Prison is supposed to be rehabilitation. So why is Texas making the prisons a domain of inhuman practices? There are four things that keep a person sane in prison: family and loved ones outside support, a solid spiritual and mental foundation, exercise and books. Books are wealth. Books give knowledge. Books keep the brain functioning. Books allow the mind freedom. Books give the mind respite from the negative environment you’re surrounded by. Books allow the brain to refrain from becoming institutionalized. So why is the Texas Department of Criminal Justice eliminating books from entering the prisons?
Incarcerated people are susceptible to unrecognized anger, depression, remorse, regret, bitterness, resentment, abandonment, sadness, frustration, emotional turmoil, mental distress, psychological damage and isolating. Books give the mind justice. Books give the heart support. Books give the spirit answers. Incarcerated people feel lost, unhappy, forgotten, abandoned, judged, misunderstood, defeated, and hopeless. And yet, books give purpose. Books give hope. Books give understanding. Books give life. Books give you a friend. Books give encouragement. The mind is a terrible thing to waste, and knowledge is power. So, why has the Texas Department of Criminal Justice enforced anal policies regarding incarcerated people receiving books?
The rules and regulations are so bizarre. Nonprofit organizations that normally send free books in, and libraries that donate books, are banned from doing so. This is exceptionally decapitating for those in solitary confinement, restrictive housing and Ad Seg [Administrative Segregation] who rely solely on mail-in books because they have no access to the prison library. This is unconstitutional, violating the United Nations minimum rules for those incarcerated that educational provision shall be made available, and all incarcerated shall be integrated with the educational system. We need reform, protection, ethical conduct, and solidarity. By law, every prison must have books available, both recreational and instructional, adequately provided for all incarcerated people. Through resilience, I persevere. Communicating from the barriers of solitary confinement, this is female-to-male transgender Xanden Gulley for Prison Radio.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
