Sabine
04-12-2002, 04:51 PM
News from the Hell Hole this week
by Hank Skinner
Its come to my attention that out there is some dissension amongst the various recipients of Paul's Uncensored and my Hell Hole News. It seems some of the Level I prisoners are saying that we down here on F-Pod are "troublemakers" and are making things hard on them. Tsk -tsk. Gee, that's really too bad. I wonder how they'd know that, since 12 Building is divided into six pods of 84 cells each, which are actually separate buildings altogether and, no Level I prisoners live down here. They don't come down here. So, where do they get their information? You know what? Ill bet the officers tell them that when they rotate to the other end of the building to work, you reckon? What would an officer consider a "troublemaker?? Maybe like, anyone who resists?
Hmmmm.....
Its also been said, supposedly by these same Level I prisoners, that were adding-to, aggrandizing or embellishing what goes on here. Once again, I wonder how they'd know that, since they are not here to see it? Since you all out there have been getting it straight from those living it, seeing it, experiencing it first-hand, I wonder who's more knowledgeable? Those of you who know me know that I don't lie. I tell it like it happened, from our perspective. I advocate for convicts wearing white. I don't lie on the officers involved simply because I'm not a bigot and I don't want them lying on me. But I'm likewise not there to tell the officers nor TDCJ's side of this. They have their own propagandists in Fitzgerald and Lyons, so let'em lie on, as it were.....
Its true also that maybe each of us down here has his own agenda, his own motivation for what he does. Paul and I have serious ideological and philosophical differences. It doesn't matter though. I support Paul Colella, Rick Rhoades and Richard Cartwright 100%. Nobody will dissuade me from that. Certainly not a few whiny-assed Level I prisoners.
You've got to understand too, there are various dynamics at work here. Any time you have revolutionary struggle (and make no mistake, that's what this is) you are going to have a bit of chaos involved.
You're going to have some who disagree and dissent. A true convict never hates on another convicts play, but were kinda short on honourable convicts around here. You know, if you cant join in, at least don't speak against what they're trying to do. I could mention some names here, but that aint my style. You know who you are. So do I.
You have some who act out of jealousy. They see others getting some attention and cant stand it, want attention for themselves. So they speak ill of the others in an effort to steal the show.
You have some who are manipulative, who think in terms of "Whats in this for me? What can I get out of this?"
"The Man" recognizes all this. He wants to come out on top. Zeller is an egomaniac; possibly a megalomaniac. He wants to crush our little rebellion, here. You wouldn't believe all the chintzy little techniques he employs. Divide and conquer. "I'll sow the seeds of dissent and break this up," he thinks. They call some of the guys out at odd times of the day and night. Make it appear some are receiving better treatment than others, all sorts of things. Spread false rumours. "The Man" knows that as long as he has us at each others throats he does not have to worry about us uniting against him. These are age-old techniques. There's an ancient Chinese text that's now translated into English. I believe its called "The Art of War" or something like that? Written in about 1500 B.C., I think. It describes all these things
I'm saying here.
Then I'm told that some of the so-called Christians out there whore praying so hard for us, find it difficult to do because were cussing and using graphic language. Well, just pardon the hell out of me, why don't you. Don't get me wrong. I believe in God with all my heart. But the God I know is one of substance, not appearances. These guys are down here getting the hell beat out of them just as a matter of principle, standing up for what they believe in humane treatment and to live with just a little dignity. So how about if some of you pseudo-pious harkers go blow it out your nose. If you're more worried about what they say than what they do and whether they're still breathing, you've got a real shallow belief system and maybe you should just worry about yourself and let us worry about what were doing. This is prison, not a nursing home. Attica, Santa Fe .... get it?
Then there a few rumor-mongers whore on the other side of the visiting glass and who always feel the need to run their mouth about whatever. There's one in particular, I'm well aware of, who spends 90% of her time down here stirring up more shit amongst the men than well ever get laid to rest in this lifetime or possibly the next. But, what can you expect from an old busybody who gets her hair colours out of a bottle? Fake. I reckon it takes all kinds.
