Gregory Koger

It’s quite an experience to go from reading a newspaper in a segregation cell in prison to sitting in the production offices of that paper and contributing to producing it. That sentiment would probably be the closest I can come to attempting to put some context around my weekend.

Interestingly, I was doing some stuff over by Haymarket Square, site of the 1886 rally by labor and anarchist groups. Beginning on May 1, 1886, strikes and rallies were held throughout the country to demand an 8-hour working day. In Chicago, on May 3rd, police opened fire on a crowd of strikers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. plant, massacring 6 of the workers. The following day a rally was held at Haymarket Square. After several hours of a peaceful rally - a rally so peaceful that the mayor of Chicago himself was present - and as the last speaker was talking, police descended upon the rally. As the police rushed in to silence the speaker, an unknown person threw a bomb into the line of police. Once police officer was killed by the bomb, and the police immediately opened fire on the rally, injuring or killing an unknown number of civilians. In the aftermath, 60 police were injured and 8 killed - most by bullets from “friendly fire” from the other police shooting randomly and indiscriminately into the crowd of protesters. Eight anarchist leaders and organizers of the rally were arrested, charged, and convicted for the death of the police officer killed by the bomb thrown by the unknown assailant. All but one of the anarchists received a sentence of death. A controversial sculpture was erected at the site in 2004.

Anyhow, I got to work on Revolution newspaper! And I had some more great discussions, and saw the film Bastards of the Party. A powerful documentary by Cle “Bone” Sloan, a longtime member of the Bloods, the film traces the historical development of the Bloods and Crips from their predecessors in groups of black youths banding together in self-defense against racist white gangs in the 1940s, through the Black Panther Party in the 1960s, and their founding as “bastards” of the BPP in the early 1970s. The title itself comes from Mike Davis’ book City of Quartz (which my friend Brian recommended to me while I was in prison but that I haven’t had the chance to read yet).

Also, I found out that its possible that I could get a small apartment in Chicago for about $700 a month, which is considerably less than the $1,000 rough estimate of prices I’d heard and more feasible for me to possibly swing at some point in the relatively near term. So I might be able to live in the city after all. But I’m still waiting to hear the outcome of the parole situation, the writing tutor job, and whether I’ll get financial aid to continue going to this college. I’m hoping to get all of that answered by the end of this month, then I can get down to making my decisions about what the hell I’m gonna do within the constraints of having no fucking money…

Had a great time out this weekend though. It seems kind of straightforwardly obvious that getting out and talking to people and doing important work would beat being stuck in a room, but goddamn! I like being able to talk and have substantial discussions with people and maybe even having the opportunity to make some friends. I mean, yeah definitely I’d like to have some friends, but… with past experiences such as those I’ve encountered, and living my entire life alone and mainly devoid of any meaningful human contact, you get used to being alone and not having anyone to talk to or interact with. Plus you expect that any tenuous friendship or acquaintance will end at any time for any or no reason at all. So I don’t like to get my hopes up about interpersonal relationships. But I’ve gotten to know some cool people.

Well, the waiting continues…

UPDATE: 7-13-09 7:30pm: Parole Officer just came here - DENIED. I have the dubious distinction of being the first person he’s ever submitted for early discharge to be denied - lucky me. You know, not being in troube or arrested, not using drugs, doing a year on electronic monitoring house arrest, finishing a year of college and getting a 4.0 GPA, etc. etc. etc. just aren’t suitable characteristics for hardcore, dangerous multiple felons like me to be released into “polite society” without being subjected to State supervision and the possibility of being immediately returned to a prison cell without charges or trial for no reason at all. He said he’s gonna put me in again in December. So the decision has been made for me - stuck in this shithole for at least 6 more months…

Hahaha! Wow, I haven’t seen a movie in a theater since before I want to prison, so its been at least 13 years. And who would have possibly thought that the first movie I’d see in a theater would be… wait for it, you’ll never fucking guess Sex and the City *shudders*

Well that was the culmination of a great weekend, really the first time I’ve gotten out of the house (besides going to class) in over a month. Having no money kinda precludes you from doing anything… Anyhow, I went to a fun little anti-4th of July picnic in the city, and got to take a swim in Lake Michigan sans leg monitor. Well, if you call wading in 2 feet of water 10 feet away from the shore and a lifeguard “swimming.” But it was better than last year, cause in addition to having the leg monitor on I was on house arrest and had to be home at like 4pm I believe, so I barely had a chance to swim or even enjoy the picnic. This year I had more time for both, and had some good discussions.

