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 been in 12 years and never really had an issue with my account, well,
TDCJ put a “place hold” on my account which means they stop money from
going in or coming out of your account which means no store. It’s almost
a year like this and I talk to the wardens at my last 3 units, file a
grievance. There is no help in this system (TDCJ) for grievances. It was
sent back the same day stating its not grievable, smh, and was told to
write to the “inmate trust fund.” I did and never heard from them
either. See people live off the support the people in the world give,
family, friends, etc. but TDCJ mis-use the policy to use it only in they
power. I don’t know what else to do and try not to worry my family for
things I feel can be handled by me, but I have come to a dead end and am
now seeking advice from your movement.
Many prisoners have utilized the petition demanding their grievances be
heard. The Commissioner simply forwarded the grievances to the person in
charge of the grievance system, who wrote a letter to each prisoner that
filed a petition. The letter informed the prisoners that they should
file a grievance about the issue if they had a problem with the
grievance system. Absurd, but true.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We responded to this comrade asking what
they think should be done next to resolve this problem. Clearly, writing
grievances isn’t working. Writing to the Commissioner gets no results.
Lawsuits can give some relief, but often only temporarily. And of course
lawsuit victories come with the problem of enforcement.
Ultimately we believe we need to completely change our society in order
to fix this problem. We try to contribute to lawsuits, but even more
importantly we contribute to education and institution-building, so when
our lawsuits fail we can still make progress in our struggle to a more
just humynity.
U.$. imperialist leaders and their labor aristocracy supporters like to
criticize other countries for their tight control of the media and other
avenues of speech. For instance, many have heard the myths about
communist China forcing everyone to think and speak alike. In reality,
these stories are a form of censorship of the truth in the United
$tates. In China under Mao the government encouraged people to put up
posters debating every aspect of political life, to criticize their
leaders, and to engage in debate at work and at home. This was an
important part of the Cultural Revolution in China. There are a number
of books available in this country that give a truthful account, but far
more money is put into anti-communist propaganda books. Here in the
United $tates free speech is reserved for those with money and power.
In prisons in particular we see so much censorship, especially targeting
those who are politically conscious and fighting for their rights.
Fighting for our First Amendment right to free speech is a battle that
MIM(Prisons) and many prisoners waste a lot of time and money on. For us
this is perhaps the most fundamental of requirements for our organizing
work. There are prisoners, and some entire prisons (and sometimes entire
states) that are denied all mail from MIM(Prisons). This means we can’t
send in educational material, or study courses, or even supply a guide
to fighting censorship. Many prisons regularly censor ULK
claiming that the news and information printed within is a “threat to
security.” For them, printing the truth about what goes on behind bars
is dangerous. But if we had the resources to take these cases to court
we believe we could win in many cases.
Denying prisoners mail is condemning some people to no contact with the
outside world. To highlight this, and the ridiculous and illegal reasons
that prisons use to justify this censorship, we will periodically print
a summary of some recent censorship incidents in ULK.
We hope that lawyers, paralegals, and those with some legal knowledge
will be inspired to get involved and help us with these censorship
battles, both behind bars and on the streets. For the full list of
censorship incidents, along with copies of appeals and letters from the
prison, check out our censorship reporting
webpage.
Virginia DOC
The Chair of the publications review committee for the VA DOC, Melissa
Welch, sent MIM(Prisons) a letter denying ULK 56, and then the
next month the same letter denying ULK 57. Both letters cite the
same reasons:
“D. Material, documents, or photographs that emphasize depictions or
promotions of violence, disorder, insurrection, terrorist, or criminal
activity in violation of state or federal laws or the violation of the
Offender Disciplinary Procedure.
“F. Material that depicts, describes, or promotes gang bylaws,
initiations, organizational structure, codes, or other gang-related
activity or association.”
Pennsylvania DOC
Last issue of ULK we reported on the censorship of
ULK57 in Pennsylvania. After sending a protest letter to appeal
the decision we had a rare victory! From the Policy Office, PA
Department of Corrections:
“This is to notify you that the publication in issue does not violate
Department Policy. As such, the decision of the correctional institution
is reversed and the inmates in the PA Department of Corrections will be
permitted to receive the publication. The correctional institutions will
be notified by the Policy Office of the decision.”
If anyone in PA hasn’t received ULK 57 yet, let us know and we
will send another copy to you.
Pennsylvania SCI-Camp Hill
From a prisoner we were forwarded a notice of incoming publication
denial for ULK 57: “create a danger within the context of the
correctional facility” p.21, 24
The description quotes sentences that can’t be found within ULK
including: “PREA system strip searches for harassment in PA”, “Black
prisoners deserve to retaliate against predominantly white ran system”,
and “This is a excellent reminder of PA importance of fighting.” They
are making up text as reasons for censorship in Pennsylvania.
Texas - Bill Clemens Unit
A prisoner forwarded us a denial for ULK 57 “Page 11 contains
information that could cause a prison disruption.”
In March 2017, our study pack Defend the Legacy of the Black Panther
Party was censored for
“Reason C. Page 9 contains information that could cause a strike or
prison disruption.”
