By Jaan Laaman
The United States is often called the
country of prisons because we are five percent of the world’s population, but
the U.S. holds 25 percent of all the prisoners in the world. Recently we have
heard talk from the White House and Congress about the need to reduce this huge
prison population, which is costing the taxpayers billions.
Occasionally you might hear a prisoner’s
voice on some media platform, usually a Human Rights or community outlet. These
present words are written by Jaan Laaman. I am a long held political prisoner
presently locked up in the U.S. Penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona. Let me be very
clear, prisoners have a hard time getting our words and thoughts out from
behind America’s many, many prison walls. While prisoners do have a legal right
to express their thoughts and report on issues and abuses, actually getting
your words out is often very hard or impossible.
All incoming and outgoing prisoner
communication, postal mail, phone calls and some restricted email services that
some prison systems allow, are all opened and monitored. This is authorized by
regulations and law. Further censorship and outright blocking of communications
and publications, also routinely occurs in prisons throughout this country.
Letters, magazines and books critical of
government policies and wars are often not delivered, even if official policy
states that prisoners are allowed these materials. Sometimes a prisoner has all
his or her phone or email communications arbitrarily shut off for months. While
an official appeal channel is usually available, these are biased at best and
could easily be labelled a kangaroo court process. Communications would be shut
down for months, even if the prisoner ultimately wins appeal and has his or her
communications restored.
Censoring, restricting and flat out
blocking communications, especially of political prisoners, is a harsh and
dangerous reality going on now, in prisons all across this country. My own
voice, which has previously been heard on radio and in print over many years,
has been almost totally cut off since February. No official explanation has
been given, other than, that prison authorities do not like my commentaries and
essays. Freedom of speech---Freedom of expression, for America’s prisoners is a
constant struggle!
Source: PrisonRadio.org
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