Source: https://www.prisoncensorship.info/conditions/VA/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 01:06:17+00:00

Document:
26 December 2018 — A lot of situations have been happening since my last letter. As you can see my location has changed once again. Reason being is because at the last/previous slave-pen that held me many prisoners, including myself, filled informational complaints and grievances on a situation that occurred with two pig-officers. To make a long story short, these two pigs taunted and encouraged a mentally-ill prisoner to cut his wrist with a razor-blade. While this mentally-ill prisoner is in the shower or even in his cell, he is not allowed to be in possession of a razor. This is a rule laid by River North Correctional Center, and of course this incident happened in the Restrictive Housing Unit (segregation). Knowing this prisoner came from the SCORE unit, which is a unit that houses mentally-ill prisoners, these two officers was excited to attempt to get this prisoner to slice his wrist. Well, the prisoner did cut his wrists.
Now, this is where everything begins to hit the fan. These two pig-officers (C.O. Devine and the C.O. Denton) began to panic. The prisoner is bleeding out and now has to be rushed to the medical unit. Both pigs are immediately questioned by their superiors as to how the prisoner got hold of an open razor. They lied and tried to stage the whole incident as a self-motivated suicidal attempt.
Their superior, Sgt. May, tells two things: 1) to search the prisoner's cell and see if they could find anything that could assist their claim, and 2) if they're unsuccessful, find other prisoners on the tier to open as many razor casings as they can to support the pigs cause. How I know all this? Well for one I'm on the tier it occurred, two, C.O. Devine came and practically begged me to help him get out of that situation. I felt disgusted, angry and disrespected!!!
Right then and there, I began to organize the unit to act in assistance with the mentally-ill prisoner and to expose the corruption and wickedness of RNCC's pig-staff. We filed paperwork, wrote out to ACLU, the DOC, the media, and got our lawyers involved with our family. At this time, the pigs were harassing each prisoner who was in the movement. We continued to push with agitation and exposure. More repression came down. Still we continued and are continuing. Then, the pig-admin started to separate us and transfer us to different prisons but the movement continues!
As of right now, I've been transferred from RNCC to Keen Mountain Correctional Center; it's another Maximum Security prison in Virginia. However, the movement is still at full swing. Two other participants have been shipped here along with me. We still remain in contact with the others also.
Well, that's the mini-story of what happened, and the struggle against repression followed us at this site. Mind you, that situation happened on 5 November 2018, I was removed from the prison shortly after, and today I'm just receiving my property. In addition to that, pig-officers here will cut off my commode for long periods so that I'm unable to flush my toilet. When I try to file Emergency Grievance, they either don't take it up or take it and don't give me a receipt. Who knows what they'll do next. I'm up for the fight!
On another note, I am still active in my teaching mode. I have organized political education classes on the tier and one of the two subjects I started with was teaching dialectical materialism and the whole dialectical transformation process. I felt good starting that class because I have enough information regarding dialectical materialism. However, the other class on what New Afrika was and New Afrikan revolutionary nationalism. I struggled because my knowledge of it is low! But I tried given the circumstances.
Nevertheless, my class on dialectical materialism was successful in bringing an understanding of its definition and its operation to my students. I used the information you provided me in the "Introduction to the Materialist method by MIM(Prisons), October 2017" and "Choosing One Ideology over Another: The Materialist Method" by MC5 of the Maoist Internationalist Movement. I explained how dialectical meanings of material things, people, and ideas transform in a struggle for liberation. I explained how the dialectical transformation moves in a perpetual sequence from without to within to without back within, and just keep going on and on. I gave examples on how it works in a way they could better understand, and tried my best at breaking it down and building it back up.
I want to ask you if you can send me anything that I could use in our P.E. classes to help educate us in what New Afrikan revolutionary nationalism is and how did it originate, and just the whole concept of the New Afrikan nation. If I have to pay for it let me know, but it'll be a while before I can purchase it because I'm suffering from economic hardships as of right now but eventually I could scrabble something up. Just let me know.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We are happy to send study materials to people who are running study groups and organizing locally. We have two articles that discuss the concept of New Afrika that were printed in ULK that we can send you. The New Afrikan Subcommittee of the USW Council is interested in commissioning someone to turn the content of these articles into a flier (with art) if that is something your study group (or anyone) is interested in. For more in depth reading on the theory and history of Black/New Afrikan nationalism we have a study pack on the legacy of the BPP($6) and one on revolutionary feminist proletarian nationalism($8). Send in a donation to the address on p. 1, or equivalent work-trade (e.g. a report on the organizing and political education you're doing, like this article!).
We also print this letter as an excellent example of organizing in spite of conditions of repression. This writer is working with others to fight the criminal injustice system from multiple angles. First there is the fight against the pigs who pushed the prisoner to cut eir wrist, and tried to get others to help them cover it up. Then there is the repression that followed, with the transfers and keeping up contact with other activists. And finally there is the study group, pushing forward both learning and practice at the same time.
