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| Overcrowded jails inimical to justice |
| By english.aljazeera.net - Rose Aguilar |
| Published: 08/03/2011 |
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t's been two months since a divided US Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling, which ordered the state of California to reduce its prison population by roughly 33,000. The state's 33 prisons currently hold 156,000 prisoners, nearly double the number they were designed to house. In the 5-4 ruling, the court said that overcrowded and unhealthy living conditions violated constitutional rights against cruel and unusual punishment and threatened inmates' health. In the majority opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, "A prison that deprives prisoners of basic sustenance, including adequate medical care has no place in civilised society". In order to highlight the inhumane conditions, Justice Kennedy, in a rare move, included three photos in his opinion showing overcrowded conditions in gymnasium-style rooms and holding cells used to house suicidal inmates. Because of a shortage of treatment beds, suicidal inmates may be held for prolonged periods in telephone-booth-sized cages without toilets. "A psychiatrist expert reported observing an inmate who had been held in such a cage for nearly 24 hours, standing in a pool of his own urine, unresponsive and nearly catatonic," wrote Justice Kennedy. "Prison officials explained they had 'no place to put him.'" Justice Kennedy also noted that California's prisons have operated at around 200 per cent of capacity for at least 11 years, as many as 200 prisoners live in a gymnasium, and 54 share a single toilet. Inaccurate media coverage The ruling has since received national media attention, much of it focused on the false premise that the "worst of the worst" will now be released onto the streets, looking for the next crime to commit. On May 23, CBS Evening News anchor Russ Mitchell said the decision "could unlock prison doors for tens of thousands of criminals in California". KTLA-TV reported that the "Supreme Court is handing a 'get-out-of-jail' free card to thousands of California convicts". "Inmates are being ordered back on the streets because the state is chronically unable to hold them in decent conditions," said anchor Micah Ohlman. In the piece, victim's rights advocate Ana Del Rio, whose 23-year-old daughter was shot to death, said she now worries about a crime wave. "Put 'em where the Supreme Court lives," she said. In addition to the media spreading false information, the dissenting Supreme Court Justices are engaging in predictable fear mongering. "The majority is gambling with the safety of the people of California," wrote Justice Samuel Alito. "I fear that today's decision, like prior prison release orders, will lead to a grim roster of victims. I hope that I am wrong." Read More. |
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