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.
Revolution in Texas! Revolution in Utah! Revolution in Arizona! And
Revolution in California!
It is with these hystoric words once shouted by Chican@ revolutionaries
a hundred years ago that we proudly echo this sentiment today as we
announce the completion of Chican@ Power and the Struggle for
Aztlán, on this anniversary of the Plan de San Diego. A hundred
years ago, so-called “bandits” and “heathens” in the conquered territory
of the United $tates, known as Aztlán, declared their war of liberation
from Amerikan imperialism. And just as the Plan de San Diego grew out of
heightened national oppression both on a domestic and international
level, so does Chican@ Power and the Struggle for Aztlán come
out of the depths of Amerika’s dungeons at a time in which the Chican@
nation, and indeed the world, risks being swallowed whole by various
imperialist factions; principally Amerikan imperialism.
Those once thought to be our old guard have come closer and closer to
unity with our oppressors than to our own people, yet the Chican@ lumpen
pushes through, rises to the challenge and presents us with the most
correct political analysis to the most pressing questions facing Aztlán
today. Vendidos (sell outs) might say that revolutionary nationalism is
an ancient and dead phenomenon no longer relevant in a “globalized
world.” But it is exactly because of this “globalization”
(i.e. imperialism) that this work is more needed than at any other time
since the last round of national liberation struggles inside of U.$.
borders.
Chican@ Power and the Struggle for Aztlán has been in
development for well over three years and is a collaborative effort
between Chican@ revolutionaries from northern and southern
Califas-Aztlán and MIM(Prisons). Our comrades on the outside
facilitated, guided and made possible this manifesto. This work is an
example of the political unity between both major regions of
Califas-Aztlán that must come to bear by the imprisoned Chican@ lumpen
on an Aztlán-wide basis before we are ready to put this ideological
unity into practice.
Throughout the creative process of this book there were indeed many
times in which we found it difficult to continue this collaboration.
This was due not only to the same old tired divisions amongst Chican@s
in California that have been keeping the imprisoned Raza from uniting as
one, but due to ideological and political immaturity as well. However,
through all of this, Chican@ revolutionaries from both major sections of
Califas-Aztlán managed to resolve our differences through the tools and
weapons refined for us by the great protagonists of oppressed peoples’
movements everywhere: Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao. But above
all, the reality that bound us throughout this work was not only our
common oppression but the want and need to one day see our people free.
And so, largely through the method of unity-struggle-unity and the
dialectical materialist frame of thought did we finalize this important
task. And as great as this work is, and as much of a watershed moment we
are celebrating, we remain very much aware that this is just the opening
shot to the quickly flourishing revolutionary nationalist movements
within Amerika’s prisons.
This book is in service to the imprisoned Chican@ lumpen in order that
they may finally have a general framework from which to build
ideological unity and from which to politically grow and wrest state
power from Amerikan imperialism and the white settler nation.
Just as author Benjamin Heber Johnson makes the statement, “In fifty
years the projected ninety-six million Latino residents of the United
States would, if considered a nation, follow only Brazil and Mexico as
the most populous country in Latino America” so will it probably take as
long to see the fruits of our labor.(1)
The Chican@ nation is comprised of oppressed Raza and it forms a part of
Latin@ America. Chican@s Unite!
Bulloch County Jail in Statesboro Georgia has an isolation wing (or
control unit) which consists of many isolation cells on both sides of a
hallway. The windows on these cells doors facing the hallway are covered
by hinged metal flaps that open and close from the outside of the cell.
The majority of these cells have no windows to allow prisoners to see
outside. In the cells which have a window it is only a narrow slot of
glass too heavily frosted and high up off the floor to see out of. The
only time officers open the flaps are for 2 to 3 seconds at count times.
Every night at 9 p.m. all of the cells lights are shut off (including in
the cells without outside windows). The cells are pitch black until the
next morning at breakfast. There is a nightlight function which only
stays on when an officer outside of the cell pushes a button and holds
it down continuously. As soon as the button is released the nightlight
goes back off. This is obviously just to allow officers to count during
lights out.
It would probably be easy to modify to allow lights to stay on for
prisoners desiring some light to read, write, or move around by. But
nobody in the jail is organizing to write grievances on this, etc.
Prisoners are discouraged from knocking on the insides of their cells
doors or calling out to summon staff by threats of pepper-spray, tasing,
or use of a restraning chair. In 2014 I was in this isolation/control
unit while some type of inspection group toured the jail and I heard a
female visitor/inspector open one of the metal flaps and comment “that
can’t be right.” Yet this practice continued until I was transferred in
March 2015.
I read in PARC Prisoner Resource Directory’s 2015 issue some “standards
for treatment of prisoners” that restriction to a dark cell, as
punishment, is a violation of the Geneva convention. And many of the
prisoners there are under disciplinary status. Though Bulloch County
Jail staff attitudes are that at this jail they do what they want. I
have personally seen them take positive remedial action when it becomes
known to them that someone on the outside is paying attention to the
jail’s treatment of prisoners. This is my first attempt to gain
attention on this particular complaint. The jail captain is John Staten
and his chief lieutenant is Danny Tremble. They have these prisoners
“living in darkness” literally.
The prison oppressors have maliciously transferred me to Jester III Unit
here in Richmond, Texas. I have filed numerous grievance complaints and
indicated filing a Section 1983 civil lawsuit, due to prison staff
violating my Constitutional rights.
I had to wait about 15 days before I was allowed to write to you all,
because the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) indigent program
only allows me to mail out 5 personal letters a month. Once I have
submitted the 5 letters, I’m forced to wait until the next 30-day period
starts. I have filed a grievance, and hope a class action lawsuit is
presented to the court so that I can join in.
