MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
Under Lock & Key is a news service written by and for prisoners with a focus on what is going on behind bars throughout the United States. Under Lock & Key is available to U.S. prisoners for free through MIM(Prisons)'s Free Political Literature to Prisoners Program, by writing:
MIM(Prisons) PO Box 40799 San Francisco, CA 94140.
The state is tightening its control on free communication and
association in prisons across the country by imposing digital monitoring
systems, and in some
cases banning hard copies of mail.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety has begun using a
company called TextBehind to handle their mail and push people towards
their digital communications platform. This allows the company to extort
people to pay whatever prices they want just to send their loved ones a
message, while the state gets to monitor every word.
MIM Distributors began sending mail to TextBehind last month only to
have it returned unopened. It turns out TextBehind does not process
letters from organizations, only from individuals. As an organization we
would be required to set up a corporate account with non-public pricing
schemes. In other words, as a member of MIM(Prisons) I cannot just put a
stamp on an envelope and drop it in the mail for a comrade in NCDPS
custody anymore. This is a blatant violation of our First Amendment
rights to speech and association. At this time it appears that
newsletters and books are still allowed through the prisons, but we will
not be able to correspond with you directly, send you study guides or
other information persynalized to you if you are being held by
NCPDS.
UPDATE: We just had a package of ULKs
returned to us from Roanoke River Correctional Institution saying, “This
facility DOES NOT accept friend and family mail directly” and that we
must send mail to TextBehind. But TextBehind does not accept
publications, only letters that can be scanned. So it seems mail to
NCDPS is being blocked on all fronts.
Pigs Bring in
Drugs, While Prisoners Mail Suffers
related news from a Wisconsin
prisoner:
First thing first, I am still in Wisconsin. They are making all of us
have our families and comrades send personal letters and photos to the
Phoenix, Maryland PO Box (189) to inspect them for drugs such as K2,
even though drugs, cell phones and other contraband items come from the
fascist pigs that work in these imperialist gulags. Newspapers, books,
publications are still to be sent here.
I recently paroled from C.D.C.R. into the B.O.P. Observation and
inquiry reveals a downward trend in the cut, caliber, and clarity of the
general population.
General Mao Zedong tells us we have to become the change we want to
see. Legion in the past has built at length under Unity-Criticism-Unity
on the people’s struggle for self-determination who are entangled in the
underground commercial sex industry. Observation within the C.D.C.R.
revealed that there was no incentive for a person, male or female and
regardless of sexual bent, to “program” at first, it’s shocking to
reveal.
However, when you are sent to prison you get a 841. It used to be a
long green sheet of paper – now it’s all electronic. They have “P” codes
for violent offenders, arsonists, and anyone convicted of any “sex”
crime. “P” coded individuals include (but is not limited to) domestic
abusers, indecent exposure, child-touchers, rapists, pimps, prostitutes,
Johns, etc. In California alone, a large part of the population has a
“P” code.
“P”-coded people at first were ineligible for milestones and relief
under Prop 47, Prop 35, Prop 57, SB260 and SB261. The “People” of
California always exclude rather than include under the guise of public
safety. They always combine “murderers & rapists” in their cry for
tough on crime policy. And will give a murderer the opportunity to
procreate but not the rapist. In turn, a lot of persons flock to
alternative living because they have no hope.
My duty is to build people’s brains. And under the guidance of
MIM(Prisons) to build public opinion and independent institutions of the
oppressed. To quote “ULK” we support the self-determination of ALL
nations and peoples. That said Legion is calling on all ESP (Erotic
Service Providers) in the confines of U.$. prisons under the thick net
of oppression to ADOPT, RATIFY, GROW, and INSTITUTE the 3P
initiative:
The safety factor, there is always safety in numbers.
Education of revolutionary thought & practice, ignorance of the
knowledge around you is NO EXCUSE.
You aren’t alone, you are not the anomaly.
These are the reasons to adopt, grow, and institute.
