DARK DAYS, DARKER NIGHTS - ISCC's PRETEXTUAL LOCKDOWNS, PART II

Now that things have "opened up" a bit at the ISCC and the weather a bit warmer, there seem to be more Dark Days and Dark Nights at the ISCC. (For those who haven't yet read Dark Days, Dark Nights ISCC's Pretextual Lockdowns, Part I on this site, going "dark" means that there are not enough guards so prisoners are simply locked in their cells.)

It's unclear the normal contingent of staff necessary to safely manage the ISCC at any specific time before going dark becomes necessary, so let's just call it 150 for sake of discussion. If a couple of those 150 call in sick, then what are the other guards doing while half the inmates are locked down and they're not needed to supervise prisoners? Maybe they're looking in on a "Call of Duty" video game mission on the case manager's computer? Catching up on the latest YouTube videos or working on their personal online classes? Whatever they're doing, they still get paid tax dollars to do it, and by claiming a security exemption from the public records laws, you'll never know either.

With the present model, it's actually beneficial (to onsite staff) for a few guards to call in sick - indeed, those that don't show become the heroes when lockdowns happen (Yea!!!! dark night - thanks Bubba!). Take away their personal smart phones with internet access and have the guards who now have nothing better to do in locked down units scrubbing toilets or performing other undesirable jobs during dark periods and the peer pressure to show up to work will almost guarantee full staffing, and fewer dark periods. (Oh, don't be so judgemental, guards use inmate peer pressure [re: manipulation] in here all the time to help keep prisoners in line. Just look at the "essential" American Legion fallacy they have going on in here as one of the best examples of that.)

To be fair, Dark periods don't mean that ALL prisoners are locked in their cells. As explained in Part I, prisoners housed in dormitory style housing are allowed to operate as usual inside their dorms. It's only those units where inmates are housed in cells - nearly half the prison - where dark days really make a difference. Oh, wait... yea, except for "essential" inmate workers, whether their JOBS are essential or not. (You see, when an inmate is "privileged", they call him "essential".)

An example of this is playing out even as I write. Despite having gone dark (for the third time today) I watch through the window as (privileged/essential) inmates are walking around outside with no shirts and wearing gym shorts enjoying the spring weather and sun. Apparently there is an emergency flower bed weeding that must be done that cannot wait until some time when there is a full contingent of officers which would allow hundreds of other locked-down prisoners to take showers or heat their meals. Even 1 inmate out of their cell negates the entire need for locking anyone in under the pretext of staff shortage.

Then too inmate janitors, their cell partners and even those observing religious holidays are allowed out into the dayroom to watch basketball playoffs, access kiosks, shower or make telephone calls during dark periods. Some prisoners are even allowed to move about, working without staff supervision during dark periods - as well as weekends or just any time they might just want to leave their medium security housing units - making their way out to the minimum security areas without challenge where there they have free reign, freedom of movement, access to computers, even unfettered access to highly secret statewide student test questions and answers that your children will be required to take - before the tests are even published. Now THAT'S security.

Dark is what they say it is. If a dark period causes staff to have to do any extra work - such as requiring staff to dispense medications or feed prisoners cell to cell - then suddenly, there's no need to be dark. Dark period is lifted just long enough for an entire unit - all at one time - to have to leave the unit, get their medication or food trays then return to their cells, though there are no more staff on the unit than while dark. Then, oops!... we're dark again. No additional staff required. Must be magic.

Neither courts - nor the public - will never hold the feet of prison administrators to the fire for locking inmates in their cells. "That's just prison," they'll say. True, but administrators should at least, at a minimum, invoke some obscure policy or other justification for allowing the security breaches, favoritism and clear violations of basic fairness by allowing some inmates to violate the security protocols of Dark Days and Dark Nights while locking down others for reasons which then cannot be justified under the current operational paradigm of darkness at the ISCC.

It's likely it'll only be when someone is injured or killed, maybe your son, your father or grandfather, as a result of dark period/staff shortage protocols being violated that something will be done - if even then.

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