Mongoose Distro

         December 12 2023, Tuesday

 “We do not agree with the authors of the Declaration of Independence, that governments ‘derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.’ All governments must originate in force and be continued by force.”

        –George Fitzhugh of Virginia, 1857

 This can be seen as the sentiment that pervades all of Virginia’s institutions, most especially its Department of Corrections (DOC). My recent transfer to a low-security prison, so called, has shown a clear consistency of deliberate indifference towards the basic needs of those humans held captive. It is apparent that causing harm is a matter of policy, even if not written blatantly. The lack of useful and up-to-date programs, the lack of proper medical and dental care, the lack of updated and modern mental-health services, and the barely nutritious food are all clear indicators that a doctrine of harm exists.

 A key aspect to this doctrine is the complete inconsistency that exists from one prison to the next. Even though the VA DOC has a listed standard operating procedure (SOP), every prison writes an internal operating procedure (IOP), and most often as a means of circumventing the FA DOC’s OP. This is similar to, and very likely modeled after, the way the State of Virginia writes laws to deliberately circumvent United States laws established under federal statutes and codes. To that point, stating that Virginia is in essence “anti-American” and openly violates the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, is simply a matter of citing Virginia laws. I’ll leave it to you the reader to compare and contrast.

 Virginia’s entire history is built on tyrannical oppression of other human beings, so there is no stretch in stating its DOC is a destroyer of lives. Pocahontas State Correction Center, where I spent some 6 years of which I have written and documented much, was—and is—a veritable Hell on Earth of abuse and grift. This being the case, and having endured horrific abuses, a transfer to a low-security prison seemed a long-earned blessing. So far that has been far from the case.

 It begins with being put into a dormitory, or, to be more concise, a warehouse, quite literally I might add. Row upon row of bunk beds, six people and their possessions crammed into the same 12×8 cell area that two people shared. Harmful, and in no way a benefit of reward for my consistently good behavior. Of course for me, having been wrongfully convicted and not having any history of criminal activity, “good behavior” takes no effort. Much like my need to expose the assorted violent cruelties of A DOC prisons, and to push the much-needed abolition of all prisons, being “well behaved” comes naturally, although I must pat myself on the back for maintaining good form in the face of such anger-inducing abuses under severe duress while overwhelmed by such intensive frustrations.

 The dormitory is always loud and always lit. In fact it is by its nature and existence a major human-rights violation as well as a violation of the treaty on the treatment of prisoners, a.k.a. The Mandela Rules. Twenty-four-hour lights is not only a human-rights violation but is also a severe assault on the mental health of anyone—most especially those already under the duress of captivity. Coming from a higher level prison this was a system shock, but it was not the only one.

 One of the biggest system shocks was the total disrespect of other inmates towards one another. No respect for one another’s space, and no respect for the volume of voices. At higher level prisons these sorts of acts often lead to tension and fights. It seems that at a lower security prison all considerations go out the window. My stance on abolition does not preclude me from acknowledging just how many of the captives are prime examples of cascading ID-10-T errors. It shows glaringly in the above-mentioned disrespect, and equally in the lack of effort put into challenging prison conditions that never improve.

 Another great shock was the general attitude of the guards, which is sometimes far too friendly and polite. Having come from the always abusive PSCC, Dillwyn’s friendly staff left me in a constant state of anxiety. This, in and of itself, is telling where any concern regarding the psychological damage and harm caused by prisons is brought up. People being polite and considerate should not be a cause of crisis, but it has become one. After yers of abuse and even textbook torture at the hands of the VA DOC, specifically PSCC, all I expect is some type of trap hidden behind the smiles. That may not be all that likely, but it does serve much the same purpose as the abuse at PSCC did.

 Laziness and ineptitude are exceedingly widespread among those hired as VA DOC staff. The VA DOC is one degree of separation from being on welfare, so the type of people attracted to the job is exactly that. This is in conjunction with the long-documented statistics regarding the sociopathic tendencies of those attracted to being a prison guard. Lazy and inept sociopaths seem as if they would be more dangerous, at least to my mind they do. That being said, I must admit that, thus far, there is only the petty little power-trip type of guard, as opposed to the full-out sociopath. Again, that, coupled with the general laziness and an inability to do a job, seems to be dangerous.

 It calls to mind several of the initial experiences with the counselor and unit manager of the warehouse where DWCC is currently maintaining my illegal captivity. The first of these experiences was regarding my applying for a prison jo. Yes, it is a most abhorrent form of slave labor, but the prison thinks it looks good, and also the pennies paid to add up to a few measly dollars. I put in my applications following VA DOC OP and awaited a reply. The counselor, a flighty and somewhat confused person named Ms. Johnson, informed me that I could not apply for any job that wasn’t posted on an information board. This is not VA DOC policy but is DWCC I OP based on laziness and ineptitude. So I filed a complaint pointing out the clear and obvious problem. Enter the unit manager Ms. Beasley, a cold and somewhat snobbish woman who seems at all times displeased.

 Ms. Beasley informs me that DWCC does things its own way. In other words, A DOC policy be damned, which is par for the course at every VA DOC prison. Again, this stems from the inherent laziness and ineptitude of VA DOC staff as well as the doctrine that calls for causing harm. Interestingly enough, and to bring into the conversation another poor quality found all too often in prison staff, one of those jobs applied for was a “houseman” position. This includes several jobs, one of which is the “showerman” position, which as you might guess is responsible for cleaning the shower area. My job applications were returned to me—instead of kept on file, which is the usual response—and I was told none of those jobs, including the houseman position(s), were available. A few short days later, five people were interviewed for the showerman position y Ms. Johnson, the counselor.

 Dishonesty, it would seem, is yet another of the poor qualities required as a VA DOC employee. I have numerous accounts of PSCC staff blatantly lying, on the record, as if it is somehow acceptable. I can say the same thing about William Eric Branscom, the corrupt Commonwealth Attorney for Virginia who prosecuted me and rarely uttered an honest statement. Now I have DWCC staff, Ms. Johnson and Ms. Beasley, lying on paper too. Sounds like a bad movie about the Russian court system, doesn’t it? It begs the question: Are all Virginia state employees filthy liars? It would seem to be the case, based not only on my list of experiences but also on mounting paperwork where filthy liars haven’t even the sense to make an attempt to cover up their dishonesty. It is clearly a Virginia way and part of the state culture.

 Among the consistent inconsistencies are things such as getting photocopies, where both of the above=mentioned staff have given me erroneous –or deliberately false—information. VA DOC policy lays the responsibility for making legal and other copies squarely on the shoulders of the building counselors, along with notary duties. Ms. Johnson seems to think otherwise, even after policy is cited. This “kick the can and pass the buck” response seems to permeate every VA DOC prison, but even more so Dillwyn.

