Cracks at Hotel California: Exposing the Realities of Cook County Jail (Issue 9 and older)
Web PDF • Imposed PDF• Raw TXT (OCR)
![s W " HOTEL CALIFORNIA *- E}Posns‘n—eaem.mesu:Cow.Co\xanm_ Issue #4 Rpril 2025 ‘Tom Dart: CCJ’s Great Roformer by Dare o Struggl - Chicagn: Cook Couny Jail (CCI) i icknamod Hioe Cabomi, nt only 335 signa o s ocstionon 2th and llforna bt 5 an et the arker sl facad by s o “check o gt ocked p behin s wals Wi aphorrent condions, abusive COs and immates dying o the il forii predominatly Biack and Litino male immate. i 1 G el on carth. Vet whenever CCJ comesunder e fo s hamane Condtions,ou cn be sure ther will s be s PR camplga tha ollows. Onthe hes of CCIs mast deadly Ve i ocent decades with 15 e dyng nse i 2023, Shest Tom Dt the Jals head,ha gome around st months ellingthe e ahouthow great e e Hioel Cabfomi. Dart who b Funtheja snce 2008, s Consistenty postioned imselfas a vt rlormir, wmcone whols adicllychanging CCJforthe beter: it hor.” Dat said i 2084 interview, and ] ant o ceste someting meaningfa i hs broken orldthat s gtting worseand worse Sohat my descendants can one day SN esthe ed INMATES SPEAKOUT! Letter from an innate at CCJ Dear Cracks At HotelCalifors 1 do el diespected by CC3 Tnmany vy el " gt e b vialed. The ing Condikons t CCJ ha b iumane, The it et it b B, i mic,ad ronchs. | boen o dflerend s e imats compiaaed shont s biing them. Toce S0 many ndviduals ot theeocksbecose of e they gt fom being icarcerated o CC. Dt rsquently ks about te plight of inmtes, kot e ytem it porple gt cought v i, how ’ making the il e for ol 10 hangs temiesfor the beten From e Fane 2034 tervi, I 4y he w0 ke o s ong e pentbind b it Do But i epure o CC3 showsthat Dt et reoran-ae st e hopes desgned 0 ke apologiesor 4 3 syt whote fantion i oty ok ek e ppeesd Froupsand bt them bebid b i 19yarsas hehesd of CC, Dt hus wicmaot dole s Gl ngice i iminirtion e o e nide OCJ(conditons i borman rights vietons o b the Fedshai sy nfrom 2010 2017, mishandiod the COVID-tgcabresk whic sk helives o at st 5 peaple from 0202021, e has b o the conter o many cover-ups el o ammtes i inide the o (govgle vt Plesean o Cory homer o i) 1 the winter, some el fl cold ke outsde, CCJ don’t give ber workers proper i o cean 1 kep germs down. The Shamers hive mold nd one o aught 1o threateing nfection Thewater Diviion & have e you can e the eater and even tat 1 Sometmes. | dont o e because | el ke smd e thereareno fiesprincers i the el or oude he e CCaar alwaysshot saf and the COs have 1 cros watc leving trs. anattended for 45 minuie oan hor and 3 Bl Aythincan Bappen ithinthat tme frame My celmate hat stha, what f b Hasamasthana attak? 105 hard 1 et e O stention f they mot ot I Ape a0z, was it by aspder | o0 i cornetinalofficers who st ke they de’ cae. 1 wroks tomedicl ot thy s they v v my SequestItooksmast a weck efore gt mediclattion. The nfecion staried Spading, m o started o swall e 3 Dilloon o pus e oing out. 1had & bod fevr sndcoud arelytove my ara. Oneofcr fnal took e seious Clld medicl to ke ook st my arm, i s Gl given anibiotes. Asinmates w realways vrong nthe O een Thy trat s a pekoners oo have e ond guly of the worst rimes. Wearedesinoes nd ot comacol prconers, we ar il enid o our Constinmions et CCJ b o respect forus e, They test o Bke il s “Thefood e s orrble and the commisary vy 00 prcey. 1 for s oo, 52.50-53 o har of soap.and 2 for g of chipe. 0% ofthe o they Servehere a CCJ s notedible v seen aches and gaats n ravs. | scualy hda Eratinsde o oo 1S ke e ae fored 10y heir xpensiv commsary which gl protetfom e and s The 14 months heen here been s Tiving hell. The staff have 0 respect for the amates Asyiine we complie shoutsomethig. ey el st shat o come t i o dea withi, s il o s Tonder s humans. DARE T SRS Togive peoplea “poin” o vingnside CCJ, Dt {requenity toks thee o i presest scevements forinmates ot Cook Couny:ches,sivcs. nd dogs s sheler dog program. Tuisof Recemprion,bring o heter doge p or Sdopion abe trained by inmates n rder 10 {each ht imates st ‘st From oue Vi alking 1 peole both outiaeand e 5, wehaveye 10 et sayone who s hesed of ihis program. et alone partcipsed n We i i Hand 1y blev Dart care oo aach ahout cmpathy when W COS continualy ignoe less rom st fo mecicl stenbon, demy s ik o e nd U eople . (b hle Torspeaking ot Dart ko pas t i ot gt rives st kindof proend resking efor for inmates, ke any lected ol has v eallygiven’ o sbovt theoppresed o poopl behind b Continucd on back Drp e Bogs Ctarges Agast Cadarrow Patton-White! Codareow Ptton- Wit s brenlocksd sp i Cook Couty 3 (D o ey s g maliple chargs,fnchuing s ony Like man young Blackmen bekorem. Cadwron & acing e et ofthecracked US gl syt o Fckt cops i predatory i oo Judges. Dot {o’Strule s been fhingsorgse Cudrmo and sy o derand tht the b harkes e dropped and b slowed o e v o s gy n ndiana W el o tie wllng tstand vp Seine th syt s Codarw a5 i v g Driving while Black OnNovenier 30, 2023, whie diiving through Chicag,Codarrow o & pussenger werepud vee by Chicago polc o devng with s oburcted oena e Buk b he o this gy e {inencin,Codron s i pascnger o bocked sl account o the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD)Y o et vl iop s et e than white driversforthe same e ofenses Continued on back](cracks-at-hotel-california-exposing-the-realities-of-cook-county-jail-issue-9-and-older-dare-to-struggle 9.png)
![THE SHU AND PELICAN BAY ‘The prison movement made both advances and retreats in the years following Attica. While the system was forced to make changes that respected the rights of inmates, it lso took precautionary ‘measures to try and prevent inmates from again becoming a force they had to reckon with. In the 1980s, California prison authorities began to massively expand their prison system. The so-called War on Drugs Taunched in the 705-80s created an explosion in the prison population, with Black and Latino men being targeted in police arrests and hit with long sentences for non-violent drug offenses. California was no stranger to the prison movement and uprisings, and knew very well that if too many inmates got together, they would start to rebel against the syst totry and prevent this was California prisons’long time policy of dividing and segregating inmates by race, leading to stoked racial tensions inside the prisons, butincreasingly, authorities began to use solitary confinement as a means to keep inmates divided In 1989, California opened the Pelican Bay State Prison, a so-called state of the art prison with a new kind of indefinite solitary wing known as the SHU (Security Housing Unit). The SHU was designed to hold prisoners who were determined by authorities to be members of and posed an "internal security threat” to the prison authorities. These inmates would be removed from the general population and placed in solitary for the remainder of their sentences, many in solitary for decades. Black inmates caught reading books like Soledad Brother or Blood In My Eye by Black Panther leader and prison activist George Jackson, or Latino / Chicano inmates found with drawings or symbols of Aztec warriors, would be classified as internal threats, transferred to Pelican Bay, and placed in the SHU. Thousands of inmates not only suffered from the decrepit conditions and abuse, but also the psychological torture of the SHU, having no human contact for years besides €Os who would move, restrain, or beat them. Visitors couldn’t even be in the same room as inmates. Usually having to drive hours to see their loved ones inside, families could only talk through glassto inmates for their one-hour visit, once a month Despite their solitary confinement, inmates inthe SHU devised ways to communicate with one another, through coded messages B e e e o GRS ] and passing small hand written notes between cells. After some years of planning, inmates in the SHU managed to organize a ‘hunger strike in 2011, demanding an end to their indefinite solitary confinement, and another strike in 2013, Inspired by the 1981 Irish Republican Army (IRA) hunger strikers who fought inside British prisons against conditions and violations of their rights, SHU inmates saw the tactic of a hunger strike as a way to not only bring prison authorities to meet demands but also to get more public attention on the struggle of prisoners. News of the strike spread, and inmates in other prisons began to join in, adding demands like clean faci food, and better access to books. At its peak, some 30,000 inmates across the state of California joined the 2013 hunger strike which lasted for approximately 2 months with different degrees of engagement, The strike gained national attention and put a spotlight on California’s use of solitary confinement and its poor prison conditions. The California strike inspired others to take up the struggle even after it had nded. In 2014, over 1000 mmigrants, detained by US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the notorious Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, went on a hunger strike for 56 days to protest their confinement and the horific conditions in the facility, exposing people to the struggle of migrants captured by ICE who were forced into the same conditions as inmates in the jails and prisons. In 2015, due to the struggle of prisoners, California was forced to terminate indefinite solitary confinement and greatly reduced the number of individuals in solitary as a whole. ties, better While horific conditions inside California jails and prisons persist, the hunger strike dealt a blow to the system and forced it to concede to inmates’ demands. Even under the harrowing and nearly impossible canditions of solitary, inmates were still able to organize themselves to fight back. Prisoners in Pelican Bay, who would normally be considered enemies, got together to draft an “Agreement to End Hostilities" document stating inmates would not fight each other. An outside support network helped spread the word to other prisons and raise the demand of prisoners in the streets. ‘This kind of coordinated inside- outside strategy builta broad ‘movement among different sections of society, amovement much needed and severely lacking today. ’WHAT IS TO BE DONE? Allof the above mentioned examples are really one historic continuation of the prison ‘movement. Organizations come and g0, capitulate, and can be sabotaged by the enemy. Inmates who stand up and speak out can be retaliated against. These are the realities of the struggle to change the world and fight oppression. But one thing remains certain: no one besides the ‘masses of people will make the kind of change we need. Inmates in the above examples were never begging for changes to be made, they were organized to fight against the prison authorities and the conditions they imposed. Today, we are sorely lacking the kind of organization required to deal a real blow to the mass incarceration machine. However, we are not lacking historic examples and conditions that continue to force inmates into action.](cracks-at-hotel-california-exposing-the-realities-of-cook-county-jail-issue-9-and-older-dare-to-struggle 15.png)
![The following is a letter from 25-year-old Adrian Rucker, the young man arrested “in connection” o the June 5th killing of CPD officer Krystal Rivera, with minor grammatical edits. Rivera was shot from behind by her partner, Carlos Baker, a Chicago cop with a lengthy rap sheet of complaints against him, including multiple instances of violence against women and his fellow officers. Adrian and another young man were arrested and swiftly blamed as responsible for Rivera’s murder, and despite the truth coming out revealing her partner as her Killer, the two men are sill being pinned as the reason for her Killing (though neither pulled the trigger that took her life). The following are his words and testimony from inside Cook County Jail, where he has been held since June 8th. My name is Adrian Rucker, I’m one of two people who was incarcerated for the incident that occurred on 82nd and Drexel where Officer Rivera was “accidentally” gunned down by her corrupt partner Carlos Baker, who was not even supposed to be working at the time due to being placed on a probationary leave from work! Since the incident occurred, the mayor of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department used my name along with my picture to try and int me as a bad guy and the one responsible for everything that occurred that night. ‘They used the news and press conferences to slander my image without even doing a proper investigation at first, then when they did an “investigation® and found out that one of their own, corrupt officer Carlos was responsible and lied about everything that happened, they switched their story round and tried to Iabel it a “tragic accident! " Not once did they use Carlos’ name or image on the news like they did me, they tried to keep him out the public image! In Carlos Baker’s short 4 years [at CPD] there’s been many red flags raised about him, his ability to do his job correctly, and his credibility as a person and as a police officer. Carlos Baker has been invalved in an incident where he flashed a firearm while on a date with someone, it’s said that he had been involved in a gun buyback scandal where a irearm was bought back by the Chicago Police Department but ended up on the streets of Chicago and was involved in countless shootings and was later recovered on a teenager in Chicago, and another incident that happened recently where he was caught harassing and assaulting another police officer who was out at a bar off-duty, trying to get [the bar owner] to delete the video footage (which in the court system would be a felony charge of tampering with a witness for any normal person). Not only me but countless other inmates, other people who have heard of the situation, and Officer Rivera’s family believe Carlos Baker s a corrupt officer and should be arrested, face some kind of charges, and be held accountable for what occurred and what happened to officer Rivera. It’s not fair thata cop can “accidentally” kill another cop and get a slap on the wrist because it was “in the line of duty”, but if it was the other way around, even if it was truly an accident, a regular civilian would most likely be facing life in prison! 1t’s not fair that I have to sit in Cook County Jail where a lot of us are treated poorly, fed poorly, have to sleep and live in poorly kept rooms and units where mice and rats run rampant, and bathe in showers that don’t get hot atall, while Carlos Baker the real person responsible gets to go home and sleep and eat peacefully. While I have to sit and fight 13 outrageous charges, [While they are] trying to make me suffer as Twait for my day in this corrupt court system, Carlos hasn’t had a charge or had a day in court pertaining to this incident. He’s been able to walk free while he’s harmed other female officers and other people, and has not faced any charges or consequences because he’s a police officer! He should be held accountable for his actions just like any regular person would be, no matter their career, their standing, or who they know or associate with. How can any of us trust this corrupt police department or court system to investigate their own, fact check everything, uphold the law to everyone involved, and hold their own accountable for their lies and actions, if they can’ttruthfully tell the public or Officer Rivera’s family, the people who deserve the truth more than anybody in this situation. Her family stated that they were shown an altered and edited body cam footage of the incident that took the lie of their beloved family member! Ifthey are not being truthful with the people who lost a loving mother, daughter, aunt, cousin, etc, how can we expect anything but lies and corruption from those same people, [when] they can’t be honest about what happened to one of their own! Ifeel this whole case and situation is bigger than me and I’m being used as a pavn, the fall guy, to put the blame on and take the heat for the corrupt police department and Officer Carlos Baker! [ feel as they know they made countless mistakes but won’t admit to them! The first big mistake was letting Carlos on duty when he shouldn’t have been! Not only does the Rivera family believe that if he wasn’t working she would be alive, buteveryone with knowledge of this case agrees as well! Alot of people think and feel that what Carlos did that night wasn’t right or acceptable. If he had followed protocol,a lot could have been prevented. Ifeel that there is a lot of unanswered questions, a lot of lies that haven’t but should come to light, buta lot of corruption that will unfold as well! Not only should all this happen for me but most importantly for Rivera’s family. I send my deepest condolences to her family and friends ~ Adrian](cracks-at-hotel-california-exposing-the-realities-of-cook-county-jail-issue-9-and-older-dare-to-struggle 41.png)
![The following is a letter from 25-year-old Adrian Rucker, the young man arrested “in connection” o the June 5th killing of CPD officer Krystal Rivera, with minor grammatical edits. Rivera was shot from behind by her partner, Carlos Baker, a Chicago cop with a lengthy rap sheet of complaints against him, including multiple instances of violence against women and his fellow officers. Adrian and another young man were arrested and swiftly blamed as responsible for Rivera’s murder, and despite the truth coming out revealing her partner as her Killer, the two men are sill being pinned as the reason for her Killing (though neither pulled the trigger that took her life). The following are his words and testimony from inside Cook County Jail, where he has been held since June 8th. My name is Adrian Rucker, I’m one of two people who was incarcerated for the incident that occurred on 82nd and Drexel where Officer Rivera was “accidentally” gunned down by her corrupt partner Carlos Baker, who was not even supposed to be working at the time due to being placed on a probationary leave from work! Since the incident occurred, the mayor of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department used my name along with my picture to try and int me as a bad guy and the one responsible for everything that occurred that night. ‘They used the news and press conferences to slander my image without even doing a proper investigation at first, then when they did an “investigation® and found out that one of their own, corrupt officer Carlos was responsible and lied about everything that happened, they switched their story round and tried to Iabel it a “tragic accident! " Not once did they use Carlos’ name or image on the news like they did me, they tried to keep him out the public image! In Carlos Baker’s short 4 years [at CPD] there’s been many red flags raised about him, his ability to do his job correctly, and his credibility as a person and as a police officer. Carlos Baker has been invalved in an incident where he flashed a firearm while on a date with someone, it’s said that he had been involved in a gun buyback scandal where a irearm was bought back by the Chicago Police Department but ended up on the streets of Chicago and was involved in countless shootings and was later recovered on a teenager in Chicago, and another incident that happened recently where he was caught harassing and assaulting another police officer who was out at a bar off-duty, trying to get [the bar owner] to delete the video footage (which in the court system would be a felony charge of tampering with a witness for any normal person). Not only me but countless other inmates, other people who have heard of the situation, and Officer Rivera’s family believe Carlos Baker s a corrupt officer and should be arrested, face some kind of charges, and be held accountable for what occurred and what happened to officer Rivera. It’s not fair thata cop can “accidentally” kill another cop and get a slap on the wrist because it was “in the line of duty”, but if it was the other way around, even if it was truly an accident, a regular civilian would most likely be facing life in prison! 1t’s not fair that I have to sit in Cook County Jail where a lot of us are treated poorly, fed poorly, have to sleep and live in poorly kept rooms and units where mice and rats run rampant, and bathe in showers that don’t get hot atall, while Carlos Baker the real person responsible gets to go home and sleep and eat peacefully. While I have to sit and fight 13 outrageous charges, [While they are] trying to make me suffer as Twait for my day in this corrupt court system, Carlos hasn’t had a charge or had a day in court pertaining to this incident. He’s been able to walk free while he’s harmed other female officers and other people, and has not faced any charges or consequences because he’s a police officer! He should be held accountable for his actions just like any regular person would be, no matter their career, their standing, or who they know or associate with. How can any of us trust this corrupt police department or court system to investigate their own, fact check everything, uphold the law to everyone involved, and hold their own accountable for their lies and actions, if they can’ttruthfully tell the public or Officer Rivera’s family, the people who deserve the truth more than anybody in this situation. Her family stated that they were shown an altered and edited body cam footage of the incident that took the lie of their beloved family member! Ifthey are not being truthful with the people who lost a loving mother, daughter, aunt, cousin, etc, how can we expect anything but lies and corruption from those same people, [when] they can’t be honest about what happened to one of their own! Ifeel this whole case and situation is bigger than me and I’m being used as a pavn, the fall guy, to put the blame on and take the heat for the corrupt police department and Officer Carlos Baker! [ feel as they know they made countless mistakes but won’t admit to them! The first big mistake was letting Carlos on duty when he shouldn’t have been! Not only does the Rivera family believe that if he wasn’t working she would be alive, buteveryone with knowledge of this case agrees as well! Alot of people think and feel that what Carlos did that night wasn’t right or acceptable. If he had followed protocol,a lot could have been prevented. Ifeel that there is a lot of unanswered questions, a lot of lies that haven’t but should come to light, buta lot of corruption that will unfold as well! Not only should all this happen for me but most importantly for Rivera’s family. I send my deepest condolences to her family and friends ~ Adrian](cracks-at-hotel-california-exposing-the-realities-of-cook-county-jail-issue-9-and-older-dare-to-struggle 47.png)
S [\
2 HOTBL CALIFORNIA ",
ENPOSK‘G THE REAUTIES OF Coorn County Jai
Issue #1
Nov-Dec 2024
A moifed incerview with Vickd Wil
(Aieriq Pleasant; Foundation) matber of
Altiq Pleasant, who ded i Chicago
Police custady at Cook County Jal.
The last time | spoke with my son
was July 19, 2022, and he called to
tell me he got arrested Somebody
was trying to hurt him and he called
the police. He was on State & Van
Buren where he would normally
hang outat The last time | saw him
was July 18th and it has been a
living nightmare ever since
Ididn't even know he was dead until
Mount Sinai hospital declared him
dead, they didn't even reach outto
me They, being the investigator (I
found out later that that was one of
the same officers who was actually
on the scene of the Laquan
McDonald murder), called Alteriq’s
father who's been residing in Florida
since | was 5 months pregnant And
of course he didn't have my phone
number so he reached out on
Facebook
I drove to Mt Sinai Hospital in the
early hours of August 3rd. At 3AM he
was declared dead | didn't even
know he was in the hospital at Mt
Sinai
@DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO
DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO @PROTONMAIL COM
My mother and | had been
calling up to Cook County Jail
and they never bothered to tell
us that Alteriq could have had
some kind of medical emergency
on July 21st Cook County Jail
lied and said that they did not
have my contact information |
have Al's personal possessions
and my phone number, and the
number of the lady whose
apartment he was staying in was
in his personal possessions
Anyone who knew Alteriq knew
that | was his mother, what my
social media was, what my
phone number was, that he was
asthmatic, that he was a father,
and that he was special needs
He would tell you that So for
them to tell me that they didn't
have my contact information |
knew was false
Something happened to my son
while he was with the Chicago
Police officers from July 19 at
about 1pm is when they arrested
him, that's what they say,
because he was not brought to
Cook County until the next day
with bums on parts of his body
The coroner never addressed or
explained to me why he had
bums | reached out to congress
people right? Robin Kelly: *l can't
do anything because | work at
the federal level, this is state and
city level " | reached out to
Danny Davis: "l can'tdo anything
Ms. Willis because | work at the
federal level, and this is at the
state level”
1 iled my complaint against the
police officers with COPA (Civilian
Office of police Accountability) who
never responded to me until | went
down there One white guy said,
“What do you want" | said, ‘| want
to know what happened to my son
while he was with the Chicago
Police?" He said to me, “Well he
died in the jail so we sent lllinois
State Police to investigate " So we
got police investigating police
Yeah, that makes sense | have
been calling and complaining on
Toni Preckwinckle, she doesn't do
anything
1 found out that there's been close
10370 plus individuals who have
lost their lives under mysterious
situations or circumstances in
Cook County Jailin the time my
s0n was born and went home to
God, or in the last 27 years, from
1995102022 After Al crossed
over, there are several more
deaths inside Cook County Jail
Around that time | was calling
every office and telling them, "My
son’s blood is on your hands,”
because people get paid | pay
taxes right? And in the ciy of
Chicago, we pay some of the
highest taxes in the country But
yet, you can't get any information
from anybody from anybody. The
only reason | have anything that |
have for Al is because there were.
some investigative reporters who
decided to listen to me
Continued on the back
D S S e e W S S S
I called lots of organizations, grassroots | really have been outside This is a human rights violation
organizations, for help with assistance protesting, trying to bring What happened to my son? We
People really don'twant to mess with attention to things that happen have a right to e We have a
the jail because they don't get the video to people inside of the jail The fight to be treated fairly and
footage It took the llinois State Police only reason Cook County jail equitably. My son didn't getthat
16 months to even look at the footage even responded to me is It's not just about my kid, its
and they said, “Well, we have 170 some because | was saying youall bout everybody that my son
hours to look at” | said, “I'm not asking murdered my son and bumed fepresents | want justice for Al |
you for 170 some hours I'm asking you him while he was in there They want justice for everyone like Al,
for the 36 hours of what happened to told me initially that Alhada because we all could be Al
Atteriq " heart attack He's 27 years old
How do you have a heart
attack? Then they said, “Oh
we're sorry. He died of a drug
overdose " But no drugs were
ever tested in his system For
four hours, he's laying still
Come to find out there is a
guard 510 10 feet away from
him My son was in the $100
million mental health division. It
was not overpopulated He
walked up to a guard and said
something, and me knowing Al
all my life, he would have said *1
don'tfeel well" So my son
needed medical treatment while
he was there. Thomas Dart runs
that jail, and Toni Preckwinkle
helps him run that jail
I believe all families should
speak up for their loved ones
Do not be discouraged Do not
be frightened Do not be bullied
into silence, because we all
could be a victim, every single
last one of us, regardiess of your
social class, your ethnicity, or
your religious background
That's why I'm apart of this
movement because | represent
notjust Alteriq Pleasant but 370
other souls who no longer have
avoice And if we don't speak up
and save each other, who's
going to save us?
See, people think if you get arrested,
you're scum and your family is scum
My son was there for a failure to appear
in court and he didn't make it into day
two He came there (Cook County Jail)
with blood on his clothes and nobody
there stopped to ask what happened or
give him medical treatment My son had
burns on him when | saw him They
were already two weeks old. Nobody
stopped to ook at that
My thing is people inside of jails and
prisons, they don't receive any kind of
real, true medical treatment or care
And while my son was there, Cook
County Jail, the people who work inside
that buiding, and Thomas Dart,
because he's the sheriff, he's the head
person in charge, they don' take care
of their inmates, the detainees, however
they want o frame it to make it sound
you're a terrible person My son |
nice. There are rats and roaches in never murdered anybody, he | daretostrugglechicago
You can go o ai for parking | Gend us your story about Cook |
tickets That doesn't mean
there The Environmental Protection e But he knew that | @protonmail.com f
Agency (EPA) needs to go through loved him in his Ife I'm not [
there ashamed of my boy. Support. the newsletter!
Venmo: @dtschi
Cracks At Hotel California is a newsletter that exposes the daily reality of .
torture, murder, and mistreatment inside of the Cook County jail. We
believe that the people who can best tell the truth about what's happening
are the people on the inside and their loved ones on the outside. This
newsletter is produced by Dare to Struggle, an organization committed to W
standing with the people subjected to the horrors of the American
nightmare. Send us your story. DARE Tt
DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO@PROTONMAIL COM W GDARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGD
s ©
)
- HOTEL CALIFORNIA
r
EXPOSING THE REAUTIES OF Coorn County Jai
Issue #2
Jan-Feb 2025
“Hell On Earth”: A glance inside
Cook County Jal by Dare to
Strugge - Chicago
y lay there are roughly
6000 people held in the Cook County
Jail. Despite bail reform some have been
held for more than a year, and many
have not yet been convicted of a crime.
Since October 2024, Dare to Struggle
has been going out to talk to the visiting
friends and family outside the jail
recently released inmates and some
inside. Here's some of what we've
learned:
ABUSE OF POWER
Correctional officers often raid inmates”
cells, confiscating food and other items
in the process. Some COs will look the
other way if someone s getting jumped
orinstigate conflict by locking enemies
up together i the same cell. For more
than a year, inmates have been unable to
easily get mail from their loved ones,
often being confiscated and families
having to lip the bill when things like
books don't get returned. Some COs are
Known to be brutal and abusive, taking
advantage of opportunities to physically
assault inmates.
MEDICAL NEGLECT
‘When inmates tell the correctional
officer they need medical attention, they
are assumed to be lying and are often
ignored. Inmates go weeks without
getting their prescribed medications &
inhalers causing a deterioration in their
health. Some are ignored all together,
with inmates having to deal with
infections and injuries on their own.
@DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO
DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO @PROTONMAIL COM
Inmates with purple feet or walking
around with broken jaws are not
‘uncommon. Out of the 18 people who
died inside the jail in 2023, at least
half were due to medical negl
INHUMANE CONDITIONS
Mice, rats, roaches persist inside the
cells. The jail is kept ata cold
temperature and inmates are only
provided 1 sheet & 1 blanket. With
moldy showers, sinks, and toilets,
inmates begin to get infections.
Contaminated water makes people
sick and spreads quickly. Your choice
of daily food is baloney or PB&I
sandwiches. Inmates rarely get to go
outside (if ever) and are never taken
to the recreation areas. Depending on
the division, you may only get
couple hours out of your cell a day.
EXTORTION &
MISTREATMENTS OF LOVED
ONES VISITING
Families and friends visiting their
loved ones inside are often treated
like shit, looked down upon and
made to feel like criminals
themselves. Physical touch during
visitation can be punishable by bans
from visitation. Visitors can wait up
to four hours to see their loved ones
o get turned away during their
allotted time. Families are spending
upwards of $400 a week putting
money on inmates accounts so they
can eat the food and get hygiene
products from commissary at inflated
rates. Visitors have to pay to park
during the week and are sometimes
ticketed while waiting for visitation.
COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT
When an inmate “breaks the rules” or
if two inmates get into a fight,
everyone gets punished. “Privileges”
ke tablets (devices primarily used
ito communicate with the outside) or
the shared microwave (the only way
people can eat food from
commissary) are typically revoked for
everyone in the division, and
sometimes other divisions as well
Lockdown can be used for weeks,
where inmates only get an hour out
of their cell a day. These kinds of
punishments only create tension and
build animosity between inmates.
The only way to permanently end
this inhumane treatment at Cook
County s for people on the inside
and outside to stand together and
demand it. Dare to Struggle s going
10 the people ou of the jail on the
regular, collecting these stories,
building contacts with family
‘members, distributing our
newsletter, and organizing people to
stand up these every day injustices!
Hit us up to get involved!
My son was arrested June 2023 on
an attempted murder. They arrested
him and put him in general
population, and that's where the
harassment began. The inmates pick
a fight with everybody that's coming
in new, and when you complain
about it the jail's response is, "Well
it's jail”. He was sent to Super Max
Division 9, which everybody says
that's the worst division ever. There
were stories about people getting
attacked, getting beat up, held for
ransom. And he experienced all those
things. My son's not in a gang so
when they find out you're alone, the
harassment gets worse. So one fime
he defended himself and fought back,
and that's when he got jumped in the
bathroom and they broke his jaw.
He would call me maybe once a day
and I didn't receive a phone call for
about aweek. I grew very worried
and concerned so I1ooked online and
found out he was in the hospital. So T
went down to the hospital and it
turns out they didn't have surgery for
his jaw. It took about another week.