According to Guajardo v. Estelle 432 F.Supp 1373, prison
officials must furnish postage and stationary to indigent prisoners
weekly, without a waiting period. By denying me communication with my
family, friends and advocates, it hinders me from informing people of
the extreme mistreatment I’m constantly subjected to here.
I respectfully request the recent issue of Under Lock & Key
be mailed to my new address, plus any study material to help me teach
the 5 principles of the United Front for Peace in Prisons (Independence,
Internationalism, Growth, Unity, and Peace) within the prison
environment. I greatly appreciate my beloved comrades’ assistance and
highly need support. I will write to you and other comrades in the
struggle as much as is possible or allowed.
MIM(Prisons) responds: It is all too common that laws are set,
but that the problems continue because prison officials simply don’t
follow the laws. As this correspondent writes, there are already legal
standards for how indigent correspondence should be handled in Texas.
Yet the Texas Board of Criminal Justice modified TDCJ’s correspondence
rules in opposition to this law.
In communication with Mumia Abu-Jamal, in Mumia’s book Jailhouse
Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners v. the U.S.A., Ed Mead
explains this phenomenon well:
“[The courts] may order that you have more peanut butter on the main
line but they’re not going to do anything significant or fundamental in
terms of serving the public interest. And that is the limitation of
jailhouse lawyering, you can get yourself out but there will be another
one to replace you. You can get a friend out; there will be another one
to replace him. You can file a prisoner rights suit but they’ll just not
enforce it… or if it’s enforced, after a while it just dissipates, like
a puddle of water evaporating and nobody really notices that it’s gone.”
For those issues that people notice are dwindling away, such as the
restrictions on indigent mail in Texas, what role can lawsuits play in
ensuring these rights are protected? Our correspondent would like to
join on to a Class Action suit on this issue, and surely there are
plenty of Texas comrades who would be interested in something similar.
Ed Mead breaks it down:
“[T]he courts are a part of the State’s apparatus of repression… and the
State is the means by which one class suppresses the interests of
another class. And since the police and the prisons are a part of that
and the courts as well, none of these enforcement mechanisms are going
to abolish themselves. Once you get beyond the point of litigating over
‘we want more peanut butter on the main line,’ if you’re looking for
substantial issues, then the courts aren’t the place to go…
“And the way I look at it is that the prison is the factory that turns
out the product. And that product is angry people who are released to
the streets full of rage, which gets taken out on their family members,
their neighbors, and the community. And to try to treat individual
products that the factory spews out, it’s spewing them out faster than
you could possibly fix the problem. You need to focus on shutting the
factory down. And the courts aren’t going to be of any assistance in
that.”
In the context of our anti-imperialist organizing, we see lawsuits as
having two functions. First, they can be a way to organize people by
bringing them into political struggle, and demonstrating the limitations
of the injustice system. Second, when successful, lawsuits can help to
make space for this revolutionary organizing. Lifting the severe
restrictions on indigent correspondence would definitely be better for
people who are submitting articles to Under Lock & Key,
participating in our correspondence study groups, or just keeping their
ULK subscription active. And we’re sure that most of our
comrades behind bars don’t just write to us! But even if this
restriction were lifted, as it should be, there would just be some other
injustice being thrown our way. Or eventually the law would be
“forgotten” and we’d have to go to court over the same thing, again.
Ed Mead is a former prisoner, jailhouse lawyer, founder of Prison
Legal News, and long-time revolutionary. Ey presently publish the
newsletter The Rock and recently had
eir
autobiography published by Kersplebedeb. With Ed’s vast and
long-time experience in the anti-imperialist prisoner-focused movement,
ey has this to say about putting our legal efforts into a broader
context of struggle: “The main thing is to put jailhouse lawyering in a
context of class struggle. And when you put it in that context its
limitations become abundantly clear.”
Mumia reflects on Ed’s perspective on jailhouse lawyering,
“For this one man, jailhouse law was a doorway into other realms of
social reality, where the courts, for all their pomp and ceremony, were
largely irrelevant to the larger social struggles rippling through
society. What Mead learned was that jailhouse law was simply a means; it
was not an end. It had, in Mead’s view, severe limitations.”
To move beyond these limitations, we expand our scope. While this legal
system fails us, we instead aim to set the stage for communist
revolution on these shores. We have various campaigns and projects
centered around this goal, which we report on regularly on this website
and in Under Lock & Key.
9 September 2015 marked the fourth annual Day of Peace and Solidarity in
prisons throughout the United $tates. This is an opportunity for us to
commemorate the anniversary of the Attica uprising and draw attention to
abuse of prisoners across the country. The demonstration was initiated
in 2012 by an organization participating in United Front for Peace in
Prisons (UFPP) and has been taken up as an annual UFPP event, with
people committing to participate in prisons across the country.
Activities vary, from peaceful resistance and fasting to study groups
and educational events. Some observe the event alone due to their
confinement conditions and some take this opportunity to organize with
others.
This demonstration is focused on the
UFPP
principles of peace and unity: We organize to end the needless
conflicts and violence among prisoners, and we strive to unite with
those who have a common interest in fighting the oppression of the
criminal injustice system. On this one day we call on all prisoners to
take up these principles and cease all prisoner-on-prisoner hostilities,
and use the day for solidarity building and education.
While we don’t organize for just one day of peace and unity, this day of
action expands awareness and broadens our base of support to build for
peace and unity year round. In this way we build from smaller campaigns
to broader goals and ultimately to a movement that can stand up against
the entire criminal injustice system.
