Critics Say Inmates Are Driven Insane

AP ^ | April 25, 2003 | MATT VOLZ

[new cruelty]

JACKSON, Miss. -After running a few laps around the exercise pen, Alan Dale Walker lies down on the cool concrete, closes his eyes and imagines he is anywhere else but on Mississippi's death row.

For Walker, convicted in 1991 of raping and killing a woman, it's one of the few opportunities to escape the screams and maniacal laughter of his fellow condemned inmates. The conditions here are so bad that some contend they are literally driving the inmates insane.

A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of six inmates by the American Civil Liberties Union says the stifling heat, filth, insects and other conditions could explain why some of those on death row are suffering from mental illness.

"I used to raise fighting chickens," Walker wrote in one of several letters he and other inmates sent to The Associated Press. "The way I had those chickens caged up makes me think about how they have me caged up here."

State Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps said the death row at the prison in Parchman shouldn't be singled out.

"I've been in this business for 23 years and I've been to many prisons throughout the U.S. Ours is no different from any other state that I've been in," Epps said.

At a hearing on the lawsuit earlier this year, James Balsamo, the director of environmental health and safety at Tulane University, said he took temperature, humidity and air volume readings in about 15 cells at Parchman last August, and found the heat index exceeded 100 degrees

Many inmates keep their windows closed to protect themselves from spiders and insects, he said, which adds to the heat and ventilation problems.

Another witness, Dr. Terry Kupers, a California psychiatrist who has written a book on prison madness, said he found several inmates with mental problems in a tour of death row last August.

"They mess up their cell, they're totally disheveled, they scream day and night, they smear feces, they throw feces and urine down the hall, they flood the tier," Kupers testified.

In a recent telephone interview, Kupers said conditions at Parchman were worse than any he's seen at death rows in six states - and they directly contribute to severe emotional and mental problems.

"There were massive problems there," Kupers said. "It was a combination of extreme isolation and idleness along with very hazardous sanitation conditions that I've seen nowhere else."

He said the mental health care amounted to "warehousing" inmates and providing some with medication. He said they need true mental health care because many may never see an execution chamber.

Six people have been executed in Mississippi since 1976. Out of approximately 170 death sentences in the state since that year, about 70 have been vacated. There are now 66 men and one woman awaiting execution.

Epps said mental health care should improve when Correctional Medical Services, a St. Louis company that specializes in prison health care, begins its contract with the Mississippi prison system July 1. Among the changes will be adding four full-time psychiatrists to bolster the current part-time workers.

Margaret Winter, associate director of the ACLU's National Prison Project, said more needs to be done and adding psychiatrists "will not address the enormous problems that were identified during the trial."

Carolyn Clayton, who helped found the victims' rights group Survival Inc. after her daughter was kidnapped, raped and slain in 1986, said she had mixed feelings about making improvements to death row.

She said conditions described in the prisoners' suit sounded harsh, but "I immediately go to the victim's feelings. Their loved ones are in the ground."

[Loyalist]

It is inexcusable to allow condemned men to linger for years on end in these conditions. Moreover, justice delayed is justice denied to the state and the families of these men's victims; both must bear unnecessary costs.

States should consider implementing a "gavel-to-gallows" rule requiring all executions to be carried out within two years of the date of sentencing.

Allow death penalty appeals to be fast-tracked through the state appeal system.

But once the countdown starts, it should not be stopped.

[CatoRenasci]

Actually, that sort of isolation was tried in some of the early 19th century prisons: the idea was to give them a bible and solitary time to reflect. Apparently far too many prisoners went insane under those conditions for even the Quakers who first advocated them to stomach it.

[Jhoffa_]

PS: Another side benefit would be the "Big, bad, tough guy" image would be completely removed.

So.. You're a big, loud, tough guy, are you?

That's not going to mean much in solitary.. As there's no one there to pick on.

If you want to play big shot, you're going to have to perform for an audience of one...

[Blood of Tyrants]

Crap like that ticks me off. I hear that in many states, an inmate on death row is more likely to die of natural causes than be executed.

[ctlpdad]

they say the death penalty is not a deterrent, but it sure cuts down on recidivism!