This adds to the growing list of our most important literature that is
banned in the state forever, including Settlers: Mythology of the
White Proletariat and Chican@ Power and the Struggle for
Aztlan. We need someone with legal expertise to challenge Texas’s
policies that allow for publications to be banned forever in the state.
Florida - Santa Rosa Correctional Institution
A prisoner forwarded us a notice of impoundment of ULK 57. The
reason cited: “Pages 1, 11, 14, 15, & 17 advocates insurgency and
disruption of institutional operations.”
We appealed this denial and got a response from Dean Peterson, Library
Services Administrator for the Florida DOC, reiterating the reasons for
impoundment and upholding the denial: “In their regularly scheduled
meeting of August 30, 2017 the Literature Review Committee of the
Florida Department of Corrections upheld the institution’s impoundment
and rejected the publication for the grounds stated. This means that
issue will not be allowed into our correctional institutions.”
Florida DOC
Following up on a case printed in ULK 57 regarding Florida’s
denial of the MIM(Prisons) censorship pack, for no specific reasons. We
received a response to our appeal of this case from the same Dean
Peterson, Library Services Administrator, named above.
“From the number of the FDC form you reference and your description
of what happened it is apparent the institutional mailroom did not
handle the Censorship Guide as a publication, but instead handled it in
accordance with the Florida Administrative Code rule for routine mail.
As such, the item was not impounded, was not posted to the list of
impounded publications for any other institution to see, was not
referred to the Literature Review Committee for review, and thus does
not appear on the list of rejected publications. That means that if the
exact same Guide came to any other inmate mailroom staff would look at
it afresh. In theory, it could even be allowed into the institution.
…
“The Florida Administrative Code makes no provision for further review.”
Florida - Florida State Prison
ULK 58 was rejected for what appears to just be a list of titles
of articles, some not even complete:
PGS 6 Liberation schools to organize through the wall (talk about the
hunger strikes) PGS 8 DPRK; White Supremacy’s Global Agenda PGS
11 Case law to help those facing PGS 19 White and gaining
consciousness
Florida - Jefferson Correctional Institution
Meditations on Frantz Fanon’s Wretched of the Earth: New Afrikan
Revolutionary Writings by James Yaki Sayles was denied to a prisoner
at Jefferson Correctional Institution because “inmate has received a
second copy of the same edition of this publication violating chapter
33-501.401 (16)(b) and procedure 501.401(7)(d).”
Washington state - Coyote Ridge CC
The invitation to and first assignment for our correspondence
introductory study group was rejected by Mailroom Employee April Long
for the following reasons:
“Advocates violence against others and/or the overthrow of
authority. Advocates that a protected class or group of individuals
is inferior and/or makes such class/group the object of ridicule and/or
scorn, and may reasonably be thought to precipitate a violent
confrontation between the recipient and a member(s) of the target group.
Rejected incoming mailing from MIM. Mailing contains working that
appears to be referring to law enforcement as ‘pigs’ it appears to be
ridiculing and scornful. There is also a section in mailing labeled
solutions that calls prisoners to take actions against prison industries
and gives specific ideas/suggestions. Nothing to forward onto offender.”
A recent study assignment for the University of Maoist Thought was also
censored at Coyote Ridge. MIM(Prisons) has not yet been informed of this
censorship incident by the facility. The study group participant wrote
and told us it was censored for being a “copy of copyrighted material.”
The material in question was published in 1972 in the People’s Republic
of China. Not only did that government actively work against capitalist
concepts such as copyright, we believe that even by the United $tates’
own standards this book should not be subject to censorship.
Washington state
Clallam Bay CF rejected ULK 58 because: “Newsletter is being
rejected as it talks about September 9 events including offenders
commencing a hunger strike until equal treatment, retaliation and legal
rights issues are resolved.”
Coyote Ridge CC rejected ULK 58 for a different set of reasons:
“Contains plans for activity that violates state/federal law, the
Washington Administrative Code, Department policy and/or local
facet/rules. Contains correspondence, information, or other items
relating to another offender(s) without prior approval from the
Superintendent/designee: or attempts or conveys unauthorized offender to
offender correspondence.”
Canada
We received the following report from a Canadian prisoner who had sent
us some stamps to pay for a few issues of ULK to be mailed to
Canada.
“A few months ago, on July 18, I received notice from the V&C
department informing that five issues of ULK had arrived here for
me. The notice also explained that the issues had been seized because of
a Commissioner’s Directive (764.6) which states that ‘[t]he
institutional head may prohibit entry into the institution of material
that portrays excessive violence and aggression, or prison violence; or
if he or she believes on reasonable grounds that the material would
incite inmates to commit similar acts.’ I grieved the seizure, among
other things, citing the sections on page 2 of ULK, which
‘explicitly discourage[s prisoners] from engaging in any violence or
illegal acts,’ and citing too the UFPP statement of peace on page 3,
which speaks of the organizational aim to end needless conflicts and
violence within prisons.
”Well, I can now report that my
grievance was upheld and that all copies of ULK were released to
me, but not without the censorship of drawings deemed to portray or
promote the kind of violence described in the above-cited Commissioner’s
Directive. It’s a decision I can live with for now.”
