Infrastructure Nightmares
Introduction to this Topic by the Editor
I need to give you a little background on Perryville so this will be more understandable. This prison was built in the early
Explaining the Shower Picture
This is an accurate sketch of a real shower in “B” yard, Santa Cruz unit. Do you see the loose wires hanging in the lower door jamb? I was told they were “live” because this shower light is still on. I won’t test this theory! I’ve tried to portray all the standing water in front of those wires. All the shower units have standing water because the drains are all plugged.
Standing water = black mold we see everywhere
When inmates complained about the condition of this shower, they just took off the door and left it open. In the shower next to this one (not pictured) is the same filth.
The regulators (hot and cold) will not engage so moving the handle from Hot to Cold does nothing. The temperature the DOC sets is what you get. In the winter the water is cold and in the summer, it’s hot. The water pressure would increase dramatically if they would soak the shower heads in Lime-aWay to remove 50 years of accumulated minerals.
Let Them Burn!
We posted an article a few months ago about women prisoners being locked in fire traps. You can read it by clicking here. We have been investigating fire safety in Perryville since then and what we find is shocking!
There are no fire alarms in many of the buildings, the ones built in the early ’70s, before fire codes. In case of a fire, the guard calls the administration office on a walkie talkie to report the fire.
A guard was asked, “Do you have a fire alarm?” The guard searched the office and replied that “There’s a red lever here, but I’m not sure what it does.” There are alarms in the administration area, but whenever the wind blows hard they go off, so in general, they are ignored.
In the units at night, if there is a fire or emergency, the inmates in the affected pod start pounding on their door, the next pod picks it up and pounds, and so on down the line until the noise alerts the guard in the office. The guard then physically walks back following the noise to find out what the problem is.
Not exactly a rapid response system to what could be a rapidly spreading emergency.
Warden Dorsey Removes Cooler Meant for Patients to Staff to Make Them More Comfortable
On the same day in early June as Director Ryan came to visit Santa Cruz, Warden Dorsey demanded the Porta-cooler be unplugged and given to staff. That left patients at the Cruz clinic to endure 100-degree heat without any cooling.
This Porta-cooler was put there as part of the lawsuit of Parsons v, Ryan. Cruz inmates wrote to Prison Law Office, and their lawyers came down on the prison like a ton of bricks. An inmate leaving the prison by the main gate was the Porta-cooler refreshings staff on June 20, 2019.
The Editor has the emails from Prison Law Office titles “Parson v. Ryan: Removal of cooler outside clinic at Perryville.” Thanks to Prison Law Office and the ACLU, the cooler was returned to the clinic.
Perryville Overcrowded – No More Beds!
UPDATE
While the overcrowding crisis has not significantly abated, vans are no longer being turned away. However, intake cells are housing more women than they are designed for. A 1-person cell is housing 2 women, both of whom sleep on mattresses on the floor. A 2-person cell houses 3 women. The third occupant sleeps on the desk. Pregnant women have the option of sleeping in the top bunk or on the floor.
The staff is talking about the overcrowding crisis here. They have had to turn vans around and back to the jails because there are no more beds.
One pregnant women with special needs was locked in solitary because they couldn’t find her a bed.
Also, non-violent, low level offenders are being mixed with the violent and mentally ill!
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