, given falsified
disciplinary reports, unjustly use of force in the form of CS gas,
placed in scalding hot showers for decontamination, escorted back to the
same cell that had not been decontaminated, forced to sleep on steel +
concrete for 63.5 hours, and had suffered a beating from the hands of
officers.
All prisoners in Q-Dorm have been shipped after 60 days. Only 18
prisoners remain now, and have been escorted to P-Dorm regular
confinement. I am the prisoner who suffered beating from Sergeant Kirk
who was escorting me to rec. Captain Schwarz told Sergeant Kirk to “take
care that little bitch for me.” Once outside and out the view the camera
Sergeant Kirk struck me in the back of the head with a closed fist,
slammed me viciously to the ground, elbowed me to the back the head,
while trying to force my hands above my head in handcuffs. I don’t know
why out of the hundred some prisoners in Emergency Confinement that I
was left behind and not transferred. As of now I’ve been sentenced to
150 days disciplinary confinement, my DR’s consist of “Refuse to Work,”
“Participating in Minor Disturbance,” “Gang Related Activity,” and
“Disorderly Conduct.” My grievances are being trashed and I expect more
hands-on retaliation upon my release from confinement. This is all
results of September 9th at Gulf Correctional Institution Annex.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We’ve printed a lot of
reports about the protests on September 9, both as part of the
United Front for Peace in Prisons Day of Peace and Solidarity, and part
of the broader work strike. It is good to hear more details about the
unity and struggle put into action on that day. We also want to publicly
document that brutal, terroristic and illegal behavior of Florida DOC
staff towards the peaceful protesters at Gulf CI Annex. Humyn rights in
action in the United $tates of Amerikkka.
It is not surprising that the prison administrators blame lumpen
organizations (LOs) for the action. Although LOs in some prisons serve a
negative role by pitting prisoners against each other, in many places
they have taken a positive role and stepped up to push unity and
struggle against the criminal injustice system. The potential for these
organizations of oppressed nations, which already have a strong cadre
and the ability to quickly mobilize many, is correctly identified as a
threat by the administration. And it is our job as revolutionaries to
help members push these organizations towards progressive action.
I’m writing to give yall some more info on how Warden Strong runs her
administration. I sent out another leter to Texas-CURE informing them on
some things that she had the security there at Wynne Unit doing, such as
writing major cases for things like rubberbands and paper clips. In
other words, things they put in our hands every day to work with.
Another one of her things is to lock up people with anonymous I-60s for
escape. It’s what they used to lock me up for the letters i was writing
people like yall, ACLU, and other Civil Rights projects all over the
U.S. Now mind you I am doing a non-ag 8 year sentence for DWI and had
just seen parole for the second time. Then to add insult to injury her
offices stole, or let be stolen, around $50 of commissary and i have yet
to get back my lock ($13.25), multi-plug outlet ($7.50) and there was
some other little stuff: cups, spoons, and such. In all around $70
something dollars worth of stuff.
I would like to add a few lines about what UTMB Hospital is up to. I
have had sinus issues all my life and they are now saying that they will
no longer provide sinus sprays and eye drops to me. It’s just another
way they are trying to screw over the tax payer by making us pay the
$100 fee for medical treatment.
Revolutionary greetings comrades, it has been a while since I reported
from behind enemy lines. As Donald Trump enters the oval office I don’t
see any other choice than to partner with MIM(Prisons) in order to
educate and organize the lumpen underclass. My comrades and I are
actively engaged in a battle which seeks to abolish prison slavery as
well as shed a discerning spotlight on toxic prisons.
I arrived on Eastham Unit located in Lovelady, Texas in November 2016.
This was my second transfer since the September 9th national actions.
I’ve been placed in long-term solitary confinement because of my
organizing surrounding that and other campaigns.
Eastham Unit is one of the oldest prisons in Texas. The plumbing has
deteriorated and corroded in such a way that dirt and sediment from the
soil leaks into the water supply producing a foul stench in the water.
The offensive smell of the water was the first thing I noticed. Officers
here liken the smell to boiled eggs and burnt rubber. ULK 49
(March/April 2016) published an article on
contaminated
water at Eastham Unit and we know the contaminants to be copper and
lead!
My application of historical dialectical materialism has taught me the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) misinforms the public about
conditions inside its numerous slave kamps and gulags. But moreover, I
have discovered a collusive and conspiratorial relationship between
state agencies like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
and TDCJ.(1)
Wallace Pack Unit located in Navasota, Texas is the case in point. The
arsenic levels in the water were at least double the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) standard and the TCEQ knew this for quite some
time. But it wasn’t until Panagioti Tsolkas of Prison Legal News exposed
the contamination that conversations began. However, it took the actual
prisoners at Wallace Pack Unit, with representatives from the NABPP-PC
to take their destiny into their own hands and file complaints with the
federal court.(2)
Already I see a shroud of secrecy and the overt signs of an elaborate
cover-up concerning the water at Eastham Unit. Prison officials, who are
easily identified as members of the labor aristocracy and bourgeoisie
imperialist pig class, do not have a vested interest in the long-term
health of prisoners.
Prisoners at Eastham Unit must fight back! The first thing we do is file
a Step 1 (I-127) grievance form. Then simultaneously, those that have
friends and family must request they file a formal public complaint
online with the TDCJ Ombudsman office (e-mail address
ombudsman@tdcj.texas.gov). While these are marinating we start a letter
campaign to the Prison Ecology Project, P.O. Box 1151, Lakeworth,
Florida 33460.(3)
Behind enemy lines, I will be doing what I can do to attract media
attention and free world help but without comrades actively filing
grievances about the water I will be on the front line by myself and the
oppressor will claim I am just creating lies. A favorite pig tactic.
Even if you’ve filed on this poison water in the past, please consider
filing again. A huge support network is following our work as we combat
toxic prisons. I had a discussion with one of the pigs who works here.
The subject was the closing down of Eastham because of the poison water.
Here is what he said: “You think you can get the state to shut this unit
down on account of the water? They don’t care about that – what they
care about is those 800 acres of corn we got in the ground in them
fields!”
Comrades, I couldn’t say a damn word! Because it will be the lumpen
prisoners who will be picking that damn corn! I must echo the words of
the Free Alabama Movement - “Let the crops rot in the field.” And what
do you think would happen to that corn if the public knew those corn
fields were being irrigated with poison water!? Knowledge is power isn’t
it?
A significant step in this struggle is getting prisoners recognized as
environmental justice communities by the EPA, so that prison facilities
can be forced into compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.(6) However, the state of Texas has
created laws and policies that keep the EPA out of its toxic prisons so
we must create a public outcry in order to knock the doors down! Apply
Pimp C’s “Knockin Doorz Down” as needed! UGK for life!(7)
Dare to struggle, dare to win, all power to the people!
MIM(Prisons) responds: It is great to have clear steps in order
for any tactical work to be successful, so we highlight this campaign as
one with a clear path broken down into small steps, making it easy to
get involved and mark progress. While we struggle on these reformist
campaigns, we also know that they are unlikely to be successful. But
that is all part of building public opinion for socialist revolution. In
a socialist system, as in China under Mao, people’s needs were valued
above profits and prisoners were not poisoned via their water supply.
People should not be forced to get heavy metal poisoning just because
they are in prison (or because they live in an oppressed nation
community as what happened in Flint, Michigan). The EPA, one of those
bandaid organizations of the United $tates government to give people
something to focus on instead of straight up revolution, is unlikely to
categorize prisoners as environmental justice communities, and also
unlikely to enforce their policies in prisons in Texas. Even if they
did, to enforce environmental policies on Texas prisons is a
decades-long struggle, while hundreds of thousands of people will be
forced to drink poisonous heavy metals in the meantime.
Still, we support this campaign and encourage our readers to get
involved. It may win some improvements in water quality that will have a
significant impact on the health of Texas prisoner. Even if the campaign
fails, it is a good example of how futile petitioning the U.$.
government agencies generally is. If the campaign succeeds, it will
likely only be with caveats which undermine the overall campaign, which
we can point to as an example of the futility of reformism. Either way,
Texas prisoners come out better organized and better poised for the only
struggle that has shown any success in valuing peoples’ well-being, and
that’s the revolutionary struggle toward socialism and communism.