[DannyTN]

• They need to fix your air conditioning. No one should have to stay at over 100+ degrees.
• They might ought to pay you better, but it's the market forces at play. Maybe you need to change jobs.
• The twit out front was friendly cute and gave me good service, so I'm going to tip her.

[Grampa Dave]

Lock them up and give them a maximum time for their lawyers to play their games.

Then off them. That will eliminate this problem.

This whole thing started with the NY Slimes. Because President Bush is pro death penalty, we will see thousands of these so called sad stories to make President Bush look cruel.

The people who are cruel are the liberals who create these long drawn out ordeals so their trial lawyers can get richer.

[Jeff Gordon]

The conditions here are so bad that some contend they are literally driving the inmates insane.

Maybe there is an advantage to these long delays in executions. I think it is fitting punishment for death row inmates to be slowly driven insane.

"I immediately go to the victim's feelings. Their loved ones are in the ground."

My feelings. Exactly.

[GailA]

Morgan County Regional Correctional Facility offerers inmates 6 vocational and 4 levels of academic education, built a new building to house the growing programs, at $1.5 million.

From a Prison Inmate Handbook, TENNESSEE Prison System

West Tennessee High Security Facility (WTHSF) at Henning. Why do inmates need microwave ovens? Quote: "Inmates at the WTHSF will be provided a comprehensive recreation and leisure time program that should in some manner appeal to all inmates: Intramural competition is available in softball, basketball, volley ball and soccer. Weight equipment is available in the gym and unit recreation areas. An arts and craft shop is located in the gym. The following activities are available to most WTHSF inmates. Basketball, boxing, card games, checkers, chess, concerts, dominoes, movies, ping pong, running, soccer, softball, table games, volleyball, weight lifting." WTHSF inmates have their own 219 channel satellite TV dish.

Inmate telephone system (ITS): family and friends can now send money for deposit to an inmate's telephone trust fund account. The cost of any telephone call made by an inmate using the telephone trust fund will be discounted 15%.

Inmates can have at their own expense a 13 in. TV, AM/FM radio, tape player/ recorder/compact disc player, typewriter, 2 rings, 1 necklace and watch, Walkman, curl-ing irons, rollers (female only), fan up to16in. FANS??? TN Prisons are air conditioned) hand held hair dryer, calculator, musical instruments, batteries, 3x5 rug, surge suppressor, and suntan lotion.

Inmate Rules and Regulations 1992, Activities, Tn Dept.of Correction feels that all inmates should have the opportunity to participate in activities which will help to cre-ate enthusiasm, both mentally and physical, through activities as approved by the facility /organization. Not all activities are available at all institutions or to all inmates. Custody, Classification, length of sentence, behavior, etc. may restrict participation. Those activities include: Inmate Organizations: any group or club authorized to conduct bus-iness and/or social activities by the department/institution; Outside Trips Participation in public events, speaking engagements, athletic events, mutual programs; Interinstitutional Activities: Athletic events/competitions, banquets, & mutual programs; Academic Pro-gram: Adult Basic Education, GED; Vocational Programs; Social Development Program: Planned, purposeful activities designed to promote the inmate's social adjustment and assist in resolving personal or interpersonal problems; Arts & Crafts; Inmate Council: elected group of inmates which meet regularly with wardens and other department employees to communicate suggestions and concerns from the inmate population, and to receive information from the administration concerning issues of interest to the inmates; Recreation & leisure time programs are available at each institution. We hope that you choose to participate in the wide variety of programs available to you.

[honeygrl]

awww.. poor pitiful rapists and murderers. < /sarcasm>

[WillVoteForFood]

I would not be against prisoners in the type of environment I describe having access to educational materials, magazines, newspapers, etc. No question, some type of stimulation of their minds would be required to combat the potential of insanity. However, I would rather take my chances with a few inmates going insane because of not having the mental fortitude to make it through their sentences, than a bunch of prisoners brutalize each other, become involved in the in prison drug trade, and plan for their criminal exploits when they get out. And while I have no numbers on the rates of insanity in the current system, I would think it would not be a stretch to assume a good number of prisoners get pretty screwed up mentally from hard time spent in today's prison hellholes.