We have already received reports from a number of September 9
participants, which are summarized here. Look for more reports in
upcoming issues of Under Lock & Key.
Comrades in Arkansas commemorated the day by joining USW and committing
to stepping up their work in the coming year:
“Happy Day of Peace and Solidarity! Today my comrades and I
celebrated by eating a chili spread and discussing the many ailments
that plague prisoners as a result of our confinement. We also discussed
the ways we might non-coercively combat the prison establishment from
within. That is no easy task because at the first sign of unity the pigs
are quick to lock us up and separate us. Not that we have much to lose
considering we are being housed on administrative segregation (23 hour
lock down).
“We decided to name our study group CRASH or Crazy Revolutionaries
Against Social Hierarchy. We thought it fitting to name ourselves on
this day to commemorate Attica. We would also like to join USW. We
absolutely agree with all 6 points of MIM(Prisons) and would like to
join other like-minded individuals and take a more active role in
helping unify the oppressed against imperialism. All power to the people
and let burn the renewing flames of the communist revolution!”
In Louisiana a new comrade devoted the day to serious study and fasting:
“I am writing to inform you that because of knowledge I received by
reading Under Lock & Key I participated in my first
commemoration of the September 9 Day of Peace Peace and Solidarity
movement. Six months ago I was unaware such a movement even existed,
especially since I was first exposed to the tragedy in, or rather at,
Attica in the late 90s - the same time I was first introduced to the
Souljah George. The organization I was/am a part of already in our
protocols recognized Black August. But the September 9 movement was
unknown to us.
“Even though I hadn’t heard of the movement I still responded to your
call to arms. I fasted from solid food the entire day and only had one
cup of water after sundown. I also, after each prayer (as I am a
conscious and conscientious Muslim), reread articles from ULK and
expounded upon them to my neighbor who, incidentally, is the guy who was
involved in the failed judicial lynching attempt of Lil Boosie.
“I also revisited The Wretched of the Earth by Fanon with particular
emphasis on the preface written by Jean-Paul Sartre. And although it is
a scathing denunciation of European imperialism/colonialism and a
concise treatise advocating, or rather understanding, the use of
violence to uproot that system, I still believe it was appropriate
reading for the commemoration of this day. For as we know, the overall
goal you wish to achieve and those I am aligned with will not be a
peaceful act in the traditional sense of the word. The forces of
capitalism will not go quietly into that good night.”
In Michigan one organizer is spreading information about this history of
Attica and the September 9 Day:
“I’ve been talking to a lot of prisoners about the September 9 Day
of Peace and Solidarity but a lot of prisoners knew nothing about the
Attica uprising by the comrades against the injustice department of
corruption of the DOCs across the country. I myself fasted on September
9 for the remembrance of the fallen comrades, but the majority of
prisoners in the Michigan DOC played games, watched TV, and talked shit
about the ‘new private food services trinity.’ But they aren’t for peace
and solidarity.”
While this comrade found most prisoners wasting time, the seeds of
discontent are there with their discussions about the food service.
These seeds can be nurtured with education and organizing to build a
core devoted to peace and solidarity.
A comrade at the California Health Care Facility wrote in advance of the
date about plans:
“For September 9 this year my comrades and I are organizing a hunger
strike to make the pigs start cleaning our unit. We live in a controlled
unit that doesn’t allow porters, leaving the cleaning up to the pigs or
custodians. But they never do it so we are forced to live in filth.”
On September 10 we received the following update from this same comrade:
“Update on my September 9 hunger strike. The pigs conceded and cleaned
the unit. On top of that I had 15 copies made of the grievance campaign
petition and had two comrades join me in flooding the listed offices
with them. I provided the postage for them all since they are stingy
with the indigent envelopes here. I also led a small group in which we
went over the history and importance of September 9 and enlightened a
few who were unaware of the struggle. I broke my fast at midnight a few
minutes ago so now I’m going to spend some time in contemplation and get
some zzz’s.”
Another California comrade wrote about organizing at California
Correctional Institution:
“For September 9 I attempted to raise the level of consciousness
amongst the inmates here on a few issues:
“1) I spoke on comrade George L. Jackson’s untimely death at San
Quentin, and his particular struggle transforming the colonial and
criminal mind into a revolutionary mentality. I talked about how he vied
to unify the blacks and other groups. But, the reactionary system wasn’t
having it one bit. So as a result of his struggles in prison he was
assassinated.
“2) I also spoke on
Hugo
Pinell, who was also slain unfortunately during Black August, and
what he stood for in terms of solidarity amongst progressive people. I
also spoke on Attica’s uprising. Mao said, ‘one spark can light a
prairie fire.’ And it definitely did.
“3) I spoke on how it is vitally important to end all hostilities
amongst all groups of prisoners and beyond. In spite of the fact that
hostilities will be fomented by the reactionary state. We must continue
to vie for peace, harmony and love amongst each other no matter what.
The enemy will stop at nothing to foil our efforts. It’s part of the
struggle to continue moving forward until our goals can be realized, and
at that we can set more.
“Also, I spoke to them about the importance of maintaining a study group
here even after my departure from prison. And that each and every one of
them have an inherent obligation to conduct and maintain a study group
amongst themselves so that they can continue raising the social and
political consciousness of prisoners as a whole.
“I did what I could to commemorate September 9. The discussion was for 2
hours. It turned out pretty well. Most of the participants didn’t have a
clue about these historical events and about the prison movement in
general. And of course, some had questions. About 12 people attended the
group. Also, I did a thousand burpees myself to commemorate September 9.
It was exhilarating and refreshing at 53 years of age, to continue to
push forward in my 34th year incarcerated. Pamoja tutashinda uhuru
sasa!”
