Mongoose Distro

All Power To The People

My intentions aren’t to give a dialectical and historical context of the relationship between today’s “Gangs” (street formations) and past revolutionary movements, although there is an inextricable link between the two.

The origins of today’s street formations were strongly influenced by the original Black Panther Party and other similar organizations. They were formed to uplift and protect their communities from outside threats, threats that were typically imposed by law enforcement and the US government.

With destruction of the Black Panther Party, combined with the influx of drugs and firearms within their already oppressed communities, members of these formations were lured into “gang-bangin” against each other and a fratricidal and suicidal, criminal lifestyle that resulted in the abandonment of the ideals and principles that were brought forth and established by the formation’s founders. Ideals and principles that mirrored those of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army.

Today there are a limited few who diligently impress upon their “homies” the importance of espousing the formations’ founding ideals and principles. Nevertheless, majority have been derailed from their initial revolutionary path, which has had a grave impact on the youth who romanticize today’s “gang” culture and their communities. Moreover, the absence of these ideals and principles has engendered a culture of disunity, violent competition and the romanticizing of the “gang-banging” mentality, which renders us incapable of redressing the conditions we found ourselves subjected to within these razor-wire plantations.

There is no silver bullet or magic wand that can be used to magically expedite the transformation that must be made: Transforming the criminal mentality into a revolutionary mentality is a protracted process that demands accountability and rigorous educating.

I am dedicated to assisting with this transformation any way that I can. One way is to shed some light on the draconian policies and procedures that governs those of us who have been labeled “gang-members”, labels known as Security Risk Group (SRG) or Security Threat Groups (STG), so we can begin to seek redress for these policies & procedures.

Gang Validation Process

Prisoners who have been labelled as “gang members” often suffer significant unfair prejudice. Due to the officers who are responsible for the validation process opinions being often based on sweeping generalizations and stereotypes about “gang members” generally, unreliable methodology, and/or the officer’s racial bias.

Here in North Carolina the Department of Adult Corrections (DAC) has “certified” twenty-one alleged prison gangs as Security Risk Groups (SRG). Prisoners are validated as SRG members by Prison Intelligence Officers (PIO) who are white, whose discretion reigns supreme in determining who is validated as a SRG member. These subjective decisions lead to disproportionate validation of prisoners of color, particularly Black prisoners.

A stark example of the racially uneven application of SRG validations is evident in the percentage of white prisoners who have been validated compared to Black prisoners. White prisoners make up 2% of the prisoners validated in NC prisoners.

Around the world, gangs are studied by those with specialized training in areas as ethnography, sociology, anthropology, and psychology. In these fields, researchers are often subject to ethical standards that warn against manipulating data to advance their personal objectives and required to employ social science field research best practices in relation to data collection, analysis, and interpretation. The officers responsible for validating prisoners are not held to any such ethical standards and lack the foundational knowledge to determine if a prisoner is actually a SRG member or not.

The qualification, the degree, of specialized knowledge for these officers to be qualified as “gang experts” is particularly lacking. An officer can be qualified as a “gang expert” after having only a couple months on the job as long as they have some formalized training. You would think these “gang officers” would be required to demonstrate a basic understanding of the complicated dynamics at issue where gang membership and behavior are concerned beyond stereotypes and prototypes. Being that these validations subject prisoners to indefinite sanctions and restrictions that not only impedes rehabilitation but affects the validated prisoners’ family as well.

These “gang officers” employ a worksheet which lists seventeen criteria for determining gang involvement, each of which is assigned a point value. Prisoners may be labeled as “suspects/associates” or “members”.

A qualifying score is not difficult to achieve Prisoners bearing tattoos “thought” to signify gang affiliation and who socialize with “confirmed” gang members may be regarded as members themselves.

False positives are likely to arise under these criteria because, while they may indicate a correlation with gang membership, they do not establish causation. Because gang membership cannot be reliably inferred from the factors aforementioned these “gang officers” should not be allowed to opine about gang membership based on these factors.

