Jesus, I don't know where to start. First off, the CO's. How have they not been sued, reprimanded, whatever for this corrupt bull****? If I had anyone close in prison, and this stuff happened around them, I would be taking some sort of legal action. Secondly, is this sort of treatment largely based in America? Haven't heard of anything like it down here, I seriously wonder everyday at the amount of power America has when it can't sort its own problems out. Here comes the hate.
Problems aren't only related to America, there are very few good prison systems such as in countries like Denmark and Norway. In most prisons rampant drug abuse and sexual mistreatment is common.
For some people,going to prison allows them to enjoy a much better life style. Three hot's and a cot,great medical care including Dental,security,education,fitness programs,meals are cooked and prepared for you,clothing,and on and on. There are millions of people that don't get most of the above.
Maybe in Canada. In the US, you get amazingly terrible medical care, terrible food (which generally does not include 3 hot meals), no security, no education, no fitness programs. The US prison system is generally not compared to 1st world prison systems because it is so terrible. Rather it is compared to places like Honduras. Also, I think one of the great misconceptions about prison is that you do not have to work. Yes, you do.
US prisons are basically just an afterthought. Zero sh1ts are given about the people who end up there.
Well, yes, except the massive amount of money we pour into them, often housing people ****ed up by their first stay. I've been today that California Department of Corrections is the nation's largest mental health care provider and they do an absolutely piss poor job. The number of un or undertreated persons with mental illness is amazing, and I'd venture that a huge percentage of crime is committed by these persons. Imagine how much we'd save if we could get these people treated. Also, many drug and alcohol addicts are persons with mental illness. Drugs, generally meth or crack as well as alcohol, can serve as (bad) replacements for legitimate meds. They make the voices go away and make people feel better. Unfortunately, the dependence and side affects lead to other crimes.
Well the admit rates are just too high by far. Sending people to prison for drug use is just pointless and stupid, but nobody seems to realize that. And the admit rates being too high makes separating violent and nonviolent offenders impossible, since prisons are horribly crowded. That's why private companies are getting in on the action.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cebu_Provincial_Detention_and_Rehabilitation_Center Private prisons are just another stupid thing. Actually here in California we made a major step in October and changed the law. Now only persons with violent, sex, and serious (this last is a legal term, which is perhaps a bit broad, but covers fewer offenses than you'd think) offenses go to prison. Everyone else goes to county jail (though for prison like terms). It is kind of interesting, but has a huge backlash from the prison guard union that my threaten it. I hope it works.
I once watched a documentary by Louis Theroux about incarcerated pedophiles .. their experience is like a birthday party in comparison to this!
I mean a prison in the US for pedos (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Place_for_Paedophiles). Those guys get everything .. food, clothing, shelter, books, rehab,etc.
Coalinga is not a prison, it is a state hospital for the insane. The persons in Coalinga are people who have served (long) prison sentences but are still deemed to dangerous to be released to the public. State prisons house persons who have been civilly committed because they are to crazy to live in the outside world. The California State Hospital system is somewhat better than the Prison system, but just barely. Remember they just let him into one of a dozen state hospitals, and they let him into the newest. They then told him where his cameras could point. Places like Patton or Metropolitan state hospital are much, much worse.