Legion is well aware of the hardship people face when subjected to
the “P” code. This label is akin to the Jewish persecution in Nazi
Germany during Hitler’s reign of terror. This is what is meant when you
get your 128-G printout and people see your “P” code in these “people’s”
mind its a green-light for extortion, violence, and sexual assault. UFPP
is against these parasitic practices in prisons and abroad. ESPs are not
just the vessels but the senders and the users. And everyone has a seat
at the table. The 3P initiative is a work of Legion ergo it is rooted in
UFPP and USW. DLS (Dirty Little Secrets) and the WWC (White Wolf
Collective) are some of the initiates of 3P and are apart of the cell
Legion.
– Peace
THE 3P INITIATIVE
PROTECT OUR INTERESTS AT ALL COSTS
ELEVATE OUR STANDARDS
UNITE OUR PEOPLE
– Accept yourself and be your own
– I CAN DO NOTHING BY MYSELF. IT’S ABOUT: US, WE, AND OURS!
MIM(Prisons) adds: In Under Lock & Key
61 we addressed in depth the question of sex offenders and their
role in the prison movement. One article in that issue concluded
with:
“Maoists believe that problems amongst the people should be handled
peacefully among the people and thru the methods of discussion and
debate. Most prisoners are locked up exactly because they engaged in
some type of anti-people activity at one point or another of their
lives. Should these actions define prisoners? According to MIM Thought,
all U.$. citizens will be viewed as reforming criminals by the Third
World socialist movement under the Joint Dictatorship of the Proletariat
of the Oppressed Nations (JDPON). The First World lumpen will be no
exception regardless of crime of choice.”(1)
We do not put any special conditions on “sex offenses,” but recognize
some crimes as more serious than others. We do think we all need to
undergo transformation, guided by criticism/self-criticism, as we create
a world free of oppression. We believe all people can be redeemed and
will have the ability to in the future. Unfortunately, today that is not
the case. But we welcome with open arms all who are ready for redemption
through revolution to begin with our new Revolutionary 12 Step
Program.
Regarding Prop. 57, there was a California state Supreme Court
decision on 2 January 2022 that CDCR shall not allow early parole to
people who have any sentence terms that are violent felonies
(In re Mohammad, No. S259999). Similarly the original law was
implemented by CDCR to exclude anyone with a required sex offender
registration under Penal Code subsection 290. However, this was
overturned on 28 December 2020 (In re Gadlin, No. S254599).
Such people should be “referred to the Board by July 1, 2021 and must be
scheduled for a hearing by no later than December 2022.” (see CCR title
15, § 2449.32)
The Prison Law Office should be able to provide you with additional
details if you are uncertain how this affects your parole eligibility:
PRISON LAW OFFICE General Delivery, San Quentin, CA 94964-0001
In ULK #73, MIM (Prisons) published one of my articles
entitled: Da
Struggle Continues: We Still Charge Genocide. In said article i
announced the coming of the international tribunal 2021, which took
place October 22-25, and has now passed. In this article we will look to
a few of the events that have taken place since that previous article,
and how it pertains to Our plans going forward.
For those who do not know, the verdict given by the International
Jurists was an emphatic GUILTY of all charges. These
charges include:
Police racism and violence
Mass incarceration
Political prisoners and prisoners of war
Environmental racism
Health inequalities
In the wake of the hystoric verdict leaders of this campaign
announced the next step forward being the establishment of what they’ve
coined a ‘People’s Senate’. This infrastructure is a key stepping stone
for New Afrikan, Indigenous, and Chican@ nation citizens to formulate
the common unity needed to eventually conduct a U.N. supervised
plebiscite, which will finally legitimize Our quest for
Self-determination.
Ultimately, that is the reason the tribunal was so important. With
the advent of the guilty verdict the political line that seeks
revolutionary nationalism for internal semi-colonies in north amerika
has been legitimized within the eyes of the international community, and
the United Nations (U.N.).
While Our struggle(s) have long been legitimate in Our own eyes, when
establishing an independent nation it is prerequisite that a nation gain
international diplomatic support. In the past New Afrikans have had such
support. However in recent decades such support has waned as New
Afrikans have become increasingly more bourgeoisified, and more and more
assimilated. As a result other countries have been hesitant to step out
on a limb in support of amerikanized ‘negroes’.
