Prison rape

[El Rojo]

Preacherman

Yes, prisoners are third on the list. If I have to choose between the safety of an inmate, or the safety of a fellow staff member, guess who loses? Right - it's not going to be the staff member!

I am glad the BOP and us lowly Geo guys all have the same staff member unity and safety in mind. Those are just the rules of the game.

Fletchette

What I am saying is that the people who allocate the money, the people with power, at the Federal government level (Congress and their legions of unelected bureaucracies and think-tanks) have conciously decided to underfund the prison system to make it horrible as it is to their benefit.

You just lost all credibility with me because if you had spent any time in a federal prison, you would understand that these inmates are not suffering one bit. Do you think I am joking when I talk about soccer, football, basketball, bocci, tennis, pool, leather shop, clay shop, handicapped workout machines, elyptical trainers, stationary bikes, cable television, law library typewriters, magazine subscriptions, recreation tournaments, a full sized store/commissary, a barber shop, and educational programs out the wazzoo? Heck our minimum security facility had one of the best horticulture programs anywhere. Do your time by growing plants and enjoying the outdoors.

Federal prison is not horrible time, at least not at the low or minimum security level. You might want to check your facts before you make statements like the one above, because my three years of working in a prison most certainly didn't leave me feeling like the conditions any of us were in were horrible.

With underfunded prisons we get gulag-style treatment of the prisoners- a horrifying deterent enough to keep potential adversaries from challenging their authority.

Again, have you ever been in a prison as either a employee or inmate? "gulag-style treatment"? You have no idea what you are talking about. Correctional officers for the most part are professionals who have procedures and rules about everything and must conduct themselves professionally or face lawsuits and possible assault. Is that to say all guards are as professional as others? No. There is an occasional rule broken and sometimes that helps to rectify a situation.

However, your claims of horrible gulags and prisoner abuse are outrageous. Go read the book "Catch Me if You Can". Don't watch the movie, go read the book. See how Frank Abignale was treated in a French jail and there you can see gulag style treatment.

Seriously Fletchette, I would recommend you spend some time in prison before you are able to just make blanket statements about what goes on there. From your statements, it is clear to me you have not spent any amount of time in any facility and so your opinions about the condition of these facilities are null and void. Sorry, if you haven't been there, you really can't comment about what it is like there. This isn't an elitist attitude, it is a simple fact. At this point you clearly don't know what you are talking about. It would be no different than you saying, "I can load my .223 Remington to 5000 FPS and shoot 5" groups at 1000 yards with it." When you are wrong, you are wrong.

 

[10shooter]

So El Rojo, Preacherman, and Armoredman let me see if I got this right. We classify inmates by low/minimum, medium, or maximum security from their history and current charge. We have jails for those sentenced as misdemeanors to county time and felonys go to state prisons. We seperate violent from nonviolent and prosecute those in prison for crimes committed in prison. We do watch and monitor them as well as giving them educational access. We give them cable tv and let them work outside. How is it that I watched a movie last month (on late night cable to hide it from the masses) where an 18 year old girl who just smoked pot once (forced by her boyfriend) was thrown straight to prison with a homicidal maniac prison warden and staff. During this movie I believe I saw several rights violation we must act now and talk off the tops of our heads before rational thought takes over.
I've got a friend who told me that by filling down the firing pin guns can go full-auto what can we do to stop this.
I've heard that the governments of most European countries are secretly run by the satanic group Illuminata no time to find the facts we most stop them now.
I've got to go for real now I'm off to help my son and his boyscout troop prepare for summer camp and develop those skills that will help them make better choices as adults, like staying out of jail.

 

[El Rojo]

For a second 10shooter I didn't see the sarcasm. I am glad I am getting better at reading discussion board sarcasm because I was about to start quoting you! The smileys helped.

 

[jefnvk]

I've got a friend who told me that by filling down the firing pin guns can go full-auto what can we do to stop this

I dunno about filing down, but I do know of one, that when the firing pin is caked in cosmo, tends to do the same thing

And sense we are abandoning rational thought, Hillary in '08!

 

[Fletchette]

El Rojo,

Clearly, I am talking about the max-security prisons. The thread was about prison rape, not Nintendo. Yes, there are lower-security country clubs, but you simply cannot deny that prison rape occurs.

And as for all the stuff you list that prisoners have (games, television, etc.) it isn't worth a hoot if you are being abused by fellow inmates.

You just lost all credibility with me...

