Treatment of Prison Inmates

[Ginger Tea]

A> Thought you might
B> I'm sure you would, even bombed out of your face I think anyone would be better than what I recall of that video.

[Peppergirl]

Hah, damn. That IS an accomplishment.

Actually, that should read "...me, Andara, AND Greenday all agree."

I can't remember when that's happened in the past.

Holy shit. I've gone beyond humor to being downright frightened at this point.

[Kara_CS]

But to be honest, this post seems insanely different from your post on CS. I hope you can see how I would interpret it so differently.

Well, lack of context usually makes things a little more amusing. I just left out a little more context than usual in the OP, and yeah, I see where you're coming from. No worries

[Andara Bledin]

Holy shit. I've gone beyond humor to being downright frightened at this point.

As one of the individuals in question, I'm not certain this isn't one of the signs of Apocalypse.

[crashhelmet]

As one of the individuals in question, I'm not certain this isn't one of the signs of Apocalypse.

We're still waiting on the 4th Horseman to agree

[Greenday]

We're still waiting on the 4th Horseman to agree

Where is Rapscallion, anyway?

[Aethian]

What good does forced schooling do? You can't make them learn what they're supposedly studying, and if there's an actual classroom involved, then if high school is any guide those who don't want to learn make it all the harder for those who do.

A lot of the ones I talk to on my route or when I've volunteered at a few places is that they went to crime cause they didn't finish a level of school. Yes there will be those that really don't care and they can sit in their cells and rot while others are giving them a edge to be able to do *something* when they get out.

[Gravekeeper]

Yes there will be those that really don't care and they can sit in their cells and rot while others are giving them a edge to be able to do *something* when they get out.

Thats really the key right there. Lot of people are in jail because crime was their best option. If you don't change that while they're in jail, then they're just coming right back to jail. If they couldn't get a job before jail, they sure as hell aren't getting one after it.

[HYHYBT]

Indeed. Hence my asking specifically what good *forced* schooling does, not education in general for those interested.

[Rapscallion]

Where is Rapscallion, anyway?

Horse is on maternity leave. Hell of an excuse for a stallion.

Rapscallion

[Panacea]

Kara did not revoke any privledge, though. the privledge is to be able to watch something on TV, exactly what to be decided by the guard. Kara decided she wanted to put somethig other than basketball on. How is it unprofessional to make the decision that she is supposed to make?

If that's all there is to it, maybe. When I went to the criminal justice academy, I learned the importance of being firm, fair, and consistent. It IS easy to exert power over inmates just because you can, but it is counter productive in the long run. Prison is a dehumanizing place, and it is easy to lose yourself in there in dealing with the rampant asshattery of many inmates. Manipulation is the name of the game, and it's hard not to play in kind. By forcing oneself to be firm, fair, and consistent though, it is easier to both refrain from improper behavior and avoid doing things that put you at risk for blackmail or worse.

The problem with prison is that it gets treated like a country club. You get three squares a day, a shower and rec time. In some prisons the inmates have their own TV's in their cells.

Lets not forget the commissary that if they have money they can buy all the food they want.

As a prison guard you have to be careful because if you appear too soft or easygoing they will take advantage an play mental games with you especially if you are a female officer.

They may not get to shower daily, and believe me the place gets reeking pretty quick. The food in the places I worked was monotonous, bland, but decent. Nothing you'd crave, but nutritious and basic.

You only get commissary if you have a prison job or your family puts money in your account. It does create problems with the underground economy, not to mention the only food offered is horribly unhealthy. Many inmates have no job, have no family/friends so resort to gambling or other behaviors to get commissary items. It is a driver of prison violence.

Being too soft is a problem. So is being a hardass. You get yourself at the top of the rape list when the riot occurs, and they can use that to play a different kind of mental game if you are not careful. Firm, fair, and consistent is much safer.

