Perhaps the message was that one group had larger sardine cans?

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William Jennings Bryan

The message is that CA is rapidly losing control of it's prison system. Between the gangs and the guard union (CCPOA ) The state really does not run the prison system . The gangs cause their problems and are part of bringing in contraband such as drugs . If thy were legal their funding would dry up real fast . CCPOA political activities need to be made illegal and disbanded if CA wants to get any where with it's prison system . In many states what they do is illegal .HMMM wonder why . Public law enforcement employees should not be able intimidate the public so they can rob from taxpayers wallets at will . There is plenty of blame to go around
More on CCPOA

UCB Institute for Governmental Studies

The CCPOA is so politically powerful it blocks and legislation that might reduce the population and cost Guards their jobs . When the rest of CA public employees are told they will be laid off or have to take unpaid days of not one guard will have to deal with this . The state has been order by a federal court to reduce the prison population . To date they have defied it and will be held in contempt . Usually fines are levied. if not paid then BOP prison time is sought by the US DOJ .

CA must be the only state prison system that aks you if you will house with a differnt race . In TDCJ you go where they tell you and when .They do not ask nicely if you will bunk with a different race and so on. Yes there are racial and gang problems in every prison system by CA is by far the worse .

This riot has nothing to with being heard . It seems to have no real reason other than over crowding, ill conceived polices on the states part on behalf of CCPOA . The racism and gang problems that are seem to flourish in CAs prison system. The guards and the convicts are not any different than one another in that system.

Skye is right most prison systems self segregate . Though in some situations in some prisons you are told who you will live near ,sit next to at chow and work with and so on . This does cut down on some of the problems .

As I would tell any one going to prison keep your progressive thinking to your self in there. Though for some reason racial tension is much less of a problem in female prisons .

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The Constitution is not a Technicality!

Me

If you never have dreams they will never come true.

Somethings are worth fighting for !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2Ngn...eature=related


Money Talks !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgL8qqjOnlg

Yes I agree in that way prisons are a lot like High School
you kind of only hang out with your own group(or clique)
for safety I would think.

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Carolyn(1958-2009) always in my heart.

Well i will disagree, part of prison riots is wanting to be heard but not exclusive which includes the attention the riots will receive from those in the free world and those in administration. How many people or "sardines" as i said are packed in a can does determine behavior, it is proven by what is taking place now with all the over crowding and conditions many find themselves living in. You accidentally bump into a guy, tread on his shoes or walk in his space and you will pay a price more times than not. Close confinement brings about many problems, including physical, emotional and health. You may joke, but this is the life for many. No cells so they house them in the gym's all crammed together, often on bunk restrictions, you are unable to get away from your tormentors. Yes living in close confinement does have a ripple effect and the riots you see are a small part of that effect.

As for causing less problems being told where to bunk down and eat, that can go both ways because this was introduced in Washington recently and caused more problems than they had before. Prison is just a condensed form of the societies in which we all live, and we all play our part in determining those societies whether we believe that or not.

John Brown: A Brief History Of Prison Riots | Complex Blog

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If you are compassionate in your approach to all tasks in life, believing that all "problems" contain valuable lessons, you will find peace of mind.
~Dr. Lee Jampolsky

Crips, Bloods Blacks ,MS-13 etc, they are all fighting for territory period, and control of all drugs that come into prison.

The fastest growing gang segment is the Hispanic population. Look to the major drug war occurring on both th Mex/Amer border.

From prison they control the drug trade,taxing local street gangs for a portion of the profit.

I have to agree to disagree with you smiley, this is what they want heard to the streets, for the gang/drug members with this prison riot.

Over crowding like sardines is another issue.

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I think that there are many reasons for riots. Just as with riots in the free world. There can and usually is many contributing factors. I am not so quick to dismiss Smiley's theory on overcrowding. It's certainly seems like a contributing factor to tensions within a prison. It's true that overcrowding leads to additional behavioral issues in prison. Look what happens when you have overcrowded classrooms in school! Many children get left by the side. The race and gang issue is such a major factor in prison, as we all know hearing about it from our pp's. But the prison systems set the system up this way...how are they surprised when it blows up in their face?

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"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
~Lord John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

Overcrowding is all I keep hearing. Takes away from the real issue first which is drugs....then overcrowding would not an issue.

There is a major drug war and not just on the justice side, the drug war is the real base problem, and attached to crimes to far to many times..

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I think we are over analyzing it.


Its simple.

If it were to make a point against the system it wouldn't just include two groups of people. Period.

This was a fight for control of the narcotics coming in and for control of distribution.

It's not over the sardine can sized cell or the tension that builds up.

It is over the drug trade.

I think sometimes we want to believe its a fight against the system but it isn't always the case.

We have to remember these are not choir boys . These are criminals and some of which have not stoped their criminal activity. It can increase once they join gangs and so on.

Drug trade , distribution, and control of the yard is one of the main activities in a prison gang.

These gangs generally do not buck against the system to make a point or to be heard its usually a selfish reason.

That's the reality of prison gangs.

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William Jennings Bryan

I also wanted to add that the system can not be to blame for all of the inmates problems.

There comes a point in time when they have to take responsibility for their actions.

Coddling them is not supporting them it is only enabling them.
Sometimes you've got to remove the training wheels.

We can gripe about the system all day but the system didn't select them their actions chose the system. Except for the cases on pure innocense.

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William Jennings Bryan

Okay, wading in as a newbie writing here, a long time lurker, and a long time pp.

All of you have opinions about this but what do your pps say about it? My pp is a former gang member, his opinion is very interesting, I have a letter into him to ask if I can post it.

Some of us here seem to be blaming the drug issue, some seem to be blaming the race issue but none of us are forwarding a possible solution, with the exception of Smiley, more space, would help but it's not the solution in itself.

I agree that venting frustration is healthy but just venting to me is not helping the situation.

So to put myself to the test I've challenged: I would mix all prisoners deliberately as we are all mixed outside the walls. Hate to say it but they would learn enough is enough at some point and the cycle would be broken. Do we bash our colleagues when they piss us off, take our lunch or take credit for our efforts? No, we deal.

Would it be violent? Yes. Would it cost lives? Yes. But change can only happen if everyone feels the impact, inmate, family and corrections.

I in no way want to disparage any one's opinion but suggestions for solutions rather than complaints, rants etc. would be great.