Now with the advent of the People’s Senate We will possess the
infrastructure to properly seek out reparations, and independent
nationhood. Up until this point the reparation push in this present
landscape has been one which revolutionary nationalists would be
hard-pressed to support. This was because the institutions and
hand-picked persyns chosen as the voice for reparations movement were
amerikanized negroes, seeking further assimilation into amerika,
utilizing the economic plight of segments of New Afrika to advance their
own agendas. With the People’s Senate, We will guarantee a people’s
voice, and a people’s control of the direction of Our collective
movement. Incarcerated persyns may also take part in this People’s
Senate. You should contact the Jericho Movement for further details on
how to participate. # Power Moves
The above-mentioned international tribunal took place in Harlem, at
the Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz center, which is the exact location Bro.
Malcolm X. was assassinated.
Now, 56ADM (56 years After the Death of Malcolm), those men who’ve
languished behind bars falsely framed by the U.S. government for Bro.
Malcolm’s murder were officially exonerated 18 November 2021. This long
overdue exoneration came about after a February 2020 Netflix
documentary, Who Killed Malcolm X aired, and its startling
conclusion initiated calls from the Shabazz family to re-open the case
of Bro. Malcolm’s assassination. The basic conclusion is that the actual
shooter, along with others present were working on behalf of the FBI,
when they murdered Malcolm X on the orders of their masters.
Of course to many this is not ‘news’, but merely a confirmation of a
long-held belief. What is outrageous to this writer is that with the
government basically admitting to assassinating one of the greatest and
best leaders We’ve had for the New Afrikan liberation cause, the level
of outrage is basically zero. Brother Malcolm once said that We have
gone from a race of warriors and untamed runaways, to a race of
complicit house n___ers. Sad, but true. When the U.S. can for all
intents and purposes admit to assassinating Malcolm X, a liberatory
leader, when Kyle Rittenhouse can be found not guilty (more on this
later) and there is no outrage or sustained resistance, when Ahmaud
Arbery’s murderers begin trial and not ONE New Afrikan persyn is
selected on their jury in a county that is 25% New Afrikan (more on this
later) and there is no outrage nor sustained resistance, We’ve become
complicit in Our own oppression. We’ve capitulated to the will of Our
enemies. WILL THE REAL NEW AFRIKANS PLEASE STAND
UP!!!???
AS if Our case for Black secession, and a socialist Republic of New
Afrika weren’t clearly justified, events like Kyle Rittenhouse’s
acquittal, and the lack of Black jurors in the case of Ahmaud Arbery
underscore grievances issued by generations of neo-colonized Afrikans in
amerika. What We as a people must overstand is that these issues do not
persist because of racism. Malcolm X wasn’t assassinated by racism, but
by a corrupt power structure. Kyle Rittenhouse’s murderer of two Black
Lives Matter supporters and the wounding of a third, wasn’t acquitted by
a racist, nor because of racism, as his victims were white themselves.
Instead he was acquitted because the political orientation that led to
his actions (settler-colonial imperialism) is part and parcel with the
political identity of the corrupt power structure. And finally, the
murderers of Ahmaud Arbery are being tried by a jury of their peers,
while New Afrikans have been pleading for the same consideration for
literally centuries, because their actions were in furtherance of the
corrupt power structure’s sustained power. That is while some of us have
been struggling to ‘FREE THE LAND!’, a New Afrikan is unable to run
FREELY in the LAND. The devilish cowards that murdered brother Ahmaud
reinforce the colonial relationship between New Afrikans and the white
settler amerikans.
The time has come to move away from BLACK LIVES MATTER to the NEW
BLACK LIBERATION MOVEMENT. We are not fighting racism, We’re fighting
oppressive and exploitative POWER. In order to ever be FREE, in order to
have a REAL influence on whether or not incidents like those mentioned
here ever happen again, We must obtain POWER, and We must exercise POWER
in non-exploitative or oppressive manners. To accomplish this, the
formula is simple, We must organize now for people’s WAR, Vita Wa Watu,
to seize power, and implement socialist (non exploitative/oppressive)
power.
