At SVSP prisoner appeals ignored, lost and denied

As a prisoner of 17 years now, I have been to many prisons in California and Salinas Valley State Prison is by far the worst institution to do time at. Inmates here have no rights and our oppressors enjoy tormenting the population through mind games and trying to strip us of our humanity through the conditions we have to live under and then using any excuse to justify their actions.

As for the appeal forms, know as 602, it accomplishes very little for inmates here. And it's regularly used as means by staff to deny you things inmates here have coming as state issue. An inmate will be openly ridiculed being told if one does not like it, 602 it!

Appeal forms in this facility are lost, misplaced or simply put through long stall tactics to discourage the use of it. It's then used to cause mental anguish to the inmate population.

As an inmate who has been here since this institution opened its door for intake, I can tell you instead of it getting better throughout these years, it's gotten worse.

The food is tasteless and isn't enough to fill the stomach of a child portion-wise let alone an adult in here. The blankets go through many months without exchange, and inmates have no choice but to use it to stay warm.

And our exercise yard is always being canceled for the smallest of reasons during regular program; it's pretty much an on-going oppression in Salinas Valley State Prison.

At this time we are under a state of emergency, a complete program shut down, from what staff tells us one inmate attacked two correctional officers with a weapon. And even though that inmate was removed and sent to another institution we have been on lock down since July 14, 2005 pending completion of investigation. And as an inmate who has been here long enough to know can tell you, this administration will prolong the return to regular program.

One man's desperate actions will result in an entire inmate population punished unfairly in months to come.

- a California prisoner, August 2005