I don't think I ever had any with you, because I am not LEO.

In any case, why is it so inconceivable that the prison system is underfunded (something which LEOs complain about all the time) for the same reason the border is underfunded (same people, same complaints)? Clearly the government is underfunding the Border Patrol because it has motives other than enforcing the law. Could it not be that it is the same for the prison system too?

 

[Fletchette]

However, your claims of horrible gulags and prisoner abuse are outrageous. Go read the book "Catch Me if You Can". Don't watch the movie, go read the book. See how Frank Abignale was treated in a French jail and there you can see gulag style treatment.

So what's your point? France is hardly a free country, so reading about their terrible prison system is a moot point. It is sort of like saying, "stop complaining, in Iran they cut off BOTH hands if you're caught stealing..."

 

[GRB]

One of the flaws in our criminal justice system is that you can put away a hardened criminal for life - and if there is no death penalty in his state for violent felonies committed while in jail on a life sentence, then he can get away with murder, let alone rape.

Rape in prison or elsewhere is a crime and should be treated as such. In jail it should be treated as a worse offense if only because it is a violent felony committed by an already convicted or charged person. If it were up to me, anyone serving a life sentence and then convicted of having committed a violent felony in jail would be exceuted. Anyone on less than a life sentence, would receive at least life and maybe death dependent upon the crime for any violent felony committed while incarcerated.

Oh if only I were the all powerful supreme leader, things would be different.

All the best,GB

 

[El Rojo]

Yes, there are lower-security country clubs, but you simply cannot deny that prison rape occurs.

I never did. It does occur. The statement was made that our prisons are gulag type facilities where underpaid guards make the law and justice is served by those in power all in order to effect a harsher penalty than simply being sentenced to ten years. I confronted you naysayers on your comments made not from experience, but from gross exageration and assumptions. The prison I was at had very little of this going on. I would guess that most of the prisons accross the federal system are not these underfunded facilities that so many of you have stated exist, without any kind of statistics or rational other than your own word. Prison guards are paid quite well, at least in our private corporate prison. And guess what? Everyone talks about how the BOP (the real feds) has it ten times better than us. Imagine that.

I don't think I ever had any with you, because I am not LEO.

That makes us of the same form. What do you know, neither am I. I teach high school history. Not only that, I don't consider prison guards or any prison employees as LEO. They are professional babysitters (sort of like high school history teachers). You are not judged based on your career path and not once did I make that judgement. If you care to go back and read my statements, I judge you based on your statements. Too bad you can't do the same for me.

In any case, why is it so inconceivable that the prison system is underfunded (something which LEOs complain about all the time) for the same reason the border is underfunded (same people, same complaints)? Clearly the government is underfunding the Border Patrol because it has motives other than enforcing the law. Could it not be that it is the same for the prison system too?

Maybe Preacherman can answer this, are any of your guards or employees complaining about their pay over there in the BOP? I know I complained about my pay as a teacher in a privately contracted facility, but that is because the guards with a high school diploma and a 6 week class were paid at least $7 more an hour than my bachelor degree having behind. I haven't heard the PRK prison guards complain about being underpaid either, they have the most powerful guard union in the state, second even to the teacher's union. The only person saying that LEO (which again, I don't consider prison guards to be LEO) are underpaid or underfunded would be the naysayers in this thread.

What the prison staff in this thread stated was that if you want all inmates to be secure at all times, you would have to put them all in individual cells, which would require new facilities and more staff. You must have confused this with a cry of underfunding. These are not necessarily the same. I had no problem being on a compound with 1800+ federal low inmates vs. a staff of maybe 200 on any given day. Most of the inmates respected the staff and each other. They actually like order and security and they take means to insure that they can maintain that order themselves in a lot of cases. It is only when you really start screwing with them, in a gulag type manner, that things start to get uncomfortable.

Are there bad prisons out there? Sure. I would rather not work in a PRK state prison, they obviously don't have it near as good as my former cushy Federal low security joint. However, you have yet to provide sufficient evidence that the government has short changed our federal prisons in order to create these so called gulags you refer to. A comparison to the Border Patrol? Please. Just because the Border Patrol is underfunded does not mean the Army or welfare is underfunded, so why make the jump to prisons? I know why, because you have no factual evidence and you continue to spout off about things you don't actually have first hand experience with.

So what's your point? France is hardly a free country, so reading about their terrible prison system is a moot point. It is sort of like saying, "stop complaining, in Iran they cut off BOTH hands if you're caught stealing..."

