I am often asked why I was sent to Marion Federal Penitentiary, the worst prison in the world. Today, in an e-mail, someone posed that question to me again. I have decided to send the question, along with my answer, to all of you, so you will all see for yourselves just how the fascist U.S. government works. Here it is:

Question:

<<What did you do that got you transferred to Marion Prison? Normally only extremely dangerous and/or obstreperous prisoners get sent there.>>

Answer:

<<Didn't you already ask this question? Hmmm. I think I've been asked that question about 10,000 times. Of course, it's a very good question, and of course, you're absolutely right in thinking: "Normally only extremely dangerous and/or obstreperous prisoners get sent there". This is why I wish you'd get ahold of a copy of "Cages of Steel: the Politics of Imprisonment in the United States". Marion is where the top political prisoners get sent. That's why I was sent there. Hey! Haven't you figured out by now, I'm Public Enemy Number One!>>

Here's something to chew on for a while:

     At the time of my sentencing, I had already been incarcerated for about a year. I naturally received credit for time served.

     I was sentenced to two years' incarceration under  the  old  guidelines. That  means  you're eligible  for  parole after serving one-third of your sentence. As the judge pointed out at my sentencing, he expected me to go home to my family immediately, since I'd already served half of my sentence. One year behind
bars in a maximum security federal 
penitentiary is one hell of a long time for a corporate president accused of a bullshit white collar crime.

     Okay, now, remember - I should have been released on parole. On top of that, according to Bureau of Prisons regulations, I should have spent about the last six months of my sentence in a halfway house.

     You see? I should have been released
immediately after my sentencing - at least to a halfway house. But I wasn't.

     Bureau of Prisons policies regulations state that a prisoner is supposed to be designated to the facility closest to his family. At the time, my family was in Rome, Georgia - near Atlanta. If I were going to remain incarcerated for any time at all, I should've been designated to the Atlanta prison. But I wasn't.

     My Bureau of Prisons "salient score" was so high that I HAD to be designated to a federal prison camp. There was absolutely no way around that. I was Level One, minimum security federal prison camp material. We're talking "Club Fed", David.

    To get around the salient score problem, on PAPER, I was designated to the Marion Federal Prison Camp, which, although it really isn't a  "camp", like the others in the system, and although it's the worst "camp" in the system, I was designated there on PAPER. In REALITY, here's how they got around me actually BEING in the camp:

    They locked me up in the tiny, HOT dishwashing area behind the "wall" of the maximum security prison, across the street from the so-called "camp". I would work around 12 hours, non-stop, without a break, as I wrote in the last line of my "Marion: the Gates of Hell" poem, washing "dishes on a blood-stained floor". After I would pass out with exhaustion on the floor, I would either be carried to the "hole" within the maximum security prison (where even federal law prohibited me from being sent) or, on some occasions, to the most maximum security area of the camp, to sleep. After a maximum of about one hour, I would have a fascist guard shining his high-powered flashlight (also used as deadly weapons) in my eyes, and barking at me to "get back to work". I would then be marched (or dragged, or carried) back to the dishwashing area. This went on for the entire time I was at Marion. It is precisely what destroyed my health.

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     I was the ONLY prisoner, to the best of my knowledge, that did not receive visits.

     I was the ONLY prisoner, to the best of my knowledge, who had such a "short" time to go on my sentence that was not permitted to go into the town of Marion on two-day furlows. All other "short-timers" were allowed numerous furlows with their wives, girlfriends, or prostitutes, in the local hotels, or residences of some of the elite, rich drug-dealers.

     I was the ONLY prisoner, to the best of my knowledge, who was not even allowed to APPLY for early release on parole. I was forced to serve every single day of my sentence. I served more time on my two-year sentence then other inmates served on six-year sentences!

     I was the ONLY prisoner, to the best of my knowledge, who was not permitted to spend the final portion of his sentence in a halfway house.

     I was the ONLY prisoner, to the best of my knowledge, who did not receive any payment for the work I performed.

     I was the ONLY prisoner, to the best of my knowledge, who did not have his illegally seized property returned. In the case of the numerous cocaine kingpins, their property was returned to them, even though it was LEGALLY seized! Drug dealers are given preferential treatment in federal prison. After all, what else would you expect from the recent presidential administrations who are, themselves, composed of drug dealers. George Bush pardoned one of the biggest drug dealers in the world before leaving office. Why? They were business partners!

     The FBI arranged for me to be sent to Marion, thinking I would not survive it. The fact that I did is why the entire U.S. legal community calls me "George Bush's mistake". Of course, that very same legal community lacks the courage to represent me, so I have never received one iota of justice in the U.S. courts, and I probably never will.

     During my stay in Marion, my "friend", U.S. Senator Timothy Wirth, (a mutual "friend" of Gary Hart's) wrote to J. Michael Quinlan, Director of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, asking him why I was in Marion, why I hadn't been designated to the facility closest to my family, why I wasn't being allowed to apply for parole, etc. He received a ridiculous answer from this arrogant beast, stating that I had never asked to apply for parole, and that the federal prison camp in Atlanta was too "crowded" to send me there. It was all lies. As a matter of fact, not long after Senator Wirth received this reply, one of my fellow inmates, (a drug dealer, of course), decided he wanted to get transferred to the Atlanta camp to be near an old girlfriend. He was transferred within two days of his request!

     Senator Wirth wrote me back stating that federal law prohibited him from "applying undue pressure on any agency of the federal government". Yeah, uh-huh, sure! I finished my sentence in Marion, with all of my rights violated, from "A" to "Z". Exactly as they continue to be violated to this very day, nearly nine years later.

     I hope this answers your question.

Friendly,

Michael