Missouri
We got reports from two people that the blanket ban on ULK in
Missouri was removed and ULK 58 was received. If you’re in
Missouri and still not getting your ULK, be sure to let us
know.
Michigan - Richard A Handlon CF
ULK 58 was rejected because “Articles in Under Lock & Key
contains information about criminal activity that might entice criminal
activity within the prison facility - threat to security.”
Illinois - Stateville CC
ULK 58 was rejected because: “The publication appears to:
Advocate or encourage violence, hatred, or group disruption or it poses
an intolerable risk of violence or disruption. Be otherwise detrimental
to security, good order, rehabilitation, or discipline or it might
facilitate criminal activity or be detrimental to mental health.
Detrimental to safety and security of the facility. Disrupts order.
Promotes organization and leadership.”
At the end of March 2016, an incident took place on the Coffield Unit in
Tennessee Colony Texas that paralyzed an unarmed inmate from the neck
down. The use of extreme force is beyond this measurement as this inmate
was already locked in a cage, secluded from population and apparently no
threat to anybody or himself. As I relive this harsh reality please bear
with me because of the circumstances of imprisonment I don’t have all
the names or dates as I relate this sad but true story.
A prisoner was ordered by a correctional officer to turn around, bend
over on his knees, and put his forehead on the ground. He replied “no… I
only put my forehead on the ground for Allah. Please just take me to my
lock up cell.” (It is against our beliefs as Muslims to prostrate our
heads on the ground to anyone but God.) The officer then said “if you
give me what I want then I will give you what you want” and then smirked
as he said it. This interaction was cut short as higher rank officials
came and he was now just told to turn around so they could handcuff and
escort him to a temporary holding cage and he complied and was put in
what we call the “Legal cage.” Mind you, all this is visually on camera
and all has been recorded except audio.
Now this same officer from earlier was assigned to escort him to his
lock up cell and upon this action he followed up with the same orders as
to, “Turn around bend over on his knees and put his forehead on the
ground.” He replied again “No, I only put my forehead on the ground for
Allah (SWT)!!!” The officer then said “Are you refusing to obey an order
and not in compliance so I can properly escort you? Like I said give me
what I want and I’ll give you what you want.” Upon hearing this he
realized this was more of a sexual gesture and became hostile toward
this officer for his remark and yelled “No, I only bow my forehead on
the ground for Allah (SWT)!!! Just put me in handcuffs and take me to my
lockup cell.”
The officer then took his mace out (or what we in here call gas) and
began emptying his whole can of mace into my friend’s face until his can
was completely empty. He began screaming and saying “Why did you spray
me?” The officer then called in a use of force on his walkie talkie.
Another and bigger can of mace was then brought and they began spraying
him again directly in his face.
As this was taking place the assistant warden named “Cooper” happened to
walk up and my friend began his plea “Warden Cooper this man wants me to
bend over, put my forehead on the ground just so he can handcuff me. I
told him that I will let him put the handcuffs on me and escort me to
any cell but me putting my forehead on the ground and bending over is
beyond extreme. Please Warden Cooper can you help I’m burning and
covered in mace.” The warden then turned to the officer and said, “keep
up the good work, you’re doing a good job.” Then Warden Cooper abruptly
walked off. The guard then began his rant “See I’m god back here as you
can see the Warden just gave me the go ahead. So do as I say.”
Just as this officer finished his threats a team of officers arrived
suited in extract gear and a use of force camera on. The officer with
the camera on told him “you are not in compliance for us to properly
escort you therefore a use of force is needed so what is your
statement?” He said, “I’m not refusing, just put the handcuffs on me and
take me to my cell.” The officer said, “is that your statement?” He did
not respond. The correctional officers then opened up the door, grabbed
and picked him up over their heads and slammed him straight on his head.
Mind you he’s a small guy at 5’9” and 150lbs. He went limp and they then
hogtied him and handcuffed him as the officers dragged him into the
Infirmary.
To my friend’s recollection, once in the infirmary he heard the nurse
say, “we’re going to have to send him to UMTB Hospital” right before he
passed out. Three (3) days later he awoke in a CAT scan machine and all
he could hear was the noise from the CAT scan machine. Once the CAT scan
was over he was slid out and then told the nurse “Ma’am can you please
take these straps off me so I can get up and walk.” The nurse looked at
him and said, “Baby there ain’t no straps on you, you are paralyzed from
the neck down.”
Upon hearing this he shed tears relentlessly like never before. He
recalls laying in the bed and a fly would land on his forehead and he
couldn’t even swat it away. The agony of laying in a prison hospital (as
they eventually transferred me to one) and not having proper assistance
because of the low regard for us as inmates was unbearable, but
something he had no choice to bear. Not being able to feed himself,
bathe himself or at the very least use the bathroom himself as he had to
wait hours on end for prison hospital staff to change his diapers.
