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SOUTH CHICAGO
ABC ZINE DISTRO
PO BOX 721
HOMEWOOD, IL 60430

Published in March 1998 by Raze the Walls! Prisoner Sup-
port Group. This pamphlet has been produced for Infor-
mation purposes and not for profit. Please distribute widely.
The Black Peoples'
Prison Survival Guide

How to survive mentally, physically, and spiri-
tually while Incarcerated

By Abdullah

Dedication

1 dedicate the pages of this book to Jesse and Doll Baby, the
0ld Boy and The Old Girl, Chief, Buck, Bilgeese, Amina,
Kareem, Gloria, Shawn, Nissan, Ret, Neema, Misty, Hoaky,
Pig, Donna, Peaches, Junebug, Juney, Black Mike, Squidley,
Lil, Tonie, Brenda, Barbara, Dean, Taj, Val, Natty, Sinner,
Flip, Carter-E, Tahun, Hajj Lugman, Ishmael, Raouf,
Muamar, Bin Israel, Morgan-Bey and all past students of
the Egyptian Mysteries.
PREFACE

‘This book s written with the Black male in mind who is suffering
the ordeal of incarceration. Although, itis intended for Black males, it may
be read by Black females suffering the same predicament. Also, the infor-
‘mation and insights contained in the following pages might be valued by
any of our people living in this society.

‘Some will question the purpose of such a book. They will read its
title and feel a sense of shame and embarrassment in that persons of our
race might need a guide to prison survival. Let me state that I feel a sense
of shame and embarrassment, too; however, such abook is sorely needed
and some benefit may derive from its publication.

Many of us suffer the *Ostrich Syndrome”, We continuously bury
our heads in the sand choosing to ignore certain realities in hopes that
they will go away. The majority of us know someone who is locked-up or
who has been locked-up or who has a family member who is now locked-
up. Going to prison has become a *common thing". Black people have
been deeply affected by the American penal system. In society, we are a
‘minority. In prisons we are the majority. America wil continue to lock
‘many of us up in the future. This country has succeeded in creating gen-
erations of Black prison class societies.

“This s a self-help book. It is not just a textbook of practical jail-
house wisdom. It a survival guide to help the reader safeguard his or her
'mental, physical and spiritual well-being while in prison. Ifyou find your-
selfincarcerated this book may prove tself especially usefulto you. Expe-
rience is the most qualified teacher, and I have been well-schooled by my
past experience with prisons and people in them. For the past 15 years,
have been locked-up in Ohio prisons for a crime that admittedly, | did
commit. Two days ago, ata parole hearing, I was given a five year continu-
ance for being 0o intelligent". The parole board said that the education
I received while incarcerated makes me more dangerous to society. That
‘may very well be true, but not in any physical sense, because | am nota
criminal.

Thisbookis about change. Hopefully, in readingt you will change
your thinking, your way of seeing things and change your way of ife One
word of caution. I recognize that we are limited in our education, but I
‘will not write down to anyone. You will do el to get yourselfa dictionary
and keep it handy. Lok up each word you don't understand. Never skip
over words because you donit understand them. Find their meanings.
Remember: Lazy readings a crime, too. It robs us of valuable knowledge.
PartI

AMERICA'S PENAL PAST

America has along penaltradition. In fact, this country was colo-
nized as a penal experiment. England emptied its jalls of Its murderers,
rapists, prostitutes, and thieves, placed them aboard ships and sent them
here to conquer the native people and colonize this land. America's first
citizens were England's worst criminal outcasts.

‘With their criminality the founding fathers and mothers brought
a host of deadly diseases to wreck havoc upon the native people. They
waged a type of germ warfare that exterminated untold thousands of the
native population. Diseases such as small pox, syphilis, and the *com-
‘mon" cold systematically reduced their numbers. Add this to the host of
tricks they brought from England with them, and you wil see that the
unsuspecting natives never really stood a chance.

After the period of colonization was completed in this country, it
was found that a spirit of lawlessness continued to preval. Even after ac-
complishing the task of gaining a foothold in this land the founding fa-
thers and mothers still continued to ply their illcit trades. Moral factions
in the colonies decided that jails had to be buit to punish offenders.

‘The first jail in America to house felons was the Walnut Street Jail
in Philadelphia. it was build in 1790 by Quakers. During their imprison-
ment, prisoners recelved intensive religious instruction and endured harsh
physical labor to build their work ethic. They also observed complete si-
lence. There was nosocializing between prisoners, and often brutal disci-
plinary measures were used to ensure their silence. Later prisons were
founded at Auburn, New York, in the 1820's and a reformatory at Elmira,
NewYorkin 1876. Like the Walnut Street Jail, these later prisons instituted
religious instruction, rigorous labor, and absolute silence as part of their
rehabilitative process. These early penal experiments failed, because of
the high insanity rate resulting from the policy of enforced silence. Many
of the prisoners went crazy from being given the "silent treatment”, *

Penology in this country has reached its apex development in the
past 100 years, It is now a science. There are actually peaple who attend
universities to major in this ield of study. They eventually earn the title of
“Penologist". We may logically conclude that penology has become very
important. No major university would include useless courses of study in
their curriculums. It has specific purpose. Penology is one of the basic
Five P's now used to systematically control the unconscious masses (Phi-
losophy, Psychology, Politics and Propaganda being the others) At this
point, let me emphasize that always been a connection between penol-
ogy and labor. It s this connection that continues to effect Black people
today.
PAST VICTIMS

‘The connection between penology and labor extends backto those
early prisons in the colonies. Remember that labor was an integral part of
the strict disciplinary regimen In those days. In those early prisons, the
products that the prisoners made were later sold in the market place, and
the prisoners received a small percentage of the profits as pay. The war-
dens were the ones who benefited from inmate labor.

