Unbearable Heat

[granny2young]

I know I will catch flack from this statement, but I really don't care. I am one of the few left with a heart where criminals (those who made a stupid mistake) are concerned.

I did not realize until this morning that prisons have no air where prisoners are held. Southern heat this summer is near unbearable under normal conditions, but at Parchman in the delta past unbearable some months ago.

I have been working with a kid doing life with no chance of parole who is still a child, so he is housed in solitary away from the adults in a small cement cell, sharing the small space with another, with no air. My mind cannot comprehend the torture that must be. He says there is no sleep to be had and you stay wet all the time.

I know that some will say it's exactly what a prisoner deserves, but I have to disagree. I pay taxes like everyone else, and these are not animals (some may be, but certainly not all) and they should not be treated like animals! Well, if you think about it, we treat our animals much better than prisoners are treated. You would go to jail for treating a dog in the manner prisoners are treated, and we pay taxes to allow it.

In this particular case, this child of 14 years old was forced to use a public defender who did not have time for his case. He called zero witnesses in his defense, including not calling the lady who saw the incident who was chomping and begging to tell the jury that the child was being assaulted and was provoked and scared and that the man he stabbed to get him off him had Alzheimers and had a history of violent outbursts. He refused to call the dr. to back it up, because he had not done his homework and was not prepared, so a 3 hr. trial sent this child to prison for life. Should he be there? I don't know, but he should have been given his constitutional right of a fair trial to determine that. But, at any rate, whether he should or should not be in prison for life is a mute point so far as my rant. If he is going to have to be there, he should be treated at least in livable conditions, as should all prisoners, regardless of guilt or innocence.

[King Rat]

Hmmm, that's a tough one, Granny. I agree that the conditions should be humane but I'm not for making it too comfortable. I wonder how many poor and elderly in the delta don't have air conditioning?

I wouldn't be against air conditioning Parchman if it is practical (i.e. building design, cost, etc). At least there should be some ventilation so the air isn't just stagnant.

I do feel sorry for those people who are in prison who shouldn't be. Wish we could swap them for those on the outside who SHOULD be.

Of course the obvious point to make would be that our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanastan would probably love to have a little AC in their living quarters.

All in all, Granny, I have to say that I've never been to Parchman so I can't say for sure if I'd be fer or agin it.

[TF Admin]

This is a tough one. Fans that circulate or exchange air are not terribly expensive, even for ongoing electricity costs. I'd call that reasonable. Air conditioning? Maybe where the trustees or non-violent, minimal security cells are located, but not general population, and definitely not solitary...fans that exchange or circulate air seems humane to me. If the temp gets above say 90 degrees, then some form of water misting fan could be employed.

TF

[granny2young]

Josh Phillips put a newspaper up over the window to block the sunlight and generate the air flow and was caught by a guard (not knowing it was against the rules) and was given a disciplinary report and had to pull extra duty and lost other priviledges. That is how much they are against them getting any air.

[TF Admin]

G2Y, I'd say he has a legitimate gripe if that is indeed what happened. But the bottom line is, it's prison. I take it that Mr. Phillips is a juvenile, right?

TF

[peasNcarrots]

what about the victim? I bet he would love to have just another day alive, even if it was in jail

[Pontotocmom]

Granny, I know they can be given fans if their family will send one. I'm not for them getting air conditioning. My husband works out in the heat yes he is paid but he doesn't have a fan to help keep him cool. And he is a law-abiding citizen. So no I don't feel bad for them. Plus I thought Josh Phillips was in Florida not Parchman. If I'm thinking of the boy who murdered an 8 year old? Parchman allows fans.

[granny2young]

From what I was told today, Parchman does not allow fans in general population.

[King Rat]

I don't think they should be allowed personal fans. They can make a weapon out of rolled up newspaper or a toothbrush so just imagine what they could do with a fan.

Fans built into the structure, though, sound reasonable.

To me, TF has it just about right. They shouldn't have to suffer temperatures inside above a safe limit. Though I must say when I got home from work two days ago it was 91 degrees inside my house and the AC was working its tail off. TF also hit on something else: Perhaps use AC as a reward for good behavior (trustees, etc..).

I don't think prison should be comfortable or enjoyable but it shouldn't be physical torture either.

Children should never be housed with adults in jails or prison, though.

[Pontotocmom]

granny2young said:

From what I was told today, Parchman does not allow fans in general population.