Completed validation worksheets are forwarded to the DAC’s chief of special operations, Daryll Vann, who reviews the worksheets, confirms that “relevant” documentation is attached, and validates the identification. Prisoners who wish to contest the validation is not afforded the opportunity to do so. Prisoners receive no notice of their validation, no procedural due process, nor a periodic review that would enable the prisoner to have the validation removed. Therefore, prisoners who have been validated remain validated for the duration of their incarceration and irrevocably subject to SRG policy deprivations.

There are only two ways to have the SRG validation removed. There is a SRG program that’s provided to a limited number of prisoners. It is a 9-month program at Foothills Correctional, a prison located in the rural mountains region of Western North Carolina. The staff employed there are exclusively white who live in race-segregated communities who are out of touch with the cultures of the prisoners they oversee. When these “gang officers” walk through the doors of the prison, many of them, knowingly or unknowingly, hold negative biases toward those who have been validated and those of color.

The media perpetuates inaccurate narratives of violence, criminality, and dishonesty among racial minorities that many of these “gang officers” unknowingly internalize. It shows in how they interact and deal with the prisoners.

The DAC describes this program as being a program that “targets those beliefs (cognitions) that support criminal behavior…” and seeks to shift the thinking that supports these believes. Prisoners who complete this program must undergo a debriefing and renounce their affiliation, if any, before the validation is removed. This program is not available to prisoners who have been labeled problematic. The other way to have the validation removed is to complete your prison sentence and be discharged from DAC custody. Of the 1343 prisoners released from DAC’s custody last year, at least 572 were alleged SRG members.

Draconian Gang Policies & Procedures

The ostensible purpose of the DAC SRG policies and procedures is to avoid prison disturbances supposedly fomented by gangs. It is nonetheless clear that these policies and procedures has the effect of incapacitating significant numbers of prisoners and has cultivated an environment opposite from what prisoner officials claim to be “safer”.

Those who have been validated find themselves subjected to draconian sanctions and restrictions. Validated prisoners are prohibited from receiving visits from anyone beyond immediate family. This excludes aunts, uncles, cousins and the mother of your child(ren) if you have no immediate family member to accompany your child to visitation you are unable to visit with them. Our children’s interests are not, as a matter of right, factored into SRG validation determinations. The fact that parent-child visitation can help children overcome the challenges of parental separation and reduce recidivism rates is well-documented. But yet, prison officials find it plausible to implement such a policy that prevents parent-child visits.

As with the prisoners who have been validated, Black and Hispanic children are the ones greatly affected by this policy. DAC has imposed this policy without any cognizance that such a restriction might implicate the parent-child relationship, which is typically subject to extraordinary protection by the courts. But yet this policy goes unchecked.

Throughout the duration of my incarceration I’ve been unable to visit with my daughter, because I have no immediate family to accompany here, this has prevented she and I from developing a meaningful relationship. This is something that majority of us are experiencing.

Moreover, this policy has an outsized impact on Black families and other members of marginalized communities who bear the brunt of mass incarceration. Limiting a prisoner’s visitors to immediate family only effectively cuts a prisoner off from family members who may have raised him. As we know in marginalized communities there are an overwhelming amount of fractured families. Grandparents and others play the mother-father role.

Then there are the prisoners who were raised in foster care, who have never been blessed with the opportunity to meet their immediate family. There is no exceptions for foster care parents.

Although these restrictions are sometimes justified, they are being used indiscriminately without individual analysis.

On February 19, 2019 a policy was implemented that prohibited validated prisoners from receiving financial support from anyone who wasn’t an approve visitor. Prison officials claim that this was done to curtail “black market” activities and strong-arming. It’s not difficult to see how such a policy would increase these activities, moreover create an environment where those who do have means of receiving financial support become targets of strong-arming and other acts of violence.

This policy was implemented 8 months before now retired director of prisons, Kenneth Lassiter, requested more funding for security and control weapons. During the 8 months to when he requested this additional funding, violence amongst prisoners drastically increased. I know because majority of these close-custody facilities were placed on lockdown due to the increase of violence.

Prisoners who are validated have no access to any educational or vocational programming, forced to serve idle prison sentences. They are locked in their cells virtually all of the time and otherwise maintained in extremely harsh conditions. Unable to have their custody level reduced to medium or minimum security and job opportunities are non-existent. Common sense would tell prison officials that there are abundant reasons to believe that these policies and restrictions will produce unfortunate results both inside and outside of prison.

The Ramifications of these Policies

Motivated by an inaccurate perception of gangs and how they operate, the DAC has adopted policies that have enhanced group cohesiveness and the identities of gang-affiliated prisoners. These policies have promoted new gang connections for prisoners who, due to the difficulties inherent in gang identification, inadequate procedures and racial stereotyping, are misidentified. The validated prisoner tells himself “they think I’m a gang member = I might as well be one”.

Of course these policies raise obvious moral and ethical questions. However, I would like to focus on how these policies make no sense from a correctional perspective. Even if these “gang officers” are creating or enhancing gang identities, why does it matter? Validated prisoners maintained in these locked down blocks, after all, are effectively disabled from committing acts of misconduct when locked in their cells.

Validated prisoners are denied access to visitation, financial support, transfers to medium or minimum custody, as well as parole.  They have nothing more to lose so they are not deterred by any threat of punishment, what else can be taken from them? They have no incentive to refrain from gang involvement.

Aside from prison concerns, the impact of these policy’s ramifications will be felt most profoundly on the streets and communities to which these prisoners will return. As I pointed out 571 of the 1343 prisoners released from NC prisons last year, were alleged gang members. In general, ninety-six percent of all prisoners return to society. To my knowledge, there are recidivism studies focusing or gang affiliated prison releases, there is evidence that gang members may retain their gang identify upon release (see: eg CAMP & CAMP, supra note 70, at viii, ix; Salvador Buentello eta l, Prison Gang Development: A Theoretical Model, Prison J., Fall-Winter 1991, at 3, 8.). Thus these policies not only fail to enhance prison security, it also undermines public safety.

We Have A Responsibility

Prisoners nationwide find themselves subject to similar sanctions and restrictions under the guise of enhancing prison security. I’ve revealed how these policies target prisoners of color and how they affect not only us but our families and communities as well. We have the numbers, we have the capability and we have the know how to bring about change. But as Komrade George Jackson expressed; “We all seem to be in the grip of some terrible quandary. Our enemies have so confused us that we seem to have been rendered incapable of the smallest responsibility. I see this same irresponsibility in every exchange with my kinsmen here, irresponsibility, or mediocrity at best disloyalty, self-hatred, cowardice, competition between themselves, resentment of any who may have excelled in anything…”

Because of the inexorable nature of any an overseas, nationwide demonstrations on the outside and within these walls is presently necessary if we are to connect the connectors. Prison Lives Matter has made it possible for us to address such conditions because PLM has formed a united front for political prisoners, prisoners of war, politicized individuals behind the walls of these razor-wire plantations and their organizations, as well as any outside formations in union with the struggles of prisoners. It’s on us to initiate the process, it’s on us to network with one another to get on the same page, so we can write a page in the history books!

Dare to Struggle
Dare to Win
Joseph “Shine White” Stewart

Greetings comrades. Let me tell you about this prison, the federal supermax ADX [in Florence, Colorado]. In this joint there are different levels and units with varying levels of physical isolation and communication, but there are things we all experience. Everyone is locked down at least 21 hours a day, at max 24. When you have inside rec you are by yourself in a room without a pull up bar. Outside rec cages are 8 x 10 foot dog kennels surrounded by concrete walls and a chain link roof — a cage within a cage. Unless you are in the pre-release unit (K-A) or long-term elder unit (K-B), you will never be in the same room as another person. And even in those units you only come around your ‘group’ — which is one to four other people — for inside rec. The other 22 ½ hours are in your cell by yourself. I have been in C-unit, the discipline unit and K-A; there is one other person in my group.