 Dillwyn, being a lower security prison, should be erupting with perks and privileges for these captives who have shown good behavior. If the goal is to help reacclimate captives to the real world while simultaneously getting them out of the total illusion and fantasy land of “prison think,” this would be simple logic. The exact opposite seems to be happening at DWCC, where re-enforcing the prison mindset is part of the unwritten doctrine. High-security controlled movement; very few programs or programs that are the same old well-documented failures of the VA DOC; prison uniforms a must; no better jobs with better pay; less emphasis on social engagement, and so on. DWCC seems to be another example of a deliberate and concerted effort to create and cause scenarios to keep captives longer. The total opposite of “corrections.”

 We are also finding the exact same routine where medical and mental-health offices maintain an attitude of “ignore all problems.” This is a frightening irony, given just how extensive the number of problems caused by the VA DOC is. As an example is my father long list of still-untreated medical problems, which include my hands, both of which require surgery. This is noted in my medical record, but, as of yet, the medical staff at DWCC have made no effort to address the issue. They won’t make any effort, either, until I start pushing complaints and have outside advocates calling the prison asking questions. This is, again, par for the course, but even more so it is both deliberate indifference and medical malpractice.

 And it gets worse than this. Dillwyn does not provide any advance notice of a captive’s scheduled appointment for a sick call. It is entirely possible to simply miss it over something as simple as going outside for recreation, as I myself have discovered. This is blamed directly on the captive who, having had no foreknowledge of the date and time of the appointment because of not being informed, may have gone outside, or to school , or work, or to pick up his commissary, etc., etc. Meanwhile, the prison staff only announce the call in the pod, so, if you are elsewhere, oh well you will miss your appointment, that you didn’t know you had, and it is considered to be entirely your own fault.

 This becomes extra-problematic where mental health is of concern. As an example, I have documented my rather extensive and often unstable state of mental-health issues. Going outside and briskly walking has become as important to my mental well-being as writing has. As I am writing this essay I am in fact also waiting for the dentist to all me over to pull a tooth that has rotted and broken in my mouth, dating back to June of 2022, documented on my record. I had to file complaints just to get in to see the dentist, who claimed I had already missed four appointments, which no one had informed me of. Last Wednesday, a 7-day antibiotic regimen ended, a precursor to having the tooth pulled. That was 6 days ago today. I have deliberately stayed inside, expecting the dentist to call me over after 3 days or so—as proper protocol would dictate—so that 18 months of pain and miserable suffering will come to an end tooth removed. Six days later, not a peep from the dentist.

 The anxiety is not healthy for me and it is slowly killing me. The tooth is as much a medical concern as a dental one, interfering with my eating and sleeping, as well as being prone to infection. The anxiety is not the only mental-health concern, as my basic right to humane treatment, promptly, is summarily—and outrageously—ignored. I k now I have rights. The fact that I am wrongfully convicted, proven unequivocally with the state’s own documents, only serves to re-enforce those rights. Yet somehow, in the United States, this criminally rogue organization that has direct ties to human trafficking and slavery, is allowed to usurp those rights….People have been hanged for lesser treasonous offenses.

 Everything about the treatment I am receiving is unacceptable. More to the point it provides the right, natural and proper, to secure my life and safety by any means necessary, no matter what acts are required. Self-defense simply cannot be understated, nor can it be ignored. That, by extension, should include acts by family and friends as equally permissible and as bound by a decent sense of honor. Yet we allow this insanity—and flagrant tyranny—to continue unhindered and unchallenged.

 Perhaps my state of being has been pushed onto the wrong side of the crazy line. Seven years of torture and abuse—and counting—due strictly to the lies of Virginians and the proven wrongful conviction will have that effect. That being what it is, I am forced—as many Americans are more and more finding themselves to be—to openly declare the desperate and immediate need for armed and open rebellion, as well as the immediate rounding up of all those who choose to oppress their fellow citizens. Anyone, anyone, choosing to willingly participate in this depravity is an enemy of every other citizen, especially those who are being held captie by an illegitimate system.

 Rise up and strike out. They are coming for you next.

          David Annarelli

          davidannarelly.wordpress.com

          X @davnothereyo

          IG @david_annarelli

          f @davidanarelli

David Annarelli 1853637
Dillwyn Correctional
1522 Prison Road
Dillwyn, VA 23936

The Chicano masses in our own occupied lands invaded and stolen by yankee war criminal colonizers, know the unspeakable pain and horrors of war crimes committed against the illegal occupation of our Texas, U.S. Southwest homeland, as suffering this very moment by the Palestinian masses in their own occupied homeland, by an illegitimate Israeli government that invaded Palestinian lands and imposed its war criminal government and maintained its illegal rule by state violence and terrorism, while it accuses Palestinians of being “terrorists” to justify the massacres it is engaged in, this very minute, of over 10,000 civilian people murdered, half being children!!!

What a horrific situation, a situation Chicanos, and peoples within the belly of the beast of U.S. imperialism should never accept, which requires a sustained militant actions in the streets of Amerikkkka as occurred all across the nation, in support or the Palestinian masses, as intensified, as our taxpayer dollars are being used to finance imperialist wars against the Palestinian masses and against all other colonized people around the globe, demanding return of their land, independence, their in a lie right to self determination living freed of the criminal system of colonialism, neocolonialism, as outlawing such crimes against humanity by the same United Nations. NOT IN OUR NAME, YOU WON’T !!!

U. S. national security Adviser Jake Sullivan showed his imperialist hand, when in an April, 2023 gave a speech at the Brookings institution tipping his hand on the new “Sullivan doctrine” of the fears of the U.S. imperialist ruling class, of its global imperialist system “waning” and the economic stagnation, deindustrialization, climate crisis, growing inequality, (Monthly Review Sept. 2023) and global wars rage on, as well as its domesticated imperialism over peoples lives in crisis as people take to the streets, worldwide to denounce the police murder of George Floyd, and in opposing capitalist policies and the right wing extremism that has taken root across Amerikkka and the capitalist ruling class fearful of losing its control as a white privileged class, as it exercises its brute police terrorism against people of color, enforces its fascist rule with use of “law” as their favorite weapon of tyranny used in history against people or color, as courts legalize social and racial oppression and injustice, used to subjugate workers, the voiceless, the poor and the oppressed, as they march us in chains to their slavery plantation prison concentration camps.

All of these issues are linked and the rulers believe that wars will cure the weakened U.S. imperialist rule as they fear losing and maintaining their influence and position in the Middle East by supporting the Israeli Zionist war machinery against the Palestinian masses.