After the Civil War, this country entered into what was known as
the reconstruction period. The war had caused great property damage
throughout the south. Large plantations houses had been destroyed dur-
ing the fighting. Crops had died and there were no seasonal plantings.
‘The northern forces had looted and pillaged as they swept their way to
victory. Allthat had been damaged needed “reconstruction”. This recon-
struction period lasted for nearly 15 years after the war.

Itiswelldocumented that the African slaves had built up the whole
of the Western hemisphere. A society and economy with free labor as its
principle base could easily be developed and maintained. Slavery in the
colonies was the firstlarge scale capitalist venture, and the most sticcess-
ful up to that point. The African people had brought important skils with
them from their lands. They weren't just cotton and tobacco pickers, as
white historians and television would have us believe. They were the
needed brick masons, carpenters, farmers, weavers, doctors, and "black-
smiths”. If the Blacks were used to build up the south once, then they
‘would surely be used again. .

‘The newly freed slaves were as easily exploited by white South-
erners as the native people were by the early settlers. Free but uncertain,
fearful of venturing out beyond the plantations of their births, they were
easytargets for further exploitation. The plantation owners held out prom-
Ises of better treatment, improved working conditions, and future pay as
enticements for the freed Blacks to stay on and continue working. When
these ploys failed, threats of lynching by groups such as the KKK held Blacks
in check. After the period of reconstruction the south was thriving again.

‘We must keep in mind that this was a time of no industrialization,
‘There were no machines to perform the work. Still the work had to be
done. Cheap sources of labor were sorely needed to keep things running
smoothly for the profiteers. Slavery took on another form; hence, we had
its other version, the "chain gang”. Thie majority of prisoners n the south
Who were sentenced to spend time on its chain gangs were Black men.
‘The symbolic connection between the chain and siavery is obvious. The
particular stigma attached to the chain gang itself denoted that not only
Wwas a man guilty of some offense, but that he was deserving of his bond-
ageand punishment, i.e., *hard labor".

Herein, we can see the connection between penology, Black
‘people, and labor exploitation. Across the south, those who benefited most

8
from this updated form of forced labor were the states and local pla:
tion owners. Forests were cleared, roads were buil, levees were coi.
structed, felds were plowed and cotton was picked by those early chain
gangs. Many times these gangs were leased-out to work for farmers in
nearby communities. The chain gang became an extension of slavery.

PRESENT VICTIMS

There are a variety of causes for crime in this country. Over the years,
studies have been conducted to determine the causes of crime. No one
specific cause or any exact combination of causes has been pinpointed as
the determining factors thatlead to criminal behavior. Crime s a hot topic:
and punishment has become a big business.
The average white American, with nothing better to do, sits at home each
evening viewing television programs such as Hard Copy and A Current
Affair. These shows exploit crime to get higher viewer ratings. The more
sensational crime it covers, the higher the show's ratings and the more
commercial revenues it generates. The television program Cops gives ac-
tual footage of middle-aged, White suburban thrill-seekers and weekend
survivalists, guns drown, crashing in the doors of terrified poor folks in
their efforts to solve the crack (Black) problem. America loves it!
‘When people constantly view-crime as depicted on television, they build
upan immunity to having compassionate feelings for the criminal. What
circumstances played a part in causing another to commit a crime be-
‘comes less important. Consideration is given only to his or her punish-
ment. The insensitive public cries for blood. "Lock them up forever!* and
“Throw away the key!" and “They ought to be fried:” became the cries of
the day. Beinginfluenced to react (t can't be called thinking) this way, our
‘people are caught up in the same kind of dumb emotionalism. They make
the same dumb statements, until it's a nephew or little brother who's sit-
ting on death row. Only then do they stop to question what caused the
nephew or little brother to go wrong. And there are many answers. *
The attitudes about criminal behavior differ widely, depending on what
country is looked at. A good example is Japan. In Japan, when a person is
convicted of a crime it s seen as a failure of their society to provide the
proper nurturing environment to mold that person into being a produc-
tive human being. Upon incarceration, extensive steps are taken to foster
the rehabilitation of that person. On the other hand, in this country it is
seen as a shortcoming of the individual who commits a crime and years
of punishment is the best answer. Society shares none of the blame, al-
though It creates criminals. Let us imagine this. A police decoy staggers
down a dark street at night pretending to be drunk. He has a large wad of
moneysticking out o his pocket. Someone comes along, sees this, snatches
the money, runs,-and is arrested by the police. In criminal law, there is a
defense called "entrapment". It could be said that the poor man who

9
snatched the baited money was victimized by circumstances which were
setup by the police; thus, he was "entrapped” into committing his crime.
Asin the case of the poor man who snatched the money, society has set
upa host of circumstances in our environments which bring about crimi-
nality in some of our people. When drugs are made available, when there
is a proliferation of guns in our communities and when our youths are
programmed to be violent by music and television, then the entrapment
defense has some validity to0. We should be at least partially exonerated
because of the host of circumstances society has set up against us. The
United States locks-up more Black people than racist South Africa. It cre-
ates criminals and jails them, because keeping a large prison population
s beneficial. One reason for keepinga large prison population is popula-
tion control. Fewer Black men means fewer Black babies. Another reason
is that prisons employ a lot of poor, uneducated White people who are
otherwise unemployable. Yet, the single most important reason s that it
is profitable to lock people up. People who are locked-up are easily ex-
ploited for ther labor.

