Fair Protection and Human Rights for Prisoners Initiative

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Written by gracemoskowitz
  1. Any security threat group (prison gang) or member using violence, threats or extortion on non-gang prisoners should be classified as a hate crime. Preferably, all gang and non-gang prisoners should be in separate prisons.
  2. Any violence, threat or extortion used on prisoners of greater than 40 lbs. less than Aggressor should be classified as a hate crime.
  3. Any physical, mental or emotional abuse on prisoners in mental health units should be classified as a hate crime. Abuse includes, but not limited to: Denial of showers; extreme showers (scalding or freezing), assault on prisoner in restraints; Denying food serving “air-trays” (trays without food), making food uneatable by tobacco spit, chemicals or other means; sleep deprivation by lighting or intentional noise disturbance; twisting/breaking body limbs/digits while restraining; verbal debasement of person or crime.
  4. All cells used for confinement, segregation or mental health (confined housing) should have audio/video, in-cell, at front (facing back) and at back (facing front), automatically activated any time cell door or food flap is open; giving an amount of time to document any verbal comments, condition of prisoner entering/leaving cell and condition of food. This in-cell, front/back audio/video method will stop all forms of abuse in confined housing and/or provide documentary evidence of such crimes.
  5. All prison cells, whether confined housing or open population, should be converted to single-person cells.
  6. All audio/video within the prison should be converted to directly link to an outside security source immune to prison system influence to be monitored and all crimes reported for prosecution. Prison investigator may submit written request to review documentation.
  7. All prison security should randomly, and for cause issues, receive psychiatric evaluation to determine need for therapy job post adjustment or termination. Evaluations should be conducted by an outside source immune to prison system influence.
  8. Protective care for at-risk (vulnerable) prisoners should be made easily accessible by an evolving policy to include new groups and categories of clearly defined at-risk prisoners. A model for example for this need: In the United States, Florida has the 3rd largest prison population (by state) and the 1st largest (by sq. mile) with over 120 state prison facilities; yet, only 2 of those prisons (for males) have small units, holding a maximum combined total of 150 at-risk prisoners receiving protective care. That is a ratio of about 1 in 1,000, which only represents a micro fraction of at-risk prisoners in need of protective care. In the past 20 years this state’s gang-problem has grown into an epidemic, creating a vastly new and growing school of at-risk prisoners who need protection: The transgender and homosexual prisoners are being chased from prison to prison by gangs utilizing illegal cell phones and prison web sites; The elderly and sex offenders are being randomly assaulted and extorted; For prison gang weapons drugs, and illegal cell phones; Religions and religious sacraments, creeds and symbols are being hijacked from traditional believers. All at-risk prisoners should automatically be granted protective care. If refused, should automatically be granted upon any future request. Any physical, mental or emotional abuse of at-risk prisoners should be classified as a hate crime.
  9. All standard hygiene care should include: Daily showers for all prisoners, whether in confined housing or open population; standard hygiene items should include: soap, deodorant, shampoo, shower shoes, female hygiene items, tooth brush, tooth paste, razor or electric razor (no shaving equipment for communal use), comb or brush, towel, wash cloth; care/clothing items should include: sanitizable mattress and pillow, bed linen, blanket, boots, socks, underwear, t-shirt, pants, shirt, female clothing items, rain jacket; winter items: thermal underclothes, sweater, winter coat, hat, gloves. All to be washable/exchangeable daily as needed, in serviceable condition and should not be denied on the basis of punishment or prison budget.
  10. All prison sleeping areas should have air condition and heating or central air for circulation and temperature control.
  11. All prisoners should be issued lap top, ipad, tablet, or a similar device, pre-programed with educational formats, general library literature services, books and periodicals, post-sentence litigation and civil action criteria, all inner-prison administrative rules, procedures, notices and paperwork. Reasoning that one such device per prisoner eliminates the high costs and price associated with the constructing, equipping and staffing of each of these buildings, departments and processes. It also eliminates the need of physical security and movement procedure. Entertainment programs may be offered for purchase to individuals for devices.
  12. All prisoners should receive wages for any work rendered to combat, financially, any tax, service fee, medical co-pay and other charge the prison or state may contrive against the prisoner; and is to be supportive in nature and substance to prisoners needs.
  13. In order to constitutionally sound, any life sentence issued by the Judicial System should be equal to and consistent with the age of the offender at the time of the offense. Life sentence to a 20 year old should be no more than 20 years; Life to a 35 years no more than 35 years, and 50 years to a 50 year old. Reasoning that it is humanly impossible for anyone to equate any segment of time (or consequences thereof) which extends beyond the number of years already lived by anything more substantial than imagination. Objectively, a 20 year old could live 60 more years, thereby serving an infinitely harsher sentence than a 50 to 70 year old. A life-sentence has an unequal value to the array of ages and is an unequal justice as is.

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