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THE FOLSOM PRISONERS AND ANTI-OPPRE We the inmates of Folsom Prison have grown to recognize beyond the shadow of a doubt that because of our posture as prisoners and branded characters as alleged criminals, the administrators and prison employees no longer consider or respect us as human beings, but rather as domesticated animals selected to do their bidding in slave labor and furnished as a personal whipping dog for their sadistic, psychopathic hate. We the inmates of Folsom Prison, say to you, the sincere people of society, the prison system of which your courts have rendered unto, is without question the authoritive fangs of a coward in power. Respectfully submitted to the people as a protest to the vile and vicious slavemasters: THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS THE CALIFORNIA ADULT AUTHORITY THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE THE CALIFORNIA STATE COURTS THE UNITED STATES COURTS AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT THIS SYSTEM OF INJUSTICE CALIFORNIA PRISONERS UNION Manifesto Of Demands 1) We demand the constitutional rights of legal representation at the time of all Adult Authority hearings, and the protection from the procedures of the Adult Authority whereby they permit no procedural safeguards such as an attorney for cross examination of witnesses, witnesses in behalf of the parolee, at parole revocation hearings. 2) We demand a change in medical staff and medical policy and procedure. The Folsom Prison Hospital is totally inadequate, understaffed, prejudicial in the treatment of inmates. There are numerous "mistakes" made many times, improper and erroneous medication is given by untrained personnel. The emergency procedures for serious injury are totally absent in that they have no emergency room whatsoever; no recovery room following surgery which is performed by practitioners rather than board member surgeons. They are assisted by inmate help neither qualified, licensed, nor certified to function in operating rooms. Several instances have occurred where multiple injuries have happened to a number of inmates at the same time. A random decision made by the M.D. in charge as to which patient was the most serious and needed the one surgical room available. Results were fatal to one of the men waiting to be operated upon. This is virtually a death sentence to such a man who might have lived otherwise. 3) We demand adequate visiting conditions and facilities for the inmates and families of Folsom Prisoners. The visiting facilities at the prison are such as to preclude adequate visiting for the inmates and their families. As a result the inmates are permitted two hours, two times per month to visit with family and friends, which of course has to be divided between these people. We ask for additional officers to man the visiting room five days per week, so that everyone may have at least four hours visiting per month. The administration has refused to provide or consider this request in prior appeals using the grounds of denial that they cannot afford the extra cost of the (extra) officers needed for such change. However, they have been able to provide twelve new correctional officers to walk the gun rails of this prison, armed with rifles and shotguns during the daytime hours when most of the prison population is at work or attending other assignments. This is a waste of the taxpayers money, and a totally unnecessary security precaution. 4) We demand that each man presently held in the Adjustment Center be given a written notice with the Warden of Custody signature on it explaining the exact reason for his placement in the severely restrictive confines of the Adjustment Center. 5) We demand an immediate end to indeterminate adjustment center terms to be replaced by fixed terms with the length of time served being terminated by good conduct and according to the nature of the charges, for which men are presently being warehoused indefinitely without explanation. 6) We demand an end to the segregation of prisoners from the mainline population because of their political beliefs. Some of the men in the Adjustment Center are confined there solely for political reasons and their segregation from other inmates is indefinite. 7) We demand an end to political persecution, racial persecution, and the denial of prisoners to subscribe to political papers, books or any other educational and current media chronicles that are forwarded through the United States Mail. 8) We demand an end to the persecution and punishment of prisoners who practice the constitutional right of peaceful dissent. Prisoners at Folsom and San Quentin Prisons according to the California State Penal Code cannot be compelled to work as these two prisons were built for the sole purpose of housing prisoners and there is so mention as to the prisoners being required to work on prison jobs in order to remain on the Mainline and/or be considered for release. Many prisoners believe their labor power is being exploited in order for the State to increase its economic power and continue to expand its correctional industries which are million dollar complexes, yet do not develop working skills acceptable for employment in the outside society, and which do not pay the prisoner more than EDITORIALS FINANCIAL AID V.S. EOP The U.C. Davis Financial Aids Office now has a system for determining financial need, called the College Scholarship Service Need Analysis System (C.S.S.N.A.S.). This system was developed by making a survey of chosen college campuses throughout the state. Supposedly using a cross-selection of students to provide information on the cost of living and related educational expenses. That average figure is called the students' budget. All of the students' expenses are added, keeping in mind the C.S.S.N.A.S.'s stated average cost of living; the Financial Aid Office then determines what the student's need is and that need becomes the student's EOP award. Award in this case is not restricted to mena gift, prize, or grant. The award could be a loan, scholarship, employment, or grant-or-it could be any combination of the above. During the summer, when most EOP students were else where, the rules of the game were changed. The Financial Aid office informed students that they were expected to contribute from $250 to $400 (depending on sex and year in school) out of their summer earnings and that their parents would also be expected to contribute (amount depending on parental income). The total, of summer earning contribution and parental contribution, was then subtracted from the student's award. The from letter said, your EOP award will be ---$ because of the reasons stated above. To many students it meant a cut from $2300 per year to $1400 or $1500 per year, before fees, tuition, books, etc. Financial Aid V.S. EOP, student, because: (1) The CSSNAS's average budget is low of UC Davis. (2) EOP students should have been informed of any changes in the rule before summer break. (3) EOP students did not know until late August or September that they were expected to save a few hundred dollars, if they, in fact had found employment. (4) Deductions from student awards should be made after financial income is determined and not before. (5) Many parents were not familiar with the complex Parents Confidential Income Statement and did not list many expenses such as interest charged (on loans, furniture, cars, etc.), dental bills, life and hospital insurance, actual food costs, and many others. (6) The bureaucracy involved in getting money restored to a student's award could take weeks or months. (7) The burden of proof lies on the student to get whatever documents Financial Aid says to get, in order to prove he's hungry. (8) Employment for parents of many EOP students is sporadic and inconsistent. Therefore, changing the ability to contribute at a constant level. (9) Everything costs more money in the ghetto than it does in the suburbia; such as: a. car insurance b. home insurance c. interest rates d. food and clothing e. furniture (10) How can a student concentrate on studies while hassling with financial aids to survive? (11) Why is the supposedly educationally deprived forced to work 20 hrs. per week as part of his award? (12) How can the university recruit students from all over the country with one set of rules or promises and change those rules with no sense of morality or shame? (13) What's the purpose of an appeal if the same people that set the student's original award level act as the Appeal Board? Brothers and Sisters, we don't have time to play games when they're not productive. There is a race going on. That race is to move this country to a police state (which has historically included the genocide of Niggers), or to get enough people of color in the institutions at dicision making levels to bring about the needed changes. If we're not doing that, what the hell are we doing here! by Woody Smallwood
