Increased Violence in Arizona Prisons

Wasted Honor -

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the Wasted Honor Trilogy [Wasted Honor I,II and Gorilla Justice] and his newest book From the Womb to the Tomb, the Tony Lester Story, which is a reflection of his life and his experiences as a correctional officer and a correctional administrator retiring with the rank of deputy warden in the New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems.

Carl also wrote a book on his combat experience in the Kindle book titled - Combat Medic - Men with destiny - A red cross of Valor -

Carl is considered by many a rogue expert in the field of prison security systems since leaving the profession. Carl has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans including double bunking max inmates and enhancing security for staff. He invites you to read his books so you can understand and grasp the cultural and political implications and influences of these prisons. He deals with the emotions, the stress and anxiety as well as the realities faced working inside a prison. He deals with the occupational risks while elaborating on the psychological impact of both prison worker and prisoner.

His most recent book, Gorilla Justice, is an un-edited raw fictional version of realistic prison experiences and events through the eyes of an anecdotal translation of the inmate’s plight and suffering while enduring the harsh and toxic prison environment including solitary confinement.

Carl has been interviewed by numerous news stations and newspapers in Phoenix regarding the escape from the Kingman prison and other high profile media cases related to wrongful deaths and suicides inside prisons. His insights have been solicited by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and various other legal firms representing solitary confinement cases in California and Arizona. He is currently working on the STG Step Down program at Pelican Bay and has offered his own experience insights with the Center of Constitutional Rights lawyers and interns to establish a core program at the SHU units. He has personally corresponded and written with SHU prisoners to assess the living conditions and how it impacts their long term placement inside these type of units that are similar to those in Arizona Florence Eyman special management unit where Carl was a unit deputy warden for almost two years before his promotion to Deputy Warden of Operations in Safford and Eyman.

He is a strong advocate for the mentally ill and is a board member of David's Hope Inc. a non-profit advocacy group in Phoenix and also serves as a senior advisor for Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council in Chino, California As a subject matter expert and corrections consultant, Carl has provided interviews and spoken on national and international radio talk shows e.g. BBC CBC Lou Show & TV shows as well as the Associated Press.

I use sarcasm, satire, parodies and other means to make you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Increased Violence in Arizona Prisons

Today’s awareness level inside Arizona prisons has drawn serious concerns by those employees with boots on the ground inside these volatile workplaces. Arizona legislators must be prepared for increased violence because the administration has not fulfilled its obligation to provide sound prison management in those areas that are in dire need of attention to detail and effective prevention methods. Recent mass “fighting” has brought indicators of racial unrest within the agency and more violence is expected as moving those identified perpetrator to a higher custody level does not resolve the outstanding problem that remains on these lower custody yards.

Arizona must admit they are at a rough point in their ability to manage current prison dynamics. Reactive strategies are putting employees at risk as well as public safety. Please understand my reasons for writing this article as it is only meant to help and prevent prison violence, harm to employees, and destruction of state property as well as the safety of inmates. It is not meant or designed to be an adversarial relationship but rather an informative one to avoid a potential crisis.

Delaying the necessary action to be taken to avoid such violence could harm those in harm’s way and will only allow more violence to occur. Failing to address the issues will create vast chasms of miscommunication and mistrust between the central office admin and local facility administrators. The result will be procrastination and hesitation to act. Central office admin has maintained they are in complete control of the situation however; evidence within these prisons illustrated conditions to the contrary as security is not sufficient to be vigilant and enabled to pick up intelligence that pre-warns the admin of any future problems on those prison yards. Yard security is totally depended on responding resources from other units leaving those sending units exposed to their own dangers.

It is suspected the recent racial tensions will draw more and more inmates together in a common bond to reject administrative efforts to further change the way things are related to reducing violence, gang and drug activities, reduction of programs and other factors causing idleness and boredom among them throughout the state.

The greatest danger exists when these different races combine with collusion to resist or protest current administrative efforts to deny the shortage of staffing for their own protection purposes, delays in medical and mental health care, high telephone costs and prices at the commissary, poor food service and interrupted visitation or other privilege related activities. It is predictable that the unusually warm weather could mean an early start to the fighting season because the hot weather often tests the inmate’s ability to withstand the heat and the tension that exists inside prisons today since the HVAC has been deficient for years now in every state prison that exists.