He'told me a horror story of when he
went to the hospital wing, there were
a couple of guys who'd be walking
around with their jaws hanging off
their face. They had gotten into a
fight and their surgery wasn't
scheduled until weeks away. I
couldn't believeit. Contiue o back
‘We are just trying to get him home. The
lawyer situation is that they don't really
want to work until they get paid in full, so
they will drag out the case. Every time we
£010 court the lawyer says he never got the
paperwork and the state says they sent it.
Every court date. I know my lawyer is
stalling to get paid. I wish I got a public
defender, but then when you get the public
defender you wonder should I have gotten a
regular lawyer. Both are a waste. The
evidence takes forever to come back. It took
usa whole year to get a video tape of
someone supposedly walking in and out of
a red center. Which to meis totally
ridiculous.
He's been in there for over a year and they
still haven't found any evidence against my
son. The police towed my car and took the
radio out, saying their was GPS that showed
where my car was during the time of the
shooting. There was nothing found on the
‘GPS. The dusted for gunshot residue, there
was none. There was no bullet casings and
there was no gun. To me, there's no
evidence. They said my car was in the area
of the shooting, which we live in the area of
the shooting 50 of course my car would be
in the area. But the lawyer is trying to tell
‘me that that is damaging to his case, which
isridiculous because i’ all circumstantial.
He's trying to get my son to take a plea deal.
It'sa lesser sentence, reckless
endangerment with a firearm, which carries
41030 years and you can do 4 at 50%, s0
he would do atleast 6 more months. But it
would still be a felony on his name instead
of them dropping the charges because there
is no evidence. We feel like the lawyer is
working with the state to convict him.
‘The other guys in there will say if they offer
you less than 5, take it. Because to try to go
to trial and fight it that can take up to 5
years. So they make it not to your benefit to
even fight it, you will want to go with a
lesser charge. And if he tries to fight the
attempted murder charge and loses, his life
is over. Its really unfair. Its alose, lose
situation.
Hopefully he will come home soon, but his
‘mood is up and down. He gets depressed
about being in jail, about the conditions,
and being without his freedom. They just
don'tsupply them with the correct things.
‘When he first went in, he didn't have socks,
His feet were black from the shoes he had
there. They didn't give him underwear. If
you don'tbuy these things, you don't get
them, like toothpaste, toothbrush, t-shirt
‘Then it gets really cold in there.
Ifyou don't have someone who
Toves you on the outside sending
you money then you really suffer.
Then the mail. I try to keep his
spirits up and get him some books
he would like. T have sent
books,directly from Amazon, that
have been confiscated. They don't
even return them to me. They will
give my son a slip of paper saying
they suspect drugs contaminating.
the paper. If the jail suspects the
books have drugs on them, why
don't the call me or investigate me
orsay something to me? Any time
there is a good book I send him, it
disappears. That's all they have in
there. And it's just unfortunate
they take away the last source of
entertainment. They will return
pictures we send to him, saying
they think they are contaminated,
but won't return the books. It's
totally unfair. And it gets
expensive.
He had his own apartment, his
own car, nice things; he lost all of
that. When he gets depressed, I
can hearit in his voice and Itry to
give him alittle pep talk. We come
0 visit him every weekend but it's
hard. They always say, the county
jailis the worst of the worst.
Crook County's Finest: CCJ CO
Regiald Roberson, who beat
inmate using handcuffs, wants to
return to work, by DtS - Chi
On December 29, 2021, video
footage captured the moments 29-
vear old Jamiah Stuckey was
brutally beaten by Correctional
Officer Reginald Roberson inside
the Cook County Jail intake room.
Stuckey was asking for a medical
evaluation before he was beaten.
Roberson punched and shoved
Stuckey back into the cell. Stuckey
can be seen putting his hands up
to surrender. Roberson proceeds
toslide his handeuffs over his fist
touse as a weapon and continues
to beat Stuckey until other COs
join in to detain the defenseless
Stuckey. As a result, Stuckey had
deep cuts along his face and head,
requiring stitches,
Roberson was relieved of his duties
and was later charged with
aggravated battery and official
‘misconduct. On November 22nd
2024, Roberson was found NOT
GUILTY in a bench trial. Both
Stuckey and Roberson testified. The
judge sided with Roberson claiming
self-defense and accused Stuckey of
fabrication. Roberson, now a free
man, wants to return to his job at
Cook County Jail.
‘While Roberson’s reinstatement
remains to be seen, he represents
the typical attitude toward law
enforcement: Always “above the
law”, their lives elevated to
superhuman status, while poor and
oppressed people on the inside are
deemed subhuman. This can be
seen not only in their living.
conditions, mistreatement, and
abuse at the hands of COs, but also
when they go in front of a judge to
plead their case, while abusive
‘guards get off with no consequence.
However, Roberson is the exception.
In the course of our social
investigation at the jail, we have
heard a number of stories of abusive
©0s who beat inmates with
impunity. They are cunning and
tactical, taking note of blind spots in
the jail 50 they can't be seen on
cameras. They had to make an
example out of Roberson, to keep up
theillusion that all abusive guards
are dealtwith by the jail.
‘The only way to stop abuse by COs
is to get onganized to end it. No
amount of watch dog groups or
oversight agencies will stop it. Mass
resistance, on the inside and
outside, will
Ifyou or your loved ones have been
abused, assaulted, or mistreated by
Correctional Officers at Cook
County Jail, we want to know about
it Hit us up and share you story.
Leave us a voicemail at
312-612-0258. Send us an email at
Garetostrugglechicago@protonmail.
com
e e e e S S
L i S e e S AP SIS S VY
Antwand on Collective Punishment. People inside be doing everything They have been giving people a
Ifthere's afighton the deck and they ~ €15¢ in there. That's why everything lttle more time out because
apprehend the two people on the deck, £1°¢ 18 80ing on, like smoking, people have been killing
put the entire deck on lockdown because s g lock us up in the cells. When
of a iy ey will remove the two to do. Just walking around the ‘you have cells like that, we are
o et ot deck g deckall day. TV brely work. Some Supposed to have callbttons
T e divisions they have games. But on the cells so we can always
punish everyone. I don't think that's fair.
‘That causes tension on the deck. So now
we on lockdown, some people was
there really no activities. And then call and officer or medical staff
they barely give you enough toget and let them know what's going
o lockdown, some peopleas by inthere, locking people down, on, if we are having a problem
i itnow o take it out on each other, steal Evenif our cellic is beating us
lock s down? So now that cReates 0T from each other, and all type of or finna kill us. We don't have
e o et else Shit T really think something necds —callbuttons i Division o, and
‘ppet 4 to change. that type shit happens.
happen, because everybody mad. Then
they come and they take away the games.
If even one person does something, they
punish everyone. I don't think that's
right
They put us on lockdown for a day,
couple days, a week, couple weeks. Some
times they will do half and half, where
the top deck gets out for three hours,
then the bottom. But we also got nothing
to do. They give us tablets where we can
Alot of people turn a blind eye
to how t0 officers treat us. They
don't know or understand a lot
of people in here are doing this
psych shit. Hanging themselve:
trying to overdose, cutting
themselves because the officers
be playing mind games with
motherfuckers. For instance, I
justlost my grandma. It's very
2o o and watch movies, make calls, play Fred, inmate for 13 years, taks hard to figure out how your
ames, can certificates too. Butthat's conditions, SAFTEY ACT, and goingtoset up funeral
nly fwe get them becawse sometimes opn T T " arrangements to see your
they will put us o tablet restriction Vikaton o rights, people Itsveryhardfoeven
where we can'tuse the tablets. Like if My name Fredsick. I'e been get avisit. The way they doing i
they be treating us like we have
been found guilty already. Our
people have to give up their
names, ID's, emails, they want
the smallest details of our
families so if something goes
wrong, we won'tever be able to
see our family again. Like every
time they sign up for a visit
they'll deny you or say
something wrong.
there's a fight, they punish the whole Jocked up 13 years now. 12 of
deck for other people’s problems. They them have been in Cook County.
will take away the tablets or they will take - A fur s conditions, this place
away the microwave. And Ithink that’s alyays been fucked up. There's
real unfair because we g0 10 COMMISSATY alyways big ass roaches, rats, mice.
tobuy food the requires amicrowave. 50 e got alltype of pests n here.
if there’s a fight or somebody get caught The food they giving us here is
smoking, you shouldn't take away the nowhere near enough, let alone
microvave for 30 d«m? b"efau»‘f !:ow e, nutritious. We only get halfthe
eating our commissary? You can't cook it food we are supposed to, Other
Idon tink everyone shouldsufe ke divisons wil gt things ke it
cups, apples, oranges, DIVIsion 9 They playing with our mail,
gets none of that. I don'tdrink they taking it for no reason. If
And then they have gym rooms they the food here because it made me they suspeet something, they
Perbetsall oo t e theyomgpe Sk All Latisbread and from ke i, and a ot of imes they
asketball or g0 to the gym. they mi commissary, Teatoatmeal. We oot sven tell you Thic I
take you outside, sometimes, depending cupoced to have people, cooks, o ey o1 tellyou. This lady
on your division. Butallthat stuffthey — comingin o conk ot food,not. S e leter Thaventt
et money forlike the gym they don't et other inmates. They don't even e hooks | never recéived. |
us use it They just use them for 200m have the proper products to Tavens gotten ayellow form
cout, sanitize the things theyusingto Lo £011€0 X OO
Wealready don't havea lot, They will 00K e only get two bars of Amazon or why they sentit
ealready don't have a lot. They wil soap, no shampoo or conditioner, baci They been doing this
come through ike every week orevery hotling o takecareof owrhalr, | oo ey o o
other weekand do ashakedown where Everything when it comestoour e (NP
they take everything extra you got, food, pygiene is null and void when it
sheets, tissue. It don't be right. Then e comes to Cook County. They
don't be getting a sheet exchange, W might have it in Division 11 0r 5,
should be getting one every week Their byt Division o doesn'tget it
rules T just don't agree with.
in 2020. They just taking my
mail. 1 don't know if it's because
of what going on around the jail
or targeting me personally. But
they doittoa lot of people.
B e . G S W
D ame o
‘The things people are donating to the jail
like decks of cards, oatmeal, shampoos they
are selling at the commissary. Things at
Stateville they be giving out for free, like a
small shampoo packet, they are making us
pay 80 cents. This place crazy man. There's
10 way for us to do anything because our
grievance process also have to go through
them. And once our grievances reach a
certain higher up, they'll say “we'll look into
it." Then no reply. We appeal i, they write
back saying “response sent”. So their is
nothing we can do with the process on the
inside. We need people on the outside to
Start raising complaints.
I'm probably one of the last ones here that's
been going for this long fighting my case.
Mostly other people have been in here 4 or 5
years, some 7 years, that haven't been to
rial It takes years for them to go to trial.
‘They don't follow the protocols where your
discovery is supposed to be closed within 12
1018 months. And then they supposed to
have a certain amount of time before they
take you to trial. They really violating
everyone's speedy trial rights. And when it
comes to you speaking up for yourself, ey
really try to deter you. They got all pover
over us and can't be violated for the things
they do to us. They don't be held responsible
for violating our rights, they constantly
violating us. It's going to take a lot of people
standing together and do something about
it.
‘The SAEFTY Actis supposed to be
something to keep these people out of the
situation I'm in. You being incarcerated for
over the amount of time you're supposed to
be in jail or held without bond, and no cash
bail anymore soit's supposed to alleviate
that and give people room to come home
and fight their case from the world and be
active in it. It was suppose to make people
who haven't been found guilty able to live
theirlife. It depends on the severity of your
case, the evidence against you, and the
safety of the people around you. They have
90 days to figure this out or they are
supposed to release you with stipulations
because you're innocent until proven guilty
not guilty until innocent.
Therefore them just denying you
SAFETY Act is saying we just denied
you bonding out with cash. So
everyone they say "we don't feel like
you are a proper member of society,
e just gonna hold you. You just got
tosit here and wait " You just stuck
in jail now. You wasting away. Now
allittakes is for someone who's not
trying go home to do something to
you, and you do something to them,
‘and catch a cast
T've been in jail all this time and still
haven't been found guilty. I haven't
caught any new cases. They find
some stipulations to not put me on
house arrest. I've applied for three
SAFETY Acts, all been denied. I got
Some fighting tickets but peaple be
getting killed or jumped on, and
there's nothing you can o to avoid
defending yourself n this place.
Either you're going to be prey or
you're going to defend yourself. The
‘way they're forcing people to live in
here, you don't have no choice. They
even taking away the lttle things like
playing chess and checkers. They not
even letting people get books. This
system is making people los
themselves and lose they
ol gt § T Famies
Demend DIGNITY & RESPECT
Inside Cook County Ja!
1. We demand the right to a fair and
speedy trial. Many inmates have been
inside Cook County Jail for years without
being found guilty of a rime. Many
inmates are pressured into taking plea
deals because of this. Due to the.
conditions of the jail, some people will
catch more charges while inside waiting.
for their day in court.
2. We demand decent meals fit for
human beings, everyday, for every
prisoner. We demand clean drinking
water free of contaminates which make
inmates sick.
Cracks At Hotel California is a newsletter that exposes the daily
reality of torture, murder, and mistreatment inside of the Cook County
Jail. We believe that the people who can best tell the truth about what's
‘happening are the people on the inside and their loved ones on the
outside. This newsletter is produced by Dare to Struggle, an
organization committed to standing with the people subjected to the
horrors of the American nightmare. Send us your story...
DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO @PROTONMAIL COM
3. We demand adequate access to
‘our loved ones inside and outside of
nd to the
eriminalization of visitors. We also
demand an end to the confiscation
of mail sent to inmates under the
false guise of safety. Withholding
letters & denying visitation is a form
of psychological torture.
4. We demand the jail llow
industries o enter the institutions.
and employ inmates. Many families
are extorted by the jal to provide
fortheir loved ones on the inside
and e driven to the brink of
bankruptey. Inmates should be able
to provide for themselves and their
families
5. We demand adequate medical
Staffand change in medical policy
The jail i prejudiced inits's
treatment of inmates and often
denies med; forthose in
need. There are often numerous
“mistakes” made many times; the
denial of medication and improper
‘medication administered.
6. We demand regular use of the
recreational facilti
outside. We.
educational activities inside the jail
that stimulate the mind.
7. We demand an end to collective
punishment, Inmates should not be
denied “privileges" ike use of the
‘microwave or be placed on
lockdown for days o weeks because
of a rules violation. Collective
punishment only creates more.
tension.
8. We demand clean and decent
living spaces inside the jail. Inmates
are denied sufficient dléaning
supplies so they can properly
upkeep their cells. Common areas,
especally the showers, are not
properly and regularly cleaned.
There are units that get too cold at
night where inmates are only
provided one thin blanket for
warmth. Some showers are scalding
hot and ean't be used.
Join the campaign to fight for
these demands and more. Tell
your friends, tell your family.
Get organized and fight back.
i »
v
DARE 1o
GTRUCGLE oo
m\g‘ W
K
HOTEL CALIFORNIA *-
ExPOSING THE REALMES OF Coow Countv Jai
lssue #3
March 2025
honor of Internaions Women's Dy
(Qiarch 81k, Dar o St b
e o dedlicat this e of
Crack tothe women afected by Cook
Couny i OC)howses roughy 250
o inmote,hoveing round 3%
ol the ol mate popoltion. This
il fsture hensews rom.
omen nsde and e e,
Tihlghing tht conditions and
siruges we do o ofhen hear sbout.
Furthermase, CC negaively aflects
thousands more women outde he
Conlne of sl the mohers,
Siter, whve,ieliends of
{omatcs themsudves They are
esamentio Womens elenc and
izt holdin it down n the
e afmmease pessres.
Overthe it 6 months,Dare o
Stugale has hd aconssent
presnce otside th . taling o
the peopleviitin theroved ones
The'vas majory of these vistor are
wonen,many carng (o chdren
il they head Inside Cook County
Aswe propared o publsh e 3,
o ke women o ey e
poriuiry mpaced by ie il and
g theieloved ones taken fom
them. Here e some things we heard.
A Woman lsid the Wals of CCJ
oo boen in ook Countyfor 7
mhebefore tht 1 wasin il in
Florka for s and 3 haf morthe T
uman rafhcke o lord nd had
brekemy bond becaus of it he
s, When T wousd 1 injad down
e v et bck p 0
Chicugo My e n Floda was
ot compared to . Thi s he
Fyassupposed togodirectytoan
inpation DDT progrsm o ravms
Yo ko wih o of e thinge tht
Bappened 0 e, Ruman
ek, destwith deprecion and
rauma,but e fodge remandod e
ere (CCI) vrses ting mo oo
ratment, sating v dangerous.
Dusing y timei Flora, | roeived
nomedieptotment o ey heath
ad deterorted rmeeay | cannot
‘walkwithout & mobily i amyore
Fae i beter comdition befoe 1 ot
i i, ued 0 un il dey
and eerciee, o can't vk withost
ane o vk, was h severely
nderveight. The program woukd
v hlped e v il &
pevcholgical treament, butyou
v CC) et pid 0 ke people
henes00f courte hey woukdwant 0
actrid of somthing e bondsor
Tty of us k' ven b ere.
Proftingfrom misery s w notd n e
2. peopl mpportng hie oved anes i the
i e high e ofexpltation o the i
ek From puting ey on i oved oo
ook for commiaay 0 phanecalk,we have
heard pople speding more than 81000 morl
ot gt i oo ones s nceasin, Back
and Lot wommen (o sre sl rlegted o
Some o he worstpaying obs ou sciy has
) ar o 5wk morea o onasen of
{hi: peking up more bours at workor g
Secon job,no cly for e o sarvval
o mointeanee o e v ones e, b
ofentims 1o mpportchildrn o other
Gependepts a e, ~Wht et the o the
ok ffcts s cut e~ e il of s st
T0ld . "Someines s commisary gts ke by
e mate,and bo et t bck S Ihave
oot p more money. That e pping th bl
s Sl torieof etotion e becn
rovgh up,one i partcularof mother whose
s el by inate 0 ge i ol 0
ot the il s the one st ends p o t0p
prfiing fom thecatio itstion i e
Women whoare siugging 1 peovide vind p at
e boiom, Theee e women e dlso expoied
by he s nd cort,wha dra ot ases
e o poent i e o ecp e
moving, dangling e oved ones
ekcni fradom shovethe hoads ke caro
ey
Childcare: manyof the viskorsa CCJ axe
hldren v thee ks s Mothers see
sl the anes ingin e n o the i
some aving 0 bundle 0 4 young chidrn it
{ime. Moy fumibes want el Kid o v s i
important onebebesca fache and (30
conficing Uhoughs L do want my aby 0 s0¢
i ke this he mothr of s e 0 1
ot astho et b e, Thcan bea
T o work oo, bringing ik
b Fomthe COx ecats o my rhigion |
e orced opray n the behoom by uaeds. |
rought my ot sy of fod thee 01
ol and i the he ey don replace
3 went 7 dya withoot cating nd e up
i ou onthe cellfor T have been ey
sl tvic by COs sace 1€ bec here |
i ben mude o aroa on sl becuse
Tvebee ocked in 3 i clwithouta
whekchiir and can walk o ihe ot When |
sk the COs o helpthey s I bt b
o5 o whedhat o cd e ich
vy ek ey raid o ey ook o
e, How moukd e et contaband i we dont.
e ourtiers They willconfiocate evenhing
ey do i o s ot e he s,
Thereisno repecat I umelivabie how
mich sbase e areander by e COn
DARE T
SRS
g
Bven those o wouldprfe 10 leav thei Kid st
o when visting CCJ, many o have the
sy hidcars 4 v bing thort
gy Dependin onthe cheduled i for
Sikatin,chdrensomctimesar pulledoutof
ol aryloseste athasorkovel ons
i (sl secompanied by other or
arandmther who tmeties b 0 ke off work
oy el Wi deays oo 4 houes nside the
ting oom, chldren can paly gt restes nd
i can £l vishation sy, 114 il
i he CO8 decle
oWk e family out The Ttercy oo’ n the
1o Diviion o with oy and bocks for
Chikirn.is clhen dt: Ooe mother eplained (o
s how sh docstwant Herchl paing s G
ok oo b e s cam gt a1k o .
initaion: e bave e plntyofpple (ary
e, grdmothers wives and niends
oo wihchidren)befomed vy e ates
rving s her oved s The e il
hem s o xeuse: they idn 8 out the
Vikation orm carecl heyolate,the il
o Havs th 1 20 ey o it oy, et
Continacd on back
e wormiswing, where | am i Protective
Cotady, e cans et o progrumesothe
Prograis hav 1 come o 4. which Bt
e women n general have vyl th th s
e ofprozaam. The san ot together and
e propeals or hing hey wan,the women
Can 5t gt e i, oty e of
et and inghg twcen (e s
ey
CC3 i men's il through and through.Wehave
ooy s cahing nd producs through
comriasry The el b e uambers o b
{opethe o gt rograms, asc,and 1o enores
heirighia. Fofwarmen s o citng e
el can cusly ply v, ddingwe rther
Yo ll more of u svionl g fo s e we
i outou it o eachaher
As 4 woman in CC, wake up everyday woried
ot about my gy & persom bt 1 4
man. Am 10 fom sk o the hands of
Ttk girds? Do have scces o e
g poducts oay? Hove many e v
e Daeh'?
Time € hours ong, the v (0
lesve oot work o e
ing heie
anceshave an
Immensely damaging sl b
o the s s the
ot being able 0 se one anaber
Notker,gliends, and hidre,
can b seen i eae e hese
{stancs. e know ht this
isaton sysem it how s
s bee, Fornsanc, duriog
‘COVID, people it have to i
up o 4 speciic e, Theycouk
Juthow up.This i ome o the
most xreslous polces CCJ hlds
over amses and hee loved nes.
Submissonfrom a Fansgener
former inate at CCJ
Wil vas inpoice custody inconk
countythore s gy whol ik
s irawing and waswreching
nd Voo fo hous o cnd ad
the O rofse 10ge im e, hey
i even care. M and the ther
peopleheld i her thovght he was
Eing o i
Ao, 1 ama trans worman and they
il themen. Tho uards
{rane i ot ofoherprisoner they
miliaed me il searches and
in shoat e bein trane i frost
oflrge groups o pisoners They
e maling ocking “Decs
ki shout . My fiend whorea n
ith me eard them making fnof
mo whie hey did aperwork. Things
T don cen Knw what o pat
fort, man or woman oh e and
Taughing dboutit.
Theyssodid nt fed e fora prty
extended periedof me more than
3o houes) nd o, they hekd me
ik, ceparat il ence cage by
myself bt wih that, Thad 13k
permiscionto b e ut o he cae o
Ento the bathroom or g waer. and
When T acked shot thi, the CO's tid
iy 'k someonsahout that
and then neve head bk, My food
e el mot w10t
terand ot allowed tgoto th
Tathroom when neded. The CO's
e st et hat ey
o po e il th
“henerer they wanted ¢ some ot
o porshenen o 1 sear .
DRAW OR
MAKE ART?
Holp us by malking art rolated to
your experience at CCJ. Mail or
‘email submissions to be ncluded
Send us your story about. g
Cook County Jail
Emaiusat
daretostrugglechicago
@protonmail.com
Write to PO Box #2508,
Chicago I 60625
When sking women abou theimpactthe il s had
o them,young mother stins he boyrend
el ha heprotiems of women t CJ e
rested st 4 on-ewe,respanses o complints
o chalun ad the CO dregardthem The
Sommon eply whon (i compli ahot
i ot the ey s s, he partiular
fxeues acimg women s a0 ot the wayi e Bt i
ot the vy a1 e, e have s heard many
loris of efanc (o thoe o, motherewho
Snuck i i ood 1 i ther ove anesor caling
Stention o her mistrestmen, amphasiing hek
nmanity: Women wh i ther wice 10 i COF
agaiet njutic, unaied 10 peak i 0 power,
realessof the rpercussions Thse same woren
vl hope o he oved anes s, conchingthem
o ey potive and focused n thei e svation.
Inmate's Maother Tks COVID a CCJ
Toeds the e of Janaary, | b heard rom
o daughtor for severd v When ch il
e, e s e hd ested postiefor
(COVID1, s thare why 't s from b
She s h was ot oo, handeutfed by ber
nkie o e, 0 it o hower, o phane for
e daye, ad she was i Uit roors it
Comebody e the heycim had e testod
posiive or COVID, S asked her, Well ahen you
R e the bathraom, what did you do? She
i she e towork o & hospia, 0 she taidshe
o how 0 breasth bed dowe, 0o semething 0
he e and ke th b move 0 tht he could
ragit it e ankles o he door o kock and It
‘Smchody kv ha she i e the bthroon
Thacs S0 mmane. ou woukin even ot a dog
i ther
My daughtc s pre-xistng besth condiions,s0
ifthey vabbed her mose an said she bas coi,
ey shorid have ake et p o the enegency
oom becase s has preeiting condtionsind
Thar eoblen. Even hogh t vascoid,thes
Should have ke her ot s what v i
on, becatss she'sprone o aing d f e
i and it arhing i here it was et or
anything, she couldhave die. That s something.
Ut bothercd me. At the endof thedav she st
cen found gty The COs should sl have 0
et her g oher inates e hrran beings.
Yo slad that. vou know, L ran o you. T ki of
ad about it becase tings do ned tobe
xposed because imatesare sill uman beings.
et sl e st nd e
Inmates Mother Taks CO Abuse
Myson'fcinga e chrge He ot locked
upt Gl 0 v imediaeh moved 10
‘Conk County st September. H's neer been
i sttion ke thi Someone was coming st
i, and he defended himsel Th person.
anfortunatl, ot e e, s A5t
into s stustion Now. s kpow, 3 costng
30 arand for s lawyer, and then e o wory
ot i sty ntére when 1 shoukd ave
oy sbou i tiety,you
In Dare o Strugale,wo sk o barmes s
define ntooranized. mass restanee o he
polcie and condiions people ace nsdo
Sutside Cook County . Oy throuh this will
e peopl be ot jusiceforthei loved ones
Tt e condions.Only trough S kind
of estance il women b shie 1ot the weght
i syt o thei ck e and for s
Dare to Strugale is committed to standing.
with all those who are fcing Coolk County
Jail and stand up sgins it We seck to
rganize people inaide and out against
s injustices, turning this strength and
determination of hese women against the
System. 1 you aresick and tired of CCJ, hit
Anditscars the hell outof me because have
Send;kow, ad whos son, maybe,
ke v vears a, he s n the couny, .
e il it o e wasbeaten,
nd hat cares me i e time beceuse no e
Sopped . s otherthe COS that dd Hor
oy Tttt Happen o him.
Sy soa tellsmetht the CO s dont koow
et g on i he mindsof Bmate g
Toligh he cses. Ty come o the il
Takeout theit caéson the inmates, and then
Vonder ey Some of the nmses snaps Yo e
talking o them any ypeof way, 3 youre
oingal thesethingsand verbaly and
mentallyabosng (o unnecssariy and
T vou wonder why they saap o he fiht
ondtheydo l hese hings when ey aivesdy
Favealot going on'inthei minds, 15 ke the
Cx don' have any sontrol ovasid, o they
come o the il and abuse thee authory
S st not gt
My son's an arist, and e expreses iselfin
it vy, He 1ld o ek et by the
O and o he drw atarget onthe bck fhis
niform o represet that e s hat
terard he 20 itoit wih o of the COs
and ot twovte-ups. He vas intally In
Divion', andthe moved i Diison 11
for o resion. 1 ik ey punished him o
. He sa divison 1 s ven
cels argted 17y o keephis
Bopes p bt s had. Boks dont et nand
s e bestway o st the rsn.
My 08, he's my oy son anc my kdest. | aly
ave o children, and £ ey heribresking
hat he's inthis shuabon T bothers me i the
time. T o il whthhim (pysiai, bt |
fecike T o vith b 1 rusraing
Bt bolev n igher power and blcse my
sonwil b vindcaied.
e loved ones o the outside. This nowsi
(Cracks AtHotel Calforna s newsleter hat exposes the daily realiy of orture,
urdor, and mistreatment nside of the Gook Gouaty il We belie
‘who can besttell the truth about whats happening re ke peopie on th inside and
hat
people
fx s produced by Dare o Swugale. an
organization commited o standing i the people subjected 1o e horrors o e
‘American nightmare. Send us your story.
s W
" HOTEL CALIFORNIA *-
E}Posns‘n—eaem.mesu:Cow.Co\xanm_
Issue #4
Rpril 2025
‘Tom Dart: CCJ's Great Roformer
by Dare o Struggl - Chicagn:
Cook Couny Jail (CCI) i icknamod
Hioe Cabomi, nt only 335
signa o s ocstionon 2th and
llforna bt 5 an et the arker
sl facad by s o “check
o gt ocked p behin s wals
Wi aphorrent condions, abusive
COs and immates dying o the il
forii predominatly Biack and
Litino male immate. i 1 G
el on carth. Vet whenever CCJ
comesunder e fo s hamane
Condtions,ou cn be sure ther will
s be s PR camplga tha ollows.
Onthe hes of CCIs mast deadly
Ve i ocent decades with 15
e dyng nse i 2023, Shest
Tom Dt the Jals head,ha gome
around st months ellingthe
e ahouthow great e e
Hioel Cabfomi. Dart who b
Funtheja snce 2008, s
Consistenty postioned imselfas a
vt rlormir, wmcone whols
adicllychanging CCJforthe beter:
it hor.” Dat said i 2084
interview, and ] ant o ceste
someting meaningfa i hs broken
orldthat s gtting worseand worse
Sohat my descendants can one day
SN esthe ed
INMATES SPEAKOUT!
Letter from an innate at CCJ
Dear Cracks At HotelCalifors 1 do el
diespected by CC3 Tnmany vy el
" gt e b vialed. The ing
Condikons t CCJ ha b iumane,
The it et it b B, i
mic,ad ronchs. | boen o dflerend
s e imats compiaaed shont
s biing them. Toce S0 many
ndviduals ot theeocksbecose of e
they gt fom being icarcerated o CC.
