Thursday, January 13, 2011

This Shouldn't Even Be in Question

Following up on my previous entries regarding the ACLU's lawsuit against CCA for its operation of the Idaho Correctional Center, today's link goes to an article that describes some truly reprehensible actions by the staff. The prison is so plagued with violence it's been dubbed "gladiator school" by the unfortunate souls who wind up there.

It's so bad in fact that the ACLU had to file a preliminary injunction to try to presuade the court to force prison staff to stop engaging in some really horrific acts. The injunction asks the court to prevent prison staff from intentionally opening cell doors to permit for violent prisoners to assault others. This problem is so pervavise that more than a dozen assaults at this facility have been linked to situations where guards opened doors then sat by and watched as inmates assaulted each other.

Further, the injunction asks the court to make the facility stop writing up prisoners for disciplinary sanctions when they try to defend themselves from assaults THE PRISON STAFF INITIATED. Getting written up can eliminate good time credits earned and keep prisoners from accessing programs designed to help them improve and transition back into the community. And prisoners were being written up for defending themselves!

This is such a sickening situation. Guards intentionally allowing known violent prisoners out of their cells to assault others. Guards writing up prisoners for trying to defend themselves against assaults the staff not only witnessed, but set up. And it has already taken a long investigation and legal battle to even get to the point of asking the court to stop CCA from doing this. There is simply no excuse for this type of negligence and blatant disregard for suffering. The activity of the staff at this prison is criminal. If any of this crap happened at a state-run facility, these people would be out of jobs and facing charges. But the warden at the Idaho Correctional Facility only got "reassigned." Which is a nice way of CCA saying they let him off the hook and gave him a cushy job at another prison, where he can abuse a whole new set of prisoners.

CCA is a completely effed company. Every single thing about them. I hate you so damn much.

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