Chicanos stand in solidarity with Palestinian people against Israeli Zionism, and the war crimes of U.S.imperialism, and call on massive sustained militant, revolutionary resistance in the U.S. denouncing the systemic war crimes committed against the Palestinian masses,until the occupation ends and Palestinian lands are returned to their legitimate owners, and Zionism is exterminated, and the Palestinian masses enjoy peace, land, independence, self determination, free of Zionist chains of bondage!!!!

CREATE GLOBAL REVOLUTIONARY INTIFADAS WORLDWIDE IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN FREEDOM !!!

STOP THE GENOCIDE IN THE WEST BANK, GAZA STRIP!! FREE THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN LANDS !!! FREE THE OCCUPIED CHICANO LANDS !!!

ZIONISM, U.S. IMPERIALISM, HANDS OFF PALESTINIANS !!!

Write to Xinachtli:

Alvaro Luna Hernandez 255735
McConnell Unit
PO Box 660400
Dallas, TX 75266

Introduction

According to recent polling, the presumptive nominees of both corporate parties have higher “unfavorable” ratings than “favorable,” even among their own parties. The majority of the U.S. electorate is disillusioned but too unimaginative to think of something else. What this situation needs is a supermax prisoner running a write in candidacy for president, promising to abolish the United States and decolonize North America– a theatrical spectacle that exposes the hypocrisy and futility of the entire hierarch swindle.

I have previously run for president in 2016 and 2020, with supporters printing t-shirts and bumper stickers. I had a web presence, Swain2020.org to publish my platform and itinerary for abolishing the U.S. in 90 days. So, for 2024, I’d like to send out an open invitation to anyone who wants to recreate the fun from those past campaigns and perhaps blast a bullet through the brainpan of the body politic.

Abolish EVERYTHING.

I list a brainstorm of events and activities that, together, would not only be more fun than running down a hallway with scissors, it might be more dangerous to the mythology of DUHmocracy and freeDUMB.

Campaign Website

Like all serious campaigns mounted by hierarchs, this needs a website, perhaps building off of the Swain2020.org programming. The site would feature my platform and 90-day plan for abolishing the United States (to include unilateral denuclearization, decommissioning the U.S. military and selling its hardware on e-Bay, and mass deportation of white people who arrived here after 1492– probably on a fleet of cruise ships). And, of course, the bonfire celebration where the Whitehouse used to be.

The site could also be a space for video, audio, announcement of upcoming events, and perhaps sale of cheaply made merch like t-shirts and bumper stickers.

T-shirts, Bumper Stickers

T-shirts can be screen printed with materials stolen from WalMart (“SWAIN, 2024… ABOLISH EVERYTHING,” or maybe, “SWAINIAC”) and bumper stickers with similar slogans can be printed cheaply.

NEEDED: Someone to steal a lot of shit from WalMart and someone to screen print.

30-Second Videos for Posting

I can record a series of 30-second videos that promote my candidacy, for posting. Scripts for these videos follow this proposal.

NEEDED: Someone to join my GTL account who can record these videos and share with the website and social media.

Campaign Ad

Set to the song, ” Imagine,” by John Lennon, the video would be composed mostly of stock footage online, beginning with images of bombings and police brutality, and quick cuts to events like the Kennedy assassinations. Footage symbolizing poverty would be interspersed with smiling, waving presidents. Then, building to a conclusion, riot porn– insurrectionists attacking cops with the words “ABOLISH” and “EVERYTHING” flashing over the action. When the music ends, it cuts to a cartoon of me and my voice, “I’m Anarchist Prisoner Sean Swain, write in candidate for president in 2024, and I approved this message…”

NEEDED: Someone with video editing skills and ability to distribute across social media.

CAMPAIGN “PRESS CONFERENCE”

Press releases would go to mainstream media, announcing an important press conference at Swain 2024 headquarters, where there will be free refreshments and attending media will receive a free gift bag.

The “headquarters” would have fold out chairs facing a podium. To the side, a table with coffee and donuts. As media enter, they would be greeted by ski-mask-clad guerrillas with name tags (“Insurgent Suzie,” “Insurgent Jeff,” etc.). Media would be given coffee and donuts and would find a swag bag on each seat (containing a ski mask with “SWAIN 2024” over the eye holes, and a pile of radical zines). The audience will also have two or three plants who arrive and sit incognito with the media.

The campaign manager (Subcommander Jerry) would take the podium to make an announcement that begins with, “Let’s not forget– electoral politics is a rip off, hierarchy is a swindle, and obedience is a crime.” He or she would then announce that Russian trolls Boris and Natasha have promised to hack the Venezuelan voting machines to give 100% of the vote to Anarchist Prisoner Sean Swain, and so there is no point to voters showing up on election day.

Subcommander Jerry then plays an incendiary 30-second video of me that will horrify mainstream media.

Subcommander Jerry then takes questions from media, pointing first at a plant in the crowd.

PLANT: Is it true that Swain plans to have senators, representatives, and supreme court justices SHOT if he gets elected?

SUBCOMMANDER JERRY: No. Sean has repeatedly said that if you kill them, they won’t learn anything. He plans to temporarily detain them in reeducation camps until he can deport them.

And so on.

All of this would be videotaped and uploaded as serious shit to social media and the website.

NEEDED: A lot of people with way too much time on their hands.

Wrestling Match

I will challenge both party nominees and their vice presidential picks to a 4-on-1 no-holds-barred no-pinfall submission-only tables-ladders-and-chairs Texas cage-match, to be aired on pay-per-view, winner take all proceeds. This challenge to Biden and Trump would then be spread on social media.

NEEDED: You get it.

CONCLUSION

Beyond the absurdity and shock value and the fun, an effective campaign like this could provoke and challenge otherwise compliant hierarchs to question the validity and legitimacy of the systems of power, as well as their roles in sustaining those systems.

Humor is subversive.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

If you’re too busy to commit to this kind of nonsense, please share this proposal with friends and encourage them to share it with others, in hopes that this idea will resonate with folks who will be able to make this spectacle happen…

PROPOSED SCRIPTS FOR MY 30-SECOND VIDEOS:

Hi. I’m Anarchist Prisoner Sean Swain at the super duper max in Youngstown, Ohio. I’m a write in candidate for president and I’d like to take a few moments to explain why I hope to get your support…

First, do you value freedom? So… you vote, giving power to strangers… whose offices are hundreds of miles away… and they make decisions… and give you orders… and don’t even know your name… and you obey? Does that sound like freedom? FreeDUMB. [Hold up sign, “FreeDUMB”]

For 8000 years we’ve been stuck with hierarchy, the few ruling the many, and it’s never worked as advertised. It hasn’t made you prosperous or happy or safe. So, are you voting for another hierarch, expecting a better outcome? Doing the same thing for 8000 years and expecting a different result is the very definition of insanity.

Democracy is the right to cast a vote nobody counts… the right to obey the tyranny of some jackwagon your whackadoodle neighbors voted for… the right to spend years watching chuckleheads who don’t share your values ruin your life. Democracy. It starts with, ” Duh.” [Hold up sign: “DUHmocracy”]

Why am I different from the other candidates? Well, first, because I’m an Anarchist. That means I think we’re all better off with power over our own lives, choosing to cooperate in communities with others who share our values… rather than dragging stones up the side of a stranger’s pyramid at gunpoint. If you value freedom too… maybe YOU’RE an Anarchist… [Shrug]

Isn’t it strange that every election cycle politicians ask for your vote so they can exercise power OVER YOU? Unlike them, I won’t exercise power over you. I’ll give it back to you. For good. You’ll never have to give it away to another politician… ever again.

Both corporate parties will tell you I’m a threat. I’m dangerous and crazy. Truth is, I am a threat– to their system of power. And I am dangerous… if I can get you to imagine our world without THEM running it. And I might very well be crazy… but that doesn’t mean I’m not right.

Both corporate parties have pushed their same tired solutions for decades, centuries. Has that worked for you? It’s worked for THEM. Perhaps someone SHOULD threaten their power. Can you think of anyone better prepared to do that… than ME?

On average, Americans are comfortable. But averages can be deceiving. Imagine someone with one foot in an ice bucket and the other foot on fire. On average, the temperature is comfortable. That’s American comfort for you. Some of us in the ice bucket, some of us on fire.

We’re trained to think that government serves us and the economy benefits us. But I don’t see that. I see us serving and benefitting powerful systems. And if WE serve THEM, isn’t it time we get rid of them and serve ourselves? But what do I know? I’m dangerous and crazy.

We don’t question whether the Founding Fathers were wise, or whether their system works well. But if they were so smart, why did they have lead in their paint? I look at the corrupt system ruling us today and I have to wonder if maybe that lead paint affected those guys more than we know. [Shrug]

What would we do without a federal government? Well, we’d spend all that money on our local communities and we’d learn to govern ourselves by our rules rather than some stranger’s rules. And we’d keep our power to serve our own interests, whatever those are. But again, what do I know? I’m dangerous and crazy.

Without government, what will we do about crime? That’s a good question. But I have a better one: If we DO have government, what are we gonna do about crime? We have government now and we still have crime. In fact, the longer we keep government, the worse crime gets. I don’t know about you, but government doesn’t stop crime at my home. I do. And that’s why I got locked up… by government.

If we don’t have government, what will we do about Russia and China? Well, first, without government, we’ll stop aggravating them. And second, if they waste gas and money floating an army over here to invade us we’ll kill them. We have over 300 million guns. We don’t need an army. We ARE an army.

The U.S. began as 13 colonies, a bunch of farmers with the same interests and values. The Founding Fathers never imagined this sprawling bureaucracy spending trillions to impose one-size-fits-all onto hundreds of millions of people. They called this an experiment. Well, it got too big and it failed. Let’s scrap it and move on to a way of living that makes us all happy.

If you vote for the sock puppet nominee of the republicans, you know what he’ll do? Same thing republicans always do. And if you vote for tr sock puppet nominee of the democrats, you know what he’ll do? Same thing democrats always do. But if you vote for an anarchist, do you know what I’LL do? [laugh] See? Isn’t this fun?

In conclusion, I hope you’ll check out my plans and itinerary online and write me in for president so this election will be the last one. I’m not asking for four years. I only need 15 minutes. I’m Anarchist Prisoner Sean Swain, write in candidate for president in 2024, and I approved this message… because it’s time to ABOLISH EVERYTHING.

Sean Swain A243205
OSP Youngstown
878 Coitsville-Hubbard Road
Youngstown, OH 44505

Ross Hartwell 1893452
Memorial Unit
PO Box 660400
Dallas, TX 75266

The concept of “chance” brings about many known and unknown implications. One such idea, brought forth by Dr. Mary Beth Saffo is “that both chance and adaptation play important evolutionary roles.”¹ The thesis of Dr. Saffo’s article, “Accidental Elegance,” revolves around the theory that chance “is another factor shaping evolution.”² Though she does not state that everything stems from one single chance happening, she nevertheless writes as if a string of chances influence the universe as it exists today. Other than her own practical scientific experimentation, Saffo does not mention any past authoritative influences for her evolution by chance theory.

The idea of chance does not enter the world “by chance,” nor was chance hatched through any modern research scientist. If one considers the origins, along with the self-defeating nature of chance, their research and findings would be profoundly impacted and as such will lead to different conclusions. This short paper is not meant to lead the reader into any conclusions other than that the philosophical sentiment “the world and its living organisms began by chance” is truly absurd. The actual causes shaping the world will be left for later discussion.

 One can credit Democritus (460-370 BC) for seeking answers beneath the realm of what he could see with his own eyes. Any serious consideration on the origins of chance theory should be gleaned from this respected thinker. His ideas on atomic theory continue to impact scientific inquiry, today. Democritus settles on atoms as “eternal and indestructible,” and “the only true non-being is the infinite void,” in which the atom exists.³ But, these speculations leave unanswered questions between the theory and his second highly contested hypothesis “that every event in the universe is causally determined by … the impacts of atoms upon each other.”⁴ Other than some unexplained cosmic puff, Democritus never clearly justified the initial cause of the atoms movement toward each other.

 Though Democritus was the first to expansively pontificate on the atom, Epicurus (341-270 BC) also embraced atomistic metaphysics, but with a major caveat. In a letter to the historian, Herodotus, he wrote that the void and atoms are unlimited in time, space, and differences of shape.⁵ The philosopher explains that the “unlimited” differences and continuous movement allowed the atoms to come together to form the shapes as they are seen, adding, there “is no principle for these [entities] since the atoms and void are eternal”⁶ Through this rationale, and among many other ethical conclusions credited to Epicurean thought are two most relevant for this discussion. Of the first, one peer wrote “Epicurus says all things [occur] by necessity, by choice, and by chance,” and secondly, the philosopher claimed people have no reason to concern themselves with death because that state of affairs only means they no longer exist.⁷

One critic, Cicero (106-43 BC), attempts to untie this Gordian knot, writing that by Epicurean reasoning, “if an atom exists and it does swerve, it does so without cause.”⁸ He then comments that Democritus “accept[s] that all things happened by necessity,” while also weighing this speculation as absurd evidence supporting Democritus’ antecedent force as an inexplicable “blow.”⁹ Once Epicurus combined necessity, choice, and chance, he threw in the towel for ultimate responsibility. Cicero imparts that “Epicurus introduced this line of reasoning because,” if the atom was guided by any other force, “we would have no freedom.”¹⁰ Epicurus also noted, “self-sufficiency is the greatest wealth of all.”¹¹ One can deduce that from his opinion, as applied to atoms and recorded above, self-sufficiency is the uncaused cause providing the necessity and chance, which generates the choice of self-sufficiency.”¹² The conundrum between Democritus leaving the door open to something powering the atom (ie. The puff/blow), and Epicurus’ self-sufficient atom, causes a split in thought: one, proposed by Cicero, returning philosophy to a Hellenistic, deity influenced world, and the other leading mankind to an evolution caused by the circular chance paragon.