One day he was laying there and out of God’s good Grace a Muslim (a
Muslim woman) walked in and she said “I was making Salat and Allah (SWT)
told me while in Salat that there is a Muslim in this hospital that
needs a Qu’ran.” Hope was conceived on the day. The doctors gave my
friend an option, if he did the surgery then there was a chance he might
walk again but if he didn’t go through with the surgery then he would
never walk again. As Muslims it is upon our belief that we only bow to
Allah (SWT) so he chose not to go through with the surgery. Six (6)
months later when me and my brother crossed paths again he was being
wheeled in a wheel chair to Jumu’ah and I began to call him. As we were
in each other’s presence we began to cry, and he said “I never thought I
would be able to make Salat again,” and then gave all his might as he
struggled to stand and hugged me as we continued to shed unconditional
tears. He said “I just learned how to walk again two (2) weeks ago. This
morning I woke up in tears from the cramps I felt all over my body and
it being so cold. I didn’t know if I would make it to Jumu’ah but Allah
(SWT) is Akbar.” (God is the Greatest).
I was on medical chain to the prison my brother was at and only there
from Thursday to Monday. So if he hadn’t went to Jumu’ah then we would
have never crossed paths. I also seen that the officers broke both of
his wrists from when they slammed him on his forehead. My brother can’t
even wheel himself around because his wrist and motor skills or let
alone put his gloves on himself. He now also has to wear glasses because
his eyes are too sensitive to the light from the overuse of mace as they
burned a layer of his eyes away, in fact on the day he seen me he slowly
took his glasses off and sacrificed to endure the pain as he squinted
and said, “I want to look at you.” They also damaged his memory and he
still couldn’t control his bowel movements. Through all this he never
received a disciplinary infraction because in the end they the
quote-unquote correctional officers knew who was wrong. The magnitude of
this wrongdoing is that the NAACP Southern Division appointed a lawyer
to my brother’s case. This sad case shouldn’t go unheard to prevent this
kind of stuff from ever happening to anybody else.
In physical reality, a man is broken but in spiritual reality his faith
never wavered as my brother gave up his physical for what he believed in
spiritual. In greatness that belief didn’t change on the day of the
incident and even in a wheelchair it still hasn’t changed now as I write
these very words. The moral to this sad but true story is, he is still
Muslim and he never stopped praying or gave up his Salats (prayers) as
he was paralyzed in a hospital bed and his faith actually became
stronger through this trial and tribulation as he said to me when I seen
him again “Don’t give up Islam.”
I wrote a grievance on the warden of my unit for bribery. I alerted him
of my life being threatened and he took that opportunity to coerse a
bribe instead of doing his actual job. When I wrote in to inquire what’s
come of that grievance I was told by my unit’s grievance investigator it
was sent back and deemed redundant but I never received it back, nor
have I received the emergency grievance I wrote due to me having a
feeling they would do this. There’s grievances that the units saying
were lost but I know it was thrown away due to answer in response to the
grievance being able to cause trouble.
I’m writing to request assistance with my imminent hunger strike,
commencing 12/8/2017. You can help by calling the prison, repetitively
and constantly, urging them to resolve the inhumane and unconstitutional
conditions of confinement and mistreatment prison officials are
subjecting me to here in Kasson Unit, which are enumerated below.
I’ve submitted dozens of Releases of Information to Kasson’s Mental
Health Lead, Dr. Tracy Rogers, my therapist/advocate. The R.O.I.s allow
her to discuss with you all matters concerning me. They allow ADC to do
the same. Rogers and my mother (who is also the legal agent of my powers
of attorney) are well-informed of these strike issues and can help you
help me. I strongly urge you contact both to coordinate the best
possible plan of advocacy for resolution. However, please do not
hesitate to call in now. Ask for resolution. Demand it.
I went through a similar strike in Sep., 2017. It lasted 13 days. I lost
26 lbs., or 14% of my body mass. Prison officials, during the strike,
seemed willing, eager, to resolve the issues, but, as soon as I ended
the strike (because they promised concessions and resolutions), they
reneged and let the issues go unresolved. In fact, more issues have
risen since, and they continue to perpetrate and ignore them.
Please know that prison officials here, including mental health staff,
can force me to be placed in the Mental Health Suicide Watch Pod. There,
I will be stripped of all clothing, property, hygiene - everything. I
will not be able to write, send personal or legal mail, work on my civil
rights cases and appeals. Placement in Watch is purely retaliation and
serves no purpose other than to act as a deterrent. Watch cells are
filthy, never cleaned, cold. I’ll receive no recreation or out-of-cell
time. They’ll be treating me worse than a dog at the pound on the eve of
being euthanized. That is the ethos of Kasson Unit.
Kasson Unit is rife with staff misconduct, psychological torture,
psychological and sexual abuse by staff, illegal destruction of personal
property (a violation of A.R.S. §31-228(A)), and other unconstitutional
and illegal acts and procedures of prison officials. Kasson is the most
corrupt, broken unit I’ve been in in my entire 12.5 years in ADC. The
misconduct is systemic, and very few staff have managed to avoid the
pool of corruption.
This hunger strike is my last resort, my only recourse, so please help
me urge them, these government officials who are paid with your tax
dollars, to grant resolutions before things worsen. This strike is about
finding justice, equality, fair and humane treatment, and human decency.
The issues I’m trying to resolve are described below. Thank you very
much for your concern and solidarity.
