Survival is the most important thing for every creature on the planet earth. Our survival in Control Units (lock down) on Administrative Custody is no different. Control Units were designed to destroy our survival instincts. We must not let this evil succeed. "Free all Political Prisoners; Prisoners of Wari fight to stop the Injustice, and Shut them Down (Control Units)!"

LuQmen Abdullah Hayes,
Pennsylvania

Active

To keep one's self mentally and physically healthy through a period of long-term isolation has been a challenge for myself as I know it has for others. Though I'm one of those rare persons who has beaten the million to one odds (at least to date) by doing one simple thing ... keeping thyself extremely active, occupying the loads of free time with a daily crammed schedule. It all starts with an hour long exercise regiment which includes doing push-ups, jumping jacks, running in place, crunches, pull ups, chin ups, and stretching different muscle groups, yet the most unique way I have discovered to keep the upper body in shape, is by taking a pillow case and filling it with heavy books and/or tons of personal and legal documents (you know the kind which are stuffed in clasp envelopes) and then using the open end of the pillow case as a handle to lift the one-half to three-fourth filled bag four different ways. (Lifting with each arm, then both arms in the front of the body and behind, right above the shoulder blades). In all exercise is very important in a forced sedentary lifestyle, that to linger in a bunk all day long only results in health problems such as irregular heartbeats, hypertension, depressed immune system and atrophy of muscles which even I have been effected by after six years of isolation. The next thing I do is write. What I mean by this is drafting up articles/essays and now and then a poem mostly for the small press to counter-attack the hysteria dished-out against the prisoner class. This includes telling about the conditions within America's dungeon and the impracticalities of the criminal (in)justice system. This activity alone takes up the majority of my time and has had one positive effect and that's bringing the public's attention to the repressive conditions here at the Iowa state "warehouse" and the reality of the American prison system as a whole. In fact I encourage those similarly situated to pick up those ink pens or pencils, which ever is allowed and make a habit of communicating your experiences either as simply as keeping a journal which I do on a daily basis or sending letters to the editors of the local newspaper to criticize an article or opinion you may have read which may have not been true or was one of those "let's get tougher on the criminal" opinions, that needs a person from the inside to rebut. Just keep in mind occasionally the editor will print your letter which is reason enough for taking up such activities. Other things I do to keep busy include helping others with their legal cases (civil and criminal), filing grievances every time I see a grievable issue no matter if it's personal or if it involves another prisoner, keeping log books/charts of all mail, memos (kites) and grievances, this helps in storing in order the paper work which I do not discard in hopes of using it as evidence against my keepers at a later date. And most importantly Read! Especially books which further one's knowledge. I am one who discourages those that fill one's time on "junk novels" and encourage subjects like politics, science, poetry, how to books and reference publications. Personally I just love to soak my brain into anything dealing with technology and its related issues. Now everyone may not want to follow a schedule like mine, but that's what the imagination is for. Just use whatever know-how you may have obtained from past experiences and education then shape it into something productive. By this you will stonewall the boredom devil, hopefully conserve sanity and make your isolation a little more bearable. In all, if you want to survive that long-term isolation, the mind and body needs to continually be fully active.

D.A. Sheldon
Iowa