Dt rsquently ks about te plight of inmtes,
kot e ytem it porple gt cought v
i, how ' making the il e for ol
10 hangs temiesfor the beten From e
Fane 2034 tervi, I 4y he w0 ke
o s ong e pentbind b it
Do But i epure o CC3 showsthat Dt
et reoran-ae st e hopes desgned 0
ke apologiesor 4 3 syt whote fantion i
oty ok ek e ppeesd
Froupsand bt them bebid b
i 19yarsas hehesd of CC, Dt hus
wicmaot dole s Gl ngice i
iminirtion e o e nide OCJ(conditons
i borman rights vietons o b the Fedshai
sy nfrom 2010 2017, mishandiod the
COVID-tgcabresk whic sk helives o at st
5 peaple from 0202021, e has b o the
conter o many cover-ups el o ammtes
i inide the o (govgle vt Plesean o
Cory homer o i)
1 the winter, some el fl cold ke
outsde, CCJ don't give ber workers proper
i o cean 1 kep germs down. The
Shamers hive mold nd one o aught
1o threateing nfection Thewater
Diviion & have e you can e the
eater and even tat 1 Sometmes. | dont
o e because | el ke smd e
thereareno fiesprincers i the el or
oude he e
CCaar alwaysshot saf and the COs
have 1 cros watc leving trs.
anattended for 45 minuie oan hor and 3
Bl Aythincan Bappen ithinthat tme
frame My celmate hat stha, what f b
Hasamasthana attak? 105 hard 1 et e
O stention f they mot ot
I Ape a0z, was it by aspder |
o0 i cornetinalofficers who st
ke they de' cae. 1 wroks tomedicl
ot thy s they v v my
SequestItooksmast a weck efore gt
mediclattion. The nfecion staried
Spading, m o started o swall e 3
Dilloon o pus e oing out. 1had &
bod fevr sndcoud arelytove my ara.
Oneofcr fnal took e seious
Clld medicl to ke ook st my arm,
i s Gl given anibiotes.
Asinmates w realways vrong nthe
O een Thy trat s a pekoners
oo have e ond guly of the worst
rimes. Wearedesinoes nd ot comacol
prconers, we ar il enid o our
Constinmions et CCJ b o respect
forus e, They test o Bke il
s
“Thefood e s orrble and the
commisary vy 00 prcey. 1 for s
oo, 52.50-53 o har of soap.and 2
for g of chipe. 0% ofthe o they
Servehere a CCJ s notedible v seen
aches and gaats n ravs. | scualy hda
Eratinsde o oo 1S ke e ae fored
10y heir xpensiv commsary which
gl protetfom e and s
The 14 months heen here been s
Tiving hell.
The staff have 0 respect for the amates
Asyiine we complie shoutsomethig.
ey el st shat o come t
i o dea withi, s il o s
Tonder s humans.
DARE T
SRS
Togive peoplea “poin” o vingnside CCJ, Dt
{requenity toks thee o i presest scevements
forinmates ot Cook Couny:ches,sivcs. nd
dogs s sheler dog program. Tuisof
Recemprion,bring o heter doge p or
Sdopion abe trained by inmates n rder 10
{each ht imates st ‘st From oue
Vi alking 1 peole both outiaeand e
5, wehaveye 10 et sayone who s hesed of
ihis program. et alone partcipsed n We i i
Hand 1y blev Dart care oo aach ahout
cmpathy when W COS continualy ignoe less
rom st fo mecicl stenbon, demy s
ik o e nd U eople . (b hle
Torspeaking ot Dart ko pas t i ot
gt rives st kindof proend resking
efor for inmates, ke any lected ol has
v eallygiven' o sbovt theoppresed o
poopl behind b
Continucd on back
Drp e Bogs Ctarges Agast
Cadarrow Patton-White!
Codareow Ptton- Wit s brenlocksd sp i Cook
Couty 3 (D o ey s g
maliple chargs,fnchuing s ony Like man young
Blackmen bekorem. Cadwron & acing e
et ofthecracked US gl syt o Fckt cops
i predatory i oo Judges. Dot
{o'Strule s been fhingsorgse Cudrmo and
sy o derand tht the b harkes e
dropped and b slowed o e v o s
gy n ndiana W el o tie wllng tstand vp
Seine th syt s Codarw a5 i v
g
Driving while Black
OnNovenier 30, 2023, whie diiving through
Chicag,Codarrow o & pussenger werepud vee
by Chicago polc o devng with s oburcted
oena e Buk b he o this gy e
{inencin,Codron s i pascnger o bocked
sl account o the Chicago Police Department's
(CPD)Y o et vl iop s et
e than white driversforthe same e ofenses
Continued on back
“Tom Dirt contiued
Anotheroe o the Dart's fvorte
program he Cok County i
s Program, which teaches
inmates the o ofches nd
cven’hasa am tht competss
aginstoder mmatesaround the
Word i osine tammsments He
el ' stoptalking bost .
‘St in 2013, the progeam has
allegedly engaged 3,000 s
el aowing them tomeet
0 play wekly. and s bow
Siing o chanae peopie’s
mindst”acordig o Dart. He
Sates e wante i rogram o
xpand. shoncasing st that
aricipons havea overrateof
Coming back o CCJ. Dart orets
Deopte njai and prisor have
Beeh caching ach other and
ot himelfon the bock e
are throw i sobaryand denied
Vistation Is Ui the changing
People’s mindse he's e 07
Like oy et
rogrims” o CC,Daro Strvgge
FacSetto mect aevone whohes
sl paricpstd . b
G, b v esed e
ool e CO. Thse
et of programs v sl
s propgandaor hemts
public g beneting et
e e snee ey ot
e et v he e e
‘ndhorors e G, while
inting picre o th publc
it the ity of et et
e o thse ke o gt
ohh Dat s et
amormatona:
CCJ nmates & Thei Failes
Demand DIGNITY & RESPECT
Inside Cook County Jail!
W demand the it 0
ey S s have
o e ok oty e
s ithout bl ound gy of o
e Many s e pressred
o s des bochoel
i som g vl coch e
lrgerai e varing o
iy coun
2 W demand dcest mel it or
Raminings e kv
e, W demand i drang
e e s
5 W demand adouate st
e perep e )
T g et the
ot af st Wesle
e e o e confcsion
sk ot e o
it Wi
et & deming ittn i o
Send s your story sbout
‘Coolk County Jail
Email us at
daretostrugglechicago
@protonmail.com
Virite to PO Box #25087,
) Gnicago 1. 60625
“The realty on the ground s much difre, The vast
majoriy G st ot Cook County o s ey
Wastinggway e with Bt o ndhing o do
Subjctd o the bt ondiions nsde th i iy
ek and shower. rering et iy fod,to mame
. he COs are n good mood. nmates wil gt
o wech ld DVD, by cces tbits where they
con et o ones, orplaycards. Bt often,even
hee Tuuris”a resicted. Dorms ae frequently
Tocked downdue 0 collctive porichmnt, and
mmaeshave 1o e her ol o e The
Oy richmentimates conssently have aces o i
e by which G € el reuired t e
e repether s o it 10 do, ehich
e o ensions bt ovr i the fom of i
Ain nohing s o o, 3 ormer e Antwind
ok w, Ty brely i ou enough o et by
e Jockingpecple down, creating probien,then
propleake bt o ech oher
Even rforms o les panitie restmnt s o
smokescreen 1t 4 May 2019 op-o e Washingion
Post Dartclimed that S My 016, wehave ot
oused iy desinee i slary sting. ot for cven
e o Whit Dat cale e 051 ary
Confinesent, eeed 0 now s th Special
Management U (SMU, s bl faced
by & new name bt 80 new condions, Rater than
Sped 23 hoursof the day ke i cage, Dt i+
gy Vo amaounce hat mates can spend any 20-21
s lcked avay (pending that trant O ot them
ot ) when tey et ol thy
hackid rom hesd 100 ot 10 bl s
rom Dart gret sforme. imates e solatin rom
oved ones (il sle tocall hi e o 15 iy
per vk and s et accees commistry food-
Trcing the o rl o the e
con spend 20 consectiv dys i soltary bt s 5.
ot 2 celebated resnicton-—any ki o sohary
Confiement s trare. The it i htary
conered
1 Dt cared 0 mach abost “changing the
mindet” snd i peol
T ot whyisth
237 W do he wekly rais ake e
Dictursof chldrenand oved ones? Why does the
i frecquenthy e poples mecical ecd?
Why o theydrsn the bark ecoumte o poples
il onh auside wha have 1o st their
loved ones o th nside? Th problem with CCJ s
ot th et of the mmate, e he il
ke in ity it keepoppresed peopelocked
Sy out of Sgh,out of e, and t th bovtom.
The ety s i o Aot f Qo rsinin, Vo
drives, o thesscases wil change he sysernthat
Keepe il ofpeope scross the country
contiuouly rapped nsidethe s and pesons.
Similar 1 he rcrationaess, any wed when
e e comes 0 il but e o ot
actallyus, s programs e simpl an
lsionfor th e word 1o beliene tht it s
St oL CCY o at ea hangi o the btter
The oy v people can ke real changes s
‘whenve dehantly stepoutaaint the gsem,
xposethelies pecl by helikes o Tom Dar,
0 b movement tht fightsback sgans he
Condiions and suses o CC3- 1 Tom Dart ity
Toocus ontings thl wonld improve the s of
nntes hecan sar by meeting he demands
arculated by innstesand s outined in
e bttom of this nwsete).
Have you o your loved one participated in
these programs? How was sour
experience? Tell us hout it by writing to
ur PO Box
Drop the BousCharges Agast
Cadarrow Patton-White! Cont.
Sontinesnent s sive and well a CCJ
4 We demand el allow indusrics:
o e e o nd iy
o iany s e e by he
Eui s drvento hebrokol
iy s o b shie o
vl o homsaesand thei i
& We demand g the
e e and e ol e
0 i et e
it e e i
7 We demand a o okt
i e weolthe
e e o
ol pni et e e
8 We demand cesn s desen g
e e
licntcheaing sphes o ey can
oy pkep el e G
e e e T e
Iemates ol prvidd e i
St el Boms shavim
g o and et beod
Join the campaigntofgh for these
emancs s e, Tal your
riends, o famil. Gt
iz and gt bk
Gracks At Hotel Galfornia s
newslitestha exposes the datly.
coulty ol ortuse, murder, and
‘mistreatment inid of Cook
‘County Jal. We belleve thatthe
peopla who can best el the ruth
Codamonsco-deendant would ake e forth g and.
e s harg For o, drving whileBac has ok
ety seamof i frvdom oy and s prevened i
Tetrmin bome o namata e it i iy, s oo
repaes o gt it (e chirges agit b e st
S o it o o g Domenics tephenson.
udge from el
e Domein Stpherson cemered herefinthe pro-<op il
o s he P s e Joseph o s
ThoasGafoey alongid dtecive David Marehof i ocover
upthe bl poc marderof 7-esr 1 Lo MeDonchd t he
i of Wi partacr, o Jason Van Dy Whie hee thrce
e wer merth s offercd o e b e supcrior
CPD ifers s e poliians 0 deecte ol b h s
o, the evidence gt Walh, Gafay and Marshshouly
e ot om0 cetvendc: iy Bt Suphenson
ough otk ot oly i she sl Lot offis but
e eeasd gty 25 poge rllg owing (bl nocence By
e dent. ke cop ok 0 e o Sephenson ol
verCaarvs,Rathe thn e the s chags sgut .
oo ol o cptos: ke dst a4 oy charge o
g Caiarrn i adment ht he doet vt Spheson’s e
Hewant o fgh. Bt hecas fce e mghamare e
Fighting the American Nightmare
Codamow s e of manyimstes kel Cook Cony.
Drseared by oucroked gl o ke . he b
R tharcus coneing B snd e Hock i 540 men et
Sk o e e cpporrsan e e
ke e, Ty e b e i i
oo thesc o e mid, e Coarro:and e b e
e e sppor e 5 g bk
‘Stand it Cadarro nd bis iy S i
e bt
ryone cng e
b Diseict Guinea Pigs
I more recent dewloments, P s b ol ot s
el ool inthe i arant cops e uthriy 1o
ety Aoy gun posssson chunye 3 oppase o harig (0
ohiroughthe proecuto’sffce o approl, This niaive
roducad by aop St Aoy e ONedl Burkegrants
ope the Al e i3l ovr, e wthos rron, et
o i el oy harses A prcdominnily Bock and
oing reighierhond overing Fgleeond and Cicago Lo,
(D' peating 8 7 it esidents o uinea pigs i an
Cxperiment o cpedite thi dominris verpospe domed he
st st o 0t
ot what's happening aro the people on the inside and thei oved cnes on the ouside. This
‘newsloter i produced by Dare o Srugale, an organizaton commitied t sanding with the
‘people subjected 1o e horrors of the American Rightmase. Send s yous sory.
I #5 in court are being violated every day.
power by CCJ and state court, petieds COOK COUNTY JAIL'S
arsoliag Wete ol B p— Join us in putting CCJ's
e Sty head on trial for crimes
‘whsch s panful. Shackle evory D
center). One person mess up, the |3
CISTOENIVES WHAT o s 29009 Callfoiraita Avwo
"HOTEL CALIFORNIA
7 2\ ,\
wy fist alleged gun case, but ' done, not even an investigation, instead locked me
‘claims I've seen as far as abuse of L
Molded showers, e sndbugsn %% 1% 08 lesse and thank you. Sheriff Tom Dart
time we leave the building, for against the people!
ExPOSING THE REALMES OF Coow County Jai
iy, kg el e e ek IES:?
Beenoslmostall ofem, 6, 11,10,0, Lied e due e e The people’s tribunal of
o ol o
e, Corpk it
HAPPENED TO SERGID happened to Sergio. Afer getting ittle help ———————— -
CORDBOR? o thesherifs afce, the Conderofamil 3 rutinly rports ot deths s scide
? sarted o ook fo lavyers OB . ncladingotrght medialnglet by thelr ot
Sergo CordosJr s 83 ysrs ok why il other seapicion denh Aroon Marion,
ooy Jafl i Manch When hey went o the il to alet Sergio’s o dadi avar wat ity asfgned ' he
by bisiends bekongings the uncovred ote thatwas it e 1o prychois: e vt v o
stashed i bisthings, wrappedscound two 1 o security g where b wet found
‘woven cros mecklices tatrad: Hehad g afer s corecional ofet o't onduted
15 0n when he pased avay. Geta 3wyer caycheck Thefamiy o Michae OComor,
Veuercal,People vl sy ASAP. They weren doing their dails eht omate wh Cook County Jlsys G b e
Ve i o e H was rootine!” The famil ltr reeived Uhe i 223 ave sated that s body showed g o
th pat, e st b b wa. e niclogyreportwhich note Seiohad g baten. 11 lsg wrth g hat COv b
ke o the partyJust i gofy sl e entaytn i ystem, 16 ke bow 4 that i alone o n hout rather than the standrd
s sy S ived with i et s sytem?” s Ve, Henever id o minute roundingperod Tomel Holmcs, an
hrovghout histeenage earsandwas | Arogs ke ha.
ot gt tinge i i
vy b peopic ghing
{oumae dechred e b i i 2030, was
o Wi e Serowould lkto Bt ser et ooking for s | i o damanty deny e ok his .
oy oo st oo hoving the the ot thes et and.
ek h wouldin home soomestan ¥HO would 0 upaganst the il {asbe ok CountyJul i e e of the
Taor et akecare of s chienand Eventually they stopped looking al Randre thathave ben sioln b s hllce, and
Srown ose o ve he yers. L et o my e, ahvays wonderingbecae | nsanee. o the il et 0t it
B i pope vty L Gl s of s s g
e b IS G e died it hllole e Throth e, reament ad outght.
in 2024 skne. Iomates havedied F0m orar, Tom Dar'sCCJ ha gven sl th right 10
nthe crly bours of December il complication e sang COS or pore e ot peny o
Repor beng e o o hours (n the
o Cok County shris arved s he iporbeing pesplewho hveneven b
e gy e of Damil Colon and Al Fescan. eumyet o o Sowase oot
L i ia” mate are paced n el WABDeoMEthey o Pt B s o o o
ek i hiscal. ot th iy v shoukinit be with,and guards eav people.Sari e with sl hese who ave i oved anes
ity shepia."We dda balieve 100 or g periods of i orSCTREY s ol by the il 1n ot 10 the Cork
it b i e i smach | 1o0king thecer vay (inthe caseof Covny deattrap,peoie mpacted b CCJ,on the
i Vet o s, e it v any Rahoem Hatterand PedroRuia) Orin fnideor ot o o come ogther and expose the
et M Y 0 fhercases. e dymg at e B of o of . ol e ot s
Tlnes, neverha sy s, wasr o COShemselves i the case ofCory UIner). - uporome snother against th njustces they ace
medicne nohing 1wt very hardfor v 0 il 4 movement o put an end o the el on
Tobeleve” arth s ook Coumy ol oin .
sommonmeaicico DARE T
i — STRUCELS
(CCJ CO SEXUALLY ABUSES
NATE LSS ERESSON
TOSHUT HM UP.
On My 5t lawsitwas e
gine the hellbole known e
Cook Coursy Jai and Hshead,
Sherf Tom Dar, chiming a
Comectionsloficr had exualy
Sl male mmate “on
umerous occasions” il fside
thejaiin Jamiary 2025, and tht
the guand s supervsors vere
avare of this attem, The imate
Sibsequentysubmitieda
complaint o the SherifsOfficeof
Proisionsl Revew sbout e
slleged sl
Thst nmate aced harsh,
tlationand brutalityfor
Seaking . Shortly aera
Seand COencouraged ancber
{amate 1o atack th complining
iamate i relision,besing b
il table. Then ke Ape
Third nmate wa movd o s
el Oy hoves er e hid
nmateallgedl wed
toohbrishes and avadde .
milk carton toan th ol dour
Shu, ookt a conceaed ke
nd hreatened 1o e ot theie
s et up bt men with
Shveded shets and ssaled
them bothwhic hlding hem
S chosebold, it he ke inhis
Stberhand.
FROM NY TO CHI:
NY INVATES WAITE BACK TO
'DARE T0 STRUGGLE - CHCAGO
OnMarh 15, Dre oS - Chisg
Comschans Faityn New Yomoha
ke ot e New York e o
e the bl oo of #ear-ckd.
STt e b o
Conmeions O o March and A
ECD: oyt
room ey e s bt p
ey
b gt e e s
et It e o by
ot o shout et g
Btk i
ki kW e e bk
S’ e ne o ere
it e Wo e e
Tt why i o come Frward?
Shorly aferreceig s . e
e v i Moy
i o 2 e B bk
Send s your story sbout
‘Coolk County Jail
Email us at
daretostrugglechicago
@protonmail.com
Virite to PO Box #25087,
) Gnicago 1. 60625
SherfFs taff members arived o discussthe rgial
complaintaginat theasauling CO th next mormin.
The et lleges that he tird it stou ot f
theinvestigators sightwithth kil and tresened
Uhecomplining nmate with consequence it e did
ot ke thengo ey 5 0 o psible”The
e ffce b n 4 st hat 1 “Sronely
iputes theslgations i the i, whih names
neithor e dotaees represened th compint o
theoffcors allegalyivolvc.
Th soryis st the et of heinous sbusesof poer
inside jals s prisons aerossth US. O ot oty
et ey with o immate themschs, bt can
oy vae ot oo hes ey work by s
e againtone amthe. Al i i, those i
charge ok the oher . T oy becomes problom
When hese ahuse are cxpos, ot ket e
e, e exactlyhow thos incharge ko he i
Funning: trough e, e, nd vience
It paralelsthe soriesof P Rui in 019, kil
e beingput 3l it knonn v 3
merer, and Rabeom Hotter i 2022, thrown i o
e i nto % with 8 CO and being il by b
Addiionaly,te story Kighlights theral
Fepresson it fcefo pesking .
expecially hen ey go thovgh the proper
Channels o resalve provlems o abuses ntead
ofadrssing nmates concerns, the-proper
Chanels’ ar e to ety Specc inmates o
o ahe, Becauc fth dieunity smong inmate,
cspere people can b sl wed aaine one
Snother. Despe hov Some it may cam
ey ru cerai decks o section of the i the
0% ar the s ey o the o,
thoseat the o haveall he red power Alsent 3
movcament gt the borsing comdion of e
InCC, 3 movement tht extends bth ncde and
outsdéof he i, inmates will b continousty
{rapped i this ey with noway out.
We t Dare toStrggle are bulding this
movenent. Fansles. loved s, and vstors nesd
1o beoranizd o suppartthose who spak ot
S cxpoe hecrimes n<e. Tmates themseves
e 0 sop bckngaver pty shit and e 10
Come ogeher g hescommon enemy: the
il o hose whrua . Th - proper channs”
Sra sovimg o, The oy slution 10 bkl
‘Sl Rours e Those i h erl ey 10 the ls 2 movement withecthoutsid of thoe chanils.
v thepoer offorce apint mates, sometimes e
Tiealdeiion o e o deth,What happenedto
Raleom s P could have susly happened o thi
phiniffioo.
B
Nach26 2025
[
e
St i e ey a1 e 40
[ "
Sy
o
1 those o aetonsared o spskupel
o ke e e e 3 o e
e Vesandeand e ot s gt ot
o st oo ot o, PR P
DV —
S5 iy ot e ot o oy f e &
i st
ivle it v M. Bosks (Rt Brocks
i COn Y pricon Dcmber N ¢
o e ey oo i ot ke e
S i 30 il 3 o by 00 LB
rrctonsl oo
2y you hon tht e o ey and ek aloog you
SR o sopy sk bt s st
Wit broken st o o Aol o smehig
Wittt o et boriic s et o
e S el oyt o bappenin 10
o To e those itk ey s st e
oo ) T xpce the gl o corapt .
ki e Tor o Tebab i ok
It s
allme o Secuis bl sy e and DI #
Ty
Miche Humme Pk
e ook e it e
e ey oo,
g ecatnd i ot ot e b o
o vk g i
e et o et i oy
okyou o acingout o . Lwanna s
P e pe Sty
Sothercs two ptions:stand up and Fght o it
o am tak £ You 07
e e
T —
T S e
e PLRAS AN YOURELY SCCORINGLY
(Cracks AtHotel Calforna s newsleter hat exposes the dailyrealiy o orture,
mder, and mistreatment inside of Gook County il We believe that the people who
can best el the truh about what's happering ire he people on the inside and heir
loved ones on the outsids. Ths newsleter i produced by Dare o Struggie, an
rganization commited o standing with the poople subjected 1o e Rorrrs of e
‘American nightmare. Send s your sory...
S [\
* HOTEL CALIFORNIA "
E}(POSK‘G THE REAUTIES OF COOK CQJ‘ITV dflb\.
June-July 2025
We have written this special Summer
issue of Cracks At Hotel California
Jfeaturing a longer piece written by Dare
to Struggle, our Mission Statement, and
our CCJ List of Demands as a challenge
for both inmates and their supporters on
the outside to get serious about changing
the conditions and stopping
mistreatment at CCJ. We encourage all
readers to respond to this issue of Cracks
with any thoughts or criticisms, but more
importantly, take up the call to get
involved with us. If you dare to struggle,
you dare to win. Ifyou don't dare to
struggle, you don't deserve to win.
For more than 6 months now, Dare to
Strugsle - Chicago has been going out to
Cook County Jail, talking with inmates
and their loved ones about the horrors
behind its walls. The conditions people
are forced to endure are deplorable. Food
and water that make inmates sick,
scalding hot showers, mold infested
toilets, and freezing temperatures in the
night time are just the start. Mice, rats,
and roaches run rampant through the
cells in nearly every division. And the list
goes on. This alone would drive any
normal person to the brink of insanity.
But to make matters worse, if inmates
wanted to try to distract themselves from
this reality through any kind of mental
stimulation, most are often only provided
limited access to the law library. Classes
and programs are considered a privilege
only for a select few out of the 5000 plus
inmates, who are paraded in front of the
news cameras and become the face of CCJ
when politicans and higher ups come in
for a tour. For the vast majority of
inmates, their days inside CCJ are spent
doing nothing at all. Pictures of loved
ones, drawings inmates make for things
like art therapy, and books sent in from
the outside are often confiscated. Inmates
are often shackled like slaves for no
justifiable reason.
DARETOSTRUGGLECHCAGO@PROTONMAL COM
WHAT HAPPENED TO ATTK:A"
Acall to action from Dare to Struggle - Chica
On top of these conditions is the
rampant, unchecked mistreatment
and abuse from the COs. Inmates are
verbally abused by COs trying to act
tough on the dail
punished in a whole host of ways by
COs, denying them "privileges" like
Chicago
S0 what are we going to do about
this? People inside live the above
reality, a hell on Earth. Their loved
ones on the outside hear the stories
and worry about them. What's
stopping people from coming
together and figuring out how to
visitations, phone calls, and using the fight back?
microwave. They throw inmates into
segregation or the hole for nothing,
while the head of the jal, Tom Dart,
tells the world CCJ doesn't have
solitary. If COs can't get their licks in
onan inmate that's pissed them off,
they can throw an inmate in a cell
with their opps or bribe other
inmates to attack them. COs not only
get away with physically assaulting
inmates but sexually abusing them
too.
Every day is a humiliation ritual for
those inside. Men and women can
spend years of their lives living with
this reality, while they wait and wait
for their day in court. As the jail tries
to break inmates mentally, the
mental health they offer is a joke, if
inmates even get access to it or are
believed by COs when they say they
need help. Inmates medical needs are
often ignored or neglected, leaving
inmates with injuries or infections to
worsen, or for them to succumb to
medical problems and die. When we
step back, it becomes clear as day
who the oppressed are and what the
oppressive system is. Yet, inmates
will often tun on each other instead,
bringing in beef they have on the
street with another inmate, picking
fights over petty shit, parasitically
extorting their fellow inmates, and at
worst: raping, torturing, or k
one another. o
STRUCELS
Alotof people have been
conditioned to have faith in the
system, they are hopeful that
politicians will suddenly care about
the plight of inmates in the jail, or
appeals to their conscience will
change their minds. Theres also the
fear of reprisal and COs coming after
inmates in retaliation for speaking
out. But mainly, it's a deep-seated
m that holds people back, the
at there is no point in
struggling and striving because
nothing ever changes. This thinking
is exactly what the jil authorities,
the politicians, and the people at the
top of society want us to believe.
They train people in this type of
thinking to keep people dependent
on their system and from getting out
of line. Part of how they have
engrained this thinking in people’s
headsis stripping them of any
historical memory of people
standing up to oppression, and
inmates standing up to the
conditions they suffer under. The
fact i, there is a rich history of
inmates taking a stand, fighting
back against conditions and
injustice, and forcing the system to
concede to their demands. Through
difficult struggles, inmates were not
only able to make significant
changes in the jails and prisons, but
also transformed themselves in the
process, from a criminal mentality to
a revolutionary mentality
1
WHEN YOU DARE TO STRUGGLE,
YOU DARETO WIN.
‘There's a hidden history of prison
struggles going back to the Nation of
Islam (NOD) in the 60's. From its
inception in the 1930's, the Nation saw
the prisons and jails as an arena of
political struggle. Coinciding with the
Great Migration, when masses of Black
people moved to urban centers in the
North flecing the Jim Crow South, police,
prisons, and jails became the main tools
of oppression against Black and other
oppressed people. The Nation quickly
identified this systematic oppression and
its members inside the prisons began
organizing themselves. As the prison
populations grew, so did the Nation's
‘membership and influence inside the
prisons (Malcolm X was recruited while in
prison by his brother, where he then et
other NOI inmates and began his
transformation from a petty criminal toa
Revolutionary activst for the NOI)
Muslim inmates faced discrimination
from prison authorities in a number of
ways, such as prohibiting prayer, banning
religious texts, and neglecting to serve
halal meals (the religious diet of
Muslims). The NOI inside, able to
transcend the bullshit and come together,
took up early fights against these
discriminatory practices through acts of
resistance including hunger strikes, it-
ins, disruptions of solitary confinement,
and litigation against prison officials.
l did they fight for the Black
Muslim inmates, but also forced the hand
of prison authorities to allow inmates to
get access tolegal texts (if you use the law
library, you can thank the NOI for that),
recognize and respect the rights of
prisoner organizations, create educational
opportunities and programs for inmates,
and address poor living conditions.
Organization on the outside allowed for
the NOI to publicize these struggles toa
wider audience among the masses of
Black people through their newspaper
Muhammed Speaks , exposing both the
realities of prisons and jails and the
struggles against them. NOT members left
the prisons to become activists in the
streets like Malcolm, transforming
themselves behind the prison walls and
leaving any kind of criminal life they may
have had in the past.
ATTICA MEANS FIGHT BACK!
In the 19605-70s, the population in
jails and prisons began to explode.
Aggressive policing of Black and
Latino neighborhoods in the cities
coupled with unemployment, the
growing drug economy, and
continued racist discrimination,
threw thousands of young people into
the prison system. New revolutionary
organizations, inspired by Malcolm’s
example, had emerged, such as the
Black Panther Party (BPP) and Young
Lords Organization (YLO), a Puerto
Rican revolutionary organization.
‘The politis of these groups
influenced the great mass of
prisoners inside, with the BPP even
establishing its own prison chapters
at the directive of BPP leader George
Jackson. At this time, inmates across
the board were more organized,
whether it be on lines of religion,
nationality, or ideology. In some
instances, this would lead to conflict
among inmates, with prison
organizations operating more like
‘gangs beefing with one another.