Kasson Unit must eliminate the extreme cockroach infestation. Each
4-man pod has thousands of roaches, each cell hundreds. They crawl
everywhere: walls, floors, ceiling, property, clothing, bed, even my
body, while sleeping. Staff have even delivered my food with roaches in
it. They refuse to properly address the problem, will not pay their
contracted exterminators the required amount to actually exterminate
them. In my 15 months here they’ve sprayed a minimal amount of pesticide
in the cells only twice. It is extremely unsanitary.
Since Jan, 2017, mail room, at Sgt. J. Ramos’ direction, has been
returning to sender all incoming books and magazines I subscribe to, in
violation of my First Amendment rights. They falsely claim I have in my
possession more than the allowed limit of books (10) and magazines (5).
They do this because I challenge their illegal exclusions and censorship
of certain magazines, such as Esquire, US Weekly, Cosmopolitan, etc.
They figure that if they return to sender all publications, I won’t be
able to appeal censorship. They allow, seldomly, only secular
publications, another First Amendment violation.
Staff, including C.O.3 Oswald, C.O.4 Castorena, and Dep. Warden
Montano, refuse to allow me reasonable - or any - telephonic access to
call my attorneys of record. This is causing irreparable damage to my
legal cases and is highly unconstitutional. Pima Co. Judge Godoy has
ordered an inquiry into this matter, but staff continue to refuse any
legal calls, since Feb, 2017.
Staff must provide me with unfettered access to grievance forms, per
policy (D.O. B02.01.1.7) and the Redress of Grievances clause of the
First Amendment, but they consistently deny them. Additionally, Oswald
refused to respond to most of my informal grievances, though his job,
and policy (D.O. 802.02.13), mandates Responses. Their justification for
this is that I “file too many grievances.” There is no limit for filing
grievances. Also, Grievance Coordinator Castorena refuses to process
valid grievances, instead returning them “processed” under false
pretexts, in violation of the grievance policy. 4(A) This issue is
compounded by staff’s refusal to properly address the problem. All
staff, including Central Office, Admin., Programs and Security,
routinely refuse to respond to my Inmate Letters, in violation of D.O.
916. They claim they never received them, though I retain proof of
receipt by staff. They are attempting to effectively silence me. They
must respond to all Inmate Letter forms. 4(B) This matter also relates
to issue #2, as Florence Complex Publication Review staff commonly
refuse to acknowledge receipt of my Exclusion Appeals, a Due Process
violation.
Staff will not respect my Right to Education. They allowed me to
begin earning my paralegal degree from Blackstone Career Inst. in May,
2017, but have returned to sender all course materials since June,
relying on unconstitutional prison policies as a justification. This is
a self-pay course, which will improve my life and reduce chances of
recidivism upon release. This prison must allow me to resume this
course.
I have a Special Needs Order (S.N.O.) for sunglasses, to help me
treat my photosensitivity. I’ve had approved sunglasses sent in but
Property Officer C.O.2 M. Del Valle refuses to give them to me, without
any justification. Exposure to bright light causes migraines. My
sunglasses have been sent in previously, but staff stole them. Now this
pair is in jeopardy of being stolen, or “lost.”
Property Officer Del Valle is violating prison policies and AZ (ARS
§31-228(A)) by destroying my property. She refuses to allow me to return
to sender non-allowable items (e.g. photos, etc.) received via mail, in
violation of D.O. 909.06.1.2.2 & 07.1.5.4. She instead decides to
illegally destroy it.
Staff are withholding my TV because I’m serving Loss of Privilege
(LOP) disciplinary sanctions, though they permit everybody else on LOP
to retain/possess their TV. They single me out because I file so many
grievances and lawsuits, which other prisoners are afraid to do for fear
of retaliation - like having appliances seized.
In July, 2017, staff inappropriately placed me under protective
custody (P.C.) without providing me any notice (Due Process). Placing me
under PC was retaliation, an attack on my pride and integrity, and is
totally unwarranted. They claim it was due to a single written threat on
my safety. 9(A) Further, Dep. Warden Mortano refuses to process my
requests to be removed from P.C., a violation of D.O. 805. (See
also:4(A))
Mail Room staff are enforcing unfair, unconstitutional and illegal
mail policies, which must cease. D.O. 914.02.1.5, 1.5.1, 1.5.1.2, 1.5.2,
05.1.3, 1.3.2, 1.5, 1.5.4 and 1.8 allow staff to read, seize and
withhold incoming and outgoing mail if staff, regardless of rank, don’t
like or find offensive the content of the personal correspondence. I’ve
personally been aggrieved of this issue. The policies & procedures
are totally unconstitutional, too vague, and illegal. 10(A)
Additionally, staff refuse to allow self-addressed stamped envelopes
(SASEs) to be received unless they are sent from a secular (Christian)
group. They routinely seize SASEs sent from non-secular groups, a
violation of D.O. 914.01.1.2.2 and the First Amendment. (I declare under
penalty of perjury the foregoing is true and correct.)