 In contrast to those who think the universe evolves from chance, or an anomaly affecting the eternal atom, are those who believe chance to be an irrational illusion. Included, but not limited to the following chance deniers are a mixed bag of respected thinkers. The philosopher/scientist, Aristotle (384-322 BC), the skeptical atheist, David Hume (1711-1776), and modern day Christian apologist, R.C. Sproul (1977-2019), all opposed any idea of chance as a cause. Aristotle surmised, “the concept of purpose. ..explain[ed] the behavior of everything in the universe.”¹³ Hume reasoned “chance” to be an answer indulged through “ignorance” which “begets a like species of belief or opinion.”¹⁴ He also writes, “nothing exists without a cause … and that chance [holds no] … real power.”¹⁵ The noted theologian, R.C. Sproul, understands “chance” as the excuse supporting the theory of “random selection” preventing the universe as being the product of an ultimate designer.¹⁶ He also supports Hume, writing “chance is an unreal cause, which is no cause.”¹⁷ Sproul further hypothesizes that the chance as a cause theory leads to a model for “self-creation”¹⁸ which, in turn, violates the law of “non-contradiction.”¹⁹ The conclusions of Aristotle, Cicero, Hume, Sproul, and even Democritus are rational options to base modern scientific method. Researchers such as Dr. Mary Beth Saffo, and others, who prompted the subject of this argument, should consider the sound philosophy, science, and theology of these alternative experts. Dr. Saffo’s article is titled “Accidental Elegance: How Chance Authors the Universe.” Had she considered the origins of chance theory, along with the self-defeating nature of chance, her research and findings would be profoundly impacted and would lead to purpose, not accident, as the author of this elegant universe.

 Saffo’s theory which combines chance and evolution is illogical. For evolution to occur, the evolving form needs a purposeful cause. It is the form’s purpose in which its elegance is derived. Epicurus attempted safe passage through turbulent philosophical waters by including necessity, choice, and chance as theories for existence. But he cannot have his cake and eat it, too. According to him, death only means people no longer exist. If this is the truth, then to choose to live is a slice in which he must not indulge. Choosing life when death is the sole outcome is ludicrous. Life does not flourish out of necessity, or choice, or chance-life is bestowed. The question is, “who (or what) is the first giver of life?” By answering this question one will find their purpose.

Bibliography

Hume, David. An Inquiry concerning Human Understanding. 2nd Ed. Indianapolis: Hackett

Publishers, 1994.

Inwood, Brad and L.P. Gerson, Editors and Translators. The Epicurus Reader. Indianapolis:

Hackett Publishers, 1994.

Saff, Mary Beth. “Accidental Elegance: How Chance Authors The Universe.” (18-28) The

American Scholar, 74 no. 3 (2005): 18-28.

Sproul, R.C. Not A Chance: The Myth of Chance in Modern Science and Cosmology. Grand

Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994.

Stokes, Phillip. Philosophy: 100 Essential Thinkers. NY: Enchanted Lion Books, 2006.

1. Mary Beth Saffo, “Accidental Elegance: How Chance Authors The Universe,” The American Scholar, 74 no. 3 (2005), 18, 20.
2. Ibid.
3. Phillip Stokes, Philosophy: 100 Essential Thinkers (NY: Enchanted Lion Books, 2006), 27.
4. Ibid.
5. Brad Inwood and L.P. Gerson, eds. and trans., The Epicurus Reader, (Indianapolis: Hackett Pub, 1994) 7.
6. Ibid., 7, 8.
7. Ibid., 97, 29.
8. Ibid., 49
9. Inwood and Gerson, 50
10. Ibid., 50
11. Ibid., 102
12. Circular reasoning at its finest.
13. Inwood and Gerson, 25
14. David Hume, An Inquiry concerning Human Understanding (Indianapolis: Hackett Pub, 1994), 37.
15. Ibid., 64
16. R.C. Sproul, Not A Chance: The Myth of Chance in Modern Science and Cosmology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1994), 163.
17. Ibid., 209
18. Ibid., 179
19. Law of non-contradiction: “A, cannot be A and non-A(-A) at the same time … For something to come to nothing it must, in effect, create itself. Self-creation is a logical and rational impossibility.” Ibi

 The opportunities for sowing seeds of freedom by dissent and rebellion grow in an exponential & fractal way. Anarchists, who care nothing for the foolish and wrong ideologies of those left & right polemics, would do well to use these expanding divisions as a means to the goal. These divisions of ideology, compounded by a tightening vice of oppression & the perpetuating of slave wages by that well exposed autocratic nobility should be hit upon as a wedge splitting the logs to be burned. To this purpose, those who wish to see the rebellion fires, which embers are ready to pop & spark the tinders laid everywhere upon our world, spread as a wildfire that cleanses the forest for new growth must begin to address those of ideological affiliation as one of their own, in the same attitudes & with the same languages however repulsive & harsh it may be to do so.

 Both the left & right have built into their ideologies numerous points that trigger to angry action their adherents. Arguably the right being that much easier to bait given much of its ideologically inherent hate. I can imagine the use of such tactics being found as distasteful, but I would suggest that the continuing of so oppressive a system that has imprisoned all of humanity in varying capacities far more distasteful than simply reciprocating & wielding a useful tool. No ending of power is going to be devoid of destruction & harm, so it is simply a matter of proper guiding of the tool to strike the head of the nail. The right being of not much more use than any other blunt object. Those who would have truly open rebellion would do well to accept this & set the machine to its job, grinding sausage & antagonizing the state.

 Those on the left, overall, provide very little use to the movement towards the freedom as a better majority seem too content with state control, statist ideals, & too willing to accept even the least & meager of proposed reforms. Throw them a bone & they slink back to their parents basement to complain about political correctness. That there is in fact the weakness to exploit on the left, for pushing them towards rebellion has proven entirely fruitless. They can be used, to more effect than those on the right, for the purpose of spreading both factual & mis/dis-information, especially when it is properly phrased to cater to their self righteous sensibilities.