In 1971, inmates in the Attica State
Prison in upstate New York rose up
against the prison authorities, their
poor living conditions, and
repression of their political rights,
expoding to the world they were
being "treated like beasts.” On
September 9, 1971, 1,281 of the
approximately 2,200 men rebelled
against the prison authorities, taking
control of the prison, and holding 42
staff members hostage. During the
four days of negotiations, authorities
agreed to 28 of the prisoners’
demands, but refused to fire the
warden and grant amnesty for those
engaged in the prison takeover. The
governor of New York, Nelson
Rockefeller, refused to meet with
inmates at their request, and instead
ordered armed officers to invade the
prison, massacring 10 correctional
officers and 29 inmates in the
process.
‘There are plenty of things we can
learn from the Attica rebellion. The
rebellion occurred during a time of
intense political struggle across the
US (and world) against the Vietnam
war and racism at home. People
were identifying with the people of
China, Vietnam, and other struggles
around the globe against colonialism
and imperialism. Inmates leading the
uprising were steeped in this
political climate and were organized
along these political lines, having
drawn up demands and engaging in
political protest inside the prison
prior to the rebellion. Lying
underneath, the conditions of life in
Attica were beginning to worsen.
The prison, only built for 1,200
inmates, had reached a total
0f 2,243 by the time the rebellion
had popped off, with inmates living
on top of one another. In describing
the conditions oflfe, historian
Howard Zinn writes, "Prisoners
spent 14 0 16 hours a day in their
cells, their mail was read, their
reading material restricted, their
visits from families conducted
through a mesh screen, their
‘medical care disgraceful, their
parole system inequitable, racism
everywhere.” All of this and more
were the conditions that led inmates
to revolt. So on that September day,
when some inmates had an
argument with a guard and COs
later came to throw two of them into
solitary, other inmates resisted and
began the takeover.
We remember Attica today because
of the courage of the inmates, and
because it shined a light on to the
brutal conditions prisoners in the
US face. During the uprising,
inmates spoke out on live TV about
the torture at the hands of COs,
inhumane living conditions, and
brutal treatment of inmates by both
the prison and legal system. Attica
sparked more rebellions elsewhere
and a national movement of people
on the outside to take up the cause
of prisoners. It put the prison
struggle on the map for the whole
world to see. Not only did it force
the system to make substantial
changes to the treatment of
prisonrsand gencrl
ison conditions, butalso to make
Fangcs to things e parcle And
while the rebellion was violently put
down, those inmates took a bold
stand and made the ultimate
sacrifice that inspired millions in
the decades to come. Today, Attica
holds a special place in the hearts of
the oppressed across the globe.
THE SHU AND PELICAN BAY
‘The prison movement made both advances
and retreats in the years following Attica.
While the system was forced to make
changes that respected the rights of
inmates, it lso took precautionary
‘measures to try and prevent inmates from
again becoming a force they had to reckon
with. In the 1980s, California prison
authorities began to massively expand their
prison system. The so-called War on Drugs
Taunched in the 705-80s created an
explosion in the prison population, with
Black and Latino men being targeted in
police arrests and hit with long sentences
for non-violent drug offenses. California
was no stranger to the prison movement
and uprisings, and knew very well that if
too many inmates got together, they would
start to rebel against the syst
totry and prevent this was California
prisons'long time policy of dividing and
segregating inmates by race, leading to
stoked racial tensions inside the prisons,
butincreasingly, authorities began to use
solitary confinement as a means to keep
inmates divided
In 1989, California opened the Pelican Bay
State Prison, a so-called state of the art
prison with a new kind of indefinite solitary
wing known as the SHU (Security Housing
Unit). The SHU was designed to hold
prisoners who were determined by
authorities to be members of
and posed an "internal security threat” to
the prison authorities. These inmates would
be removed from the general population
and placed in solitary for the remainder of
their sentences, many in solitary for
decades. Black inmates caught reading
books like Soledad Brother or Blood In My
Eye by Black Panther leader and prison
activist George Jackson, or Latino /
Chicano inmates found with drawings or
symbols of Aztec warriors, would be
classified as internal threats, transferred to
Pelican Bay, and placed in the SHU.
Thousands of inmates not only suffered
from the decrepit conditions and abuse, but
also the psychological torture of the SHU,
having no human contact for years besides
€Os who would move, restrain, or beat
them. Visitors couldn't even be in the same
room as inmates. Usually having to drive
hours to see their loved ones inside,
families could only talk through glassto
inmates for their one-hour visit, once a
month
Despite their solitary confinement, inmates
inthe SHU devised ways to communicate
with one another, through coded messages
B e e e o GRS ]
and passing small hand written
notes between cells. After some
years of planning, inmates in the
SHU managed to organize a
‘hunger strike in 2011, demanding
an end to their indefinite solitary
confinement, and another strike in
2013, Inspired by the 1981 Irish
Republican Army (IRA) hunger
strikers who fought inside British
prisons against conditions and
violations of their rights, SHU
inmates saw the tactic of a hunger
strike as a way to not only bring
prison authorities to meet
demands but also to get more
public attention on the struggle of
prisoners. News of the strike
spread, and inmates in other
prisons began to join in, adding
demands like clean faci
food, and better access to books. At
its peak, some 30,000 inmates
across the state of California joined
the 2013 hunger strike which
lasted for approximately 2 months
with different degrees of
engagement, The strike gained
national attention and put a
spotlight on California’s use of
solitary confinement and its poor
prison conditions. The California
strike inspired others to take up
the struggle even after it had
nded. In 2014, over 1000
mmigrants, detained by US
Immigration & Customs
Enforcement (ICE) at the
notorious Northwest Detention
Center in Tacoma, Washington,
went on a hunger strike for 56 days
to protest their confinement and
the horific conditions in the
facility, exposing people to the
struggle of migrants captured by
ICE who were forced into the same
conditions as inmates in the jails
and prisons. In 2015, due to the
struggle of prisoners, California
was forced to terminate indefinite
solitary confinement and greatly
reduced the number of individuals
in solitary as a whole.
ties, better
While horific conditions inside
California jails and prisons persist,
the hunger strike dealt a blow to the
system and forced it to concede to
inmates' demands. Even under the
harrowing and nearly impossible
canditions of solitary, inmates were
still able to organize themselves to
fight back. Prisoners in Pelican Bay,
who would normally be considered
enemies, got together to draft an
“Agreement to End Hostilities"
document stating inmates would
not fight each other. An outside
support network helped spread the
word to other prisons and raise the
demand of prisoners in the streets.
‘This kind of coordinated inside-
outside strategy builta broad
‘movement among different sections
of society, amovement much
needed and severely lacking today.
'WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
Allof the above mentioned
examples are really one historic
continuation of the prison
‘movement. Organizations come and
g0, capitulate, and can be sabotaged
by the enemy. Inmates who stand
up and speak out can be retaliated
against. These are the realities of the
struggle to change the world and
fight oppression. But one thing
remains certain: no one besides the
‘masses of people will make the kind
of change we need. Inmates in the
above examples were never begging
for changes to be made, they were
organized to fight against the prison
authorities and the conditions they
imposed.
Today, we are sorely lacking the
kind of organization required to
deal a real blow to the mass
incarceration machine. However, we
are not lacking historic examples
and conditions that continue to
force inmates into action.
Recently, in the Winter of 2025, inmates
inside New York prisons stood up and
rebelled against conditions in several
prisons across the state, requiring the
National Guard to be called in to stop the
unrest. As far as we are aware, these
rebellions were mostly spontaneous
reactions to the conditions inside and didn't
raise a coherent list of demands or have
‘much outside support. What is required is
the kind of organization that can lead both
inmates and people outside to really
challenge the conditions and mistreatment
prisoners face.
If inmates at Cook County Jail and their
families are ready to put an end to the
y, the horrific conditions and
‘mistreatment they face, an organized
‘movement is necded. This summer, Dare to
Struggle s issuing this challenge to inmates
and their loved ones to take up the call to
build this kind of organized movement.
Even though the above examples were
‘mainly about prisons, let's be real: Cook
County Jail is a prison pretending to be a
jail. CCJ s the largest single ste detention
center in the US, with many of its inmates
spending years inside waiting for trial. The
jail population s projected to increase
under state’s attorney Eileen O'Neill
Burke's so-called "war on guns,” where she
intends to pursue detention and harsh
sentences. CCJ calling itself a jail s not an
excuse for inmates to bow out of organizing
themselves, especially f they want shit to
change.
‘The first step in building a movement that
challenges CCJ is speaking out. Families
andloved ones of inmates need to start
publicly speaking out against the jail and
the crimes they are a witness to. Tom Dart
gets away with sellingall of his “programs”
for a small number of inmates when the
suits and news cameras are walking
through, but we need to expose the reality
of the vast majority of men and women
inside CCJ. Families need to defiantly
oppose the bullshit standards and policies
CCJ imposes like the denial of visitations or
the confiscation of mail and care packages.
‘Thousands of peaple in Chicago and in
Cook County, former inmates and their
families, have been negatively impacted
by the jail and need to be brought
forward in the fight against it as
well. People on the outside must
identify and go after the people
who hold the levers of power at the
jail, namely Sheriff Tom Dart and
is cronies. In the Fall of 2024,
Dare to Struggle drafted a st of
demands based on our
conversations with inmates and
their families that can be used to
fight around. The outside needs to
have meetings to figure out how we
are going to move, how we are
g0ing to embarrass and expose the
authorities if they don't meet our
demands, and how we are
supporting those inside. The
outside needs to be built to support
the inside, and begin to seeitself as
an essential component in the
struggle against the jail
Inmates at CCJ need to come
together and distinguish friends
from enemies. People come inside
from different blocks of
neighborhoods or different parts of
the city. People are different
nationalities, straight or gay,
different religions ete. The CO's
use these differences to pit people
against each other. We all know
thestories about COs throwing
people in cells with their opps or
people they have problems with in
onder to stoke this tension. But
everyone on the inside has a
common enemy: Tom Dart and
CCJ. Settling petty beefs between
inmates s essential, and the
sunity only serves the jail by
keeping people divided and
fighting one another. Inmates
should create a collective culture
among one another, and unite
against inmates in the jail who
prey on others and don't stop when
instructed. Inmates should be
brought together on the basis of
having a common struggle against
the jail. Get together with people,
read and discuss the Cracks At Hotel
California newsletter and other
pamphlets sent in by Dare to
Struggle. Let us know what you
think. Send us reports about the
conditions on your deck and in your
division, what people are up against,
and let's make noise together. If you
are transferred to another jail or
prison, spread this organization to
the other places inmates might go
to.If this is something you want to
do, getin contact with Dare to
Struggle and we will work with you
FROM THE CRIMINAL
MENTALITY TO THE
REVOLUTIONARY.
Most importantly, inmates must
transform themselves and commit
to the struggle. Whatever people did
or didn't do on the outside, everyone
inside CCJ s encouraged to act and
think like a criminal. The desperate
conditions force inmates to turn on
each other, rob, steal, and extort one
another. For oppressed people, the
entire system encourages and
fosters a criminal mentality, "get
mine," 'me firs,” dog-eat-dog
world. This has got to change, and it
can only change through an intense
personal struggle with oneself
Before Malcolm became Malcolm X,
he was a petty criminal who stole,
robbed, pimped, and sold drugs
(zoing by the name of Detroit Red).
It was during a stint in prison where
Malcolm was recruited into the NOT
and began the process of decp,
personal, and political
Photo of prisoners at Attica during the uprising, 1971
transformation, changing himself from
Detroit Red to Malcolm X, who left the
prison and would become a revolutionary
Teader that shook the system to its' core.
George Jackson, the revolutionary Black
Panther leader in California, went into
prison for allegedly robbing a gas station
for $71. He would enter the California
prison system and learn revolutionary
ideology, reading Marx, Lenin, and Mao,
stating "they changed me." He would go
on to be a central figure in the prison
‘movement and was later assassinated by
prison authorities due to his organizing
efforts. And to get a lttle closer to home,
in 1968 a young Puerto Rican gang leader
named Jose "Cha Cha” Jimenez entered
Cook County Jail for a 60-day stay for
possession of heroin. During this time,
Cha Cha began to read revolutionary
literature and decided he would dedicate
himself to fighting oppression. While
inside Cha Cha stood up for other
inmates, helped translate for Spanish
speaking inmates inside, and educated
inmates on their rights. Cha Cha left CCJ
and would go on to turn his street gang
into a revolutionary organization called
the Young Lords Organization. He
continued to fight against oppression
until his passing at the beginning of this
year.
“This kind of transformation is not just
personal, it political, and one where
people are transforming themselves not
only to help themselves but to help others
change as well. This transformation is
about clarity: seing what's really going
on and helping others see clearly in the
process.
We know we have our differences. But
we have a common struggle against the
‘people who captured you, serve you shit
food, the people who humiliate you, the
‘people who neglect you, beat you, and set
you up. It’s time to make real change at
CCJ. You in? Hit up Dare to Struggle to
getinvolved.
GEORGE JACKSON LIVES!
Dare To Struggle: Mission
Statement
Over the last decade, powerful
protests and rebellions, on the one
hand, and the vicious cruelty of those
in power, on the other, have laid bare
the American nightmare that so
many people are subjected to. Police
brutality and the police murder of
Black and oppressed peaple continue
at epidemic proportions, even after
‘promises of reform and the election
rogressive” district attorneys.
Over two million people languish in
prisons and jails today after
Republican and Democratic
administrations spent decades
targeting Black and other oppressed
people for punishment and
imprisonment. Immigrants continue
to be exploited in essential jobs,
detained and deported, and vilified
by a virulent anti-immigrant racism.
American patriarchy, whether in the
form of Christian fundamentalism,
rape culture, or crass objectification,
continues to subject women and
LGBTQ people to subjugation,
discrimination, and violence. And
American empire rains down death
and destruction on the world in the
form of drone strikes and support for
oppressive regimes, with the danger
of future wars on the horizon. On top
of these and other longstanding
injustices, we confront sharpening
existential crises. Capitalism-created
climate change intensifies
hurricanes, floods, and wildfires that
destroy homes and lives while
threatening the existence of
‘humanity. The oil industry has
become the driving force in the
United States'longstanding theft of
Indigenous land. Gentrification is
displacing working-class people
from their homes and destroying
Black, Latino, and immigrant
neighborhoods. The growing ranks
of homeless peaple are left to fend
for themselves, or, worse yet, pushed
off the ground they sleep on when it
catches the eyes of real estate
developers. People are struggling to
pay rent, put food on the table, pay
off debt and student loans, and get
decent healthcare, with the
government's (mis)handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic only making
these struggles all the more difficult
A massive fascist social base amped
up during Trump’s presidency
continues to rally in the streets and
commit violence in the name of
white supremacy. And the warped
culture of American social relations
continues to give rise to mass
shootings, often driven by fascist
ideology
Our starting point for stopping any
of these injustices must be to
organize sustained and audacious
resistance based among the people
under attack and uniting all who
can be united. It's only when we
dare to struggle that we can win
victories and get a taste of our
potential collective power. Dare to
Struggle is a multinational
organization open to anyone who
wants to resist and stop injustice no
‘matter who holds political office. We
don'tlobby politicians. We don't use
insular activist lingo. We don't chase
social media fame. We don't seek
carcers or corporate sponsorship
through activism. We're committed
tostanding with the people
subjected to the horrors of the
American nightmare. We go to the
neighborhoods facing police
brutality, ICE raids, poverty, and
evictions, talk to people about the
problems they face, and organize
people in collective struggle. We
know that radical change only
happens when people step outside of
routine protest or expecting
politicians to do it for us and take
bold, collective action.
B e e e . GOy
D S S e e W S S S
CCJ Inmates & Their Families
Demand DIGNITY & RESPECT Inside
Cook County Jail
1. We demand the right to a fair and
speedy trial. Many inmates have been
inside Cook County Jail for years without
being found guilty of a crime. Many inmates
are pressured into taking plea deals because
of this. Due to the conditions of the jail,
some people will catch more charges while
inside waiting for their day in court.
2. We demand decent meals fit for
human beings, everyday, for every
prisoner. We demand clean drinking water
free of contaminates which make inmates
sick.
3. We demand adequate access to our
Toved ones inside and outside of the
jail, and an end to the criminalization
‘of visitors. We also demand an end to the
confiscation of mail sent to inmates under
the false guise of safety. Withholding letters
& denying visitation is a form of
psychological torture.
4. We demand the jail allow
industries to enter the institutions
and employ inmates. Many families are
extorted by the jail to provide for their loved
ones on the inside and are driven to the
brink of bankruptcy. Inmates should be able
toprovide for themselves and their families.
GET INVOLVED!
Email us at,
daretostrugglechicago
@protonma;
Write to PO Box
#25087, Chicago IL
60625
5. We demand adequate
medical staff and change in
icy. The jail is
reatment of
inmates and often denies medical
care for those in need. There are
often numerous “mistakes” made
‘many times; the denial of medication
and improper medication
administered.
6. We demand regular use of
the recreational facilities and
time outside. We also demand
regular educational activities inside
the jail that stimulate the mind.
7. We demand an end to
collective punishment. Inmates
should not be denied “privileges” like
use of the microwave or be placed on
Tockdown for days or weeks because
of a rules violation. Collective
punishment only creates more
tension
8. We demand dlean and decent
living spaces inside the jail.
Inmates are denied sufficient
cleaning supplies so they can
properly upkeep their cells. Common
areas, especially the showers, are not
properly and regularly cleaned.
There are units that get too cold at
ight where inmates are only
provided one thin blanket for
warmth. Some showers are scalding
hot and can't be used
Join the campaign to fight for
these demands and more. Tell
your friends, tell your family.
Get organized and fight back.
THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE
IS THE FORCE
OF LIFE
Cracks At Hotel California is a newsletter that exposes the daily
reality of torture, murder, and mistreatment inside of the Cook County
Jail. We believe that the people who can best tell the truth about,
what's happening are the pecple on the inside and their loved ones on
the outside. This newsletter is produced by Dare to Struggle, an
organization committed to standing with the people subjected to the
horrors of the American nightmare. Send us your story..
DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO@PROTONMAIL COM
DARE 1@
AUTHORITIES: PLEASE READ
CENSORSHIP NOTICE
tributor of Cracks, we
st Amendment right to
correspond with inmates, just as
inmates retain a First Amendment
right to correspond with the outside:
world. While a rational basis test is
d for the censorship of
tions entering a prison
system, such allowance does not
allow a blanket ban on publications
entering because prison authorities
do not agree with the message or
content, which may be political or
religious in nature. Censorship
regulations must first be rational
and impose censorship only in
furtherance of “an important or
substantial governmental interest
not related to the suppression of
expression” and relate to ‘legitimate
penological interests.” The federal
courts have rules unequivocally that
a prison agency censoring inmate
publications and mail must provide
the distributor or publisher notice
of censorship. This notice must
provide articulate reasons for such
censorship with specific references
to the objectionable material. The
distributor/ publisher must be given
a meaningful opportunity to appeal
the censorship to a person not
involved in the censorship decision.
Notice and opportunity are required
by due process. We encourage you
to carefully read and understand
your agency’s policies and
procedures,as wellas federal case
law related to the censorship of
incoming mail and publications
addressed to individuals in custody
Ifyou have any doubt, you should
consult your agency’s legal counsel
Failure to adhere to federal law,
linois administrative regulations
and your agency's policies and
procedures is evidence of malicious
intent to violate our rights.
PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF
ACCORDINGLY.
GIRUCGLE "o oo 6
s B
-~ HOTEL CALIFORNIA =~
EXPOSING THE REAUTIES OF Coorn County Jai
Issue #7
August 2025
Black August (BA) is a commemorative
‘month which recognizes the sacrifices and
struggles of Black people in the ongoing.
fight for freedom and real liberation from
the American nightmare. It's a month-
long observance for reflection, study, and
self-discipline, in honor and memory of
those who came before us and showed us
the path forward: struggle by any means
necessary. Not to be confused with Black
History Month, a system-approved,
general celebration of Black people in the
US, Black August is about resistance—how
the oppressed have fought back against
their oppressors, and must continue the
struggle today. Having ts roots in the
prison movement, BA is a time for
inmates to condemn the conditions of
Black and oppressed people both inside
and outside the prisons and ja
highlighting mass incarcerafion as
COMMEMORATE BLACK AUGUST
2025 AT COOK COUNTY JAIL!
Acall to action from Dare to Struggle - Chicago
one of the primary tools by which Black 4
people are oppressed by the system today A
While it has its roots in the Black Liberation
Movement, BA s significant not only for
Black people but all oppressed people
fighting for liberation, and has special i S
ignificance for prisoners locked away. H
Augustis a month that just so happens to be
a time in history which contains many LACK AUCUST
historic events important to the Black
iberaton sruggle, From the beginning of RESISTANCE
the Haitian Revolution on August 22, 1791,
when Afican slaves stood up and pushed out
the colonialist French from the island, to the 2 B ats
Watts Rebellion on August 12, 1965—a ;;"““ it “E*I‘;‘ Quentin
rebellion against police brutality which e e fiat
shook the US to the core—the month of o memoration to honor thei
August contains many significant events that Sommemeration to honor thelr
. former comrades who had given
capture the historic struggle of Black people 1o~ oyt
against oppression. everything for the struggle, and
the events leading up to the death
>
‘The commenmoration of Black
August started in the late 1970,
of George Jackson at the hands of
A LETTER TO THE OUTSIDE i oo
Written by.a group,
inmates in Divsion 11
The following is an excerpt of letter
written to Dare to Struggle from a group
of inmates in Division 11. They have
requested the letter be published in full
(which you can read on our website, it is
toolong to fit here) to further expose the
conditions inside the jail and the
problems people are facing. The group of
19 inmates signed their names and
booking number at the end of the letter.
We at Dare to Struggle salute their
bravery, them coming together, and
publicly speaking out against CCJ. We
will do our part to make sure this letter
travels far and wide.
June 7,2025
DARETOSTRUGGLE ORG
DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO @PROTONMAIL COM
Lo N There are many issues we.
CookCoumty Deparimentof " (individulyand asacollectve)
Corrections (CCDOC)- arein \dcrcupceed: Within this e
of outside support to combat and e issues wo experlence, which
are ongoing, First we want to
help with the torture we endure on providealist of some key issues.
Just to give a brief synopsis
We must popularize desires for justice before we get into full detal.
and increase people’s receptivity to the
testimonies of the oppressed individuals
in custody here at CCDOC, by recognizing
embodied, unconscious and conscious.
structures of racial discrimination,
violence, widespread fears of retaliation
for practicing our Constitutional Rights,
intensified forms of punishment,
psychological warfare, inhuman
treatment, superior oppression strategies,
religious discrimination, and so on!!!
We forego years of being here at
CCDOC still awaiting discovery,
‘There are individuals here in
custody 12+ years, discovery still
ongoing, and no charges have
been verified. CCDOCis also
known for holding innocent
individuals for years, and IDOC
(Illinois Department of
Corrections) for 20+ years, only
to dismiss their cases on false
arrests/charges. We are being
DARE T0 held against our will.
STRUCELE e
R e e e i e i e o T
AlLetter to the Outside continued
QCDOC s confiscating our mail. They will
lie and say our incoming mail s saturated
with drug paraphemalia. Now granted,
drug paraphernalia does gt into Cook
County Jail, but it is mainly transported
through and by CCDOC's own employed
Correctional Officers, which has been
proven. But the probiem s they confiscate
‘books shipped directly from Amazon,
knowing we all know Amazon doesn't ship
or produce drug paraphernalia products.
‘We've even had Correctional Officers
inform us their co-workers take our
material home and some even sell them.
We lose money. And these books aren't
cheap. Some even range $100+.
We are getting sick from the water and
airhere at CCDOC!
We receive in-person visitations where
our loved ones - parents, grandparents,
children, and spouses - come to visit us,
to give support, inspiration, comfort, and
hope. But CCDOC staff make them wait 1
hour and more only for them to sce us for
all of 15 minutes. And on top of that, they
(CCDOC staff) disrespect our family and
support systems. They speak to them with
aggression, use profanc language, and
become argumentative, etc. And if a
Correctional Officer had a conflict with an
individual in custody, whether verbal or
because of a written grievance against that
officer, that same officer willtarget that
individual's family who came in person,
even to the point of ending their visi
We don't get any proper hair products to
properly maintain strong and healthy
hair. Everyone's hair is falling out. People
with full heads of hair are now bald. We
can't maintain proper self-care here at
CCDOC. And most people who are forced
to cut their hair have become depressed!
The food here at Cook County
Department of Corrections is very
disgraceful, disappointing, and
disreputable! People really need to see the
food we have to force ourselves to eat to
avoid hunger pains. You wouldn't feed
your cat or your dog the food CCDOC
provides. I that bad. Literally, the rats
don't even bother most of t. And that says
alot! The flipside to that is CCDOC has
the funds for better and healthier meals.
CCDOC gets paid roughly $52,000 for
every individual i custody per year. You
do the math. CCDOC holds roughly 5,000
individuals.
‘Then to add to that, to get fruit you
have to be on specific religious meal
plans. Now why is that? We also
receive hair in our food, spailed milk,
cold dinner trays, outdated snacks,
and soon.
€CDOC commissary prices are
extremely offensive and shamefl,
‘The prices for food here at Cook
County Jail are 2, 3x, even 4x the
pricesat the prisons. And here at
CCDOC we haven'teven been
convicted. It doesn't make any sense!
We've also attached Cook County Jail
commissary pricing list, 50 you can
see for yourself.
Can you PLEASE do what you can to
gt this noticed. Please! Life at
CCDOCis cruel and inhuman. If this
doesn't get exposed it will just
continue. The world needs to know.
CCDOCis a big business, formed by
Systemic racism, superior oppression,
extortion, punitive punishment, and
o much more. WE REALLY NEED
HELP!!
A SUMMER REPORTBACK
FROM THE OUTSIDE
On May 18th, we held our first
speakout against conditions and
‘mistreatmentat CCJ in front of
Division 10, where families and loved
ones go for visitation. We chose this
Tocation to bring the fight directly to
the jail, in the face of the guards, and
to encourage participation from
families and friends headed to or
leaving from visitation. A speakout is
essentially a kind of rally where
people are encouraged to take the mic
and "speak bitterness" (share their
stories and condemnation directly to
the peaple responsible). Speakouts
are a good way to build confidence
among the people, give them a
platform to talk their shit, and
consolidate them. In the lead-up,
Dare to Struggle spent a couple of
weeks flyering at the courthouse and
at visitations, and we reached out to
our contacts to invite them to come
and speak out.
40 INVIATES TAKE
ACTION AGAINST CCJ
SLOP IN DIVISION 8!
On June 26th, at least 40 inmates
inside Cook County Jail's Division 8
stood together and took collective
action against one of their biggest
concerns: the food. CCJ is known to
serve inmates some of the worst food
imaginable—a low-calorie diet that
often makes inmates sick. Inmates have
said in the past they wouldn'tfeed
CCJ's meals to dog, often forcing
inmates to rely on commissary to eat if
they're able to access it. "Something has
to give,” an inmate leading the
collective action told us. "Enough is
enough. We have to get documentation
first. Once we get documentation then,
1feel like anything goes, but I need the
document first. And I keep saying 'luck’
but I thank God at least enough people
was willing to take a stand and come
together, and now I hope that I can
build off that moment in the same
dormitor
Inmates in Division 8 decided they
were ready to fight. Standing together,
they collectively submitted grievances
about the quality of the food. "It's
important because enough is enough,
and the only way change is gonna
happen s if we take a stand. Another
stance like that, T believe, will get the
attention of the right people down here.
1f we ll say, 'Look, we gon’ take a stand
right here, and we ain't gonna move,
unless these conditions are met—1
know that gots power. I believe if we
force they hand, then they will do
something”
Inmates, through a collective struggle,
are learning how to work together and
assert their rights and dignity as human
beings. This is just the beginning of a
larger fight against the conditions
inside the jail. Dare to Struggle salutes
the inmates in Division 8 who are
taking a collective stand against
‘mistreatment and raise the demand
that all inmates deserve decent meals
fit for human beings—every day, for
every inmate. We'll continue to report
their efforts, build support for them on
the outside, and fan the flames of
struggle at CCJ.
Inmates at CCJ are standing up. What
will you do to support them? Join Dare
to Struggle and build a movement
against CCJ's horrible treatment and
conditions!
Black August continued
11961, 19-year-old George Jackson was
convicted by the California prison system for
the crime of robbing a gas station for $71.
George was given the sentence of "a year to
life” for his offense, meaning the judges and
prison offcials could dangle his freedom in
front of him in a cruel attempt to get George
to submit to their authority (again, for the
crime of stealing §71). Even though he
initially went to prison as an "everyday
Tawbreaker," it was his political consciousness
and activity that kept him incarcerated for 11
years. George was introduced to the politics of
revolution while inside when a fellow prisoner
named W. L. Nolen introduced him to the
works of Karl Mars, Vladimir Lenin, and Mao
Zedong, Nolen encouraged George to study
revolutionary texts, write about his struggle,
and organize other prisoners to join the fight
against their oppressive conditions. George
would eventually join the Black Panther Party
(BPP) from inside prison and would be tasked
with establishing more BPP chapters inside
the California prison system. His name would
become more widely known as he became one
of the Soledad Brothers, a group of Black
prisoners accused of killing a guard in Soledad
State Prison after three black prisoners were
shot and killed there by a prison guard (one of
those killed being W.L. Nolen).
It was during the trials of the Soledad
Brothers that an intense struggle ensued. It
became clear the Soledad Brothers,
particularly George, were being targeted by
the system for their political activism, as there
was no evidence they had committed the
crime, and the BPP on the outside began
building a movement to highlight this political
persecution and to free them. On August 7,
170, Jonathan Jackson, George's 17-year-old
brother, entered the Marin County
Courthouse with guns and demanded the
release of the Soledad Brothers. Along with
three others, Jonathan attempted to leave
witha judge, an attorney, and three jurors as
hostages in a van that was waiting for them.
Police fired repeatedly into the moving
vehicl, killing three Black Panthers,
including Jonathan, and the judge. One
hostage was paralyzed for life. The lone
surviving Black Panther, Ruchell Magee,
would g0 on to spend nearly six decades in
prison for his participation in the deadly
escape attempt. Writing about his brother in
the pages of Soledad Brother, a book of prison
letters, George wrote: Little Jonathan
Jackson knew what he was doing. He was a
revolutionary. He gave his lfe in the
struggle, and I will never forget that... They
Killed my lttle brother, but they can't kil his
ideas. He was only 17, but he understood
more about this system than most people
tearn in alifetime.”
Nearly a year later, on August 21, 1971,
George would be killed at the hands of
prison guards during what appeared to
be an attempted prison break, though
there are many questions to this day
about the circumstances surrounding
George's death, and many believe he was
setup and murdered by prison guards.
After George's death, the group he
helped form behind the prison walls
‘would go on to organize struggles on the
inside. A leader and comrade of
George, Khatari Gaulden, would later
die on August 1,1978, from prison
‘medical neglect. It was after this that
‘members of the Black Guerilla Fa
group founded by George) began to
commemorate the Jackson brothers,
Gaulden, and the struggle of Black
people during the month of August and
began to spread the commemoration
across the US.
From then on, the commemoration of
Black August has taken on many
different forms and new meanings to
those who participate in it. Though its
significance has faded from many
people’s collective memory, it's still
commemorated widely by
revolutionaries, nationalists, and
prisoners alike. For those who observe
BA, it's a time to recommit oneself to the
struggle. The founders of Black August
wrote 4 tenets for those participating in
the month's observance to abide by
"1. Afast which historically has been
used as an expression of personal
commitment and resistance. Hence,
from sunrise until evening meal we will
abstain from eating. We abstain from
consuming any type of intoxicants for
the entire month of August. The
necessity for this should be self-evident
for all serious participants of Black
August (BA),
2. We limit our selection of television
and radio to educational programs, i.e.
news, documentaries and cultural
programs, ete.
3. During BA we emphasize political and
cultural studies for individuals involved
in BA. Participants in BA should pair off
with someone else you know to study
and share knowledge of African affairs.
4. Asan outward expression of BA we
weara black armband on the left arm or
wrist as a tribute to those Africans who
have died as a result of their sacrifice for
African Liberation. The armband can be
worn either on the inside or outside of
your clothing."
Additionally, there are special days
of commemoration during BA—days
that mark the historic events of
struggle, such as August 7th and
August 215t to mark the deaths of
Jonathan and George.
‘This Black August, Dare to Struggle
calls on all people inside Cook
County Jail and their loved ones to
participate in this year's Black
August commemoration by
committing to the struggle against
oppression and joining us for an
August 215t demonstration
against the conditions inside
CCJ. Inmates should take the month
to make plans for the 21t and how
they can hold demonstrations on
their decks, in coordination with
Dare to Struggle's demonstration
outside on the same day. Invite other
inmates to participate in Black
August, discuss its history and
politics, and invite them to
demonstrate and speak out against
the conditions of the jail on the 28th.
Make signs and banners from sheets
with slogans about the jil and the
struggle against it invite people to
gather ata specific time and location
in your division, ask people to make
speeches and lead chants. Get
creative. Spread the word on your
deck: t's time to come together.
Most importantly, write to Dare to
Struggle about your experience
during Black August—how you and
others practiced it—and report to us
on your demonstration if you
organized or participated in one
(what was the program, how many
people came out or participated,
what was the reaction of the COs
and other inmates).
As we've said before in previous
issues of Cracks: enough with the
bullshit! Inmates have to squash
their petty beefs and come together
against their common enemy—those
who oppress you every day inside
the hell on Earth we call Cook
County Jail. Let's make this year's
Black August the time to start that
process and get people involved in a
common struggle. As George
Jackson writes: “Settle your
‘quarrels, come together,
understand the reality of our
situation, understand that fascism
s already here, that people are
already dying who could be saved,
that generations more will ie or
live poor butchered hal-lives if you
Sfail to act.”
B e o e e e
R e e e i e i e o T
Summer Reportback continued
On the day of the speakout, some sheriffs tried to tel us to
‘move from the sidewalk, to which we replied: fuck off, They
backed off and decided to watch the speakout nearby from
their cars. We had a few families come and speak out against
the conditions at CCJ as well as someone who had been
inside before speaking out about how they were treated
Children wrote messages about CCJ in chalk in front of
Division 10 which read: "CCJ Hell On Eartht", "Boo Cook
County”,"Love you Mom". While the speakout was going on,
we invited visitors to join us and speak out, and we gave
them issues of Cracks.
On June 1st, Dare to Struggle organized a People’s Tribunal
Against Tom Dart, again outside of Division 10. With Sheriff
Tom Dart being the head of the jail, we decided to put him
on trial for the crimes committed against inmates and
families. We spent time beforehand flyering and trying to
build up the event, messaging inmates to invite their
families. We set up a life-size cutout of Dart as a st list of
speakers gave testimony against him and the crimes the
people are charging him for. The tribunal had the
testimonies of several individuals whose lives have been
ruined by Tom Dart and his jail: Vicki Willis (mother of
Alteriq Pleasant) spoke about how CCJ stole her son's lie in
2022, Grant Hatter (brother of Raheem Hatter) spoke about
how CCJ stole his brother's life in 2021, and family members
of peaple inside gave testimony about the horrors their loved
ones are facing on a daily basis. The most impactful part of
the tribunal was the playing out loud of recorded testimony
from inmates currently inside CCJ who called in to DTS
beforehand to ecord thels testimonies against Tom Dart. |
Visitors coming in and out would stop and listen, joining in
mally to speak or hold signs that read "Puish Abusive
“Jail Tom Dart,” and "CCJ: No More Stolen Lives!
Kids got to doing chalk slogans again in front of the jail. The
verdictat the end of the people’s trial for Tom Dart: GUILTY
FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE PEOPLE! We still plan to
deliver this verdict soon to the President of the Cook County
Board, Toni Preckwinkle. While this was by far our most
exciting and well-attended event, many people’s families who
had confirmed being there (to DTS directly or through their
loved one inside) didn't show up. We understand shit can
come up for people, but we want to stress the importance of
showing up and encourage inmates to talk with their loved
ones about the importance of getting involved with DTS.
Lastly, on July 13th, in response to the increases in
commissary, Dare to Struggle called for a speakout at the jail
10 expose and denounce these increases. As we've laid out
before, the way commissary works at CCJ is via extortion of
families, and inmates are forced to rely on commissary
because the provided food is shit. The increases in
commissary are a way to bleed more out of those on the
outside o provide basic things for their loved ones. Even
though we'd heard from the inside that commissary was only
increasing on a few items, we still went out to agitate people
about the increases, seeing this as an attack on inmates and
families. We spoke out in front of Division 10 and distributed
our newsletter. We didn't have a great turnout as we didn't
do great outreach for the event itsel, but nevertheless, we
spoke to families about the increases and the need to get
organized to fight back. We ended by going over to the
4
outside of Division 11 (on the 31st Street side) with our
megaphones to make some announcements to the inmates
there. We told inmates to bang on the windows if they
could hear us and agreed with what we were laying down—
that inmates need to start to come together, organize
themselves, and fight back against the conditions (we had a
ot of banging). Its hard for us to know if guys in 11 can
hear us when we're out there, so please, write to us and let
usknow.
A NOTE FROM DTS
TO THE READER
Since December 2024, Dare to Struggle has been producing
and distributing Cracks At Hotel California (Cracks) with
the help of inmates and their families. Since then, we've
produced 7 issues and have had wide distribution both
inside and outside CCJ, having made hundreds of contacts
and readers in the process. Through this effort, we were
able to create alist of demands against the jail conditions
with both families and inmates, held protests outside of the
jail, and put Sheriff Tom Dart on trial with a people's
tribunal in June, where families and inmates gave
testimony against Dart and the conditions at CCJ.
“The initial goals of Cracks was to expose the conditions
inside the jail and use it as a tool to give both inmates and
families a voice as well as to get people organized in the
fight against the horrifying conditions and mistreatment at
CCJ. As we continued to meet and talk with inmates and
families, we ran into a few different issues. We soon became!
overwhelmed with stories from people about their
individual cases and asking DTS for help. While we've
highlighted people’s individual cases and fights inside the
pages of Cracks and in other material we take out to people
and write, its been difficult for our small erew of full-timers
(weall work full-time jobs, but dedicate our time to DTS
when we clock-out) in Chicago to manage both the
production of material and taking it out to the public. It's
important to note: Dare to Strugle is not an organization
of lawyers (though we've tried to connect people with
lawyers when they ask). We're not a social service agency
We're an activist group whose main objective is to organize
people in collective struggle against the American
nightmare. Our starting point is going to those facing this
nightmare and organizing them in collective action because
that's the only way shit is actually going to change.
‘We also started to notice general trends both in people’s
Stories about how they wound up at CCJ as well as the
conditions on the inside. Week after week, we were
distributing new issues of Cracks that essentially said the
same thing: CCJ is hell on Earth. And while we need to
continue to expose the jail and the stories inside, we also
don't want to be redundant. People in CCJ already know
the conditions they're living in, o what good is it to report
onitall the time? While it does stll serve the purpose of
exposure—letting the world know what's going on behind
those walls—we want to take Cracks to another level.
Continue on page 5
For the last 7 months, we've made
substantial inroads inside the jail. Our
general strategy is organizing both the
inside (inmates at CCJ) and outside
(families, friends, supporters) to work
in coordination with one another to
initiate focused campaigns of struggle
around a specific set of demands (they
canbe the ones we drew up, but those
can also change depending on what's
going on). At this point, the inside has
surpassed the outside. We have
‘numerous readers and leaders in nearly
every division. People inside are talking
to each other, reading the newsletter
together in groups, and writing to DTS
about the process of coming together.
“This has been an important
development in organizing inmates in
collective struggle, and we want to seize
the moment, with hopes that these
efforts inside can encourage the outside
tostep up. So given this, we want to
outline a couple of suggestions for the
readers, both inside and out
Ifyou got something to say to
DTS, please write to us: Those who
have our phones be blowing us up
sometimes (which is cool because we
Tove you guys), but we can't get to every
call all the time. There are a handful of
people who are being brought up as
leaders in this struggle and we'd like to
get on regular calls with people who are
taking this stuff seriously to strategize.
But generally, it much better to write
tous.
Cracks is your voice to share with
both the inside and outside: When
writing to Cracks, think of the
newsletter as a way to deliver messages
between divisions and to the outside.
What do you want others to know? We
suggest writing about how you're
getting organized in your div/deck,
what are some of the obstacles in
getting people organized both inside
and out, and what are some things
you're fighting around and how. Wite
Teports about protests you organize
and tell people how they went. These
will be useful for others trying to
organize themselves and fellow
inmates/families. We can't guarantee
everything submitted will get
published, but we'll do our best to put
out the most pressing issues and, if
needed, print add-ons for people to
read.
Cracks is an organizing tool: The
newsletter should be a place we can
collectively organize struggle. In our
opinion, it's the best way to do so at
CCJ. It should be full of ideas from
inmates and families on how to
organize people and what we should
be organizing people around. If there
are disagreements or criticism about
things put in this newsletter, write to
us and we can put it in the next issue.
It would be good if there was a debate
of ideas going back and forth in
Cracks. DTS doesn't hold all the
answers—we have a strategy we
believe in—but it’s the masses of
people who make history, and we
want to hear from you about what you
thinkis the best way forward when it
comes to the collective struggle and
liberation of people.
We look forward to continuing to
publish Cracks and get it to those who
need to read what it ays down. We
look forward to hearing from new
readers, contributors, and comrades
in this struggle. The path ahead is a
long one. The enemy is powerful. But
we know the people are more
powerful, especially when together. In
the words of the great Chairman Fred
Hampton: "If you dare to struggle,
you dare to win. If you don't dare to
struggle, then goddamnit you don't
deserve to win."
DTS MISSION
STATEMENT
Over the last decade, powerful
protests and rebellions, on the one
hand, and the vicious cruelty of those
in power, on the other, have laid bare
the American nightmare that so many
people are subjected to. Police
brutality and the police murder of
Black and oppressed people continue
atepidemic proportions, even after
promises of reform and the election of
“progressive” district attorneys. Over
two million people languish in prisons
and jais today after Republican and
Democratic administrations spent
decades targeting Black and other
oppressed people for punishment and
imprisonment. Immigrants continue
to be exploited in essential jobs,
detained and deported, and vilified by
a virulent anti-immigrant racism.
American patriarchy, whether in the
form of Christian fundamentalism,
rape culture, or crass objectification,
continues to subject women and LGBTQ
people to subjugation, discrimination, and
violence. And American empire rains
down death and destruction on the world
in the form of drone strikes and support
for oppressive regimes, with the danger of
future wars on the horizon.
Ontop of these and other longstanding
injustices, we confront sharpening
existential crises. Capitalism-created
climate change intensifies hurricanes,
floods, and wildfires that destroy homes
and lives while threatening the existence
of humanity. The oil industry has become
the driving force in the United States'
longstanding theft of Indigenous land.
Gentrification is displacing working-class
peaple from their homes and destroying
Black, Latino, and immigrant
neighborhoods. The growing ranks of
homeless people are left to fend for
themselves, or, worse yet, pushed off the
ground they sleep on when it catches the
eyes of real estate developers. People are
struggling to pay rent, put food on the
table, pay off debt and student loans, and
get decent healthcare, with the
government's (mis)handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic only making these
struggles all the more difficult. A massive
fascist social base amped up during.
‘Trump’s presidency continues to rally in
the streets and commit violence in the
‘name of white supremacy. And the
warped culture of American social
relations continues to give rise to mass
shootings, often driven by fascist ideology.
Our starting point for stopping any of
these injustices must be to organize
sustained and audacious resistance based
‘among the people under attack and
uniting all who can be united. It's only
when we dare to struggle that we can
win victories and get a taste of our
potential collective power. Dare to
Struggle is a multinational organization
open to anyone who wants to resist and
justice no matter who holds
I office. We don'tlobby politicians,
We don't use insular activist lingo. We
don't chase social media fame. We don't
seek careers or corporate sponsorship
through activism. We're committed to
standing with the people subjected to the
horrors of the American nightmare. We go
to the neighborhoods facing police
brutality, ICE raids, poverty, and
evictions, talk to people about the
problems they face, and organize people
in collective struggle. We know that
radical change only happens when people
step outside of routine protest or
expecting politicians to do it for us and
take bold, collective action.
5
heyserve thlr masters, they camnot
ce and demoralising individual offcers. we encour. together we are
stronger than them
a5 them t seck other lveiboods 50 we can one day fnd common
Cause with thern.
Maybe there are some b
officers are good people.
apples, but some police
ot sectos o soiey
quit el job i n thels
manage the detals
“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you
have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong
which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue
till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both.”
— Frederick Douglass
Seven Myths about the Police
The police exercise legitimate authority. The aversge po.
e oficer i not
even’ be immoral. Slavery was logal, aiding escaped slaves ilogal
“The Nasis came to power in Germany via democtati electons and
passed laws hrough the prescebed channels. We should aspie 0 the
Srength of onseience 0 do what we know is best,regardless oflws
and police intimidaton
protecting and servi
the fuck out of you
The police are ordinary workers just like us; they
should be our allles. Untorunately. ther's 3 big gap between
‘Shouid be" and ‘sre.” The roe of the plice is 10 serve
he rlingclss;anyone who s ot had 3 bad experience
puppers of the
Tuling class
Police can win any confrontation, so we shouldn't
antagonize them. Wi and sur
ce he polce can scem. . but this i an dusion. They
Sons o invsile constants-buseancracy. public
opinion. communication breldowns, a overloaded udicialsystem I
they dont have vebicesor faciites avi ransport and process
2 great number of aestes,for example, ey cat make mass arests.
"his s why 3 motley crowd armed only wic the tear gas canisers
hem can hold offa aeger, more organized, btter equipped po-
ey migh don' play
o a wall. The prowracted siuge
rom poice repression wil pobbly g0 on 3 long 3 i akes us 10
Iam fo coexist pesceflly; communiy that can' sort out s v
a more powertul occupying
{force. I the meantime, oppositon o police should be seen 38 3 reec
egregious sources of cppressive vi
be none. But
TAKE SOME
RESPONSIBILITY
FOR YOLRSELF,
vou FUCKING
cowArD!
s B
-~ HOTEL CALIFORNIA =~
EXPOSING THE REAUTIES OF Coorn County Jai
Issue #7
August 2025
Black August (BA) is a commemorative
‘month which recognizes the sacrifices and
struggles of Black people in the ongoing.
fight for freedom and real liberation from
the American nightmare. It's a month-
long observance for reflection, study, and
self-discipline, in honor and memory of
those who came before us and showed us
the path forward: struggle by any means
necessary. Not to be confused with Black
History Month, a system-approved,
general celebration of Black people in the
US, Black August is about resistance—how
the oppressed have fought back against
their oppressors, and must continue the
struggle today. Having ts roots in the
prison movement, BA is a time for
inmates to condemn the conditions of
Black and oppressed people both inside
and outside the prisons and ja
highlighting mass incarcerafion as
COMMEMORATE BLACK AUGUST
2025 AT COOK COUNTY JAIL!
Acall to action from Dare to Struggle - Chicago
one of the primary tools by which Black 4
people are oppressed by the system today A
While it has its roots in the Black Liberation
Movement, BA s significant not only for
Black people but all oppressed people
fighting for liberation, and has special i S
ignificance for prisoners locked away. H
Augustis a month that just so happens to be
a time in history which contains many LACK AUCUST
historic events important to the Black
iberaton sruggle, From the beginning of RESISTANCE
the Haitian Revolution on August 22, 1791,
when Afican slaves stood up and pushed out
the colonialist French from the island, to the 2 B ats
Watts Rebellion on August 12, 1965—a ;;"““ it “E*I‘;‘ Quentin
rebellion against police brutality which e e fiat
shook the US to the core—the month of o memoration to honor thei
August contains many significant events that Sommemeration to honor thelr
. former comrades who had given
capture the historic struggle of Black people 1o~ oyt
against oppression. everything for the struggle, and
the events leading up to the death
>
‘The commenmoration of Black
August started in the late 1970,
of George Jackson at the hands of
A LETTER TO THE OUTSIDE i oo
Written by.a group,
inmates in Divsion 11
The following is an excerpt of letter
written to Dare to Struggle from a group
of inmates in Division 11. They have
requested the letter be published in full
(which you can read on our website, it is
toolong to fit here) to further expose the
conditions inside the jail and the
problems people are facing. The group of
19 inmates signed their names and
booking number at the end of the letter.
We at Dare to Struggle salute their
bravery, them coming together, and
publicly speaking out against CCJ. We
will do our part to make sure this letter
travels far and wide.
June 7,2025
DARETOSTRUGGLE ORG
DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO @PROTONMAIL COM
Lo N There are many issues we.
CookCoumty Deparimentof " (individulyand asacollectve)
Corrections (CCDOC)- arein \dcrcupceed: Within this e
of outside support to combat and e issues wo experlence, which
are ongoing, First we want to
help with the torture we endure on providealist of some key issues.
Just to give a brief synopsis
We must popularize desires for justice before we get into full detal.
and increase people’s receptivity to the
testimonies of the oppressed individuals
in custody here at CCDOC, by recognizing
embodied, unconscious and conscious.
structures of racial discrimination,
violence, widespread fears of retaliation
for practicing our Constitutional Rights,
intensified forms of punishment,
psychological warfare, inhuman
treatment, superior oppression strategies,
religious discrimination, and so on!!!
We forego years of being here at
CCDOC still awaiting discovery,
‘There are individuals here in
custody 12+ years, discovery still
ongoing, and no charges have
been verified. CCDOCis also
known for holding innocent
individuals for years, and IDOC
(Illinois Department of
Corrections) for 20+ years, only
to dismiss their cases on false
arrests/charges. We are being
DARE T0 held against our will.
STRUCELE e
R e e e i e i e o T
AlLetter to the Outside continued
QCDOC s confiscating our mail. They will
lie and say our incoming mail s saturated
with drug paraphemalia. Now granted,
drug paraphernalia does gt into Cook
County Jail, but it is mainly transported
through and by CCDOC's own employed
Correctional Officers, which has been
proven. But the probiem s they confiscate
‘books shipped directly from Amazon,
knowing we all know Amazon doesn't ship
or produce drug paraphernalia products.
‘We've even had Correctional Officers
inform us their co-workers take our
material home and some even sell them.
We lose money. And these books aren't
cheap. Some even range $100+.
We are getting sick from the water and
airhere at CCDOC!
We receive in-person visitations where
our loved ones - parents, grandparents,
children, and spouses - come to visit us,
to give support, inspiration, comfort, and
hope. But CCDOC staff make them wait 1
hour and more only for them to sce us for
all of 15 minutes. And on top of that, they
(CCDOC staff) disrespect our family and
support systems. They speak to them with
aggression, use profanc language, and
become argumentative, etc. And if a
Correctional Officer had a conflict with an
individual in custody, whether verbal or
because of a written grievance against that
officer, that same officer willtarget that
individual's family who came in person,
even to the point of ending their visi
We don't get any proper hair products to
properly maintain strong and healthy
hair. Everyone's hair is falling out. People
with full heads of hair are now bald. We
can't maintain proper self-care here at
CCDOC. And most people who are forced
to cut their hair have become depressed!
The food here at Cook County
Department of Corrections is very
disgraceful, disappointing, and
disreputable! People really need to see the
food we have to force ourselves to eat to
avoid hunger pains. You wouldn't feed
your cat or your dog the food CCDOC
provides. I that bad. Literally, the rats
don't even bother most of t. And that says
alot! The flipside to that is CCDOC has
the funds for better and healthier meals.
CCDOC gets paid roughly $52,000 for
every individual i custody per year. You
do the math. CCDOC holds roughly 5,000
individuals.
‘Then to add to that, to get fruit you
have to be on specific religious meal
plans. Now why is that? We also
receive hair in our food, spailed milk,
cold dinner trays, outdated snacks,
and soon.
€CDOC commissary prices are
extremely offensive and shamefl,
‘The prices for food here at Cook
County Jail are 2, 3x, even 4x the
pricesat the prisons. And here at
CCDOC we haven'teven been
convicted. It doesn't make any sense!
We've also attached Cook County Jail
commissary pricing list, 50 you can
see for yourself.
Can you PLEASE do what you can to
gt this noticed. Please! Life at
CCDOCis cruel and inhuman. If this
doesn't get exposed it will just
continue. The world needs to know.
CCDOCis a big business, formed by
Systemic racism, superior oppression,
extortion, punitive punishment, and
o much more. WE REALLY NEED
HELP!!
A SUMMER REPORTBACK
FROM THE OUTSIDE
On May 18th, we held our first
speakout against conditions and
‘mistreatmentat CCJ in front of
Division 10, where families and loved
ones go for visitation. We chose this
Tocation to bring the fight directly to
the jail, in the face of the guards, and
to encourage participation from
families and friends headed to or
leaving from visitation. A speakout is
essentially a kind of rally where
people are encouraged to take the mic
and "speak bitterness" (share their
stories and condemnation directly to
the peaple responsible). Speakouts
are a good way to build confidence
among the people, give them a
platform to talk their shit, and
consolidate them. In the lead-up,
Dare to Struggle spent a couple of
weeks flyering at the courthouse and
at visitations, and we reached out to
our contacts to invite them to come
and speak out.
40 INVIATES TAKE
ACTION AGAINST CCJ
SLOP IN DIVISION 8!
On June 26th, at least 40 inmates
inside Cook County Jail's Division 8
stood together and took collective
action against one of their biggest
concerns: the food. CCJ is known to
serve inmates some of the worst food
imaginable—a low-calorie diet that
often makes inmates sick. Inmates have
said in the past they wouldn'tfeed
CCJ's meals to dog, often forcing
inmates to rely on commissary to eat if
they're able to access it. "Something has
to give,” an inmate leading the
collective action told us. "Enough is
enough. We have to get documentation
first. Once we get documentation then,
1feel like anything goes, but I need the
document first. And I keep saying 'luck’
but I thank God at least enough people
was willing to take a stand and come
together, and now I hope that I can
build off that moment in the same
dormitor
Inmates in Division 8 decided they
were ready to fight. Standing together,
they collectively submitted grievances
about the quality of the food. "It's
important because enough is enough,
and the only way change is gonna
happen s if we take a stand. Another
stance like that, T believe, will get the
attention of the right people down here.
1f we ll say, 'Look, we gon’ take a stand
right here, and we ain't gonna move,
unless these conditions are met—1
know that gots power. I believe if we
force they hand, then they will do
something”
Inmates, through a collective struggle,
are learning how to work together and
assert their rights and dignity as human
beings. This is just the beginning of a
larger fight against the conditions
inside the jail. Dare to Struggle salutes
the inmates in Division 8 who are
taking a collective stand against
‘mistreatment and raise the demand
that all inmates deserve decent meals
fit for human beings—every day, for
every inmate. We'll continue to report
their efforts, build support for them on
the outside, and fan the flames of
struggle at CCJ.
Inmates at CCJ are standing up. What
will you do to support them? Join Dare
to Struggle and build a movement
against CCJ's horrible treatment and
conditions!
Black August continued
11961, 19-year-old George Jackson was
convicted by the California prison system for
the crime of robbing a gas station for $71.
George was given the sentence of "a year to
life” for his offense, meaning the judges and
prison offcials could dangle his freedom in
front of him in a cruel attempt to get George
to submit to their authority (again, for the
crime of stealing §71). Even though he
initially went to prison as an "everyday
Tawbreaker," it was his political consciousness
and activity that kept him incarcerated for 11
years. George was introduced to the politics of
revolution while inside when a fellow prisoner
named W. L. Nolen introduced him to the
works of Karl Mars, Vladimir Lenin, and Mao
Zedong, Nolen encouraged George to study
revolutionary texts, write about his struggle,
and organize other prisoners to join the fight
against their oppressive conditions. George
would eventually join the Black Panther Party
(BPP) from inside prison and would be tasked
with establishing more BPP chapters inside
the California prison system. His name would
become more widely known as he became one
of the Soledad Brothers, a group of Black
prisoners accused of killing a guard in Soledad
State Prison after three black prisoners were
shot and killed there by a prison guard (one of
those killed being W.L. Nolen).
It was during the trials of the Soledad
Brothers that an intense struggle ensued. It
became clear the Soledad Brothers,
particularly George, were being targeted by
the system for their political activism, as there
was no evidence they had committed the
crime, and the BPP on the outside began
building a movement to highlight this political
persecution and to free them. On August 7,
170, Jonathan Jackson, George's 17-year-old
brother, entered the Marin County
Courthouse with guns and demanded the
release of the Soledad Brothers. Along with
three others, Jonathan attempted to leave
witha judge, an attorney, and three jurors as
hostages in a van that was waiting for them.
Police fired repeatedly into the moving
vehicl, killing three Black Panthers,
including Jonathan, and the judge. One
hostage was paralyzed for life. The lone
surviving Black Panther, Ruchell Magee,
would g0 on to spend nearly six decades in
prison for his participation in the deadly
escape attempt. Writing about his brother in
the pages of Soledad Brother, a book of prison
letters, George wrote: Little Jonathan
Jackson knew what he was doing. He was a
revolutionary. He gave his lfe in the
struggle, and I will never forget that... They
Killed my lttle brother, but they can't kil his
ideas. He was only 17, but he understood
more about this system than most people
tearn in alifetime.”
Nearly a year later, on August 21, 1971,
George would be killed at the hands of
prison guards during what appeared to
be an attempted prison break, though
there are many questions to this day
about the circumstances surrounding
George's death, and many believe he was
setup and murdered by prison guards.
After George's death, the group he
helped form behind the prison walls
‘would go on to organize struggles on the
inside. A leader and comrade of
George, Khatari Gaulden, would later
die on August 1,1978, from prison
‘medical neglect. It was after this that
‘members of the Black Guerilla Fa
group founded by George) began to
commemorate the Jackson brothers,
Gaulden, and the struggle of Black
people during the month of August and
began to spread the commemoration
across the US.
From then on, the commemoration of
Black August has taken on many
different forms and new meanings to
those who participate in it. Though its
significance has faded from many
people’s collective memory, it's still
commemorated widely by
revolutionaries, nationalists, and
prisoners alike. For those who observe
BA, it's a time to recommit oneself to the
struggle. The founders of Black August
wrote 4 tenets for those participating in
the month's observance to abide by
"1. Afast which historically has been
used as an expression of personal
commitment and resistance. Hence,
from sunrise until evening meal we will
abstain from eating. We abstain from
consuming any type of intoxicants for
the entire month of August. The
necessity for this should be self-evident
for all serious participants of Black
August (BA),
2. We limit our selection of television
and radio to educational programs, i.e.
news, documentaries and cultural
programs, ete.
3. During BA we emphasize political and
cultural studies for individuals involved
in BA. Participants in BA should pair off
with someone else you know to study
and share knowledge of African affairs.
4. Asan outward expression of BA we
weara black armband on the left arm or
wrist as a tribute to those Africans who
have died as a result of their sacrifice for
African Liberation. The armband can be
worn either on the inside or outside of
your clothing."
Additionally, there are special days
of commemoration during BA—days
that mark the historic events of
struggle, such as August 7th and
August 215t to mark the deaths of
Jonathan and George.
‘This Black August, Dare to Struggle
calls on all people inside Cook
County Jail and their loved ones to
participate in this year's Black
August commemoration by
committing to the struggle against
oppression and joining us for an
August 215t demonstration
against the conditions inside
CCJ. Inmates should take the month
to make plans for the 21t and how
they can hold demonstrations on
their decks, in coordination with
Dare to Struggle's demonstration
outside on the same day. Invite other
inmates to participate in Black
August, discuss its history and
politics, and invite them to
demonstrate and speak out against
the conditions of the jail on the 28th.
