Louis Theroux Visits US prisions in documentary, whats your opinion on this Jail?

[katrina1987]

Ok, so did anyone watch this last night on channel 2 at 9pm? Louis theroux - miami mega jail part 1. I have to say I was absolutely apaulled and disgusted by how inhumane this is and how people can be trully kept like animals. I am not suprised some of them act like animals only getting 2hours aweek in fresh air, constantly fighting, being picked on, having there things stollen, being raped, masturbating at guards!!!! Well the list is endless.

Its disgusting places actually exist and they know exactly what goes on but are not prepared to do anything or try and even improve the service. Some the people in the prision can wait up to 10 years even before there trial is heard before a court to decide wheather they are guilty or not guilty and this is very wrong IMO.
You wouldn't dream of treating prisioners over here in the UK like that. And yes before anyone say yes they have commited crime but this is the only slight difference this is jail not prision, the difference being jail is where you sit and rot (sorry mean wait) for your trial to be heard and prision is where you are after the trial has been done and you have been sentenced or found guilty.

The guards don't care what goes on in the cells aslong as they have an easy ride (time). I think a few do care and would like to see a change in the system but in order to maintain the jail or infact to rebuild it from scratch would cost more then 6million dollars which the state/city don't have or are not prepared to stump up the cash for it.

The crimes are ranging anything from, GTA, armed robbery, murder, rape, stealing, and some have just been caught in the crossfire of incidents and haven't actually done anything. I agree you do the crime you do the time, but not like an animal you should be put to trial found either guilty or not guilty of your crime and sent to prision for remainder of your sentence. At the end of the day every1 is entitled to a fair trial and we are all innocent until proven guilty as they say!!! some of the people in there claim to be innocent, others admit to there crimes of murder, Gta and other terrible things.

So my question at the end of this, after reading what I have put, please have a look at this documentary. The second part is on next sunday bbc 2 at 9pm again. What do you realy think? i have put a video of the first part on here so it will give you some idea on what to expect or what im on about. But what is your opinion on how these people are kept? (also posted in general chatter)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px2kTQKZaSU

 

[Blah11]

I agree with you but i know a lot of people think thats how jail should be I dunno how they expect these men to be released into soceity and know how to act after 10 years of living like that No wonder they recommit.

 

[summer rain]

It was just horrible; I couldn't watch it all

 

[allaboard]

The roughest and most hardened criminals this country has to offer wouldn't last a day in the US jail system with all those seriously damaged individuals!

 

[Cloberella]

I was horrified! No-one on earth should be treated like that.

 

[twinkle1975]

Yep I was appalled too

 

[Tiff]

Part of me is appalled, but the other part of me thinks that it isn't just petty criminals that are put into Mega Jails. They've all done some serious crap iykwim?

Of course I never like to see people being treated badly, but it isn't like they are innocent victims! What irks me more are the "Club Fed" types of jails where life is pretty breezy.

 

[Rhio92]

I felt really sorry for that small guy with glasses... Then towards the end it seemed there was something creepy and not quite right about him...

 

[xolily]

Part of me is appalled, but the other part of me thinks that it isn't just petty criminals that are put into Mega Jails. They've all done some serious crap iykwim?

Of course I never like to see people being treated badly, but it isn't like they are innocent victims! What irks me more are the "Club Fed" types of jails where life is pretty breezy.

that's the thing though, most of these inmates were awaiting trial - they could well be innocent. that was the most shocking thing about it IMO.

 

[katrina1987]

But if they are treated like animals and live in such poor conditions what chance do they ever have in the ones being realeased in being rehabilitated and going back to a normal life. People that are treated this way in prision are more then likely to reaffend again, and why not? What has the system taught them, fight for your honour and so your shoes don't get stollen, thats only a small part of it. I think its disgusting and inhumane being kept like that. I can't think of some people I really hate but wouldn't wish them in there, a normal prision, where to a certain extent people still have rights

 

[Tiff]

Totally agree, but just want to point out that I don't think its the prison system that causes people to re-offend. Our jails here are nothing like that one and yet we have people who re-offend all the time.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

There is a jail in Arizona called tent city. The sheriff there is constantly reelected. The inmates have pink underwear and socks and have cable.....THE WEATHER CHANNEL! There is order however. I don't agree with jails that are not properly monitored. My dad worked as a police officer for 30 years and was stationed at the jail for most of those years. He risked his life every day, but as he got older, the inmates recognized that if they respect him, he will respect them back. It's all about respect to some of these convicts. It's sad that there are improperly cared for jails.

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

s this a different episode to the boot camp one - i thought that was a brilliant idea the boot camp style prison, as it had a point to it, sometimes i feel sorry for people in places like that, then they open there mouth and show themselfs for the scum bag they are and i can't help but think .. yeah you can rot for all i care.. not very nice of me, but its difficult.

 

[annawrigley]

Watching it now, struggling to hear a lot of what they're saying Some people deserve everything they get and more - paedophiles for example, but some of the crimes the people committed are not worthy of being treated like this at all, especially as they aren't even proven guilty! (Thinking of the guy with glasses who was there for driving with a suspended license ) I think its horrible how it is survival of the fittest, and there is no real way to protect the people likely to get jumped just for being weedy - eg glasses guy. :/

ETA: Doh, it was murder glasses guy was accused of not driving with a suspended license Don't know where I got that from

 

[annawrigley]

What's 'extorting' mean?

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Extortion? It's like where you take money or something else by threat or force.

 

[Tiff]

ex·tor·tion (k-stôrshn)
n.
1. The act or an instance of extorting.
2. Illegal use of one's official position or powers to obtain property, funds, or patronage.
3. An excessive or exorbitant charge.
4. Something extorted.

So say a police officer used his position with the law to pressure you into giving him money or property. The threat of his position could scare people into giving him what he wanted.

Hth.

 

[beccad]

I was reading some statistics about this country's prisoners, and half of them are functionally illiterate, so pretty much cannot read and write anything.

I haven't seen that programme, but it sounds horrendous.

 

[Tiff]

I've seen a lot of the same, the figure I keep reading is 70% of them cannot read/write past the 4th grade level.

Granted, I am not familiar with how the school systems are over there... but I know the names are different. Here, kids in the 4th grade are around 8-9 years of age.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Tiff, children in the USA start school (kindergarten) at age 4 1/2-5 years depending on their birthdays so it's pretty spot on to say that forth graders are between 8 and 9.