Then Sunday I went to an event for Revolution newspaper, and had an opportunity to have some more great discussions and to get to know some of the comrades a little better. It looks like I’ll be able to get more involved, doing some work on the paper and website, so that will be a great opportunity. And then I went to the movie, primarily with the intention of getting a better understanding of what this cultural phenomenon represents and how it reinforces the commodity relations of capitalism.

Still haven’t heard any word on the parole situation. I have an interview for the writing tutor job my English professor recommended me for on Thursday, and I’m hoping that I hear the outcome of the parole situation before then. I haven’t been able to move forward or finalize any of my plans because they are all contingent upon whether or not I get off parole. I really can’t continue to stay in this living situation, but I have no money to get a place of my own. I wish I could live in Chicago, but the aforementioned lack of money precludes that for now, and the only other real option I have it to go down to Champaign-Urbana, where the cost of living is lower and I know some great people from the IMC. But I can’t move there unless I get off parole. And I don’t even know if I could move to Chicago while I’m still on parole.

So… everything is up in the air until I get the decision on parole. If I don’t get off parole, I’m pretty much stuck here in the vacuous wastelands of suburbia, but I should continue to get financial aid to attend my college and presumably may get the writing tutor job - which seems like a great opportunity. Then my PO would submit me again in December to get off parole, or so he’s told me. Ultimately, staying here another six months isn’t too bad, but I really can’t deal with this living situation. I wasn’t living with my adoptive parents when I was 15 years old, I damn sure don’t want to deal with this bullshit when I’m 30. But being on parole and having no money keeps me locked up here. My room is definitely a much better cell than the ones I’ve been living in for the last decade, though.

If I do get off parole, that still doesn’t really resolve the issues, I just have a few more options and can make a concrete decision about what the fuck I’m gonna do. I mean, even if I do get off parole I may end up staying here another six months or a year, doing the writing tutor job and going to this community college. But, I’d at least have the option of leaving here, trying to get a place in Chicago, going to Champaign, or just running away and joining the carnival More options available, still no money though, but I can make my fucking decision and move forward with it.

I’ve been stuck in this criminal in-”justice” system since I was 16 years old, either in juvenile detention, on probation, in the county jail, in prison, on house arrest or parole. Half my life - and all of my adult life - I’ve been caught up in this system. My one and only concrete, absolute goal or objective that I’ve had since I got out of prison has been to get off parole - not that I don’t have many other goals and objectives, this is just the most important and pressing one in the immediate term.

So now I continue to await the outcome…

UPDATE: 7-11-08 - Had my writing tutor interview yesterday. I think it went well, seems like a great opportunity. Both of the people who interviewed me and are in charge of the writing center said my prison past wasn’t a problem for them, but they still were waiting to hear from “higher ups” concerning the situation. They didn’t even ask me why I went to prison or any of the details of that. They still have a few interviews to finish and then make the final decision, which should come in about 10 days. Still no word on the parole situation either… More waiting!

Ah well, at least I’ve been getting the chance to get out some and do some revolutionary work. Supposed to get together with some comrades to work on a collective writing piece and also get the chance to do some other work for Revolution newspaper today. Its good to be able to get out some and have good discussions and thought provoking conversations, something sorely lacking in my life for so long. Not to mention having some kind of fun instead of sitting in my room all the time. Plus I’d like to have some friends and do stuff. Fucking money, I hate it… But enough of that, here’s to another weekend out and enjoying life some!

