NEWS & LETTERS, October - November 2009
Corrupt California prisons
Los Angeles--A recent newspaper article reported on the overcrowding and terrible conditions in California prisons. I know about this because my son is in prison. In the past, I have been active with a group of mothers who have sons in prison and were trying to change prison conditions. There is not equal justice. We were trying to change the huge difference in those sentenced for cocaine inhaled as a powder and crack cocaine. Black crack users were ending up with much longer sentences than whites who used the white powder. I see this difference as well when some Afro-American youth are charged with Grand Theft Auto for stealing a car, while white youth are charged with joyriding.
But a lot of problems in prisons affect both white and Black: the harsh three-strikes-and-you're-out prison sentences, the terrible medical care you get, etc. They even charge the prisoners for seeing a doctor.
At the heart of the prisons I see two problems: First, there is no real attempt at rehabilitation, and second, there is so much corruption. Young men no longer get any education or training when they are in prison. They come out worse than when they went in. I know an intelligent young man who came out and then went right back in for selling drugs. It is terrible to see them come out and go right back.
The corruption is on so many different levels. It used to be that when you wanted to send something for someone in prison you went out and bought it and sent it to him. But now my family has to go online and order what they want from a company which sells it at three times the price you can get it by yourself. In Los Angeles County the former sheriff's daughter is running the concessions for small items like candy in the local jail, again at high prices. These various companies and operators are making lots of money from prisoners.
But the worst is the corruption when it comes to drugs. There are more drugs in prison than in the streets. It couldn't happen without the corruption of many officials. If you have the money, you can get what you want.
--Georgiana Stewart
|
