Under Lock & Key

As I laid there on my prison issued bunk, nursing my wounds and pains, I thought back to the very day I was sentenced to prison. Did my sentence also include occasional excessive force? Did the judge also pronounce contrived rule violations as part of my sentence? Were all my constitutional rights relinquished that day? I don’t recall the judge asserting anything to that fact. But evidently, brutality perpetuated Under the Color of State Law is an inherited trait of prison.

The term “Under Color of State Law” means that civil rights were violated by an individual or individuals who at the time of the violation were employed by the local, State, or Federal government.

Since brutality under Color of State Law is so prevalent, it would be appropriate if the sentencing Judge would state the obvious during the sentencing phase of whatever crime a person was convicted of. The Judge could say something to the fact, “I’m sentencing you to 10 years in prison, plus some occasional excessive force, which will be administrated by various rogue Correctional Officers throughout the course of your confinement. In addition, you will also be subjected to several contrived rule violations. The frequency of these false rule reports will depend on the utter lack of integrity and the psychopathy of each rogue Officer.” At least this information would give a person facing incarceration a heads up. Time to mentally prepare themselves for the Guantanamo Bay-style treatment that will be visited upon them.

During the course of Correctional Officer B. Johnson’s assault on me, I felt as if I were somehow transported to a Third World country where human rights and regulation did not exist. Apparently, my assailant felt the same. How else could he feel so at ease with openly violating my civil rights, right there in front of two other officers, who evidently concurred with B. Johnson’s views on civil rights? Maybe the three officers forgot they were in Amerika? That they were correctional officers employed to uphold the law in a system governed by the U.S. Constitution? Or just maybe they forgot that I am a human being? Officer B. Johnson did call me a “Jungle Bunny.” But if that were the case, shouldn’t animal rights have protected me that night? Here in America, if you harm an animal, you will go to jail. Who knows what the three officer’s were or were not thinking. Whatever it was, the shear, sadism of it all was revealed that night.

The assault was witnessed by two prisoners. Both were housed in a cell that gave them a direct view of the incident as it took place. One prisoner, who initially claimed that he witnessed the assault, later recanted his story. He became a confidential informant. He had alleged to the investigating Officers that I conspired to falsely write up B. Johnson for assault. He was originally placed in the hole for a cell fight, whereupon he threw hot boiling water on his cellmate. His cellmate received 3rd degree burns on his face and chest area. At that time he was facing a segregated program (SHU term) for assault on a prisoner with a weapon (hot water), causing serious injury. Also a possible DA referral. But all that disappeared after he provided false confidential information concerning B. Johnson’s role in the assault. This prisoner was released from the hole and placed on Corcoran’s SNY yard, which is a protective custody yard, equivalent to Disneyland.

Officer B. Jonson, has a history of assaulting prisoners in handcuffs. Now I have a permanent shoulder injury. I will need surgery at some point. I have received physical therapy treatment.

MIM(Prisons) responds: We agree with this comrade’s assessment that prison sentences in Amerika come with implicit brutality and both physical and mental abuse. These go well beyond the legal punishments supposedly a part of criminal “justice” in this country. As this abuse is standard in Amerikan prisons, we disagree that the perpetrators are “rogue officers.” We need to expose this systematic brutality and organize towards a level of unity that will make it very difficult for individuals to turn against their fellow prisoners, and where the guards know that we have the numbers to fight back and prevent this violence.

On 19 January 2011 High Desert State Prison (HDSP) was visited by administrators from the headquarters of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in Sacramento, as well as the inspector general. These administrators finally listened to the many complaints from prisoners and outside advocacy groups and started an investigation into the corrupt policies and actions in place here at HDSP. In this struggle, MIM(Prisons) was instrumental in sending us petitions to submit regarding the appeals process.

This investigation had two parts. It was carried out by several administrators and started in the morning and continued into the early evening. Several prisoners were interviewed, some once, while others twice. I was one of those who was interviewed twice, first by a Correctional Counselor II from headquarters. We discussed the appeals process here at HDSP. During this interview we mostly talked about how our appeals are continuously screened out, denied, lost or simply ignored. The interviewer asked meaningful and intelligent questions and took detailed notes, and he appeared surprised by the lack of meaningful access to the appeals process. This interview only lasted between 10 and 15 minutes.