[ Cue the music ] Well my Parole Officer just came here, gave me a drug test (which I passed, obviously), and is going to submit me to get off parole tomorrow. Once he submits me it kind of goes up the chain of command, to his supervisor, then like the regional supervisor, then to the parole board, so I should find out the outcome within a couple weeks. He told me the worst case scenario is that sometimes the parole board wants guys to do 2/3rds of their parole time instead of 1/2, so if they deny me this time he’s gonna put me in after 2/3rds - which will be December, only 6 months from now.

And I just started my summer school class last night - Geometry, since I dropped out of high school when I was taking that class when I was 15. Seems ok thus far, really simplistic but I think I like geometry better than most math since its way more visual and spatial.

So… hopefully I’ll be off parole by the end of this month, but if not I probably will be off by the end of the year. Hope its by the end of the month though

UPDATE 6-28-08: Still haven’t heard anything on the parole situation. I’ve got an interview for the writing tutor job in July, and my college sent me another one of these honors thingies for last semester…

I had a chance to make it down to Champaign-Urbana this weekend to see my friend Brian and meet some of the great people at the Independent Media Center there. I met Brian through the Books to Prisoners program they run while I was in Pontiac, and they published a few things I wrote in their newspaper, The Public i. So it was great to finally get a chance to go down there and see the IMC. I was supposed to go down there last November for the National Conference of Prison Book Projects, but they gave me a new parole officer literally two days before the conference who refused to let me go there because I was still on house arrest - even though my original PO said it would be fine for me to go…

I did some work at the IMC Books to Prisoners Project, packing some books up to go out to prisoners. It was quite an experience to be on the opposite side of the Books to Prisoners program - instead of receiving books in a prison cell, I was sending them out to others who are still behind the walls in those cells.

I got to see the University of Illinois campus there, which looked amazing:

We ended up participating in a Copwatch program that they had been doing and expanding in their community - bolstered by the recent acquittal of local activist Patrick Thompson on false charges, stemming from a Copwatch video that Thompson and another local activist, Martel Miller, produced in 2004 and ended up being charged with felony eavesdropping for videotaping police officers in public. We ended up observing about three Champaign PD cars and a University police car stopping a trio of Black youths, who they had handcuffed on the side of the road. Racial profiling and harassment has been a major issue in Champaign-Urbana, with White students being given a pass while the Black and minority community suffers harassment. We stayed to observe the officers conducting the stop, and eventually they let the youths go. Shortly before the youths were freed, a carload of University students drove by and voiced their opinion of the detention of the youths to the officers on the roadside thusly: “Fuck the police! Bitches!”

So I had a wonderful time, and took the train back home after a nice little party for Patrick Thompson’s acquittal. Seeing the great work and community around the IMC down there has really gotten me to strongly consider moving down there and attending the University of Illinois there instead of UIC. But I’ve got soooooo many decisions to make and things to figure out…

Once I got home I received some info in the mail from my college about a writing tutor job that my English professor my first semester (who was totally awesome - thanks Melany!) recommended me for. So, I have to send in the application with two examples of my “academic writing”, then go for an interview in July. Most likely I’ll send my Thesis - Antithesis - Synthesis and A Boy pieces, which I wrote for her class and are some of the better examples of my recent writing. Dunno how the whole prison thing will affect my chances of getting the job, but we will see…

My old friend Peter and his wife Ariadne are in town again and we’ve spent most of the week together having a great time. We spent a lot of time just hanging out at his parents house with his sister’s kids, who are all so fun and lively. Had some great conversations and discussions as well. But we did go out a few times and made it to the Brookfield Zoo.

I’ve kind of been curious as to how I would feel about visiting a zoo, considering I’ve spent a large percentage of my life in captivity and have some idea of what it would be like for the animals. For the most part though the animals weren’t in cages or poor living conditions, and they seemed to have some room to move about, though a lot of the living spaces seemed to be made of concrete and I doubt these animals are evolutionarily adapted to walking on concrete for long periods of time… I mean, I think the zoo does some good work but I don’t know that I really like the idea of keeping these animals locked up in captivity.

