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Psychological Atrophy By Justin Case 5-7-18 You ever heard the term before? I haven’t either. It’s a term I came up with since my time in prison since 2011. Observing the men around me, and the prison system that confines us. It is designed to waste away your capacity to learn, advance, or to think independently. The conditions are able to influence the mind and emotions to the point where you are not aware of the psychological impact it is having on your conduct. It’s the “dummying down” environment you are thrown into that leads to “psychological atrophy.” The T.V. programs, the books and magazines, the topic of conversation all generally have nothing to do with advancing you to learning a thing that will advance you in life. Only frivolous, mundane things that have no real value. Reading fiction books for hours on end in your cells about violence and sex. One of the primary purpose of incarceration is to deprive a person of life. A person does not have to be deprived of developing their mind while incarcerated. This is not something that the prison system prevents. This is your choice. You don’t have to settle for the kind of books and magazines that are around, or watch the violent T.V. programs shown over and over. There are many places to get educational material, magazines, books to learn things to better yourself. I am at present in a county jail where they will not allow prisoners to receive used books from prisoners book clubs around the country. This has only been initiated since the new sheriff came in office since Jan. 2017. They have not a single legal book for prisoners. Their secret policy is to keep the prisoner ignorant, so he will not be able to defend himself against their illegal charges against them. Don’t give them any educational books to read. Only entertaining ones to waste their time so they won’t spend it on trying to defend themselves. Oh yes, and make sure the public defender is a drop dead ten female so the men can be putty in her fingers. Yes, that’s what they’ve been since I’ve been here the past 2.5 years. They all look like hollywood stars. All for distraction. To take your mind off what it should be on. The system knows as long as you keep the prisoner satisfied with his indulgences. Junk food, cigarettes and degrading reading material, you can pretty much appease them, and control them. You are also making their minds worthless. The word atrophy means: “The emaciation or wasting away of bodily tissues or organs. To waste away: wither. The only way to produce more brain cells is to learn something new or to go over something you have learned as a refresher. It is true. The saying: “If you don’t use it, you’ll loose it.” That’s exactly what the government wants all who go to prison to do. Psychological atrophy. Another continuous psychological atrophy tool used in prisons is the abusive prison corrections officer who talks down to you. Cuts you off before you finish your sentence. Gives you an obvious direct order which you do every day like close your door after you put your tray out. Uses expletives at you in order to irritate and anger you and make you feel small. To destroy any sense of self respect or dignity one might have. Especially before the other prisoners to belittle and embarrass you to make you aware of your place of submission under the officers authority. It’s a psychological game played daily in prisons and jails. From the kind of food served to the temperature set in the cells and day rooms. This jail issue no under ware at all. Only a jump suit. So you’re nude inside this auto mechanics uniform. Not a very comfortable feelings but vulnerable and lacking self-confidence. It is your choice as to how to how you decide for them to view you. Not how the system sees you. A perfect example is Paul in the Bible. “The examiner of hearts,” however, did not see Saul as useless clay. (Prov. 17:3) Instead, God saw that he could be molded into a desirable vessel – in fact, “a chosen vessel” to bear witness to the nations as well as to Kings and the sons of Israel.” (Acts 9:15) Others whom God saw as potential vessels for an honorable use” included former drunkards, immoral people, and thieves. (Rom 9:21; 1 Gor. 6: 9-11) As these people gained accurate knowledge of God’s Word and applied it to their lives by allowing God to mold them, they were made into useful people for good works. There is always the possibility for anyone to change to be a better productive person. Here are a list of organizations that provide beneficial material you can read and actually prosper. Develop a skill you never had before by reading educational books. Legal material as well. All mostly free as well. Books through Bars – NYC c/o Bluestockings 172 Allen St. New York, NY 10002 Prison Literature Project c/o Bound Together Bookstore 1369 Haight St. San Francisco, CA 94117 Prisoners’ Rights Research Project Univ. of Illinois College of Law 332 Law Building, M/C 594 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign, IL 61820 217 333 4205 217 244 1478 Fax Students provide back-up legal research assistance for prisoners. The People’s Defense Committee Box 2623 Baltimore, MD 21215 214 861 8068 This organization will help you defend your wrongful conviction and prison conditions. You may have to contact them through your family or friends because the prison may prevent you from corresponding with some of these