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I want to address specific points you made.
while I agree with a portion of your assessment, one of the things I do not agree with is your statement "They are there for the housing and containment of societies worst offenders". Such a sweeping generality.
Yes, but I was speaking in the context of how it applies with regard to use of force in facilities. When you see response teams storming a living unit, its typically not just because they want to, but because they have to.
I HAVE taken it upon myself to delve into the secret world of my local prison system.
What did you do?
What I have learned is chilling, what is more chilling is the fact that, even when presented with hard evidence of wrong doing, the behavior is ignored, the whistle blower harassed and the in-mate held responsible for their loved ones actions.
Strange. Ive been involved in law enforcement and corrections for a long time and every complaint that Ive seen cross a desk has been investigated by either internal procedures or through external agencies. Im not saying you are wrong, but Im saying that I havent seen it in ~14 years on the job.
Many in our prisons are non-violent offenders!
I know that. They are usually not the problem. Its the violent, disruptive offenders that are the issue. The problem for corrections staff is that its very difficult to single out the problems in a large inmate population. Additionally, many of those "non violent offenders" often take part in efforts to control and manipulate other offenders. They contribute to the problem just as much.
Furthermore, I know first hand of the civil rights abuses against people in our punitive prison system.
Like what? From what Ive seen in my time, civil rights are staunchly protected.
When called to task for these unethical behaviors, administration and state officials use the "oh, they are just criminals, what credibility do they have", or "they are just the family of criminals, what do you expect"?, etc. Using that tactic deflects any accountability because of this society's belief in
While I understand the point you are making, you also have to understand that the position of the the state officials and administration is also correct. Inmates rarely look out for anyone other than themselves and when they do, you can bet that there is a benefit for that inmate in some form be it monetary, sexual, food etc. This is a fact by the very nature of their situation and every inmate experiences it to some degree, some more than others. Ive dealt with the families on many occasions and many of them are truly concerned for the situation of their loved one..others have an agenda, just like the inmate.
In many cases, inmates DO NOT cause problems, they just speak up for themselves.
In prison/jail, there is no "speaking up for yourself". You do what you are told by staff and you follow the rules of the facility. This is specifically for the safety and security of not only the other inmates but the staff as well. If you have a grievance, you process it through channels. Throwing feces, piss, food, setting fires, attacking other inmates or staff etc. are not ways to "speak up". The problem in the prisons, again, isnt the inmate just doing his time...its the guy or guys with an agenda.
Case in point: A man incarcerated at a local corrections facility for fraud (one of "...societies worst..." ?), wrote a 15 page letter to someone (that was never specified to me), detailing conditions in this prison. The letter was found and confiscated, the man was put into segregation and later shipped to another facility.
Well, since we dont know what was said, its hard, actually impossible, to speculate as to why he was moved. Do you honestly believe that he is the only one that complains? If they treated all of their complainers that way, they wouldnt have any inmates left. My point is that prisons expect prisoners to complain. I wouldnt be surprised if his letter included information of a security nature that may have made him a risk to the facility or himself. Theres a lot we simply dont know about this situation. For example, even though he was in prison for a minor issue (fraud), his classification may have been such that he was a high security prisoner. I know murderers that have been in jail for traffic tickets..it doesnt make them any less of a serious offender because they happened to get sent up for a non-violent offense. Its just something to consider.
Another man did violate some rule and was put in seg in the nude. Now that (seg in nude) is to be done only if the person is suicidal. The parents of this man told me he had never, EVER been even remotely so and did not believe the "official story".
Ive dealt with mental health issues in a correctional setting and a potentially suicidal inmate is something to be taken seriously. The decision to place an inmate on suicidal precautions is typically not made by the security staff, but by medical staff unless there is an emergency need to make the inmates situation safe. Ive seen many inmates claim to be suicidal in an attempt to manipulate medical staff, corrections officers, etc. And on the other end, Ive seen many inmates deny being suicidal, but were placed on precautions anyway. Its better to be safe than sorry in many instances. People that are or become suicidal often have feelings of shame later on over the event. It wouldnt surprise me in the least if he was denying it so that his family wouldnt think 'less' of him. Just another thing to consider.
In their quest to find answers, they were stonewalled, lied to, "referred to", etc., never getting any answers. But, OH, I forgot, he's only a criminal and they were only his parents, what credibility do they have?
Since Im not familiar with the situation you are referring, its going to be difficult to determine who is telling the truth. However, given your tone, I can speculate that if the guy had committed suicide, you would be here complaining that the prison didnt do anything to stop him. Some folks, you just cant please.
No, they didn't get to prison for being "nice guys"; however, does that excuse unethical behavior directed at them and their loved ones?
Absolutely not. Nowhere did I imply anything to that affect.
Does that excuse the stifling of elected officials who try to help?
Hmm. I dont know where you are, but here in Texas, elected officials, even at a municipal level carry a *lot* of weight politically when dealing with something like issues in jails or prisons. It wouldnt take much more than a few phone calls to start getting some answers.
Does that excuse Deputy Directors of Corrections calling an advocate in the Governor's office, demanding this person have no further contact with the person they are advocating with/for or they will lose their job?
Ok, again, not knowing the particulars of this issue, its hard for me to say one way or another who is at fault.
I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about this faulty system. I DO NOT blame the officers. Many are kind human beings, doing a job that needs to be done. Who I do blame are the people who run the places, the administration and clear to the top, for their reprehensible, sleazy, unethical behaviors.
Well, again, these situations are the exception, thankfully, and not the norm. Abuses occur, there is no doubt.
I know, first hand, the abuses of authority wardens, directors, deputy directors, director of records and governor's turn their heads from and ignore. I know, first hand, what it is like to be called by a representative in a Lt. Governor's office and threatened not once but THREE times to "back off or it will get worse"! No matter that strong evidence of inappropriate, dishonorable, and unethical behavior is presented to them, the powers that be, THEY do nothing to correct it.
re: suggesting people "tour" their local prisons. What I would suggest is human rights groups be allowed to just "show up" to tour. Of course, the facilities are going to put their best faces forward when exposed, with advanced notice! I often wonder what would be found if Prison Advocacy Groups, or the ACLU, or other advocates were allowed to just show up at the gatehouse and say "Hey, can we take a look around and talk to some of the in-mates" and then be allowed to do so!
So how do you ensure that the inmates only report real problems rather than making shit up? Again, its about agendas. An inmate is wronged (whether real or imagined) and sees an opportunity to "get back" at the staff, facility or whatever, maybe even make a name for himself or a few bucks for his commissary fund by whining about things that dont exist. Ive seen this sort of thing first hand so I know it exists. My suggestion to inmates was always that if they thought there were issues to address that they follow channels until they are exhausted and then get their attorney involved if its still going on. Inmates are in no way without a means by which to voice their issues.
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