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<h1 class="entry-title">Voices from Solitary: Parts of My Mind Did Not
Survive</h1>
<div class="post-info"><span class="date published time"
title="2013-04-03T07:17:33+00:00">April 3, 2013</span> By <span
class="author vcard"><span class="fn"><a
href="http://solitarywatch.com/author/voicesfromsolitary/" class="fn n"
title="Voices from Solitary" rel="author">Voices from Solitary</a></span></span><br>
<small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://solitarywatch.com/2013/04/03/voices-from-solitary-parts-of-my-mind-did-not-survive/">http://solitarywatch.com/2013/04/03/voices-from-solitary-parts-of-my-mind-did-not-survive/</a></small><span
class="post-comments"></span> </div>
<p><em>The following was written by Chris Yingling, reflecting upon the
three years he spent in California State Prison, Corcoran’s Security
Housing unit from 1994 to 1996. He was subsequently transferred to
Pelican Bay State Prison “when the Feds set up shop at Corcoran because
of the gladiator fights.” The “gladiator fights” were the subject of
federal investigation following widespread reports of prison guards
setting up fights between rival prisoners, fights that Yingling reports
he was a part of. He reports lingering psychological difficulties
resulting from his time in the California prison system. “I suffer
depression, and harbor some serious resentments toward our corrections
system. I have rage. Every once in awhile ill come to tears over the
way humans treat each other,” he says. </em></p>
<p><em>Yingling contacted Solitary Watch after reading an article about
the 2011 suicide of Pelican Bay administrative segregation inmate Alex
Machado. Yingling and Machado had met each other in the California
Youth Authority in the late 1980s. He told Solitary Watch, “I read this
article just prior to reading my kids a bedtime story and it brought it
all back. I know more stuff about Alex that I saw that no human should
have to endure much less a 15 year old kid. He did not have an easy
life. May god rest his soul. I will remember Alex. I am no longer in
chains.” –Sal Rodriguez</em></p>
<p><strong>Corcoran</strong></p>
<p>In white jumpsuits chained in groups of four<br>
they pulled our bus onto the yard<br>
made to face a concrete wall<br>
two gunners and many a guard</p>
<p>10 toes, your chin and chest<br>
keep upon that wall<br>
unlock your knees it’s a 105 degrees<br>
if one goes down you all fall</p>
<p>welcome to the SHU this is hell<br>
you committed a crime in CDC<br>
don’t fuck around we’ll put a bullet in you<br>
In a very short time you will see.</p>
<p>What is your name? Why are you in the shu?<br>
I caused Great bodily injury in a riot.<br>
He slammed my face against the wall<br>
The rest of the line still and quiet.</p>
<p>One man was pulled right off the chain<br>
He was surrounded and beaten a long time<br>
Great bodily injury caused by the cops<br>
Apparently isn’t a crime</p>
<p>they removed the waist chain choking me with a stick<br>
the cuffs bit into my hand<br>
they pulled my jumpsuit around my knees<br>
“now do you think you’re a man?”</p>
<p>What I experienced for the next 3 years<br>
Made me wish I could die<br>
Although physically I left in one piece<br>
Parts of my mind did not survive.</p>
<p>Men were shot, men were stabbed<br>
Some guys lost their minds<br>
We had to fight while they shot at us<br>
Hit with baton rounds eleven times.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to whine not trying to cry<br>
Because my life is so much different today<br>
I was 21 years old when I stood on that wall<br>
It seems like a lifetime away</p>
<p>Not trying to act tough or exaggerate the facts<br>
Just wanna get out what’s inside<br>
I was only a kid trying to get through<br>
They made me hate and hurt my pride</p>
<p>There’s a huge system right in societies face<br>
That is just another criminal enterprise<br>
I understand these people did bad things<br>
My own part I now see and realize.</p>
<p>These are our brothers and these are our sons<br>
prejudice and mistreatment is not an answer<br>
our society doesn’t just doesn’t have a cold<br>
we got mother fuckin cancer!</p>
<p>So I lean toward the left in my political views<br>
Because I saw too damn much of “the right”<br>
Biases interfere with things of this nature<br>
If you think that I’m biased you’re right.</p>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
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