This is Raymond Jenkins, CDC number is BM4522. I’m located at the Corcoran State Prison in Corcoran, California. I am a prisoner, but I have created a organization called Inmates Lives Matter. The reason why I created that is to help prisoners that’s in, and out of, prison with certain items and certain issues that they have pertaining to loved ones out there. That they [some prisoners] doesn’t have a loved one to help them while they are in prison. So I created the organization to be able to help prisoners, in prison, that does not have the support out there
Also, my goal is to reform certain laws in the State of California, as the voting right, to be able to vote while you in prison. We know we can vote while you out of prison on parole now, because the bill was passed in 2017. We do have a bill that’s coming on ballot in 2024. If the people go out there and sign and vote on it, we’ll be able for a prisoner to be able to vote while they’re inside the prison. Also working on to raise the minimum wage in prison. Right now, it’s cents. The maximum is like $1, but we trying to get the minimum is $1 and the maximum is $5, for people to work in prison. That will to be able to help they family while they out there. And we also still working on with the people that’s working without a pay number, be able to have a pay number.
The organization Inmates Lives Matter. Organizations also working on the gate money to be raised from $200 to $500, so the prisoner can come out and be able to help they self while they looking for jobs and whatever else they need, while they out. [?] When a prisoner gets out, a lot of them go homeless, because they just didn’t have the support out there. So in they life, now the organization has been created to make sure that they just not be homeless, that anybody that comes out a prisoner, whether you are a women and man, comes out, will not be homeless and will have some kind of support
I’m looking forward to be able to discuss any issues that I am going to be bringing, topics, when I get a chance to, different topics pertaining to abortion. Women in prison have abortion or get pregnant in prison, [means that you know, there are prison system that are ? in the ?ability], like the food condition here, the condition in prison, and I will be able to address all of that. And hopefully, that it gets out there to the taxpayer, so the taxpayer can have questions. I do have a… you could be able to write me in the prison, in the prison while I’m here. And you will have that information also to be able to write me, and close response. I’m looking for close response to be able to share what they feel about what I’m saying, and the feedback.
So, this is reason why I sought to address a lot of issues and the main issue due to condition in the prison system. It needs to be reformed and it needs to be changed. It’s like communication with your prison system and the prisoner. We need better communication, and the taxpayer that’s spending hard earned money that support the prison system. It’s spinned this way, that the prison, the prison system, is taking care of the prisoner. And that’s false. I will be able to share that. And the reason why I say that, and evidence to prove that, if anybody would like paperwork, on what I’m talking about. So this is something that I’ve been doing for the last three years. I have seen a lot of stuff that needs to be addressed. And it’s time to address it. It’s time for the taxpayer and the community out there to understand what is prison, because they didn’t admit that. With that, I’m hoping to share as much as I can and hoping to get a lot of people interested and to listen to me and to publish it in the paper so people can read it and understand what’s really going on. Once again, my name is Raymond Jenkins my number is the BM4522 and Corcoran State Prison. Thank you.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio
