New York’s Prison Problem

New York has 54,000 (that’s thousand) prisoners in 53 prisons and, according to the Marshall Project, a host of problems that go along with it.  And NY is moving slowly to work out a solution to address it.  A system of electronically monitoring complaints is supposed to be completely set up by the end of 2016.  Given all the data tracking that is done on regular civilians, why this wasn’t set up earlier is beyond anyone’s logic.

Currently there are around, if not over, 4,000(!) open investigations of prison guard abuse against prisoners.  These include grievances and lawsuits.  Most of these are dismissed (to protect the guards?) but in 2010 the taxpayers paid out over $8.8 million in settlements and jury awards, according the Buffalo News. 

The thing is, according to the article, 207 guards names come up repeatedly.  And 30 names come up in 2 or more cases that result in jury awards.  Is someone asleep at the wheel?  I work in a school and if a student’s name comes up repeatedly for the same offense, the administration puts their foot down and fast.  Why not in prisons?

Sad to say, in many cases where a prisoner’s suit is found to be based in fact and reality, the guard is rarely prosecuted.  Rarely, if ever does a guard go to jail for committing an act of violence against an inmate.  They are there to provide security and instead, the guards become the security threat.

We need to remember why we have prisons- to control the population.  Capitalism cannot provide what it claims it can, so we have to do something with the excess population.  Prisons are one way of dealing with them. And especially the minorities. Numerous studies have shown that if 2 people – one black and one white – commit the same crime, the white will get a lesser punishment and the black person will get a harsher punishment.  Look at the sentencing of cocaine versus crack cocaine.  White versus black drug and, until recently, what was the sentencing disparity? 

My bigger problem is that the prison guards are rarely if ever tried, convicted, and sentenced.  The old line is that a DA/Grand Jury can indict a ham sandwich if it wants to.  It doesn’t seem to want to.  If I assaulted someone in public the same way some of the prison guards assault prisoners, I would be criminally charged (no question) and sentenced.  If a prison guard does the same thing in a prison setting, nothing would happen.

This is just wrong.

As socialists we demand justice for prisoners. 

-Prison guards that assault prisoners need to be criminally investigated, charged, and convicted.  They need to be sentenced the same as civilians and serve the same sentences.

-Inmates that are assaulted need just and timely justice and compensation.

-Inmates that are assaulted need to have their sentences reevaluated and possibly lessened.

-Inmates also will need counseling to deal with the trauma that was inflicted upon them.

New York also needs to change its criminal injustice system.

-Drug, alcohol, and other non-violent crimes need to be treated with social workers and counselling

-Issues of theft (depending upon the amount) are better dealt with restitution.  That better communicates value

Lastly, we need a new economic system.  One that give full and meaningful employment.  One that provides enough for people to live life to its fullest.

If we do not address this overarching problem, the Attica riots of 1971 will not just repeat themselves, they will become too commonplace. 

That will be a real tragedy.