This comrade is setting an example of perseverance in defending revolutionary principles, and building and maintaining unity with others.
Before I close, I want to enlighten you on the new draconian mail policy which went into effect on April 17, 2017 in all Virginia prisons. We no longer receive the actual letter and contents of the letter (e.g. newspaper clippings, pictures, greeting cards, etc.) sent to us. We receive only a copy (photocopy) of said letter and all original letters are destroyed. In addition, this policy places a restriction on the number of pages of incoming letters which is three pages (front & back). A copy of the envelope itself counts as one page so in actuality the maximum length of the incoming letter is two double-sided pages and one single-sided page.
If you want to see the actual policy for more clarity and to possibly post a link to it on your page as example of a veiled attempt to censor incoming political literature, you can view it at the following link: https://www.vadoc.virginia.gov/offenders/prison-life/mail.shtm. If comrades in Virginia are complaining about not receiving mail from you since April, this policy and its’ page limitation is the reason why. The packages you sent to me containing the literature above may have gotten through to me because you shipped them to me in a big manila envelope, and so it was handled and processed by the Personal Property Dept. here rather than the Mailroom Dept. So, keep that in mind when sending literature to comrades in the VA Prison System.
As of today October 29th, 2017 I am in a battle with the medical department here at VA. Beach Correctional Center in the state of Virginia. As of Sept. 6, 2017, I woke up with both eyes really dry, burning and blurry. I submitted a sick call slip. I was seen by a nurse for this problem, and was told that she would see what she could do. That was on Sept. 8, 2017. Since that date I have started losing my eye sight in my left eye, it took a month for me to actually see the doctor, in which he took one look at my eye and immediately sent me to an optometrist who ordered MRI's, blood work, chest x-rays, and a lumbar puncture. All the results except the lumbar puncture have come back negative. At first the medical department said I had to pay for me to go to an outside doctor, I explained that I was an indigent inmate and could not pay for it, before they even reacted to my complaints (emergency and standard grievances).
This facility has denied me proper medical treatment for so long that there is a possibility that my blindness could have been prevented. So for the last 7 weeks I have been completely blind in my left eye, and they (medical, optometrist) don't have an idea what caused my blindness. I'm waiting to go to an optometrist neurosurgeon, for further testing. I am currently awaiting for a 2nd standard grievance to be answered, so that I could appeal to the next step, so that I have exhausted all grievances or avenues before I can file a 1983 lawsuit.
I just wanted to write and let you know what kind of issues this institution has made me go through. I also know that if put into restricted housing (SHU) they leave the lights on 24 hrs a day, you're locked in a cell with another inmate, and your handcuffed to the shower railing by one hand in which you can't properly wash your body, the only time you come out your cell is for court, medical or showers. This is cruel and unusual punishment.
So if there is any possible suggestions or information you can provide it will be highly appreciated. Thank you for your newletters and a platform to fight the injustices we prisoners face on a daily basis. I've tried to get others on the inside to push the abuse and injustice we face. There is no unity at this facility because inmates are scared of the repercussions they may have to endure. Once again thank you for your organization and your cause.
I am a prisoner housed here at Sussex One State Prison. One of the three supermax prisons in Virginia. I have been housed here at Sussex One for about a year. Most of the prisoners housed here are Black and most of our overseers who work here are also Black. This is a very repressive regime with no chance of a prisoner rehabilitating himself. We are a lost and dead people who suffer from the Willie Lynch syndrome. Most prisoners do not care about their human rights, because we as a whole allow our overseers to violate our human rights without any challenge. We as prisoners are human beings, who have the same cares, concerns, and are capable of love, like any other human being. However, our overseers sees us as less than human and a lot of the prisoners here sympathize with their overseers, the same people who violate our human rights every day, who sees us as less than human beings, who only sees us as objects to be controlled and manipulated. Some of us will reenter society one day. How is it possible to reenter society and be successful when us prisoners are not given the tools to be successful. We act out against each other and a lot of us don't even know each other. That's what happens when you are lost and dead people. Most of us do not even know what is happening to us. Chaos and disorder is the order of the day. A lot of us don't have a voice because our family and friends have given up on us and abandoned us, there is no hope for lost and dead people.
I read with interest the article on the lack of a constitutional right to a grievance procedure ( Prisoners Unite Against Suppression of VA DOC Grievance Procedure) in ULK 54. This happens to be an issue I researched a few months ago. Unfortunately I'm Federal, not state, so I can't file a §1983 anyway, which is a shame because I'd just love to take this one to the Supreme Court.
This legal argument should work. However, the only place I can see it working is at the Supreme Court itself. I offer it in the hopes that someone else can run with it.