Also from California at High Desert CF we received a preview of
September 9 plans from the organization Abolitionist From Within:
“As the leading member of the Abolitionist From Within (AFW) I do
support MIM(Prisons) and embrace as a group the five core principles of
the United Front for Peace in Prisons. While AFW may not agree with
every political issue MIM(Prisons) advocates, it is the issues that we
both support that bring us together in this revolutionary struggle. AFW
recently had our first demonstration at High Desert State Prison (HDSP),
bringing together a cohesive front in reflecting, fasting and uniting to
honor those nameless and faceless men of Black August and Attica (1971)
by coming together in solidarity. We brought up the issues of the day
affecting us and we all offered solutions from each individual’s
perspective. It was a beautiful and righteous energy as we synergized,
listening to each other, and offered the best of ourselves during this
time. We will meet again on September 9 and try to agree on the best
solutions in attacking and combating the issues that are inflicting us
today from the first meeting.”
These comrades followed up with a report on their September 9
activities:
“It’s been a blessing to learn and grow from each comrade who has
engaged in a solidarity demonstration with the movement, Abolitionists
From Within (AFW). We came together for all the lost comrades and those
that continue to struggle and unite to break the chain of injustice.
“We fasted September 8 to September 9 in a show of solidarity. Also we
studied together reading books with study questions and we also read
material from Under Lock & Key No. 45 and the September 9
Day of Struggle Study Pack. After reading, we came up with questions
from the material and off we went back to our cells. We also shared the
word with anybody who was willing to listen. Back in our cells i heard
the comrades feeling like freedom revolutionary fighters and that’s
what’s up! We stand in solidarity with the comrades who fought and died
in the uprising at Attica. Continue to struggle with peace on our
tongue.
“Here on ‘D yard’ there was nothing but peace today in solidarity with
the movement and with the Attica freedom fighters. The movement
prevented many young men from being swallowed by the prison culture and
that’s how I feel about the MIM(Prisons) movement helping us comrades
who want change, so I say stay struggling and thank for your continued
struggle with us prisoners. Revolutionary Greetings!”
In California Pelican Bay also represented this September 9,
“Today was a good day. No one had any canteen or nothing to make food,
but we had good conversation about Yogi’s death and how it was a benefit
to the state. The hunger strike was brought up and I talked about how
our hunger strike was a continuation of the struggles of Attica.
“It was hard to speak of peace when we are so close to the tragedy at
Folsom, but folks here with me want peace; we have all voiced peace and
how it helps us all in our own struggles. Doing the state’s bidding by
oppressing other prisoners is not coming from anyone housed around me.
We know that the real contradiction lies in prisoners vs. the
state. Hopefully other circles come to realize this or are weeded out
because Attica gave us a concrete example of what us vs. them looks
like. So did the San Quentin Six and the California hunger strikes.”
This spring we sent out a request to all California USW supporters to
give us updates on the status of the Agreement to End Hostilities (AEH)
at their prison, and to send us a follow up report following the
September 9th Day of Solidarity. This status report has been
overshadowed by the murder of Hugo “Yogi Bear” Pinell on August 12 at
New Folsom Prison. Here is a report on the incident from one comrade:
“Today at around 1:00 p.m., with the help of police provocateur agents a
riot ignited on B-Yard with numerous inmates involved and I regret
deeply with anger and rage to inform you all that a true Black man by
the name of Hugo Pinell was murdered by not only white inmates, but
police as well. It was stirring up for weeks before the incident
occurred that violence was to take place and Hugo was definitely the
target! Due to disrespectful gestures of a white woman during visiting
hours in the visitors room, which was supposedly settled verbally.
“No matter how old, Black lives do matter. The prison officials
mockingly placed information directly to reporters/media about Hugo’s
past as far back as the 1970s, and how he dealt with pigs or whatnot.
He’s a human being who was (unjustly and spinelessly) murdered by agents
and their spies. Only two warning shots were fired and while numerous
stabbings were taking place no officers were hurt. Despite being
attacked, Black inmates have been assassinated for assaultive gestures,
not to mention actual violence.
“I know that Babylon and their stool pigeons been waiting to take down
someone of Hugo’s caliber, so it’s not a secret. These cowards murdered
this man. We must make our society aware of the fact that as
incarcerated warriors of the struggle, we as a people are subjected to
every form of torture, rape, mental anguish, murder/assassination at any
given moment still to this day.”
Another comrade at California State Prison - Sacramento (aka New Folsom)
wrote more recently to explain his interpretation of what happened:
“The most profound and logical explanation is the most evaded and
overlooked, and that is the whole situation is said to be orchestrated
by Correctional Officers in retaliation for the animosity that they
(COs) had towards the brother over historical incidents dating back to
the days of Convict vs. Tyrant COs. The hostilities are fueled by
institutional propaganda, some may claim that after all these years the
white”Aryan Brotherhood” finally got revenge. However, that theory is
ludicrous, due to the fact that they no longer really have loyal and
active subjects. As hard as it is to foster a thought, that the guards
are the bad guys amongst the bad guys (civilian thinking about
prisoners) it is the actual, logical and only real answer.”
The comrade goes on to describe a series of abuses being faced at New
Folsom.
A couple weeks before Hugo’s assassination, a third comrade at New
Folsom told us,
“I see prisoners pass through here for needed medical attention who come
from other yards. One of the”primary” signatories to the AEH, one of the
primary leaders, has been released from the dungeon some time ago who
has been here in the facility, and yet, despite his presence and
authority, I have seen a semi-steady flow of camaradas pass
through here after having been viciously stabbed. The latest one was
both stabbed and sliced up with a box cutter.”
