Citizen-Prisoner Network

Coalition against Racism and the Death Penalty

The Ad Hoc Coalition Against Racism and the Death Penalty is hosting an all-day national conference on Saturday, May 3, 1997, 9am to 6pm, at the Friends Service Committee Bldg., 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA. The purpose is to strategize for a national Moratorium Against the Death Penalty, increase campaigns to free political prisoners/POWs, and organize to build a strong mass movement to stop police beatings, frame-ups and murder. As a community education segment, we will produce and videotape a television talk show, using the same media that often brainwashes our people into accepting gross state abuse of power (such as state sanctioned murder via the death penalty). We will use it to confirm that the death penalty, jailing and torture of political activists, and police acting as thugs in our communities, are instruments of racial oppression and class injustice and must be vehemently opposed!

Bring the people of your communities to participate in, endorse and co-sponsor this exciting event. We will provide space for your literature tables, lunch, and entertainment.

Individuals and organizers who wish to share mailing lists, donate funds, host pre-conference meetings, organize transportation to help get folks to the conference, donate educational and other materials, broadcast live from the event, videotape the event, and offer your ideas, experience and concrete support should contact Sis. Marpessa at Afrikan Frontline Network P.O. Box 9681, Wilmington, DE 19809 or nattyreb@ix.netcom.com.

Pennsylvania Prison Chaplains
Champion Aftercare

As prison chaplains, we are on the front line of this war against crime. We see the results of devastating strategies which cram to capacity the corridors of jails and prisons with first offenders and parolees who are likely to become ensnared in an endless cycle of incarceration, parole, re-incarceration-leaving behind a trail of defeat, despair, broken families and shattered dreams. The litany of destruction, grounded in needless waste of human resources, need not become the final destiny of masses of youths and more mature men entering the justice system. Unless inmates are prepared for successful re-entry into community life; unless they are reconnected to families, churches, institutions and persons of uplift and purpose; unless they are prepared and trained to re-enter the world of work and productivity, they surely will become permanent residents of the world of the imprisoned. We are determined to fulfill the mandate given this association's administration. We are going to continue on the critical pathway that leads to the formation of a workable AFTERCARE model designed and committed to combating recidivism through job training, literacy, family life enrichment and spiritual growth.

-From the Winter 1996-1997 Pennsylvania Prison Chaplain Association (PPCA) Newsletter by (SCIG) Chaplain Leonard L. Smalls, president.

Police Officer''s
First Amendment Rights

On Friday, February 7, 1997 at approximately 10:00 a.m., East Orange Police Officer De Lacy Davis (founder of Black Cops Against Police Brutality, BCAP) was relieved of his duties at the East Orange Municipal Court where he works in prisoner transportation and ordered to respond to the department's internal affairs division to explain a column that he writes called "Breaking The Blue Code Of Silence"-or expect repercussions.

Davis writes a column where he exposes police abuse and encourages other police officers to break the oath of silence by providing information to the community about what goes on behind the thin blue wall. Davis, whose column appeared in The New Jersey Citizen February 1, 1997 is at the center of what he believes is simple police harassment for his activities on behalf of victims of police brutality like unarmed 16-year-old Lawrence Meyers who was shot and killed by the police in Patterson, New Jersey, last year or 14-year-old Eltermaine Sanders, another unarmed Black male who was killed by the police in Glassboro, New Jersey, by one of their police officers. In both cases Davis was an extremely vocal critic of the police. Here is the column:

Peace To The Family: The world is preparing for an International Day Against Police Brutality on March 15, 1997. As an abolitionist in this community who intends to participate, I decided to ask the family if you would like to participate in a community forum in East Orange, New Jersey. One of the proposals that Black Cops Against Police Brutality has raised is a citywide forum on abuse and corruption in and around the city. We would like to know, "Are you willing to participate?" We have secured several churches which have agreed to open their doors to allow the community to express and address the pain that is felt at the hands of a few crazed brutal police officers. One of the concerns that has become very personal to me is the fact that some police officers are alcoholic drug users who are obviously unfazed by their abuse of trust that the community has placed in them. One must ask some of the questions that I often ask, "How does a drunk police officer arrest a citizen for drunk driving?" or try this, "How does an officer who is using drugs make a drug arrest?" While these probing questions should not be misconstrued as a sweeping indictment of all police officers, the reality is that the so-called "good officers" have to see the obvious, then speak up! Then, the final question becomes, "Why don't they do something about it?"
Throughout 1996, I was criticized by many officers of color, only to have some of them eat those words when one of their family members was abused by the police. Unfortunately, we don't realize that the world is round and what goes around comes back around. Why does it take the pain of one of our loved ones being injured by the police for those of us in law enforcement to expose the bad apples behind the "Blue Wall?" All of this reinforces the reality that the real "Boyz N The Hood" wear blue uniforms. The abuse must be brought to light. The frightening thing is that instead of upward mobility going to police officers who come to work and do a professional job every day, the good officers are intimidated into submission by the wicked, the alcoholic, the drug using, the racist and the homophobic police officers with and without rank who seem to enjoy benefits and freedom that they are not entitled to. One day the wrongs will be righted. The scriptures say that the "meek shall inherit the earth..." Peace'