Later that same day, at around 5:45 p.m., I was again taken from my cell for an interview. This time it was with a captain from headquarters (Sacramento) and the inspector general. During this interview I was told that they, Sacramento CDCR Headquarters, were doing these interviews due to the pressure and complaints coming into Sacramento from prisoners, advocacy groups, and prisoners’ families. They said they were simply conducting fact-finding interviews. This interview was more in-depth than the morning interview. We discussed a wide range of topics during the interview from the mass validations of the northern Hispanics on 4 August 2009, the poor conditions here in Z-unit (administrative segregation), to the many violations of our constitutional rights. Again the interviewers asked many valid questions and took notes, giving the appearance of taking things seriously. I did not buy into the act.

During this meeting they showed me copies of petitions I had mailed out which included the MIM(Prisons) grievance petition. I don’t know if this is going to make any difference because I think (and hopefully I’m wrong) this was only a smoke and mirror show to attempt to pacify those of us who are fighting against these corrupt and unjust policies. But only time will tell how big a victory this truly was, because it was a victory!

I seriously doubt anything comes of this so-called investigation that is a significant improvement to the quality of life for us here in the zoo (Z-Unit). The reason I think this is the day after the Sacramento officials left HDSP, staff on Z-Unit started their retaliation. They cut our food portions almost in half, and the law library was denied to those of us who are Priority Library Users and have court deadlines. So I expect things will go back to normal in a week or two. Its the same every time anyone visits up here. One of the Sgts did say that they are totally redesigning the entire appeals process and we did get beanies (to protect us from the cold on the yard).

However this is not enough, we cannot afford to be satisfied with this token gesture of a beanie and some promises. No, we must continue to fight and put the pressure on HDSP until we are given all of our rights as well as everything we are entitled to by law and common human decency.

MIM(Prisons) adds: Contact us for more information about the campaign to end the Z-Unit Zoo, and the grievance campaign which is active in multiple states. If there are problems with the grievance system where you’re at, spread it to yours!

I am just checking in with current cowardly acts perpetrated by cowardly Kkklinton (Clinton Correctional Facility in New York). (see ULK 17)

The murder of Mr. Leonard Strickland(see 1,2) last October 3rd 2010 in upper F Block has now been termed “death by natural causes” by channel 5 news media in Vermont.

More recently, corrupt klansmen under disguise of law abiding civil servants jumped on a 5’6” 147lbs man. And get this, one of the cowards, CO Barnaby, is also one of the murderers of Mr. Strickland. The others involved in this particular incident of brutal assault are COs L. Bezio whose family members are numerous here in Kkklinton and CO B. LeClair whose family members are also employees of facilities here in northern New York, including Kkklinton.

The behavior of these corrupt officials is very onerous, especially when their superior acting Deputy Superintendent, Captain of Security Facteau makes statements such as “this is a dictatorship, not a democracy,” a statement that is relayed amongst all employees giving them the green light to violate even the prisoners’ minimum standards.

Maybe one of these days the lumpen will unite as one and focus on our real enemies?

Como ya lo sabemos, unidades de control son cámaras de tortura donde prisioneros pasan de 22 a 24 horas al día encerrados en una celda pequeña por largos periodos del tiempo con una luz cegadora quemando todo el día, sin programas ni educativos ni de otras formas, y sin la debida atención médica y de la salud mental. Estamos forzados en vivir adentro con marranos que nos oprimen cada día. Estas condiciones son intentados en quebrar el espíritu y estado mental de los prisioneros. Son herramientas de opresión. Aquí he visto prisioneros darse por vencido y perder toda la esperanza, perdiendo sus estados mentales, dañándose y aun suicidarse. No hay duda que estos lugares horríficos afectan al estado mental de un prisionero, es decir la mayoría de ellos. Sin embargo, podemos y debemos cambiar estos cámaras de tortura en nuestros universidades, por el mejoramiento de nosotros y por nuestros camaradas oprimidos.