France is hardly a free country? Your ignorance of the French form of government clearly proves my point that your statements are without factual basis and that you are not speaking from a position of knowledge or clear understanding of the issues at hand, but from a position of assumptions and guesses. Let me prove your wrong by simply having your read this link about the government of France. What do you know? France is a constitutional republic that includes a parliament and selects a head of state through universal suffrage for everyone over 18 years old. Wow, they are a free country. Imagine that. I caught you in another falsehood. Oh, you meant they are not as free as us? Well maybe next time you will say that instead of "France is hardly a free country." It isn't anyone's fault but their own that they freely choose socialism.

And no, reading about France's horrible prison system does serve a point. If you want to illustrate examples of horrible prison systems, read about what France was like. If you want to talk about our system, go spend some time in our prison systems because it is clear you have no direct knowledge yourself and you rely on assumptions and guesses (possibly formulated from watching prison movies, who really knows) to characterize our prison system.

Fletchette, you are going to have to step it up a bit if you want to have a rational debate with us. I have asked you to provide evidence and proof of your claims and you respond by hiding behind the classic "you LEOs" excuse and claiming France isn't a free country. Those two reasons have been shown lacking and the original challenge stands. Show us how bad the prison systems in the United States are. We don't want your word for it, because so far you have been unable to prove you have ever witnessed it first hand. We have and we have told you what it is like in our facilities. And yes Preacherman comes from a high security prison, so you have a pretty wide view of the system besides my low and minimum facilities.

So tell us again, how bad is it? :banghead:

 

[armoredman]

...With underfunded prisons we get gulag-style treatment of the prisoners- a horrifying deterent enough to keep potential adversaries from challenging their authority.

Your statement indicates a lack of pertinent knowledge. Gulags worked prisoners to death every day. The only deaths in my prison has been three in the last year, due to heart attack and old age. Please study your source material,as it may have gaps and inaccuracies of horrifying proportions...
El Rojo, in many states COs are LEO, POST certified too. Some swap officers back and forth from street to prison. Good system.

Edited to add - we are such horribly violent knuckle draggin' thugs, that we just eliminated Tasers from our self defense inventory, due to 11 tased people dying, over a period of three years. That's what, one hour of rush hour traffic in NYC? Yeah, we just love to torture and maim.....'scuse me, gotta polish up my chromed brass knuckles....

 

[GRB]

Flchette,

On what do you base your conclusions and statements about prison life in the United States? To what cold hard evidence can you point that shows the prison system, on the whole, in the USA is comparable to the Gulag system of the former USSR regarding treatment of prisoners? Please bear in mind, I am not asking you what news report you read in a left wing peridoical, I am asking for cold hard evidence. Is there any out there that shows the US prison system as equal with the Gulags of the USSR?

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[El Rojo]

El Rojo, in many states COs are LEO, POST certified too. Some swap officers back and forth from street to prison. Good system.

Good point armoredman. I forgot about most county systems where your deputies have to start in the county jail for a couple of years before they get transfered to the street. Point well taken. As far as the guards at my prison, I would never consider them LEOs. A six week class should hardly make you a LEO.

 

[armoredman]

Private prisons have horrible academies. Out here, private prison guards are exactly that, security guards, with a SG license. Corrections officer, with the state, are sworn officers, with a 9 week academy, regular continued instruction, etc. We have the same carry authority as other LEO in AZ, but we do not posess arrest authority outside the walls. Only differance.
I would like to see our academy grow more, and BTW, we are the number 2 academy in the US. Cali has a 16 week course that is supposedly quite good.

 

[Fletchette]

Where to begin…

From El Rojo,

If you care to go back and read my statements, I judge you based on your statements. Too bad you can't do the same for me.

I am not judging you.

Maybe Preacherman can answer this, are any of your guards or employees complaining about their pay over there in the BOP?

There is more to prison funding than the salaries of the guards. There are the number of guards hired (so inmates cannot assault each other without the guards around) more cells (so the inmates aren’t overcrowded), etc, etc.

I had no problem being on a compound with 1800+ federal low inmates vs. a staff of maybe 200 on any given day.

I’ll repeat myself: I am not talking about low-security prisons where assaults are rare. Yes, there are a lot of low-security prisons where the inmates are treated very well, and prison rape hardly ever occurs.

A comparison to the Border Patrol? Please. Just because the Border Patrol is underfunded does not mean the Army or welfare is underfunded, so why make the jump to prisons? I know why, because you have no factual evidence and you continue to spout off about things you don't actually have first hand experience with.