 There is a wide range of information to be pushed towards either ideology that will aid in raising the temperature socially & politically. This is simply a matter of phrasing & language designed to those receiving it. Marketing, to bluntly and crudely label it. At all times, those government institutions, from the top & bottom towards the government’s middle as it were, must be, convincingly, made out to be nothing more than what they are: “the bad guys.” Given the endless nightmare that is the history of the U.S. government, & indeed all government, this is not much of a stretch to accomplish. There is of course the concerns, & unfortunate expectation, that those on the right might target non-governmental institutions on the left, or those on the left acting in kind. While the goal, again, is to direct actions towards government institutions from the local to the Federal & International, there must be a preparedness to promptly, & with aplomb, spin any left on right on left actions as the fault (or interference) of the government.

 Information, while integral, is not now & never has been enough. At the same time we also know that random & poorly targeted violence serves no purpose where a rally cry for the masses is needed. No, better to commit very small acts of sabotage & destruction then promote them as failures by corporate monsters & government oversight being covered up. Equally useful is to attack those same entities on their own failings & where no deliberate sabotage took place. The ecocidal disaster in the illegitimate state of Ohio, East Palestine, is a perfect example. The Virginia born company of Norfolk & Southern, who has been in bed with the U.S. government since the industrialists became a part of the “new” nobility. That entire town is being poisoned, & not one of the groups responsible are being held to account—& those citizens are very aware of it. The propaganda mill should be working overtime to sway that population to the cause… Rebellion NOW! Or the corporations & government will poison your entire town.

 The coming out of anarchist intelligence is a weapon & propaganda machine that is simply waiting to be used. Why there are not masses of political ideologues on any & every side turning this monster loose is beyond my sense of simple logic. We have seen what a couple of small, but focused, hacker groups have been able to do. Why are any of our compatriots not doing the same? Every corner of American culture is open, exposed, & vulnerable. Every part of our infrastructure is equally vulnerable. If the goal is to sow—or simply cultivate the existing discontent, with an intention of at least partially directing it towards a specific target & end, the tools are prepared & laid out on the table. It really does beggar the question: “do we really want to create this change?”

 Ridicule & humiliation—shame—is a powerful tool that should be used regularly & in conjunction with everything already mentioned. When people are humiliated publicly they tend to become irrational & prone to acting out. Again we see a prime opportunity to push citizens, of any political leanings, towards a focused enemy and goal. While there is much to be said about allowing for an organic & natural growth towards fruition, I promise you that piling bullshit onto the garden beds will certainly fertilize the soil. We of course need to be mindful, too much bullshit could burn the roots, but properly handled & spread it does a garden growing good.

 Disruption of goods & services is a tried and true way to rouse the rabble, because after all, a hungry mob is an angry mob. In a world whose key distinction from the reality of its enslavement is a technological lulling to sleep, perhaps it is time to start interrupting nappy time? Small acts of sabotage to disrupt the flow of digital entertainment. Miniature homemade EPS devices that affect only a block or two (or a single hub for more dramatic effect over a larger area). These are not far fetched ideas, & they are only an example. How about hijacking signals on a cell tower to piggy back more nefarious signals? These ideas are being inspired by limited information via Associated Press stories, Wired magazine articles & the like. In other words, these things can be done & with a limited amount of knowhow and skill.

 There should be an in-depth campaign to discredit every person, at every level, who works for the state and its institutions. Deep fakes have been an option for how long now? Why is the resistance ignoring this? Every single chief of police, secretary of state, local official, news anchor, saturating the world to the point that paranoia is a permanent & default position of the global citizenry. The very moment some official points & says “that is a deep fake,” another “hot mic” deep fake should pop up having an official contradicting himself… constant & endless barrage & nothing held back from totally absurdist to totally plausible with almost no way for anyone to discern fact from fiction.

 Cover the roads of trucking lanes with roofing tacks. Pry the railroad spikes out & remove single track sections from cargo lines. Water down gasoline. These tactics are no different than eco-warriors spiking a tree. Disruption to dismantle to the degree that government is spinning in circles. Spray paint over the lenses of every security camera & ring device. There is no shortage of options, only a shortage of resistance fighters… & the empire marches us all into the prison camp as you wait…

David Annarelli 1853637
Dillwyn Correctional Center
1522 Prison Road
Dillwyn, Virginia 23936

October 28, 2023, Saturday

 Collective punishment is a staple of the Pocahontas State Corruption Center style of abuse. It is both physically and psychologically damaging, while leaving no visible marks. It also easily allows for the blanket euphemism (bald-face lie) of “security,” a word few PSCC staff can define. Collective punishment has been at the forefront of the PSCC DOC cover-up meant to hide the fact that many of its staff—especially at PSCC—are actually criminals. Specifically where the never-ending flow of drugs and other contraband are of concern. The extent of the cover-up actually includes, quite openly, violating state and federal laws (tampering with privileged mail) and numerous constitutional guarantees (which are unalienable and can not be taken, but are)…Then again, what would you expect from hillbillies who openly praise people like Putin, and groups such as Hamas…

PSCC guards have always and will always bring in contraband, and, let us be clear, other staff do as well. On the very rare occasion, when one—or a few—get caught, it is quietly swept under the carpet and someone immediately steps in to fill in the gap. In a place such as PSCC where most of the staff are family by blood or marriage (and too often both), in a county such as Tazewell, which is equally debauched, nothing less can be expected. It is likely, and too easy to allege, that such corruption extends to the local sheriffs, courts, and prosecutors. This is known as the “good-ol’-boy network,” and it stretches across this area of Virginia—and indeed all of Virginia—like a tumorous blight.

The problem isn’t the criminal activity of the Virginia DOC, which proudly traces its origins to post-civil-war slavery and though the Jim Crow era. The problem is those enslaved captives who won’t fall prey to such a nefarious criminal enterprise. The VA DOC and PSCC offer wholesale abusive punishment to those who refuse to play along. This is the collective punishment, coupled with absolute falsehoods, used as a means of covering up the truth. Remember, prisons and prison staff are gangs, and nothing more. They extort, corrupt, rob, and murder those who fall prey to their webs, just as any other gang of miscreants does….Where are the good citizens to be found when rebellion is so clearly the required response?

The most recent folly of the PSCC staff has been to turn off the phones, as if this is going to deter anything. Clearly, it will not deter or prevent my exposing essay that you are now reading. It also did not prevent a fresh package from arriving last night (Friday), brought in by the guards, plain as day. The phones were shut off to prevent prisoners from moving money around through cash apps that cannot be traced. Absolutely nothing has been stopped. Just as I have protections in place with outside source (PSCC staff have been looking to silence—and possibly murder—me since I began exposing them 5 years ago), there are people who start asking questions if I am not heard from; those who give money to the staff for contraband are doing so through proxies outside these walls. You can be certain those proxies have instructions if communica-tion is cut off. Captives may be held in a prison, but it truly is the VA DOC (and much of its staff) who are so desperately stupid.

