Ujamaa. Ujamaa. Greetings, my friends. This is Dontie S. Mitchell, better known as Mfalme Sikivu, reporting to you from Great Meadow Correctional Facility, in Comstock, New York. In this commentary, I’m going to expose the outright lie, the deliberate misinformation, and the two inconsequential reasons DOC used to deny my request to form a prison chapter of UFD [Ujamaa Fraternal Dynasty], which would help to redeem and rehabilitate young prisoners.
First: DOC [Department of Corrections] claimed UFD would duplicate the existing goals and activities of the already approved African Cultural Organization, also known as the ACO. This was an outright lie. The ACO has been defunct for about three years and has no active membership. In fact, the facility administration has been stonewalling efforts by one prisoner to get the ACO back up and running.
Second: DOC insinuated UFD condones and encourages violence, due to documents they found on an old UFD blog, and deliberately took out of context. In UFD’s over 10 years of existence, we have never, I repeat, never engaged in or advocated violence. DOC mendaciously misrepresented the facts.
Third: DOC claims my recommendation for UFD members to be housed together raises “a level of concern.” But DOC doesn’t articulate their supposed concern, because, in truth, it was only fodder. As I’ve explained before, my recommendation is based upon research that shows prisoners under 25 years old should be housed together. Further, in my own experience, young prisoners do better when they are kept around older prisoners who are positive role models and who take them under the wing. I just know if the young prisoners I have under my wing now were housed together in a unit with me, I would have a much greater impact in their lives.
Four: UFD [sic – DOC] took issue with me for requesting that 25 UFD members be allowed to attend executive board meetings of UFD instead of the limit of 10. This was just more fodder to deny UFD. I could have easily amended this request. DOCs’ denial of UFD and the reasons they gave for doing so, show how reactionary, spiteful and prison administrators can be. These people are often dishonest and corrupt. I had a senior offender rehabilitation coordinator here, tell me she knows her job title is a sham, but she’s here for the check. All of us on the inside know that corrections is a joke. It’s not about correcting criminal behavior, but profiting from it. And when profit is involved, nobody wants the gravy train to stop.
Mass incarceration is one of the biggest rackets in America, perpetuated against Blacks, Latinos and poor whites. Even Michael Jordan has invested in prison. Tune in again. Tune in next time for more. Follow me on Facebook, at Free Dontie Mitchell. Share your comments, and I’ll take your questions. Let’s have a discussion. And if you’re interested in volunteering to assist me, please write me. Thank you for listening.
These commentaries are recorded by Noel Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