entities. Criminal Procedure: Constitutional Limitations $49.95 Order at: PLN, Box 1151, Lake Worth, FL 33460 561-360-2523 Prisonlegalnews.org How to Make Money From Your Cell $27.00 TCBM Box 1025 Rancho Cordova, CA 95741 Another book is called: Cellpreneur for $30.00 at: Freebird Publishers Box 541, N. Dighton, MA 02764 There are also a number of courses you can take in a correspondence course by mail with many organizations that provide scholarships to take the course. Adams State University Extended Studies, 208 Edgemont Blvd., Suite 3000 Alamosa, CO 81101 800 548 6679 Also, Prisoners’ Guerilla Handbook to Correspondence Programs in the US and Canada by Jon Marc. Write to: Biddle Publishing Co. and Audenreed Press, P.B.M. 103, Box 1305, Brunswick, ME 04011. Family or friends can look online at: distancelearningportal.com I have recently found a book called: “The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2018.” From one of the Edward R. Hamilton Book Catalogs. $21.95. I don’t have the money now, but that is my next goal. It’s 800 pages of sources to pay for your education. You can get it from: Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller, Box 15, Falls Village, CT 06031-0015 or there website: Hamiltonbook.com. No. of the book: 6594263 You can also see what the federal government has to offer a prisoner for school, at studentaid.ed.gov/. And ed.gov/. Also scholarships.com In conclusion, don’t allow psychological atrophy to over take your mind. You have the most powerful computer man can never duplicate inside your skull. It is priceless and the greatest creation, physically, God has ever made, to help mankind live life. Don’t let it go to waste. Put it to work. Learn something new every chance you get. Be productive with it. Use it to be creative in reading, writing, designing and learning. If you ever seen the movie The Wizard of Oz, the tin man could not believe he was smart until he had that diploma in his hand. Actually throughout the entire movie, the tin man displayed the greatest wisdom and knowledge. The diploma only gave him the confidence to believe he was smart. So in a real sense degrees play a large part in building self esteem and confidence. Knowledge is security. It opens many opportunities for advancement. Don’t let the prison system keep you in poverty. It is designed to do just that. There’s not one text book in this entire jail I’m in. Whatever you must do to prevent psychological atrophy, do it. Beat them at there own game. Do you have the intestinal fortitude to prevent brain death? Lynching is an entirely different ball game in this day and time. The S.C. justice system and prison system hang you to death by making you worthless to society, but making sure you have no desirable skills an employer would want. If you’re a poor reader, no math skills, or field of knowledge, why would any well paying job above the poverty level hire you? You’re dead in the water. You’re hung by the neck till dead, as far as a well paying job. Who can live on minimum wage today with gas and food prices so high. Keep them dumb and high and we will always have them with a “psychological atrophy,” . . . Oh, I mean a noose around their neck. Stop them from hanging you. Lack of a demanding skill or trade and not knowing the basics. Reading well and comprehending what you read, writing well, using the proper rules of grammar, and just knowing basic math can take you a long way. One of the most profound books I have purchased since my incarceration is called: “How to Make Money in Stocks.” By William J. O’Neil. You can get it at Edward R. Hamilton Booksellers. I have always wanted to play the stock market, but I thought you needed lots of money plus a lot of knowledge about stocks. This book is so easy to understand stocks and how to buy. I am convinced that using his method of selecting stocks. I can safely make a substantial amount of money without losing my shirt. He made a statement in this book that really defines one reason people get stuck on the treadmill and get no advance in life. He said: “Anyone can do anything in American by working at it. If you at times get discouraged, go back and put in some detailed “extra effort” and don’t give up. It is the time you put in after 9 to 5 Monday through Friday that ultimately makes the difference. You cannot expect to watch television or drink beer every evening and find the answer to something as complex as the stock market or the American economy.” To overcome psychological atrophy one must put forth extra effort to fight the environment, not just in prison, but even on the outside. Living the mental sedentary life, allowing your gray matter to waste away. Oprah Winfrey is an inspiration for us all. Especially black people. She is a black woman who rose from the impregnable racist state of Mississippi and broke the glass ceiling in the billionaires club, in spite of all the walls before her. Nothing prevented her from doing what she wanted. If you read about the work she had to do, you will see that, yes if you ever want to get any where in life you have to put in more than just the average person. Am I just the average person? We all must answer that. Can I put aside frivolous mundane things like the entire evening watching T.V., and perhaps use that evening to learn something new that will add to my worth and profit me. Let’s win this fight against psychological atrophy and start living life as we should.
