If’ it’s Broke it, don’t Fix it

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, February 7, 2013

If’ it’s Broke it, don’t Fix it

There must be a heck of a party going on up there on the fourth floor on Jefferson Avenue as many of nonelected state bureaucrats are relaxing and drinking the Kool-Aid they prepared themselves. It appears that the Arizona Department of Corrections has surrendered their efforts to perform up to standards related to their custodial responsibilities and the preservation of life. Ignoring two major class action lawsuits pending, it appears all is well at their headquarters on Jefferson Avenue.

It appears that everybody up there in the puzzle palace is in total agreement that dying inside prison is okay and nothing to worry about. After all Arizona prisons have some of the highest death rates in the country but that shouldn’t alarm anyone on the fourth floor. Attitudes that are aloof and arrogant, there are no plans to change anything soon. They are hoping that switching healthcare providers will take the money off their back and point the finger of blame to the exiting contractor Wexford and embrace the new hero in town Corizon Healthcare with false encouragement and deliberate shortcomings.

Every time there is an inmate death notice published or read by the agency’s public relations officer, there are sufficient reasons to be concerned but as of now, none such urgency exists and no action has been taken to correct this problem or announced. When counting these death notices it appears that dying is perfectly acceptable and are being handled in a most casual and nonchalant manner. It is true that their actions are listless as this topic of discussion is unimportant and lacks any priorities by anyone in charge.

The preservation of lives include those of the seriously mentally ill and are not worthy of hard work or solutions. Their dignity and respect are not well-maintained as well as there is no outcry and opposition as our nonelected leaders have found a new mantra for killing human beings incarcerated inside our prisons. Coming up with no answer to be successful in reducing deaths it would be much easier to mandate death mandatory and executing all that are incarcerated. There are no exclusions of saving humans marking them as disposable and degraded objects marginalized with absolutely no value.

Common sense would say work hard to prevent death but that doesn’t seem to be the practical approach by many that work there on the fourth floor. At the very least, this must be an admission of their own capabilities to solve problems and failing to come up with a plan that is practical. Although I am sure there are effective methods to save lives, it doesn’t seem to be the attitude or need to intervene in the process today.

One has to wonder if it is too late to change. One has to think that the manner this agency is handling this matter has its own imperfections and it would take the impossible to reverse that trend. Perhaps I am wrong and there are really works in progress not yet revealed or announced. However, I seriously doubt it.