Eric King Statement 2023
Greetings comrades. Let me tell you about this prison, the federal supermax ADX [in Florence, Colorado]. In this joint there are different levels and units with varying levels of physical isolation and communication, but there are things we all experience. Everyone is locked down at least 21 hours a day, at max 24. When you have inside rec you are by yourself in a room without a pull up bar. Outside rec cages are 8 x 10 foot dog kennels surrounded by concrete walls and a chain link roof — a cage within a cage. Unless you are in the pre-release unit (K-A) or long-term elder unit (K-B), you will never be in the same room as another person. And even in those units you only come around your ‘group’ — which is one to four other people — for inside rec. The other 22 ½ hours are in your cell by yourself. I have been in C-unit, the discipline unit and K-A; there is one other person in my group.
The cells are sparse. Concrete walls and double doors make any communication between convicts very difficult. Cells feature a low concrete beed, an oddly shitty mattress, a concrete desk, concrete stool, and in some units, a shelf above the desk. You never have solo interactions with staff — you are always double-manned with one of them carrying a steel baton, and you’re always cuffed behind your back. Depending on the unit, you can get 4–10 calls per month. I’ve made two ‘live-monitored’ calls in the past 10 months, but I’m being told that by participating in psychology programs I’ll earn a few calls per month. Time will tell. We’re allowed five visits per month, all non-contact in a concrete booth over the phone. All visits have to be scheduled in advance, which can be difficult with such restricted communication. I’m the only Anarchist here, but I’m definitely not the only political prisoner. Within this prison there is a group of prisoners the US government has attempted to bury. The general abolitionist community has consented to this, and it’s devastating.
The most restrictive unit in the most restrictive prison in America is H-Unit, which is for people on SAMS (Special Administrative Measures). These restrictions are placed by the Attorney General, and they are sickening. SAMS vary per captive, but all entail only being allowed to write to direct blood family and your lawyer. The FBI must read and approve all letters, magazines, and books. Calls are severely limited, live-monitored by the FBI, and reviewed by magistrate judges. These convicts get three showers per week. The vast majority of people on SAMS are Muslim and foreign born. Because their families are in Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, or in Africa, it is nearly impossible to get visits, calls, or mail. These people will never see their families or home countries again. Their children will get married, have kids, grow old, and they will never know it. If that doesn’t make you sick, I don’t even know what we’re doing here.
Most of these people have never been to America or speak English. They had war brought to them. They were farmers, bakers, engineers, fathers, and husbands, and then US and Western imperialists arrived on their land. Many of these people never harmed anyone, but were entrapped by rivals and US bootlickers. Some were fighting their own governments, some donated money to local charity groups that were later deemed terrorist organizations. Others did attack US “interests,” or attempted to. Some of these actions make me really uncomfortable — just like some of the IRA’s, Kurd’s, and Palestinian actions make me uncomfortable. Just like US drone strikes, missile attacks, and invasions make me uncomfortable. It’s only from a place of privilege that I can tell an occupied people how they should fight. The goal is freedom, not being palatable to Western sensibilities. We took to the streets with rage and sorrow when the pigs killed Tortuguita (Rest in Power). How would our hearts burn if they’d wiped out the entire encampment? If they killed 100,000 little Tortuguitas? It’s hard and painful to even fathom.
Sometimes, after 10 or 15 years, via lawsuits or legal pressure, people can be released from their SAMS. These people end up in other ADX units or the CMU. The heartbreaking thing about this is that almost all of these fighters get off SAMS and find themselves supportless, friendless. Imagine you go 15 years of being banned from contact and reading material and when you finally are allowed access there is no one there for you to talk to. How heartbreaking that must feel. Think of someone like Richard Reed (Raheem). He did 7 years on SAMS then forced his way to the Life/Elder unit. He will never leave this prison, he will never touch or talk to his loved ones again. No one is standing by him. Everyone has bought into the government’s version of events and the idea that if you fight back you no longer deserve love and support, or to feel human. I vehemently reject this idea. No one should ever have to suffer this level of total isolation alone. The government doesn’t get to tell me, an Anarchist, who is a good fighter and who is bad. I think we should all keep an open heart to those who resisted the US military machine and shed light on this blindspot in the abolitionist movement. What did Assata say? “It is our duty to fight for our freedom / It is our duty to win / WE MUST LOVE EACH OTHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER / We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
Lastly, I’d like to give love and solidarity to everyone resisting Cop City in any capacity. It’s beautiful to see. Every prison is a cop city. Every prison was once a patch of land with flowers and bugs and wild life. Evil people turned that nature into militarized torture camps. Trees replaced by bars and barbed wire, wild flowers replaced by poisonous gasses. We need to shut down every cop city, past and present. I commend those who dedicate themselves to the liberation struggle.
I’ll end with this: Certain Days quoted Kathy Boudin (Rest in Power) in its May calendar page, and I feel it captures our sentiment perfectly. “The meaning of my life has come from being part of a world wide tradition of fighting for a more just and humane world. My ideals give me strength today as well as yesterday and tomorrow.” We can all gain so much from our elders. All love and respect to all my Anarchist comrades, state and federal, everyone who has supported any of us in any way. Free Joe-Joe Bowen, Free Kamau Sadiki, Free Oso Blanco, Free Kojo Bomani Sababu!
Anarchy always,
↙↙↙ everywhere.
End the SAMS!
Fire Ant Collective forever!