This comrade called on politically conscious prisoners to acknowledge
that the success of the AEH as it is being portrayed does not correlate
with concrete reality, and that we must address this reality.
Despite this reality that there was a series of conflicts leading up to
Hugo’s murder, the outpouring of calls for both justice and continuing
to build unity among all prisoners are coming in from across the state.
This is a disciplined response, where the prisoners in California are
thinking strategically about how to react to this tragedy. That in
itself is no small feat, which should be recognized.
We received a call from a comrade of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party
- Prison Chapter down south, who represented some older brothers there.
We also heard back from a comrade we quoted in our last update on the
AEH in ULK 42, from January 2015. His story of O.G.s building
with youngsters in a bus ride from Pelican Bay caught many people’s
attention. He wrote on 13 August 2015,
“I had written to you in October 2014 about… how the Agreement to End
Hostilities project was going so well, and now this… We have achieved so
much with methods of non-violence amongst the prisoner population… The
core reps must meet at the round table to find a solution.”
A comrade writing from Calipatria had a similar analysis to those above,
with a more or less positive spin on the status of the AEH,
“Having been around the system and noting that the same process of
targeted assassination via drone strike or other means, people whom
correctional staff feel that they can use to try and spark a breakdown
in the Agreement to End Hostilities are used and in this case it is only
obvious that prisoncrats had involvement in selecting a target of such
renown that it was figured that riots would occur all across the state.
The idea was kicked around and so far in most cases sobriety of
consciousness have been maintained.
“Isolated incidents have occurred that could have blown up into mass
conflicts, which it has been becoming obvious to some prisoners in
recognition of plots by agent provocateurs who consistently strive to
have us going at each other in manufactured proxy wars so that
prisoncrats could justifiably perform acts that cannot otherwise be
officially sanctioned.
“The significance of the murder of Hugo (Yogi) Pinell is not lost on
prisoners of conscious whose main question tends to be: With all the
history, how was the plot allowed to be accomplished when there should
not have been a single prisoner unaware of his presence and of his
significance to all prisoners? Men of consciousness can reflect on the
teachings of Sun Tzu relative to knowing the tactics and practices of
the enemy…
“Prisoncrats without a doubt recognize that the introduction of
non-violent protests by other means have opened the eyes of prisoners
who assumed that the only way to obtain results were by violent means. I
suspect that “race” is not as viable an instrument of power among the
prison population as a result of the AEH, throwing a wrench into the
works of the prisoncrats. So we must be aware that they will not limit
themselves to one tactic to try to create new conflicts along various
divisions.”
So while the reaction to Hugo’s death could have been a lot worse, there
is a lot of work ahead to learn from this, as we address the injustice
that occurred and strengthen the prison movement moving forward.
Other than New Folsom, we got reports from several other prisons on the
status of the AEH, and we hope comrades keep sending in their reports.
From Corcoran, we received:
“I’m here in the COR SHU 1L building, which is considered the short
corridor. We New Afrikan Revolutionary Nationalists (NARN) have placed
our ads in the many news outlets (SF Bayview, Turning the
Tide, Prison Focus, The Rock, PHSS
Newsletter) informing all that the NARN Collective Think Tank in
Corcoran SHU’s mission statement is the agreement to end all
hostilities, and as far as we know it’s being honored everywhere that’s
received its message. It is our only hope at obtaining our political
objectives in this struggle if we all come across the racial lines and
bring about a mass united front as we did with the hunger strikes to
show our solidarity hasn’t changed. On the 4B yard (where I am) we hear
that all the building’s inmates are programming together, as in
exercising on the yard in the cages and looking out for one another with
basic necessities, as much as we can do in the SHU.”
A newer comrade, from a different building in 4B at Corcoran had just
got information about September 9 organizing and jumped into action.
However, he laments,
“we are the ones who divide ourselves in this place. In this SHU we are
integrated with general population (GP) inmates as well as those in
protective custody (PC). By in-house politics, GP inmates are not to
communicate or interact with those on PC status and needless to say the
limitations of being locked down only limits our conversing with those
few in our pods.”
This just demonstrates that even getting the full picture of what’s
going on at one prison requires more reports from the ground. But it is
safe to say that there are still divisions preventing basic
communication, which is a barrier to the goals of the AEH. No one
expected a declaration of peace to just be verbally accepted and
automatically translate into action. Building peace is a process, and
the first step is crossing barriers that have no useful basis. Then we
can expose the more serious contradictions that require more effort and
creativity to really address.
Pelican Bay represented this September 9th,
“Today was a good day. No one had any canteen or nothing to make food,
but we had good conversation about Yogi’s death and how it was a benefit
to the state. The hunger strike was brought up and I talked about how
our hunger strike was a continuation of the struggles of Attica.
It was hard to speak of peace when we are so close to the tragedy at
Folsom, but folks here with me want peace, we have all voiced peace and
how it helps us all in our own struggles. Doing the state’s bidding by
oppressing other prisoners is not coming from anyone housed around me.
We know that the real contradiction lies in prisoners vs. the
state. Hopefully other circles come to realize this or are weeded out
because Attica gave us a concrete example of what us vs. them looks
like, so did the San Quentin Six and the California hunger strikes.”
Another comrade there reported on the status to the Agreement to End
Hostilities,
“As we’re all aware, in order for an end to hostilities to become a
reality, all prisoners should promote it or encourage it to other
prisoners who are just arriving to the system. In my location (Pelican
Bay SHU), all have adhered to ’ending hostilities” even though it’s been
evident the pigs have tried to crack it by putting certain prisoners in
compromising circumstances, such as opening the wrong cell when one
comes back from yard. It’s done in a manner that’s obvious. I’ve
witnessed this happen at least 3 times in a year, but with no incidents
as all are adhering to the AEH!
