Tag Archives: reading as window

‘The system seems like it’s on its last leg’

Posted on by

Hey —

What’s been up, I’ve been waiting for a letter from you for forever. Me I’m doing as good as I can. I’m at one of the worst prisons in the state. How are things? That draft (of Durham Human Relations Commission’s recommendations on the jail) looks great! What’s the status with things in the jail? Trump is…I don’t know,,,but what is very evident is that change is coming and not the kind that’s easy transitional type kind of stuff. This is more of the brute force, force feed kind of thing. I listen to the news radio about 3 hours a day and the global climate went from progressively hopeful and optimistic to almost hostile. You got Trump banning people from certain countries from entry, and Iran doing missile tests. Continue reading →

‘The world is watching and this is only the beginning’

Posted on by

This letter was returned to the sender for no reason back in early September. He re-sent it with another letter.

 

Power Comrade

After reading the last edition of feedback my current situation changed. I was placed in solitary confinement for an altercation with another detainee, for which I was given 30 days. Everybody except myself looked at it as if it was a bad thing. I don’t look at things one-sided. As I said after reading feedback, and observing what’s been happening lately as far as the killings of black men and the police, and observing my surroundings in here it seems like people are numb or they just don’t care. Continue reading →

Back to School Thesis

Posted on by

We are students for 4 years, but we’re oppressed our whole lives. This is the sad but true part of the educational/capitalist system that supports this oppression. Before I begin this thesis, I would like to tell the readers what inspired me to write this. I (recently) received a letter from a young woman who is in high school and on her summer vacation is taking the time to learn about activism. She wrote me as part of a project her organization was doing. I enjoy seeing consciousness among young people such as her, and for her I wrote this. Continue reading →

‘Coffee is like air, and sleep the cousin of death…’

Posted on by

As my daily routine changes, coffee has become like air, and sleep has become the cousin of death. I’ve been operating on 3 to 6 hours of sleep, my revolutionary studies have reached an all-time high. I currently have been disregarding individuals whose presence only waste time, and I’ve been spending more time preaching my outlook/standpoint on social issues and conditions we face. In any area, my vision has been clearing up by the day, my self-discipline  been worked on also daily. Noticing my influence, I’ve also been trying to tap into the other brothers’ consciousness.
Continue reading →

‘They use violence to subdue us but we wrong for using violence back’

Posted on by

The following letters came to us late last week.

Here is Genapher’s note of explanation: The one letter was mailed out on 11/9 and returned to me 12/22. The other letter was mailed out on 11/25 and was returned back to me 12/22. They say the address was wrong when I know it was right. Hope y’all had a good Christmas. Please don’t give up protesting. Continue reading →

‘I think a community investigation will cause a lot of attention to be drawn’

Posted on by

Hey —

What’s been up? Guess what I found in my property when I made the move? All those great books that (Internationalist Prison Books Collective–Durham) sent me, but unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to bring them into the prison, but I did donate them…. Continue reading →

‘Return everyone to regular schedule now’

Posted on by

Dear —,

I would first of all like to say thank you for all the things that you and everyone at IOA are doing for us here at Durham County Jail (or should I say Durham Concentration Camp).

Also I would like to thank you for the informational material that you take your time and publish each month!!! Without you all, we would be deaf, dumb and blind to the things that goes on in and around the jail. Which is the way Sheriff Andrews and his band of hooligans would prefer it be.  Continue reading →

‘I see big things coming and I want to be a part of it’

Posted on by

a comrade writes from a state facility:

8-10-15

I hope what you said was true that there is room in the struggle for me. I have like 60 days left and my time will be up and I can help the cause. I’m so proud of y’all. I was watching the news and I am way on the coast and I saw a segment where y’all was outside of the jail protesting I believe it was the lockdown.  Continue reading →

Independent Investigation Needed: You have nothing to worry about if you have nothing to hide’

Posted on by

the following letter was dated June 22, but was received more than a month later. We don’t blame the USPS.

June 22, 2015

Hey,

I hope this letter finds you and everyone at Inside-Outside Alliance in good health and excellent spirits. I myself am doing great and very happy to know that we have such caring and supportive people at Inside-Outside. I am very grateful to each and everyone of you for everything you are doing for us here at the Durham County Detention Center. Things have changed considerably for us, we are now coming out of lockback 4 hours daily, and as of next month (July), the jail will be working with a new telephone company, something we all hope will be for the better. Continue reading →

‘We have to put all our clothes on to stay warm’

Posted on by

Hey,

How is it going? Good I hope. I just want to thank you and Inside-Outside Alliance for allowing me to be a part of it. Everything is going pretty bad in here. It’s very cold temperatures in this jail, mostly in the cell. But I ask the officers can they turn up the heat, but it never get done. We have to put on all of our clothes just to stay warm. And yes, I been seeing some people out there protesting outside of the jail. That’s good to see people helping the people in jail. I feel that the statement is good because I feel that we need to get books sent in from people and 2 we need to get mail from the officers when we ask for it. We do need visitation face-to-face multiple times a week…

Yes, the CO that I am talking about is Coleman. Coleman is disrespectful. I been in — for 2 weeks and Coleman came up here talking shit. I’m just going to keep taking it one day at a time to better my day. But write me back and take care.

T. A.