| Summary: | Extracts from Polish underground publications compiled and translated into English by the RFE Polish Publication Unit for broadcasting purposes. Introductions to most articles are provided by RFE staff, and items are compiled in issues based mainly on theme and date.
In Prisons[from: KOS, no. 92 (30 March 1986)]This editorial in the biweekly published by the Committee for Social Resistance gives the statistics for the prison population in Poland and compares them with those for Western prisons.
An Egghead among the Brotherhood[from: Głos Medyka, no. 4 (February/March 1986)]The independent monthly publication, "The Voice of the Medic," issued by the employees of Warsaw health service with the support of the independent Social Health Commission, has broached a subject raised in "Tygodnik Mazowsze," no. 149, of 5 December 1985. "Socrates Washes Socks," describes the treatment of a political prisoner by his criminal cell-mates. In view of the large number of political prisoners (estimated to be at least 250 and rising), it is a matter of great interest to Polish readers of the underground press. The same subject has also been raised in other publications (see item 3, below). We do not translate the original article because of the convict slang, but some of the degradations one is subjected to are described below. The following is a discussion held by a woman psychiatrist; a lawyer; two former political prisoners in their twenties, Adam and Michał; an older former political prisoner, Robert; and the hostess of the apartment where the discussion took place. The text has been somewhat abridged. The greatest problem was the use of prison slang. "Egghead" is used here for the Polish "Apropaka," an intellectual so named because he uses "funny" words like apropos. The brotherhood denotes the Polish "Grypsera," which comes from the word gryps, a letter smuggled out of a prison, and denotes a prison brotherhood or gang, the elite of prison society, with its strict rules and taboos.
Don't Be Afraid of Criminals, or "We Know Who the Real Socrates Here Is"[from: Wiadomości, no. 181 (16 February 1986)]The weekly publication of Solidarity for the Mazowsze (Warsaw) region, responds to an article in "Tygodnik Mazowsze" (see item above) about the treatment of political prisoners by criminal ones.
Prisoner of the Month - Tadeusz Jedynak[from: Tygodnlk Mazowsze, no. 165 (3 April 1986)]This is an excerpt from a dialogue about one of the more famous Solidarity prisoners, as published in the leading Solidarity weekly for the Mazowsze (Warsaw) region. The excerpts concern Mrs. Jedynak who describes the situation of prisoners' families.
This Also Happens...[from: Wiadomości, no. 180 (9 February 1986)]The weekly underground Solidarity publication for the Mazowsze (Warsaw) region. The "News," describes the case of a woman who was compensated by the courts for her illegal arrest.
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