AN INCARCERATED BROTHER WHO HELPS OTHERS
IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE HIMSELF

In his "What Impact Should the Reparations Movement Have on the Effects of the Prison Industrial Complex on the Black Community," Baba says that you cannot have reparations without trying to transform the minds - the spirituality and the mentality - of over a million people incarcerated in these hellholes, these concentration camps that we call prisons. He lays out a plan that he and other people inside the walls have for Restorative Justice.

"Restorative Justice," Sadiq explained, "requires the involvement of our communities, our experts in education, psychology and sociology, and in 'living black' in America. In every aspect of our processing in the criminal justice system and the prison system - from arrest, to the serving of sentences, to release - our community has a stake in what goes on. That is because of the clear fact that no matter what occurs, the offender will ultimately be released back into the community from which he or she came. How they come back depends on what went on during their imprisonment."

He said that they call on the people responsible for those conditions to channel reparations compensation to the people who have been harmed so that they can repair the damage of over 400 years of slavery and its aftermath, including victims of the criminal justice system. This restorative justice is an alternative paradigm to the model of criminal justice that is presently in use in the courts and prisons throughout America - a model that is admitted by European and American prison experts to be woefully ineffective and deficient in both its application and results. "The idea of social healing does not mean that we absolve society of its responsibility for correcting the conditions in our communities that make people more vulnerable to crime and dysfunctional behaviors. It is the start of the process of repair," added Sadiq.

Like most leaders of the reparations movement, in his writing Baba also attempts to cut through some of the lies of the mainstream press, which tries to make it appear that reparations is just Black people asking for a check. "That's not what it's about at all," said Sadiq. "There must be reparations in the form of education, for instance. Let some of our people become scientists and doctors. It's like what Fidel is doing in Cuba. He's a shining example of what reparations can do as he provides medical education free of charge to those wanting to become doctors."

Sadiq spoke too, about how Baba came to be incarcerated. In 1977 he was convicted and given 25 years for killing an alleged lieutenant of Nicky Barnes, who was a drug lord controlling drug traffic in Harlem in the 32nd Precinct area. This drug lieutenant threatened Baba's wife with a pistol. One thing led to another, with Baba killing the drug dealer.

Explained Sadiq, "Normally you wouldn't see anybody get 25 years to life for killing a drug dealer. But we believe the drug lieutenant was working for the United States Government because they brought in some special people to prosecute Baba who had a public defender. The Public defender did not mount a defense for Baba at all, since he was poor, Black and drug addicted."

However, when Baba went into prison, he transformed himself completely. With his exceedingly keen mind, he became a respected jailhouse lawyer who has helped over 100 inmates obtain their release. In 1980, Baba brought the suit against Attica, (Eng. V. Coughlin & Supt. Smith. Smith was the Superintendent of Attica Prison) demanding that they implement the agreements they had made after the Attica uprising. Far from it being good for society that he be locked away, stated Sadiq, "Baba's the type of person we need in our community. He has turned his own life around and his presence in the community can be a positive force. He can talk to our young people and help them change their lives."

Because the prison industrial complex exists to crush down and exploit incarcerated persons, not lift them up and rehabilitate them, it comes as no surprise that Baba has experienced appalling treatment in prison--and some of it is caught on tape since he, like others who are imprisoned, has to be monitored wherever he moves.

Sadiq is in possession of a tape that shows Baba being tortured by about 5 guards. This torture took place at Napanoch, a maximum-security prison in Ellenville, New York, in 1992 when Baba refused to submit to a third anal search demanded by corrections officers. Baba has been beaten and stomped many times. Since that beating, he has a brain aneurysm which endangers his life every day because it could burst at any time if he were to get so upset his blood pressure rises.

Baba takes Tai Chi and tries to stay calm, but the guards go out of their way to provoke him and create situations that might elevate his blood pressure. Recently Sadiq visited him in Comstock and right after he left they put Baba in solitary, because they said he threatened to stab a pedophile that was arrested for molesting children. "Well, this was a frame up," stated Sadiq. "We called different officials at the prison and they let him out of solitary. These are the types of things that are taking place against this brother who has completely reformed himself to become an outstanding example to those in prison and outside of prison. He is a prisoner of conscience who challenged the prison by his litigation skills on behalf of other inmates."

Sadiq said too that they have been assisted by New York attorney Bob Boyle, who has advised them legally, and by Dr. Barbara Zeller, who assessed Baba's medical status. With emotion in his voice Sadiq said, "This brother could die at any time. We want to stop that from happening."

You can help by writing Baba to provide moral support during this ongoing ordeal. His address is: George Baba Eng #77A4777, Great Meadows Correctional Facility, P.O. Box 51, Comstock, New York 12821-0051.

Also, the Committee to Free G. Baba Eng is in need of financial support for his legal defense. Make checks payable to: Committee to Free G. Baba Eng, 2 Walden Road, Ossining, New York 10562, Attention: L. Plachta, M.D., Prison Coordinator/NAACP.

To make arrangements for your organization to show the video tape, "The Torture of George Baba Eng," call Sundiata Sadiq, Director of the Committee to Free G. Baba Eng. At (914) 941-6046, or email him at Sundiata42@aol.com.