Corcoran State Prison is located in Kings County in Central California. It is designed as a SHU (Security Housing Unit). SHUs are for convicts who have violated serious rule violations, or prison gang members.
There are specific time limits on how long the CDC may hold a convict in a SHU unit for rule violations. For example, I'm serving an 18 month SHU for "battery on staff." The average stay in the SHU is 24 months.
SHU units are devoid of most privileges, you have no access to the phone, no contact visits. By law you are allowed 10 hours a week of yard time. However, in my building, I only get about 3 hours every 2 weeks. The CDC is also mandated by law to provide library service to SHU inmates. But here it's a joke. There is a cart of about 20 dated romance novels. You may have one book every two weeks. You may have only a minimum of personal property. You are not allowed any personal clothes, your photos are limited to 10.
You are allowed a TV or a radio if you have one. You are also allowed a $45 a month canteen draw where you can buy cosmetic and food items. Indigent convicts are supplied with soap, toothpowder and little else. You may receive books from the outside, if you are fortunate enough to have someone send some.
You are restricted to your cell 24 hours a day. The cells themselves are made of solid concrete. Two slabs side by side, a toilet/sink is at the front of the cell. A small frosted window sits in the back. You have no direct access to the lights. Bright lights are on from 6:00am until 10:00 pm. Then the lights are dimmed all other hours.
You receive 3 meals a day. Breakfast, a bag lunch and dinner. All combined you receive about 2000 calories a day. The food is not very good, and the portions are very small. Just enough to keep you alive.
The cops are mostly mean spirited and petty. That is true in most other prisons. I personally try to avoid any interaction with them. The staff here at Corcoran were involved in criminal and civil litigation in the late 90s.
They were accused of arranging fights amongst prisoners and gambling on the outcome. They were also accused of murder. By shooting two convicts to death. The involved staff were acquitted at jury trial on the criminal charges and the CDC settled the civil suit for $600,000. $600,000 for a human life.
There are 3 SHU units in California. Pelican Bay, Tehachapi and here at Corcoran. I have been to all 3 and Corcoran is by far the worst. By American standards, this is probably one of the worst prisons in the country as far as living conditions go.
-- a Corcoran prisoner, August 2003