Note: On Malik’s 9th day of his hunger strike, he has secured key victories around getting out of his current cell, having property returned, and steadily working up his level to get out of BHU and back to general population. This milestone was made possible through his persistence, yall’s support, and the excellent legal representation working on Malik’s behalf. This is not remotely the end; until solitary confinement is dead and prisons are paved to make way for true safety and community, the struggle continues. Here is Malik’s statement: (some sections were difficult to transcribe and replaced with ellipses)
As of 11/22/24, I am ending my hunger strike here at OSP. Not at ALL admitting defeat – rather, tryin’ to remain with the strength to fight this fight to its full extent. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. In this fight, I won’t relent, give in nor resign. I will only end my strike knowing that this story can intensify. Signal to others to unify and agitate and resist this predatory, oppressive carceral state. Mobilize and strategize.
I hoped to highlight the brutality of ODOC’s predatory, horrendous hole problems and practices. I have reached out and I have wrote, I filed grievances, sent letters to the Inspector General – they have remained the same. They say the hole is where they put the worst of the worst “criminals”, but what they don’t say is that’s where they put the worst of the worst CO’s too. The ones who can’t work elsewhere because of their lack of respect, professionalism, decorum, and constant antagonizing of inmates. They stick THOSE CO’s in the hole, those CO’s who are overly miserable, hate inmates, and love to take their anger out on them and
know one would know. Cuz in the hole, they have sole control. Hold your mail, fuck with your food or refuse to give it to you altogether. Let you question one of them, well, then you messin’ with ALL of them. That’s the situation I was put in for a second time. I took a stand against a racist asshole CO and they suited up and came in to fight, assert dominance. Then deprive me, starve me, fuck with my mail, block contacts who sought to spread awareness of my treatment and organize phone zaps. Then it happened again over a week ago. I was viciously tazed and beaten for holding my tray, the most non-violent form of resistance just to ask to speak to a CO in charge about issues. Of course, as I said, in the hole is the worst CO’s, so no reasonable talking was gonna happen. They preferred action. They confuse their stories, they didn’t even remove the taser prongs, I had to remove them myself.
All that being said, my goal since the beginning of my bid was to expose the hole process. I’m grateful to have support and love from people outside. At this time, I feel I have to tell all
about mistreatment and others. I started my strike to further highlight these abuses. I personally am resigned to die in this cell if it could compel momentum to end Oregon’s
excessive hole times. I must confess though, my family I love dearly, I want to see my son again, his mom, my mom, they’re who I draw strength from. I pray to Allah daily for guidance
and IDK if I’m misinterpreting something or I’m being selfish, but I’m hearing I have a lot more I can do and say than impact with my death. But dying for a cause or principle… shit, niggas die for a lot less, and in mujahideen, if I fall, I rejoice in the most high. But it will not be in the
confines of this concrete box they seek to break me in. Loud, always proud, black man.
I simply think the most tactful move is to use the exposure of these conditions to tell not only my, but several stories and hopefully some who’ll listen will petition and fight for an end to this hell cell I’m resigned to. 9 months and counting in this hole, another 30 days prior. Some men go their whole bids here in the whole because of their abuse of the system and beatings if you resist them. Several of my muslim brothers who were beaten and shipped out before me are protesting our Ramadan meals being brought at 9-10 o’clock at night. To fast all day, no food or water, and still don’t get food until 9-10. Then we stand up demanding it be your right and life beaten {….} broken violent and {…} are sent to {…} for 180 at LEAST. It’s not like they have you think the hole has a purpose in its purely punitive abuse of power. Not a place to house “the worst of the worst” It’s for those who won’t give total {…} but I digress to tell these stories and others like them to do more to fight than I hope to do alone. So I’m ending my strike. Their agreement is to give me my levels back and a week so in two weeks I’ll have all my property or will be taken from the section as well. I’m also requesting some of my books and pictures and a radio to drown out the other noise on Catch Up or OPB. For all that called and advocate or agitate KNOW it worked. They came in my cell several times trying to find food to take away to get me to give in. The most they found was a tea packet, which they sure did take lol. Of course they wouldn’t find food. {…}
The most high on my {..} community scheme to {…} amazing attorney and a force to be reckoned with. Anyway thank you to {….} to help shine light on the bad practices on rule breaking. I’m hungry now I’m gonna eat.