More prison violence in 2012

Staffer Dies in Colorado prison,

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.

 Lawmakers 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.