Make signs and banners from sheets
with slogans about the jil and the
struggle against it invite people to
gather ata specific time and location
in your division, ask people to make
speeches and lead chants. Get
creative. Spread the word on your
deck: t's time to come together.
Most importantly, write to Dare to
Struggle about your experience
during Black August—how you and
others practiced it—and report to us
on your demonstration if you
organized or participated in one
(what was the program, how many
people came out or participated,
what was the reaction of the COs
and other inmates).
As we've said before in previous
issues of Cracks: enough with the
bullshit! Inmates have to squash
their petty beefs and come together
against their common enemy—those
who oppress you every day inside
the hell on Earth we call Cook
County Jail. Let's make this year's
Black August the time to start that
process and get people involved in a
common struggle. As George
Jackson writes: “Settle your
‘quarrels, come together,
understand the reality of our
situation, understand that fascism
s already here, that people are
already dying who could be saved,
that generations more will ie or
live poor butchered hal-lives if you
Sfail to act.”
B e o e e e
R e e e i e i e o T
Summer Reportback continued
On the day of the speakout, some sheriffs tried to tel us to
‘move from the sidewalk, to which we replied: fuck off, They
backed off and decided to watch the speakout nearby from
their cars. We had a few families come and speak out against
the conditions at CCJ as well as someone who had been
inside before speaking out about how they were treated
Children wrote messages about CCJ in chalk in front of
Division 10 which read: "CCJ Hell On Eartht", "Boo Cook
County”,"Love you Mom". While the speakout was going on,
we invited visitors to join us and speak out, and we gave
them issues of Cracks.
On June 1st, Dare to Struggle organized a People’s Tribunal
Against Tom Dart, again outside of Division 10. With Sheriff
Tom Dart being the head of the jail, we decided to put him
on trial for the crimes committed against inmates and
families. We spent time beforehand flyering and trying to
build up the event, messaging inmates to invite their
families. We set up a life-size cutout of Dart as a st list of
speakers gave testimony against him and the crimes the
people are charging him for. The tribunal had the
testimonies of several individuals whose lives have been
ruined by Tom Dart and his jail: Vicki Willis (mother of
Alteriq Pleasant) spoke about how CCJ stole her son's lie in
2022, Grant Hatter (brother of Raheem Hatter) spoke about
how CCJ stole his brother's life in 2021, and family members
of peaple inside gave testimony about the horrors their loved
ones are facing on a daily basis. The most impactful part of
the tribunal was the playing out loud of recorded testimony
from inmates currently inside CCJ who called in to DTS
beforehand to ecord thels testimonies against Tom Dart. |
Visitors coming in and out would stop and listen, joining in
mally to speak or hold signs that read "Puish Abusive
“Jail Tom Dart,” and "CCJ: No More Stolen Lives!
Kids got to doing chalk slogans again in front of the jail. The
verdictat the end of the people’s trial for Tom Dart: GUILTY
FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE PEOPLE! We still plan to
deliver this verdict soon to the President of the Cook County
Board, Toni Preckwinkle. While this was by far our most
exciting and well-attended event, many people’s families who
had confirmed being there (to DTS directly or through their
loved one inside) didn't show up. We understand shit can
come up for people, but we want to stress the importance of
showing up and encourage inmates to talk with their loved
ones about the importance of getting involved with DTS.
Lastly, on July 13th, in response to the increases in
commissary, Dare to Struggle called for a speakout at the jail
10 expose and denounce these increases. As we've laid out
before, the way commissary works at CCJ is via extortion of
families, and inmates are forced to rely on commissary
because the provided food is shit. The increases in
commissary are a way to bleed more out of those on the
outside o provide basic things for their loved ones. Even
though we'd heard from the inside that commissary was only
increasing on a few items, we still went out to agitate people
about the increases, seeing this as an attack on inmates and
families. We spoke out in front of Division 10 and distributed
our newsletter. We didn't have a great turnout as we didn't
do great outreach for the event itsel, but nevertheless, we
spoke to families about the increases and the need to get
organized to fight back. We ended by going over to the
4
outside of Division 11 (on the 31st Street side) with our
megaphones to make some announcements to the inmates
there. We told inmates to bang on the windows if they
could hear us and agreed with what we were laying down—
that inmates need to start to come together, organize
themselves, and fight back against the conditions (we had a
ot of banging). Its hard for us to know if guys in 11 can
hear us when we're out there, so please, write to us and let
usknow.
A NOTE FROM DTS
TO THE READER
Since December 2024, Dare to Struggle has been producing
and distributing Cracks At Hotel California (Cracks) with
the help of inmates and their families. Since then, we've
produced 7 issues and have had wide distribution both
inside and outside CCJ, having made hundreds of contacts
and readers in the process. Through this effort, we were
able to create alist of demands against the jail conditions
with both families and inmates, held protests outside of the
jail, and put Sheriff Tom Dart on trial with a people's
tribunal in June, where families and inmates gave
testimony against Dart and the conditions at CCJ.
“The initial goals of Cracks was to expose the conditions
inside the jail and use it as a tool to give both inmates and
families a voice as well as to get people organized in the
fight against the horrifying conditions and mistreatment at
CCJ. As we continued to meet and talk with inmates and
families, we ran into a few different issues. We soon became!
overwhelmed with stories from people about their
individual cases and asking DTS for help. While we've
highlighted people’s individual cases and fights inside the
pages of Cracks and in other material we take out to people
and write, its been difficult for our small erew of full-timers
(weall work full-time jobs, but dedicate our time to DTS
when we clock-out) in Chicago to manage both the
production of material and taking it out to the public. It's
important to note: Dare to Strugle is not an organization
of lawyers (though we've tried to connect people with
lawyers when they ask). We're not a social service agency
We're an activist group whose main objective is to organize
people in collective struggle against the American
nightmare. Our starting point is going to those facing this
nightmare and organizing them in collective action because
that's the only way shit is actually going to change.
‘We also started to notice general trends both in people’s
Stories about how they wound up at CCJ as well as the
conditions on the inside. Week after week, we were
distributing new issues of Cracks that essentially said the
same thing: CCJ is hell on Earth. And while we need to
continue to expose the jail and the stories inside, we also
don't want to be redundant. People in CCJ already know
the conditions they're living in, o what good is it to report
onitall the time? While it does stll serve the purpose of
exposure—letting the world know what's going on behind
those walls—we want to take Cracks to another level.
Continue on page 5
For the last 7 months, we've made
substantial inroads inside the jail. Our
general strategy is organizing both the
inside (inmates at CCJ) and outside
(families, friends, supporters) to work
in coordination with one another to
initiate focused campaigns of struggle
around a specific set of demands (they
canbe the ones we drew up, but those
can also change depending on what's
going on). At this point, the inside has
surpassed the outside. We have
‘numerous readers and leaders in nearly
every division. People inside are talking
to each other, reading the newsletter
together in groups, and writing to DTS
about the process of coming together.
“This has been an important
development in organizing inmates in
collective struggle, and we want to seize
the moment, with hopes that these
efforts inside can encourage the outside
tostep up. So given this, we want to
outline a couple of suggestions for the
readers, both inside and out
Ifyou got something to say to
DTS, please write to us: Those who
have our phones be blowing us up
sometimes (which is cool because we
Tove you guys), but we can't get to every
call all the time. There are a handful of
people who are being brought up as
leaders in this struggle and we'd like to
get on regular calls with people who are
taking this stuff seriously to strategize.
But generally, it much better to write
tous.
Cracks is your voice to share with
both the inside and outside: When
writing to Cracks, think of the
newsletter as a way to deliver messages
between divisions and to the outside.
What do you want others to know? We
suggest writing about how you're
getting organized in your div/deck,
what are some of the obstacles in
getting people organized both inside
and out, and what are some things
you're fighting around and how. Wite
Teports about protests you organize
and tell people how they went. These
will be useful for others trying to
organize themselves and fellow
inmates/families. We can't guarantee
everything submitted will get
published, but we'll do our best to put
out the most pressing issues and, if
needed, print add-ons for people to
read.
Cracks is an organizing tool: The
newsletter should be a place we can
collectively organize struggle. In our
opinion, it's the best way to do so at
CCJ. It should be full of ideas from
inmates and families on how to
organize people and what we should
be organizing people around. If there
are disagreements or criticism about
things put in this newsletter, write to
us and we can put it in the next issue.
It would be good if there was a debate
of ideas going back and forth in
Cracks. DTS doesn't hold all the
answers—we have a strategy we
believe in—but it’s the masses of
people who make history, and we
want to hear from you about what you
thinkis the best way forward when it
comes to the collective struggle and
liberation of people.
We look forward to continuing to
publish Cracks and get it to those who
need to read what it ays down. We
look forward to hearing from new
readers, contributors, and comrades
in this struggle. The path ahead is a
long one. The enemy is powerful. But
we know the people are more
powerful, especially when together. In
the words of the great Chairman Fred
Hampton: "If you dare to struggle,
you dare to win. If you don't dare to
struggle, then goddamnit you don't
deserve to win."
DTS MISSION
STATEMENT
Over the last decade, powerful
protests and rebellions, on the one
hand, and the vicious cruelty of those
in power, on the other, have laid bare
the American nightmare that so many
people are subjected to. Police
brutality and the police murder of
Black and oppressed people continue
atepidemic proportions, even after
promises of reform and the election of
“progressive” district attorneys. Over
two million people languish in prisons
and jais today after Republican and
Democratic administrations spent
decades targeting Black and other
oppressed people for punishment and
imprisonment. Immigrants continue
to be exploited in essential jobs,
detained and deported, and vilified by
a virulent anti-immigrant racism.
American patriarchy, whether in the
form of Christian fundamentalism,
rape culture, or crass objectification,
continues to subject women and LGBTQ
people to subjugation, discrimination, and
violence. And American empire rains
down death and destruction on the world
in the form of drone strikes and support
for oppressive regimes, with the danger of
future wars on the horizon.
Ontop of these and other longstanding
injustices, we confront sharpening
existential crises. Capitalism-created
climate change intensifies hurricanes,
floods, and wildfires that destroy homes
and lives while threatening the existence
of humanity. The oil industry has become
the driving force in the United States'
longstanding theft of Indigenous land.
Gentrification is displacing working-class
peaple from their homes and destroying
Black, Latino, and immigrant
neighborhoods. The growing ranks of
homeless people are left to fend for
themselves, or, worse yet, pushed off the
ground they sleep on when it catches the
eyes of real estate developers. People are
struggling to pay rent, put food on the
table, pay off debt and student loans, and
get decent healthcare, with the
government's (mis)handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic only making these
struggles all the more difficult. A massive
fascist social base amped up during.
‘Trump’s presidency continues to rally in
the streets and commit violence in the
‘name of white supremacy. And the
warped culture of American social
relations continues to give rise to mass
shootings, often driven by fascist ideology.
Our starting point for stopping any of
these injustices must be to organize
sustained and audacious resistance based
‘among the people under attack and
uniting all who can be united. It's only
when we dare to struggle that we can
win victories and get a taste of our
potential collective power. Dare to
Struggle is a multinational organization
open to anyone who wants to resist and
justice no matter who holds
I office. We don'tlobby politicians,
We don't use insular activist lingo. We
don't chase social media fame. We don't
seek careers or corporate sponsorship
through activism. We're committed to
standing with the people subjected to the
horrors of the American nightmare. We go
to the neighborhoods facing police
brutality, ICE raids, poverty, and
evictions, talk to people about the
problems they face, and organize people
in collective struggle. We know that
radical change only happens when people
step outside of routine protest or
expecting politicians to do it for us and
take bold, collective action.
5
s B
-~ HOTEL CALIFORNIA =~
EXPOSING THE REAUTIES OF Coorn County Jai
Issue #8
Sep-Oct 2025
PROTEST SHERRIFF
TOM DART'S SPEAKING
EVENT 9/23!
‘Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart s attending a
Iunch downtown tolie to donors about the
conditions inside the jail
CCJ FAMILIES & FRIENDS! COME OUT
AND LET THE HEAD OF THE JAIL
KNOW HOW YOU REALLY FEEL
ABOUT CONDITIONS AND
MISTREATMENT AT CCJ!
SEPTEMBER 23 AT 11AM, 111
W GRAND AVE, CHICAGO IL!
022 THE NATIONAL DAY
OF PROTEST TO STOP
POLICE BRUTALITY!
by Dare to Struggle and Families
Demanding Justice
ce 2020, over 7,000 people across
the United States have been killed by
police, and every year is more deadly
than the last.
The mass rebelion in response to the public
execution of George Floyd, which shook the
system toits core, was strangled, pulled, and
led into the ground by politicians and
opportunists.
Since then, a few killer cops have faced
charges, trial, and prison time, but most of
these murderers with a badge get away with
their crimes. The police keep serving and
protecting white supremacy and capitalism,
and in that role,they are sanctioned to
andkill
brutalize
In 2024, police in the US killed 1
people, the highest number ever
recorded.
The police respond to people ina
‘mental health crisis with taser-
guns and bullets. They prey on
Black, Latino, Indigenous, and
proletarian youth, stalking them in
squad cars, brutalizing them and
throwing them into the prison
ipeline, or just shoot them dead.
In response to rising homelessness,
homeless people are being
criminalized, with police carrying
out brutal raids on encampments.
Despite the tough talk about
Trump’s immigration policies from
liberal and progressive politicians,
the police have assisted in the
Kidnapping of thousands of people
by ICE agents, brutally beating,
shooting, and arresting protesters
in the process.
Continue on pase 3
OVER 6,000 CHECK-INS AT HOTEL CALIFORNIA
COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY EILEEN O'NELL BURKE'S SADIST MISSION TO EXPEDITE DETENTION AT
COOK COUNTY JAIL AND SWELL THE MASS INCARCERATION MACHINE
b
are to Struggle- Chicago
On August 4th, the llinois Network for
Pretrial Justice released a report stating
that the number of incarcerated persons
at Cook County Jail (CCJ) “rose above
6,000 for the first time since March
2022 Responsible for this uptick in
incarceration is what we can aptly
describe as State's Attomey Eileen O'Neill
Burke's personal war on guns.
To wage her war, Burke is empowering
her office to seek detention for any
individual caught possessing an
unregistered or banned firearm,
irrespective of the circumstances of an
individual case (being at the wrong place
at the wrong time, or even if a gun was
never even fired).
DARETOSTRUGGLE ORG
DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO @PROTONMAIL COM
Burke has entrusted the pigs to carry out
her mandate, giving CPD districts in the
majority Black neighborhoods of
Englewood and Calumet the green light to
stalk its residents and issue felony gun
charges at their discretion.
By seeking detention for gun possession,
Burke's policies hide the circumstances
that lead to gun possession in the first
place. Talking with guys at CCJ, we've
heard the same story about guys getting
caught with guns: they live in a bad
neighborhood, don't trust the cops,
record, but have to arm themsely
get caught with a gun and because of their
record, end up at CCJ. These guns are
rarely tied to a shooting or murder but
they were still locked up.
DARE T0
STRUCELS
strugg}e"
Yet, missing from Burke's lock-
em-up mentality i police
brutality. In the first five
of this year, CPD pigs have
already shot and killed six
people, the equivalent of the
number of people they shot and
lled last year.
6,000 Check-Ins Continued
Included among the dead are 57-year old
Timothy Glaze, a terminally ill man
experiencing a mental health crisis who was
shot 16 times by CPD in the doorframe of his
partner’s apartment, and 19-year old Nathaniel
Fejerang, chased into his neighbor’s backyard
by tactical team officers for no proven reason
before he was pinned facedown and shot three
times at point-blank range. While Burke
promised that she would “make sure that
people who are a danger to the public” are
detained, we wonder why killer cops Alejandro
Urbano Mateo, Salah Saleh, and Oscar Asilis,
are not among the swelling numbers of peopie
ocked up in Cook County. The same can be
said for 26 year-old Dexter Reed. On August
13th, Burke announced that her office “could
not meet their burden’ to secure convictions
against the tactical team officers that murdered
Reed in March of last year. Reed was in his car
when the tactical team pulled up him over for a
traffic stop and in seconds unleashed 96
rounds at Reed's car, shooting him 13 times. As
people sworn in to “protect & serve,” cops.
ought to be held to a higher standard,
especially if they fail to fulfil this promise. So if
Burke is 5o “tough on crime,” why has she
refused to press charges and pursue the
detention of these killer cops?
‘This question gets at a key contradiction of
urke's war on guns and the mass
incarceration machine as a whole: killer pigs
getafree pass to shoot, kill, and stll walk the
streets, while those outside law enforcement,
some with potentially lesser offenses (like gun
possession), are locked up in droves. While
Burke's office has failed to seck charges against
Killer cops, CPD continues to exceed their
allotted misconduct budget, with police costing
Chicagoans $164 million dollars in police
misconduct settlements, double the allotted
582 million dollars budgeted for police
misconduct and a number expected to grow
(1). And while Chicagoans foot the bill of the
pigs'dirty work, CCJ makes an average of
52,000 off of each inmate per year (2). Burke
would have us believe that her war on guns will
putand end to gun violence, but by letting
Killer cops roam the streets freely, Burke shines
light on the real function of jails and prisons
under capitalism: to lock up the oppressed.
In the aftermath of the revolutionary 60s
decade, jail and prisons became a key means of
social control for the Black proletarians, who
chose to push back against the joblessness of
deindustrialization and the unlivable
conditions they were subjected to by the ruling
class. In an effort to condemn these groups and
justify their incarceration, the ruling class
troduced guns and drugs into Black and
Latino neighborhoods in the
705 and 805, replacing the |
revolutionary culture of the
sixties with a corporate-
hustle culture and “get
mine” mentality that soon
expressed itselfin violence.
And so began the crime
fighting and incarceration
crusade of politicians like
on drugs,”to the Clinton era
Black “super predator” and
“three strikes” system, these
“tough on crime” policies
have led to incarceration of
millions of predominantly
Black and Latino people in
jails and prisons across the
Us.
that the only true resolution to crime is
to overthrow this capitalist and with it
the damaging social relations that
manifest themselves in proletarian
neighborhoods. That means working
directly within these neighborhoods
and among inmates and their families
to organize them to fight back against
the system determined to criminalize
Thisis why weat Dareto and keep them locked up!
Struggle are calling bullshit
on Burke's push for further 1 you're outraged by the jail population
incarceration. hikes and fuck with our message, join
us. We're Dare to Struggle and we gota
‘The history of jails and ‘message for SA Burke: Down with the
prisons in this country show Mass Incarceration Machine!
022 Continued
And there is no serious movement in this
country to stop this. The protest movement in
response to police brutality has been derailed
time and time again by politicians promising
reforms and grifters using the movement for
their personal gain, and without intervention,
the same thing will ikely happen to the
current spontaneous uprisings against ICE.
Justice Department investigations,
legislation, police review boards, and other
reforms cannot end police brutality because
it's baked into the government on all levels
and the entire system. It a fundamental tool,
along with mass incarceration, to keep
oppressed people controlled and subjugated.
Families Demanding Justice and Dare to
Struggle are working to rebuild the
movement against police brutality and for
justice for Black and other oppressed
‘people on solid foundations by getting people
organized for the National Day of Protest
Against Police Brutality on October 22 (022).
‘The movement we are seeking to build puts
families and loved ones of the victims of
police murder at the forefront, reviving a
powerful weapon against police brutality.
We will unite all who can be united in this
struggle, regardless of identity. And we will
reject begging for reforms from politicians in
favor of mass action.
‘We will be going to neighborhoods under the
gun of police brutality throughout the
summer and fall to mobilize youth and those
who have the courage to stand up and speak
for themselves and their communities. We
will unite families and loved ones of victims
of police murder from around the country to
join in and take a leading role in the 022
National Day of Protest Against Police
Brutality.
Join us October 22 to demand:
NO MORE MURDERS & BRUTALITY
BY THE POLICE!
SEND KILLER COPS TO PRISON!
END THE CRIMINALIZATION OF
BLACK, LATINO, & INDIGENOUS
YOUTH!
END THE CRIMINALIZATION OF
HOMELESSNESS & MENTAL
ILLNESS!
NO MORE MILITARIZED POLICE
REPRESSION OF PROTEST!
STOP THE ICE KIDNAPPINGS OF
IMMIGRANTS!
CCI!.Join us for Oz2! Police brutality
extends inside every prison and jail in
this country. It’s time we come together
a speak out against it! Organize O22
protests on October 2znd! Tell
your families and friends to come
out strong to the Chicago 022
protest on October 22nd at
5:30PM at 300 E 315t St., Chicago
IL. We need masses of people in
the streets!
REPORT: AT LEAST 8
DRUG OVERDOSES IN
DIVISION 8 IN AUGUST
According to an inmate source in CCJ, at
least 8 inmates overdosed during a two
week span at the end of August. He
reports:
“There have been 8 overdoses in the
past two weeks in Division 8 - RTU
(medical unit). 3 guards have been fired
for smuggling in contraband in the past
‘month. Most drugs are brought in by the
guards, very few come in through the
mail anymore..
€CDOC intercepts all mail, and
honestly, unless its anything other than
a book from Amazon, its confiscated and
notreturned..
Cross-watching is technically illegal. It's
when 1 officer s responsible for double
the work. Or when a ratio from officer to
inmate goes to 1:78. From the already
illegal ratio of 1:39, when it should be
1:20. The ratio is an extensive security
CCY exposes itself as a death trap. Not
only dothe COs bring in drugs (a fact
known to many inside and outside of
CCY), inmates are let alone to
potentially overdose and die. Cross-
watching has led to the death of many
inside CCJ, from inmate suicide,
overdoses, or inamate’s hurting and
killing one another, a practice that
continues on to this day, When the jail
gets more money from the government
shore up staffing levels, as they suggest,
what happened to the money? In May
2025, a Senior Cook County SherifPs
Office investigator filed a lawsuit against
Sherrif Tom Dart, alleging multiple
violations of Illinois human rights laws
corruption, as well as misappropriation
of millions in COVID relief funds from
the feds.
Staffing is an ongoing problem at
CCJ, but one the jail s ultimately
fine with. More money for them,
‘more suffering for inmates. Our
question is: How do we break the
eycle once and for all?
Write to us about how drugs get
into CCJ and how we can stop the
epidemic of corruption at the jail.
L
REPORT FROM 8/21
PROTEST AT CCJ
On August 215t, the 54th
anniversary of the murder of
revolutionary prisoner George
Jackson, Dare to Struggle stood
with protesting inmates inside Cook
County Jail by protesting outside
the walls of Division 8 and 11 to let
them know: we got your back!
For months, inmates have been
organizing themselves, struggling
with each other to put down petty
bullshit and beefs, and come
together against conditions at CCJ.
Despite censorship efforts, inmates
were able to pull off several
successful protests on their decksin
different divisions, standing up
against CCJ and the conditions
imposed upon them by prison
authorities. Here is what some
inmates wrote to us:
“Long Live George Jackson!
Solidarity. We stood firm with
resistance all night!"
“Refusal of dinner trays at lunch in
remembrance of George and
Jonathan Jackson! BLESS THEIR
souLs!”
Continue on page 4
B e o e e e
8/21 Report Continued
“Alot of decks on RTU created disturbances, we stood firm for
hours demanding changes throughout the night. We stood
firm and didn't fold. There were guys who knew how to climb.
the windows and walls, which added to . It was definitely
powerful because we came together.”
“We heard you guys out there! We were most defiantly
banging and we appreciate you guys a lot!
“Isaw yalll yesterday out the window and saw the crowd. We
protested here as well and they took our microwave... you can
Ie our people on the outside know we are doing our part as
well. because the word must get out about our conditions in
here.”
We marched outside, leading chants, making specches, and
lots of noise to encourage inmates to stand together. We had
an inmate call in and lead chants from the outside. We could
hear banging on the walls from the inside while we rallied.
While the sheriffs tried to shut us down outside multiple
divisions, we held firm and stood our ground against their
intimidation.
Inmates at CCJ are standing up against the hell on earth we
know as the jail. Will you stand with them? Join Dare to
Struggle to build a mass movement against conditions at the
Jails and prisons!
Over the lastseveral months, we have received a number of reports
from inmates inside Cook County Jail (CCJ) that Cracks at Hotel
California (Cracks) newsletters are being withheld from them for the
stated reason the newsletters “encourage violence”. In July, we
received word that a handful of ssue #6s were confiscated for this
reason and we later received these notices back in the mail. One
inmate was told their newsletter was censored because it was.
suspected to have been contaminated with drugs. Earlier this month,
wereceived word that several more people inside were given notices
of censorship for the Issue #7 newsletter, again citing the
encouragement of violence.
In August, we received alarge package from Cook County.
Department of Corrections containing at least 63 censorship notices,
all citing: “I (Cracks) depicts, describes, advocates, o encourages
violence, hatred, or group disuption or poses a risk of violence or
disruption.” In carly September, we received another package of
censored mai,totally to more than 9o censored newsietters since
.
“This escalation in censorship by jil officials is clearly a sign of
political epression against Cracks, Dare to Struggle, and inmates at
ccl.
Not only s everything in Cracks publicly available and i protected
free speech, but their accusation that Cracks “encourages violence” is
anattempt to deny what inmates and their families already know to
be true: The only violence encouraged at CCJ stems from the jal
itself. From the COs who beat and pit inmates against one another,
those who look the other way or allow for inmates’ medical needs to
g0 unchecked, the arbitrary revoking of “privileges” like using a
‘microwave (the only way most inmates are able to eat anything other
than slop) or using the tablets, to the punishment
4
ofinmates confined to shackles, itis CCJ that encourages violence.
inside on a daily basis. What is supposed to be a pretrial
detainment facility becomes a death sentence for some: the same
way it was for Sergio Cordero Jr., Raheem Hatter, Alteriq
Pleasant, and Cory Ulmer, to name a few. They fear Cracks
because it tells the truth: The people, especially inmates, need to
get organized against the horrid conditions at CCJ.
CCJ continues their selective use of censorship in order to silence
the voices of inmates as wellas repress attempts by inmates to get
organized. While many newsletters continue to make their way.
inside the jail and in the hands of inmates, CCJ is clearly ramping
up their cénsorship campaign.
During the rebellion at Attica in 1971, prisoners stood together
and fought back against the oppressive prison authorities and
conditions. One of the main issues raised was around the mail
being read by prison authorities. Prisoners in the past rose up.
against the mere surveillance of their mail,let alone censorship
and confiscation by officals happening today. We must embrace
this same spirit as the Attica rebels and demand an end to the
censorship of Cracks and all mail censorship inside CCJ.
To those on the inside, don't accept the censorship and when you
gt the yellow slip, demand to get your mail back and tell them
they are iolating your rights. To the outside, stand with inmates
against this blatant violation of their rights and get active to raise:
up these demands and more.
A NOTE FROM DTS TO THE READER
Since December 2024, Dare to Struggle has been producing and
distributing Cracks At Hotel California (Cracks) with the help of
inmates and their familis. Since then, we've produced 7 issues
and have had wide distribution both inside and outside CCJ,
having made hundreds of contacts and readers in the process.
‘Through this effort we were able to reatea lst of demands
against the jail conditions with both families and inmates, held
protests outside of thejai, and put Sheriff Tom Dart on tral with
apeople's tribunal in June, where families and inmates gave
testimony against Dast and the conditions at CC.L
“The initial goals o Cracks was to expose the conditions inside the
and use it as tool to give both inmates and families a voice as.
‘well s to get people organized in the fight against the horrifying
conditions and mistreatment at CCJ. AS we continued to meet and
talkwith inmates and families, we ran into a few different issues.
We soon became overvhelmed vith stories from people about
their individual cases and asking DTS for help. While we've
highlighted people’ individual cases and fights inside the pages of
Cracks and in other material we take out to people and write, its
been diffcult for our small crew of full-timers (we all work full-
time jobs, but dedicate our time to DTS when we clock-out) in
Chicago to manage both the production of material and taking it
out tothe public.Its important to note: Dare to Struggle is not an
organization of Lewyers (though we've tried to connect people with
lawyers when they ask). We're not a social service agency. We're
an activist group whose main objective is o organize people in
collective struggle against the American nightmare. Our starting
pointis going to those facing this nightmare and organizing them
i collective action because thats the only way shit is actually
going o change.
We also started to notice general trends both in people’s stories
about how they wound up at CCJ as well as the conditions on the
inside. Week after week, we were distributing new issues of Cracks
that essentiallysaid the same thing: CCJ is hell on Earth. And
while we need to continue to expose the jail and the storiesinside,
wealso don't want to be redundant, People in CCJ already know
the conditions they're living in, so what good is it to report on itall
the time? Whil it does still erve the purpose of exposure—letting
the world know what's going on behind those walls—we want to
take Cracks to another level .
Continue on page 5
| MESSAGE TO THE COs: HATE YOUR JOB?
Work for Cracks!We know you guys don't like us. We probably don't see
eye to eye. But, you can help Cracks too. Write to us about corruption,
conditions, and mistreatment at CCJ and help expose this hellhole.
Email us at daretostrugglechicago@protonmail.com
For the last 7 months, we've made
substantial inroads inside the ail. Our
general strategy i organizing both the
inside (inmates at CCJ) and outside
(families, friends, supporters) to work in
oordination with one another toinitiate
focused campaigns of struggle around a
specifi set of demands (they can be the
ones we drew up, but those can also change
depending on whats going on). At this
point, the inside has surpassed the outside
We have numerous readers and leaders in
nearly every division. People insideare
talking to each other, reading the newsletter
together n groups, and writing to DTS
about the process of coming together. This
has been an important development in
organizing inmates in collective str
and we want to seize the moment, with
hopes that these efforts inside can
encourage the outside to step up. So given
this, we want to outline a couple of
suggestions for the readers, both inside and
out
If you got somed
please write to us:
phones be blowing us up sometimes (which
is ool because we love you guys), but we.
can'tget o every call all the time. There are
a handful of people who are being brought
up as leaders in this struggle and we'd ke
10 get on regular calls with people who are:
taking this stuffseriously to strategize. But
generally, it's much better to write to us.