The Virginia DOC—and the state of Virginia if you really want to get down to it—are a long-running criminal enterprise mostly based on slavery and human trafficking. Its proximity to—and being a partial suburb of—Washington, DC is what affords it the level of protection and allowance it requires to keep operating. If you doubt that, go ahead and ask U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner why they allow police brutality and gross levels of prosecutorial misconduct, or why they allow their state to have the most abysmal wrongful-conviction rate in the nation, at a whopping 20% (approximately 5,000+ captives). These Senators are well aware, and yet do nothing to uphold the rights of U.S. citizens, even as they pretend to be “representatives.” Obviously rebellion is necessary.

The contraband (drugs, phones, and pornography) will never be stopped from making its way into VA DOC prisons. The VA DOC would have to fire the better portion—upwards of 75%–of its entire staff statewide. As it stands now, they aren’t able to keep staff (even with the open incentive of tax-free drug dollars). The VA DOC has had to lower its standards so far that people who shouldn’t be trusted to walk the neighbor’s dog are being put into positions of dangerously arbitrary power. They are just smart enough to run the contraband through the fences (because they are allowed), but they don’t seem to have any sense other than that. This probably explains how some of them get nicknames such as “Tiny” Craig or “Stubby” Miller, and why they are foolish enough—protected by the VA DOXC—to be openly racist and anti-Semitic, to the point of legitimate hate crimes, while praising the actions of sworn enemies of the United States.

The bringing in of contraband—specifically the hard and dangerous drugs—is not only about the tax-free dollars. That would be too easy, and they could get those dollars from tobacco and weed, which are exceedingly less harmful and less destructive by comparison. The dollars are merely a perk, as these individuals, under VA DOC mandate, work to undermine the U.S. as a nation, in a state next to the nation’s capital, and which boasts one of the nation’s largest naval bases (in Norfolk), among other assets. Worse yet is that there are actually open statements to such ends about the staff, some of whom are now regularly referred to as “the Hillbilly Hamas”.

I am no friend of the government (local, state, or federal). At every level it is corrupt and a grievous threat to the freedom of humanity. Our government is not very many degrees of separation from our enemies. That being said, and what it is, I would still never sell out my country to its enemies, even as a means of abolishing government and implementing anarchism, which is clearly the most evolved idea—and ideal—humanity has ever pondered. The VA DOC-PSCC staff happily sell their country out to groups, enemies, who share their lust for the murder and destruction of human beings. This is why, even when all things are stopped to prevent contraband from getting through, it walks right in and is handily delivered by the VA DOC-PSCC staff.

David Annarelli 1853637
Dillwyn Correctional Center – 3B
1522 Prison Road
Dillwyn, VA 23936

Friday, October 13, 2023

To Whom It May Concern,

Virginia Department of Corrections, the infamous Pocahontas State Corruption Center hidden deep in the mountains of Tazewell County, where racism and antisemitism are a ap art of the cultural heritage.

Multiple VaDOC staff, guards and others, are being dangerously loud and overt in threatening the very small population of Jewish captives. The danger to their wellbeing has never been greater, where state employees are able to openly terrorize with complete impunity and even with support from coworkers and VaDOC standards set by Richmond.

Do you remember Charlottesville, where Virginia’s racist, antisemitic and openly Nazi citizens came out by the thousands? They marched chanting “The Jews will not replace us”. Many of the guards at Pocahontas are those marchers and have bragged about it. Today, one of the most nefarious and well documented racist and antisemitic guards targeted (again) and openly terrorized (again) a Jewish man, on camera, and strictly because he was Jewish (again). This was approximately 6:45am at breakfast.

“Correctional Officer” Craig (known as “Tiny” Craig) saw this Jewish man, who he has a documented history of targeting for harassment, and made a direct bee line for him. He told this Jewish man to strip off his religious garb (on the Sabbath and amid the spreading global troubles). He made repeated comments so absolutely heinous that I will not write, but we were open unveiled references to recent horrors. He then dragged this frightened young man to solitary confinement.

This is dangerous, in a state whose history is long and violent towards all those who are not white and local.

David Annarelli 1853637
Pocahontas State Correctional Center
PO Box 518
Pocahontas, VA 24635

One size fits all. Such false and empty marketing ploys are rarely uttered anymore. It is strange, and counterintuitive then, that every aspect of the courts and legal system, and most especially the Prison Industrial Complex, maintain a “one size fits all” policy. This becomes ever more frustrating when, for decades, our court and Legal system has proven to be a complete failure; we compound that with the historical fact that prisons have never been more than the tools of tyrants, and in modern times we have a century worth of reposts and statistics that conclusively illustrate that prisons do not work, and are sorely lacking in providing any promise of reformation, rehabilitation, behavioral modifications, or even the least bit of security for societal benefit. In fact, the truth is quite to the contrary.

One of the most important narratives to come out, exposing the truth, has been the growing knowledge base in Neuroscience. As we have come to better understand the workings and processes of the human brain, the way we see and understand the “hows and whys” of aberrant behavior has been dramatically altered. The first milestone as it were, was in the late 1990’s when the National Institute of Health declared that the correlations between head injuries and “criminal” behaviors was a public health issue. At that time, grants were made available to State Departments of Corrections for programs meant to track, screen, and treat those whose previous head injuries were related to changes in behavior, leading to incarceration. Only two states, Colorado and Minnesota, accepted the grants.

Over the next decade, neuroscientists made huge leaps in understanding the human brain, almost in lockstep with the fields of psychology, regarding the relations to our justice system and prison industry. It was becoming ever more apparent to neuroscientists that this new understanding had to be brought to the foreground and incorporated into legislation of judicial hearings. Psychologists had (along with everyone not profiting from the prison industry) openly declared prisons to be, not only failed in their proclaimed purpose, but possibly, the very cause of some of the problems they were expected to correct.

Through the first decade of the 21^st Century, the body of evidence grew. Psychologists began to regularly recite the phrase “catastrophic stress” to describe the effects of the prison environment, while at the same time, prisons increasingly became a place to warehouse a growing population of mental health sufferers. Politicians and policy makers seem to have a sick sense of irony, because the number of prisoners with mental health issues climbed above the 40% mark. Obviously, an environment such as prison would only exacerbate and compound mental health issues, while providing easy fodder and prey for prison staff who are historically understood to be habitually abusive, predatory and exhibit behavioral traits that are red flags for dangerous pathologies. Prison, it was widely known, had become a detriment to society, as if it had somehow ever been otherwise.

In 2011 “Incognito: The Secret Lives of Brains” was published by Stanford University Neuroscientist David Eagleman. While being an especially well written book penned in a manner that would speak to the everyday person, it is Chapter 6 of Incognito that is especially poignant. Eagleman states, in no uncertain terms, and with all of the backing of neuroscience understood at that time, that our entire justice system needs to be reevaluated and restructured in a way that not only incorporates our modern understanding of how the human brain operates, but also how it is possible to retrain and “rewire” the brain itself. In other words, the justice system is operating in the dark and making poor decisions without all the understanding and evidence where culpability is concerned. Likewise, our system of punitive response is archaic and not in keeping with our understanding of the brain, what drives the brain and how to address human behaviors.