“Although September 9 is a historical day in California prison history,
we now have July 8 which we can reflect on to see our efforts transcend
expectations.
“To sum up, in my area the AEH is adhered to and a lot of class
conscious conversations are constantly being addressed. Everything
pertaining to prisoner rights and the abolishment of solitary
confinement is a hot topic where ideas are matched, and debates and
polemics are welcomed with respect. Our lives are affected by all our
actions. It just helps more when we’re all on the same page. I cannot
say that a grand meeting will be held on September 9 or anything else.
We do have class consciousness, but not all are receptive to
political/revolutionary discussions. Being that my unit is very small, I
will probably be the only one participating in a solidarity fast on
September 9. My revolutionary solidarity goes out to all other USW
comrades.”
Leading up to September 9 we received a joint statement from the United
KAGE Brothers and the Prisoners Political Action Committee out of
Pelican Bay, which was a pledge to end hostilities on the inside and
out.
From California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi, one of the
comrades who has spent more than 10 years in SHU reported in July,
“Yes, the Agreement to End Hostilities campaign has been popularized in
my area. I’m aware of it based on observation and active participation
in our class struggle to abolish solitary confinement, which has me
directly engaged with the people involved. Therefore, I’m able to
confirm, there hasn’t been a single issue of violence on the group yards
here at Tehachapi SHU, which have been in effect for over a year now.
“The Agreement to End Hostilities is being reinforced on the issues that
we’re organizing around and what it will take for our efforts to not
only be sustained, but being successful. The understanding of this, is
realized by prisoners on several fronts, such as, individuals from
various formations exercising together and aiding one another on the
political, social and economic contradictions that manifest.
“On a final note, we prisoners at CCI Tehachapi have been boycotting
CDCR’s ‘How to make a slave’ step-down program since May 11, 2015.
Please be sure to publicize this fact!!”
In Kern Valley State Prison we received reports of active building
across different groups in the spirit of the AEH. In particular the
Nation of Gods and Earths and the Rastafari groups there have been
leading progressive efforts. One God reported on a 30-day event
including many lumpen organizations (LOs) called Project Build. He
states,
“The People/masses/folks support the Agreement to End Hostilities based
on the fact that in this particular facility there are 20 (currently)
self-help groups as well as Bakersfield College… As for development of a
sort of treaty, that has not been put into effect due to the
individualists who will rat to the pigs for an extra phone call or to go
out to a ‘Regular Day Off’ yard. Those who are aware of the need to end
hostilities are toeing the line. Those that aren’t are socially
condemned by those who do not fully comprehend, and slowly re-educated
by those who see them for the unconsciousness they give off.
Communication is key.”
This reinforces the sentiment that lumpen organizations (LOs) are on
board for the AEH, and those who violate it are isolated individuals, or
individuals with connections to the state. At the same time the LOs are
not monolithic organizations and we must not be idealistic about
declaring “Peace achieved!” We have much to celebrate as we mark 3 years
of ending hostilities in California this October 12. But there is much
work to be done to address the existing contradictions that are lurking
beneath the surface. As comrades above acknowledge, it is not just agent
provocateurs creating trouble, though they are very real, and easily
influenced and bribed. To believe that it is just agent provocateurs is
to idealistically ignore the contradictions among the people that must
be addressed. There are antagonistic contradictions among the imprisoned
as well, especially in a situation like California where some LOs have
very entrenched economic and power interests. Addressing both types of
contradictions must continue in order to see another 3 years of peace
and achieve the goals of the prison movement in improving the lives of
all prisoners.
I’m currently locked up in Texas on the notorious Coffield Unit. A very
good friend of mine showed me a letter he received from you all and I
was very impressed! You guys fight for rights of inmates. If that’s the
case, then this unit i’m on would make you empty out the contents of
your stomach on the ground when you saw it.
The entire outside world has no idea what’s going on here. I would like
to tell you about a particular occurrence that happens quite often here.
I work in the showers. This unit is very old and there are no showers on
the wings. A vast migration of inmates happens every morning for those
who want to shower. There are two shower bosses who are especially
cruel. There are many crews who need to shower prior or/and after the
masses shower. When these small groups of people come in, that’s when
these two bosses have their fun. When they’re working alone, they’re
bad. When they are together, they cease to be human.
They will make dudes beg and beg to shower to no avail. If lucky they
will wait an hour standing naked before the water will be turned on.
Then the water is cut off before they have a chance to rinse off. Then
the laughing and pointing fingers begins. Us shower workers just shake
our heads in disbelief at what is going on in front of us. Then they are
denied clean clothes. They wear their filthy clothes back to the wing
and are forced to come back later for clean clothes. It doesn’t take a
rocket scientist to see that this is unlawful!
[At our 2012 Congress MIM(Prisons) decided to begin the process of
building statewide councils to develop USW and its leadership. That
winter the work began to set up the first council in California. This
coincided with a renewed round of strikes in the state involving more
than 30,000 prisoners. As activism spread, so did invitations to join
the council. In short time, lack of participation cut the membership
back down. For about a year and a half now, leading USW cells in
California have been participating in the council on a regular basis,
struggling over theoretical and practical questions of organizing the
prison movement. This article is by one participant in the USW
California Council discussing some of the issues the council has
tackled.]
