5 ms·

With few other outlets, inmates review prisons on Yelp

78 points by ted0 13y ago

Pseudocrat 13y ago
http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-quentin-state-prison-san-quentin http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-quentin-state-prison-san-quentin http://www.yelp.com/biz/twin-towers-correctional-facility-los-angeles http://www.yelp.com/biz/twin-towers-correctional-facility-lo... My two personal favorites. A short list since they can be hard to find on Yelp itself. http://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/the-12-best-prisons-on-yelp http://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/the-12-best-prisons-on...
akurtzhs 13y ago
The link is to the second page of the article, by the way. The first is http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/with-few-other-outlets-for-complaints-inmates-review-prisons-on-yelp/2013/04/27/59cc3440-9e24-11e2-a2db-efc5298a95e1_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/with-few-other-outlet...
yoster 13y ago
I don't even know what to say to this...
DigitalSea 13y ago
Prisons aren't meant to be fun or enjoyable. Now don't get me wrong, if prisoners are deliberately and excessively being treated badly, someone needs to be held accountable. But if prisoners are complaining their meals are cold or have no taste, the guards don't smile or talk to them and Leroy tried to shiv me because I tried to overthrow his king like status in the prison yard or limited use of communication mediums, that's just sad. Prison conditions might not be great, but they're not as bad as movies depict and a hell of a lot better than being homeless on the street; getting kicked, robbed and beaten because you're homeless and drunks think it's funny. It's a well-known fact if you go to jail for anything to do with abusing or hurting a child, you will not be treated like an equal by the guards and certainly not by the other inmates once they find out and I think that is more than fair in that instance. Do the crime, do the time. A prison isn't a hotel or a luxury retreat...
- adamnemecek 13y ago
  > It's a well-known fact if you go to jail for anything to do with abusing or hurting a child, you will not be treated like an equal by the guards and certainly not by the other inmates once they find out and I think that is more than fair in that instance. Yeah, while at it why don't be just throw the rest of the judicial system out of the window and let some prisoners take care of that as well. /s
- doorhammer 13y ago
  They yelp portion is the icing to get people to bite. They also talk about a number of more nuanced legitimate ways different groups go about inspecting prisons, and getting information from inmates. I think one of the comments on the article itself resonates with me. It talks about the distinction between rehabilitation and punishment. Are prisons for one, the other, or both, and are they effective in either capacity? I also agree with the response prior to mine. Going to prison doesn't mean you're utterly stripped of all of your civil liberties and rights, nor should it. For one thing, even if we had 100% accuracy in convictions, I think that would be a dubious quality, and we sure don't have that. Any one of the situations mentioned is far too nuanced and complex for a simple off-the-cuff "Do the crime, do the time" and screw you if you want to be treated like a human.
- yoster 13y ago
  The thing is, some people did not commit any crimes. They get arrested because of false accusations, corrupt cops, and overzealous prosecutors. Many people have served sentences and then get exonerated. Our judicial system along with the prison system is broken...
  - sliverstorm 13y ago
    So what do you propose?
    - RobertHoudin 13y ago
      I know it's an incredibly radical idea, but treating prisoners like human beings would be a good start.
ritchiea 13y ago
This reminds me of one of my favorite odd Yelp finds, reviews for Occupy Wall Street http://www.yelp.com/biz/occupy-wall-street-manhattan-4 http://www.yelp.com/biz/occupy-wall-street-manhattan-4 I love the photo of the fat cat sleeping in a pile of money.
- lmg643 13y ago
  This also reminds me of a quote from the movie twelve monkeys - the insane asylum - seems to fit: "Telephone call? Telephone call? That's communication with the outside world. Doctor's discretion. Nuh-uh. Look, hey - all of these nuts could just make phone calls, they could spread insanity, oozing through telephone cables, oozing into the ears of all these poor sane people, infecting them." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114746/quotes http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114746/quotes
United857 13y ago
Do prisoners even get Internet access?

