The Cost Of Racism In California Prisons

The following excerpts are from the Associated Press article “Black, Hispanic Inmates Separated in L.A.” by Robert Jabloin.

California a liberal state that is beset by racial violence in its prisons. There solution is to segregate the races. The ACLU is behind their modal state.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that segregating prisoners by race is illegal except in extraordinary circumstances. The local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said the riots qualify.

I agree with the sheriff’s officials view.

Klugman said sheriff's officials view the segregation as both morally and tactically unsound in the long run and do not plan to continue it for more than two weeks. Separating inmates by race creates suspicions, and hands a victory to those inmates who want racial isolation, he said.

This sounds like it is an ongoing problem that the jail has failed to resolve.

Pitchess has had more than 150 fights in the past 15 years, most often racially or gang motivated.

I believe the clergy can help but bad company corrupts good behavior. If the rabble rousers can be isolated and neutralized then the violence can be stopped.

On Thursday, sheriff's officials allowed 70 clergy members and about two dozen media representatives to talk with inmates. Many prisoners complained about being unable to shower or call home.

and

All of the fights appeared to be orchestrated by ``shot-callers,'' or ringleaders, within the jails, officials said. Authorities said they were trying to identify them and move them out of their open dormitories to single-man cells at the county's downtown jail.

Negotiating with ringleaders sounds like a foolish thing to do when those ringleaders are willing to incite violence to achieve their goals. All they have to do is incite more violence in the future when then have so desire or another they want meant.

James Gilligan, a University of Pennsylvania professor and psychiatrist who directed mental health services in the Massachusetts prison system for many years, said he has been called in to help come up with solutions to the round of violence.

He said that in general, defusing prison violence involves negotiating with the ringleaders.

California already faces a high cost and broken prison system. I wonder where they plan to get the new funds to pay for the prisoner demands.