Dillard v. Davis, et al. Civil Action
No. 7:19-cv-0081-M-BP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: TX. Team O.N.E. Legal Representative
113 Stockholm, #1A Brooklyn, NY. 11221
Incarcerated individuals currently housed in the Texas Department of
Justice’s Restrictive Housing (Solitarty Confinement) are moving to
intervene in the civil action [No.7:19-cv-00081-M-BP] filed by fellow
incarcerated individual, Daniel D. Dillard, challenging the
constitutionality of TDCJ using Restrictive Housing as a form of
punishment and also challenging the cruel and unusual conditions of
confinement that are known to cause irreparable mental harm. Dillard
filed this civil action in 2019 after being falsely accused of
assaulting a correctional officer, the false disciplinary proceeding
resulted in Dillard being removed from the general population on the
George Beto Unit and reassigned to administrative segregation on the
James V. Allred Unit under the conditions that has repeatedly consisted
of deprivations of exercise, showers, and meals in retaliation of
exercising his First Amendment right to the redress of grievances.
Dillard, the original Plaintiff, filed his first amended complaint
adding several new defendants’ (including TDCJ-CID new director- Bobby
Lumpkin) and brought claims of widespread abuses on behalf of the
Restrictive Housing population and ALL those similarly situated to him.
After word got out that Dillard is challenging Restrictive Housing
others began moving in to intervene on the grounds that Restrictive
Housing seriously effects their mental health when used in the long-term
or for prolonged periods of time. Some of these people have been in
solitary confinement from 3 years to 30 years without reprieve. TDCJs
Restrictive Housing does not allow any audio/visual stimulation, people
are kept in their cell for 22 to 24 hours a day, they are prevented from
educational, vocational, and/or religious programming, they are
continuously isolated for years on end. The Nation is turning away from
using solitary confinement but Texas continues this…To intervene on this
litigation use the contact information above but first see Dillard
v. Davis, et al., civil action No.7:19-cv-00081-M-BP.
I’m writing to advise of a need for you to publish in your next issue
a Notice of Pending Civil Action concerning those that did not receive
the $3,200.00 EIP #1,#2,#3 Thirty-Two Hundred even after filing
correctly. There are lots of prisoners who filed by mail and were
discriminated on by IRS and such violates a prior order. If you can,
please publish in Next Volume:
Clay v. Director of IRS Mnuchin No4:21-CV-08132-PJH
Sub Class Representative Thomas H. Clay advises all prisoners who
filed for EIP from Oct. 2020 – August of 2021 and did Not
receive any check in mail or Direct Deposit. After filing Form
1040/1040SR or letter with SSI# and copy of such to show proof of
filing; then write To:
United States District Court
Northern District of California
Oakland Division
Attn: Hon. Clerk/Presiding Judge
1301 Clay Street Ste 400 S
Oakland California 94612-5212
If you are filing the following criteria below:
Non-disabled or physically or mentally impaired prisoner in State or
Federal Prison Institution in the United States
Correctly filing legal letters to IRS or 1040/1040SR Form 2019/2020
from October 15,2020 thru tax season of January – August 17, 2021
Utilizing only Institutional Regular Legal/or Indigent
Legal Mail System in State of Federal Prisons.
Who did not receive any payment from IRS of EIP #1
#2 #3
In the form of “Check in Mail” or “Direct Deposit to Account”.
Who can “Prove upon Request” proof of the correct timely filing by:
copies of letters to the IRS office in your State area, Prison
Mail Room Record of Legal Mail logged letters showing IRS address.
Indigent mailing file showing letter sent to IRS or 1040/1040SR copies
or responses from IRS during that period from any of its offices.
And you were not issued any checks for EIP #1 $600.00 EIP #2
$1200.00 or CVRP/EIP #3 $1400.00 totaling $3,200.00
The court is reviewing Contempt of Court Order and Sub Class Action
from prior suit Scholl v. Mnuchin that does not protect the
rights to amount of payment withheld from prisoners in a discriminatory
manner by IRS.
Possibly those who read MIM will donate something once they receive
their compensation entitled after requesting to be a class member.
Styled name: F. Martinez and all inmates similarly situated in
TDCJ-CID, “Doll” and “Pineapple Pictures” versus members of the Texas
Board of Criminal Justice, TDCJ-CID, Director, Members of the MSCP,
Members of the DRC, and mailroom supervisor at the Terrell Unit.
Dear Friends,
I am writing you in regards of the lawsuit filed on 3 December 2021,
in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, Galveston
Division.
I am the leading plaintiff and I am representing all inmates
similarly situated in TDCJ, Doll and Pineapple
Pictures, both outside vendors.