If they don't if is recent. My brother was there and that little weasel had a fan and a personal coffee pot, personal plastic cup and was sent "care boxes" each month. Not bought by me....

[granny2young]

no mom, it's not recent. It has always been that way. Your brother must have been in a special unit or a trustee or something, because general prisoners in general population have never been allowed fans of any sort or any kind of electrical devices.

I know that some some people feel strongly against prisioners, but I can't understand for the life of me turning my back a loved one and leave them to rot like they live. Right or wrong they are still mine and I love them, and most families of prisioners feel the same. They made a mistake and messed up, but that does not mean they are vile and shouldn't be treated humanely.

[King Rat]

granny2young said:

I know that some some people feel strongly against prisioners, but I can't understand for the life of me turning my back a loved one and leave them to rot like they live. Right or wrong they are still mine and I love them, and most families of prisioners feel the same. They made a mistake and messed up, but that does not mean they are vile and shouldn't be treated humanely.

I can agree with that statement. Prisoners should be treated humanely and their loved ones should never turn their back on them. I guess it comes down to one's definition of humane, though. As I've said, I've never been there (every senior class but mine went there on a field trip) so I don't know what the conditions are. Maybe you can describe the conditions with a bit more detail for those of us who don't know.

Are there any fans to circulate air throughout the building? Are the windows closed or open or are there any windows at all? And what kind of heat are you talking about? 90? 100? Higher?

[granny2young]

In the delta they have had temps as high as 105 this summer. It is stagnant air with no movement (second hand knowledge, as I have not been there.) The mom used the word"suffocating." The cells are 8 x 10 concrete cells with no windows and only the front open (with bars, so one can assume no air flow.) The mattresses are paper thin on concrete with a small pillow so sleep is hard in good conditions. Most families that I have talked to confirm that the prisoners are not allowed on the bed after you are woke up at 6 a.m. and the only outlet for the juveniles in solitary is one paperback book at a time. They are fed twice a day, with the evening meal being a sandwich and the morning meal and biscuit and some sort of meat (sausage, bacon, etc, served with water.) The are allowed 2 group showers per week with the water pre-set on very hot. Solitary and lock-downs are not allowed outside. General population can go outside for 1 hr a day when the guards let them.

I guess it does come down to what is humane in ones eyes, but I do know I would not leave my dog in 105 temps, and that people have been arrested for treating animals and their children in the way it is legal for prisons to treat them.

[King Rat]

With only two showers a week and this kind of heat I bet the smell in there could be considered inhumane.

[Pontotocmom]

Well, you can have my brother. I love him and I would help him while he is free, I have helped him for 6 and a half years because I'm raising his children. (And I did help him the first two times he was in) I would feel different if he helped himself. He never sees the kids, he or his wife hasn't bought so much as a shoelace for them in all this time. Even when they can get good insurance they don't put them on it. I could go thru the state and get their insurance but we do not, we pay for it the same way we paid for ours and our other children. When they are free they do not have any contact, unless they are going back in, then they feel some parental concern and call the oldest one. Who HATES to know that his parents names are in the paper again. I did not help them make drugs, I did not benifit from it, when they were selling so I feel no compulsion to go and help them. It may be harsh but they need to grow up and help theirselves. If it is uncomfortable enough maybe they will do right and lead a normal life. And like I said my husband is a law-abiding citizen and he works in the heat everyday. And when he comes in, he is soaking wet with sweat to his knees. So no I do not feel sorry for some druggie, child molester, or murderer who hasn't got the freedom to stand in the shade. My back isn't turned but I will not help someone who must like in there or they would do whatever it took to stay out. And you can point out he has a problem, which I do know and understand, we have paid for re-hab, drove them back and forth to work and meetings and it hasn't helped. So no I do not feel bad because of a little heat. Our soldiers have heat like that everyday in Iraq. They didn't ask to be there, but they are doing their job. When my family members were there they sure didn't whine about not having a fan. They were worried about living so they COULD be back with their families.

granny2young said:

no mom, it's not recent. It has always been that way. Your brother must have been in a special unit or a trustee or something, because general prisoners in general population have never been allowed fans of any sort or any kind of electrical devices.

I know that some some people feel strongly against prisioners, but I can't understand for the life of me turning my back a loved one and leave them to rot like they live. Right or wrong they are still mine and I love them, and most families of prisioners feel the same. They made a mistake and messed up, but that does not mean they are vile and shouldn't be treated humanely.