The entire 6^th chapter is dedicated to explaining the science, and the reason, for such bold and necessary statements. It also broadly illustrates the great disconnect between what is known and what is readily applied. This disconnect, while certainly a cause of extreme harm and damage in regard to the judicial and prison systems, is a far more widespread issue across the entire United States. In fact, it would seem to correlate to the root of many of our societal and cultural problems in the U.S. While correlation is not necessarily causation as a rule, in this case we can actually say there is a causal connection. It can, and should, also be said that now in 2023, another decade, that the causality is being ignored rather deliberately.

Given how far neuroscience and psychology have come, it is important to take note of a few key features of the U.S. courts and its prison system. The first point is that both are now nefarious at a global level. While US politicians spew talking points about “our great system of law and order,” most of our global neighbors, and most US citizens, are keenly aware of the immense failure our system represents, and that its total collapse is all but inevitable. The next point is that the US judicial system depends upon the ignorance of those engaged with it. That fact, proven on any given day and time, in any given courtroom, is so unequivocal that it even applies to that special caste known as lawyers and judges. Yes, it is a fact that all too often this caste is not only unaware of major changes in our understanding of neuroscience – which should guide all of our policies and laws – but more often than not, this caste is unaware of things even as they stand on centuries of common laws, as it is applied and practiced.   

This might sound improbable, and common sense would declare incredulous. Sadly, it is a fact, and it is one I would beg every single defendant in prison now, or stuck in the web of the judicial system, to give credence to. As an example, admittedly from one of the most archaic and backward states in America – Virginia – allow me to provide some curious points. In 2021-22, Virginia removed all of the openly “racist language” from its laws; however, some of those laws still remain on the books that are inherently racist, as they were written to be. Virginia has statutes that require judges to issue orders…e.g. A judge must declare from the bench that a person is competent to stand trial (VA.Code 19.2 – 169.1(E)), yet in the majority of cases this never actually occurs. So, where judges are incapable of following state laws, it is really no wonder that the incorporation of new and valuable information is avoided, and given the evidence, we presume intentionally.

This brings us to another point. In the last few years, it has been discovered that negative psychological factors: loneliness, anxiety, depression and being prone to psychological distress – to name a few – are DIRECTLY RELATED to a more rapid cognitive decline. Psychology has also noted a “specific-to-prison” stress disorder: Post Incarceration Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is onset after approximately three (3) years in any prison environment. In other words, the level of harm being caused by prisons to individuals, and by direct extension to society as a whole, is extensive.

Prisons are designed with negative psychological factors as a default foundation. Loneliness, created by being dramatically separated from family and friends, but also from familiar environments, basic comforts and from a basic sense of humanity and purpose. Imagine such separation then being filled with total strangers, many of whom are suffering from the same traumatic experience. Everyone is pushed under the threat of harm by force and violence, into a state of “fight or flight” survival. (The flight action is not really an option). All of this is enforced by state employees – prison guards – many of whom have no other option but to accept this disrespected job. At no other time in history have gaolers/jailers been seen as respectable, good or of use to society, and they likely never will. Their presence does nothing to create a positive environment for correcting behavior and healing.

This, then, is the launching pad for a bad situation made worse. It takes no stretch of terms and only a limited imagination to see how other psychologically negative factors are created, quite literally out of the thin air of a prison environment. This is the very definition of anxiety and depression. A proneness to psychological distress is not only to be expected, but it is seemingly a standard issue neurosis. In these environments, cognitive decline is something that may be seen and tracked from the start, certainly in those who have spent more than the approximately three years shown to cause PITSD. We should expect to find even higher traces of cognitive decline in unfortunates who have spent decades in such derelict environments.

Bring your attention back to the approximate 40% of incarcerated humans (that number increases depending on which polls you look at) who are, in fact, already experiencing mental health issues. We again note that they are in an environment that, without question, creates mental health problems where none existed prior to incarceration. It is well documented that mental health care, as well as medical and dental care in prisons, is paltry or cursory, at best. In fact, in the majority of departments of correction, it is only existent on paper. Those hired to fill such positions often have both hands tied behind their back while being gagged, as well. Many of these professionals seem to have inferior education and poor training, similar to those who “choose” to be guards…limited opportunities for employment elsewhere. These are the mental health staff we presume to be legitimate, because there is no shortage of corrupt and dangerous people in the prison mental health industry; in fact, there is evidence of at least one “Quality Mental Health Professional (QMHP)”, who falsified psychology records simply to prevent and avoid proper care being provided.

This is all in an environment that, by design, caters to the most basic instincts of the human condition. Malnourished and confined to a small concrete box, where at any time and with no legitimate cause, some other human, who is also operating on base instinct, and with no logical reason, may come in and steal from you, or randomly and with intent, destroy your very few personal items. A place where everyone struggles to get even the most basic of items, to a point of such depravation that one might end up dead, quite literally, over a pen and paper or a $0.39 ramen soup. That is what the environment of prisons are DESIGNED to create, because it helps to generate the justification that prisons need to exist. In psychological circles, this is known as a circular argument, and it is how an idea can reinforce itself while avoiding the logic and reason that ends the argument.

It is almost 2024. The government is all but useless. Not a single American institution is trusted. Law enforcement is often seen as terroristic. Politicians are widely recognized as an elite caste with no ties to the people (of lower castes) they claim to represent. Likewise, Science in America enjoys two very distinct forms of being broken: It is too often openly ignored when it should not be, as illustrated here regarding neuroscience; science, when not being summarily ignored and rejected, is often treated with the same level of contempt usually reserved for only the most fanatical of religions and their zealous adherents. This then begs the question: Has America/have Americans descended into madness: It seems to me that, ironically, neuroscience could very well provide us with the beginning of an answer, while simultaneously addressing and correcting the many problems that have led us to the question.

Could (science) possibly explain the pathology of denying medical, dental, and mental health care, thereby causing additional and unnecessary suffering and pain? Could neuroscience help explain the how and why of prison staff who often behave in a manner that is wholly criminal and openly abusive, (and the how and why of state DOC’s covering up this fact to the detriment of all?). It would seem the answer is “yes.” The even bigger question then is: What will it take to make such desperately needed changes occur? While the science is well founded, why is the change ignored for years and decades?

For some time now, we have had the solutions to more than a few of our problems. “We the people” need only have the willingness to implement those solutions, and preferably before more harm is done.

David Annarelli 1853637
Pocahontas State Correctional Center
PO Box 518
Pocahontas, VA 24635