At my prison’s facility (Washington Corrections Center-WCC), like others statewide, it’s not out of the norm to witness fights, drug overdoses, or sexual assaults. These are things that happen daily on the inside, whether people see them or not. And while the Department of Corrections (DOC) claims to be implementing strategies to deal with these problems, their actions, like denying and eliminating prisoner-led organizations that work to actually address these issues, reflect the opposite, and leave incarcerated people like myself to wonder “Do they even care about our wellbeing in the first place?”
I have been incarcerated for 16 years now, and throughout my time, there have been numerous prisoner-led movements on the inside that have fought for prisoner rights and equitable access to basic necessities and resources.
For instance, the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group (APICAG) has taught an anti-domestic violence class that was created at the Clallam Bay Corrections Center, and continues to offer an Asian-American Studies curriculum through a program called TEACH that was created by the Black Prisoners Caucus (BPC). The APICAG has also hosted immigration seminars at various facilities in collaboration with the Nuestro Grupo Cultural (formerly Hispanic Cultural Group) to provide undocumented and immigrant prisoners with much-needed legal assistance. But most importantly, these prisoner-led organizations have worked together to decrease violence and ensure that marginalized prisoners of color have safe spaces to heal and be themselves.
I have written extensively about these groups for “On the Fence Line” in the past and have faced retaliation from prison administration for my writing and direct involvement with these advocacy efforts and other abolition movements before. I don’t assume this time will be any different. Is it ever? Shoutout to all the homies in solitary confinement!
Recently, I’ve partnered with two of my brothers, Sambo Moeun and Carlos Bernardez, both of whom have been leaders within the APICAG and BPC, respectively, to form a new prisoner-led organization called the “Peoples’ Empowerment Assembly for Collective Equity” (PEACE). Our intention is to build off the legacy of past cultural groups and other prisoner-led movements to provide a space that addresses issues that directly impact people who look just like us.
“PEACE is a group of incarcerated people of color and allies who collectively believe in the power of cross-cultural unity, radical love, and community. Grounded in these beliefs, PEACE will work together to identify and resist all forms and systems of harm and oppression, while creating safe spaces for collective equity, transformative healing, and true liberation.
PEACE will work to bridge the gaps between the incarcerated populace and outside community to provide a space where individuals can begin the process of transformation through group conversations, accountability, and purpose.”
While PEACE has already began working with community allies to fulfill our mission, unfortunately, after submitting our proposal to local administration requesting approval to have a local meeting space inside, our proposal was denied with no official reason given. However, after a chance run-in with WCC’s associate superintendent a few weeks afterward, we were granted a verbal commitment for an opportunity for reconsideration if we agreed to resubmit our proposal and meet some new requirements that no other group has been asked to meet, such as providing a complete “evidence-based” curriculum with our proposal and agreeing to annual evaluations.
And though we understood they were just throwing random obstacles at us, the second proposal was resubmitted with more than enough evidence-based material nearly four months ago, and we have yet to hear anything back from DOC or local administration.
Currently, we are working closely with Columbia Legal Services (CLS) and Asian Counseling Referral and Services (ACRS) to go through the proper channels to get our proposal approved. We have also requested a formal meeting with local administration to discuss our options and share more about PEACE. And though we have met every requirement that any other existing group has been asked to meet and more, DOC continues to give us the runaround and refuses to even respond to our community, let alone meet with us in person.
What’s even more troubling is what we found out through a formal Public Records Request. Not only has local administration been ignoring us, but their e-mails have revealed that they are now raising unfounded concerns that PEACE is related to a security threat group (STG). The suggestion that PEACE is STG-related is unsupported by any evidence and relies on generalized and inappropriate assumptions about my brothers and I. But this is exactly what DOC does, criminalize anything that they don’t agree with, especially when it comes to people of color.
At the end of the day, none of us are blind. We see that this is just another way of DOC reminding us of exactly what they think of us. That we are just some gang members that don’t deserve any love or respect. That we can’t make any decisions regarding our own lives.
If the DOC actually cared about us and our community, they would not be repressing our voices and branding us with unfounded claims and stereotypes. They’d actually work with us to eliminate the fights, drug overdoses, and sexual assaults. They’d sit down and hear us and learn about our needs.
But as they tokenize other more-than-willing inmates to further their own nefarious agendas and continue to ignore us, they’re really showing us exactly who they are. We’ll continue to do the same. And that means loving and supporting our people no matter the risk, because that’s what PEACE is all about!
PEACE In, PEACE Out…
To get involved, please contact: [email protected]
Free Palestine!
Until next time, keep dreaming!
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Felix Sitthivong is an incarcerated storyteller, community organizer, and founding member of the Peoples’ Empowerment Assembly for Collective Equity (PEACE). Sitthivong is also the former president and senior advisor for the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group (APICAG). He is currently serving a 66-year sentence at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, WA. Reach him with questions for “On the Fence Line” via Securus (WA #354579) or write to him at Felix Sitthivong #354579, PO BOX 900, Shelton, WA 98584.
Felix Sitthivong is an incarcerated storyteller, community organizer, and founding member of the Peoples’ Empowerment Assembly for Collective Equity (PEACE). Sitthivong is also the former president and senior advisor for the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group (APICAG). He is currently serving a 66-year sentence at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, WA. Reach him with questions for “On the Fence Line” via Securus (WA #354579) or write to him at Felix Sitthivong #354579, PO BOX 900, Shelton, WA 98584.
