2012 ~ most violent
year for prisons everywhere
The front pages of national newspapers
have captured the fact that 2012 is shaping to be the deadliest year in more
than ten years inside our prisons whether federal, state owned or privately
run. The homicide rates are up and with still three months left in this year,
it is likely to be a record setting number for prisons in California, Colorado,
Texas, Arizona and many others.
Staffer dies in Colorado prison, second one critically injuredLawmakers say that there doesn’t
appear to be one main reason for the high numbers of lawbreakers are killing
each other inside prisons but describe the events reported to be a result of
prison-made weapons [contraband] and the use of gang style of attacks using “hands
and feet kicking” as main weapons in most cases.
One thing all prison officials agree on.
Many of the fatal attacks were “beatdowns” and altercations that resulted in
death because of some kind of disagreement or conflict between the victim and
those assaulting that prisoner. They also agree that prisoners are more
aggressive and violent than before. They tend to act out more violently against
not only staff but other prisoners, a trend that is worrisome to many
officials.
So what are the contributors to this increased
violence? Has anyone taken the time to look and see what prison officials can
do to decrease violence and these homicide rates that is out of control? Serving
prison terms that are lengthy appear to have been a contributor in risk taking attitudes
as it doesn’t serve as a deterrent in many cases for those already sentenced doing
time for twenty years or more. Doing life or multiple sentences consecutively gives
a prisoner no hope of ever leaving prison and increases their risk taking and
joining gangs or other disruptive activities to make it easier for them to do
time with the maximum amount of benefits provided by their predatory life styles.
Altercations are difficult to prevent.
However, intervention methods has failed to be sought to reduce the prison violence
that can be surmised to be happening because of an increased prison population
that is growing and out of control creating overcrowded living conditions and other
factors triggering violence.
Since sentencing laws fall under the
purview of the legislature it would be a moot point to discuss truth in sentencing
formats in any shape or manner related to this problem. On the other hand, a
warning is given to those who are involved in this process that hundreds of
innocent people [staff] are getting seriously hurt, disabled or killed because of
this contributing factor that impacts reckless acts of violence. Also perhaps
all prison administrators will take the time to re-visit their policy making of
three main areas of concern – classification, housing assignments and
programming.
Classification – an increased
population of the elderly, 50 years older or higher has impacted the living
conditions inside dormitories and open yard style units. Housing a younger
prisoner with an older prisoner has demonstrated to be a problem in many areas
as well as matching up racial or ethnical criteria to maintain a peaceful or
harmonious environment. Bed space dictates
assignments and ignores the basic information needed to make a sound housing
assignment decision.
Overcrowding has impacted the ability to
house by the same procedures as before and has impacted double bunking cells in
all custody levels including maximum security. Also a factor is decreased
funding eliminating both inside prison jobs and outside prison jobs and other
classroom programs inside prisons. Prisoners are idler today that ever before. A
large percentage doesn’t work or earn a wage like five years ago when the
funding for work was not a problem for many prison systems leaving them roaming
the yards and housing units getting into trouble or conflicts with staff and
other prisoners.
Fundamentally and truthfully, this is
a man-made and a politically generated agenda created problem. Mass
incarceration fans didn’t calculate the high expenses for keeping prisoners
incarcerated longer and higher custody levels that are more expensive to
maintain in need for more expansion of prison beds. Adding beds whether
permanent or temporary impacts the prison milieu immediately as it rarely takes
into consideration space allocated for the prisoner’s personal belongings and
their toilet needs or accessories. Disrespect issues are on the rise and nobody
will point the finger on an offender who is protecting his or her own property
dignity or property in today’s prison world. This is compounded by gang activities
that make living on the yards expensive and burdensome to those who have no
money from home or a job.
Taking out single bunks and replacing them with
double bunks inside high custody units has created an increase of “gladiator
style of attacks” and frequent serious injuries as most of the cell has metal
amenities and little space to fight leaving the one that has been knocked down
at a complete disadvantage inside that crammed cell.
Staff shortages have created these “window of
opportunities” for these fights and very often, the fight is never detected unless
the injured prisoner manages to get the attention of a staff member making
their rounds as required. However, the shortage
of medical staff has delayed medical care and most are left to treat their own
wounds or injuries to avoid being written discipline for fighting or any other
rule infraction regardless of their custody level or housing assignments.
Thus it is fair to say the “writings are on the
wall” that this problem will not go away anytime soon. In fact, with no changes
in the laws, the funding for more prison staff and prison programming to return
the ideology back to rehabilitation, it is likely these “gladiator schools”
will expand and become even more violent than they are today created by
ignoring the problem, the growing elderly population and the more violent and
aggressive younger population that create most of the animosity inside prisons
at the cost of all of those who just want to “do their own time” without bothering
anyone else.
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