According to Davis, the internal affairs Captain wanted to know who Davis was referring to in his column when he wrote "some police officers are alcoholic drug users...racists..." Even though Davis says that the only case of police misconduct in the city of East Orange that he has direct knowledge of he reported in 1996, the internal affairs division has yet to interview Davis or the witnesses about the case. Davis believes that the East Orange Police Department is upping the ante and attempting to silence him by challenging his column and threatening "repercussions" if he fails to respond to their demand for an explanation, which he believes they will distort.

Black Cops Against Police Brutality (B-CAP) is asking all organizations that are opposed to police misconduct, brutality and killings to come forward in support of De Lacy Davis. It was the huge community demonstration in support of Davis on the steps of the East Orange Police Department, October 1, 1996, and previously in 1993 that has kept the feet of the police department to the fire. It is believed that this latest effort by the internal affairs division at the direction of the chief of police is an attempt to punish Davis. Please write, call or fax: Chief Harry E. Harman , 61 North Munn Ave., East Orange, New Jersey 07019, (201) 266-5050, Fax (201) 674-7669 * Mayor Cardell Cooper, City Hall, East Orange, New Jersey 07019, (201) 266-5151 .Your support is needed and appreciated.

-Paul J. Hirschfield, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.,-hirsch@nwu.edu

Answer to CRIPS Article

The article in NCX, Dec. '96/Jan. '97, entitled
"Fact of Fiction?" stated in essence: Crips is a
street gang founded and funded by the government to deneutralize the Black Panther Party (BPP) relationship with the Alkebulanian "Black" People under the direction and idea of J. Edgar Hoover. I am an ex-Crip out of Ontario, CA. Crippen began in our area in 1974, and I embraced Crippen between the years '79-'89. I have been held captive since 1985, and am now a Muslim/Revolutionary man.

Anybody who knows anything about Crips knows they originally were a satellite organization of the BPP to help unify our people. Crip has always stood for one of the following three, depending on whom you speak with: "Comrades Reunited In Peace," California Impoverished People," and/or California International Pistol Slangers," but never "Community Resources Inner-City Project (CRIP)".

Furthermore, the organization which was solely created to undermine the BPP was "United Slaves" (US) founded by Ron Korenga. They planted agent provocateurs (like the one used to testify against Geronimo Pratt) and used other CoIntelPro tactics and strategies. As for Crips introducing semi automatics and/or automatic guns, along with crack in the 1980s into our communities, we now know this was done via "Freeway-Rick," who was not aware of this connection. Since he was a Crip and lived in a Crip neighborhood he used the Crips to help sell drugs for the government/contras.

Crips did not become extremely violent or a force to be reckoned with until the mid '80s; They didn't have the weapons or military science to go up against the BPP in the late sixties. Crippen didn't begin until '69, and was openly being subverted by the CIA. FBI, Police, National Guard, etc. They were murdered/ martyred and sent to these concentration camps (prison). Crips were not needed when the government already had their own government armed forces, such as the CIA, FBI, police agencies, agent provocateurs, and "sellouts." Crips and Bloods didn't really start gunplay with one another until the mid '70s and especially the late '70s, when comrade "Salty," one of the founders of Crips, was murdered. Crips no matter how low they go, always have a true revolutionary element; there are more Crips becoming Muslims, NAPO, RNA, and who even became BPP members, than any other street "gang".

I am not surprised to read an article which claims through the Freedom of Information Act that you can obtain proof of the Crips being a government organization; it's all propaganda, plain and simple, by the government and unaware people. The government wants as many people as possible to dislike Crips because they are one out of the five largest and fastest growing street "gangs" in this country outside and inside prison walls; they are the largest in prison. They are becoming more business-conscious, economically smart, unafraid to go up against this diabolical, tyrannical government. Crips are no more than a revolutionary organization that has become misguided due to the military tactics and strategies of this ruthless government.

-Imam.M. Al-Hizbullahi, D32683, P.O. Box 7500, Crescent City, CA 95532

Apr-May 97- - Archives - - HOME- - Electrons to Editor