Shakaa Daniel Muhammad Al-Zulu


The prison Hospital is not a place to be at all. Its okay if you just have to go there for a day or two, but they do some crazy stuff to people up there.  I have been over there three times because of hunger strikes over this prison not giving us muslims a pork free tray when we are to have them by law. Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act ("RLUIPA"), 42U.S.C. sec 2000cc-1.  It's what the U.S. Justice Department sent me in their letter last time they wrote to me. I am now writing .to news papers and again writing to all the people in charge here at Parchman, MDOC. I filed an ARP as the rules state I am to do. and I am still awaiting my first step response. One can't go to court without first filing this ARP by Mississippi law. So I am doing my part and now its up to them to do the right thing or end up in court with more stains on their face over how they are treating their Muslim prisoners. We are ordering cases to back us up in court and we have this letter from the U.S. Justice Dept. too. Things should fall in to place in the next few Weeks. I am not alone. in this fight at all. But they think that I am.. That is the good part, they are watching me and my fellow Muslim Brothers and one Christian Brother, are taking care of business in the dark!  I love it when a plan comes together.  I have not been able to eat in two days, but that is just fine with me. I am going to stop eating for a few days and see what they do this time. I am use to going with out food after 12 years of being a Muslim.

I .am, called pops at my age in this place. I like that more than I do the so-called hip slang they use toward one another. I do not play that (N) ward at all. I don't care if it is the hip thing to do. I will bust a head over that word. I warn them once and then I put their names down in my mind to teach some respect in the very near future. You age very fast in this place and there is no way to get around it. There is just so much stress in this place that you would not believe it. I lost all of  the hair in the top first and then I noticed some gray hair coming three months ago. I always said that I would like to have gray hair as long as I did not go bald and it started the other way round for me.

I have to rest for a little while. I have been at this all day and to rest.  my back is hurting me and I am to old to keep doing this with out a table or anything to write on. I am sitting on the floor at this time with my typewriter on the bunk and my mattress on the floor. I am on the mattress. More later tonight or tomorrow. 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday 10th, 7: a.m.

I had to eat this morning. I can't allow myself to hurt my Kidney's, because I promised one to my Uncle in. Texas later this
year or next. Now that I ate a little something, I now have to do my workout this morning before they; come with the showers.

If the teenagers want to know what its like to be here for 18 years. I can say it this way. You start to forget your own name at times. When they pass out the mail its not Shakaa or Carl, its what's your number and these are the same guards that have worked in this building for years. You are threaten most of the time you are here and I am not talking about from other inmates, the guards threaten you in ways that matter. I can't get out of this building until someone wants me out.  If a guard doesn't like you, stay out his/her way. Most of the butt kicking in here is pushed by the females. I have seen them kick guys to sleep. I
mean they are out cold.

You say nothing these days because the younger inmates are all in gangs and they have that bad attitude about  "I came here alone and I leave alone." That is the wrong way to live in prison. When inside, you best learn to count on each other or things will get as bad anywhere as they have gotten here in Parchman.

I have seen more death here than I ever seen in my life before I came to prison. Other than cows and hogs and deer and other animals. More people die in prison than in your home town in a years time if you live in a small place like. I did.  There are 5,000 men here at Parchman alone. Well its over 5 but you get the point. They bring bus loads of school kids around the whole unit to see the animals in the cages. I can hear them now telling these kids that if you don't act right this is ,going to be your home. Well kids, they. are right. Just make sure you do not end up here in Mississippi or you can kiss your butt good bye.  They have no Mercy in Mississippi.  They throw you away, the first time. Want to know what it's like to try and hang yourself? I did that once before I became a Muslim. .Its not a good feeling at all. I still think about it from time to time and curse myself for doing it in the first place.
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1:30 p.m.

I had to stop for yard and then I took my shower, read the paper and got my 2003 clothes issue. I have to give up all my old to
get the New, so I am sitting here waiting my undies to dry. Never wear prison issue without washing them first unless you are just nasty:

They will force the inmates to wear unwashed clothes of other inmates. I refused to wear the used shoes of other inmates because of the foot disease's that I have seen a lot of these guys have. There are dudes with some very bad feet inside. I want to throw my tray at some of these guys When I see the boxers and t-shirts they have on to pass out the food. There are just some nasty people in prison and if you don't want to be like them, well, you best wash and clean up daily.
 
The waste pool out back is starting to smell. It really cut up when it gets hot. Add to that smell, the hog farm and you have one very bad combo. I fight the heat every year because there is no way around it.  I end up closing my window most of the time to block out the smell and the bugs. So why don't you young boys and girls come on down to the heat farm and suffer with me. Or you can keep your butts in School and get a summer job to help keep you out of trouble, and save money for a car or
college or something that you bother your Mom & Dad over. Get out and learn about the world in a good way. Don't try to be the baldest thing on the block. That will get you on my block and. let me tell you now, you are not the baldest thing on my block. There are guys here who can teach the baddest man from the streets a few things in being bad and that's only if you live.

Well, I have to get myself some sleep and try to sell my lunch tray for stamps. You learn to do with the smallest of food. My three year old/ four year old grandson eats more than I do every meal. So come on down if you think that you want to live the
life of crime. We will be waiting on you. But Pray that someone like me get to you first. I just want to teach you right from wrong and a little about the Man upstairs. Religion is the key to a good future and a peaceful one at that. I like :the person that I am today better than the one I use to be on the streets 18 years ago. SEE SOME OF YOU WHEN YOU GET HERE - HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

Thursday 19th
I will write again in the near future but let me tell you about the response that I have received from the MDOC. The Lt. Boss, told me on Tuesday 17th  that I was not going to get a pork free tray because they don't do that here. Then he told me that they do not sell Islamic Items in the Prison canteen anymore. That I could not have the prayer oils because they are .not allowed under C-custody. Not a good reason at all.

Then On Wednesday 18th, I got a visit from the I.A.D. (Internal Audit Division.), and they agreed with me that by law I am allowed to have and should have a pork free tray.  They agreed to go to the Warden Streeter and get a memo for all three shifts to provide me with pork tree trays and not to let my trays come in contact with pork in anyway. They also agreed to go to the kitchen and have them issue me a pork free tray from the kitchen so they can substitute for meats and other items that
contain pork or pork-by-products with meats and other foods that do not. But they have not given this in writing as of" yet and I am still not getting the trays as of today. I am willing to give them the allowable time they have by law to answer the ARP and that is within 90 days. I filed it in .April on the 9th so they have about 30 days left to get this matter straightened out or its going to be the next step for me and that is court.
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That's all for now.  I hope to get your letter posted tonight.

Peace & Love

© Copyright 2003 Shakaa Daniel Muhammad Al-Zulu

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