Besides...what's not to like here, although 'here' is Pelican Bay.?

Fostering personal growth opportunities for inmates by providing an atmosphere that encourages education, vocational training and work training to better prepare them for successful reintegration into society.

A drug sentence without justice

"Florida's drug trafficking laws were stretched beyond their logical limit when they were applied to Richard Paey, a Pasco County man now serving a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence. Paey suffers from debilitating and chronic pain, and he may have violated the law in order to obtain more pain medication. But Paey was convicted of a crime designed to put away drug kingpins and sentenced accordingly. It is a sentence that should not stand.

"This sentiment was well articulated in a stinging opinion by Associate Judge James Seals in the 2nd District Court of Appeal case of Paey vs. Florida, in which Paey appealed his sentence as cruel and unusual punishment. Unfortunately, Seals was writing in the dissent.

"Two members of the three-member panel voted to uphold Paey's sentence in a ruling Wednesday that said there was no legal error. The court said that while conditions surrounding Paey's case would "naturally evoke sympathy," it was the executive branch that should be appealed to for a pardon or commutation of sentence, not the courts. "Mr. Paey's argument about his sentences does not fall on deaf ears, but it falls on the wrong ears," wrote Judge Douglas Wallace for the majority.

...

"Due to a catastrophic auto accident and botched back surgery, Paey, who uses a wheelchair, lives with unremitting back pain. He came to the attention of law enforcement when he filled prescriptions for 700 oxycodone pills and large quantities of other pain relief medications within 36 days. While Paey said his doctor okayed his treatment, there was evidence that suggested Paey tampered with the prescriptions."

If their ideas don't make sense no one is going to be infected by them in a regular prison.

I disagree. There are thousands of al-Qaida cells all over the world. Sectarian violence in Iraq is growing and is perpetuated through random attacks of miliary AND civilian targets. These are examples of how ideas of killing innocent civilians spreads, even though it's irrational/crazy/rediculous. Prison inmates have been mostly cut off to regular society and their only influences are from within the prison. Many probably already have a chip on their shoulder for having been sent away. It seems entirely possible that they would be susceptible to being drawn into the kinds of ideas that mass murderers have.

I just feel that we have an interest in keeping these kinds of guys away from other offenders, and we have to keep a close eye on them b/c of the dynamic nature of many of the terrorist personalities. If there is another way to do that, which doesnt cost taxpayers billions of dollars, is a more acceptible form of treatment, that doesnt potentially turn lessor criminals into killers, and that keeps them from escaping, then let's check into it. Until we have new ideas, supermax may be the best alternative we have right now. I dont think we should expend a whole lot of tax dollars or jeopardize the safety of citizens to make sure that these inmates remain healthy.

that said, if we aren't going to execute him, we have an obligation to imprison him humanely. the idea of keeping him away from other inmates, who may be getting out before they die, so as to avoid him spreading his nutcase ideas, isn't farfetched.

2.) SUPERMAX PRISONS: THEIR RISE, CURRENT PRACTICES, AND EFFECT ON INMATES  [PDF]

3.) What is a Supermax prison?  [.TXT]

In general.  Supermax prisoners are locked into small cells for approximately 23 hours a day.  They have almost no contact with other human beings.

There are no group activities:  no work, no educational opportunities, no eating together, no sports, no getting together with other people for religious services, and no attempts at rehabilitation.  

There are no contact visits:  prisoners sit behind a plexiglass window.  Phone calls and visitation privileges are strictly limited. Books and magazines may be denied and pens restricted.  TV and radios may be prohibited or, if allowed,  are controlled by guards.  

Prisoners have little or no personal privacy.  Guards monitor the inmates' movements by video cameras.  Communication between prisoners and control booth officers is mostly through speakers and microphones.  An officer at a control center may be able to monitor cells and corridors and control all doors electronically.

Typically, the cells have no windows.  Lights are controlled by guards who may leave them on night and day.  For exercise there is usually only a room with high concrete walls and a chin-up bar. Showers may be limited to three per week for not more than ten minutes.  

"Prisoners are confined to a concrete world in which they never see a blade of grass, earth, trees or any part of the natural world."

There are complaints that inmates who misbehave while in supermax or control units are put into "strip cells" (sometimes at temperatures near 50 degrees with only boxer shorts to wear and no bedding), or are chained spread-eagle and naked to concrete beds.  Other complaints include denial of medical care, interference with mail, arbitrary beatings, "hog-tying" (intertwining handcuffs and ankle-cuffs), "cock fights" (double celling inmates who are likely to attack each other), and injury to inmates during "cell extractions."

John Perotti, writing after having spent 10 out of 12 years in control units, says:  "Every aspect of life in the Control Unit is meant to debase and degrade a prisoner's very soul the purpose being that when released to general population where conditions are somewhat improved, the prisoner causes no problems . . . for fear of being sent back to the Control Unit."

Incapaciation - to keep the criminal from doing it again by taking him out of society and keeping him under lock and key

Rehabilitiation - to treat the criminal and correct his behavior so he doesn't go it again

Retribution - to punish the criminal to assuage society's need "to get even"

In many circles, retribution is seen as an invalid and unethical because it is merely lowering ourselves and acting upon a base human emotion - revenge.  I agree.