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From a Michigan Reader
I was curious as to how you get your stories. They are very interesting, and that one in the Sept. issue about Emmett Jones and jury rigging in Michigan really hit close to home. I might have a story for you. I recently got fired from my job as prison law library clerk for assisting another prisoner in pursuing his appeal. They've come out with their own little memorandum that prison law library clerks cannot assist other prisoners in any way. They have put me on detention for twelve days specifically for this. The man I was trying to help doesn't even have a G.E.D. His conviction was affirmed in the MI Court of Appeals, and as a matter of course his appointed appellate attorney sent him an application to the MI Supreme Court, told him to fill it out and abandoned him. Basically, they are trying to stem the free-flow of information in the law library here, impeding and penalizing prisoner law clerks who try to help other prisoners. I am not the first one here who has gotten fired for this, even though it's a relatively new inter-prison law library rule. However, this rule has been approved by the M.D.O.C. in Lansing, or so I am told. That being the case, it could be a new trend in this state.
Anyway, that's the gist of it, and I believe it to be an insidiously clever form of oppression because of the numerous illiterate and semi-literate people they have locked up. I've been preparing to take this issue to the courts, and I must tell you, your little story [in the Emmett Jones article] about Baraga "Super-Max" was a little disheartening. Michigan has no problem being deceitful and corrupt in order to get their way. I've seen enough of this to know. I have to do what I believe in, though, so I'm getting ready to strap it on - my armor, that is.
H.M., Kincheloe, MI
Anyway, that's the gist of it, and I believe it to be an insidiously clever form of oppression because of the numerous illiterate and semi-literate people they have locked up. I've been preparing to take this issue to the courts, and I must tell you, your little story [in the Emmett Jones article] about Baraga "Super-Max" was a little disheartening. Michigan has no problem being deceitful and corrupt in order to get their way. I've seen enough of this to know. I have to do what I believe in, though, so I'm getting ready to strap it on - my armor, that is.
H.M., Kincheloe, MI
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