Cracks is your voice to share with
both the inside and outside: When
writing to Cracks, think of the newsletter as
a way to deliver messages between divisions
andto the outside. What do you want
others to know? We suggest writing about
how you're getting organized in your div/
deck; whatare some of the obstacles in
getting people organized bath inside and
out, and what are some things you're
fighting around and how. Write reports
about protests you organize and tell peaple
how they went. These will be useful for
others trying o organize themselves and
fellow inmates families. We can't guarantee
everything submitted wil get published, but
well do our best to put out the most
pressing issues and, if needed, print add-
ns for people to read.
Cracks is an organizing tool: The,
newsletter should be a place we can
collectively organize struggle. In our
opinion,it'sthe best way to do so at CCJ.
It should be full of ideas from inmates and
families on how to organize people and
what we should be organizing people
around. fthere are disagreements or
erticism about things put in this
newsletter, write o us and we can put it in
the next isue. It would be good if there
was a debate of deas going back and forth
in Cracks. DTS doesn' hold all the
answers—we have a strategy we believein
but it the masses of people who make
history, and we want to hear from you
about what you think is the best way
forward when it comes to the collective
struggle and liberation of people.
‘Welook forward to continuing to publish
Cracks and get it o those who need to
read what it lays down. We look forward to
hearing from new readers, contributors,
and comrades in this struggle. The path
ahead is along one. The enemy is
‘powerful. But we know the people are
‘more poverful, especially when together.
In the words of the great Chairman Fred
Hampton: “Ifyou dare to struggle, you
dare towin. If you don't dare to struggle,
then goddamnit you don't deserve to
DTS MISSION
STATEMENT
Over the last decade, powerful protests.
and rebelions, on the one hand, and the
vicious cruelty of those in power, on the
other, have laid bare the America
nightmare that so many people are
subjected to. Police brutality and th
police murder of Black and oppressed
people continue at epidemic proportions,
evenafter promises of reform and the
election of “progressive” districtattomeys.
Over twomillion people languish in
prisons and jails today after Republican
‘and Democratic administrations spent
decades targeting Black and other
oppressed people for punishment and
imprisonment. Immigrants continue to be
exploited in essential jobs, detained and
deported, and vilified by a virulent anti-
immigrant racism. American patriarchy,
whetherin the form of Christian
fundamentalism, rape culture, or crass
objectification,
continues to subject women and LGETQ
people to subjugation, discrimination, and
Violence. And American empire rains down
death and destruction on the world in the form
of drone strikes and support for oppressive
regimes, with the danger o future wars on the
horizon.
On topof these and other longstanding
injustices, we confront sharpening existential
erises. Capitalism-created climate change
intensifies hurricanes, floods, and wildfires
that destroy homes and lives while thre
the existence of humanity. The ofl industry
become the driving force in the United States”
Tongstanding theft of Indigenous land
Gentrification s displacing working-class
people from their homes and destroying Black,
Latino, and immigrant neighborhoods. The
growing ranks of homeless people are lef to
fend for themselves, o, worse e, pushed off
the ground they sleep on when it catches the
eyes of real estate developers. People are
struggling to pay rent, put food on the table,
pay off debt and student loans, and get decent
healtheare, with the government's
(mis)handling of the COVID-19 pandemic only
‘making these struggles all the more difficult. A
‘massive fascist social base amped up during
Trump’s presidency continues to rally in the
streets and commit violence in the name of
white supremacy. And the warped culture of
American socialrelations confinues to give rise
to mass shootings, often driven by fascist
ideology
Our starting point for stopping any of these.
injustices must be io organize sustained and
audacious resistance based among the people
under attack and uniting allwho can be
united. It only when we dare tostruggle that
we can win victories and get a taste of our
potential collective power. Dare to Struggle is
multinational organization open to anyone
who wants to resist and stop injustice no
‘matter who holds political office. We don't
Iobby poliicians. We don't use insular activist
lingo. We don' chase social media fame. We.
don' seek careers or corporate sponsorship
through activism. We're committed to standing
with the people subjected to the horrors of the
American nightmare. We g0 o the
neighborhoods facing police brutalty, ICE
raids, poverty, and evictions, talk to people
about the problems they face, and organize
people i callective struggle. We know that
radical change only happens when people step.
outside of routine protest or expecting
politicians to do it for us and take bold,
collective action.
B e e e I I W R |
e e e e o t S e
CCJ Inmates & Their Families
Demand DIGNITY & RESPECT Inside
Cook County Jail
1. We demand the right to a fair and
speedy trial. Many inmates have been
inside Cook County Jail for years without
being found guilty of a crime. Many inmates
are pressured into taking plea deals because
of this. Due to the conditions of the jail,
some people will catch more charges while
inside waiting for their day in court.
2. We demand decent meals fit for
human beings, everyday, for every
prisoner. We demand clean drinking water
free of contaminates which make inmates
sick.
3. We demand adequate access to our
Toved ones inside and outside of the
jail, and an end to the criminalization
‘of visitors. We also demand an end to the
confiscation of mail sent to inmates under
the false guise of safety. Withholding letters
& denying visitation is a form of
psychological torture.
4. We demand the jail allow
industries to enter the institutions
and employ inmates. Many families are
extorted by the jail to provide for their loved
ones on the inside and are driven to the
brink of bankruptcy. Inmates should be able
toprovide for themselves and their families.
GET INVOLVED!
Email us at,
daretostrugglechicago
@protonma;
Write to PO Box
#25087, Chicago IL
60625
5. We demand adequate
medical staff and change in
icy. The jail is
reatment of
inmates and often denies medical
care for those in need. There are
often numerous “mistakes” made
‘many times; the denial of medication
and improper medication
administered.
6. We demand regular use of
the recreational facilities and
time outside. We also demand
regular educational activities inside
the jail that stimulate the mind.
7. We demand an end to
collective punishment. Inmates
should not be denied “privileges” like
use of the microwave or be placed on
Tockdown for days or weeks because
of a rules violation. Collective
punishment only creates more
tension
8. We demand dlean and decent
living spaces inside the jail.
Inmates are denied sufficient
cleaning supplies so they can
properly upkeep their cells. Common
areas, especially the showers, are not
properly and regularly cleaned.
There are units that get too cold at
ight where inmates are only
provided one thin blanket for
warmth. Some showers are scalding
hot and can't be used
Join the campaign to fight for
these demands and more. Tell
your friends, tell your family.
Get organized and fight back.
THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE
IS THE FORCE
OF LIFE
Cracks At Hotel California is a newsletter that exposes the daily
reality of torture, murder, and mistreatment inside of the Cook County
Jail. We believe that the people who can best tell the truth about,
what's happening are the pecple on the inside and their loved ones on
the outside. This newsletter is produced by Dare to Struggle, an
organization committed to standing with the people subjected to the
horrors of the American nightmare. Send us your story..
6 DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO@PROTONMAIL COM
DARE 1@
AUTHORITIES: PLEASE READ
CENSORSHIP NOTICE
tributor of Cracks, we
st Amendment right to
correspond with inmates, just as
inmates retain a First Amendment
right to correspond with the outside:
world. While a rational basis test is
d for the censorship of
tions entering a prison
system, such allowance does not
allow a blanket ban on publi
entering because prison authorities
do not agree with the message or
content, which may be political or
religious in nature. Censorship
regulations must first be rational
and impose censorship only in
furtherance of “an important or
substantial governmental interest
not related to the suppression of
expression” and relate to ‘legitimate
penological interests.” The federal
courts have rules unequivocally that
a prison agency censoring inmate
publications and mail must provide
the distributor or publisher notice
of censorship. This notice must
provide articulate reasons for such
censorship with specific references
to the objectionable material. The
distributor/ publisher must be given
a meaningful opportunity to appeal
the censorship to a person not
involved in the censorship decision.
Notice and opportunity are required
y due process. We encourage you
to carefully read and understand
your agency’s policies and
procedures,as wellas federal case
law related to the censorship of
incoming mail and publications
addressed to individuals in custody
Ifyou have any doubt, you should
consult your agency’s legal counsel
Failure to adhere to federal law,
linois administrative regulations
and your agency's policies and
procedures is evidence of malicious
intent to violate our rights.
PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF
ACCORDINGLY.
GIRUCGLE "o oo
S [\
°"HOTBL CALIFORNIA
ENPOSK‘G THE REAUTIES OF Coorn County Jai
Nov-Dec
Today, roughly 2 million people in the US
find themselves behind iron bars and
concrete walls, inside the prisons and jails
across the country. Inmates,
disproportionately Black and Latino men
(Black adults are imprisoned at around 5
times and Latino adults around 2.5 times
higher than the rate of White adults,
youth comparisons are even higher), fight
to survive every day against the brutal
conditions of life and rampant abuse by
prison authorities while incarcerated.
Many suffer for years inside, and when
they do eventually leave the prisons and
jails, they're typically worse off than they
came in: having contracted illnesses
(inmates are 17-30% more likely to
contract life-threatening illnesses while
inside), developing addictions (an
estimated 85% of inmates leave with
untreated addictions), mental health
disorders and traumatic experiences
(around 30% of men and 56% of women
have symptoms consistent with
depression shortl after release; around
16% of men and 31% of women have PTSD
symptoms), all accumulated while inside
or going on unaddressed. Inmates leave
with a record, barring them from stable
employment and housing when "re-
entering” society. While some jails and
prisons offer programs that make life
inside less horrific with promises of
rehabilitation once inmates leave,
recidivism (the rate at which people are
re-arrested and return to prisons/jail after
getting out) remains extremely high in the
US, more than most countries in the
world (the US holds 25% of the world's
prisoners despite only making up 5% of
the world's population). The US continues
to hold one of the highest numbers of
prisoners per capita (531 per 100,000
people) and the largest absolute number
of inmates in recorded history. The
combination of mass incarceration across
federal and state prisons, local jails, ICE
detention centers, and juvenile
DARETOSTRUGGLECHCAGO@PROTONMAL COM
3
A BREF HISTORY tl-' THE MASS
INCARCERATION MACHINE, PART 1
written by Dare to Struggle - Chicago
faciities (ot to mention people on
probation, parole, or electronic
monitoring) represents an
unparalleled system of control in size
and scope. The mass incarceration
machine remains one of the primary
tools of oppression used by the ruling
class to maintain s position over the
oppressed masses. But how did this
come to be? Why? And how do we
defeat it? This will be a two-part
series that dives into these questions,
THE ROOTS OF MASS
INCARCERATION
Since its inception, the US has used
institutions of state power to carry out
awar on the oppressed masses in the
pursuit of either extracting profit, or to
eliminate or control groups it deems
expendable or dangerous tots rule.
‘The systematic genocide carried out by
the US against Indigenous people and
the theft of Mexican land was done in
the interests of expanding the US
empire, to the benefit of both the US
ruling class and their loyal army of
white European settlers who had no
problem playing the role of foot
soldier, as long as they were able to get
apicce of the pie. This territorial
conquest allowed for the expansion of
markets, railways, and industry for the
US ruling class who owned and
controlled the developing means of
production (raw materials, factories,
‘machines, transportation, etc. that
allow for the production of things for
society) and stil do to this day.
The mere existence of Indigenous tribes
was an obstacle for this crusade, so the
US either subjugated them with false
promises and treaties, pitted tribes
against one another, or outright
eliminated them and seized their lands
through armed force. African slaves were
captured, brought to the US, and sold on
auction blocks in the pursuit of cheap
Tabor. Slaves were themselves bought
and sold as commadities, held captive on
plantations and subject to the authority
of the slaveowners, forced to work from
sunrise to sunset in the cotton and
tobacco plantations in the South and
building up the urban cities in the North
“This was all done in the pursuit of profit,
exploiting the labor of African slaves to
sell cotton, tobacco, and whatever else on
the global market. African slaves were
only seen as useful to the system as much
asthey could be exploited, where their
Tabor could be turned into profit for the
slaveowner and capitalist class.
Now, as a side note, the great oppressed
masses of people didn’ just sit down and
take all of this shit. Indigenous peaple
rosc uptime and time again against US
invaders, forcing the US to make
compromises, staving offtotal
annihilation for a time. African slaves
would rise up, burn down plantations,
and escape to freedom, striking fear in
the hearts of plantation owners across
the US. The ruling class often used
ruthless terror tactics in response to
these rebellions, public lynchings of
Black people, Indigenous, and Chicanos
being one of the more horrifying
examples in history.
1
Continue on back
R e e e i e i e o T
Other times, they would use different means
toachieve their goals, such as giving.
concessions to the oppressed in hopes to put
a pause in the rebellion (even convincing
some of the oppressed to identify with and
defend their oppressors),all the while
perfecting a strategy to later tighten their
Squeeze on the masses even further. We can
call this strategy the carrot and the stick, a
strategic plan to use both reforms and state
violence as a way to maintain power over
the oppressed, which will be a common
theme throughout this piece. As time went
on and capitalism expanded across the
globe, slavery as a mode of production (how
things in society are produced) was
increasingly coming into conflict with a
‘more capitalist mode of production (paying
workers a wage for them to use to buy the
products sold to them by capitalists in order
tosurvive). The conflict between these two
contending modes of production and the
capitalist classes who benefited from them
reached a head during the American Civil
‘War (the Union vs. the Confederacy), awar
in which African slaves gladly joined on
behalf of the Union to decisively smash the
system of enslavement in the Confederate
South. The Union would have lost on a mere
‘manpower tip if it wasn't for the
recruitment of former and freed slaves,
THE INTRODUCTION OF JAILS AND
PRISONS
From the post-Civil War society grew two
social phenomena. The first, in the former
Confederate South, freed slaves enjoyed a
brief moment of freedom and sometimes
political power over their former slave
‘masters during a period we know as
Reconstruction. But this newfound freedom
was quickly crushed, by a combination of
the federal government pulling the rug out
from under freed slaves' feet (the closing of
the Freedmen's Bureau, removing Union
troops who had been sent to the South to
suppress Confederate power, and reneging
on promises of land distribution) and the
racist white supremacist terror that
continued to go on unchecked (such as the
Ku Klux Klan and other terrorist
organizations). Having been only
temporarily removed from power, former
slave masters regained some footholds and
political offices and re-established a society
that suited their interests, mainly through
the sharecropping system (former slaves
working small plots of land, having to give a
certain percentage to the owner and keeping
the rest for consumption or to sell,
sometimes on the very plantations they had
previously worked as slaves).
2
‘Through this process, however, many
former slaves became unemployed, and
due to white supremacist laws under
Jim Crow segregation, were unable o
highly restricted from finding regular
work. Many Black people in the South at
this time constituted what we call a
surplus population. No longer deemed
necessary in the pursuit of profit, people
in the "surplus population” are
dispossessed from their means to live
and provide for themselves and their
families, often foreing people to hustle
to get by and pushed into the informal
economy (illegal activity) to make ends
‘meet. Like the Indigenous people before
them, surplus populations are a
fundamental part of the capitalist
system due o it tendency to dispossess
people of their means of survival. This
tendency towards dispossession,
uprooting people from their typical
‘means of survival, can quickly become
dangerous to the status quo, particularly
when these populations become aware
that society has nothing meaningful for
them and views them as expendable.
“This contradiction offers two solutions
for the capitalist system on how to deal
with these surplus populations: control
by physically removing them from
society and possibly finding new ways to
exploit them in order to squeeze as
‘much profit out of their labor as
possible, or eliminate them entirely
‘Through this we can understand why
the US has been in an almost constant
state of war against oppressed people.
‘The unemployed mass of Black peaple
in the South quickly became subject to
white supremacist terrorism from the
Klan (who were often formerly or
informally connected to the
government), as well as institutional
forms of white supremacy such as the
Vagrancy Act of 1866. Vagrancy laws
‘meant that Black people who had no
jobs (because none were afforded to
them) would be arrested and thrown
into prisons, where, under justification
by the 13th Amendment, they could be
once again brutally exploited in the
cotton fields, building new railways and
roads, and working the mines for no pay
atall. Slaves once again, this time
through convict leasing;
THE GREAT MIGRATION TO
THE NORTH
‘The second phenomenon that
occurred was the masses of Black
people who left the South and
moved to the industrialized
northern cities, what we know today
as the Great Migration. Newly
constructed factories and industries
in the North became poles of
attraction for the working and poor
classes and were mostly worked by
newly arrived white ethnic
immigrant populations (Irish,
Halians, Polish, Germans, etc.)
whose labor could be sufficiently
exploited for a time. When the new
‘wave of migration of Black people
from the South arrived, they had
next to nothing for survival, and
could be paid far less than the white
‘workers to work in these same
factories. This reality, coupled with
‘white supremacist idéology
bolstered in these white ethnic
populations, led to racist attacks
against the Black migrants by the
‘white ethnic workers, who they
blamed for taking their jobs because
they could generally be paid less for
the same day’s work (sound
familiar?). As time went on, these
cities began to grow, filled with
more poor and oppressed people
Tooking for work. Due to the
exploitation in the factories and
racist discrimination between
commaunities, urban rebellion would
break out, sometimes in the form of
militant strikes against the factory
owners demanding better pay and
jobs and other times against white
supremacist terror in the streets.
This led to the creation and
bolstering of the institutionalized
police forces we know today, whose
job was to break up strikes, keep
poor and oppressed people in line,
and maintain the status quo. Along
with the cops came their jails and
prisons to physically remove and
hold rebellious sections of society
when they got out of hand. Of
course, the social ills of the
emerging capitalist society had to
also be addressed, but rather than
get to the root of these problems
(the alienation of capitalist society,
the depression and desperation of
the masses, and the informal
economy created due to
dispossession), the US began to
construct more and more prisons
and jails to house the growing
‘number of the oppressed.
|
“This brief history should give us a sense of
what we are reaily up against. The jails and
prisons we have today are no accident or
‘mere consequence of history, but developed
tools of an oppressive system to maintain the
capitalist order over the masses of peaple.
For centuries, these tools and methods have
been refined and continue to develop as new
problems arise for the ruling class. In Part 2,
we will dive deeper into how these tools have
developed into the modern-day mass
incarceration machine. The point, however,
is to llustrate how deep this goes. We can't
simply reform this system away, only to
‘make it etter temporarily for some people,
while it comes back around to bite us in the
ass later down the line. Appealing to the
‘morality of people at the top of this society
won't work either. Imagine the slave on the
plantation relying on the slave master to one
day grow a conscience and free his slaves.
‘The slavemaster already knows the plight of
the slave, but his whole way of lfe depends
on the system of slavery itself. So why would
he go against it? Even the low-level slave
catcher is a stakeholder in the system. In
essence, it's the same damn thing today, all
we have s each other. The solution we offer
hereis collective resistance against the
system as a whole, one where the great
‘masses of people rise up against their
oppressors and remove them from power,
and build something betterin its place. If
we're learning our history, we know this is
buta real possibi
and it starts with us. You in?
| stave
CONCLUSION
Write to us about your reflections, thoughts,
questions, and comments on this piece. Part
2uwill be out in Issue #10 of Cracks At Hotel
California.
“BECOMING LIGHT", A POEM
BY SHUKRI ABU BAKER
‘Shukri Abu Baker is a Palestinian
political prisoner held inside a US super-
max prison. His crime? Feeding the
children of Gaza. On December 4, 2001,
the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), a US-
based humanitarian organization
working in Gaza, Palestine, was shut
down by President George W. Bush
under Executive Order 13224, Federal
agents raided the charity’s offices and
seized all documents, assets, and funds
of the organization, as well as personal
property of the employees. Shukriwas
one of the five founders of the HLF
imprisoned on terrorism charges,
accused of providing funds to terrorist
groups. He has been imprisoned since
2004.
Light uproots us from sinkage
Plants usin altitude
Fillsall void in us
Liberates us from ghostly
Makes us of light, unafraid
sides
Earth's gaze froze behind her veil
a shroud threaded in innocent veins
Big wars, big handshakes, big lies
Earth is ours, her face is us
Face our humanity
Unveil our face, let us
Open up to the colors of ight
History speaks of monstrosities
Upheaved as hell then lay cold in ash
What beastly war?
What silence and silencing?
What mass emaciation?
What walls would last? Light lasts forever
Earth’s face, our gorgeous face
Full mooned in the waxing light
Her veil burns, ashes away with the
‘morning wind
Change s us unafraid, we are of ight
We tuck our sorrowing nights in deep
Remembrance and we crest our pinnacle
We learn, we teach, we remind
We celebrate the light we have become
Upending, unbending light of all colors
And into every blinding moment we enter
We enter unafraid, we hold hands
We beam with power. We shine
Shukri Abu Baker 9-01-25
Write poetry? Send us some and we will
publish online and in the newsletter!
A LETTER FROM
COMRADE A
This is an exerpt of a ltter sent to
us by an inmate inside CCJ who
has been working to get his deck
organized to make demands
against prison authorities. The
entire letter is in our website and
only written out in partial here to
avoid censorship. Here is some of
what he wrote:
“When we dare to struggle, we dare
towin, and we either STAND for
something of FALL for anything.
To all the men and women apart of
this revolutionay struggle, remain
reslient and dedicated to the
‘mission. We organized and took
the dayroom during shift
change. They couldn't do any roll
call and all Correctional Officers
reported to the deck. We
demanded officers stop the
excessive use of force and the
officers who have used excessive
force be held accountable, we
demanded that the commissary
and phone call prices be lowered,
and for the extortion to stop. We.
demanded that we stop being
foreed to live in unsanitary
conditions, and demanded 40
grievances, This was an affective
takeover, although there was
several cans of mace pointed at us,
1o one was sprayed, and we all
remained together and focused. All
of us encourage all of you who are:
apart of this revolutionary struggle
in whatever division to join us in
solidarity, unite, and organize, and
follow through with your demands.
When we dare to struggle, we dare
towin.”
Photo of Shukri Abu Baker
3
e e e e o t S e
A CALL FOR SOCIAL
INVESTIGATION AT COOK
COUNTY JAIL
Since we started writing Cracks, we have
Tecieved numerous letters from inmates
describing the conditions inside, as well as
actions they have taken against these
conditions. In our last newsletter, we sent
outa call for inmates to write us about
organizing efforts among inmates
However, that newsletter was heavily
censored. In the hopes this newsletter
‘makesit to you inside, we want to better
systematize our approach. Please write to
us and use the following questions as a
guide. Send us your answers, and use them
to interview other inmates on your deck
and send us their responses. This will be
helpful for Dare to Struggle to better
understand the problems inside to better
our approach to both inmates and their
families in organizing in collective struggle.
What are the conditions under which
the inmates carry out their daily
activi
they are confined.
Houw is it that inmates are able to
survive the conditions that they have
been subjected to?
What goes on day to day in the jail?
What kind of medical attention do
they receive?
What kind of illnesses are most often
seen?
Whatis the daily attitude of the
inmates that allows them to
overcome this situation?
How do i
situation?
mates confront this
What can you tell us about the
judicial process?
What do you think of the SAFE-T Act
(end of cash bail)? What are some
other policy changes that have
affected you?
What should the outside support for
inmates be fighting for? How can it
unite with inmates organizing
inside?
ies? Describe the cells in which
MEDICAL NEGLECT
CONTINUES TO RUN
RAMPANT AT CCJ!
In recent weeks, multiple inmates
across divisions inside Cook
‘County Jail (CCJ) have reached out
to report accounts of medical
neglect behind its walls. From the
denial of menstrual and sanitary
products, including a lack of access
to these items on commissary, the
withholding of inmates' vital
medications with no clear answers
as to why, and recent reports of the
spread of shingles and m-pox
among inmates, with 7 confirmed
cases of mpox in Division 8 RTU
and 50 reported cases of shingles
across multiple divisions. Coupled
with the disgusting conditions
inside, from mold and rats, to
ultra-processed foods, there is a
clear disregard for inmates' basic
medical needs inside the jail,
leaving many susceptible to
infection or sickness. When
inmates do get sick, the neglect
continues, as complaints and cri
for help are ignored, resulting in a
string of preventable deaths like
that of Alteriq Pleasant and Daniel
Colon.
In 2022, after spending 19 hours in
CPD custody, 27-year-old Alteriq
arrived at CCJ bloodied and
bruised before experiencing a
medical emergency that ended his
life. A year later, 28-year-old
Daniel Colon lso died in CCJ. He
was found dead on the floor of the
jail bathroom after suffering from
drug withdrawal. Both Alteriq and
Daniel died within days of arriving
at CCJ, with visible signs that
should have gotten them medical
attention. Daniel even told me
staff that he'd been experiencing
withdrawal symptoms and he
needed assistance. Instead of
getting help, the two were left to
suffer in isolation until they took
their last breaths
DARE T0
STRUCGLE
By subjecting inmates to hellish
conditions behind its walls, CCJ tells us
exactly what it thinks about the
thousands whosit inside it walls:
expendable. Cook County Sheriff Tom
Dart and Board President Toni
Preckwinkle have Alteriq and Daniel’s
blood on their hands. They must
answer for why inmates’ medical needs
are neglected. Inmates and their
families must act now to expose and
fight back against medical neglect at
CCJ. End Medical Neglect at CCJ
Tell us about medical neglect at
CCJ. How have you seen it? What
damage did it cause? And what
are we going to do to end i
CALLING ALL JAILHOUSE
ARTISTS!
Calling all artists and poets!
Send us your work to be featured
in the next issue of Cracks!
To submit, please mail in your
work to our PO Box (see last
page for address).
The following is a letter from 25-year-old
Adrian Rucker, the young man arrested
“in connection” o the June 5th killing of
CPD officer Krystal Rivera, with minor
grammatical edits.
Rivera was shot from behind by her
partner, Carlos Baker, a Chicago cop
with a lengthy rap sheet of complaints
against him, including multiple instances
of violence against women and his fellow
officers. Adrian and another young man
were arrested and swiftly blamed as
responsible for Rivera’s murder, and
despite the truth coming out revealing
her partner as her Killer, the two men are
sill being pinned as the reason for her
Killing (though neither pulled the trigger
that took her life). The following are his
words and testimony from inside Cook
County Jail, where he has been held since
June 8th.
My name is Adrian Rucker, I'm one of
two people who was incarcerated for the
incident that occurred on 82nd and
Drexel where Officer Rivera was
“accidentally” gunned down by her
corrupt partner Carlos Baker, who was
not even supposed to be working at the
time due to being placed on a
probationary leave from work! Since the
incident occurred, the mayor of Chicago
and the Chicago Police Department used
my name along with my picture to try and
int me as a bad guy and the one
responsible for everything that occurred
that night.
‘They used the news and press
conferences to slander my image without
even doing a proper investigation at first,
then when they did an “investigation® and
found out that one of their own, corrupt
officer Carlos was responsible and lied
about everything that happened, they
switched their story round and tried to
Iabel it a “tragic accident! " Not once did
they use Carlos’ name or image on the
news like they did me, they tried to keep
him out the public image! In Carlos
Baker's short 4 years [at CPD] there’s
been many red flags raised about him, his
ability to do his job correctly, and his
credibility as a person and as a police
officer.
Carlos Baker has been invalved in an
incident where he flashed a firearm
while on a date with someone, it’s
said that he had been involved in a
gun buyback scandal where a irearm
was bought back by the Chicago
Police Department but ended up on
the streets of Chicago and was
involved in countless shootings and
was later recovered on a teenager in
Chicago, and another incident that
happened recently where he was
caught harassing and assaulting
another police officer who was out at
a bar off-duty, trying to get [the bar
owner] to delete the video footage
(which in the court system would be
a felony charge of tampering with a
witness for any normal person).
Not only me but countless other
inmates, other people who have
heard of the situation, and Officer
Rivera’s family believe Carlos Baker
s a corrupt officer and should be
arrested, face some kind of charges,
and be held accountable for what
occurred and what happened to
officer Rivera. It’s not fair thata cop
can “accidentally” kill another cop
and get a slap on the wrist because it
was “in the line of duty”, but if it was
the other way around, even if it was
truly an accident, a regular civilian
would most likely be facing life in
prison!
1t's not fair that I have to sit in Cook
County Jail where a lot of us are
treated poorly, fed poorly, have to
sleep and live in poorly kept rooms
and units where mice and rats run
rampant, and bathe in showers that
don't get hot atall, while Carlos
Baker the real person responsible
gets to go home and sleep and eat
peacefully. While I have to sit and
fight 13 outrageous charges, [While
they are] trying to make me suffer as
Twait for my day in this corrupt
court system, Carlos hasn't had a
charge or had a day in court
pertaining to this incident. He's been
able to walk free while he's harmed
other female officers and other
people, and has not faced any
charges or consequences because
he's a police officer!
He should be held accountable for his
actions just like any regular person
would be, no matter their career, their
standing, or who they know or associate
with. How can any of us trust this
corrupt police department or court
system to investigate their own, fact
check everything, uphold the law to
everyone involved, and hold their own
accountable for their lies and actions, if
they can'ttruthfully tell the public or
Officer Rivera's family, the people who
deserve the truth more than anybody in
this situation. Her family stated that
they were shown an altered and edited
body cam footage of the incident that
took the lie of their beloved family
member!
Ifthey are not being truthful with the
people who lost a loving mother,
daughter, aunt, cousin, etc, how can we
expect anything but lies and corruption
from those same people, [when] they
can't be honest about what happened to
one of their own!
Ifeel this whole case and situation is
bigger than me and I'm being used as a
pavn, the fall guy, to put the blame on
and take the heat for the corrupt police
department and Officer Carlos Baker! [
feel as they know they made countless
mistakes but won't admit to them! The
first big mistake was letting Carlos on
duty when he shouldn't have been! Not
only does the Rivera family believe that
if he wasn't working she would be alive,
buteveryone with knowledge of this
case agrees as well! Alot of people think
and feel that what Carlos did that night
wasn't right or acceptable. If he had
followed protocol,a lot could have been
prevented.
