Being locked up is being placed in a constant battle. You’re fighting for your physical well being, your dignity, your desire to be treated like a fucking living thing. It isn’t a game, it isn’t romantic. People lose this fight, people lose themselves often. One of the most savage tools the state uses is muzzling its captives, stealing, prohibiting and limiting our voice and contact with the outside world. This is dangerous because when you can’t see or hear the outside, you stop seeing yourself as a part of it, You forget that you belong out there. You can fall more into what they want, the prisoner mold, it’s a real fucking trap.
This is why communication is so dangerous to this system, it can dismantle their entire ratshit agenda. What is more powerful than knowing your voice will be heard, than knowing that out in the world people exist who love you and will refuse to let you get lost within these walls? The last time I was transferred, my team found me within 24 hours, with no help from the BOP. Those bastards refused to let me make a call, refused to give me a pencil to write a letter, they were not going to help me be in contact, it goes against everything they want. There was no fear though because I knew no matter where I got sent or how badly I was being treated, my team would fucking be on it. Communicating the situation with the community, using every possible tool imaginable to keep our line of contact available, harassing the facility until they found me and found out what had happened to me. This trust was built overtime, because EVERY TIME I have faced adversity they have been there for me, guided and helped me in every way imaginable. I was placed in Transfer seg on Friday, I had my first letters from my partner by Tuesday, and my first phone call by Thursday. That communication kept my spirits alive, it ruined their plans. The system doesn’t like this, an empowered, loved prisoner isn’t a good prisoner.
The state goes through many means to block our communication. Charging crazy (3c’s =)..) funds for calls and limiting them to 300god damn minutes A MONTH, scanning all in coming and out going letters, reviewing all emails before they’re able to be sent out, shipping you far from your family, isolating you completely, or at least trying to. They’ve shown their hand, our strongest tool is their biggest fear; well informed, connected, empowered prisoners. Prisoners who know their strength, prisoners with ears and hearts outside these walls. I’ve seen first hand how different doing time with support is compared to without. I’ve also seen how different you can be treated when these fucks know they can’t bury you. Communication can be our strongest weapon because it can remove the fear the state tries to instill, it can calm our nerves in a anxiety riddled environment, it can spread knowledge of what is happening to us to the outside world along with what is happening outside to us, it can promote hope, inspire victories, keep the fire and rebellious spirit burning within our hearts. I am stronger mentally because of the love and help I’ve received from those on the outside. If everyone had that same love and communication, there wouldn’t be a prisoner population.
Thank you to everyone who has been there for any prisoner, to my partner<3, support team, and everyone who has been there for me in anyway. Through that support we are free.
U.A.A.F.
EK