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I agree the identity politics stuff is misplaced. The author violated parole and got sent to prison. Nobody who works there is nice. But still some parts are e

I agree the identity politics stuff is misplaced. The author violated parole and got sent to prison. Nobody who works there is nice. But still some parts are egregious: > One C.O. responsible for assisting those with mental health issues would announce his shift by trumpeting, “Screws and schizos, come get your Skittles!”

commandlinefan 5y ago
Unnecessary and inappropriate if true, absolutely. Still, the implication that this is anywhere on the level of "public whipping, branding, dunking, pillory, mutilation" makes me inclined to disregard nearly everything the author has to say.
- yuq13 5y ago
  Go to jail. The one I was in had a fire extinguisher full of pepper spray that they occasionally used on the entire room when two people were fighting in a corner (it was an excuse). I was also tased in the shower and split my head open, requiring stitches, after falling naked onto the tile floor because I didn’t hear orders to line up over the water and other voices. I lost consciousness to the sounds of laughter from the staff. Those are two of my tamest stories. There are more. Public whipping, no, but far worse happens in the American correctional system. If you’re inclined to disregard such reports or ignore what they’re saying because they’re not exactly to your liking, I’m not inclined to regard your opinion — it’s also how I know you haven’t done time.
  - arcticbull 5y ago
    It also speaks to the level of desensitization of the American public that anything short of "public whipping, branding, dunking, pillory, mutilation" is totally fine because bad people go to the bad place. When literally 1% of America is in prison right now. The world's leading jailer. I refuse to believe Americans are orders of magnitude worse people than any other westerners.
    - yuq13 5y ago
      I shared a cell with a Black man who had waived his right to a speedy trial under law enforcement pressure and had subsequently been in pretrial confinement, in county jail, for eight and a half years. On a minor gun charge. Nobody cares. That’s what it is, not that Americans are bad. It’s the natural outcome of jail being where bad people go and tough on crime policy. Even the lawyers who try to reverse this stuff pro bono are shunned by their peers and looked at as uncouth “activist” attorneys. The man had converted to Islam and was as upbeat as could be expected about it but told me, quite frankly, that he fully expected to die inside with no disposition in his case. He accepted that. I think about him often and how the system failed him.
  - commandlinefan 5y ago
    Well, you're right - I've never been to jail (and hopefully never will), but... what are you saying? That nobody should go to jail for any reason? That there shouldn't be jails? Or that there should be jails but guards shouldn't break up fights? Or that they should only break up fights by physically separating the fighters rather than using pepper spray (are they allowed to do that?) You seem to be saying that you didn't deserve to be tased (and, based on your description of the events, sound like you were right), but are you suggesting that it's never necessary? If they did overreact in this case, how would you recommend they be re-trained?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

commandlinefan 5y ago

Unnecessary and inappropriate if true, absolutely. Still, the implication that this is anywhere on the level of "public whipping, branding, dunking, pillory, mutilation" makes me inclined to disregard nearly everything the author has to say.

yuq13 5y ago
Go to jail. The one I was in had a fire extinguisher full of pepper spray that they occasionally used on the entire room when two people were fighting in a corner (it was an excuse). I was also tased in the shower and split my head open, requiring stitches, after falling naked onto the tile floor because I didn’t hear orders to line up over the water and other voices. I lost consciousness to the sounds of laughter from the staff. Those are two of my tamest stories. There are more. Public whipping, no, but far worse happens in the American correctional system. If you’re inclined to disregard such reports or ignore what they’re saying because they’re not exactly to your liking, I’m not inclined to regard your opinion — it’s also how I know you haven’t done time.
- arcticbull 5y ago
  It also speaks to the level of desensitization of the American public that anything short of "public whipping, branding, dunking, pillory, mutilation" is totally fine because bad people go to the bad place. When literally 1% of America is in prison right now. The world's leading jailer. I refuse to believe Americans are orders of magnitude worse people than any other westerners.
  - yuq13 5y ago
    I shared a cell with a Black man who had waived his right to a speedy trial under law enforcement pressure and had subsequently been in pretrial confinement, in county jail, for eight and a half years. On a minor gun charge. Nobody cares. That’s what it is, not that Americans are bad. It’s the natural outcome of jail being where bad people go and tough on crime policy. Even the lawyers who try to reverse this stuff pro bono are shunned by their peers and looked at as uncouth “activist” attorneys. The man had converted to Islam and was as upbeat as could be expected about it but told me, quite frankly, that he fully expected to die inside with no disposition in his case. He accepted that. I think about him often and how the system failed him.
- commandlinefan 5y ago
  Well, you're right - I've never been to jail (and hopefully never will), but... what are you saying? That nobody should go to jail for any reason? That there shouldn't be jails? Or that there should be jails but guards shouldn't break up fights? Or that they should only break up fights by physically separating the fighters rather than using pepper spray (are they allowed to do that?) You seem to be saying that you didn't deserve to be tased (and, based on your description of the events, sound like you were right), but are you suggesting that it's never necessary? If they did overreact in this case, how would you recommend they be re-trained?
deleted 5y ago
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