Once again, because I do not work in, nor have ever been incarcerated in, a prison I somehow do not have the right to an opinion. Contrast this statement with your earlier statement:

You are not judged based on your career path and not once did I make that judgement

I think that you are judging me based on my career path (or lack of prison-related career path)

France is hardly a free country? Your ignorance of the French form of government clearly proves my point that your statements are without factual basis and that you are not speaking from a position of knowledge or clear understanding of the issues at hand, but from a position of assumptions and guesses. Let me prove your wrong by simply having your read this link about the government of France. What do you know? France is a constitutional republic that includes a parliament and selects a head of state through universal suffrage for everyone over 18 years old. Wow, they are a free country. Imagine that. I caught you in another falsehood. Oh, you meant they are not as free as us? Well maybe next time you will say that instead of "France is hardly a free country." It isn't anyone's fault but their own that they freely choose socialism.

This is a debate unto itself…No, I do not consider France a free country, and not because they are “not as free as us”. It is because their government places severe restrictions on civil liberties. Speech is severely curtailed (mere mentioning a non-PC opinion on the Second World War is illegal) There is no mention or even lip-service to many of the rights we on THR hold dear. Owning a gun is out of the question.

As far as voting?!? You think THAT makes a country “free”? Even Iranians can vote.

And no, reading about France's horrible prison system does serve a point. If you want to illustrate examples of horrible prison systems, read about what France was like. If you want to talk about our system, go spend some time in our prison systems because it is clear you have no direct knowledge yourself and you rely on assumptions and guesses (possibly formulated from watching prison movies, who really knows) to characterize our prison system.

So you argument is that our prison system is great simply because we can point to another country that has a worse prison system. Impeccable logic…

Fletchette, you are going to have to step it up a bit if you want to have a rational debate with us. I have asked you to provide evidence and proof of your claims and you respond by hiding behind the classic "you LEOs" excuse and claiming France isn't a free country. Those two reasons have been shown lacking and the original challenge stands. Show us how bad the prison systems in the United States are. We don't want your word for it, because so far you have been unable to prove you have ever witnessed it first hand. We have and we have told you what it is like in our facilities. And yes Preacherman comes from a high security prison, so you have a pretty wide view of the system besides my low and minimum facilities.

Well, I have already admitted that I have not witnessed prison rape “first hand”, and you have summarily dismissed my opinion on that account. Nevertheless, I have mentioned that I have a good friend who is a prison guard and has witnessed such things first hand. I guess my friend is “second hand” and therefore doesn’t count. Whatever.

In any case, he has had to deal with the worst society has to offer, people like Marvin Gray, who gloats about killing other inmates for refusing to perform certain acts on him. I will not go into any further detail, but I am sure that all you professionals can use your resources to find all the nasty details you want. The short story is that he rapes, he kills, he admits it and has even requested to be put to death, but the state keeps him around.

There. You have your example. It is only one example, but I am not here to list off all the terrible things that happen behind bars, one by one, so you will take my arguments seriously.

From Armoredman:

Your statement indicates a lack of pertinent knowledge. Gulags worked prisoners to death every day. The only deaths in my prison has been three in the last year, due to heart attack and old age. Please study your source material,as it may have gaps and inaccuracies of horrifying proportions...

See my above responses as your complaint to me is identical to El Rojo’s

From Glenn Bartley:

Flchette,

On what do you base your conclusions and statements about prison life in the United States? To what cold hard evidence can you point that shows the prison system, on the whole, in the USA is comparable to the Gulag system of the former USSR regarding treatment of prisoners? Please bear in mind, I am not asking you what news report you read in a left wing peridoical, I am asking for cold hard evidence. Is there any out there that shows the US prison system as equal with the Gulags of the USSR?

Thanks for being polite. I admit that I do not have hard evidence, my argument is based merely on conjecture. It is the same level of conjecture that many here use when they state for certain that the government is underfunding the Border Patrol on purpose. No direct evidence, merely an observation supported by mountains of circumstantial evidence.

I will also concede that the U.S. prison system is not “on average”, or even close to the gulags of the former USSR. My concern is that it is moving in that direction.

 

[Preacherman]

Fletchette, I'm going to have to side with others in this debate, and insist that unless and until you've experienced prison life from the inside, either as a staff member or as an inmate, you truly don't understand the situation. I don't intend this to be a put-down, or to denigrate your opinions: you have an absolute right to hold the positions you've taken, and I respect that. However, in the absence of actual experience, you simply don't understand.

I was the same until a few years ago. I had upwards of five years experience of volunteer prison ministry, where every week I'd go into a prison for a couple of hours to provide services, counseling, etc. However, this did nothing to prepare me for the reality of life behind the walls when I went into this ministry full-time. The training, the experience of life among these inmates, etc. - all went far beyond what I'd foreseen or expected. Even in a minimum-security camp or prison, there are aspects of prison life that are unexpected: and in a max-security institution, it's a whole different way of life. It's simply something that can't be described to an outsider.

I guess the only analogy I can give is that of sex. If you've read about it, heard about it, etc., you have a pretty good theoretical idea what's involved: but you don't really know unless and until you've experienced it. I don't know if that analogy makes things any clearer, but it's the best I can do.

 

[El Rojo]

I admit that I do not have hard evidence, my argument is based merely on conjecture. It is the same level of conjecture that many here use when they state for certain that the government is underfunding the Border Patrol on purpose. No direct evidence, merely an observation supported by mountains of circumstantial evidence.

We have hard evidence. We have described the hard evidence to you. We have told you what it is really like on the inside. Yet you stick to your conjecture and circumstantial evidence and refute what we are telling you.

It wouldn't be so bad if you would listen and attempt to hear what we are telling you, but you continue to stick to your general belief that we are heading to a gulag style system with no real general knowledge of how the system works now except from your one friend and some other outside source.

Once again, because I do not work in, nor have ever been incarcerated in, a prison I somehow do not have the right to an opinion.

When you voice an opinion about the conditions inside a prison and the people who actually have spent some fairly significant time inside a prison tell you that your opinion is off, yes, that means you are no longer entitled to that opinion. Your opinion turns into a fallacy. If you want to live a life of fallacies, go for it. That is your choice, but not an opinion.

There are the number of guards hired (so inmates cannot assault each other without the guards around) more cells (so the inmates aren’t overcrowded), etc, etc.

Yeah and this has already been covered. The opinions on this board have not expressed that prisons are underfunded. What was said was that if you want a 100 percent safe prison, it is going to cost a lot of money, but even then, who can give that gaurantee? My prison didn't need anymore space and could have only used a handful of more guards, but that really wouldn't stop the inmates from taking over if they wanted. 1800 vs 200. The outcome is going to be the same everytime if they truly wanted to rise up.

I think that you are judging me based on my career path (or lack of prison-related career path)

This has nothing to do with your career path. Go do some research on prison. Go talk to more people than your one buddy about prison. Heck even listen to us about prison. This has nothing to do with your career path nor mine. It has to do with facts and perception. Having spent some time in prison, I don't agree with your analysis. You having not spend any time in prison, disagree with my analysis. These are simple facts that have nothing to do with your career choice or job. If you want to be more informed, go get educated. You don't have to change careers to do so.

I will also concede that the U.S. prison system is not “on average”, or even close to the gulags of the former USSR. My concern is that it is moving in that direction.

Fair enough. Tell us why? Keep in mind that a common thread that probably all current or former prison employees are going to tell you about are the rules and policies that we have to follow at all time or risk losing our jobs or our lives. Keep in mind that the inmates have numerous luxuries and resources at their disposal concerning litigation and restitution. All it takes is one mistake by a prison employee to get fired and/or arrested, but the inmate has little to lose. So if you are going to go the abuse of power, gulag route, keep in mind, the inmates are going to have to lose a lot of power in the future and we are going to have to gain some. Not to mention good people like the three people on this thread are going to have to give up their principles and morals in order to make this gulag dream come true. Good luck with your theory.

 

[Fletchette]

This has nothing to do with your career path. Go do some research on prison. Go talk to more people than your one buddy about prison. Heck even listen to us about prison.

