Gangs and prison time.

[Beiruty]

Anyone who watched Gangland TV series would immediately notice that the jailed gang members are like in boarding school, easy life and huge company to hang around with.

I have an idea, why prison needs to be so fancy? Why not all gang members are totally in isolation for 23hrs per day, day in day out? How about making the prison cell 4fby8ft no window and for the rude inmate no light?

Some will claim human rights? However, those gang bangers hardly show any sign of human behavior, their life is like a savage animal. The prison needs to be so tough to be deterrent not offend again.

[Beiruty]

I found out the first article against my idea. A liberal view. Still, I do not understand how the gang bangers have better living conditions inside the prison than outside the prison.

http://www.wulaw.wustl.edu/Journal/22/p295Cohen.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[psijac]

I think those serving hard time should be put in an artificial coma then stuffed into a small tube.

[gigag04]

Money. Resources.

It would take alot of guards, medical staff, and trustees, to manage full isolation for "every gang member."

Your idea is splendid on paper, however in the real world that will not work.

[Beiruty]

So what is the deterrent for hard core gang bangers from re-offending?

[powerboatr]

Money. Resources.

It would take alot of guards, medical staff, and trustees, to manage full isolation for "every gang member."

Your idea is splendid on paper, however in the real world that will not work.

hmm as an unfortunate guest of the county of bernallio (Albuquerque) last November for three days...
we had 23 hrs a day lock down in a cell about 4 x 7 with two other folks one slept on the floor and one on the upper bunk
our 1 hr out of the cell total was divided into 3 (20 minute periods) we showered and ate our meals in those 20 mins. it FREAKING sucked
and the bangers didn't stand a chance at harassing anyone
breakfast at 4 am, lunch at 10 am and dinner at 4 30 pm,
i have never seen bologna that was oval shaped before. we did have tortillas with every meal and lots of BEANS.

we had only ONE guard for each shift. and even at meal time it was one guard and several trustees that passed out grub and kept order

and NO I WAS not committing a crime.
stupid cops cant read a protection order that expired five days earlier than when they arrested me.
plus i am olive complexion and they harass Latino looking peoples there in wonderful Albuquerque. I am not latino, just olive skinned
you think az might profile, go visit Albuquerque with olive skin.

funny thing is once the gang type folks and other groups found out why and how i was arrested, they Stopped all bull headed in my direction, even from the guards. in fact one offered to go expire my daughter in law.. of course i declined the offer. but now in hindsight it sure would have shortened this past year of bull with the divorce and all of my daughter in law.

[Beiruty]

And what happened? did you sue the PD who arrested you with no valid reason? How come you where housed for 3 days with no one noticed their mistake?

[powerboatr]

And what happened? did you sue the PD who arrested you with no valid reason? How come you where housed for 3 days with no one noticed their mistake?

they knew they made a mistake..... even tried to let us go at intake at the jail. but they placed a 7 day hold on us because we were from out of state and the order was from another county in nm, took an out of county judge and bus load of attorneys to get us released, well maybe not a whole bus, but more than 4
and my favorite was I apparently looked liked a guy in Ca that was wanted for murder, and one of my finger prints was a close enough hit to activate the big crime computer in the sky. they tried to get me confess to that. you know what saved me? I was deployed to a foreign land at the time of the crime,

I cant comment on the outcomes at this time, of the police department, other than attorneys in nm are scared of the city and move very very slooooow
its been a long year and lots of $$$ spent.
there is tons more than i can let out .
but
all our charges were dismissed at the pre trial conference.

[cbr600]

So what is the deterrent for hard core gang bangers from re-offending?

There's no real deterrent for the career criminal. Death (their own) is the only reliable way to stop them, statistically speaking.

[Texas Dan Mosby]

The prison needs to be so tough to be deterrent not offend again.

Do some research on "correctional" doctrine and you will find that there is a never ending argument about whether a prison system should serve as punishment, as rehabilitation, or both. HOW any of that is accomplished is also a never ending debate.

IMO, recidivism levels should be the deciding factor, and whatever decreases recidivism should be policy.

These days, the only thing that prevents a high rate of recidivism is death.

[The Annoyed Man]

These days, the only thing that prevents a high rate of recidivism is death.

Here is one way to accomplish a reform: consider eliminating "time off for good behavior." Good behavior isn't special. Good behavior would have kept them out of prison in the first place. Inside the prison, it should be the standard, with additional punishments - including extra time - heaped on top of the original sentence for failing to meet the good behavior standard. The reward for good behavior should be getting released at the end of your original sentence.

[jbirds1210]

Beiruty - I can only speak from my experience working inside of our states largest prison. I have never seen the television show.

There is absolutely NOTHING comfortable about living in a Texas maximum security prison. Anyone who has walked the halls in Texas would not compare the experience to a boarding school.

Jason

[CrimsonSoul]

Beiruty - I can only speak from my experience working inside of our states largest prison. I have never seen the television show.

There is absolutely NOTHING comfortable about living in a Texas maximum security prison. Anyone who has walked the halls in Texas would not compare the experience to a boarding school.

Jason

I'd have to agree with jbird here, I worked at Clemens in Brazoria and Wayne Scott in Angleton for 3 years total, it's not a comfortable living environment in the least. Those two prisons were built in the late 1800's to the early 1900's have no AC and very little Heat (winter time).

[Texas Dan Mosby]

There is absolutely NOTHING comfortable about living in a Texas maximum security prison.

Nothing comfortable eh....

I guess it all depends on your perspective.

I consider being afforded food, shelter, and the opportunity to sleep on a regular basis as living quite comfortably.

Prisoners are fed 3 times a day, every day, regardless of their caloric expenditure. That is comfort. There are many soldiers who would love to be fed 3 times a day, EVERY day, however, training and missions dictate otherwise, and there will be extended periods of time where caloric intake will NOT match caloric expenditure. I don't care how bad the food is, ANY food is better than NO food.

Prisoners are provided shelter from the elements. That is comfort. No air conditioning? Our forefathers didn't have air conditioning. Our troops over seas don't have air conditioning on mission, WHILE wearing 40+ pounds of kit, including armor in 120 degree heat. Do prisoners sleep in the rain, wind, or snow? No, they don't. Do prisoners sleep on the ground, in the mud, on the floor, or on rocks? No, they don't. Do prisoners huddle together in their cells for warmth during the winter? Probably not.

Prisoners are allowed to sleep on a regular basis. THAT is comfort. Many service members and civilians would love the opportunity to have a minimum of 5 hours a night of sleep. EVERY night. There is more room in most prison cells for sleeping than there is in the berthing areas of some of our ships, and some sailors don't even get their own bunk, but must share it with another shift.

Some prisons don't have grooming standards. The prisoner has control over their appearance and can do whatever they want to their hair, or facial hair. That's comfort.

Some prisons don't have uniform standards. The prisoner has control over how they wear their uniform. Another comfort.

Prison sucks, sure. Got it....

However, you give an inmate a taste of what some of our troops go through on a daily basis in training, or in combat, and the inmate will learn soon enough how good he has it in a "correctional" facility.

IMO, the recidivism rate is so high because prisons are indeed FAR too comfortable.

[jbirds1210]

IMO, the recidivism rate is so high because prisons are indeed FAR too comfortable.

Dan- I worked in, ate at, and smelled the Coffield unit for seven years. I have been away from it for a long time and still remember the conditions. We will have to agree to disagree.

Jason