The reasons in filing this lawsuit is to challenge the
unconstitutionality of rules 1 (C), IV(A)(10)(11) of the “Uniform
Offenders Correspondence Rules” (BP-03.91) of the TDCJ-CID.
Rule 1(C), which limits to receive ten photos per envelope, and rule
IV(A)(10), which is a total ban on “sexually explicit images” coming
into the general prison population, and rule IV(A)(11), which bans any
altered photos, all in disguise of rehabilitation purposes. I am
challenging these rules under the First, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment
of the United States Constitution.
I am writing you to request your support of this lawsuit by notifying
the inmates in TDCJ, publishers, outside vendors of commercial photos
and catalogs, and all persons affected for the enforcement of these
rules in the TDCJ-CID.
Inmates may join to the lawsuit by writing letters to the U.S.
District Court to the following address:
U.S. District Court
Southern District of Texas
Galveston Division
601 Rosenberg Street, Room 411
Galveston, Texas 77550
They need to include the styled name and number cause above
written.
The latest issue of ULK (#75) was very informative. The article
on Afghanistan was a good review of many of the issues.
One you did not mention and that is one of the reasons that China is
sending money is that of the mineral resources of the country.
About 8 years ago I had a teacher who applied to work as an analyst
for the CIA. As part of his application he did a report on Afghanistan.
He found out why the U.$. invaded the country. There are large deposits
of copper and lithium ore. The U.$. soldiers were to protect the Chinese
workers who were building the railway that would transport the ore into
China for processing.
Just like Spain, France, etc. in the 16th and 17th centuries, the
U.$. government was in another country to steal its natural
resources.
MIM(Prisons) responds: Certainly, natural resources
continue to be a major impetus for imperialist foreign policy and war.
The gas lines through the Caspian Sea were also a key concern in the
region at the time.
Your description of the roles of the Amerikans and Chinese in
Afghanistan is emblematic of the relationship between the two countries
ever since the capitalist roaders took over in China in 1976. Today
contradictions have heightened as Chinese capital has become more
developed and therefore needs to exert its interests independent of the
United $tates. Meanwhile the Amerikans have begun looking at bringing
production and supply chains of basic goods a little closer to home
after becoming dependent on the labor of Chinese proletarians. These
contradictions playing out demonstrate why inter-imperialist conflict is
the rule.
A comrade responded to the article “Oh So
You Woke” in ULK 73:
“In this article the author criticizes the likes of Angela Davis and
John Lewis. neither Ms. Davis nor Mr. Lewis were agents of propaganda
for the bourgeois as the author implies, but rather they were committed
to the struggle and spent many years on the front lines. As far as
penetrating the police and other arms of state imperialism/control,
someone is going to fill those roles. Is it better us or them? WE must
attack the status quo from multiple fronts – from the inside as well as
the outside. WE need more Angela Davises and John Lewises.”
I do agree with the comrade that WE do need to attack the status quo
from multiple fronts but when one of our own lumpen falls into the lines
of reformism and revisionism while on the road of revolution or
liberation, instead of being a die hard non-compromising, non-settling,
give-me-death-if-I-can’t-have-real-life-liberation revolutionary like
Fred Hampton, Bunchy Carter and the many fore Fathers and fore Mothers
of our lumpen communities, who died and were imprisoned so that the
eternal fire of Freedom, Justice and Equality will never lose its light
and intensity in the surviving generations and their children. So they
can fight on until that day comes in entirety. Then one has to ask the
question … who do you work for?
If WE as a First World lumpen and Third World proletarian
revolutionaries have more individuals like Angela Davis & John
Lewis, We’ll never fulfill the S.O.P.’s of the UFPP. We’ll be in a state
of Reformism and Revisionism, being closely intertwined with
imperialism/capitalism instead of overthrowing it.
First and foremost Angela Davis is a major reformist, she was a part
of the Communist Party, U$A, where the CPU$A was about that Real Life
revolution before the 1940’s but by the 1960’s all their members that
took inspiration from Mao Zedong had left the party. After the attempt
of Jonathan Jackson of freeing his older brother George Jackson, Fleeta
Drumgo and John Clutchette (Soledad Brothers) at Marin County Courthouse
in San Rafael, CA, was then Angela Davis charged with aiding the
attempted escape and placed on the FBI’s most wanted list due to her
close correspondence with George Jackson. She was found not guilty after
her case was severed from the other defendants like Ruchell “Cinque”
Magee who is still locked up in these Koncentration Kamps, while the
rally call of the masses at the time was “Free Angela Davis and ALL
POLITICAL PRISONERS!” Then in 1973 she founded the CP front the National
Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression that REFUSED to come
defend Black Liberation Army members facing prison time.
