Dont Drink The Kool-Aide
By Timothy J. Muise
The prison system here in commonwealth has turned into one big brainwashing cult.The God they worship is the allmighty dollar and the ministers of propaganda they employ bring home six-figure salaries. I want to tell you about a couple of the tactics these cult leaders use as their bread & butter suppression tool.
When you are treated in an abusive manner in prison the captor tries to make you bellieve it is your fault. When a gaurd, with stale whiskey on his breath, karate chops you in the scrotum as he "pats you down" leaving the chowhall, you are the bad guy for complaining. you are considered a disruptive prisoner and lugged to the hole for "disrupting the normal opertions of the facility." When did karate chopping my scrotumbecome normal? I'm not drinking the kool-aide.
A guard with gangster envy will tell a powerful prisoner that another prisoner is a "skinner" or a "rat" and some foolhearty cons who want to appear "stand-up" will run with it. Afterallthey have nothing to do but engage in "as the world turns" type soap opera games. This guard, who could not lift a bundle of shingles, haul a lobster trawl, or solvea simple math equation, has just divided the unity of the prisoners. He has conquered us without a bullet fired. On the street he would be pumping gas but in here he is telling us who to trust or distrust. I'm not dirinkin the kool-aide. The warden, who up close looks like a 9 mile skid on a 10 mile ride, smiles in your face and tells you your complaints will be "looked into", and you walk back to your unit expecting some results. after a week passes and nothing changes your a bit less angry, but just frusterated enough to vow to never return to unhappy hour. You hit the yard, do a few push-ups, and forget ur right to rehabilitation. I'm not drinking the kool-aise.
They place you in a cage, not big enough for one dignified man, to live with another man you do not know. They then come to you and tell you that you have to participate in some "audit" of prison, which you lose your hard gained property, must be harrased for two solid weeks, and are expected to eat humble pie while mental defectives speak to you in a manner which would be anwsered with a bullet in most circles. Almost no one says "hwll no we wont go" as far as this bullshit audit is concerened, and the only thing that becomes clear is that the oppressor can treat us in any manor he or she she sees fit. I'm not drinkin the kool-aide.
They have been paying us 1.00 a day for decades. They took our family functions and holiday cook-outs. No more avocations.They sell us defective property. $200.00 typewriters and TV's, harrasmentof our visits. Dirty food trays and stale bread. When did we sacrifice our dignity on the alter of foolishness? When did we decide that tvs and temporary cells were more important than freedom? When did we choose to go into ovens willingly? To drink the kool-aide.
The time has arrived to dump out pitchers of oppressor kool-aide and fill them with the true nector of the gods: Rebellion! Let your voice be heard. Encourage your brother to complain. One complaint letter per week, per prisoner, would be 1000 letters of unity! Do yourself a favor and dont drink the kool-aide!
The ongoing saga of the MCI Shirley Eucharistic Ministers is alive and well. We have been betrayed by our own Deacon, misunderstood by the Archdiocese, and subjected to continued abuse by the prison administration. The "Good News" is that our god sustains us and our supporters are picking up the sword with us. What follows are letters from our friend and supporter ...... Of the paulist prison ministries. we are so appreciative of all father ... has done for us, not the least being directing our blessed friend Father Bob Rivers to us. Thank you father ... and GOD BLESS!
September 15, 2012
Mr. luis spencer
commissioner: doc
50 maple ST. Suite 3
Milford, MA 01757

Dear Mr. Spencer,

I have been contacted by a prisoner at MCI Shirley who relates some disturbing information.May i ask you to investigate?

Certain Roman Catholic prisoners at MCI Shirley claim that deputy .... made a retaliatory decision to ban from the prison all Eucharistic Ministers. They claim this was a response to their legitimate complaints about conditions at the prison, especially as these related to the lives of prisoners- suicide, and of life healthcare, and access of the sick to Eucharistics services and attendance at mass.
As a ministry of the Paulist Fathers, we support Catholic chaplains with a variety of religious material to help sustain the faith of prisoners. Obviously, banning Eucharistic Ministers would significantly curtail the exercise of faith on the part of Catholic prisoners.
I appreciate your looking into this and a proper resolution to this satiation.