. Today's modern prisons are industrialized. Top quality products
are being manufactured in America's prisons on assemblylines. In many
cases, gone are the days of just pressinglicense plates. Large corporations
have cast their lots on the sides of prisons as beinga cheap readily avail-
able source of labor. And the biggest advantage to these corporations is
that there are no labor unions to deal with. Some of these corporations
that have invested in prisons are TWA, AT MCI, and Best Western, to name
several.

One good example of prisoner labor exploitation s Ohio Penal
Industries (OPY). OPI maintains factories in nearly all of Ohio's twenty-
seven prisons. I reaps astronomical profits from the products it sells to
the public, because it pays prisoners slave wages. It operates under the
guise of training prisoners for employment when they are released, while
itdoes notassist them in finding jobs when they get out. There is no union-
tzation, and there Is no form of compensation f prisoners e injured while
‘working. The average pay for an OPI worker is less than $50 a month for
40 hours work weeks. An entire volume could be devoted to the exploits
of OPI, but let it suffice here to say that OPI's competitors complained
that they could not compete with OPT's prices because OPI maintains an
almost zero per cent labor cost.

Recently, there has developed a trénd of states a company can
presentalow costanalysis, it can own tselfa prison (and the Black people
inthem). The advantage to these companies in running these private pris-
ons is that they can profit from the inmate labor pool, They may in tum
contract with outside companies to produce goods using inmate labor.
Since the majority of people incarcerated are Black, we can make the con-
nection between this form of labor exploitation and the chain gangs of
the past.

0
A SCENARIO OF VICTIMIZATION .

America's criminal justice system s not based upon justice or fair
play. It i predicated on lies, trickery, and deceit. Whether one of us s in-
nocent or guilty, we must recognize that when we enter the courtroom we
have entered a bloody arena, where the prize at stake is our lives. Any-
thing goes. Rights violations, prosecutor misconduct, coercion, perjured
testimony, falsified reports, and the list goes on. What the prosecutor secks
is that initial conviction, because he knows that the appeal process will
dragon foryears. While you rot behind bars, your appeal briefs will collect
dust on some obscure judge's desk.

When we are indicted for our alleged wrongs, many times we are
overcharged for the crime itself. They rack-up many related charges that
stem from one offense. We are faced with staggering amounts of time and
our minds reel at the thought of doing so much time. “A thousand years?!
All1didwas...", you ask and say. It is basic psychology. It is to ensure your
full cooperation when you are offered the coveted "deal® that will allow
you to spend less time behind bars. Actually, it is a ruse to frighten you
intoaccepting a plea agreement for something that the prosecutor would
be hard pressed to fairly prove against you anyway. Many codefendants
are tricked this way into offering testimony in exchange for lighter sen-
tences orin some cases even total immunity for crimes they helped com-
mit.

One essential thingto understand isthat the sincere looking White
attomey who is supposed to defend and protect your rights is in fact a
*sworn officer of the court." He is bound by some oath of judicial fealty of
‘which you know absolutely nothing about. "Why, you'llneversee the light
of day! Take the deal! It's a good deal. With time off for good behavior
you'll be back out in a few years", the smooth talking, reassuring White
face says. The dockets are full. He is no more than an amateur actor with
mediocre legal abilities. He plays his part again and again. It's his job to
ensure that the wheels of injustice continue to spin smoothly. He is the
golfing buddy of the judge, the cousin of the prosecutor. He may have
been a prosecutor himself once. They lunch together every aftemnoon.
‘Their children attend the same private schools. They belong to the same
clubs, the same lodge, they may even swap wives. Their allegiances are
only to each other and not to you. For those who refuse to take that cov-
eted deal, there will be hell to pay for having the nerve to buck the ac-
cepted system of things. You won't be dealt with fairly because you are
poor. You wil not be afforded a jury of your peers. The legal terms they
use are spoken in Latin, a dead (buried and thus hidden) language, only
spoken (and keptalive) by priests at the Vatican. Witnesses are coached in
‘what to say. The police intimidate your witnesses to not appear in court.
Hand signals are given and passwords are spoken. Objections are over-
ruled by the judge with a nod and a sly wink. You st in the midst of some

11
Masonic ritual taking place. Your silence is assured. You are threatened
with exposure of your criminal past (if you have one) if you dare to speak
in your own defense. The cards are well-stacked against you and chances
are you will go to Jail.

Many of us lack a fundamental belief in ourselves; therefore, we
lack faith and confidence in the abilities of those professionals of our race
toperform accurately when things count most. We feel somehow that their
educationand training sn't on an equal footing with their White counter-
parts. We have been brainwashed to assume that a Black attorney fsn't
capable of competently representing our nterests in the White man's court
of law. "Now don't you go in there with no nigga’ lawyer. Get you a good
JewLawyer. You go down there witha nigga' lawyer and you'll end up with
more time.” That s standard advice. By such a notion of “slave wisdom"
we fall easy prey Into the clutches of the corrupt White attorneys. If we
fully understood what we were up against, we would see that no oneshould
represent us other than another Black person. There are many White at-
torneys who earn their livelihoods extracting pounds of Black flesh inside:
America's-halls of injustice. They continuously deal Black lives away by
the deft strokes of their pens. They trade in Black bodies as their slave
owning forefathers did in the days of old. These attorneys deal cases with
the prosecutors and collect bribes when we have the ability to pay. To
these White attorneys we are just unsuspecting victims.

12
PartI1
INSIDE

Entering prison for the first time can e a frightening experienced
‘The noise level is what strikes you and it is unlike any noise that you have
ever heard before. Its human noise and clamor. That, coupled with the
sight of those dreary bars, made me think, “Man, what have I gotten my-
selfinto herei!” When you have entered prison, you have entered aworld
allts own. Each prison is different. What applies to one prison certainly
will not apply to another. Prisons are classified by security levels (Maxi-
‘mum, Close, Medium, Minimum). You will have different rules and types .
of people according to what kind of prison you find yourselfin.