Later on in her “revolutionary” life she got back into academia while
still being a huge influence for the CPU$A, where she ran twice for Vice
President of the U$A. She supported Democratic presidential candidates,
like Joe Biden, to pressure them when in office to the CPU$A’s
Khrushchevite peaceful transition into socialism agenda or the Pac-Man
politics (biting away at imperialism until it collapses on itself). She
also co-founded the Committees of Correspondence with a moniker that
points to the CPU$A’s notion that “Communism is 20th Century
Americanism.” In her writings and university lectures in the academic
realm, she promoted the CPU$A’s reformism and postmodern politics, the
basis of this day and age concept of “Abolition,” and not the dire need
of armed revolution.
John Lewis is basically the same in the sense with the Pac-Man
politics, Abolition reformist movement and post-modernism. Also one of
the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and a leader in the peaceful
nonviolent strategy of protest and civil unrest. The “Woke” U.$.
leftists, who are the petty-bourgeoisie, praises Angela Davis and John
Lewis as saints and the imperialist aided in placing them on those
pedestals to be praised by the masses, because they knew with the
ideologies and concepts that these two individuals promote will do no
real harm to their oppressive establishment. Point proven in the last
summer series of protest after the murder of George Floyd and many
others.
What real change came from that civil unrest in a real revolutionary
way? It’s because of Angela Davis and John Lewis that We have to
re-educate and un-brainwash the masses from the concepts and ideologies
of Reformism, Revisionism, Postmodernism and the Pac-Man politics with
the concepts and ideologies of Marxism, Leninism and Maoism to gain
liberation from imperialism through armed resistance and revolution.
Reason why it was stated that they are agents of the imperialist
propaganda in the article “Oh, So You Woke.” Whether it was intentional
or not they step out of the realm of being First World lumpen to the
realm of the petty-bourgeoisie and benefited from the transition also.
It pays to be famous and in the limelight of the pop culture
revolutionary contest, right? Even after being on the front lines where
they witness first hand so many of our souljas and leaders lose their
lives, placed in exile and/or imprisoned, they settled for positions of
comfort for self and appeared to be in the struggle still, instead of
being ten toes down in the mud with WE overthrowing
imperialism/capitalism to establish socialism, and later communism,
nation- and world-wide.
DON’T FALL FOR THE POP CULTURE REVOLUTIONARY HYPE COMRADES.
The San Francisco BayView newspaper has outed their former
editor Keith Washington as an informant and a manipulator. Previous
editor Mary Ratcliff has reasonably posed that this could have been an
FBI operation to undermine the BayView. Yet, Washington’s brief
stint as editor after being released from prison, followed by relapse
into addiction and violence also seems consistent with someone who has
jumped from group to group driven by eir own self-interest.
Keith Washington, aka Comrade Malik, was a politically eclectic,
self-promoting prison activist. It is for those reasons that his
passions often did not overlap with the program of MIM(Prisons), despite
being in close contact for many years. During eir time in prison,
Washington was a regular reader of ULK, MIM Theory and
other literature we distribute on the Black Panthers and Maoism in
general. For years ey could not receive ULK because of TDCJ
censors, so we had to mail em select articles separately.
We are not saying we did not work with Washington, for we published
dozens of articles and reports by em while ey was in prison. Most were
reports on conditions in Texas prisons. For a quick minute, ey was even
part of the the USW Council, but was quickly removed for openly
disagreeing with MIM(Prisons)’s 6 main points. The reason they were even
considered for the position was that it was hard to pin down eir
political line.
