After the Chino Prison riot

I wanted to thank everybody who responded to KPCC's questions about what it's like to live, work or have relatives in prison.

Our reporters want to hear your first-hand true stories of what it's like to be among the hundreds of thousands of people living in local, state and federal lockups in California.

If you have experiences to share, please click on my name above to see our questions. You can tell your story, share your photos, and refer us to issues and people that might not be on our radar.

We know this year will represent change in the state prisons. Education and rehab programs have been cut deeply, courts are ordering a reduction in the prison population, and prison medical care is under scrutiny. If you have insights on these topics, I urge you to share what you know with our newsroom. It's confidential and seen only by journalists.

I hope readers will look at the links to other features in this series and share your responses with us here and by clicking on the links above to tell our newsroom what else we should know to cover these issues.

Thanks very much.

Sharon McNary
Public Insight Journalism at KPCC

Dear Ms. McNary:

I want to thank you for going to the trouble of reporting what is really going on in California's prisons today. I used to work in Chino at Ramona Junior High, where I often taught sons and daughters of prisoners there.

I have a brother in prison and am devoting time to a new non profit called SaveAPrisoner.org. It's tiny and my goal is to provide material support to inmates unlucky enough to get snarled up in this beast of a system.

Something has got to give. If you ever want to interview me for any reason, don't hesitate. We families of inmates are filled with sorrow, rage, fear and often resignation. I recharged my faith in Jesus and God when my brother re-entered prison life; I had to or I would have lost my mind.

In Christ's Loving Arms,

Scott Tudehope (TOOD-hope)
Online Teacher
and founder of SaveAPrisoner.Org

The issue is beginning from the Justice System. Officers and D.A's will DRAMATICALLY UP the charges to more serious ones to get a conviction.ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE OF AN ETHNIC DESCENT. OR If YOU HAVE A JUVENILE PAST. They say they don't use your juvenile but THEY DO. JUDGES side with DA's rarely do they side with Defendants attorney. RIGHTS ARE VIOLATED LEFT AND RIGHT and EARS AND EYES ARE TURNED. Witnesess's are coerced into lyeing by the DA's and officers and sometimes even paid to lie. They are threatened as well by them. Any evidence on the defendants side to show on their behalf is rarely allowed in the courts. If found guilty the only person allowed to speak is the victim and never the defendants family or friends or coworker to show the other side of the defendant. Then they get a HARSH SENTENCE and moved to a prison and NO PHONE CALLS Approval of visiting takes forever, so now you have an inmate trying to make sense out of everything and you have nothing but negativity coming from the SO CALLED CDC OFFICERS and are pushed into a wall to react SO THEY CAN BE PUT IN AD SEG. AND LABEL THEM. SO now the SYSTEM HAS CREATED the atmosphere where unless you go through it you will never know and the public only SEES AND HEARS WHAT THE CDC AND SO CALLED JUSTICE SYSTEM LETS THEM HEAR. When I watch the SO CALLED TV SHOWs the INMATES are not really allowed to tell the truth because they have the GOONS sitting right there listening and they afraid of what will happen when the media leaves. THESE THREE STRIKES IS RIDICULOUS. I BELIEVE IN JUSTICE BUT NOT UNJUSTICE. I PERSONALLY KNOW THREE STRIKERS WHO ARE VERY GOOD MEN BUT BECAUSE THE SYSTEM HAS DONE THEM UNJUSTICE ARE BEHIND BARS AND MAY NEVER COME HOME UNLESS THE SO CALLED PAROLE BOARD FEELS LIKE LETTING THEM OUT. SO NOW WE HAVE FATHER AND MOTHERS INCARCERATED UNJUST AND THEIR CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND WHO NOW HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THE LAW BECAUSE OF THE UNJUSTICE THAT HAS HAPPENED. AN INMATE CAN NEVER REALLY TELL THE TRUTH ON THE STAND SOMETIMES BECAUSE THEY WILL PUT THERE OWN LIVES AT JEOPARDY SO ALL THEY CAN DO IS BE AT THE MERCY OF THE LAW WHICH IS UNJUST TO BEGIN WITH. SOCIETY ONLY SEES WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS THEM TO SEE.