Although each prison is different, there exists three basic group-
ings n all prisons. This social strata consists of the administration, guards,
and the prisoners themselves. Each group operates according to its own
set of rules and values, while there exists an interplay between the three,
and none being totally independent of the others.

‘The administrators of prisoners are usually people with years of
devoted service in the penal system. Some are educated in the science of
penology, but for the most part they are persons who came up through
the ranks as guards. After taking a number of college courses, or gaininga
degree In some social science, they were granted their positions and titles.
Atthe higher levels of penal administration can be found a bit more edu-
cated persons who are more devoted to the penal system. These are the
wanders and people who help make policy decisions. In this modern day,
theyare usually Black people. For those who understand the negative con-
sequences of incarceration, their appointments to those pasitions can be
recognized for whatit s, a divisive tactic. Normally, hey are no more than
‘mere figureheads who do the system's bidding in oppressing other Black
people.

Rules in prison are formulated to either antagonize or placate pris-
oners, but their main purpose is to control. The guards are the people
who enforce the rules. They act as middle men between administrators
and prisoners. As prisons and people in them differ, so do guards. Some
arereal professionals. They respectother human beings. They spend eight
‘hours attheirjobs and go home. Others are the worst types of people. Dirt
‘poor and barely lterate, they exist in a no man's land between welfare or
prison for themselves. They deal in contraband and are capable of brutal
acts (including murder) against prisoners. Most are former military people,
ex-cops, or people who couldn't qualify for police departments. They thrive
on havingauthority. Some hold memberships in racist organizations and
Masonic orders whose roles are to suppress non-White people. Suffering
psychological problems, their world view s negative, and that is how they
generally view most prisoners.

13 '
‘The most difficult part about having contact with prison administrators
and guardsis that they usually operate from a set of preconceived notions
about all prisoners. For them a textbook example of a prisoner is dumb,
petty, passively or aggressively Homosexual, scheming, and manipulative.
‘Theirmanuals generally describe all prisoners this way. They tend to lump
all prisoners into these catégories. Accordingly, it would be safe to lump
them allinto one category as well. Expect them to be indifferent, authori-
tative, brutal and racist toward you. When you encounter an administra-
tor or guard who is different, consider it rarity.

Prisoners come from a variety of backgrounds. Prison Is a con-
fined place, packed with living bodies of every shape, color and size. You
will find yourself closer to other human beings than you have ever been
before, many ofwhom youwon'tlike. When conditions are crowded, there
isanatiral tendency for people to band together for mutual protection as
well as friendship. Most prisons are divided by groups. These divisions
occur along racial, religious, and ideological lines, as well as gang afflia-
tions. The administrators and guards usually know who's who, because
they are kept abreast of the inside goings-on by their inmate informants.
There exists a class of people who are "at home" inside prison. They were
conditioned for prison life from childhood. Starting out in juventle cor-
rectional facilties they later made the transition to youth reformatories
and adult prisons. They are totally inept as criminals and have been in-
carcerated any number of times. They are institutionalized and would
rather be in prison than out. By conditioning, prison's safe, controlled

- environment is best suited to them, a place where they are clothed, fed,
and told what to do. Outside life i too difficult to grapple with for these
individuals.

. For another class of people, prison is a kind of homeless shelter.
‘They don't necessarily want to be in prison, but ina sense they are forced
to be. Unskilled, homeless and destitute, they enter jails and prisons for
an array of minor crimes to be fed and rested up. Prison gives them a
needed break from homelessness and crack addiction. For them a six
month to a year sentence s a heavenly blessing They aren't criminals in
the real sense but men and women who have been forced by economic
and social conditions to take the easy way out time and time again.

For yet another cliss of people coming to prison is an occupa-
tional hazard. Crime is their vocation and they take coming to prison all
n stride. It would be incorrect to type them as nstitutionalized, because
theylong for the free world. They make no excuses for what they did and
openly discuss what they will do once back out on the streets. They in-
tend to gang bang, rob and peddle dope. Their time inside prison Is Just
anextension of their criminallives on the outside. Many continue to profit
from vices while in prison.

1t has been difficult characterizing people in prisons. As previ-
ously stated, prisons differ and so people confined in the differ as well.

14
No description of prison has ever been positive because it is a negative
place filled with negative personalities who exhibit some abnormal be-
havior patterns. The variety of criminal offenses that you wil find Inside
prisons re too numerous to list. One thing that usually all prisoners have
in common is that they have suffered some kind of abuse In thelr lives
‘whether itbe physical, mental, drug or alcohol related. Penal facilities are
in the same class as mental institutions, therefore, you will find persons
with mental histories who are prescribed various types of powerful psy-
chotropic medications. The one general rule s to never attempt to apply
reason and logic to people o.the situations you may encounter. If you
look for logic and reason you'llfind that you're in the wrong place.

ASSOCIATIONS

In everyday lfe, whether we find ourselves In Jail or out, associa-
tions are important. We are often judged by who we associate ourselves
with. The old saying, "Birds of a feather flock together” holds true. Be-
cause of the close proximity, you will be judged more harshly by your as-
sociations by others in prison. We are assumed to be of a particular char-
acter or to engage in certain activities by whom we associate ourselves
with. Assoclations are of two types, positive and negative. If we reflect on
our pasts, it will usually be seen that our lives took a term for the worst
‘when we began to "hang with the wrong crowd", and it was in that group
that we smoked our first reefers, hooked school and began to steal. All
behavior is learned, and so was our criminal behavior. As easily as going
along with the wrong crowd, we could have sat in the front row of the
class with those "A” students who went on to college and later became
professionals. Had we made the decision to have positive associations we
‘would not have fallen prey to the negativity that eventually led us to being
where we are.