The United Struggle from Within (USW) political line is
anti-imperialist, as those behind the walls recognize the penal system
and its institutions as an extension of imperialism. Therefore our
struggles include both domestic and international issues. As a generated
organism from the Maoist Internationalist Ministry of Prisons, or
MIM(Prisons), some within USW have taken up MIM line while others have
not yet. USW is an eclectic group of anti-imperialist prisoners working
in cells, individually or in a coordinated groups through MIM(Prisons)
guidance. Our revolutionary activities can vary according to each cell
and location. This makes USW a multi-issue mass organization.
It is important to have USW comrades focus on campaigns that are
relevant to their conditions. For instance, field reporting is
universally applicable. But those doing indeterminate SHU sentences
should focus on getting policies changed or bring up campaigns to shut
down control units, while other comrades on mainlines could organize a
cell of like-minded comrades, set up study groups, and raise other
campaigns. We can all contribute to fighting censorship and other legal
actions that can benefit all prisoners if won in court.
Each USW cell works in the framework of bringing the humyn rights of
prisoners to the forefront. It is no surprise prisons are swamped with
internal semi-colonies, with the long sentences, new detrimental laws
that disproportionately affect oppressed nations, and other practices of
the criminal injustice system that contribute to the mass incarceration
of oppressed nations. This injustice must be brought to the public.
Comrades from USW use propaganda as a tool to reach the masses who are
sympathetic or will become sympathetic. We utilize Lenin’s method of
having Iskra as his party’s way to get the written word out to
the masses by making use of Under Lock & Key to advertise
our campaigns, our polemics, our developing theories, or just to expose
the negative conditions in prisons. ULK is our voice behind the
walls.
USW are we the cadre?
Recently there has been an open polemic in regards to USW. Is it just a
mass org without a leadership role or does it have leadership influence,
and because of this should it no longer be considered a mass org? Well
to apply dialectic materialism to this topic I would say USW is a mass
organization formed in part by MIM line. “All correct leadership is
necessarily ‘from the masses, to the masses.’ This means: take the ideas
of the masses (scattered and unsystematic ideas) and concentrate them
(through study turn them into concentrated and systematic ideas) then go
to the masses and propagate and explain these ideas until the masses
embrace them as their own, hold fast to them and translate them into
action and test the correctness of these ideas in such action. Such is
the Marxist theory of knowledge.”(1)
USW is guided by MIM(Prisons), leading revolutionary work at their
location. Accumulating experience and knowledge while engaged in this
work, many USW comrades aren’t spontaneous in heading into revolutionary
activity, as this would probably prove disastrous if a comrade knows
very little of what exactly to do. For this reason MIM(Prisons) has
study cells welcoming those ready for revolutionary theory education
that is Maoist in content. There are even advanced levels for those who
wish to continue into the ULK Writers Group, the most advanced Maoist
study cell from which stem numerous USW comrades or cadres.
I use the term “cadre” for reasons of revolutionary language because it
permits no dual meaning in our propaganda, and I utilize Che Guevara’s
definition herein:
“What is a cadre? We should state that a cadre is an individual who has
achieved sufficient political development to be able to interpret the
larger directives emanating from the central authority, make them his
own, and convey them as an orientation to the masses: a person who at
the same time also perceives the signs manifested by the masses of their
own desires and their innermost motivations.”(2)
It can be said that any well politicized USW comrade is a cadre behind
the walls as we need not receive directives from MIM(Prisons) to know
how to organize and commit ourselves to a campaign. Yet revolutionary
learning is limitless and anyone wishing to engage in polemics or just
learn from other comrades can do so by either writing in to the
MIM(Prisons) USW coordinator, joining a study cell run by MIM(Prisons)
or reading up on ULK and writing in.
The Statewide Council
The momentum created by USW cells throughout California prisons has
brought us our own revolutionary council where pressing topics are
discussed, and polemics, strategizing and other matters will be
addressed. Through discussion and the democratic process we have passed
resolutions to set the standards for USW cells joining the council.
Resolutions passed so far include: time frames for when members must
respond to council discussions, requirements that each cell vote on each
proposal and provide justification for their votes, minimum study
requirements before a representative can join the council, and
requirements that each USW cell with representation in the council
should put in at least 10 to 40 hours a week of revolutionary work.
i.e. study, writing articles, making political art, etc. Cells are
required to keep track of their work and report it monthly to build
discipline.
The California Council has also built a treasury that we have been using
to fund bonus pages in ULK. Our council has brought forth
double the amount of donations than all other California comrades during
a recent 6-month period. We recently finished a California-specific
introductory letter for USW that went out to all existing members in
June. We have had a slow start but overall we have established a steady
pattern of discussion and work.
Amongst our struggles behind the walls, we will often have obstacles
such as comrades abandoning a campaign or legal battle, or who just stop
checking in with the council, USW or the ULK Writers group to pursue
personal agendas and leave behind their revolutionary work. Our
California Council and USW are a product of work and effort by
politically conscious prisoners having a strategic goal in mind, be it
anti-imperialist, shutting down control units, or prisoner humyn rights
reform. The point is that our goals, strategic and tactical, are to
struggle through the momentum whether it’s low or high! Our focus is to
work together for change and we hope our efforts, our resolve, inspires
others to join our struggle behind the walls. Our struggle for humyn
rights is a pressing issue for the comrades suppressed in solitary
confinement, so contributing to litigation campaigns are essential but
not our only venue! We need to be organized, we need to agitate and
utilize propaganda as a tool in order to apply revolutionary practice!
We seek comrades who have a fair grasp on revolutionary theory. No
comrade needs to be an expert, we are all still learning from each
other, our USW work, and how to concentrate our USW branches through
practice within our revolutionary California Council.