I bet that a bunch of you don't like what I'm saying here, one or two in particular. Sorta enervating, eh? Aggravated? Find it vexing? Good! Then I've made my point! Try to understand this and know how I feel, to have my own so-called advocates doubting me, second guessing me, telling me what I ought to do instead, wondering if I'm a liar...??? Instead, why don't you leave off with the bull-shit and support the cause, damn it!. This is not about you or your selfishness. Its not about personalities. What follows is a "Blue-Print For
Control Units.":
(Reprinted from "Breaking men's minds: Behaviour Control and Human Experimentation at the Federal Prison in Marion, Illinois" PNS. Nov.-Dec., 1992)
Special Handling Unit. Behaviour Modification Unit. Different names, but the same things. These are units that have been specially designed to control behaviour; it is where human experimentation on prisoners is legal. The purpose of [the] Marion control unit is to control
revolutionary attitudes in the prison men and in the society at large." This, according to former Marion Warden Ralph Aron.
Federal Judge James Foreman has stated, "In several instances [the control unit] has been used to silence prison critics. It has been used to silence religious leaders. It has been used to silence economic and philosophical dissidents."
In 12 at a meeting in Washington, D.C. between social scientists and prison wardens, Dr. Edward Schein presented his ideas on brainwashing. Addressing the topic of "Man Against Man: Brainwashing," he said: "In order to produce marked changes of behaviour and/or attitude, it is necessary to weaken, undermine or remove the supports of old patterns of behaviour and the old attitudes. Because most of these supports are the face-to-face confirmation of present behaviour and attitudes, which are provided by those with whom close emotional ties exist, it is often necessary to break those emotional ties. This can be done either by removing the individual physically and preventing any communication with those whom he cares about or by proving to him that those whom he respects aren't worthy of it and, indeed, should be actively mistrusted." Dr. Schein then provided the group with a list of examples:
1. Physical removal of prisoners from those they respect to positively break or seriously weaken close emotional ties.
2. Segregation of all natural leaders.
3. Use of cooperative prisoners as leaders.
4. Prohibition of group activities not in line with brainwashing objectives.
5. Spying on prisoners and reporting back private material.
6. Tricking men into written statements which are then shown to others.
7. Exploitation of informers and opportunists.
8. Convincing prisoners that they can trust no one.
9. Treating those who are willing to collaborate in far more lenient ways than those who are not.
10. Punishing those who show uncooperative attitudes.
11. Systematic withholding of mail.
12. Preventing contact with anyone non-sympathetic to the method of treatment and regimen of the captive populace.
13. Building a group conviction among the prisoners that they have been abandoned by and totally isolated from their social order.
14. Undermining all emotional supports.
15. Preventing prisoners from writing regarding the conditions of their confinement.
16. Making available and permitting access to only those publications which are neutral to or supportive of the desired new attitudes.
17. Placing individuals into new and ambiguous situations for which the standards are kept deliberately unclear and then pressuring them to conform to what is desired in order to win favour and a reprieve from the pressure.
18. Placing individuals whose emotional support has been severely weakened or eroded into a living situation with several others who are more advanced in their thought-reform whose job it is to further undermine the individuals emotional supports.
19. Using techniques of character invalidation, i.e. humiliations, revilements and shouting to induce feelings of guilt, fear and suggestibility coupled with sleeplessness, an exacting prison regimen and periodic interrogation interviews.
20. Meeting with renewed hostility all insincere attempts to comply with cell-mates pressures.
21. Repeatedly point out to the prisoner by cell-mates of where he has in the past, or in the present, not even lived up to his own standards or values.20
22. Rewarding submission and subservience to the attitudes encompassing the brainwashing objective with a lifting of pressure and acceptance as a human being.20
23. Providing social and emotional supports that reinforce new attitudes.
Following Dr. Scheins address, then director of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons James V. Bennett, commented, ".... one of the things we must do is more research. It was indicated that we have a large organization with some 24,000 men in it now and that we have a tremendous opportunity here to carry on some of the experimenting to which various panellists have alluded. We can manipulate our environment and culture. We can perhaps undertake some of the techniques Dr. Schein discussed. Do things on your own. Undertake a little experiment with what you can do with the Muslims. Theres a lot of research to do. Do it as individuals. Do it as groups and let us know the results."
