GREETINGS TO ALL!
This letter is to inform people about the damages that prisons cause to the mind, spirit, and soul of the human being that is placed there, and how it doesn’t help to heal the wounds of a person, but keeps them open. You see, to quote my sister, Angela Davis: “The prison therefore functions ideologically as an abstract site into which undesirables are deposited, relieving us of the responsibility of thinking about the real issues afflicting those communities from which prisoners are drawn in such disproportionate numbers.” This is by design and derived by the white male supremacist ideology and his capitalist system.
Prison is a prime example of something you cannot try to reform, but must eliminate. Studies have shown that imprisonment doesn’t make people better, but worse from all the inhumane treatment. For instance, if a person suffers from mental illness, he/she is given a psychotropic medication that’s used to sedate them. If they continue to behave abnormally, they can be physically assaulted by the guards. Guards have also been known for staging what they used to call the “Gladiator Fights,” amongst the inmate population. Laws were created to control human relations within the community. Laws aren’t much bothered with psychology. Their purpose, in the form of “duty,” is instead socio-political. This is only how a particular society (the 1% class who controls us, the remaining 99% class) functions.
We inmates who’ve decided to read and study a lot of interesting subjects, such as: all history (all ethnic studies), cultural history, sociology, economics, politics, the judicial system, and psychology, just to name a few, have developed a consciousness that allow us to re-educate others. We are labeled “political prisoners,” and “jailhouse lawyers” because we’ve taken the opportunity to challenge these conditions. We do this by creating our own self-help groups and build study groups that help to heal broken men. Working with outside organizations also helps, because they have also created programs that help to change the quality of life in the inner cities.
Me, personally, I have been doing some podcasts to get the word out about prison injustice, as well as talk about the positive things we do on the inside. The podcasts you should listen to are: The Final Straw, Kiteline, #prisonskill, and Liberate the Caged Voices.
If you would like to learn more, go to www.wireofhope.com/prison-penpal-terrancewhite
Dare to Struggle - Dare to Win
Mwalimu Shakur