I am writing in regards to some situations I have been dealing with and
as of yet to get a positive resolution. I’ve been a victim of medial
neglect, deliberate indifference, discriminated against in violation of
the ADA (American Disabilities Act), and denied access to courts. Here’s
my statement of facts:
In May I filed a grievance for being inadequately housed in a cell. I
have a breathing machine (for sleep apnea). The machine is plugged in
over the toilet and sits on the floor next to the toilet. The toilets in
the cells have a history of overflowing. I explained that I could be
electrocuted in the middle of the night while I am asleep. I requested
to be housed in a dorm where the machine could sit on a table next to
the bunk. In the grievance I stated the American Disabilities Act, and
the criteria says that I qualify for dorm housing. The same warden
(Bruce Johnson) that investigated the grievance is named in the
grievance, the one that denied me dorm housing, and denied my grievance.
In August, in the Eastham Infirmary, I was denied access to medical (I’m
Chronic Care). I have hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea which causes
me to stop breathing in my sleep. I’m supposed to get one gallon of
water per week for my c-pap machine. Nurse Danny Washington had told me
to come in on a Tuesday in August, because I did not receive a lay-in. I
was told by C.O. Twana Mack to quote “Get the f__k out!” I was also
denied to turn in my sample that the doctor requested. I was unable to
use my breathing machine that night of 8-15-17. I filed a step-1
grievance and again was investigated by Warden Bruce Johnson who is
named in prior grievances. I filed a step-2 and mentioned that C.O.
Twana Mack has a history of cursing inmates and denying them access to
medical and while inmates are filing grievances on her, no action is
being taken. As of November, I have not received my step-1 & 2
response. I’ve tried requesting getting copies from the Unite Grievance
Office (Ms. Hall and Ms. Washington) to no avail.
In October, I went on medical chain to the hospital at the Estelle Unit
and when I returned, I was housed in Seg with G-4 and G-5 offenders. On
these lines (cells) we are not allowed to go to Church nor law library.
So basically we are in overflow and we’re punished for going on medical
chain to the hospital. We’re housed in Seg for 30 days. In October I
received some documents from the Judge at the Federal Courthouse in
Dallas with a deadline to respond. I wrote Warden Bruce Johnson and
explained to him I needed to attend the law library to get assistance in
filing the objections or filing a motion and my request was denied.
Warden Bruce Johnson denied me access to courts stating we could not
attend the law library while in overflow (seg).
I wrote the law library and explained to them that I needed to attend a
session to get assistance in responding to the court and was denied and
told they would bring the books. I ask them how would I know what I need
if I have no understanding of the law? Again my request was denied (I
filed a grievance) pending. This is just one way Warden Johnson
discourages us from seeking medical attention in other units or
hospitals by putting us in seg(lockup) for 30 days when we return.
On 10-30-17, I received a lay-in to go to O-Line. After about a week I
refused housing, I went to the Lt. office and when he pulled me up on
computer, he said I was never supposed to be on O-line, those inmates
are members of a Security Threat Group (Gangs). I was sent to the D-line
where I spoke to Sgt. Teri Hargis who told me to fill out an Offender
Statement form. In that form, I requested a Unit change which was denied
by Major James Kent (Please see grievance).
It’s rather disheartening to realize my family’s hard earned tax dollars
is contributing the salaries of such dishonest TDCJ employees.
In closing, I would like to thank for your time, concern, and interest
in this ongoing, urgent, and legal matter, and I look forward to your
reply.
I need to know my rights as a offender in Texas. I was locked in my cell
without food due to a malfunctioning door. When I informed the guard as
he walked by, he just shrugged his shoulders and kept walking.
The enclosed letter is submitted to you for follow-up to
“Insulin
Indifference Disables Prisoners”.(ULK 57, p. 6) The
publishing editor of that letter omitted the solution to that problem.
Does anyone have time to comment on if mine compares to the grievance
guides presently available? Or is my method in conflict with the advice
in other manuals? I want to know how I compare with other grievance
methods.
The problem in the article is a policy of no lunchtime
fingersticks/insulin injections. The prison serves lunch so late it is
outside the timeframe that a pre-breakfast shot of 70/30 insulin works
for some diabetics within the prison.
For diabetics having this problem, immediately following lunch they may
have symptoms of extremely elevated glucose, like hunger (even though
they have just ate lunch), blurry vision, dry mouth, thirst, pins and
needles (like tingling nerve pain), and frequent urination. In addition,
at next fingerstick before supper their glucose may be extremely
elevated.
“Extremely elevated” blood sugar is dangerous because it “can cause life
threatening changes in the body within a matter of hours. An extremely
high blood sugar level… And I am talking at least 300… can cause an
imbalance in the delicate acid-based structure in the tissues of the
body.”(1)
So if you take 70/30 insulin (and your prison doesn’t do lunchtime
fingersticks/insulin injections) and you have the above symptoms, and/or
if your suppertime glucose level is still over 300 several hours after
lunch, then you should first try a medical request. Then, if necessary,
a grievance explaining the problem. If filing a grievance (the formal
step), then include the illustration of how extremely elevated glucose
harms the body, located in the last paragraph of “Insulin Indifference
Disables Prisoners.” This way the warden, or other prison officials
signing off on the grievance, cannot claim they were unaware of the
damage that was occurring due to that they “are not medical
professionals.” (This is a popular excuse used by non-medical prison
officials to escape liability in prison medical care cases.)
Two solutions to the problem are: 1. For the prison to start serving
lunch earlier, or 2. For the prison to start providing lunchtime
fingerstick/insulin injection, at which time you should receive a small
dose of regular-type insulin, also called “mealtime insulin.”