Here we are helping his parents put in their garden, as we did one time when Peter’s dad was in the hospital when we were kids - and Peter is wearing a pair of shoes that he had at probably the same age, and which ultimately ended up disintegrating spectacularly in the course of gardening

Here are the two old men cooking some vegetables on the grill

Here are a few pics from the zoo:

Gorillas above, as well as a waterfall in the recreated tropical environment where they have a number of apes and monkeys. Below are some black and green poisonous frogs, which are a little hard to see in the pic but look amazing.

Here are some penguins and a sea bird:

Finally a baboon, peacock, polar bear, and some kangaroos gettin’ it on

So, we had a great time, and I’m really going to miss them and the kids, but I’m sure they’ll be back again before too much longer. And once I get off parole I’ll make my way out to Boston to visit them.

While I’m posting I may as well mention my grades from this semester - all A’s except a B in my Algebra class that doesn’t even count towards my GPA.

I should have gotten an A in Algebra too, but I missed it by like 30 points out of 1,000 total points for the class. If I would have actually done some work outside of class and studied I would have easily gotten an A - but there is no one to blame for that but myself. Too many late nights bullshitting around with my friends online Anyhow, a 4.0 GPA is generally considered to be fairly decent, I think… Not bad for my first year of college, I’d say.

Yeah, today is my 30th birthday… This is probably the first time I actually “celebrated” my birthday in any way since I was like 15 years old. My cousin made me a big-ass cake - in response to the cake with 30 candles I got her for her 30th last year - a few friends wished me happy birthday, and I bought myself a cool little Apple wireless keyboard. Probably the most interesting thing I did today was use an atlatl to throw spears after my last Anthropology class. I got some pretty good distance with the atlatl, but I kind of doubt I could survive off it if I had to.

No, I’m not ridiculously drunk in that picture Just extremely tired, since I only got about 3 hours sleep before my Algebra final that morning. So my first year of college ended on my 30th birthday. And my parole officer is supposed to submit me to get off parole next month, which will be great if it goes through.

But… I still have no money, and don’t know what the hell I’m gonna end up doing. I’m supposed to take a summer school class and work for my dad this summer, while doing some iPhone software development for my corporation. Ultimately though, I need to figure out what the hell I really want to do within the confines of the (mainly financial) limitations I have to deal with.

Would love to just hop in my car and drive off, wouldn’t mind running away and joining the carnival, but right now as long as I continue to get financial aid to goto college I’ll probably keep doing that. I’ve just been so bored this last semester and not feeling like doing the bullshit homework etc. at all.

I dunno, but I’ve got a lot of shit to figure out. All in all though, I’m doing pretty damn well considering my circumstances for most of my life. Here’s to the future!

Time ceaselessly slips slowly through my fingers as I strain to grasp hold of some tenuous meaning

Progeny of Isolation, born of that dark crypt wherein boys are cast and this unfinished man was molded

Brought forth in desolation, searching for some mysterious amorphous

Undefined

Elusive solutions evade resolution

Questions lie scattered along the path

As I set out once again for some

Unknown destination

During the March 19, 2008 protests against 5 years of war and occupation in Iraq I was briefly interviewed by Labor Beat while I was demonstrating in an orange jumpsuit and hood indicative of the type of apparel used by the U.S. government for torture in its “detention facilities” across the globe. For the majority of the demonstration I was kneeling on the ground, but towards the end another demonstrator joined me kneeling, so I stood up with a “Stop Torture” sign, and it was at this point that a videographer from Labor Beat asked to speak to me for a moment, and I broke my silent demonstration to speak to him. Only a small portion of the interview was included in the video, but you can see me at about 4:15 and a brief statement by me at 4:44 in the video. Watch the whole thing though! I was just reading through American Methods: Torture and the Logic of Domination by Kristian Williams for a paper I have to do and remembered the interview and finally got around to posting it on my site. An interesting and disturbing rationale for the use of these orange jumpsuits by the U.S. can be found in Williams book: “ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] representatives explained to the authorities [at Guantánamo] that, in Arab countries, red or orange jumpsuits like those issued to the detainees signify impending execution…”