La primera vez que fui colocado en una unidad de control (aquí en Florida son llamados unidades manejados muy de cerca [se refiere como CM en el resto de este artículo]) hice dos años encerrado en una celda pequeña 24 horas al día. En mis primeros meses estaba desperdiciando mi tiempo, peleando y leyendo libros de ficción que matan la mente. Estaba ciego a la lucha - nuestra lucha, el oprimido contra el opresor. Luego, un día, un camarada me pasó un libro llamado El último hombre de pie por Gerónimo Pratt, un miembro alto del Partido Negro Pantera. Ese libro dio chispa al revolucionario dentro de mí y desde luego no he mirado atrás. Luego conocí a George Jackson, a Mao, a Lenin y a Che entre otros. Eso fue cuando empecé a formar y organizar mis ideales. Cuando mi familia me preguntaba si necesitaba dinero para cantina, les decía que no. En lugar de eso, les pedía que me mandaran libros sobre o escritos por los camaradas sobre mencionados y empecé a estudiar todo el tiempo.

Al pasar del tiempo un camarada me dio una copia de Bajo Cerradura y Clave y me encanto. Eso me subió en la lucha de la prisión. Empecé a corresponder con MIM(prisiones) y después de un tiempo empecé a escribir artículos para ellos. Los camaradas en MIM(prisiones) me aprovisionaron con materiales buenos y muy necesarios para estudiar y seguí trabajando fuerte de parte de la lucha-nuestra lucha. He aprendido a disciplinarme y organizarme en una manera que nunca imaginaba posible. Mientras que crecía mentalmente y aumentaba mi conocimiento de la lucha, lo compartía con otros y ayudé a despertar a sus conscientes.

No tenía acceso a nada salvo lo que MIM(prisiones) me mandaba y mis únicos oportunidades de salir de mi celda era cuando tenía que ver el personal médico o de salud mental y cuando teníamos el recreo en un pequeño jaula de perro y duchas 3 veces a la semana. Sin embargo, Me negué todo esto. Yo pensé - y todavía pienso- que por ir a estos estaba malgastando el tiempo que pudiera usar para estudiar y hacer trabajo por la causa. Yo hacía ejercicios y tomaba baños de pájaro en la celda. Yo aun estudiaba cuando se apagaban las luces. Usaba una poquita de luz que entraba por la ventana de atrás desde un poste de luz de pie afuera del edificio.

Los marranos estaban acostumbrados al ir y hacer sus revisiones y ver a los prisioneros acurrucados en sus camas no haciendo nada o solo mirando al vacio mientras se hablaban a sí mismos. De hecho, les gustaba a ver esto porque sabían que estaban venciendo las mentes y espíritus combatientes de los prisioneros. Pero lo odiaban cuando caminaban por mi celda y me veían sentado en el piso con todo tipo de libros, diccionarios, papeles y plumas alrededor de mi. No me podrían agrietar - mucho menos destrozarme - y eso les comía adentro. No les daba la cansa. Estaba - y todavía estoy - peleándolos hasta el último final. Si no puedo pelearles físicamente, les pelearé ellos con papel y pluma por correr la voz de la lucha y ayudar a otras personas oprimidos despertarse sus conscientes.

Cuando yo estaba a punto de ser soltado a la población abierta me dije a mí mismo que si empezaba descarrilarme y perder mi disciplina que regresare a la CM adrede para empezar disciplinarme de nuevo. Cuando finalmente fui soltado en al fin de 2009, la gente que me conocía antes no me asociaban mucho conmigo porque no podían relacionarse a mi nuevo estado de mente. Afortunadamente, yo pude despertar algunos y unírselos las fuerzas en la lucha.

