II. Letters from Prisoners - Survival

What Survival Is

Survival is being spiritually and mentally filled by the Angels of Justice fighting the fight for our liberation from Pelican Bay SHU. Survival is possessing the intellect to know when the psych comes into the housing unit to ask the mentally unstable if they need a psych line, and you realize how ridiculous he sounds - you're surviving. Survival is waking up in the morning, in a sound mind, realizing that one was not killed during the night or moved to some unknown destination. Survival is hearing one's neighbor laughing out loud because his son or daughter received a good grade in school or a great report card. Survival is when one can assist his neighbor in his time of need, no matter what his racial, political or cultural views may be. Survival is hearing one's neighbor call out to make sure the man is not taking advantage of one, and to let the man know you're not alone. Survival is being able to state to oneself that I have made it through another day - without being killed, beaten half to death or made to stand in a shower or holding cell naked, hand-cuffed for hours (for not moving fast enough, or having the wrong look, not using the right words, or for speaking out on injustices) - having one's dignity at the end of the day still intact to fight another day. And giving thanks to whatever God one might believe in, before closing one's eyes for sleep. You smile because you have survived another day at Pelican Bay.

Bambari S. Kelly Anderson
California

Inner Consciousness v. Isolation

Before I begin sharing what I feel are some valid key points on "how to survive" the isolation in these dungeons, death traps, hell holes, SHU's, Supermax - or whatever you want to call them - let me first touch on three facts we can all agree on - a consensus: