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<p>"The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons." </p>
<p>Fyodor Dostoevsky</p></div>
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<div>I recently saw the film "Felon" with Val Kilmer, about a man who otherwise is depicted as decent, hardworking, with a family, who is sentenced to prison for accidentally killing a man he pursued who had invaded his house. In prison he is forced to fight and conspire with violent gangs to survive. The prison guards were complicit in this system of violence. </div>
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<div>The recent Lewiston Tribune newspaper article about the ACLU lawsuit discussed in this thread contained the phrase "gladiator school" to describe the conditions in the Idaho prison, with gang organized violence, and complicity of the prison guards. When I read this article the film "Felon" seemed all too real... I guess the film is based on a true story... "based on events that took place in the 1990s at the notorious <a title="California State Prison, Corcoran" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Prison,_Corcoran"><font color="#002bb8">California State Prison, Corcoran</font></a><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felon_(film)#cite_note-1"><font color="#5a3696"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></font></a></sup>."</div>
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<div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felon_(film">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felon_(film</a>)</div>
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<div><a href="http://www.lmtribune.com/index.php?page=northwest&edition=2010-03-12/">http://www.lmtribune.com/index.php?page=northwest&edition=2010-03-12/</a></div>
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<h3><a title="Suit targets Idaho prison violence" href="http://www.lmtribune.com/story/northwest/505650/"><font color="#123457" size="5">Suit targets Idaho prison violence</font></a></h3><span class="Byline"><a href="http://www.lmtribune.com/story/northwest/505650/"><font color="#0669ba">By Rebecca Boone of the Associated Press</font></a> </span>
<p>BOISE - The American Civil Liberties Union sued state prison officials and a private company Thursday, claiming violence is so rampant at the Idaho Correctional Center that it's known as "gladiator school" among inmates. The ACLU filed the lawsuit against Nashville, Tenn.-based Corrections Corporation of America in U.S. District Court in ...</p>
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<div>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett<br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 3/13/10, <b class="gmail_sendername">Saundra Lund</b> <<a href="mailto:v2020@ssl.fastmail.fm">v2020@ssl.fastmail.fm</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Visionaries:<br><br>Based on previous comments, I'm well-aware that some here don't give a rip<br>
about society's obligation to those we incarcerate. So, those folks may as<br>well delete this post right now.<br><br>For the rest of us, many/most are probably aware of widespread abuses by<br>PCS's (private security contractors) hired by the government (i.e.,<br>
Blackwater-cum-Xe; CACI, Titan, etc.).<br><br>However, how many of were aware of gross abuses happening right here in<br>Idaho?<br><br>Thursday, the ACLU "filed a class action federal lawsuit charging that<br>officials at the Idaho Correctional Center (ICC) promote and facilitate a<br>
culture of rampant violence that has led to carnage and suffering among<br>prisoners at the state-owned facility operated by the for-profit company<br>Corrections Corporation of America (CCA)."<br><br>For those interested in learning what we-the-people of the State of Idaho<br>
are calling "justice" right here at home, you can read more here:<br><a href="http://www.aclu.org/prisoners-rights/aclu-lawsuit-charges-idaho-prison-offic">http://www.aclu.org/prisoners-rights/aclu-lawsuit-charges-idaho-prison-offic</a><br>
ials-promote-rampant-violence<br>OR<br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/ACLU-ICC-CCA">http://tinyurl.com/ACLU-ICC-CCA</a><br><br>And, if you have the stomach for it and want to understand . . . *really*<br>understand the role of for-profit CCA in this shame, please read the<br>
complaint itself:<br><a href="http://www.aclu.org/files/assets/2010-3-11-Riggs-SecondAmendedComplaint.pdf">http://www.aclu.org/files/assets/2010-3-11-Riggs-SecondAmendedComplaint.pdf</a><br><br><br><br>Saundra Lund<br>Moscow, ID<br>
<br>The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do<br>nothing.<br>~ Edmund Burke<br><br>***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2010 through life plus<br>70 years, Saundra Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside<br>
the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the<br>author.*****<br><br><br><br></blockquote></div><br>