Immediately following these two suggested solutions on your grievance,
you should write “To do neither would constitute deliberate
indifference.”
In your medical request or your grievance, you should also explain that
staff should periodically adjust your new lunchtime dose of regular
insulin to determine exactly what amount is required to lower the
residual glucose from lunch so it is at least somewhere between 200 -
300 by suppertime fingerstick. This will keep your glucose out of the
danger zone between lunch and supper.
MIM(Prisons) responds: The problem with timing insulin injections
with mealtimes is not lack of education or medical expertise. The
problem of indifference is built in to the capitalist, white supremacist
power structure. Imprisoned people, and oppressed nations in general,
are not thought to need or deserve to have access to proper medical
care. Prisoners’ right to their eyesight or to keep all their toes is of
absolutely no concern to the imperialist power structure. In fact, from
the imperialist system’s perspective it is probably better for prisoners
and oppressed nation people to continue suffering, and be kept busy
filing grievances. That way it’s even harder to fight back.
We’re glad this author wrote in with more details on what people could
do to resolve the individual problems they are having with
administration’s approach to diabetes management. If we’re talking about
real remedies, though, and about fixing a problem, we need to
acknowledge that capitalism and national oppression are the real cause
of extremely elevated glucose levels. We need to struggle on our
individual problems so we can be stronger for our revolutionary work.
Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture!
On 26 October 2017, U.$. President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a
public health emergency. The declaration should lead to more federal
funding for grants to combat opioid abuse.(1) As we explain below, this
epidemic disproportionately affects euro-Amerikans. Trump linked his
campaign to build a wall along the current Mexican border to the battle
against this epidemic, despite the fact that prescription painkillers
are at the root of it. This is consistent with the Amerikan government’s
solution for drug problems created by imperialism. For the crack
epidemic of the 1980s Amerika responded with mass incarceration of New
Afrikan men as the solution. As opioid addiction continues a steady
rise, Trump offers further militarization of the border.
Opioids have been used by humyns for thousands of years both medicinally
and recreationally, with many periods of epidemic addiction. Use began
with opium from poppies. Morphine was isolated in 1806. By the early
1900s heroin was promoted as a cure for morphine addiction in the United
$tates, before being made illegal in 1924. There was a lull in heroin
use during the 1980s, when cocaine and crack overshadowed it. Various
prescription pain killers began to come back into vogue in the 1990s
after the “Just Say No!” mentality was wearing off. Since then, use and
abuse has been on a steady rise, feeding a new surge in the use of
heroin as a cheaper alternative. This rise, in the economic centers of
both the United $tates and China, is directly linked to capitalism.
The Danger
While K2
is one dangerous substance plaguing U.$. prisons these days, partly
due to its undetectability, opioids are by far the biggest killer in the
United $tates, and we expect that is true in prisons as well. Drug
overdoses surpassed car accidents as the number one cause of accidental
deaths in the United $tates in 2007 and has continued a steady rise ever
since. The majority of these overdoses have been from opioids.(2)
While the increase in deaths from opioids has been strong across the
United $tates, rates are significantly higher among whites, and even
higher among First Nations. One reason that use rates are lower among
New Afrikans and Latin@s is that it has been shown that doctors are more
reluctant to prescribe opioids to them because they are viewed as more
likely to become addicted, and Amerikan doctors see them as having a
greater pain threshold.(3)
We did see some evidence of this trend in the results of
our
survey on the effects of drugs in U.$. prisons. The most popular
answer to our question of whether certain groups did more drugs in
prison than others was no, it affects everyone. But many clarified that
there was a strong racial divide where New Afrikans preferred weed and
K2, while whites and usually Latin@s went for heroin and/or meth. Some
of these respondents said that New Afrikans did less drugs.(4) A couple
said that New Afrikans used to do less drugs but now that’s changing as
addiction is spreading. In states where K2 has not hit yet (CA, GA, CO)
it was common to hear that whites and “hispanics” (or in California,
“southern” Mexicans) did more drugs. The pattern of New Afrikans
preferring weed and K2 seemed common across the country, and could have
implications for strategies combating drug use among New Afrikans
compared to other groups. In particular, stressing that K2 is completely
different and more dangerous than weed could be part of a harm reduction
strategy focused on New Afrikans.
If prison staff were doing their jobs, then we would expect rates of
both overdoses and use in general to be lower in prisons. But we know,
and our survey confirmed, that this is not the case (78% of respondents
mentioned staff being responsible for bringing in at least some of the
drugs in their prison). In hindsight, it may have been useful to ask our
readers what percentage of prisoners are users and addicts. Some of the
estimates that were offered of the numbers using drugs in general were
20-30%, 90%, 75%, and many saying it had its grips on the whole
population.
Deaths from opioids in the general U.$. population in 2015 was 10.5 per
100,000, double the rate in 2005.(5) This is higher than the rates in
many state prison systems for overdoses from any drug,
including Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania that
all reported average rates of 1 per 100,000 from 2001-2012. California
was closer at 8 per 100,000 and Maryland exceeded the general population
at 17 deaths from overdoses per 100,000 prisoners.(6) At the same time,
prison staff have been known to
cover
up deaths from overdoses, so those 1 per 100,000 rates may be
falsified.