En mi primer prisión, después de salir de la CM, pronto formé un grupo de estudios con 9 camaradas y de lo cual el camarada que me introdujo a MIM(Prisiones) era una parte. De cualquier manera, la prisión en la que estábamos era extremamente racista y opresiva y los marranos empezaron a centrársenos. Por ser portavoz del grupo me consideraban el líder y solamente por eso saqueaban y destruían mi propiedad personal cada vez que tenían la oportunidad, me amenazaban, y luego me encerraban en solitario con cargos falsos. Finalmente me trasladaron a otra prisión.

En la siguiente prisión los marranos ya sabían de mi, entonces en cuanto a llegué las búsquedas y la destrucción de propiedad personal continuaban. Pero eso ni me quitó las ganas ni sacudió mi confianza. En unas cuantas semanas tenía otro grupo de estudio corriendo. Pero luego, ni un año después de mi salida de la CM tuve un pleito con otro prisionero quien era un soplón para los marranos y regresé a la CM donde me encuentro presentemente.

He llegado a la conclusión que la populación abierta no es para mí. Me quita demasiado de mi tiempo del estudio. Tiempo para estudiar que necesito cuando sea soltado a la sociedad. Además, en CM no tengo marranos en mi cara todo el día. En la población abierto hay una gran posibilidad que yo le dañe a uno de ellos gravemente y agarre más tiempo en prisión. Entonces he decidido en hacer mis 14 años que me faltan en una celda solitario. Esto pueda ser útil para mí, pero no es para todo porque todo ni lo entiende ni aprecian tal como yo.

Si no tiene ninguna opción sino que estar en una unidad de control, no desperdiga su tiempo. No deje que estos malditos marranos te quiebren. Convierta tu cámara de tortura en la cual te encuentras en tu universidad. Lea, estudie, edúcate a ti mismo. Suscríbete a Bajo Cerradura y Llave y otros materiales de MIM(Prisiones). Si no tienes muchos materiales que estudiar, estudia lo que tienes una y otra vez. Estarás sorprendido con cuanto podrás aprender con leer la misma cosa una y otra vez. Todavía tengo el primer Bajo Cerradura y Llave que leí, que me fue dado por ese buen camarada 3 años antes, y todavía lo leo de vez en cuando. Y cada vez que lo leo, aprendo algo nuevo.

Pues camaradas, despiértense y pónganse a estudiar. Enséñenles a los marranos que no permitan que se les quebranten y que están dispuesto a pelear, a aprender y luchar…y a convertir sus cámaras de tortura en su universidad. No la conviertas en tu cementerio mental y físico.

I’d like to comment on special needs yards and the lack of revolutionaries therein. I am on such a unit, except here in Oregon they call them mental health units. Of course there is also protective custody but, I’m not addressing PC units in this letter.

I am a former racist skinhead who left the movement decades ago. Since then I began a movement to get others out of the white supremacist movement by educating them on issues of white privilege, aspects of class war and anti-imperialism. I was extremely successful and my efforts have been recognized at a national level. Someone needed to come forward to educate these misguided individuals. I did. Now I pay the price.

As the result of some robberies I was sent to prison. Almost immediately I was recognized and repeatedly attacked while staff lied and covered up a conspiracy to keep me on mainline knowing I had received several valid death threats. Finally I was moved to an institution where I could walk mainline and placed on a “mental health” unit. I am on such a unit because I am a revolutionary. Now I am in a system where often the line between the white power groups and the guards is blurred. In a white privileged and dominated imperialist nation what more could one expect?

Everyone in the Oregon DOC is too busy fighting one another to join together to accomplish anything and it is my experience that there are just as many rats and snitches on mainline units as there are in the “mental health” units here in Oregon. The mentally dead are everywhere. You find them not only amongst the ranks of snitches or rats but, also in those who are brainwashed into believing in the false theory of race or racial superiority.

It is not until whites of the lumpen can realize the privilege the color of their skin affords them in the united states and throw away the doctrine of race or racial superiority that we can join ranks with our brothers and sisters and truly become revolutionaries in the non-violent struggle to end oppression in the U.S. and the doctrine of oppressive imperialism our nation forces upon the innocents of the Third World.