So I can say USW Council representatives are our cadres behind the
walls, forging revolutionary discipline, education, legal assistance,
study groups, etc. If comrades get transferred to another yard or prison
we can expect them to do the same at their new location. And we do our
work discreetly to not draw unwanted attention, thus maintaining all
within USW cell security.
The imperialists have created a mess of migration, with hundreds of
thousands of people traveling from the Middle East and north Africa to
the European Union (EU). Earlier this year there was media attention on
the increased migration from Myanmar and Bangladesh to the richer
countries of South Asia such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. This
is in the context of an unprecedented increase in mass displacement
worldwide.
“By end-2014, 59.5 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide
as a result of persecution, conflict, generalized violence, or human
rights violations. This is 8.3 million persons more than the year before
(51.2 million) and the highest annual increase in a single year.”(1)
The conditions that led about 7% of the world’s entire population to
leave their homes vary widely, and similarly the situations they face
when they do leave their homes also vary. Some have absolutely nothing
to their name but the rags on their body, while others are carrying
smart phones, have high formal education, and are being wired money
along their journey for train tickets and smugglers’ fees. Some just
need to leave where they are, others want to meet up with family who
have already immigrated to other countries, and many are doing both.
This article does not attempt to provide a comprehensive history of the
mass migrations, but it does try to outline some basic principles to
keep in mind as the news unfolds.
Open All Borders!
The oppressor countries have concentrated wealth due to the oppression
and exploitation they inflict on other nations. In these countries,
there is a lot of hubub about whether people are “truly” refugees, and
thus worthy of help, or “just” migrants looking for better economic
opportunity, and thus not worthy of assistance. They say those deemed to
be economic migrants should be sent back to their “safe” countries to
build their lives there – a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps of
international proportions.
No matter why people are leaving their present location, our position is
the same: open all borders! The most progressive economic position under
capitalism would be to enable free travel and work across all borders.
Wealth would be more equalized and the imperialists would have a
material interest in ending harmful policies and practices in other
countries, for fear that those populations would leave their homes to
venture to the countries where the wealth is being concentrated.
We know opening all borders is not a realisitic solution in our present
conditions, so at the very minimum we call on the wealthy countries to
allow those who have already fled to make new lives wherever they (want
to) land. We then call on these wealthy countries to take a stand
against the primary cause for why people flee: U.$. militarism and
imperialism.
On the surface it appears Germany has been somewhat favorable to this
position. They have been the most welcoming country of the EU (although
most recently they are trying to curb the migration rather than welcome
it with open arms). We support any EU country’s openness to migrants.
But it’s significant that Germany has an aging population and has been
trying to figure out how to maintain its economy with a deficit of
working-age people. How fortunate then that so many of the refugees come
with professional degrees, skills, and even some savings. The economic
situation in Germany makes it possible for the country to play hero. The
economic substructure defines the ideological superstructure. If not for
the economic problems in Germany, humanitarian efforts would be
marginalized.
National Chauvinism is Not Internationalism
In spring 2015, media attention was on Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia,
and Australia for refusing to take in Rohingyas and Bangladeshis who
were abandoned by their smugglers at sea for weeks and months.(2) The
primary position of these countries was “it’s not our problem.”
In the EU, Hungary has been a main thoroughfare for migrants this
summer. In response they are erecting an emergency wall on the borders,
and Hungary’s government’s stance is to discourage migration as much as
possible. Denmark, just north of Germany, has been widely advertising
that it has greatly reduced assistance for migrants, and that people
should not go there. And these are certainly not the only examples of
national chauvinism in Europe.
Those who don’t grasp the differences between revolutionary nationalism
and national chauvinism will use these examples as evidence that all
nationalism is bad. One of the more progressive trends that makes this
mistake is the anarchists. Nationalism of oppressor nations tends toward
fascism, but nationalism of oppressed nations tends towards
revolutionary internationalism. Being that the vast majority of
anarchist movements are located in the First World, it makes sense that
they should oppose the nationalism that they see around them. But a
materialist historical analysis shows that nationalism of the oppressed
has done the most to advance peoples out of oppression, imperialism’s
stranglehold, and toward a society where nations and states are no
longer necessary. Maoists also want a world without nations and states,
but a rejection of the progressive aspects of nationalism won’t get us
there.
European Union vs. United $tates
Some officials in the EU have criticized United $tates policy and
military intervention in the Middle East as the reason for this most
recent mass migration. To the EU, most people coming from the Middle
East are from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Not surprisingly, the United
$tates is also presently engaged in military campaigns in and on these
countries.
But the EU only cares what the United $tates does to the degree that it
affects the EU. It’s good when anyone criticizes the United $tates’s
meddling in the Middle East. But until words turn into actions (and
until EU countries stop their own military campaigns in the region),
it’s just a lot of hot air. We want to see the EU not only open its
borders for all the migrants, but also to recognize that it has
interests which differ from those of the United $tates. A united EU
should stop all material and verbal support for occupation and war in
the Middle East, which would do more to help with their present migrant
crisis than building walls and placing newspaper ads.
Rise of Fascism
The recent mass migration has been exposing reactionary nationalist
sentiments, and in turn adding fuel to the recent rise of fascism in
Europe. More far-right parties are being elected at various levels of
government, and there are more demonstrations and attacks on migrants –
the people, and the infrastructure to support them. Most notably,
fascism has been rising in the last few years in Greece, Germany,
Hungary and Sweden.(3)
Communism is the natural antithesis to fascism. Those who see more
material interests in maintaining their present economic position will
tend toward fascism, whereas those who would benefit more from an
equalization of wealth internationally will tend more toward communism.
It’s the job of the communists to help prevent the rise of fascism in
Europe.
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