‘The same choice continues to hold itself out to us dafly. One of
the first steps toward change and self-improvement s to begin to choose
positive associations in our prison environment whose influences will
benefit us in the long run. One good look around willtell you that there is
very little actual thinking going on in our prison environments. The real
thinkers are few, and that is what makes them noticeable, You will find
these persons taking full advantaige of the educational and vocational op-
portunities made available to them. They use their time wisely preparing
themselves for thelr lives In the free world. These are the best assoclates,
and we can usually benefit from their insights and accept their advice.

A word to the wise. There exists another set of thinkers as well.
Because we see someone carrying an armful of books does not mean that
their association can always be beneficial. There are individuals who are
extremely intelligent but they utilize their energies foolishly In creating
friction. Having had problems with authority all their lives, they love to

15
‘antagonize authority with frivolous grievances and baseless legal claims.
‘They will make themselves (and you by association) targets of officia re-
prisals. The thing to recognize about prison s our vulnerability and so itis
best to remain distant from smart people doing stupid things.

‘There are others who are leaders of gangs and various other fac-
tions inside prison. In love with a feeling of power over others, like actors,
they play out roles in their own lttle Godfather movies. They control the
drugs, gambling, extortion, and other vices inside prison. Their manipu-
lative abilites are usually honed by years of jailhouse experience. They
know all the right buttons to push, and they orchestraté others in doing
their bidding. Needless to say, nothing positive may be gained from these
assoclations.

As previously stated, the choices in our associations holds itself
out to us daily. I recognize that peer pressure plays a part, also, especially
ina close environment such as prison; however, when most people see a
person take a definite stand to do something good, they will usually re-
spect it. The same is true for ourselves. We must take that firm stand to
take on assoclations that are right and in our own best interest.

FAMILY .

‘The importance of the family bond can not be overemphasized.
‘The connections between us and our families needs to be strengthened.
Nomatter what the givenset of circumstances, familyis what we are linked
to, notonly in name but spiritually as well. After our Creator, family should
be our primary source of strength to draw from. Ifyou look around allyou
see are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. We
are all linked to a family system, no matter how good or bad. America's
slave system was responsible for the destruction of the Black family. The
destruction of our families was the first thing that the oppressors did to
our people. They sold us offfrom one another. The same thing is done by
the American penal system in this day and age, Prison sells us off from
those that we love.

“Time and distance plays havoc upon what ties of family that we
may have. The reason why most prisons are located in rural areas is not
only to provide jobs to impoverished people, but because they isolate (in
most cases totally) inner city Blacks locked up in them from their loved
ones. When a person s solated, they are easier to control. No one s there:
to question what happens to that person. This allows the racist White au-
thorities to basically have their way.

‘The State of Ohio is notorious for its program for the destruction
of Black family ties. Practically all of Ohio's prisons are located in rural
areas. Black prisoners are routinely sent to prisons hundreds of miles away
from their homes to render them inaccessible to concerned family mem-
bers. Limitations are placed on the number of persons who may visit.

16
Conjugl visits are nonexistent (promoting homosexuality and spreading
AIDS). Prisoners are given added time to thelr sentences then they go up
for parole. This causes less committed family members to desert their
cause. This program of systematic destruction takes place while the State
of Ohio hypocriticall states that it encourages strong family ties.

Many peopl in prison have not had the benefit ofloving home
environments. All along, the State has acted as a surrogate parent, These
people are what you would term as being “state raised" from early child-
hood on. I think t s these persons who makeup the bulk of the prison
population, at least in Ohio, It is a deliberate crime, and it is unfortunate
that we live under aystem that conditions people from childhood to be
locked up, 5o that the system can maintain control.

1f you have a family or anyone in the outside to support you in
any way, then consider yourself very fortunate. Do all that you can to
maintain and build upon those relationships. Communication Is the key.
Regularletters telephone calls and viits will help. Always report the posi-
tive happenings i your life, admit past mistakes and let go of old resent-
ments. Always show your appreciation and love for them, because they
need that too. A strong support system can carry you a long way.

TIME UTILIZATION

In doing time in prison, time is the essential factor. Our physical
lives are measured by seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and
years. Time measures our physical lives; therefore, we should begin to
measure time and become time conscious. In this way we can utilize our
time in prison and work it to our best advantage.

Ifyou look around the prison you are in, you will see a lot of time
being squanderéd. Valuable hours of each day are being wasted sense-
lessly in useless pursuits. There is no harm in recreation, but when entire
days are spent playing board games, cards, basketball, and watching tele-
vision, then priorities have to be questioned.

An objective evaluation must be made of each and every activity
that we engage in. We can determine ifthe activity is beneficial to us by its
end results (what we actually benefit from it) and how much of our time is
devoted to it. An hour game of cards or chess can be enjoyable and relax-
ing, but when these games last up to four or five hours, then it has be-
comea waste of time. The same stands true of basketball. (Don't dribble
your life away) None of these recreational pursuits can change our lives
o prepare us to be stronger men and women who can go out into the
world to face life’s challenges.

‘The most senseless use of time in prison has to be constant tele-
vision watching. There are adult men in prison who watch cartoons and
50ap operas for hours each day. They know all the soaps' characters, plots,
and can figure all the possible scenarios of upcoming episodes. They live

17
through the tube. They call television the “Boob Tube” because it will make
you dumb if you aren't already. Its shameless, naked images will poison
your mind and spirit. Its fantasy will rob you of ll original creative think-
ing abilities. Constant television watching develops the dangerous habit
of always wanting to be entertained, which causes laziness.