Washington seemed to work tirelessly to expose the corruption and
abuses within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice(TDCJ) – though ey
often did so from an angle that seemed to believe in the system. This
approach conflicted with eir initial focoist tendencies when we first
encountered Washington and ey seemed to believe that we were too
hesitant to use arms. Later eir politics hinted at patriotism. For much
of the time ey worked with USW ey also was working with the New Afrikan
Black Panther Party - Prison Chapter, ideologically led by Tom Big
Warrior and Kevin “Rashid” Johnson at the time. At one point Washington
was the Deputy Chairman of NABPP, but ey never was consistent at
upholding NABPP line. Ey went back and forth on the labor aristocracy
question in an opportunist way that seemed to be attempting to please
MIM(Prisons) with one message and Rashid with another. But communication
with Rashid was much more difficult than with us, so ey seemed to lean
towards us at times; another example of opportunism over political line.
This also showed there was no effective democratic centralism within the
NABPP. This is why we say you cannot be part of a democratic centralist
formation while encapsulated by the state, except perhaps in an
organization within a prison where you can freely interact with other
members of the formation.
While Washington pledged eir allegiance to MIM and the NABPP,
overtime ey branched out into other forums and organizations, always
promoting the persona of “Comrade Malik”. Despite all the articles we
did print by em, there were many more we did not, or we had to cut down
significantly due to the self-promotion.
We must learn to recognize political opportunism. We should not be
surprised that someone with such a history would also opportunistically
lie to the pigs to earn favors.
At best, political eclecticism is a sign of immaturity; an immaturity
that cannot be trusted with leadership. This is not to say we do not
work with younger people or people who are still learning, far from it.
We just must recognize their role. But when someone has spent a decade
or more studying revolutionary literature, and they are still putting
forth eclecticism, or just straight reformism, then it is clear they are
not a revolutionary, and perhaps they can play a role better somewhere
else. If we cannot convince such people to follow our leadership, then
we must work harder to prove our effectiveness.
Eclecticism is always connected to forms of subjectivity and
idealism. They are thinking about what feels good to them or
feels right to them. Combine this with the self-promotion of
“Comrade Malik” and you have a risky individual who will probably bounce
from one group to another, one line to another to serve eir own
self-interests, leaving havoc in eir wake. This is no longer immaturity,
but a conscious self-interest.
In our introductory study course we go over the question of how to
implement an effective security program for your organization. This
example of Washington is a good demonstration of how political line was
applied by MIM(Prisons) to keep a potential wrecker from playing a more
damaging role. We would say the work Washington contributed to the pages
of ULK served the people, as it was done under our leadership.
We did not allow Washington’s self-promotion or right opportunism to
take away from the mission of ULK or United Struggle from
Within. For organizations that look for the charismatic individuals to
promote, this is a danger.
We must also recognize that addiction to chemical substances,
violence and criminal behavior plagues the lumpen. The transformation of
the lumpen into proletarian revolutionaries is an arduous and life-long
task. Even those who have seemed to overcome for years while imprisoned,
will often relapse with the dramatic changes and pressures of being
released to the free world. That is why we have developed a
Revolutionary 12 Step Program that takes the proven techniques
of the steps, as applied by the lumpen masses in California, and
reframes them to include the transformation to the proletarian
mentality. It is the constant struggle to submit our self-interest to
the interests of the Third World proletariat that can solidify our own
transformation from addiction to action that changes society.
Imperialism has addicted us all, especially in this consumerist society
in the United $tates.
Our leaders must be forged in a disciplined revolutionary
organization built on democratic centralism. They must exhibit
self-sacrifice and embody the interests of the Third World proletariat.
We cannot follow the bourgeois individualist approach to leadership that
decides elections and celebrity in this country. We must put politics in
command when developing relationships with new comrades and bringing
them into our circles. Some people may never exceed a supporter role,
and that is okay, we welcome their support. Being around longer, having
connections or resources, or being energetic is not enough to qualify
comrades to lead. A consistent practice that upholds the correct line is
how we must judge who is to be trusted with responsibilities and
leadership roles.
Revolutionary salutations to all Texas USW comrades, leaders,
supporters, and those reading this wonderful newspaper for the first
time. In issue #75 there was some dialogue
regarding the BP 3.91 and i would like to speak to some things.