They're doing all these things here and more. Nancy Bailey sent me a letter in January. I didn't get it for 30 days. I could give a real example for each number 1 through 23.
I'm going to tell you what's happening here as simply as I can:
These guys have been driven past their ability to cope. Theres no way I can explain it to you, but the aim here is to steal your identity, your manhood, your dignity. To break you. Some of the guys are more sensitive to it than others. Those with intelligence and insight can see it more readily. Some of the guys don't exactly understand it but they just know they feel upset and easily enraged. That even happened to me. Its very scary. I've never been a violent minded person. In 20 years of doing time in main line population at Santa Fe and here in Texas, I've never even been written up for fighting with another prisoner. I lived by my wits. My legal knowledge carried me. I can fight. I hate to. Here, I am so stressed I pace my tomb day and night. I have violent dreams. The only thing that prevents me from acting them out during wakefulness is my conscience.20
I stood in my window looking out at the protesters, in the rain. Out there for me, for us. I had tears streaming down my cheeks, too. Several of the other guys did as well. I think probably all of us did.
Some of them told me. Some are too proud to admit. This is prison. Were supposed to be hard, to go hard. For the few minutes I watched you guys out there protesting in the rain for us, I had hope again. God, that was a joyous feeling after being dead inside for so long. There were other feelings, too. Too many to describe rage at a system so uncaring. Shame for the society of my fellow humans who have let it come to this. Ache for those here with me and for those of their loved ones suffering out there. Shit, I could write for years and never get half of it explained fully. Mostly, I'm just tired. Soul tired. But like Martin Luther King, I had a vision. God sent Constantine and Maria di la Carceri to see me. They told me to persevere. Far across the ocean Don Guido Todeschini heard my cries for help. He came with Telepace. The Pope cried on account of me and kissed and blessed a rosary, sent it all these miles from Rome to here, just for me. I cant quitt. I cant let God down. I cant fail all my friends.
Hank Skinner
by Hank Skinner
Its come to my attention that out there is some dissension amongst the various recipients of Paul's Uncensored and my Hell Hole News. It seems some of the Level I prisoners are saying that we down here on F-Pod are "troublemakers" and are making things hard on them. Tsk -tsk. Gee, that's really too bad. I wonder how they'd know that, since 12 Building is divided into six pods of 84 cells each, which are actually separate buildings altogether and, no Level I prisoners live down here. They don't come down here. So, where do they get their information? You know what? Ill bet the officers tell them that when they rotate to the other end of the building to work, you reckon? What would an officer consider a "troublemaker?? Maybe like, anyone who resists?
Hmmmm.....
Its also been said, supposedly by these same Level I prisoners, that were adding-to, aggrandizing or embellishing what goes on here. Once again, I wonder how they'd know that, since they are not here to see it? Since you all out there have been getting it straight from those living it, seeing it, experiencing it first-hand, I wonder who's more knowledgeable? Those of you who know me know that I don't lie. I tell it like it happened, from our perspective. I advocate for convicts wearing white. I don't lie on the officers involved simply because I'm not a bigot and I don't want them lying on me. But I'm likewise not there to tell the officers nor TDCJ's side of this. They have their own propagandists in Fitzgerald and Lyons, so let'em lie on, as it were.....
Its true also that maybe each of us down here has his own agenda, his own motivation for what he does. Paul and I have serious ideological and philosophical differences. It doesn't matter though. I support Paul Colella, Rick Rhoades and Richard Cartwright 100%. Nobody will dissuade me from that. Certainly not a few whiny-assed Level I prisoners.
You've got to understand too, there are various dynamics at work here. Any time you have revolutionary struggle (and make no mistake, that's what this is) you are going to have a bit of chaos involved.
You're going to have some who disagree and dissent. A true convict never hates on another convicts play, but were kinda short on honourable convicts around here. You know, if you cant join in, at least don't speak against what they're trying to do. I could mention some names here, but that aint my style. You know who you are. So do I.