Apparently a recent opinion in my favor from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals regarding a lawsuit I began in prison has generated a bit of chatter on the internets. The lawsuit began after the Illinois Department of Corrections refused to provide me with a vegetarian diet, a diet required to comport with my religious beliefs and practices at the time. I was not requesting anything that was not already provided by the prison - vegetarian diets were available to others whose religious practices required them. Instead of “gaming the system” by simply joining a religious group that was already provided vegetarian diets, as various prisoners that I personally know who wanted vegetarian diets have done, I chose to assert my legal rights and fight back against the illegal policies and practices of the IDOC in regards to religious diets. Therefore I began to study the law related to this issue and filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, handwritten with a three-inch flexible plastic pen from a segregation cell in Pontiac Correctional Center, when I was 23 years old.

Judge Evans, in his concurring opinion, seems to think that RLUIPA serves as a basis for game-playing. While I’m sure this can sometimes be the case, from my experience the real game-playing would come far before a prisoner, untrained in the law, would even attempt to file a lawsuit. As I mentioned, most prisoners that I know who just want a vegetarian diet for whatever reason simply join a religious group that is already provided one by the IDOC. Let’s be logical - which is an easier way to “game the system”: simply telling the prison that you are a member of a religious group that already receives a vegetarian diet at the prison, or learning the intricate ins and outs of federal law in order to not only file but prevail in a lawsuit as a legally untrained prisoner versus teams of attorneys employed by the State? Furthermore, the opinion that asserting my rights was a “waste of time” seems a rather curious conclusion coming from a federal appellate judge whose presumable position is to uphold justice and interpret the law. For those who believe in such a thing as “justice,” how is ensuring that prison officials follow the law and rendering a judgment that accords with justice a “waste of time”?

As to the commentators on the internets, specifically what appears to be the National Enquirer of legal blogs (the site attaches the following disclaimer: “This website is intended purely for entertainment. It is not intended to be a comprehensive review of appellate law.”), all I can say is: sir, please educate yourself about issues before you comment on them. I’m trying to be charitable, and not leap to the presumption that your entire post on my case is deliberately disingenuous. More likely than not its a poor attempt at infantile humor. A reading of Judge Manion’s opinion on the case would go a significant way towards clarifying the misrepresentations you make of my case in your post. I’ll refrain from a more in depth rebuttal, but a final point: as to the asinine description of Aleister Crowley as a “famed devil worshipper,” a simple perusal comprehension of the Wikipedia entry on him would serve as a decent starting point for an actual understanding of the man - though I’m sure he would be delighted to know the appellation you’ve bestowed upon him…

I was out and about in the city over the weekend, primarily to attend a presentation by Raymond Lotta on Re-envisioning Revolution and Communism. Unfortunately I missed most of the talk due to having to work unexpectedly, but the Q&A afterward was great and I had a chance to have a number of good conversations afterward, as well as through the night and the next day. The sky was so clear on Saturday that I could see the Sears Tower from north of Skokie as I was driving in to the city! I took a few pics for a friend of mine, some of which came out fairly well so I may as well put em up here

Traffic was kind of shitty, guess the whole Easter thing had people traveling:

Here’s a view of the skyline and Sears Tower from much closer in than Skokie. I wish I could have taken a pic of the Tower from way out when I first saw it coming in, it must have been close to 20 miles away!

This is an interesting shot I happened to get of the federal detention center - MCC - in front of the Sears Tower. The MCC is the tan, triangular building to the right in the pic:

This is the John Hancock building from Lake Shore Drive:

This is a pretty cool pic I got of the L:

Here’s the Art Institute. I gave a homeless dude $5 out front, and some change to another dude who asked, and after that another guy comes up to me and tries to scam me into buying a copy of The Onion newspaper from him

Then this is the “bean” in front of the Frank Gehry bandshell in Millenium Park:

That’s me in the bean, obviously And this last one is a pic from underneath the bean looking up inside of it, which is amazingly surreal: