Do We Treat Our Nations Prisoners as Human Beings?
Or "Objects"
As a prison rights activist I get dozens of letters from prisoners in the mail every time I open my post office box. Some of the happenings they inform me about is almost like something out of a television movie.
One guy told me "they are committing suicide all around me," results of solitary confinement for years and sometimes decades. He is in the Coffield Unit in Texas. They call it the glass wall unit, because one whole wall is made of windows, and most of the windows are broke. Birds are flying around in this unit. In the summer it's extremely hot, and in the winter, it's very cold.
Another tells me "all the women here are either on walkers, or using canes, and have done their flat time, why are they still here? She asks".
And yet another from a Michigan prisoner writes to me under a false name so that his letters will reach me. What was going on in his unit was so abusive I wrote a petition about it that can be viewed here.
What got me thinking about the treatment of prisoners is that recently, it's in the news more often. Not too long ago we heard about the man who was dumped out of his wheel chair. The article was on Associated Content, and one of them can be viewed here . And most recently the Tennessee man who was a victim of police brutality.
Then today I read about the Mexican Immigrant Adriana Torress-Flores, who was put in a holding cell in the courtroom, to be transferred, for allegedly pirating and selling CD's. According to Associated Content she was without food, water, and a toilet for 4 days, and forced to go to the bathroom on the floor, and drink her urine out of thirst. This is an outrage. How can a human being be forgotten for 4 days. I can only imagine what she was thinking when she was crying and pounding on the steel walls for help.
I know there are many more horror stories. The ones that make the news are too few and far between, and I'll end my venting with this famous quote by Mahatma Ghandi "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members."
Sources:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/630987/nations_prison_population_makes_history.html
http://www.petitiononline.com/HVFabuse/petition.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/631231/tennessee_man_victim_of_police_brutality.html
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/woman-forgotten-in-cell-for-4-days/20080312065909990001
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/599957/police_are_beating_up_on_the_helpless.html
Published by Dee
I am a prison activist/advocate writing about prison issues, hoping to make awareness, and bring reform. One out of every thirty-two people in the USA are currently on parole, probation or in prison. I am ow... View profile
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17 Comments
Post a CommentA very interesting take on a complex issue!
Dee and Mike...I agree with you that our prisoners should not be abused...and I really like you both...now here comes the but...BUT...I think you both should volunteer to become a C/O and work from within the system. I think you could make some positive changes. I think that your eye's would be opened somewhat to the true realities on the inside. Fight from the inside, put you money where you keyboard is! LOL. Love U Guys.
Interesting article, I am not sure where I stand on the issue other than that prisoners should be treated in a humane manner, but not spoiled into thinking prison isn't so bad.
The political climate, and the attitudes of wardens and administrators directly affect prison conditions and the behaviors of rank-and-file correctional staff. During the time I served (and no, I wasn't innocent, I deserved to go to prison, although got a sentence I considered excessive and eventually the court agreed with me, reducing it by 5 years) I met prison staff members who I view as being among the best of people, and also some who ranked among the worst. I did time in several different facilities, and each one had it's own unique climate. What I hear about Texas, New York, Arizona, and California really scares me, and I realize that the hardest time I did here in Colorado pales in comparison. There are some very sick and violent people in the system (5-10%) who I wouldn't want in my community, but most of the people you meet are people with mental illnesses and drug and alcohol issues who did a few really stupid things, myself included. The size of the prison population in thi
Well written but I have to take a bunch of things with a grain of salt. And really not all prisoners are innocent and not all are model citizens in or out of prison. I love you and your passion but can't totally agree with everything. Keep at it though and Ghandi was a great hero.
Wow! I totally agree with you, matter a fact I will write an article about this pretty soon, and stay tuned for my article titled "Overworked Prison Guards, coming from my prior experiences, but all this brutality has to do with who is working that block, for that shift.good write.laterz.
Thanks for all the comments, I do appreciate them. I just don't have as much free time as I wish I did to be here and comment myself. I write to 75+ inmates throughout the nation, which can be very time consuming.
I love the Ghandi quote at the end. I repeat to myself everyday another one of his "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
I think that the problem is that the guards have become desensitized to the prisoners. There are bad prisoners, ones that would cut your heart out and eat it in front of you. They exist at every level of society and yes, they are nuts but still a source of anger for the guards. They begin to hate those they guard. There is also another problem. Most of the cops I know were wild guys. They had gang fights with rival schools (I was in them and depended on the fact that in the 60's no man would hit a woman.) They were the hoods. So, put those two facts together and you have problems.
This is a great article. Thank you for writing it Dee.