You have some who act out of jealousy. They see others getting some attention and cant stand it, want attention for themselves. So they speak ill of the others in an effort to steal the show.
You have some who are manipulative, who think in terms of "Whats in this for me? What can I get out of this?"
"The Man" recognizes all this. He wants to come out on top. Zeller is an egomaniac; possibly a megalomaniac. He wants to crush our little rebellion, here. You wouldn't believe all the chintzy little techniques he employs. Divide and conquer. "I'll sow the seeds of dissent and break this up," he thinks. They call some of the guys out at odd times of the day and night. Make it appear some are receiving better treatment than others, all sorts of things. Spread false rumours. "The Man" knows that as long as he has us at each others throats he does not have to worry about us uniting against him. These are age-old techniques. There's an ancient Chinese text that's now translated into English. I believe its called "The Art of War" or something like that? Written in about 1500 B.C., I think. It describes all these things
I'm saying here.
Then I'm told that some of the so-called Christians out there whore praying so hard for us, find it difficult to do because were cussing and using graphic language. Well, just pardon the hell out of me, why don't you. Don't get me wrong. I believe in God with all my heart. But the God I know is one of substance, not appearances. These guys are down here getting the hell beat out of them just as a matter of principle, standing up for what they believe in humane treatment and to live with just a little dignity. So how about if some of you pseudo-pious harkers go blow it out your nose. If you're more worried about what they say than what they do and whether they're still breathing, you've got a real shallow belief system and maybe you should just worry about yourself and let us worry about what were doing. This is prison, not a nursing home. Attica, Santa Fe .... get it?
Then there a few rumor-mongers whore on the other side of the visiting glass and who always feel the need to run their mouth about whatever. There's one in particular, I'm well aware of, who spends 90% of her time down here stirring up more shit amongst the men than well ever get laid to rest in this lifetime or possibly the next. But, what can you expect from an old busybody who gets her hair colours out of a bottle? Fake. I reckon it takes all kinds.
I bet that a bunch of you don't like what I'm saying here, one or two in particular. Sorta enervating, eh? Aggravated? Find it vexing? Good! Then I've made my point! Try to understand this and know how I feel, to have my own so-called advocates doubting me, second guessing me, telling me what I ought to do instead, wondering if I'm a liar...??? Instead, why don't you leave off with the bull-shit and support the cause, damn it!. This is not about you or your selfishness. Its not about personalities. What follows is a "Blue-Print For
Control Units.":
(Reprinted from "Breaking men's minds: Behaviour Control and Human Experimentation at the Federal Prison in Marion, Illinois" PNS. Nov.-Dec., 1992)
Special Handling Unit. Behaviour Modification Unit. Different names, but the same things. These are units that have been specially designed to control behaviour; it is where human experimentation on prisoners is legal. The purpose of [the] Marion control unit is to control
revolutionary attitudes in the prison men and in the society at large." This, according to former Marion Warden Ralph Aron.
Federal Judge James Foreman has stated, "In several instances [the control unit] has been used to silence prison critics. It has been used to silence religious leaders. It has been used to silence economic and philosophical dissidents."
In 12 at a meeting in Washington, D.C. between social scientists and prison wardens, Dr. Edward Schein presented his ideas on brainwashing. Addressing the topic of "Man Against Man: Brainwashing," he said: "In order to produce marked changes of behaviour and/or attitude, it is necessary to weaken, undermine or remove the supports of old patterns of behaviour and the old attitudes. Because most of these supports are the face-to-face confirmation of present behaviour and attitudes, which are provided by those with whom close emotional ties exist, it is often necessary to break those emotional ties. This can be done either by removing the individual physically and preventing any communication with those whom he cares about or by proving to him that those whom he respects aren't worthy of it and, indeed, should be actively mistrusted." Dr. Schein then provided the group with a list of examples:
1. Physical removal of prisoners from those they respect to positively break or seriously weaken close emotional ties.
2. Segregation of all natural leaders.
3. Use of cooperative prisoners as leaders.
4. Prohibition of group activities not in line with brainwashing objectives.
5. Spying on prisoners and reporting back private material.
6. Tricking men into written statements which are then shown to others.
7. Exploitation of informers and opportunists.
8. Convincing prisoners that they can trust no one.
9. Treating those who are willing to collaborate in far more lenient ways than those who are not.
10. Punishing those who show uncooperative attitudes.
11. Systematic withholding of mail.
12. Preventing contact with anyone non-sympathetic to the method of treatment and regimen of the captive populace.
13. Building a group conviction among the prisoners that they have been abandoned by and totally isolated from their social order.