The cells are sparse. Concrete walls and double doors make any communication between convicts very difficult. Cells feature a low concrete beed, an oddly shitty mattress, a concrete desk, concrete stool, and in some units, a shelf above the desk. You never have solo interactions with staff — you are always double-manned with one of them carrying a steel baton, and you’re always cuffed behind your back. Depending on the unit, you can get 4–10 calls per month. I’ve made two ‘live-monitored’ calls in the past 10 months, but I’m being told that by participating in psychology programs I’ll earn a few calls per month. Time will tell. We’re allowed five visits per month, all non-contact in a concrete booth over the phone. All visits have to be scheduled in advance, which can be difficult with such restricted communication. I’m the only Anarchist here, but I’m definitely not the only political prisoner. Within this prison there is a group of prisoners the US government has attempted to bury. The general abolitionist community has consented to this, and it’s devastating.

The most restrictive unit in the most restrictive prison in America is H-Unit, which is for people on SAMS (Special Administrative Measures). These restrictions are placed by the Attorney General, and they are sickening. SAMS vary per captive, but all entail only being allowed to write to direct blood family and your lawyer. The FBI must read and approve all letters, magazines, and books. Calls are severely limited, live-monitored by the FBI, and reviewed by magistrate judges. These convicts get three showers per week. The vast majority of people on SAMS are Muslim and foreign born. Because their families are in Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, or in Africa, it is nearly impossible to get visits, calls, or mail. These people will never see their families or home countries again. Their children will get married, have kids, grow old, and they will never know it. If that doesn’t make you sick, I don’t even know what we’re doing here.

Most of these people have never been to America or speak English. They had war brought to them. They were farmers, bakers, engineers, fathers, and husbands, and then US and Western imperialists arrived on their land. Many of these people never harmed anyone, but were entrapped by rivals and US bootlickers. Some were fighting their own governments, some donated money to local charity groups that were later deemed terrorist organizations. Others did attack US “interests,” or attempted to. Some of these actions make me really uncomfortable — just like some of the IRA’s, Kurd’s, and Palestinian actions make me uncomfortable. Just like US drone strikes, missile attacks, and invasions make me uncomfortable. It’s only from a place of privilege that I can tell an occupied people how they should fight. The goal is freedom, not being palatable to Western sensibilities. We took to the streets with rage and sorrow when the pigs killed Tortuguita (Rest in Power). How would our hearts burn if they’d wiped out the entire encampment? If they killed 100,000 little Tortuguitas? It’s hard and painful to even fathom.

Sometimes, after 10 or 15 years, via lawsuits or legal pressure, people can be released from their SAMS. These people end up in other ADX units or the CMU. The heartbreaking thing about this is that almost all of these fighters get off SAMS and find themselves supportless, friendless. Imagine you go 15 years of being banned from contact and reading material and when you finally are allowed access there is no one there for you to talk to. How heartbreaking that must feel. Think of someone like Richard Reed (Raheem). He did 7 years on SAMS then forced his way to the Life/Elder unit. He will never leave this prison, he will never touch or talk to his loved ones again. No one is standing by him. Everyone has bought into the government’s version of events and the idea that if you fight back you no longer deserve love and support, or to feel human. I vehemently reject this idea. No one should ever have to suffer this level of total isolation alone. The government doesn’t get to tell me, an Anarchist, who is a good fighter and who is bad. I think we should all keep an open heart to those who resisted the US military machine and shed light on this blindspot in the abolitionist movement. What did Assata say? “It is our duty to fight for our freedom / It is our duty to win / WE MUST LOVE EACH OTHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER / We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

Lastly, I’d like to give love and solidarity to everyone resisting Cop City in any capacity. It’s beautiful to see. Every prison is a cop city. Every prison was once a patch of land with flowers and bugs and wild life. Evil people turned that nature into militarized torture camps. Trees replaced by bars and barbed wire, wild flowers replaced by poisonous gasses. We need to shut down every cop city, past and present. I commend those who dedicate themselves to the liberation struggle.

I’ll end with this: Certain Days quoted Kathy Boudin (Rest in Power) in its May calendar page, and I feel it captures our sentiment perfectly. “The meaning of my life has come from being part of a world wide tradition of fighting for a more just and humane world. My ideals give me strength today as well as yesterday and tomorrow.” We can all gain so much from our elders. All love and respect to all my Anarchist comrades, state and federal, everyone who has supported any of us in any way. Free Joe-Joe Bowen, Free Kamau Sadiki, Free Oso Blanco, Free Kojo Bomani Sababu!

Anarchy always,
↙↙↙ everywhere.
End the SAMS!
Fire Ant Collective forever!

Eric King 27090-045
USP Florence
PO Box 8500
Florence, CO 81226

Dear Mongoose (& readers)

As previously reported, numerous times, the Pocahontas State Corruption Center, one of the Virginia Department of Corrections’ most nefarious & dangerous prisons, has been openly targeting mail for tampering & interference (please see the enclosed form). The culprits, by name; Haggerty; Stacey; M’Call; Campbell & Smalling are politically motivated & using these acts as a means of harassment, as well as a means to isolate & cause harm. Here is yet another legitimate publication wrongly denied. 

These state employees, acting under the color of law, are in fact openly violating both state & federal laws. By doing so in a politically motivated attack with the intent to cause harm, they fall squarely within the definitions of “State Sponsored Domestic Terrorists” under both state & federal laws, as well as international standards. 

I urge everyone to contact the Tazewell County Commonwealth Attorney Office & demand to know why that office has thus far refused to investigate the criminal complaint filed. You should also demand to know why the office refuses to provide Equal Protections Under the Law as it is very much obligated to do. You should then share all of this & also harass by email & phone the Warden at PSCC, the Officials at VA DOC & every other state official whose apathetic depravity allows for this slave state to continue a level of harm only found worse in a very short list of other state DOCs.

As this country unravels faster & faster, someone must focus on the state of Virginia, a haven & and staging ground for fascist elements in the country.

Thank You

April 27 2023, Thursday

To Whom it May Concern,

In yet another disgusting display of Virginia Department of Corrections Corruption, by a staff whose criminality is obvious & well documented, Pocahontas State Corruption Center staff, including Counselor Slade (ALPHA Unit); Ms. Brittany Farmer Gross- Institutional Program Manager; Ms. C. Smalling- Grievance Coordinator; & the Regional Ombudsman have all willfully conspired to put false charges on my prison record. This is, of course, in keeping with those criminals who did viciously assault me in my own home, beat me & also falsely charge me, before falsely & unlawfully incarcerating me. 

All of this is proven by state documents in my possession, before the courts, in the file record held by three separate attorneys (& the corrupt prosecutor). 

In this instance, the falsification of DOC records by corrupt staff, all of it has been documented within the VA DOC: Grievance Number PSCC-23-INF-00346. This record includes evidence exonerating me of the initial claim, as the VA DOC basis for false items on my record. 

The VA DOC claims that on my first day, at a receiving unit, that I was drug tested & that the drug test came back “positive”. Nevermind that no substance abuse history exists. Nevermind that for 17 months in solitary & SHU at NRVRJ (Dublin, Virginia) not a single test was issued. & Nevermind that this supposed “positive” test was used as the basis to repeatedly test me, every one showing NEGATIVE (on a compound where staff mule in drugs regularly)….

