Once again in this prison the Black prisoners are on lock down status with no program. The pigs claim to have received word that one of their staff was in danger of being attacked. Many of us here think that our captors are using this excuse to retaliate on the Black prisoners. Last time this happened the Black prisoners were on lockdown for months. And this time just like last time a few Black prisoners were sent to ad-seg because the pigs claim those prisoners are "shot callers" and will incite violence. Whenever these pigs want to retaliate on the Black prisoners for any reason these pigs can use the excuse of a kite being "found" and can say that one of their staff might be in danger. None of us prisoners have any way of verifying if these threats are true or not so will just have to ride out the lock downs.
- a California prisoner at Susanville, May 2004
I'm writing to inform you about the situation here at Corcoran prison with this so called state of emergency lockdown. This place has been slammed for over 90 days for nothing. All prisons from Pelican Bay to Calipatria level 4 are on lockdown. Correction Officerss are scared of all Black inmates.
It's a lot of Blacks being stereotyped by the staff here. Staff believe every Black inmate is a gang banger. It all started with an inmate coming out of the visiting area back and February this year on B yard. A Black man had a conflict with a Corrections Officer (CO). Administration wants to lock down everything that is Black on A, B, and C yards. This particular incident is the first of the new year between an inmate and CO here at Corcoran.
I would like to know why didn't we hear anything about Corcoran in the news media? It's a state of emergency. Does Arnold Schwarzenegger know that all Blacks are being denied programs here, including visits, phone calls, canteen, yard time, etc. All Blacks have to be handcuffed coming out of the cell for a shower.
- a California prisoner, May 2004