14. Undermining all emotional supports.
15. Preventing prisoners from writing regarding the conditions of their confinement.
16. Making available and permitting access to only those publications which are neutral to or supportive of the desired new attitudes.
17. Placing individuals into new and ambiguous situations for which the standards are kept deliberately unclear and then pressuring them to conform to what is desired in order to win favour and a reprieve from the pressure.
18. Placing individuals whose emotional support has been severely weakened or eroded into a living situation with several others who are more advanced in their thought-reform whose job it is to further undermine the individuals emotional supports.
19. Using techniques of character invalidation, i.e. humiliations, revilements and shouting to induce feelings of guilt, fear and suggestibility coupled with sleeplessness, an exacting prison regimen and periodic interrogation interviews.
20. Meeting with renewed hostility all insincere attempts to comply with cell-mates pressures.
21. Repeatedly point out to the prisoner by cell-mates of where he has in the past, or in the present, not even lived up to his own standards or values.20
22. Rewarding submission and subservience to the attitudes encompassing the brainwashing objective with a lifting of pressure and acceptance as a human being.20
23. Providing social and emotional supports that reinforce new attitudes.
Following Dr. Scheins address, then director of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons James V. Bennett, commented, ".... one of the things we must do is more research. It was indicated that we have a large organization with some 24,000 men in it now and that we have a tremendous opportunity here to carry on some of the experimenting to which various panellists have alluded. We can manipulate our environment and culture. We can perhaps undertake some of the techniques Dr. Schein discussed. Do things on your own. Undertake a little experiment with what you can do with the Muslims. Theres a lot of research to do. Do it as individuals. Do it as groups and let us know the results."
They're doing all these things here and more. Nancy Bailey sent me a letter in January. I didn't get it for 30 days. I could give a real example for each number 1 through 23.
I'm going to tell you what's happening here as simply as I can:
These guys have been driven past their ability to cope. Theres no way I can explain it to you, but the aim here is to steal your identity, your manhood, your dignity. To break you. Some of the guys are more sensitive to it than others. Those with intelligence and insight can see it more readily. Some of the guys don't exactly understand it but they just know they feel upset and easily enraged. That even happened to me. Its very scary. I've never been a violent minded person. In 20 years of doing time in main line population at Santa Fe and here in Texas, I've never even been written up for fighting with another prisoner. I lived by my wits. My legal knowledge carried me. I can fight. I hate to. Here, I am so stressed I pace my tomb day and night. I have violent dreams. The only thing that prevents me from acting them out during wakefulness is my conscience.20
I stood in my window looking out at the protesters, in the rain. Out there for me, for us. I had tears streaming down my cheeks, too. Several of the other guys did as well. I think probably all of us did.
Some of them told me. Some are too proud to admit. This is prison. Were supposed to be hard, to go hard. For the few minutes I watched you guys out there protesting in the rain for us, I had hope again. God, that was a joyous feeling after being dead inside for so long. There were other feelings, too. Too many to describe rage at a system so uncaring. Shame for the society of my fellow humans who have let it come to this. Ache for those here with me and for those of their loved ones suffering out there. Shit, I could write for years and never get half of it explained fully. Mostly, I'm just tired. Soul tired. But like Martin Luther King, I had a vision. God sent Constantine and Maria di la Carceri to see me. They told me to persevere. Far across the ocean Don Guido Todeschini heard my cries for help. He came with Telepace. The Pope cried on account of me and kissed and blessed a rosary, sent it all these miles from Rome to here, just for me. I cant quitt. I cant let God down. I cant fail all my friends.
Hank Skinner