Also, nevermind that I requested a lab report & the VA DOC staff refuse to provide proof of the charge … Because there was NO DRUG TEST. 

VA DOC staff are known to falsify records (Michael Murphy, Senior Psychologist PSCC, falsified my entire DOC psych. record & it is TOTALLY contrary to 30+ years of pre-existing records, contradicts a 20+ year neuro-psychologist & ASST PROF at UVA, as well as a 20+ year specialist in brain injuries), so it should come as NO SURPRISE that a false drug test charge exists & that these sad little people, when caught, refuse to admit their vileness.

Well, to the general public I go, because HOPEFULLY the citizens of this country are tired of backwards states (Virginia) where nazis have congregated ro corrupt everything in sight.

Aside from these names, & those previously exposed, I hope all of you reading this will expose & label the VA DOC staff as the right wing nazi fascists that they are.

Remember, Virginia is now & always has been a haven for slavers & white supremacist anti-semites…& the VA DOC is their state sponsor for terrorism.

@davznotheseyo

Comrades, today my article is concerning this nonsense that rulers, elites  and  their ilk spread to the people of this planet to instill not only fear but false ideas which benefit their agenda. Who do you know that does NOT agree that the earth is over populated? Don’t YOU believe this to be the truth?? Well I’m sure you may, as its “common knowledge”  and  something perpetuated by media and networks across a broad spectrum. That certainly helps to “justify” many actions of these governing rulers, from border patrol Nazis to the industrialization of farming. These ” necessary evils” aren’t wrestled against, nor contested – they’re even supported out of fear. { we can’t let everyone come here, there isn’t enough here to support so many!! We must create GMO BC its the only way to feed the over populated earth!!} 

 Most of the world has given ground  and  joined the system, forsaking their autonomous existence  and  dictator Stalin demonstrated what perils await any people so foolish as to yield their own ability to be self sufficient. The industrialization of farming is by far the most egregious offense against the earth  and  the life that share this home. These are merely methods of mass produced farming used to turn revenue for governments. Any crops not sold will be destroyed rather than given out at reduced rate – so as not to set a bad precedent. (Just ask any dumpstering radical). Bobby sands  and  his comrades gave their life to protest this disgusting reality. Most of these crops are sold to other nations just to fuel the war machine  and  fatten the purses of rulers. Never mind GMO are toxic  and  carcinogenic, but that’s another article.. Allow me to tackle this whole “over populated” subject. As I’m in the USA we’ll use this place as a model.

    The pop. here is roughly 320,051,000. The land itself is 3,794,085 sq. mi. If you compare that space to the people here, then divided up the land equally there would be 0.118 people per sq. mi. So as of today everyone in the USA could be individually sitting on a little over 8 sq. mi. You know how big that is? A single sq. mi. is 640 acres!! I can tell you, that space alone is enough to sustainably feed a large town. I have a model  and  method of utilizing 10×10 ft sq. to feed a 5 person family. All natural. Sustainably. 

    But what about the whole planet?? We have yet to reach 8 billion. Maybe in the next decade, so let’s round up to that  and  keep the same model. You gather EVERYONE WORLD WIDE just to the USA – 8 billion people…There’s still only 21.08 people per sq. mi. Then split up the land equally  and  everyone would individually own 30.36 acres!! That’s with the entire rest of the earth uninhabited!! Over populated?! These metropolises are overpopulated – these governments are overpopulated but the EARTH is not! You could multiply our numbers by 30, and still give EVERYONE an acre of this nations land and the rest of the earth would be uninhabited. Russia, Canada, China –  all are bigger than the USA!!