WE NEED TO DO AWAY WITH THE THREE STRIKES .STOP VIOLATING THE RIGHTS OF THE INMATES AND STOP BEING CRUEL AND UNJUST. YES, THEY MUST DO TIME FOR THE CRIME BUT YOU TEACH RESPECT YOU GET RESPECT. INMATES ALREADY KNOW THE TRUTH OF WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AND IF YOU TEACH THEM THE PROPER WAY AND TEACH RESPECT YOU WILL GET IT BACK. THE PROBLEM IS CDC OFFICERS DONT TREAT THEM AS SUCH. THESE UNJUST LAWS ARE JUST THAT UNJUST.DO APPROPRIATE TIME FOR THE CRIME. BUT IF YOU HAVE A PAST AND YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE TO DEFEND YOURSELF AND THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU YOU ARE LABELED TO THE FULLEST AND GET A CONVICTION I T WAS NEVER SELF DEFENSE NOW IT BECOMES A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY BECAUSE THE OFFICERS WANTED IT TO BE THAT WAY... HOW SAD THAT THEY CANT EVEN TELL THE TRUTH.. THEY SIT THERE AND LIE AND WE CITIZENS PAY THEM TO DO IT... THERE ARE MANY DIRTY COPS OUT THERE AND THE CITIZENS ARE SO BLIND TO IT... HOW SAD.....THERE MUST BE ACCOUNTABLITIY FOR THEIR ACTIONS AS WELL AS THOSE BEING LOCKED UP. WITNESSES ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP AS TO THE TACTICS OF THE POLICE BECAUSE OF THE THREATS AND THE PAYMENT THAT WAS GIVEN TO THEM.. I MYSELF DO NOT WANT MY NAME BEING PUT OUT THERE BECAUSE MY LOVED ONE WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCE OF WHAT I SAY.. AND I KNOW THAT MANY WILL NOT WRITE ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY FEEL THE SAME.. MANY WILL NOT SHOW UP BECAUSE THEY FEEL THE SAME.. HOW SAD THAT WE HAVE TO FEAR THOSE WHO WE PAY TO PROTECT US... wE ARE WASTING TO MUCH MONEY ON PRISONS AND LOCKING PEOPLE UP AND THROWING AWAY THE KEY.. Prisons were a place of rehabilitation however, there is no such thing anymore. IT HAS BECOME A BUSINESS FOR THE CDC AND GOVERNMENT at TAX PAYERS COST.

ALL INMATES ARE INNOCENT SURE!!!! THEY STARTED A RIOT. YOU CAN SEE THE DAMAGE AND THE BLOOD EVERYWHERE FROM FIGHTING. THESE ARE ANIMALS THAT DESERVE TO BE BEHIND BARS. ALL THERE LETTERS ARE CRAP ALL OF THEM WANTING TO JOIN IN ON SOMETHING THAT MIGHT MAKE THEM GET SOME MONEY TO GO SUPPORT ALL THERE DRUG HABITS. THEY ALL HAVE BAD KNEES, BAD BACKS CAUSE THEY WANT ALL THE PAIN PILLS THEY CAN GET AND WANT TO BE PLACED ON DISABILITY SO THERE LAZY ASS DOESN'T HAVE TO WORK. THEY ALL KNOW HOW TO WORK THE SYSTEM VERY WELL AND NOW THEY HAVE MANIPULATED YOU..... WHY DON'T YOU HELP CITIZENS WHO DON'T BRAKE THE LAW AND TRUELY NEED HELP.... WAKE UP

I'm a compassionate person, but I think this is too much time spent on criminal comfort. Let's try to rehabilitate them to join society, but they busted up their own prison so there aren't many options. Next time, perhaps, Chino should send them to a Marriott. With all of the problems in the world and LA specifically, this even taxes my liberal leanings. I don't wish these prisoners harm, but they are an incredible drain on the system.

This is a very interesting topic today by Patt Morrison on the radio. Only if people knew how the Guard's treated the convicted behind the "Walls." I found an interesting book on amazon that was just published, called "The Green Wall." It is a story of a brave prison guard's fight against corruption inside the California Prison System.

Very well education on how the system treated one of their own!