MIM(Prisons) responds: This is one of many responses we received to our article on Special Needs Yards prisoners. While we know that many snitches seek PC status in exchange for selling out their fellow prisoners, we also know that many prisoners get into these yards for legitimate reasons and that there are serious revolutionaries throughout the prison system. At the same time, there are plenty of snitches on mainline so we can’t just generalize and avoid the PC units and assume our movement is safe. We must always be on the lookout for snitches who will betray the revolutionary struggle. At the same time we should always be on the look out for genuine comrades who will join and contribute to the struggle. We best achieve this by keeping politics in command. That means setting policies to address security risks that judge political line and practice, not state-enforced labels, rumors or persynal interests.

I am at DCSO in Tennessee. One of my pod-mates receives your publication, Under Lock & Key, and it has attracted a lot of attention. The line to read it has become so long and complex, I decided to write to you and request my own personal subscription. I’ve always been interested in subversive politics and your newsletter gives me a lot to think about. Also I am willing to write articles for future publications in exchange for a chance to take part in your free book program.

MIM(Prisons) responds: Don’t get stuck waiting in a long line for Under Lock & Key. Or worse yet, get moved to a new prison where you can’t get at ULK at all. Write to us today to get your own subscription!

Black-on-Black crime,
I see it all the time,
Why come brothers hurting each other,
instead of loving one another?;
_______Every Black person ain’t Black,
_______Black is where the heart is at.
Black-on-Black violence,
I see it steadily destroying us,
Why come Black people keep killing each other,
instead of helping and protecting one another?;
_______Every Black person ain’t Black,
_______Black is where the heart is at.
Black people betraying themselves and each other,
Always disrespecting, lying, stealing and cheating one another,
Why come brothers can’t work it out?
Psychological warfare, mind control and genocide is what
I’m really talking about;
_______Every Black person ain’t Black,
_______Black is where the heart is at.
Brothers not wanting peace and reconciliation,
Only helping the enemy (racism, capitalism, and imperialism) to oppress the Black Nation;
Black love, Black reconciliation and Black redemption is what we work for and need,
Brothers and sisters join in and defeat our enemies.
_______Every Black person ain’t Black,
_______Black is where the heart is at.
Black people wake up to what’s really going on,
don’t be deceived by the integrationist song;
In a white capitalist democracy,
A Black minority will never be accepted or treated equal by a white majority.
_______Every Black person ain’t Black,
_______Black is where the heart is at.
Black unity, Black pride and Black power is what our ancestors loudly proclaimed,
Let us uphold this legacy and proclaim today the same darn thing;
This is what we owe our ancestors, future generations, ourselves and each other.
True commitment to the Black liberation struggle will allow us to do nothing other;
_______Every Black person ain’t Black,
_______Black is where the heart is at.
Divided we fall, together we stand,
Black power and Black nationalism is our true call and demand;
And keep world liberation as our primary goal.
Let those present convey the message to those who are absent,
_______Every Black person ain’t Black,
_______Black is where the heart is at.

Black people, rise and unite!

Forcing humans to work for free - a term better known as slavery - was abolished in America almost 150 years ago. Most know slavery still exists in ‘less civilized’ parts of the world, but to consider this abominable treatment of people to be ongoing in our country is unheard of. Perhaps it’s because few know. Well down in Texas, the business of slavery is brisk. When told of this fact, the average American is certain to express shock and demand to know the details. Upon being informed that prisoners in Texas work for free, most are happy to let out a sigh of relief and lose interest in the subject. So, in essence, forced labor for no pay is tolerated. Because the ones involved are convicted criminals seems to make this practice okay.

But is this really okay? Shouldn’t prisoners be compensated for their labor like everyone else is? Prisoners in other states are, so why not Texas? Shouldn’t they be able to provide for themselves while in prison and their families on the outside? As a prisoner(or “offender” as we’re called) in a Texas prison, I well know that if you’re not fortunate enough to have someone sending you money to purchase items from commissary, you’re SOL, as the state only provides the bare essentials. Concerning hygiene, once a week (if you’re lucky), you get one roll of toilet paper, a disposable razor, tooth powder and soap. Maybe four times a year toothbrushes are issued. That’s it! Deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, t-shirts, shower sandals, writing paper, etc., you gotta buy. Even a personal cup to drink out of and a bowl and spoon to eat with are not free. But how can you buy something if you don’t have the money? For those who pay child support the fees don’t stop when they become incarcerated. But how do you pay when you work for free? Something to think about.

