Tag Archives: solitary confinement

‘They won’t let me out the hole’

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1-4-17

Hello,

I thank you for your letter and I appreciate your concern about us here. How have you been? Me I been doing good. I’m sorry for taking so long to write back, I just been gettin things together for trial in March. I want the Inside-Outside Alliance and the news people at my trial so everybody can see how court doing in Durham County. I been here going on 3 years. This jail is some bullshit and the court system, too. The D.A. trying to give me 26 to 34 years. That’s crazy. I haven’t even seen 20. I’m only 18, about to be 19…And the jail they got me in the hole for 50 days now, and they won’t let me out the hole. Thank you for the card. Hope to hear from you soon. Take care.  –S.B.

“Only those Uncle Toms and brown-nosers…”

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11-13-16

Hello,

May this missive find you in a state of bliss in all respects. Like always it was a pleasure hearing from and acknowledging your efforts that contribute to the struggle. I really look forward to meeting you and some of the Inside-Outside Alliance comrades soon.

Have you heard that the Neuse C.I. went up in smoke two weeks ago? Yes! A lot of the staff from there have been posted here for work until the Neuse facility is repaired. The inmates burnt the place up, especially the processing part. Heard it’ll take months before they get it back up to par.  Continue reading →

‘The hole: another form of control’

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Hello Comrade,

How are you? I wrote you a letter last month and it was returned. I don’t know what that was about. As for me I’m still standing and always prepared to fight. I’m back in population now but I appreciated the solitude for them 30 days. I met a good brother and a comrade for life. Was that y’all out there about (three) weeks ago protesting, if so I heard y’all but I couldn’t see. Continue reading →

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

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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 →

‘We can’t allow two visits on the admin pod”: no past and no future in the jail lobby

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Dear Durham County Jail and Renovo (powered by GTL),

You are not dear to me, actually. What was dear to me is the time I lost, the time of mine you wasted last week at visitation. It is time I will never get back. I know I am not alone in feeling robbed by your staff and your “convenient” scheduling system. Continue reading →

How can I?

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Thoughts on Paper: How Can I?

How can I hope for a change when no one else notices anything wrong with their conditions? I cannot try to bring upon a social revolution nor an economic change if everyone’s content with where they stand. How could I succeed?

It pains me that when I speak upon my dream and vision for revolution no one else (out of the other 20 people I am around in the hole) agrees with my thoughts. Continue reading →

‘It’s like telling these doors to open themselves and let us go’

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(Note: the date on the following letter is correct—the envelope had multiple post marks, and seemed to have been opened before going out—editors)

Feb 3, 2016

IOA

I’m doing ok, just another day in jail. Thanks for writing. I don’t really know too much about the death of Matthew McCain, but I know the guard that was working that pod (Erick Boria) the day it happened is very lazy—all he does is sit at the desk either reading a book or looking at TV. He doesn’t do his rounds every 15 minutes like a lot of other guards here. Continue reading →

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

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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 →

‘Things changing slowly but surely’

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1/2/16

What’s up IOA

One day I was out for my 1.5 hour walk and I realized something…Everybody looks forward to mail and visits. When it’s all said and done I know I and have seen people cry after a visit. It’s people in here that got kids out there in the world that need them. It hurts me real bad. I really do feel for them. I hate seeing people sad. I hate that we all in here hoping and praying that we get a letter or visit or money on our books. I wish/want better for my people. As far as myself go, still trying to shake the fact that I’m still in my room, still locked back/admin. Hate this place. I’m not an animal. Officers come up to me a lot and tell me they hate the way they be treating me and it’s officers that be like they know I’m not the person they trying to make me out to be. I’m really a good-hearted person if you took the time to get to know me. Continue reading →

‘Let’s pull this humongous tree by the root’

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Hey brother,

I apologize about the other individuals that I promised to send toward you (with drawings), let’s say “I tried.” But to try is to fail, and with no super code that’s what I did. I am currently inside the hole for getting into a confrontation with someone twice, if not three, times my size. But that shows people I fight and stand for what I believe in.  Continue reading →