Television Is a powerful tool of propaganda also, which is one of
the Five P's mentioned earlier. Television is dangerous to Black people
(especially children), because it will distort one's self-concept with its
endless parade of hite intellect, beauty and White super heroes. You can
not find a better stamp of approval for the notion of White supremacy
than television. For a thinking Black person, in general, television is a no
no. Cut out television for one month and you will be surprised at what
you can get accomplished in that time. Knowing how to manage time prop-
erly is important in everyday life. When we learn how to get the most out
of our days, we will come to know a real sense of atisfaction and accom-
plishment. There are only twenty-four hours in aday. The more you begin
t0 actually do the clearer it becomes that there never is enough time to
get things done. Then you will understand the value of time.

Here are some suggestions for successful time management: de-
velop the habit of getting up early. This can be a plus. All that is needed is
analarm clockand a litle will power. Think of getting up early as gettinga
jump on the competition. When the rest of the world isjust waking, you'll
be up, cleaned, groomed, dressed and already in full motion.

Begin to make daily schedules. Think of yourself as someone with
alot to do but limited time. At night before going to bed, list all you want
to do the next day. Keep this list with you and check off things off as you
dothem during the day. Review the list at night to see what you didn't get
done. Put what you didn't do on the list for the next day.

Set short-term and long:-term goals. Goals are objectives and life:
doesn't have much purpose without them. In order to attain your goal,
you must formulate a plan. For instance, your short-term goal may be to
geta G.ED. in sixmonths. Your plan to obtain that goal would be to study
for a couple of hours a day. Beyond this, your long term goal could be to
eaman Associates Degree in two years. As your plan, you would set a pace
for your classes in that two year period of time.

Our time in prison should not be wasted. It is time in our lives.
‘Thisis the best time that we can possibly have to develop ourselves in all
ways. We're being fed, clothed and housed (in my case "warehoused").
‘There are no bils to pay, no job to go to. To gain as much knowledge,
awareness and skills as we can should be our primary objective. If the
racist system has given you a lot of time, then you should leave prison
with a college degree or several good skill. Get the best out of the situa-
tion and don't et the situation get the best out of you. This is how o "beat
the system" and walk away ahead of things. You can do all ofthis by learn-
ing how tq use time effectively.

18
Part III
Your Mental Health

Prison will destroy you mentally if you allow it to. Being in prison
can be one of the most degrading experiences in life. It seems that degra-
dation is the main purpose of prison. Dress codes, serial numbers, buzz-
ersand bels,strip searches, inadequate privacy and lists of rules too long
to remember are used as means to humniliate, tear you down and annihi-
late you psychologically.

Having a strong mind helps one to survive the rigors of prison.
‘This callsfor havinga positive mental outlookin spite of the circumstances.
Prison is a negative place. Probably some of the most negative thinking
onthe planet takes place inside of prisons. There are many broken people
in prison who suiffer from defeatism. They have failed in life because they
never really try. When they see others attemptingto make positivestrides,
they often criticize but never encourage.

Never count yourself amongst the losers. By keeping a positive
outlook you will have the advantage in any situation. It can be quite diffi-
cult, but at some point ll things face opposition. As prison can be one of
the worst possible situations there will be many obstructions to your
progress. In developing and keeping a positive mental outlook, you will
remove your first and greatest obstacle --yourself.

Having a'strong belief in yourself s vitally important. You must
believe in yourself, that you can change your condition, that you can be a
better human being. Believe that you can get out of prison and be a good
father ormother or husband or wife and be a productive part of your com-.
munity. You must believe in yourself. Hardly anyone else will.

How you see yourseif determines how you see the world and oth-
ers. Having a strong and clear mental image plays an important part in
self-development. How do you see yourself? What s your self-concept? If
your conception of yourselfisn't strong, do you at least have some notion
ofthe kind of individual you wish to become? Consider these things.

‘Thoughts are powerful. They create and give new life and can cause:
death. Never allow fear, anxiety, anger and doubt to run riot in your life
and exert rulership over you. Negative thinking will defeat you. Be.filled
with confidence and optimism that problems will be resolved to your ben-
efit. Have thoughts of patience and fortitude. Clear thinking is the best
thinking there s.

‘Worry s the most senseless use of mental energy. | have seen oth-
ers worry themselves until they become so overwhelmed that they give
up all hope. We should not worry over things we have no control over, A
pending appeal, a woman, unruly children at home, are things we
shouldn't worry about. We have to realize that what is to be will be, You
don't want to end-up dependent on some drug like Thorazine for your

19

peace of mind or having some medical problem due to worry. Save your-
selfalot of grief. Place focus on the improvement of your mind.

Knowledge is power. There s a vast difference between a learned
person and a fool. The more one comes to know the more sensible the
person will act. Education is the key. Prison will bestow the precious gt
of free time to allow you to obtain knowledge and useful skills. Sublimate
your energies toward gaining education and skills that can be used once
You are released from prison.

Reading Is fundamental. It was once a crime to teach a Black per-
son how to read. The slave holders knew that an educated Black wouldn't
make a good slave. This law still exists n its unwritten form. When you
look at the low reading levels of Black children and the general condition
of mental slavery, we find ourselves in today, it becomes obvious. Valu-
able knowledge Is contained in books. There are books written on every
subject. When you desire to know about something, find itin a book Books
can open whole new worlds. * :

Reading can be a waste of time if you don't know what to read.
Books are the plates on which mental food is served. Will you eat a nutri-
tious, well-balanced meal or wil it be Mac Donald'st Will you read a tech-
nical book or a comic book? ill you read The Destruction of Black Civil-
zation by Chancellor Williams or Iceberg Slim? Like looking at a menu,
the cholce is ours as to what we feed ourselves mentally by what we read.