78 points by ted0 13y ago

http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-quentin-state-prison-san-quentin http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-quentin-state-prison-san-quentin http://www.yelp.com/biz/twin-towers-correctional-facility-los-angeles http://www.yelp.com/biz/twin-towers-correctional-facility-lo... My two personal favorites. A short list since they can be hard to find on Yelp itself. http://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/the-12-best-prisons-on-yelp http://www.buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/the-12-best-prisons-on...

akurtzhs 13y ago

The link is to the second page of the article, by the way. The first is http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/with-few-other-outlets-for-complaints-inmates-review-prisons-on-yelp/2013/04/27/59cc3440-9e24-11e2-a2db-efc5298a95e1_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/with-few-other-outlet...

yoster 13y ago

I don't even know what to say to this...

DigitalSea 13y ago

Prisons aren't meant to be fun or enjoyable. Now don't get me wrong, if prisoners are deliberately and excessively being treated badly, someone needs to be held accountable. But if prisoners are complaining their meals are cold or have no taste, the guards don't smile or talk to them and Leroy tried to shiv me because I tried to overthrow his king like status in the prison yard or limited use of communication mediums, that's just sad. Prison conditions might not be great, but they're not as bad as movies depict and a hell of a lot better than being homeless on the street; getting kicked, robbed and beaten because you're homeless and drunks think it's funny. It's a well-known fact if you go to jail for anything to do with abusing or hurting a child, you will not be treated like an equal by the guards and certainly not by the other inmates once they find out and I think that is more than fair in that instance. Do the crime, do the time. A prison isn't a hotel or a luxury retreat...

adamnemecek 13y ago
> It's a well-known fact if you go to jail for anything to do with abusing or hurting a child, you will not be treated like an equal by the guards and certainly not by the other inmates once they find out and I think that is more than fair in that instance. Yeah, while at it why don't be just throw the rest of the judicial system out of the window and let some prisoners take care of that as well. /s
doorhammer 13y ago
They yelp portion is the icing to get people to bite. They also talk about a number of more nuanced legitimate ways different groups go about inspecting prisons, and getting information from inmates. I think one of the comments on the article itself resonates with me. It talks about the distinction between rehabilitation and punishment. Are prisons for one, the other, or both, and are they effective in either capacity? I also agree with the response prior to mine. Going to prison doesn't mean you're utterly stripped of all of your civil liberties and rights, nor should it. For one thing, even if we had 100% accuracy in convictions, I think that would be a dubious quality, and we sure don't have that. Any one of the situations mentioned is far too nuanced and complex for a simple off-the-cuff "Do the crime, do the time" and screw you if you want to be treated like a human.
yoster 13y ago
The thing is, some people did not commit any crimes. They get arrested because of false accusations, corrupt cops, and overzealous prosecutors. Many people have served sentences and then get exonerated. Our judicial system along with the prison system is broken...
- sliverstorm 13y ago
  So what do you propose?
  - RobertHoudin 13y ago
    I know it's an incredibly radical idea, but treating prisoners like human beings would be a good start.

ritchiea 13y ago

This reminds me of one of my favorite odd Yelp finds, reviews for Occupy Wall Street http://www.yelp.com/biz/occupy-wall-street-manhattan-4 http://www.yelp.com/biz/occupy-wall-street-manhattan-4 I love the photo of the fat cat sleeping in a pile of money.

lmg643 13y ago
This also reminds me of a quote from the movie twelve monkeys - the insane asylum - seems to fit: "Telephone call? Telephone call? That's communication with the outside world. Doctor's discretion. Nuh-uh. Look, hey - all of these nuts could just make phone calls, they could spread insanity, oozing through telephone cables, oozing into the ears of all these poor sane people, infecting them." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114746/quotes http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114746/quotes

United857 13y ago

Do prisoners even get Internet access?