Lockdowns happen all the time. In a prison of 3000 men, all of whom are there because they - at one point in their lives - had a problem obeying rules, it's quite conceivable that there will be regular occurrences of contraband being found, fighting, and other rule-breaking. My man's unit is on lockdown most afternoons due to staff issues. If there aren't enough staff to monitor the inmates moving freely about the block then the simple solution is to lock them all in their cells. So my man hasn't been getting his rec time.

Or maybe that's just his excuse for not looking his usual toned self when I visit him on Friday.

Originally Posted by februarymoon

Or maybe that's just his excuse for not looking his usual toned self when I visit him on Friday.

LOL, smart guy.

LOCK-DOWNS can also serve to save the state $$$$ ........


Washington state has found a way to save money on prisons -- restrict inmates to their cells one day a month and pare back staff.

Desperate to respond to slumping revenue, many states are looking to squeeze savings out of penitentiaries, with solutions ranging from lock-downs to turning inmates over to private companies.

Prisons in Washington state will go on lock-down one day a month through June, confining inmates to cells and adjacent living areas. That cuts the need for resources and lets wardens send some staff home -- without pay.

Washington state ran a trial of the lock-downs and furloughs in November and opted last month for the program to go into effect the remainder of the fiscal year
"It's working as designed," Dan Pacholke, deputy director of prisons at the Washington State Department of Corrections in Olympia, told Reuters.

Savings from the furloughs in Washington state may reach $1 million and will be applied toward a targeted $48.4 million, or more than 6 per cent, cut in corrections spending demanded by Governor Christine Gregoire to help balance the state's books.

States look to save with lockdowns, private prisons

Originally Posted by melanieann

One of my pen pals in Kern Valley is always on lockdown....... and A is in the hole for fighting ;-(

Kern Valley is a really rough prison as most Cali prisons are so it's not surprising. I have noticed that the high-security prisons are on lockdown more frequently for obvious reasons. R is in medium security prison with small time offenders except for their sexual offenders block, and he has never mentioned lockdowns before. Hightower seems like one of the tamer units in the TDCJ.

Originally Posted by smiley

LOCK-DOWNS can also serve to save the state $$$$ ........


Washington state has found a way to save money on prisons -- restrict inmates to their cells one day a month and pare back staff.

That's simply just sad that they would do this.

Originally Posted by mountanddo

That's simply just sad that they would do this.

Actually i dont think its that bad i mean its 1 day/month it could be a LOT worse

Originally Posted by ashy

Actually i dont think its that bad i mean its 1 day/month it could be a LOT worse

Well, sure anything could be a lot worse but to use this as a money saving tactic?

Originally Posted by mountanddo

Well, sure anything could be a lot worse but to use this as a money saving tactic?

Absolutley! If money needs to be saved then they got to find a way. I would rather that my pp who is in WA gets locked in for ONE day/month than them reducing meals and other things that affect them on a daily basis. Washington is pretty good compared to other states. How would you save the money?

Originally Posted by ashy

. How would you save the money?

By reducing sentences or giving good behavior time. It's not a secret that the USA has the longest sentencing in the developed world.

Originally Posted by Selly

By reducing sentences or giving good behavior time. It's not a secret that the USA has the longest sentencing in the developed world.

Yeah sure but thats gonna take a hell of a lot longer to change laws than locking the units down for a day each month and the sentencing isnt really decided by the DOC's in each state though right?