The American reformers who first devised the penitentiary believed
that criminals could be ‘reformed’ through solitary confinement, labor
and religious indoctrination. The use of solitary confinement and
isolation/sensory deprivation began at Philadelphia’s Eastern State
Penitentiary in the 1820’s. But what was actually discovered was that
conditions of sensory deprivation caused mental deterioration and
psychosis. Leading writers such as Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin,
upon touring the penitentiary, spoke out against its conditions of
mental torture. As Dickens observed: ‘I hold this slow and daily
tampering with the mysteries of the brain to be immeasurably worse than
any torture of the body.’ The Supreme Court ultimately ruled such
solitary confinement ‘mentally destructive’ and outlawed it. It
stated,
“A considerable number of prisoners fell, after even a short
confinement, into a semi-fatuous condition, from which it was next to
impossible to remove them, and others became violently insane; others
still committed suicide, while those who stood the ordeal better were
generally not reformed, and in most cases did not recover sufficient
mental activity to be of sufficient service to the community.” See: In
re Medley, 134 U.S. 160, 168 (1890)
Since that time, however, solitary hasn’t ceased. This is even after
courts and legislators in the late 20th and early 21st centuries have
outlawed even the new and more scientifically designed forms of solitary
confinement.
TX T.E.A.M.O.N.E. was founded by persyns who have endured years and
decades of solitary confinement in the forms of SHU and Ad-Seg (now
called ‘restrictive housing’).
Many modern courts have found the same conditions and injuries to
prisoners from confinement in modern control units as did the high court
of 1890 in the Medley case (see: e.g. Madrid v. Gomez, 889 F.
Supp. 1146 (N.D. Cal. 1995) )
“Many, if not most inmates in SHU experience some degree of
psychological trauma in relation to their extreme social isolation and
the severely restricted environmental stimulation in SHU.” This court
concluded that confinement under such conditions may press the outer
boundaries of what humans can psychologically tolerate. The
psychological consequences of living in these units for long periods of
time are predictably destructive, and the potential for these
psychological stressors to precipitate various forms of psychopathology
is clear cut. “Another court found that isolating human beings year
after year or even month after month can cause substantial psychological
damage, even if the isolation is not total. Davenport v. DeRoberts,
844F,2d 1310, 1316 (1999)
As a study on sensory deprivation by a team of 4 Harvard
psychologists conducted for the CIA revealed:
- The deprivation of sensory stimuli induces stress;
- The stress becomes unbearable for most subjects;
- The subject has a growing need for physical and social stimuli,
and;
- Some subjects progressively lose touch with reality, focus inwardly,
and produce delusions, hallucinations and other psychological
effects.
“Segregation is the modern form of solitary confinement. Segregation
inmates are almost completely deprived of the commonplace incidents and
routines of prison life. In theory [RHU] is not punitive. In practice,
it can only be described as punishing.”
It is with the preceding information that TX T.E.A.M.O.N.E. has been
inspired to put Our lives on the line in the most literal sense, by
refusing the necessary nutrients for survival, and good health. This
coming Black August 21st, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of
George L. Jackson, TX T.E.A.M.O.N.E. will be leading the masses on
TDCJ’s Allred Unit in a hunger strike to protest and bring attention to
the fundamental injustice that is embodied in the mere use of isolation
solitary confinement. We ask the inside community to join us in
struggle, as We already have a case in the courts challenging TDCJ’s use
of the RHU. We ask the outside community to join us in solidarity
(solidarity actions will be listed at the end of this pamphlet).
What is BP – 3.91?
Board policy 3.91 has recently been revised and is set to take effect
on August 1st. These revisions seek to create an asexual environment in
prison. If the penal system has its way, all publications, pictures
which may possibly cause arousal will be considered contraband.
While We, T.E.A.M.O.N.E., recognize the needs of some to
rehabilitate themselves from what may be considered perverse sexual
behavior, the same cannot be said for all, nor even most, prison
captives. For factually speaking, each individual has individual needs
to the realm of recovery and redemption.
TDCJ, when it benefits their agenda, seems to agree. For, in recent
years they have mandated that each captive complete an ‘individualized
treatment plan.’ All captive persyns must complete the plan prior to
their release on parole, or risk remaining in prison.
What Penological
Reason Does BP – 3.91 Serve?
At the date of this writing TDCJ has refused to state any reasoning
for this policy amendment. This refusal in itself is unlawful, by the
standard set by the Supreme Court’s Turner case.
That aside, since they’ve left the reasoning up to interpretation,
let’s interpret it:
Why on earth would anyone want an asexual environment? One where in
theory only sexual desire doesn’t exist? We say in theory
only because factually speaking, no matter the variations of
sexual expression, desire and arousal are as natural as breathing. What
then happens when large masses of people are warehoused, cut off from
ALL social stimuli, as We are in RHU? Frankly, this act
falls in line with historical missions of the american establishment, in
terms of genocide, a slow and deliberate de-population of outcasted
sectors.
REMEMBER EUGENICS? The selective breeding of persyns in order to weed
out unwanted social characteristics that were thought to be found in
ones genetics. REMEMBER FORCED STERILIATION of both wimmin and men who
were largely held captive, were mentally unequipped, or otherwise
considered a liability to the social order. This BP – 3.91 is aligned
with this grim history.
But that’s not all! BP – 3.91 will ban any material which depicts a
persyn with their face covered! Still in the middle of a pandemic!
Enough said!?
Solidarity Actions
Phone-zap: Those outside persyns who’re not local should call the TX
Board of Criminal Justice on August 1st (512-475-3250) demanding BP 3.91
be annulled as it has been revised, as it is an unlawful use of prison
censorship.
On August 24th, supporters should call the executive director of TDCJ
(936-437-2101). On the 24th We will have been on strike for 3 days,
which makes it official. Demand that TDCJ begin to rectify its inhumane
confining of RHU inmates indefinitely and without meaningful review.
Express your support for the hunger strikers on Allred.
Those who are local to this region, We ask to come out in droves to
support Our cause via an outside noise demonstration at the grounds of
the Allred prison colony. We need and appreciate your support.