Education without culture will only make an educated slave. Find
the truth of history contained in books. Historical reading is the most re-
warding and has a profound effect upon the psyche. I recall that when I
learned from reading that medicine, mathematics, bullding and the arts
and sclences had their origins in Africa (Egypy), it increased my thirst for
knowledge. After reading about t, | was able to relate it to myself. When I
finally entered college, | wasn't fooled when the White professor claimed
those advances for the Greeks.

Do a great deal of reading to cultivate your mind. Developing a
reading program will help. If you're not a good reader, then keep reading
and you will surely improve. Never be intimidated by the number of pages
in a book. Start with short books and work your way up. A steady diet of
two books a week can't help but improve you.

Your Physical Health

Prison will destroy you physically if you allow it to. It would seem
thatis Its purpose, to make you grow old, run you down, and cause you to
suffer from ill-health. Knowing some steps to take a protect your physical ,
‘being will help you get through prison.

Prison is a dirty place. Most prisons are old. Some date as far back
as the civil war period. The drab condition. of buildings overcrowding
‘makes prison a fertile environment for pests, rodents and diseases trans-
‘mitted by human contact

20
Physical cleanliness is essential. Always be clean and groomed.
‘Thisis the first step in keeping yourself healthy while in prison. Personal
cleanliness enhances self-esteem; plus, it makes a positive statement to
others about you.

Concentrate on the total cleanliness of your immediate livingen-
vironment (bed area, cell, etc) Always keep dirt and dust to a minimum.
Now!I'm sure at some point in our lives most of us have had some contact
with those "brown cousins" and prisons are full of them. But, learn to be
intolerant of roaches. If you roll over and see one crawling up the wall at
threein the morning, then get up and kill it/ long with rodents, they carry
all kinds of diseases.

Physical contactis nearly fmpossible to avoid because of the close.
proximity of others. Probably one of the first things you will realize in prison
is that everyone isn't clean. Some people are just downright funky. Be-
sides filthy habits and bad personal odors, common diseases carried by
others could range from TB to A.LD.S. Watch what you touch and never
drink or smoke after anyone. If you're in a cell with someone else, then
keep a window cracked at all times to maintain an air flow. Avoid con-
stant coughers.

Abstain from the use of cigarettes, coffee and all drugs. Those
things are bad for us health-wise. Besides that, you don't want anything
that s habit forming, something that you just "gotta’ have" the first thing
‘each morning. The use of habitual things robs us of our Independence.
We need to develop independent thinking for when we get out. Habits
stifle growth toward independence.

Food s life. Most food in prison isn't food at all but what I call
"filler”. It has no real life substance in it and is used to fill your belly and
keep you quiet and complacent. It comes canned and dehydrated, then
usually gets boiled beyond taste or fried. The meat is usually ground up
because of its infesior quality. Lots of potatoes and plenty of pork. Porkis
the worst meat for human consumption because it's full of parasites. You'll
find that because of the food people in prison suffer from many stomach
ailments. As a general rule, eat less and you will be better off.

Fresh air and sunlight is essential to life. If you have access to
movement outdoors then stay outside as much as possible, even during
the winter months. Get lots of sunshine and breath in as much fresh airas
‘you can. Also, it has been proven that the sun has a positive effect on hu-
man emotions and physical health. Physical exercise each day will keep
you in good condition and help to relieve stress. One of the best things
that we can do is stretch. Stretching keeps the body flexible. Some form
of martial art would be beneficial. Prison can be an unpredictable place.
Anything could happen, 5o it's best to keep yourself at ready.

(Getting proper restat night s important. Prison can preserve your
youthful features, because you aren't constantly on the go as free persons
are. You can walk out of prison not having aged much physically. Proper

2

rest with regular exercise and a good diet will carry you through. Always
geta good night's sleep.

Your Spiritual Health

Prison will destroy you spiritually if you allow it to. The experi-
ence ofbeing locked-up can make you bitter beyond compassionate feel-
ings for other human beings. You can easily lose what moral values you
have in prison. The prevalence of evil and vice inside prison can rob you
of your spiritual lfe if you are unaware. Man is composed of mind, body
and spirit (or soul). The three are connected and form life as we know it.
We know that mind exists because we think most of the time. We are cer-
tain of ourbodies because we see it and have the sense of touch. But what
about the spirit or soul? When we become better attuned to ourselves we
know of its existence, because we “feel” it

‘The knowledge of the existence of a spirit or soul that exists after
bodily death, to face a judgment was common to our African ancestors.
‘The Africans of Egypt were one of the first known people to promulgate
the belief in the soul and a judgment with heaven or hell as a reward for
earthly deeds. These beliefs had at some point become common to most
of humanity but was always central to African life.

Afocal point in African life was the beliefin one divine Creator of
all things. In fact, the first known purely monotheistic religion had its ori-
gins in Egypt, that which today is known as Judaism. Some African na-
tions worshipped many deities, but even then there was always one su-
preme god who stood head and shoulders above all the rest. Belief was
the essential theme of our forefathers' lives and should remain as the main
theme of ours as well. When we became so *logical” (or embittered) that
we deny the existence of our Creator and our own souls, then we have lost
touch with our natural selves and our humanity. A strong sense of belief
in the Creator will help us face life's challenges.

Constant prayer is the essence of spiritual lfe. It s man's way of
calling upon and giving praise to the one great force of all the worlds.
Whatever name we choose to call Him, be it *Allah~ or *Yahweh" or “Je-
hovah", we must know that He is even above names. He is the Most High
and He is One. Being consistent in supplication acts as a reminder and
keeps us within the bounds of upright conduct. Prayer helps us to under-
stand our relationship to our Creator and to other human beings. Prayer
s the spiritual food that nourishes the human spirit.