The article is quite correct. There are many 4th circuit opinions throwing out prisoners' §1983 actions for denial of or retaliation against filing grievances, most of which go back to Adams v. Rice 40F.3d.72, 75 (4th Cir. 1994). This opinion, however, was before the 1995 Prison Litigation Reform Act, 1997(e). The argument is that, as 1997(e) came later than Adams v. Rice, and congress could not have intended to make a constitutional right (the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances under Amendment 1) contingent upon conduct that is not constitutionally protected, that therefore Adams v. Rice and all subsequent case law should be declared null and void.
Digging a bit deeper, I found that Adams bases its opinion on Flick v. Alba, 932 F.2d 728, 729 (8th Cir 1991) claiming there is "no constitutional right to participate in grievance proceedings."
The problem with this is that Flick v Alba states, "When the claim underlying the administrative grievance involves a constitutional right, the prisoner's right to petition the government for redress is the right of access to the courts, which is not compromised by the prison's refusal to entertain his grievance." After 1997(e), of course, that last clause is false, 1997(e) specifically and deliberately makes a prison's refusal to entertain grievances compromise the right of access to the courts. That's what 1997(e) is for!
If there be any justice, this is a slam-dunk argument. Of course, there isn't any justice. But occasionally a judge, wanting to gain status by overturning a long-held precedent might do the right thing, if only accidentally. It might also have some value as a rallying point for activism.
One might also argue a violation of equal protection under the fourteenth amendment, but I'm not sure how much that would add. A couple of paragraphs couldn't hurt, though.
In the Virginia Department of Corrections, the prison officials and corrections officers who are in charge of enforcing the rules and regulations, whose duty it is to uphold the mission of each of the correctional facilities in Virginia, are not above reproach. Having been a prisoner in the Virginia Department of Corrections (Corruption) for over two decades, I've witnessed numerous violations of prison rules, state law and of the constitution of the United States. These violations are from seemingly minor to serious mistreatment of prisoners, sleeping on duty, denial of adequate medical treatment, denial of an adequate healthy diet to meet the dietary needs of prisoners, and suppression of the grievance procedure.
All of the officers and prison officials are in cahoots with each other. When guards and prison officials are reported, no disciplinary action (no matter the evidence) is ever taken. The grievance coordinators make sure of this because they suppress the grievance procedure so prisoners will not be able to exercise their right to redress of grievance. The corrections officers are subject to rules of professional conduct just like us prisoners. However, most of these officers do not follow the rules of professional conduct. Most of these prison officials and officers do not have any humanity for prisoners whatsoever.
This prison that I am housed at is a walking bed of human rights violations. And I want to explain in detail. First, the toilets. The way the system works is that the prisoner gets one four-second flush every five minutes. If the prisoner flushes twice within five minutes, the system punishes the offender by automatically shutting off all flushes for at least half an hour. There are several problems with this. One flush every five minutes is not sufficient for bowel movements, which occur according to the individual's excretory system and not a clock, the prisoner must literally go to the bathroom with a stopwatch, sitting in the stink of his waste until they can again flush. When the prisoner does flush the toilet, the four-second flush does not remove all the waste from the bowl. The more solid the waste in the bowl the more that is left after the brief flush.
A serious health hazard is created when waste is left in toilet bowls because mistakes are made in flush rate. Keep in mind there are 2 people in the cell. There will and already are rising medical costs due to health problems that occur because of human wast lingering in toilet bowls that breed germs and attract insects. It is oppressive and inhumane to take away or restrict a human being's ability to flush their waste products away from their living environment. It is bad enough living in a cell, which is nothing but a bathroom with a bed in it. No one wants to live in a sewer and no one should have to.
Second, the building I am housed in, 4D, we are supposed to do cell cleaning every Thursday. Anyway we are only given two cups of chemicals to clean our cells with. We are not provided with a broom, mop, sponge, sanitary napkins or anything that we can adequately clean our cells with including no toilet brush to clean our toilets. So imagine as I explained about the waste in the toilet building up. This is a violation of our 8th amendment rights.
Prisoners here at Sussex I State Prison receive inhumane treatment on a daily basis. They have taken our drinking cups from us, and now we have nothing to drink our water from. We have to save our Styrofoam cups from our meals. Taking our cups is unnecessary, because it doesn't hinder or interfere with security. At every other state prison, including the other supermax prisons in Virginia, Wallens Ridge and Red Onion, drinking cups are allowed.
There is no system of checks and balances here at this prison. Staff's bad and unprofessional behavior towards us goes unchecked. We have a grievance coordinator here at Sussex I State Prison who repeatedly has suppressed the grievance process and has hindered my and other prisoners' right to redress of grievances. The grievance coordinator is supposed to serve as a human rights advocate, instead Ms. Witt the grievance coordinator at Sussex I State Prison has been a human rights nightmare and she is very unprofessional and she is corrupt. When we report guards or other prison officials, no disciplinary action is ever taken, no matter how large or small the issue is.

References: §1983
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