   These truths are kept hidden and the lies perpetuated BC there’s no $ in self reliant, self sufficient people to governments  and  elites. Now every single sq. mi. of the country isn’t farm ready, but that’s cool BC I guarantee you they a network would easily be a solution to any arising problem. Give me that much space on a lake, a mountain side – a desert,  and  a willing network?? I would easily create a solution. Check out my achievements on the business fb@lottieslivinglandscapes. Any inquiry, comments or ideas you have, reach out to our page or collective. Mongoose Distro. or the R.@.T.S. We are staring freedom  and  autonomy in the face, all we need to do is shake off the lies  and  claim it. Anyone with gardening methods or perhaps lost  and  forgotten methods of self sufficiency, please contact me. I’d love to collaborate! Anyone who is interested in joining the community, reach out. Solid@rity forever!! 

Noah Coffin 1795167
Ellis Unit
1697 FM 980
Huntsville, TX 77343

Behind enemy lines, inside the prison slave kamp, you have to deal with unjust circumstances such as: the rules and regulations that if not followed, there’s repercussions by those who have control over you. We call them oppressors. These oppressors, or overseers, can attack an inmate if they choose to, and lie by saying the inmate provoked his own assault. This is a regular occurrence inside the kamp, so inmates decided to come together (all ethnic groups) and organize in a structural manner by forming social groups designed to combat these and other problems.

These groups organized themselves in such a way that their standing orders and code of ethics caused the oppressors to put them against each other so they’ll not challenge their conditions. They won the rights to have a lot of things, that one would think prison was an actual university. There were vocational trades, college courses, sports teams, and well paying jobs to say the least, but all that was taken away because it actually caused one to become an intellectual who could be paroled and live a positive life and productive life in society. This is not something the prison system wants, because if this happens, they won’t have bodies to place in prison.

The politics of prison are inhuman, especially when you place conscious minded prisoners in solitary confinement where they’re locked in a cell 23.5 hours a day and take everything from them that would make a person rehabilitated. Prisons must be closed down and people should be getting help and resources, not punishment. These practices must end.

In struggle,

Mwalimu Shakur

“As written, the zap includes out of date information, although this is no fault of Shinewhite’s. The Department is being very shady and refusing to make their current Clinical Practice Guidelines public. For that reason, this C2A contains incorrect information about the results of the test he took. It’s a bit in the weeds, but the scale he provides in the zap is for a test called Fibrosure, whose results are measured between 0 and .74. But Fibrosure is NOT the test Shinewhite took. Fibrosure is an old test the Department no longer uses; SW is confused because the previous (outdated) clinical guidelines reference Fibrosure. But today they use a different test called FIB-4, whose results are measured on a different numeric scale; that’s the test SW had, on which he scored a 5.7. To be clear, an FIB-4 is very high, and should trigger mandatory treatment — so we DO need to push for him to get treated!! But I’m concerned that if we marshall a bunch of collective resources for a zap and have everyone call and reference these old numbers, they’re just going to say “that’s old info, you don’t know what you’re talking about” and we’ll have to do ANOTHER zap again right away, which as you know expends people’s limited organizing resources. Another note is that Gary Junker is not available at that phone number — it’s disconnected, it goes nowhere. Don’t use it!! I would just use the main number 919-838-4000 and ask to be connected to Gary Junker’s office.” I’ve updated the version in the linked pad, and changed the relevant paragraphs to: “Only after consulting with a prisoner who was receiving treatment for HCV at the time, did I become aware of the procedures that are in place for evaluating and treating prisoners who have the Hep-C virus. Before treatment can be started, additional blood testing is required to determine one’s level of fibrosis. After becoming aware of the aforementioned, I immediately began to submit sick calls requesting the required blood testing be done to determine my Fib-4 index score. My sick calls went unanswered, only after those of you on the outside made calls to the prison on my behalf was I taken to medical to have the Fib-4 test done. The test results revealed that my Fib-4 score was 5.7, which indicates that I am at risk of cirrhosis, liver disease and/or liver cancer. However, the health care provider has yet to begin my treatment. These scores were revealed to me on March 3, subsequently I’ve not been assessed by medical personnel since, despite submitting multiple sick-calls due to the complications I am experiencing caused by the hepatitis-c virus.” Thanks! Any help in sharing it around would be much appreciated. > > All power to the people