Ifeel that there is a lot of unanswered
questions, a lot of lies that haven't but
should come to light, buta lot of
corruption that will unfold as well! Not
only should all this happen for me but
most importantly for Rivera's family. I
send my deepest condolences to her
family and friends
~ Adrian
e e e e o t S e
CCJ Inmates & Their Families
Demand DIGNITY & RESPECT Inside
Cook County Jail
1. We demand the right to a fair and
speedy trial. Many inmates have been
inside Cook County Jail for years without
being found guilty of a crime. Many inmates
are pressured into taking plea deals because
of this. Due to the conditions of the jail,
some people will catch more charges while
inside waiting for their day in court.
2. We demand decent meals fit for
human beings, everyday, for every
prisoner. We demand clean drinking water
free of contaminates which make inmates
sick.
3. We demand adequate access to our
Toved ones inside and outside of the
jail, and an end to the criminalization
‘of visitors. We also demand an end to the
confiscation of mail sent to inmates under
the false guise of safety. Withholding letters
& denying visitation is a form of
psychological torture.
4. We demand the jail allow
industries to enter the institutions
and employ inmates. Many families are
extorted by the jail to provide for their loved
ones on the inside and are driven to the
brink of bankruptcy. Inmates should be able
toprovide for themselves and their families.
GET INVOLVED!
Email us at,
daretostrugglechicago
@protonma;
Write to PO Box
#25087, Chicago IL
60625
5. We demand adequate
medical staff and change in
icy. The jail is
reatment of
inmates and often denies medical
care for those in need. There are
often numerous “mistakes” made
‘many times; the denial of medication
and improper medication
administered.
6. We demand regular use of
the recreational facilities and
time outside. We also demand
regular educational activities inside
the jail that stimulate the mind.
7. We demand an end to
collective punishment. Inmates
should not be denied “privileges” like
use of the microwave or be placed on
Tockdown for days or weeks because
of a rules violation. Collective
punishment only creates more
tension
8. We demand dlean and decent
living spaces inside the jail.
Inmates are denied sufficient
cleaning supplies so they can
properly upkeep their cells. Common
areas, especially the showers, are not
properly and regularly cleaned.
There are units that get too cold at
ight where inmates are only
provided one thin blanket for
warmth. Some showers are scalding
hot and can't be used
Join the campaign to fight for
these demands and more. Tell
your friends, tell your family.
Get organized and fight back.
THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE
IS THE FORCE
OF LIFE
Cracks At Hotel California is a newsletter that exposes the daily
reality of torture, murder, and mistreatment inside of the Cook County
Jail. We believe that the people who can best tell the truth about,
what's happening are the pecple on the inside and their loved ones on
the outside. This newsletter is produced by Dare to Struggle, an
organization committed to standing with the people subjected to the
horrors of the American nightmare. Send us your story..
6 DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO@PROTONMAIL COM
DARE 1@
AUTHORITIES: PLEASE READ
CENSORSHIP NOTICE
tributor of Cracks, we
st Amendment right to
correspond with inmates, just as
inmates retain a First Amendment
right to correspond with the outside:
world. While a rational basis test is
d for the censorship of
tions entering a prison
system, such allowance does not
allow a blanket ban on publi
entering because prison authorities
do not agree with the message or
content, which may be political or
religious in nature. Censorship
regulations must first be rational
and impose censorship only in
furtherance of “an important or
substantial governmental interest
not related to the suppression of
expression” and relate to ‘legitimate
penological interests.” The federal
courts have rules unequivocally that
a prison agency censoring inmate
publications and mail must provide
the distributor or publisher notice
of censorship. This notice must
provide articulate reasons for such
censorship with specific refefences
to the objectionable material. The
distributor/ publisher must be given
a meaningful opportunity to appeal
the censorship to a person not
involved in the censorship decision.
Notice and opportunity are required
y due process. We encourage you
to carefully read and understand
your agency’s policies and
procedures,as wellas federal case
law related to the censorship of
incoming mail and publications
addressed to individuals in custody
Ifyou have any doubt, you should
consult your agency’s legal counsel
Failure to adhere to federal law,
linois administrative regulations
and your agency's policies and
procedures is evidence of malicious
intent to violate our rights.
PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF
ACCORDINGLY.
GIRUCGLE "o oo
S [\
°"HOTBL CALIFORNIA
ENPOSK‘G THE REAUTIES OF Coorn County Jai
Nov-Dec
Today, roughly 2 million people in the US
find themselves behind iron bars and
concrete walls, inside the prisons and jails
across the country. Inmates,
disproportionately Black and Latino men
(Black adults are imprisoned at around 5
times and Latino adults around 2.5 times
higher than the rate of White adults,
youth comparisons are even higher), fight
to survive every day against the brutal
conditions of life and rampant abuse by
prison authorities while incarcerated.
Many suffer for years inside, and when
they do eventually leave the prisons and
jails, they're typically worse off than they
came in: having contracted illnesses
(inmates are 17-30% more likely to
contract life-threatening illnesses while
inside), developing addictions (an
estimated 85% of inmates leave with
untreated addictions), mental health
disorders and traumatic experiences
(around 30% of men and 56% of women
have symptoms consistent with
depression shortl after release; around
16% of men and 31% of women have PTSD
symptoms), all accumulated while inside
or going on unaddressed. Inmates leave
with a record, barring them from stable
employment and housing when "re-
entering” society. While some jails and
prisons offer programs that make life
inside less horrific with promises of
rehabilitation once inmates leave,
recidivism (the rate at which people are
re-arrested and return to prisons/jail after
getting out) remains extremely high in the
US, more than most countries in the
world (the US holds 25% of the world's
prisoners despite only making up 5% of
the world's population). The US continues
to hold one of the highest numbers of
prisoners per capita (531 per 100,000
people) and the largest absolute number
of inmates in recorded history. The
combination of mass incarceration across
federal and state prisons, local jails, ICE
detention centers, and juvenile
DARETOSTRUGGLECHCAGO@PROTONMAL COM
3
A BREF HISTORY tl-' THE MASS
INCARCERATION MACHINE, PART 1
written by Dare to Struggle - Chicago
faciities (ot to mention people on
probation, parole, or electronic
monitoring) represents an
unparalleled system of control in size
and scope. The mass incarceration
machine remains one of the primary
tools of oppression used by the ruling
class to maintain s position over the
oppressed masses. But how did this
come to be? Why? And how do we
defeat it? This will be a two-part
series that dives into these questions,
THE ROOTS OF MASS
INCARCERATION
Since its inception, the US has used
institutions of state power to carry out
awar on the oppressed masses in the
pursuit of either extracting profit, or to
eliminate or control groups it deems
expendable or dangerous tots rule.
‘The systematic genocide carried out by
the US against Indigenous people and
the theft of Mexican land was done in
the interests of expanding the US
empire, to the benefit of both the US
ruling class and their loyal army of
white European settlers who had no
problem playing the role of foot
soldier, as long as they were able to get
apicce of the pie. This territorial
conquest allowed for the expansion of
markets, railways, and industry for the
US ruling class who owned and
controlled the developing means of
production (raw materials, factories,
‘machines, transportation, etc. that
allow for the production of things for
society) and stil do to this day.
The mere existence of Indigenous tribes
was an obstacle for this crusade, so the
US either subjugated them with false
promises and treaties, pitted tribes
against one another, or outright
eliminated them and seized their lands
through armed force. African slaves were
captured, brought to the US, and sold on
auction blocks in the pursuit of cheap
Tabor. Slaves were themselves bought
and sold as commadities, held captive on
plantations and subject to the authority
of the slaveowners, forced to work from
sunrise to sunset in the cotton and
tobacco plantations in the South and
building up the urban cities in the North
“This was all done in the pursuit of profit,
exploiting the labor of African slaves to
sell cotton, tobacco, and whatever else on
the global market. African slaves were
only seen as useful to the system as much
asthey could be exploited, where their
Tabor could be turned into profit for the
slaveowner and capitalist class.
Now, as a side note, the great oppressed
masses of people didn’ just sit down and
take all of this shit. Indigenous peaple
rosc uptime and time again against US
invaders, forcing the US to make
compromises, staving offtotal
annihilation for a time. African slaves
would rise up, burn down plantations,
and escape to freedom, striking fear in
the hearts of plantation owners across
the US. The ruling class often used
ruthless terror tactics in response to
these rebellions, public lynchings of
Black people, Indigenous, and Chicanos
being one of the more horrifying
examples in history.
1
Continue on back
R e e e i e i e o T
Other times, they would use different means
toachieve their goals, such as giving.
concessions to the oppressed in hopes to put
a pause in the rebellion (even convincing
some of the oppressed to identify with and
defend their oppressors),all the while
perfecting a strategy to later tighten their
Squeeze on the masses even further. We can
call this strategy the carrot and the stick, a
strategic plan to use both reforms and state
violence as a way to maintain power over
the oppressed, which will be a common
theme throughout this piece. As time went
on and capitalism expanded across the
globe, slavery as a mode of production (how
things in society are produced) was
increasingly coming into conflict with a
‘more capitalist mode of production (paying
workers a wage for them to use to buy the
products sold to them by capitalists in order
tosurvive). The conflict between these two
contending modes of production and the
capitalist classes who benefited from them
reached a head during the American Civil
‘War (the Union vs. the Confederacy), awar
in which African slaves gladly joined on
behalf of the Union to decisively smash the
system of enslavement in the Confederate
South. The Union would have lost on a mere
‘manpower tip if it wasn't for the
recruitment of former and freed slaves,
THE INTRODUCTION OF JAILS AND
PRISONS
From the post-Civil War society grew two
social phenomena. The first, in the former
Confederate South, freed slaves enjoyed a
brief moment of freedom and sometimes
political power over their former slave
‘masters during a period we know as
Reconstruction. But this newfound freedom
was quickly crushed, by a combination of
the federal government pulling the rug out
from under freed slaves' feet (the closing of
the Freedmen's Bureau, removing Union
troops who had been sent to the South to
suppress Confederate power, and reneging
on promises of land distribution) and the
racist white supremacist terror that
continued to go on unchecked (such as the
Ku Klux Klan and other terrorist
organizations). Having been only
temporarily removed from power, former
slave masters regained some footholds and
political offices and re-established a society
that suited their interests, mainly through
the sharecropping system (former slaves
working small plots of land, having to give a
certain percentage to the owner and keeping
the rest for consumption or to sell,
sometimes on the very plantations they had
previously worked as slaves).
2
‘Through this process, however, many
former slaves became unemployed, and
due to white supremacist laws under
Jim Crow segregation, were unable o
highly restricted from finding regular
work. Many Black people in the South at
this time constituted what we call a
surplus population. No longer deemed
necessary in the pursuit of profit, people
in the "surplus population” are
dispossessed from their means to live
and provide for themselves and their
families, often foreing people to hustle
to get by and pushed into the informal
economy (illegal activity) to make ends
‘meet. Like the Indigenous people before
them, surplus populations are a
fundamental part of the capitalist
system due o it tendency to dispossess
people of their means of survival. This
tendency towards dispossession,
uprooting people from their typical
‘means of survival, can quickly become
dangerous to the status quo, particularly
when these populations become aware
that society has nothing meaningful for
them and views them as expendable.
“This contradiction offers two solutions
for the capitalist system on how to deal
with these surplus populations: control
by physically removing them from
society and possibly finding new ways to
exploit them in order to squeeze as
‘much profit out of their labor as
possible, or eliminate them entirely
‘Through this we can understand why
the US has been in an almost constant
state of war against oppressed people.
‘The unemployed mass of Black peaple
in the South quickly became subject to
white supremacist terrorism from the
Klan (who were often formerly or
informally connected to the
government), as well as institutional
forms of white supremacy such as the
Vagrancy Act of 1866. Vagrancy laws
‘meant that Black people who had no
jobs (because none were afforded to
them) would be arrested and thrown
into prisons, where, under justification
by the 13th Amendment, they could be
once again brutally exploited in the
cotton fields, building new railways and
roads, and working the mines for no pay
atall. Slaves once again, this time
through convict leasing;
THE GREAT MIGRATION TO
THE NORTH
‘The second phenomenon that
occurred was the masses of Black
people who left the South and
moved to the industrialized
northern cities, what we know today
as the Great Migration. Newly
constructed factories and industries
in the North became poles of
attraction for the working and poor
classes and were mostly worked by
newly arrived white ethnic
immigrant populations (Irish,
Halians, Polish, Germans, etc.)
whose labor could be sufficiently
exploited for a time. When the new
‘wave of migration of Black people
from the South arrived, they had
next to nothing for survival, and
could be paid far less than the white
‘workers to work in these same
factories. This reality, coupled with
‘white supremacist idéology
bolstered in these white ethnic
populations, led to racist attacks
against the Black migrants by the
‘white ethnic workers, who they
blamed for taking their jobs because
they could generally be paid less for
the same day’s work (sound
familiar?). As time went on, these
cities began to grow, filled with
more poor and oppressed people
Tooking for work. Due to the
exploitation in the factories and
racist discrimination between
commaunities, urban rebellion would
break out, sometimes in the form of
militant strikes against the factory
owners demanding better pay and
jobs and other times against white
supremacist terror in the streets.
This led to the creation and
bolstering of the institutionalized
police forces we know today, whose
job was to break up strikes, keep
poor and oppressed people in line,
and maintain the status quo. Along
with the cops came their jails and
prisons to physically remove and
hold rebellious sections of society
when they got out of hand. Of
course, the social ills of the
emerging capitalist society had to
also be addressed, but rather than
get to the root of these problems
(the alienation of capitalist society,
the depression and desperation of
the masses, and the informal
economy created due to
dispossession), the US began to
construct more and more prisons
and jails to house the growing
‘number of the oppressed.
|
“This brief history should give us a sense of
what we are reaily up against. The jails and
prisons we have today are no accident or
‘mere consequence of history, but developed
tools of an oppressive system to maintain the
capitalist order over the masses of peaple.
For centuries, these tools and methods have
been refined and continue to develop as new
problems arise for the ruling class. In Part 2,
we will dive deeper into how these tools have
developed into the modern-day mass
incarceration machine. The point, however,
is to llustrate how deep this goes. We can't
simply reform this system away, only to
‘make it etter temporarily for some people,
while it comes back around to bite us in the
ass later down the line. Appealing to the
‘morality of people at the top of this society
won't work either. Imagine the slave on the
plantation relying on the slave master to one
day grow a conscience and free his slaves.
‘The slavemaster already knows the plight of
the slave, but his whole way of lfe depends
on the system of slavery itself. So why would
he go against it? Even the low-level slave
catcher is a stakeholder in the system. In
essence, it's the same damn thing today, all
we have s each other. The solution we offer
hereis collective resistance against the
system as a whole, one where the great
‘masses of people rise up against their
oppressors and remove them from power,
and build something betterin its place. If
we're learning our history, we know this is
buta real possibi
and it starts with us. You in?
| stave
CONCLUSION
Write to us about your reflections, thoughts,
questions, and comments on this piece. Part
2uwill be out in Issue #10 of Cracks At Hotel
California.
“BECOMING LIGHT", A POEM
BY SHUKRI ABU BAKER
‘Shukri Abu Baker is a Palestinian
political prisoner held inside a US super-
max prison. His crime? Feeding the
children of Gaza. On December 4, 2001,
the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), a US-
based humanitarian organization
working in Gaza, Palestine, was shut
down by President George W. Bush
under Executive Order 13224, Federal
agents raided the charity’s offices and
seized all documents, assets, and funds
of the organization, as well as personal
property of the employees. Shukriwas
one of the five founders of the HLF
imprisoned on terrorism charges,
accused of providing funds to terrorist
groups. He has been imprisoned since
2004.
Light uproots us from sinkage
Plants usin altitude
Fillsall void in us
Liberates us from ghostly
Makes us of light, unafraid
sides
Earth's gaze froze behind her veil
a shroud threaded in innocent veins
Big wars, big handshakes, big lies
Earth is ours, her face is us
Face our humanity
Unveil our face, let us
Open up to the colors of ight
History speaks of monstrosities
Upheaved as hell then lay cold in ash
What beastly war?
What silence and silencing?
What mass emaciation?
What walls would last? Light lasts forever
Earth’s face, our gorgeous face
Full mooned in the waxing light
Her veil burns, ashes away with the
‘morning wind
Change s us unafraid, we are of ight
We tuck our sorrowing nights in deep
Remembrance and we crest our pinnacle
We learn, we teach, we remind
We celebrate the light we have become
Upending, unbending light of all colors
And into every blinding moment we enter
We enter unafraid, we hold hands
We beam with power. We shine
Shukri Abu Baker 9-01-25
Write poetry? Send us some and we will
publish online and in the newsletter!
A LETTER FROM
COMRADE A
This is an exerpt of a ltter sent to
us by an inmate inside CCJ who
has been working to get his deck
organized to make demands
against prison authorities. The
entire letter is in our website and
only written out in partial here to
avoid censorship. Here is some of
what he wrote:
“When we dare to struggle, we dare
towin, and we either STAND for
something of FALL for anything.
To all the men and women apart of
this revolutionay struggle, remain
reslient and dedicated to the
‘mission. We organized and took
the dayroom during shift
change. They couldn't do any roll
call and all Correctional Officers
reported to the deck. We
demanded officers stop the
excessive use of force and the
officers who have used excessive
force be held accountable, we
demanded that the commissary
and phone call prices be lowered,
and for the extortion to stop. We.
demanded that we stop being
foreed to live in unsanitary
conditions, and demanded 40
grievances, This was an affective
takeover, although there was
several cans of mace pointed at us,
1o one was sprayed, and we all
remained together and focused. All
of us encourage all of you who are:
apart of this revolutionary struggle
in whatever division to join us in
solidarity, unite, and organize, and
follow through with your demands.
When we dare to struggle, we dare
towin.”
Photo of Shukri Abu Baker
3
e e e e o t S e
A CALL FOR SOCIAL
INVESTIGATION AT COOK
COUNTY JAIL
Since we started writing Cracks, we have
Tecieved numerous letters from inmates
describing the conditions inside, as well as
actions they have taken against these
conditions. In our last newsletter, we sent
outa call for inmates to write us about
organizing efforts among inmates
However, that newsletter was heavily
censored. In the hopes this newsletter
‘makesit to you inside, we want to better
systematize our approach. Please write to
us and use the following questions as a
guide. Send us your answers, and use them
to interview other inmates on your deck
and send us their responses. This will be
helpful for Dare to Struggle to better
understand the problems inside to better
our approach to both inmates and their
families in organizing in collective struggle.
What are the conditions under which
the inmates carry out their daily
activi
they are confined.
Houw is it that inmates are able to
survive the conditions that they have
been subjected to?
What goes on day to day in the jail?
What kind of medical attention do
they receive?
What kind of illnesses are most often
seen?
Whatis the daily attitude of the
inmates that allows them to
overcome this situation?
How do i
situation?
mates confront this
What can you tell us about the
judicial process?
What do you think of the SAFE-T Act
(end of cash bail)? What are some
other policy changes that have
affected you?
What should the outside support for
inmates be fighting for? How can it
unite with inmates organizing
inside?
ies? Describe the cells in which
MEDICAL NEGLECT
CONTINUES TO RUN
RAMPANT AT CCJ!
In recent weeks, multiple inmates
across divisions inside Cook
‘County Jail (CCJ) have reached out
to report accounts of medical
neglect behind its walls. From the
denial of menstrual and sanitary
products, including a lack of access
to these items on commissary, the
withholding of inmates' vital
medications with no clear answers
as to why, and recent reports of the
spread of shingles and m-pox
among inmates, with 7 confirmed
cases of mpox in Division 8 RTU
and 50 reported cases of shingles
across multiple divisions. Coupled
with the disgusting conditions
inside, from mold and rats, to
ultra-processed foods, there is a
clear disregard for inmates' basic
medical needs inside the jail,
leaving many susceptible to
infection or sickness. When
inmates do get sick, the neglect
continues, as complaints and cri
for help are ignored, resulting in a
string of preventable deaths like
that of Alteriq Pleasant and Daniel
Colon.
In 2022, after spending 19 hours in
CPD custody, 27-year-old Alteriq
arrived at CCJ bloodied and
bruised before experiencing a
medical emergency that ended his
life. A year later, 28-year-old
Daniel Colon lso died in CCJ. He
was found dead on the floor of the
jail bathroom after suffering from
drug withdrawal. Both Alteriq and
Daniel died within days of arriving
at CCJ, with visible signs that
should have gotten them medical
attention. Daniel even told me
staff that he'd been experiencing
withdrawal symptoms and he
needed assistance. Instead of
getting help, the two were left to
suffer in isolation until they took
their last breaths
DARE T0
STRUCGLE
By subjecting inmates to hellish
conditions behind its walls, CCJ tells us
exactly what it thinks about the
thousands whosit inside it walls:
expendable. Cook County Sheriff Tom
Dart and Board President Toni
Preckwinkle have Alteriq and Daniel’s
blood on their hands. They must
answer for why inmates’ medical needs
are neglected. Inmates and their
families must act now to expose and
fight back against medical neglect at
CCJ. End Medical Neglect at CCJ
Tell us about medical neglect at
CCJ. How have you seen it? What
damage did it cause? And what
are we going to do to end i
CALLING ALL JAILHOUSE
ARTISTS!
Calling all artists and poets!
Send us your work to be featured
in the next issue of Cracks!
To submit, please mail in your
work to our PO Box (see last
page for address).
The following is a letter from 25-year-old
Adrian Rucker, the young man arrested
“in connection” o the June 5th killing of
CPD officer Krystal Rivera, with minor
grammatical edits.
Rivera was shot from behind by her
partner, Carlos Baker, a Chicago cop
with a lengthy rap sheet of complaints
against him, including multiple instances
of violence against women and his fellow
officers. Adrian and another young man
were arrested and swiftly blamed as
responsible for Rivera’s murder, and
despite the truth coming out revealing
her partner as her Killer, the two men are
sill being pinned as the reason for her
Killing (though neither pulled the trigger
that took her life). The following are his
words and testimony from inside Cook
County Jail, where he has been held since
June 8th.
My name is Adrian Rucker, I'm one of
two people who was incarcerated for the
incident that occurred on 82nd and
Drexel where Officer Rivera was
“accidentally” gunned down by her
corrupt partner Carlos Baker, who was
not even supposed to be working at the
time due to being placed on a
probationary leave from work! Since the
incident occurred, the mayor of Chicago
and the Chicago Police Department used
my name along with my picture to try and
int me as a bad guy and the one
responsible for everything that occurred
that night.
‘They used the news and press
conferences to slander my image without
even doing a proper investigation at first,
then when they did an “investigation® and
found out that one of their own, corrupt
officer Carlos was responsible and lied
about everything that happened, they
switched their story round and tried to
Iabel it a “tragic accident! " Not once did
they use Carlos’ name or image on the
news like they did me, they tried to keep
him out the public image! In Carlos
Baker's short 4 years [at CPD] there’s
been many red flags raised about him, his
ability to do his job correctly, and his
credibility as a person and as a police
officer.
Carlos Baker has been invalved in an
incident where he flashed a firearm
while on a date with someone, it’s
said that he had been involved in a
gun buyback scandal where a irearm
was bought back by the Chicago
Police Department but ended up on
the streets of Chicago and was
involved in countless shootings and
was later recovered on a teenager in
Chicago, and another incident that
happened recently where he was
caught harassing and assaulting
another police officer who was out at
a bar off-duty, trying to get [the bar
owner] to delete the video footage
(which in the court system would be
a felony charge of tampering with a
witness for any normal person).
Not only me but countless other
inmates, other people who have
heard of the situation, and Officer
Rivera’s family believe Carlos Baker
s a corrupt officer and should be
arrested, face some kind of charges,
and be held accountable for what
occurred and what happened to
officer Rivera. It’s not fair thata cop
can “accidentally” kill another cop
and get a slap on the wrist because it
was “in the line of duty”, but if it was
the other way around, even if it was
truly an accident, a regular civilian
would most likely be facing life in
prison!
1t's not fair that I have to sit in Cook
County Jail where a lot of us are
treated poorly, fed poorly, have to
sleep and live in poorly kept rooms
and units where mice and rats run
rampant, and bathe in showers that
don't get hot atall, while Carlos
Baker the real person responsible
gets to go home and sleep and eat
peacefully. While I have to sit and
fight 13 outrageous charges, [While
they are] trying to make me suffer as
Twait for my day in this corrupt
court system, Carlos hasn't had a
charge or had a day in court
pertaining to this incident. He's been
able to walk free while he's harmed
other female officers and other
people, and has not faced any
charges or consequences because
he's a police officer!
He should be held accountable for his
actions just like any regular person
would be, no matter their career, their
standing, or who they know or associate
with. How can any of us trust this
corrupt police department or court
system to investigate their own, fact
check everything, uphold the law to
everyone involved, and hold their own
accountable for their lies and actions, if
they can'ttruthfully tell the public or
Officer Rivera's family, the people who
deserve the truth more than anybody in
this situation. Her family stated that
they were shown an altered and edited
body cam footage of the incident that
took the lie of their beloved family
member!
Ifthey are not being truthful with the
people who lost a loving mother,
daughter, aunt, cousin, etc, how can we
expect anything but lies and corruption
from those same people, [when] they
can't be honest about what happened to
one of their own!
Ifeel this whole case and situation is
bigger than me and I'm being used as a
pavn, the fall guy, to put the blame on
and take the heat for the corrupt police
department and Officer Carlos Baker! [
feel as they know they made countless
mistakes but won't admit to them! The
first big mistake was letting Carlos on
duty when he shouldn't have been! Not
only does the Rivera family believe that
if he wasn't working she would be alive,
buteveryone with knowledge of this
case agrees as well! Alot of people think
and feel that what Carlos did that night
wasn't right or acceptable. If he had
followed protocol,a lot could have been
prevented.
Ifeel that there is a lot of unanswered
questions, a lot of lies that haven't but
should come to light, buta lot of
corruption that will unfold as well! Not
only should all this happen for me but
most importantly for Rivera's family. I
send my deepest condolences to her
family and friends
~ Adrian
e e e e o t S e
CCJ Inmates & Their Families
Demand DIGNITY & RESPECT Inside
Cook County Jail
1. We demand the right to a fair and
speedy trial. Many inmates have been
inside Cook County Jail for years without
being found guilty of a crime. Many inmates
are pressured into taking plea deals because
of this. Due to the conditions of the jail,
some people will catch more charges while
inside waiting for their day in court.
2. We demand decent meals fit for
human beings, everyday, for every
prisoner. We demand clean drinking water
free of contaminates which make inmates
sick.
3. We demand adequate access to our
Toved ones inside and outside of the
jail, and an end to the criminalization
‘of visitors. We also demand an end to the
confiscation of mail sent to inmates under
the false guise of safety. Withholding letters
& denying visitation is a form of
psychological torture.
4. We demand the jail allow
industries to enter the institutions
and employ inmates. Many families are
extorted by the jail to provide for their loved
ones on the inside and are driven to the
brink of bankruptcy. Inmates should be able
toprovide for themselves and their families.
GET INVOLVED!
Email us at,
daretostrugglechicago
@protonma;
Write to PO Box
#25087, Chicago IL
60625
5. We demand adequate
medical staff and change in
icy. The jail is
reatment of
inmates and often denies medical
care for those in need. There are
often numerous “mistakes” made
‘many times; the denial of medication
and improper medication
administered.
6. We demand regular use of
the recreational facilities and
time outside. We also demand
regular educational activities inside
the jail that stimulate the mind.
7. We demand an end to
collective punishment. Inmates
should not be denied “privileges” like
use of the microwave or be placed on
Tockdown for days or weeks because
of a rules violation. Collective
punishment only creates more
tension
8. We demand dlean and decent
living spaces inside the jail.
Inmates are denied sufficient
cleaning supplies so they can
properly upkeep their cells. Common
areas, especially the showers, are not
properly and regularly cleaned.
There are units that get too cold at
ight where inmates are only
provided one thin blanket for
warmth. Some showers are scalding
hot and can't be used
Join the campaign to fight for
these demands and more. Tell
your friends, tell your family.
Get organized and fight back.
THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE
IS THE FORCE
OF LIFE
Cracks At Hotel California is a newsletter that exposes the daily
reality of torture, murder, and mistreatment inside of the Cook County
Jail. We believe that the people who can best tell the truth about,
what's happening are the pecple on the inside and their loved ones on
the outside. This newsletter is produced by Dare to Struggle, an
organization committed to standing with the people subjected to the
horrors of the American nightmare. Send us your story..
6 DARETOSTRUGGLECHICAGO@PROTONMAIL COM
DARE 1@
AUTHORITIES: PLEASE READ
CENSORSHIP NOTICE
tributor of Cracks, we
st Amendment right to
correspond with inmates, just as
inmates retain a First Amendment
right to correspond with the outside:
world. While a rational basis test is
d for the censorship of
tions entering a prison
system, such allowance does not
allow a blanket ban on publi
entering because prison authorities
do not agree with the message or
content, which may be political or
religious in nature. Censorship
regulations must first be rational
and impose censorship only in
furtherance of “an important or
substantial governmental interest
not related to the suppression of
expression” and relate to ‘legitimate
penological interests.” The federal
courts have rules unequivocally that
a prison agency censoring inmate
publications and mail must provide
the distributor or publisher notice
of censorship. This notice must
provide articulate reasons for such
censorship with specific refefences
to the objectionable material. The
distributor/ publisher must be given
a meaningful opportunity to appeal
the censorship to a person not
involved in the censorship decision.
Notice and opportunity are required
y due process. We encourage you
to carefully read and understand
your agency’s policies and
procedures,as wellas federal case
law related to the censorship of
incoming mail and publications
addressed to individuals in custody
Ifyou have any doubt, you should
consult your agency’s legal counsel
Failure to adhere to federal law,
linois administrative regulations
and your agency's policies and
procedures is evidence of malicious
intent to violate our rights.
PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF
ACCORDINGLY.
GIRUCGLE "o oo