Alright, this is Dallas Britt from Minnesota Correctional Facility-Rush City, Rush City, MN, 7600-525 Street, Rush City, MN 55069.
I usually like to use this platform for evangelism and for personal reflections, and I did have one of those written for today, but there’s something else I’d like to talk about.
We’ve been dealing an uphill battle for religious freedom here in prison. Last week, we were denied the opportunity to use a study room because we had our Bibles with us. While following the chain of command, the Lieutenant told me [inaudible] religion can only be practiced in our chapel or in our cell.
Now the chapel has been closed for well over a year due to COVID. My religion calls for fellowship. I’m not sure all the rules as far as religious freedom, but let me know what you say. When did God become the problem? I recently completed chemical dependency treatment in prisons. I found God shortly before that. It changed my life, my outlook on life and others, it gave me hope and something good to strive for.
When it comes to reforming criminals, anything that teaches love, peace, and kindness should be allowed. The things I’ve learned from my higher power, God, Jesus Christ, have been such a blessing that I want to share it with the whole world. I definitely want the incarcerated brothers to know, but we’re told to keep it to ourselves behind lock and key.
Today I’m asking for your prayers in this area, and our religious beliefs do not have to be suppressed. Thank you, God bless you, and talk to someone today about Jesus. Thank you.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
![Prison Radio is sharing an abbreviated version of a press release covering recent racist incidents at SCI Rockview in PA and the organizing to demand accountability. We are reaching out to people incarcerated at Rockview as well as recently transferred folks, inviting them to call, in hopes of hearing commentaries from them.
Benner Township, PA.-
On November 24th, 2023, imprisoned people at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for many prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hung, they were told it was a joke.
By December 4th, prisoners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates" and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Captain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance.
The sergeant and COs are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions...
As of March 10th, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending 100 copies of the grievance. Copies of the letter also were mailed to Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman, Senator Street, and various advocacy groups. The demands for relief in the original grievance have now become the platform of demands for this campaign. About 20 of the 100 letters were withheld by the prison.
Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, flooding the phone lines of DOC offices, assisting with outreach to media, and circulating the stories of prisoners who have found unity in opposition to the facility's virulent institutional racism.
In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, Nicki Paul, the superintendent's assistant and "grievance coordinator" informed the public that they self-investigated their staff and found they did nothing wrong.
Read the full article at i
https://conta.cc/4ayDxlB](https://www.prisonradio.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)