In our survey of ULK readers, we learned that Suboxone, a drug
used to treat opioid addiction, is quite popular in prisons
(particularly in the northeast/midwestern states). Survey respondents
mentioned it as often as weed as one of the most popular drugs, and more
than heroin. Suboxone is actually used to treat heroin addiction. And
while it is not supposed to be active like other opioids, it can lead to
a high and be addictive. It is relatively safe, and will not generally
lead to overdose until you combine it with other substances, which can
lead to death.
Prescription drugs are not as common as other drugs in most prisons,
according to our survey. Though in some cases they are available. We
received a few responses from prisons where prescription drugs
prescribed by the medical staff seemed to be the only thing going on the
black market. Clearly there is variability by facility.
Two Paths to Recovery
The increases in opioid abuse in the United $tates has been
staggering, and they cause a disproportionate amount of the deaths from
drug overdoses. About 10% of opioid addicts worldwide are in the United
$tates, despite only being less than 5% of the world’s population.(7) At
the same time, only about 1% of people in the United $tates are abusing
opioids.(8) This is not the worst episode in U.$. history, and certainly
not in world history.
Around 1914 there were 200,000 heroin addicts in the United $tates, or
2% of the population. In contrast, some numbers for opium addicts in
China prior to liberation put the addiction rate as high as 20% of the
population around 1900, and 10% by the 1930s. That’s not to dismiss the
seriousness of the problem in the United $tates, but to highlight the
power of proletarian dictatorship, which eliminated drug addiction about
3 years after liberation.
Richard Fortmann did a direct comparison of the United $tates in 1952
(which had 60,000 opioid addicts) and revolutionary China (which started
with millions in 1949).(9) Despite being the richest country in the
world, unscathed by the war, with an unparalleled health-care system,
addicts in the United $tates increased over the following two decades.
Whereas China, a horribly poor country coming out of decades of civil
war, with 100s of years of opium abuse plaguing its people, had
eliminated the problem by 1953.(9) Fortmann pointed to the politics
behind the Chinese success:
“If the average drug addiction expert in the United States were shown a
description of the treatment modalities used by the Chinese after 1949
in their anti-opium campaign, his/her probable response would be to say
that we are already doing these things in the United States, plus much
more. And s/he would be right.”(9)
About one third of addicts went cold turkey after the revolution, with
the more standard detox treatment taking 12 days to complete. How could
they be so successful so fast? What the above comparison is missing is
what happened in China in the greater social context. The Chinese were a
people in the process of liberating themselves, and becoming a new,
socialist people. The struggle to give up opium was just one aspect of a
nationwide movement to destroy remnants of the oppressive past.
Meanwhile the people were being called on and challenged in all sorts of
new ways to engage in building the new society. There was so much that
was more stimulating than opium to be doing with their time. Wimmin, who
took up opium addiction in large numbers after being forced into
prostitution in opium dens, were quickly gaining opportunities to engage
at all levels of society. The poor, isolated peasants were now organized
in collectives, working together to solve all kinds of problems related
to food production, biology and social organization. The successful
struggle against drug addiction in China was merely one impressive side
effect of the revolutionizing of the whole society.
In contrast, in the capitalist countries, despair lurks behind every
corner as someone struggles to stay clean. The approach has ranged from
criminalization to medicalization of drug addiction as a disease. “Once
an addict, always an addict”, as they say. Always an individualist
approach, ignoring the most important, social causes of the problem.
That drug addiction is primarily a social disease was proven by the
practice of the Chinese in the early 1950s, but Western “science”
largely does not acknowledge the unquestionable results from that
massive experiment.
It is also worth pointing out the correlation between drug abuse and
addiction, and capitalist economics specifically. Whether it was
colonial powers forcing opium on the Chinese masses who had nothing, in
order to enslave them to their economic will, or it is modern Amerikan
society indulging its alienation in the over-production of prescription
pills from big pharmaceutical companies marketing medicine for a profit.
China Today
And now, opioid addiction is on the rise again in capitalist China after
decades. A steady rise in drug-related arrests in China since 1990 are
one indicator of the growing problem.(10) As more profits flowed into
the country, so have more drugs, especially since the 1990s. We recently
published a
review
of Is China an Imperialist Country?, where we lamented the loses
suffered by the Chinese people since the counter-revolution in 1976. It
goes to show that when you imitate the imperialists, and put advancing
the productive forces and profits over serving the people, you invite in
all the social ills of imperialism.
In China drug addiction has now become something that people fear.
Like it did with its economy, China has followed in the imperialists’
footsteps in how it handles drug addiction. Chinese policy has begun
treating addicts as patients that need to be cured to protect society.
Rather than seeing those who give up drugs as having defeated the
oppressor’s ways, they are monitored by the state, lose social
credibility, and have a hard time getting a job.(11) Under socialism,
everyone had a job and no one needed recreational drugs to maintain
themselves mentally. The path to combating drug addiction and abuse is
well-established. Attempts under imperialism that don’t involve
liberatory politics of the oppressed have little to no effect.