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Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison

By Jeralyn, Section Inmates and Prisons
Posted on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 11:35:59 AM EST
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Pelican Bay prison in California has been on lockdown since Feb. 4 due to an alleged inmate plot by to kill guards.

Pelican Bay is a nightmare of a prison. Inmate conditions are deplorable.

"The 1,154 unit inmates spend about 23 hours a day in 8-by-10-foot cells, released only to exercise daily and to shower three times a week. Contact with other inmates and guards is almost nonexistent. The doors are opened by remote control and meals are pushed through slots in the wall."

The overly influential prison guard's union plays a big role in the prison's crisis, like when it sanctioned whistle-blowing guards for reporting assaults on inmates.

The San Francisco Chronicle has details of the guards' clout, including this one:

They were the sole opponents of legislation in 1999 that would have given the attorney general more power to prosecute prison guards accused of wrong- doing. The bill was killed in an Assembly committee.

So long as corruption and brutality rule California prisons like Pelican Bay, the public can expect violent inmate reaction in response. The Special Housing Unit of Pelican makes mental cases of its inmates. Many of these inmates will be released one day, and they will be angrier and less stable to cope when they get out. The public will just have to deal with them. Or, it can insist the state change its ways and institute meaningful reforms inside its prisons.

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    Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison | 17 comments (17 topical)
    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#1)
    by wishful on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 12:52:28 PM EST
    If we wanted to do better as a nation, we could. We apparently don't want to. There are many who think that treating inmates like this only affects the inmates. They are wrong. Any society reaps the consequences, good or ill, of its treatment of its most powerless members, among those being prisoners. If you put a dog that needed discipline in a cage 23 of 24 hours a day, poked it with sticks, denied it interaction with others, then set it free after 5 or 6 years, it would not be surprising if that dog did not behave in a properly socialized way. The analogy is sorely lacking, but the point is still valid on some levels. There have to be some in power that know better, right?

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 01:01:28 PM EST
    This book is an enlightening read for those who believe brutal treatment of prisoners should be the policy of our prison system.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 01:17:45 PM EST
    and some of those prisoners sooner or later are released back into society with the rest of us think about it

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 06:10:06 PM EST
    I sure hope all them poor rapists and murderers are not uncomfortable.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 06:21:27 PM EST
    "and some of those prisoners sooner or later are released back into society with the rest of us think about it" Don't have to be. That is why we have a 3-strikes law in California.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#6)
    by wishful on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 08:41:12 PM EST
    There must be some inmates who are not imprisoned under 3 strikes laws, who are not rapists, and who are not murderers. Let's stipulate that we will not NOW argue whether these inmates should be tortured per the thoughts of many tough on crime proponents. What about all the other inmates? The number is not insignificant, and they WILL be released back into our neighborhoods. (At least those who actually are imprisoned for their crimes against us coughkennyboylaycough.)

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#7)
    by Patrick on Sun Feb 13, 2005 at 09:50:14 PM EST
    Those inmates don't do time at Pelican Bay. Consider that California prisons have different levels of security and not all levels are present at every prison. Pelican Bay also has the SHU which is the worst of the worst along with the level 4 inmates who are currenlty locked down.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 14, 2005 at 12:04:34 PM EST
    Those conditions are horrible....those damned guards clearly deserve to die.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 14, 2005 at 01:00:55 PM EST
    I have a family member in Pelican Bay. Unless you do also please do not comment on the side of the lawmakers to the situation

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#10)
    by Patrick on Mon Feb 14, 2005 at 02:03:17 PM EST
    Marie, Huh? Why can't I comment? Will it offend your delicate sensibilities? Have I said something that was untrue? Dr Ace, Don't ya love the hypocracy? We don't want our inmates raped, but when we isolate and lock down the people who rape and murder other prisoners, we're guilty of torture. Gotta love it.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 14, 2005 at 03:19:41 PM EST
    I wasn't aiming my remark at you in particular Patrick. Who's sensitive?

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 14, 2005 at 06:13:48 PM EST
    I have a family member who was killed by someone at Pelican Bay, so unless you do also please do not comment on the side of the prisoners to the situation.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 14, 2005 at 07:19:51 PM EST
    Capt Toke, I'm sorry for your loss but please don't presume to give instructions to readers on what they can comment on. Also, please limit your comments to no more than four a day on TalkLeft. thank you.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#14)
    by Patrick on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 06:51:57 AM EST
    Yes it was. I'm commenting on the side of the lawmakers.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 01:06:01 PM EST
    I've never heard Pelican Bay, and couldn't find on a map to save my life, but I will comment on any damned thing that I like, thank you very much.

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#16)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 06:09:08 PM EST
    Um hey talkleft, Why would you tell Capt. Toke not to tell readers what to comment on but let it go when Marie said the EXACT SAME THING?? BTW, I agree with you that he should not be telling us if we can or can not post but neither should Marie or anyone else. [Ed. You're right. I didn't see her comment until you just pointed it out.]

    Re: Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Feb 18, 2005 at 01:27:27 AM EST
    every last one of them antisocial idiots is a volunteer nobody asked them to come to pelican bay, if they behave outside they dont have to come inside its easy aint it,

    Lockdown at Pelican Bay State Prison | 17 comments (17 topical)