Oh, spare us! They "enslaved" THEMSELVES by committing whatever crime it is that warranted them being sent to prison in the first place. Everything except for healthcare is a privilege, not a right! If they want minimum wage, then they should've gotten a job outside, and never done the crime to begin with!

OK, aside from the fact there are plenty of innocent people in prison, we send people to prison AS punishment, not FOR punishment. We don't send people to prison as a form of enslavement . . . although this has happened.

If we want to deal with the issues of crime, we have to deal with its root cause: poverty and lack of education and opportunity.

Both. Inmates are getting a lot more than a single-person household on one minimum wage income would get. So insisting inmates get all that PLUS minimum wage... well, why should anyone in poverty NOT commit a crime, if they could at least have 3 meals and a place to live?

Prisons are horrible places: dirty, cramped, smelly, violent. No one in their right mind wants to be in one. And the inmate doesn't really "get" much. Oh, the system does. It's insanely expensive, the way we warehouse people. But if you are a prison inmate you spend much of your time in a 5x9 space that you share with at least 1 other person who may hate your guts.

Well, clearly I'm just a big ol meanyhead and I should just be oh so ashamed of myself.

Honestly, I had some concerns with the post on CS, and didn't want to say anything for the same reasons Greenday didn't. I'm glad you cleared it up, but the way the original post was written it really was easy to get that impression.

Hell one of the financial counselors I knew used to be in prison. He worked in the kitchens during the day and in his free time he learned about investing. Is this your typical prisoner? No but because some guard got him his first financial book he was able to learn.

Course if I had any say, all prisoners would have to work 8 hours a day , six days a week, and then take four hours of classes. Be they finishing up a high school degree or work on a night school correspondence.

Many prisons offer educational programs. They are valued by wardens: they keep inmates occupied in a positive way and offer the inmate a path to re-enter society.

Not all inmates are ready to take that road. The ones who are sick of the revolving door will take it, the ones who prefer inmate games won't.

[Aethian]

*snip*

They may not get to shower daily, and believe me the place gets reeking pretty quick.

*snip*

Not all inmates are ready to take that road. The ones who are sick of the revolving door will take it, the ones who prefer inmate games won't.

There is a show Chef Ramsey did in the UK about opening a store front selling treats that inmates make. Partially to offset the inmates cost but also to give them something to do. One of the better guys they had told Chef he couldn't come to work cause he hadn't showered and he didn't want to make the food bad as a result.

Turns out the guards declared he did nothing all day in the kit hen and in return made it so he got last of meals and no shower time. It took Chef inviting the guards in to see how hard the guys worked before that inmate got to take a shower after a week.


I figured there were things like that I just wish more took them seriously.

[fireheart17]

There is a show Chef Ramsey did in the UK about opening a store front selling treats that inmates make. Partially to offset the inmates cost but also to give them something to do. One of the better guys they had told Chef he couldn't come to work cause he hadn't showered and he didn't want to make the food bad as a result.

Turns out the guards declared he did nothing all day in the kit hen and in return made it so he got last of meals and no shower time. It took Chef inviting the guards in to see how hard the guys worked before that inmate got to take a shower after a week.

See, that's a tad more clear-cut abuse compared to inmates fighting over a TV channel.

ETA: I found the program you're talking about. For those interested it's known as Gordon Behind Bars. 12 inmates being taught how to cook. Most of the ones involved were in on burglary/assault charges, with a few other "minor" crimes (theft, robbery, dangerous driving) in the mix. Of those, 3 of them were asked to leave for various reasons, 4 were released and of those four, 2 of them underwent trials at Ramsay's restaurant.

From my understand, Gordon also wanted to bring the show to the US.

[Rageaholic]

Good to know there's more to the story and this isn't just some petty power play.

Prison sounds like hell on earth (for both inmates and guards).

[Panacea]

ETA: I found the program you're talking about. For those interested it's known as Gordon Behind Bars. <snip>

From my understand, Gordon also wanted to bring the show to the US.

I've seen it. It was quite good. It could work here in the US.