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.
As we reminisce in disguise about our troubles working with
bloody knuckles knowing everybody had to struggle to get it we
used our muscles and a pistol on our buckles being the oppressor
by dope selling in capitalism just to hustle comrades, please
listen this is a lesson in our mission a part of the
intervention no comrade has ever mentioned many lives are in
this picture, check out the new addition children born into
oppression by the second as we’re speaking about the oppressor
who is destined to take lives into its sector only to control
them by their lack of initiative to join together and be a
weapon as one, we stand tall with the strength of a bullet the
words of communism for the communists who can pull it united
we stand and no one lesser than the other be a voice within this
struggle ’cause we’re equal to one another like a Muslim to his
brother we’re family by our choosing against the oppression that
we’re refusing united we stand my fellow comrades on the
rise to revolution!
We are now able to wear beards for religious reasons, but here on the
Polunsky plantation, higher ranking officials have threatened to take
job assignments from certain offenders (i.e. those working in 1 bldg
around administrative staff/personnel and those working in the kitchen).
I’ve also heard of them taking offenders out of the draft shop if they
grew a beard.
Their tactics have worked because many prisoners have cut their beards
due to these threats. I’ve remained solid on my beliefs and what I stand
on…to hell with their threats because if a man won’t stand for something
he’ll fall for anything. Besides this, business is as usual around here,
being oppressed with only a few prisoners fighting against this
oppression.
As prisoners in this socially oppressive injustice system we tend to be
attracted to philosophy to try to get a better understanding of why and
how did we end up in a cage like some type of animal. Some choose
religion hoping that some omni-present being can answer their questions
and fill in the blanks. Others choose a more materialist ideology for a
better scientific understanding to the present situation here in the
United $tates. The rest just choose to ride it out and hope that the
situation changes.
There is no denying that dialectically and hystorically the empire is
socially unstable, so much so that the oppressive Amerikan Gestapo are
killing us, free of judicial repercussion, in order to protect the
bourgeois interests at the expense of the oppressed nations. The state
sponsored bourgeois media are quick to suggest that the Amerikan gestapo
killings are justified with no scientific facts to support their
so-called reporting. The people must look past the bullshit smoke being
blown in our faces and understand that shit isn’t all lemonade and apple
pies.
Religion doesn’t tell us scientific facts, but actually dogmatic
scriptures about this false paradise where those “chosen” can live free
after death. So how can this spiritual being give those materially
existing on this earth freedom? It cannot. Religion blinds us to what’s
really happening here. It is a poison infecting the masses with its
dogmatic ideology.
Scientific theory with Maoist philosophy is the only way to freedom.
Scientifically it teaches the masses to dissect hystory and to digest
what is beneficial to the struggle. It gives us, the lumpen of the
oppressed nations, a place in a socialist society where we can take part
in the world’s struggle for freedom. The former CPUSA called this line
petty-bourgeois radicalism, but Maoism teaches that all prisoners are
political prisoners. The United $tates has the highest prisoner
population in world hystory with most prisoners coming from the barrios
and ghettos. Growing up in poverty, the oppressed nations are forced to
adapt to their reality. What separates the barrios and ghettos from the
Third World? Nothing, we are the Third World. Today we Chican@s and New
Afrikans make up most of the prison population. Centuries of oppression
on our people has brainwashed us to accept this as our reality.
Fellow prisoners ask me, why do you read about China, or Palestine, etc?
Or when I clearly state that I don’t believe in God they look at me like
I’m crazy. First I state that God is a facade, meant to pacify the
masses and mind fuck them into accepting their oppressive reality. World
hystory is our hystory, and by examining other nations’ struggles we can
philosophically advance as a people. The struggle in Palestine is our
struggle and our struggle is the Palestinian struggle. Together we are
one; the Third World.
Together we stand firm. The victims of the empire deserve justice and
only we can bring that about. Oppose the imperialists wars on the Third
World, whether they’re in Kabul, Juarez, or South Central.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We echo this comrade’s internationalism as
well as eir dedication to the philosophy of dialectical materialism.
However, if we are to make a material analsysis of the conditions in the
First World ghettos, barrios, reservations and even prisons, we must
disagree with em asserting that “We are the Third World.”
Like the Third World, the internal oppressed nations of the United
$tates are oppressed by imperialism and have histories connected to
other oppressed nations that are in the Third World. However, the
distinction between First World and Third World is important because of
the material benefits that those living within imperialist borders
receive just because of the luck of where they were born. That is why we
speak of the First World lumpen as a different class than the lumpen
proletariat; First World lumpen are surrounded by the labor aristocracy,
and not the proletariat. All U.$. residents benefit from the flow of
wealth away from the exploited in the Third World. True solidarity with
the exploited must recognize this reality if we hope to liberate
ourselves from imperialism, or else we risk falling into positions that
put the interests of oppressed in the United $tates over the interests
of the oppressed elsewhere.
by a West Virginia prisoner November 2015 permalink
For my essay I chose Frederick Douglass. I admire his inner strength,
free spirit, and intelligence. I believe that he could see opportunity
in every situation. For example, when his oppressors became so irate of
his learning to read and write, he knew that things that are restricted
are usually worthy of pursuit.
He overcame so many obstacles with so few resources, and he gives me
motivation and inspiration to overcome and succeed, although my
difficulties are minor compared to his. He was a great man and an unsung
hero of freedom fighting. He must have thought to himself that it was
better to risk death and fight for his freedom, than to conform to the
wishes of tyrannical beings.
He fought and won. So much was against him and yet his spirit refused to
be broken. He knew how powerful words can be. He learned them and
mastered them. And once he’d won, he didn’t let the realm of success
lull him into complacency – a realm where many men venture and are
swallowed, ending their reign of greatness. No, Frederick Douglass was a
mossless stone; he never stagnated. Douglass continued pressing forward,
not only bettering himself, but also bettering those he came in contact
with and helping other oppressed individuals.
His written word will echo through the generations, inspiring thousands
and perhaps millions. The American education system gives him only a
cursory glance, then moves on to lies about founding fathers. Imagine if
they lingered longer or more often on Frederick Douglass, and the
valuable influence on those impressionable minds he would render.
Frequently, I wonder about a stronger, less passive and more spirited
generation. Like Frederick Douglass.
MIM(Prisons) adds: Frederick Douglass was born into slavery
around 1818 in Maryland. Ey escaped slavery and went on to become a
prolific writer, speaker, and newspaper publisher. Eir primary battles
were against slavery and for wimmin’s right to vote. Douglass had a
similar path to radicalization as many readers of ULK, even
though ey lived almost two centuries ago.
Douglass was taught the alphabet at around 12 years old from eir
slavemaster’s wife. Even though ey was discouraged from reading,
sometimes with violence, Douglass continued to study and taught many
others how to read as well. With the ability to read, Douglass became
politicized through reading newspapers, which helped em develop into an
internationally-acclaimed writer and speaker against slavery and
oppression.
Even in the face of censorship and lack of programming, many U.$.
prisoners build themselves and others up in the same way Douglass did.
Present-day prisoners are not allowed to come together in a group to
study, for “security threat concerns,” which parallels Douglass’s
experience of having eir weekly literacy classes disbanded by the clubs
and stones of slave owners. Nowdays, those who try to teach in spite of
restrictions are locked in isolation toture cells.
Without good literacy skills, one can’t file a lawsuit, or write
grievances, or understand the prison handbook, or read Under Lock
& Key; get the picture? Various sources state that 60-70% of
U.$. prisoners are functionally illiterate.(1) Illiteracy affects the
majority of prisoners, and thus hinders the organization of the majority
of our subscribers’ peers. Passing on an issue of ULK does
little good if the recipient can’t understand it.
Statistics from the prisoncrats themselves state that prisoners have a
70% chance of recidivism if they get no help with their literacy,
whereas prisoners who do receive literacy help have a 16% chance of
recidivism.(2) We wonder, why aren’t there more programs for teaching
reading comprehension and writing skills in prisons? It’s clearly a
continuation of the same exact national oppression faced by Frederick
Douglass’s generation.
That we are still having a conversation about building literacy
among New Afrikans should give us a clue of the ineffectiveness of
reformism and the necessity of complete communist revolution. After
gaining state power, one of the first steps of this revolution will be
to establish a joint dictatorship of the proletariat of the oppressed
nations (JDPON), so that the most oppressed people in the world can
dictate to those who have been oppressing others for centuries
how society will be run. As was done in communist China under Mao, one
of the primary functions of this dictatorship of the proletariat will be
to build literacy at every single level of society, and especially among
those who are furthest removed from the benefits of the economic system.
One can’t fully participate in society’s development without literacy,
and we need as many people as possible to participate.
We want to do as much as we can now to speed up the transition from
capitalism to communism, and reading and writing are essential to this
task. Building literacy also fits well into our immature Re-Lease on
Life program, so those who are released can have a better chance of
success and hopefully also a better chance of staying engaged in
political work when on the outside. Even though MIM(Prisons) and United
Struggle from Within are on a much smaller scale than a JDPON, or even a
single nation-state, we can still contribute to this goal while we build
for a society where advanced literacy is taught to everyone
systematically.
Douglass is just one individual example of a larger social phenomenon:
when higher education meets a lack of opportunity, it produces
radicalization and objection to the status quo. We know there is much
more we can do to increase the reading and writing skills of oppressed
nation lumpen in U.$. prisons, and to foster this politicization. But
since MIM(Prisons) can only reach people with written material, we need
our comrades behind bars to do the work on the ground. Anyone who is
already teaching others basic literacy skills should get in touch with
MIM(Prisons) to help us develop this Serve the People program. If you
already have a study group, try to think how you can expand it to teach
literacy as well. Tell us what materials we can send you to help you
teach reading and writing to others. It is one of the ways we can
improve the material conditions of our fellow oppressed peoples, and one
way we can uphold the legacy of Frederick Douglass.
I have an active case in the Federal Courts suing the Texas Department
of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for violation of BP-03.91 Uniform Offender
Correspondence Rules, and the corrupt grievance system denying prisoners
access to courts. I have filed a lawsuit under 42 USC Section 1983
against TDCJ.
If you would like to help me stop this corruption aimed at Texas
prisoners, send any grievances, unsworn declarations, and other process
documents you may have that can be used as evidence in the two above
mentioned U.$. Constitutional violations to MIM(Prisons). Be sure to
write “Dunham v. Wainwright, et al. Case No. 1:15-cv-1018-RP” on the top
of each document. Your evidence will help prove deliberate indifference
because it shows officials knew of the problems and failed to act.
MIM(Prisons) will then forward your documents to the Court Clerk at
Clerk Court, United States District Court, c/o Case no. 6:15 cv 869, 300
Willow Street, Suite 104, Beaumont, TX 77701-2217.
The Texas Attorney General handling this case for the defendants is
Gloria Chandler, PO Box 12548, Capital Station, Austin, TX 78711. Please
feel free to send her ALL of your complaints so that she may realize the
wide range and depth of behavior and activities. I doubt she is
receiving enough complaints at the present time. MIM(Prisons) will also
be forwarding your complaints to the Attorney General, and be sure to
again write “Dunham v. Livingston et al. Case No. 1:15-cv-1018-RP” on
the top of your complaint.
Since filing this case, state employees’ actions under color of law has
put me in fear for my life. I need your support so they know I am
not in this alone.
by a Pennsylvania prisoner November 2015 permalink
This is a followup letter to notify you fine folks of the outcome of the
article in ULK 46 about
textbooks
being censored by Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC).
Any time a prisoner receives a publication it gets screened for any
possible reason they might be able to withhold it. This is done by a
committee, and these people may consult other prison employees for help
in the decision on whether or not to allow a given publication into the
prison. If this committee, the Incoming Publication Review Committee
(IPRC) deems a publication does not fit the criteria to be possessed by
a prisoner, they hold it, and send the prisoner a notification. The
prisoner has a certain amount of time to reply before it gets destroyed.
The prisoner can request the publication get mailed out, at their
expense (only first class postage), or they have the option to appeal
IPRC’s decision to the superintendent.
I had three computer programming textbooks denied over the course of 5
months and appealed each one in turn. The superintendent here at
SCI-Huntingdon responded to me by saying that I wouldn’t be getting my
books. He told me that IPRC’s decision is final, and that he can’t
approve them. Around that time I wrote to you and got your censorship
packet. I appealed the superintendent’s decision to central office by
writing a letter to the department policy director Dianna Woodside. In
the letter I told her that, although the IT department was consulted,
they were incorrect in determining that the books were a threat. I
demonstrated my preexisting knowledge of the subject, and listed several
cases where the prisoners were awarded monetary damages for being denied
books, including one that was specifically about programming textbooks.
I told the official that I was sincere about trying to pursue a possible
career in programming computers, and reiterated my willingness to go to
court. I am unsure of why exactly she decided in my favor, but in the
end I got all three of my books sitting right here with me. I am sending
copies of the decisions along with this letter.
MIM(Prisons) adds: The books this prison initially denied were
Java in a Nutshell, Build Your Own Website the Right Way
Using HTML & CSS, and Object Oriented Programming.
This shows both the random and unfounded basis on which prison
administrators decide what literature to censor, and the potential for
successful appeal with persistence. It’s obvious that prisons in Amerika
can not possibly have a rehabilitative goal if the very books required
for education into a productive career post-prison are denied for no
reason.
We certainly don’t win the right to our incoming mail often, but it is
well worth the time to appeal every instance of censorship possible. If
nothing else, it provides documentation of the denials and lack of
reasons, and may pave the way for a future court case. For those facing
censorship, write to us for a copy of our censorship packet that will
guide you through the appeals process. And be sure to send us any
documentation you have on censorship of our materials, your appeals, and
administrators’ responses to your appeals. We put these documents on our
website at
www.prisoncensorship.info.