Charity is a means of fulflling our duties to our fellow human
beings. Lf our-Creator s one, then His creation is one as well;therefore, it
becomes our duty to actin the welfare of others, to want for others what
‘wewish for ourselves. If we desire peace, security and happiness, then we
should always extend those things to others. It s better to give than to

receive. There are blessings in giving and, when we give, we will always

2

find that we still always have enough for ourselves. A smile, a kind word,
encouragement and a helping hand are all forms of charity.

Fasting s a way of purifying ourselves. By short perlods of fasting,
we can tid our systems of toxins, develop inner-discipline and focus our
attention toward our spiritual selves. Fasting not only places us in contact
with our spiritual essence but grants us at least a momentary mastery
over the desire for food. It will lso grant us an exact understanding of the
deprivation that others in the world now suffer daily and evoke feelings of
empathy within us.

Pilgrimage is a form of spiritual migration. It is a way of transcend-
ingbeyond the cell, thefences and walls, those man-made barriers which
stand between us and physical freedom. To perform a spiritual migration
each day is to know true freedom. We all need a spiritual link to some-
thing, beit a church, temple, mosque or a distant place. It would be help-
ful to have persons in those places who pray daily for our well-being, It is
in those directions that we should place our attention and travel spiritu-
ally each day.

Each one of us has the right to belleve as we choose. Let there be
1o compulsion in matters of religion. Religion s social. Its purpose Is to
bring people together before the Creator, but most often it divides them.
On the other hand, spirituality is personal. It s how we relate to our Cre-
ator and how we live. Spirituality lies deep within.

In attempting to make this book as readable as possible, I have
sought a way around the issue of religion because I wished to address
spiritual well-being and not get into differences. It then occurred to me as
1 was writing that the reader could hold no religious beliefs whatsoever;
therefore, the subject then became unavoidable to my way of thinking. So
the remainder of this s devoted to religion purely from my perspective,
which condemns no one else.

Islam is a beautiful religion and a total way of life. The religion
transformed me and molded me into being a better human being, I sought-
out the truth for myself. 1 asked questions, read, studied and made com-
‘parisons. Never in mylife have I accepted anything without investigation.
I encourage everyone else to do the same, especially when it comes to
religion, because it s such a serious matter.

‘There are many reasons why I accepted Islam, and here are some
of them. Its scripture (the Holy Quran) was easier for me to read than the
Bible had been. The principles of the religion were simple. Islam teaches
that we are not to worship things or men and that Allah (The Creator) is
One. It places a heavy emphasis on moral and physical cleanliness with
the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and
his Sunnah (way) as the best example.

Perhaps the biggest reason why mysélf and others choose Islam
s it gives a sense of cultural identity that most Black people in this coun-
try seek. The continent of Africa is populated by Muslims, so it aligns me

”
with Africa.Islam is the largest religion on the earth. There are nearly one
billion Muslims of all nationalities and colors, and o 1 am now able to
identify with them too. Islam has restored in me a human identity.

‘The religion of Islam is the most active force in the world today. It is the
perfection of all religion, as the Holy Quran teaches. If you find yourself
locked in a spiritual battle, trying to fight against weaknesses and addic-
tions, then try Islam as a way of iving The best thing about Islam is that it
is open to be investigated and tried by anyone! Its easy principles (belief,
prayer, charity, pilgrimage and fasting) were basically expounded uponin
this book for spiritual health and well-being.

CONCLUSION

As I read over the pages of this book, I find that much has been
left out. There were things that didn't come to mind as | was writing, but
let this effort suffice. In writing this book it has been my sincere desire
thatit will help someone to better their life. No matter what the condition
or circumstance, one can live a cleaner and fuller life and become a better
‘human being. hold myself out as my best example.

Over the years, prison has changed me, but little has changed
about prison. There are the same sights, sounds and I hear the same volces.
Isee many of the same faces returning time and time again. Other faces
'have become much younger. What all the faces seem to share in common
isalack of hope written in them.

1generally have compassion for people, and so I have often pon-
dered over what I could do to motivate others. My attempts at sharing my
insights have usually encountered strong resistance on a personal level.
Writing this book has been my best answer.

We live in an era where our people are being locked-up in stag-
gering numbers. It seems as if we are all under lock and key. In this pro-
cess of genocide, we are losing our most valuable resource -- our youths.
1 reading this book makes a difference for one of us, then this humble
endeavor has been realized, and I thank Allah. I hold a strong belief in
change.

2
SUGGESTED READING

The Holy Quran, Pickthall Translation
‘Toward Understanding Islam, A.A. Maududdi

‘Blackman of the Nile, Yusef Ben jochohanan

We the Black Jews, Yusef Ben Jochohanan

Destruction of Black Civilization, Chancellor Williams
‘African Origins of Civilization, Chell Anta Diop

Stolen Legacy, Gebrge James

Nature Knows No Color Line, JA. Rogers

100 Amazing Facts About the Negro, |.A. Rogers
Developmental Psychology of the Black Child, Amos Wilson
Chains and Images of Psychological Slavery, Naim Akbar
Elijah Muhammad On American Education, Elijah Muhammad
How Not to Eat Pork, Sharazad All

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley

Roots, Alex Haley

The Spook Who Sat by the Door, Sam Greenlee

One Hundred Years of Lynchings, Ginzberg

Native Son, Richard Wright

Soledad Brother, George Jackson

Light on Yoga, Iyengar

'Home Cookin' With Mother Nature, Dick Gregory

Back to Eden, Kloos

How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
‘Success Througha Positive Mental Attitude, Napolean Hill

25
26
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