Alright, but I remain confused. On the one hand you said:

You just lost all credibility with me because if you had spent any time in a federal prison, you would understand that these inmates are not suffering one bit. Do you think I am joking when I talk about soccer, football, basketball, bocci, tennis, pool, leather shop, clay shop, handicapped workout machines, elyptical trainers, stationary bikes, cable television, law library typewriters, magazine subscriptions, recreation tournaments, a full sized store/commissary, a barber shop, and educational programs out the wazzoo? Heck our minimum security facility had one of the best horticulture programs anywhere. Do your time by growing plants and enjoying the outdoors.

but Armoredman says:

I agree prison rape should not occur, neither should assault, (witnessed three Sunday and Monday, locked 5 up in complex detention), or murder, (know a few inmates who killed other inmates inside), or rules violations, etc.

and Preacherman says:

I was the same until a few years ago. I had upwards of five years experience of volunteer prison ministry, where every week I'd go into a prison for a couple of hours to provide services, counseling, etc. However, this did nothing to prepare me for the reality of life behind the walls when I went into this ministry full-time. The training, the experience of life among these inmates, etc. - all went far beyond what I'd foreseen or expected. Even in a minimum-security camp or prison, there are aspects of prison life that are unexpected: and in a max-security institution, it's a whole different way of life. It's simply something that can't be described to an outsider.

So, I am listening, but I am not getting a clear picture of what it is like in prison. Is it "inmates are not suffering one bit" or multiple assaults in a couple of days or something that "went far beyond what I'd forseen or expected"?

I guess I really am confused. The jist of my opinion on this entire thread is that criminals should be punished for their crimes, but the punishment should fit the crime. It is my opinion that a lot of people have a binary justice system in mind. Either you are innocent (in which case you would not be arrested) or you get convicted of anything and you should be locked up, the key thrown away and you get to share a cell with Bubba. I disagree with that.

 

[El Rojo]

Either you are innocent (in which case you would not be arrested) or you get convicted of anything and you should be locked up, the key thrown away and you get to share a cell with Bubba.

Ok, I am following you now. Look at it this way. Where are the majority of assaults and general lawlessness occuring? Higher security prisons. The staff are trying to do their best to keep themselves and the inmates safe. However, like they said, it is hard to keep these guys in line because they might be looking at some pretty serious time like 30 years to life. If a guy has a life sentence, he isn't going to get to go to a lower security prison and further, what is his incentive for behaving? It is hard to control these people at all. Does that mean the prison is turning into a gulag?

The good news is we have different security classifications now. Actually, in the past they didn't used to pay as much attention to security classification. That came back to bite them when some inmates rioted back a couple decades back in New Mexico. Basically some really bad inmates got mixed in with some lower security inmates, the bad inmates rioted, and killed a whole bunch of snitches and lower class inmates. That is when they sort of figured out these professional predators didn't need to be mixed up with the general population, especially with lower security inmates.

So my low and minimum security prison is proof that this gulag type system isn't happening. I kid you not when I say you would be appalled at how good my inmates had it. My list of recreational activities above was no exaggeration. And we are not a Club Fed either. There are much better places to be in the federal system. I am pretty sure we are just a common federal low and minimum security prison. These guys are not neglected or abused in the least.

So if you commit some minor gun charge or other smaller crime and get sent to prison on federal gun charges, don't worry. It won't be that bad. You aren't going to get locked up with Bubba and raped. You are going to go to a medium at worst and a low or even a camp, aka minimum, at best. There your cube mate, there are no cells, it is a dorm with open cubes, will most likely be someone of your own race, he could be anywhere from 18 to 70 years old, and most of the time he will probably be more interested in typing in the law library or taking college classes from the local community college over in the education department. That is if he isn't out on the rec yard playing tennis or bocci or in the general purpose room playing chess and watching TV.

So a clarifying question for armoredman and Preacherman is how bad are your prisons? Are the inmates so lawless and your hands so tied that you think we are heading to a gulag type system to where if I get 25 years to life, I am more likely to be raped or murdered before I serve my sentence? Are things getting worse or better in your opinions? What kind of resources would you like to see in order to improve the system and steer away from any possible gulag type situations, if such trend is even occuring?

 

[armoredman]

Gulag? Nope. I see a trend towards programming becoming more and more important, with the emphasis being on preparing the inmate for return to society as a (hopefully) productive citizen. Why else have him in there, other than to change behavior?
To partially answer you question, Flechette, there have been several disturbances in my system in the last two weeks due to circumstances of which I cannot inform you, but understand it is not that common on my yard, a medium high security prison. In the lockdown, where I did my first 2.5 years, mostly assaults were on staff, dartings, feces throwing, cocktails made of feces, blood, urine, semen, stuffed in a toothpaste tube used as a squirt gun, or even held in the mouth and spit out at the closest officer. Darts were also commonly dipped in a cocktail or bodily fluids, as well.
If we can upgrade facilities, and hire more quality staff, assaults and such inside the walls will be harder for them to perpetrate, and easier to prevent. End of line.