I often wonder, that in the land where freedom rings, Why does pain
and suffering it also bring? Because the only ringing I hear is a
baton against my bars As I stare out the window, beyond the day to
its stars. Eyes closed wishing & praying as often as I
might, I still must fall asleep, within a cell every night. Hoping
when I wake, that it was nothing but a dream, Yet nothing in my life
is now as it may seem. Loved ones passing, as I stay locked inside of
a cage, Working a job that pays less the 1% of minimum
wage, Walking on the yard, as shots ring out from over
head, Saying a silent prayer, hoping that no one else is
dead. “The joint” is locked down over an argument on the yard. Not
a fist was thrown, yet the whole “joint” is scarred. Commissary
denial, and visitation is restricted. “On the new,” they holler,
another man has been convicted. Everyone around me is doing maximum
time. Once free & now trapped, like a box & it’s
mine Silently and desperately, trying to find some way out. While
dry tears escape my eyes as I scream silent shouts. So anyone whom
claims that Amerika is the land of the free, They don’t know a single
thing, about the life that surrounds me!
by a North Carolina prisoner November 2015 permalink
For every infraction we get we are charged $10 and our time on long-term
segregation starts over. If a certain officer doesn’t like you or they
have malice in their heart all they have to do is write you up and $10
is deducted from our personal account. The officers who neglect us of
our rights are the same officers that have the power to write us up at
any time they feel like whether we are in violation of the rules or not.
Because they know it will keep us behind these doors 24 hours a day for
another year where we are limited to the opportunity to spread the word
and liberate comrades from ignorance and let them know we as one need to
stand up against this prison system here in North Carolina.
North Carolina is a state with over 52,000 people incarcerated and more
being added daily! The unit I am on is a segregation unit where
political prisoners, gang members and others are housed for years at a
time. I’d say 30% of the prisoners back here get a write up on a daily
basis. Some of us who are in the sights of these tyrant officers receive
5 or 6 write ups a week just because the officers have the power to do
so. I strive daily to mitigate our situation. But it’s impossible when
these guys around me lay down and accept what’s going on around them.
It’s also impossible without access to the public and without help. The
money taken from us funds the fascist and imperialistic government of
this state.
“Don’t be in such a hurry to condemn a person because he doesn’t do what
you do, or think as you do or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t
know what you know today.” - Malcolm X
I have chosen comrade Malcolm X as my freedom fighter, may he rest in
peace.
Comrade Malcolm X was a man who grew up troubled by family issues. His
father was murdered and his mother was slowly starting to deteriorate
mentally. The comrade started to steal, and was running numbers, etc.
This landed the comrade in prison where he continued to get into
trouble, until he met a brother from the Nation of Islam who helped
comrade Malcolm X to get himself together.
In time, comrade Malcolm X educated himself on the inside and eradicated
all his bad habits. After his release he continued his work as a
revolutionary, helping to build the Nation of Islam and fighting for the
people. Later on in his life he was working on his own organization, the
Organization of Afro-American Unity.
Comrade Malcolm X had a major impact on my life. When I came to prison
in 2005 I was sent to the supermax in Ohio, and I had the wrong
understanding of revolutionary change, and I had a 7th grade education.
I met a prisoner who let me read The Autobiography of Malcolm X
and when I had finished, my whole life was changed. I started working
harder to educate myself and to become more politically conscious and
vowed to spend the rest of my life fighting against the oppressor.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This comrade’s choice of a freedom fighter
underscores the critical importance that education and political
literature play in raising the consciousness of our comrades behind
bars. While people may have an intuitive grasp of the nature of Amerikan
imperialism, the lumpen mainly see the option of violence and theft
against the people as a way to respond to the conditions of their lives.
This is not revolutionary, and in fact sets the struggle back. But even
with limited access to educational material we see people like Malcolm X
and this comrade taking up the revolutionary struggle.
For this reason we place a big emphasis on getting our newsletter
Under Lock & Key and political books in to prisoners. Most
of the money we spend is on these tasks. And we rely on our comrades
behind bars to share the lit they receive, and turn others on to the
revolutionary mindset to help build new freedom fighters amongst the
lumpen.
At Luther Unit, the showers are extremely freezing. We are subjected to
get in this water or go without showering. We are called out for showers
at 6 a.m., and at this point it is still cold outside.
The medical fee of $100 will be subtracted from your Trust Fund account
if you send in a sick call request, but it’s due to this temperature of
this cold shower. Some officers who know of this are scared to speak up
because it’s seen as showing favoritism to offenders, which is a blatant
lie. Offenders are scared to file I-127 grievances due to the
retaliation of the Safe Prison Sergeant Myles.