As I’ve pointed out in my previous writings, Hepatitis C kills more Amerikans each day than HIV and sixty other infectious diseases > combined, making it the deadliest infectious disease in the United States. It is a viral infection, caused by the Hepatitis C virus (“HCV”) that affects the liver and can result in serious, life-threatening complications. On February 15 of this year blood tests revealed that I had Hepatitis C. In contrast to NCDAC’s Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for the > treatment of Hepatitis C, I was sent back to my cell, instead of having further blood testing done to determine my fibro-scores. I was provided no further information, other than that I had Hepatitis C and that I would be seen by the facility’s healthcare provider at a later date. The following days were mentally exhausting. Only after consulting with a prisoner who was receiving treatment for HCV at the time, did I become aware of the procedures that are in place for evaluating and treating prisoners who have the Hep-C virus. Before treatment can be started, additional blood testing is required to determine one’s level of fibrosis. This is called a fibrosure test, which is a non-invasive test that measures liver scarring caused by the Hepatitis-C virus, resulting in scores which correspond to the 0-4 point Fibrosis (scarring) scale: <0.21 = stage F0 – No fibrosis 0.21-0.27 = stage F0-F10.27-0.31 = stage F1 – Portal fibrosis 0.31-0.48 = stage F1-F2 0.48-0.58 = stage F2 – Bridging fibrosis with few septa 0.58-0.72 = stage F3 – Bridging fibrosis with many septa 0.72-0.74 = stage F3-F4 0.74 = stage F4 – Cirrhosis

After becoming aware of the aforementioned, I immediately began to submit sick calls requesting the required blood testing be done to determine my fibro-scores. My sick calls went unanswered, only after those of you on the outside made calls to the prison on my behalf was I taken to medical to have the fibrosure test done. The test results revealed that my fibro-score was 5.7, which indicates that I am at risk of cirrhosis, liver disease and/or liver cancer. However, the health care provider has yet to begin my treatment. These fibro-scores were revealed to me on March 3, subsequently I’ve not been assessed by medical personnel since, despite submitting multiple sick-calls due to the complications I am experiencing caused by the hepatitis-c virus. Since early March I have lost approximately 30 pounds, I have various pock-like scores on my lower legs, rashes cover my elbows and knees, and the sharp pains in my lower back and side make it difficult to sleep at night. When I inquire about my treatment, the response I receive is that it is out of their hands. I am firmly convinced that they have no intentions of treating me. Combined with the recent continuation of my term on supermax, it’s evident that their intentions are to hold me incommunicado and hope that the hepatitis-c will do what they have been unable to do – silence me! Having to openly admit that I am at the mercy of my overseers infuriates me. I feel helpless and I am scared. I’m witnessing what is being done to Komrade Rashid, I witnessed the late elder Maroon Shoatz languish with cancer for years, Mumia Abu-Jamal continues to suffer from complications caused by hepatitis-c, the names go on and on. I feel as if my twenty-year prison sentence has become a death sentence. I entreat that calls be made and emails be sent on my behalf, demanding that I be treated immediately. Only if pressured by those of you on the outside will these miscreants act with professionalism.

Below is the contact information for those who should be contacted:

NCDAC’s Deputy Secretary – Comprehensive Health Services
Gary Junker
919-838-3861
gary.junker@dac.nc.gov

Chief Deputy Secretary – Rehabilitative and Correctional Services
Maggie Brewer
919-733-9313
maggie.brewer@dac.nc.gov

Facility’s lead nurse
Rowe
jacqueline.rowe@dac.nc.gov

I am deeply grateful for the support. I conclude this as I began, Daring to struggle, daring to win.

All power to the people,

Joseph “Shine White” Stewart