In addition to maintaining the prisons themselves, offenders toil long hours in TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) sweatshops under the guise of TCI (Texas Correctional Industries), which manufactures everything from furniture to mattresses to cleaning supplies. Many of these products are sold to outside agencies and the private sector at a profit, not to mention the t-shirts, shorts, socks, thermals, shampoo and liquid detergent offenders make, that TDCJ turns around and sells to us through the prison commissaries. Considering their labor is free, it’s safe to assume the state’s profit margins are great. What Wal-Mart, or say, IBM, wouldn’t give to have a complimentary workforce.

TDCJ officials will be quick to say that offenders may not receive actual money to work, but are paid with good time and work time. Not entirely true. Those serving sentences for aggravated crimes are not eligible for good time and work time (even though they work like everyone else). Nonviolent criminals such as myself do earn these time credits, but they are often not honored. So what’s the point in even allowing them to be earned in the first place?

It’s like working for someone who says they’re going to pay you so much for your labor at the first of every month. You work all month for this employer and fulfill your end of the agreement. At this time, your boss says “Oh, I decided not to pay you. But keep working for free, maybe I’ll pay you next month.” For the most part, that is what’s happening to prisoners in Texas. What a shame it is. With my earned time credits, I have five and a half years done on a three year sentence, yet I’m still in prison. My projected release date was February 1st of last year (when my total time credits equaled a hundred percent of my sentence), but it was still denied by the parole board - despite being a model prisoner. Rumor has it, the parole board often denies prisoners who stay out of trouble and demonstrate reform. Why? For “manipulating the system.” So I guess those who act up have a better chance of getting out early. Perhaps I should start being a troublemaker, might help me make parole the next time I come up.

Many prisoners in the Lone Star State put in years, and decades even, of thankless free labor for the state. Upon release from prison they are rewarded with a bus ticket and one hundred dollars. Some of these ex-cons have no family and no place to go. How far can one get towards rebuilding a new life on a C-Note? In this year of 2011 I wouldn’t say very far. A one night’s stay in a cheap motel, set of thrift store clothes and a few fast food meals at the most. I suppose us in the big house can consider ourselves lucky. Those serving state jail time in such TDCJ facilities, must work for free also, and all serve their sentences day for day; but when released, they get not a dime. If they have no one to pick them up, they are dropped off at the nearest homeless shelter. Broke, unemployed, and with nothing but the clothes on their back, they’re basically being set up for failure. What are the odds of them returning to crime? Great I’d say.

There’s the saying, “Texas is like a whole other country.” I agree completely when it comes to criminal justice. Not only do other states pay their prisoners to work, good time and work time is guaranteed. Is there a correlation between the Texas prison mass slavery operation and its high recidivism rate? Highly likely. This too is something to think about.

MIM(Prisons) responds: This prisoner points out some important facts about the labor situation in Texas. As we’ve reported elsewhere the labor situation in prisons throughout this country is similar to what’s described here. But the prison system in this country is not the same as the economic system of slavery. Prisons are a tool of social control rather than a way of exploiting labor.

Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Washington State hires prisoners. They pay them 42 cents an hour to make wooden chairs and the prison charges the public $400.00 per chair.

Hunger of the mind, to educate myself politically;
these pigs can bend me backwards,
but they will never break me.

With the spirit of George Jackson, and the ideas of Mao Tse-Tung;
the heart of Che Guevara,
the revolution’s about to start soon

Don’t think you a gangsta, cuz you killing your brother;
call the next lady a bitch,
but you don’t think of your mother.

You hanging in the streets, gangbanging and busting;
you killing for colors,
that shit is for nothing

You better start waking up, and think outside of the bubble;
join forces with each other,
and throw down with the struggle