This morning’s Sac Bee features the second part of the investigative report on conditions in CDCR’s behavior modification units. This time, much of the article focuses on the substance abuse units at Corcoran State Prison and at Calipatria. With cuts to the actual rehabilitative programs in these institutions, behavior modification consists mostly of deprivation and isolation, and inmates prefer the hole to the special unit.
The behavior units were sold to lawmakers as a way to reduce recidivism. But the corrections department researchers who evaluated High Desert pointed out that with an emphasis on punishment, such units likely would lead to more crime in the community and more convicts returning to prison.
“This program is not going to help us – our behavior – because they keep us in the cell all day,” said Robert Lane, housed in the Calipatria behavior unit for the past year. “They don’t give us no recreation, they don’t give us no day room. We don’t get no phone calls. We can’t talk to our family. So we building up more and more anger.”
For the first part, click here.
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