Comrades, as you all read in the last issue, Allred RHU went on
hunger strike in protest not only against B.P.-3.91, but also the
illegal use of solitary confinement as practiced via RHU, and we also
fought for other pressing issues. Due to this action, on September 8th i
was pulled off the outside rec yard, and brought to a cage; this cage is
very similar to the one illustrated by the comrade in the last issue. Me
and another New Afrikan brother were the only two of all the strikers
who went through this. After standing in the cage for about 30 mins to
an hour I was informed by an inmate worker that “they takin all yo
shit.” By this i assumed he meant food/beverage items of which i only
possessed empty condiment bottles so I had no worries. Half an hour
later, the property officer and a lieutenant come to escort me. They
tell me i will have to send property, particularly books, home; i have
too many and they may not be given to another prisoner. As they say this
i have heated words with the property officer, and have to be escorted
by a major and some others. They bring me to the office and outside my
property (all of it including state property) is slung everywhere. I’m
irate to say the least.
It is at that time that i entered an office with regional director
David Blackwell, along with three unit wardens. Here is a brief overview
of what was said pertaining to the B.P.-3.91 policy.
So this policy was supposedly pushed for by these “family groups”. He
mentioned Texas Inmate Families Association(TIFA) as the main culprit.
Supposedly one of the TIFA members has a brother who’s a sex
offender(S.O.), and she learned that he was allowed to write pen pals
who sent her brother sexually charged letters. Further investigation led
the sister in question to observe that he could also view/receive
pictures of women as long as the female wasn’t showing her “parts”. This
woman was immediately concerned that her brother was not being allowed
the proper environment to rehabilitate his behavior, and this is what
led to the rule change.
In case you don’t know, every week, like clock work, TIFA and other
family groups like the Families for Air Conditioning in TDCJ, have
phone/zoom conferences with the executive director and other top
personnel. In these conferences these groups are having influence on
policy changes and other things that affect us here in prison. The issue
is that these groups are not in contact with the masses, which in this
case is US, the captives. TIFA has a $25 membership fee yearly, and
imprisoned people can join. However, imprisoned voices are a minority,
and are/will be over rode by the petty-bourgeois/labor aristocrat
elements which dominate this terrain and don’t allow prisoners to
practice any level of self-determination. Even worse is that these
groups (TIFA in particular) do not even reply to inquiries from
prisoners. The pigs mentioned above provided me with their info to
contact and begin dialogue. I’ve wrote, I’ve e-mailed, I’ve DM’d, and
have gotten no response. This is on trend as we of TX TEAM ONE have
repeatedly contacted them in the past during our previous 3 hunger
strikes in the last 4 years, not including this year’s. Never have we
received any reply. So what does this tell us?
It tells us that the class divide is very profound in the TX prison
movement, even on the “left”. It tells us that at this present juncture
we can not collaborate with such reformers in any concrete way. Our
movement MUST be prisoner-led.
Speaking specifically to the BP-3.91 issue, from observation one can
see that these pigs are picking and choosing when/where to enforce this
rule. THE RULE DID PASS! Initially we were told that it hadn’t, that’s
not the case. Not only did this Director tell us so, but as i scribe
this, Allred Unit has been under rolling lock down and the pigs (from
what We in RHU are being told) are solely focused on pics, mags, etc. We
in RHU haven’t been hit yet. Last week the ACA came to the unit. An
audit. The pigs were verbally reprimanded (the wardens were) by ACA
personnel for even operating the lockdown/shake down while they are/were
still supposed to be under COVID protocol. This is a violation of CDC
guidelines, which is one of the things we called attention to during the
strike. The ACA demanded the wardens to cease the shake down. They did
so for the week the ACA was here, yet today (9 November 2021) We’ve
heard that they’ve resumed on the ECB building, and are to be coming
here next. U.S. weekly and Cosmopolitan have been denied here.
The legal standing they’re trying to stand on with this move is that
if they were to target specifically sex offenders with this rule while
not applying it to the masses of the prison population who are not S.O.s
then they open themselves up for suit by the S.O.s for discrimination.
What it boils down to is We’re gonna have to come together and fight
this through litigation. Simple.
We encourage others who are SERIOUS about litigating this issue to
contact us. While our writers within TEAM ONE are busy challenging RHU
confinement, We can possibly put all Our heads together to formulate a
way forward. All those who’ve filed step 1 & 2, and look to move
forward towards litigation should reach out to us: Tx TeamOne/ 113
Stockhom, #1A/ Brooklyn, NY 11221