[geedee]

At a hearing on the lawsuit earlier this year, James Balsamo, the director of environmental health and safety at Tulane University, said he took temperature, humidity and air volume readings in about 15 cells at Parchman last August, and found the heat index exceeded 100 degrees.

Mississippi . . . 100 degrees . . . August . . . Boy Scouts on Death Row complain. I'm shocked! Outraged!

How dare Mississippi house these fine upstanding citizens in such horrible conditions. No air-conditioning! No peace! No air-conditioning! No peace!

By the way, it's probably just me 'cause us Texans are known to be . . . uhh, rather unkind to death-row folks but according to the following graph, I ain't gonna lose much sleep over them having to live in a heat index of 100 degrees in Mississippi. Perhaps the child-killers and mass murderers will move up to Canada where the weather's cooler and the hangman's rope was retired long ago. Besides, if I read the chart right, their victims had far worse odds of being okay than the death-row pukes do. They only have to worry about "extreme caution" while the victims don't have the opportunity to worry about squat.

[Maigrey]

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

[NYFriend]

Well, frankly, it doesn't take that long to execute someone. Wat happens is the condemed file appeal after appeal (some states have manditory appeal laws, but there are convicts who have filed dozens of appeals) The federal Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (1996 ?) limits the number, type and time to file appeals to dealth sentences. We'll see how long it takes to execute people under this law. But the guys who are there for 30 years have put themselves on death row by their crimes, and kept themselves there by their appeals. Ready, Aim, Fire.

[Search4Truth]

"Carl Isaacs is due for execution here in Ga. for the murder of the Alday family. His execution will occur only days before the THIRTY YEAR ANNIVERSERY of those deaths.

Thirty years on death row might seem like punishment enough to some people, I however feel that he has cheated justice long enough."

Justice delayed, is justice denied.

Denied in that case for 30 years. It is unconscionable to my mind. Such justice denied, begs for its own justice. Then rule of law breaks down and you have chaos.

[quietolong]

Aww these poor people.
If you don’t wanta do the time. Don’t do the crime!
Could it be there heads were already screw up.

Hey who LEFT the door open and let all these liberals in!
These people should go ask Sen. John McCain about his living experiences in 1967-1973

[GailA]

Bob Bidinotto

The following excerpts are from Karen Reedstrom's interview with Bob Bidinotto, published in the October 1994 issue of Full Context soon after the publication of Criminal Justice? The Legal System Versus Individual Responsibility.

I HIGHLY recommend this book it is a REAL eye opener. It is available from The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc. 30 South Broadway, Irvington-on-Hudson, NY 10533

Must Our Prison's be Resorts? ROBERT JAMES BIDINOTTO

A former economics major at Grove City College during the late 1960s, Robert James Bidinotto is an award-winning investigative journalist, author, lecturer, and a nationally recognized expert on crime.

Bidinotto is best known for his investigative crime reports for Reader's Digest. His 1988 article on prison furlough programs helped make convicted murderer Willie Horton a household name, and is credited by many observers with having affected the outcome of that year's presidential campaign between George Bush and Michael Dukakis.

More recently, Bidinotto authored two books, "Criminal Justice?" and "Freed to Kill." The latter, published in November by Safe Streets, has been promoted by Goldman in national media appearances.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"I used to raise fighting chickens," Walker wrote in one of several letters he and other inmates sent to The Associated Press.

"I yursed ta have me a slingblade...mmmm-hmmm"

[FITZ]

No one should have to stay at 100+ degrees.

A lot of people live at 100+ degrees ---in many countries and many parts of the US. There are far more worthy people to worry about staying cool and comfortable. There are kids in the SW who haven't got air-conditioned classrooms ---and it's been this way for thousands of years.

[Hegemony Cricket]

I've not been in prison either (thank God), but my brother spent six months in a state penitentiary for some youthful foolishness, and it proved to be a life-changing experience for him. I agree with you that prisoners should live harshly. If we reward bad behaviour by making prison too comfortable, where is the motivation to avoid doing things that could land you there?