Sharon,
If you really want us to be open about the conditions of prison, you are going to have to ensure our confidentiality and not require us to post our full name and other identifying information. Also, there are two sides to every story. The officer to inmate ratio is ridiculous in this state. 2 officers in a building of 100+? They are outnumbered and staying in the building with this ratio would have resulted in their deaths/disability. Someone had to lose in that situation that the INMATES created, not staff. Overcrowded conditions are not new. The conditions in these dilapidated old housing units that we can't afford to fix are not new. We deal with this on a daily basis and have been for years. What should we have done with the inmates even when we did have rumors of a riot looming on the horizon? Released them? Violate court mandate to maintain integrated housing? We don't create the ratios or the rules. Money and the law dictates it and we just have to follow it. Let's face it. Society doesn't want to spend the money that is necessary for the inmates to live comfortably and securely. All these investigations will continue to find the same conditions that previous investigations have found that the State still can't afford to fix. Inmates live in these conditions and we WORK in these conditions. Why? Because we get paid wages that make it worth staying. We go without air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter, JUST like the inmates. Who do you think had to monitor these inmates outside during and after the riot? US. They suffer and we suffer right along with them. We have to eat around cockroaches, mice, and flies, just like the inmates. Yeah, we get to go home at the end of the day or after 16+ hour shifts (by the way, we have FORCED overtime, too, not just VOLUNTARY). How about an article about those of us who got up in the middle of the night on our days off to come in to provide more staff to stop the rioting and treat the injuries? How about the dysfunction we have to deal with from our administrative staff and the politics that prevent us from doing our jobs properly and ethically? Investigate that and provide us with the staff, supplies, and resources we need and this will change. In the mean time, the inmates get what they get. They know what to expect when a riot or incident occurs that THEY start--delayed treatment, delayed meals, delayed housing. Yet they still choose to riot or create incidences. Inmates are quick to keep their mouths shut tight when pressed for information so as not to be a snitch to their buddies or gang's plans, but they sure are quick to whine and moan to newspaper staff about correctional staff making the best of a bad situation.

cimemployee - I for one can understand that it is not easy to be a CO. It sounds like you might be one of the "good ones" that realizes that there are problems within the system that desperately need to be corrected.

The public has been misinformed because no one but the inmates had the guts to open their mouths and tell the truth. The public believes you and the inmates have heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer.

If only CO's like you could come forward and tell the real truth without the fear of retribution - but we know that is impossible. D. J. Vodicka proved that when he blew the whistle on the CO's at a prison.

@cimemployee -- you make excellent points that the correctional officers are in the same weather as the inmates.

Terrific note on other issues as well. On the names front, you can click on my name above and share your experiences living and working in prison. Frankly, I won't know if you provide a real name or a fake one.

Regardless, the information you share is confidential, and is aired or published only with permission. Some of the people who have been answering our questions are inmates who don't have access to computers. People have been printing out the questions, mailing them to inmates and mailing them to me.

If you're really nervous about sharing your name or e-mail with a public radio newsroom, you and other CIM employees are welcome to respond on paper. Our address is Public Insight at KPCC, 261 S. Figueroa Street #200, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Thanks,

Sharon

I am so happy you are doing this, its about time Ca see's the devastation it has caused by the truth in sentencing, the 3 strikes law, all around parole issues, Ca needs to wake up and see whats going on behind these prison walls.

Our prisons are busting at the seams because of 2nd and third strikers, there are only a few crimes I can think of that deserve such a ramification, murder,child molesting,or any violent crime with injury or a weapon. not intent not well someone was scared actual violence involved.

locking people up for second degree robbery for 6 years at 85% are you kidding me? second degree robbery should be clearly classified as no weapon no violence, no more than a theft crime. maybe max a year or 2 in prison but a strike and 6 years is beyond stupid. with no chance at good time. where is the motivation to rehabilitate? when there''s nothing to work towards.

If a DA is pleading first degree down then that''s on them but striking people out for a second degree robbery is nothing more than glorified purse snatching and a crime that has taken its toll on our prison system.

If we continue to ignore the problem it will only escalate and someday, some prison will actually be taken over by inmates, then what? you cannot treat people like dogs, eventually the dog bites back.

When the dog bites you back and it will, some of us will just smile and think yea; that Karma she's a real bitch.

Reverse the 3 Strike law, this will cut down on the growing prison over population,re-sentence 3 strikers to the original law,especially those stroke out due to old records pre-3 strike! You will not need more prisons. Allow the public access to visit prisons any given time, it's our money!
Accountability to the CDC,Wardens,and prison money making industry,modern day slave drivers and abusers!!

A felony conviction is a felony conviction. If you commit a crime you have to be ready to suffer the consequences. Face it, the common tax payer in California does not view a convicted felon in the same lens as a law abiding citizen and could care less about their living conditions in prison. As a tax payer should the state spend more money on convicted felons making sure that they have comfortable living arrangements as opposed in spending in some other area of public service? Not real rocket science here.

It sickens me to see people who defend convicted felons on a daily basis, especially in the state of California, where inmates receive better medical treatment than the average law abiding citizen, while you and pay for a high deductible medical insurance, a convicted felon is getting brand name medicines, hormones for a sex change, and being airlifted to a near by hospital.
How about we do something a little more productive with our time and spend it writing and posting a website about our heroes over seas who actually deserve it and don't get the same medical attention that a convicted felon gets.