Crazy as Hell
in Arizona Prisons
By Carl R.
ToersBijns
It was without reservation that I was introduced to this horrific system as
the doors swung wide open for all to see these flaws that provided nothing but
traumatic and senseless conditions for those suffering with the numerous
disabilities related to mental illness and its symptoms.
Shortly after my arrival, I was assigned to the maximum custody unit where
these severely mentally ill persons were being kept and housed with hardly any
treatment whatsoever. Although those mental health providers working there
cared and wanted to do something good, it was designed to be a likely failure
to do so under the circumstances designed by those assigned to Central Office
and authorizing these illegitimate housing transfers to these isolation units
in Florence Arizona.
The staffs assigned were good staff. They did the job to their best of
ability and with the minimal tools and resources given sparingly by those in
charge. Watching them work day in and day out, it was with admiration and
respect to see them perform so diligently without so much a helping hand from
above.
On a daily basis they endured unwarranted assaults as the prisoners heaved
human liquids and fecal materials in their direction as they walked the cell
front to ensure that preservation of life is still intact. Darted by sharp
object and wearing stab vests with metal trauma plates and eye protection to
protect them from harm, they sweat in this oven created by poor ventilation and
darkness.
The place was horrific. It was filthy dirty and smeared with feces and
urine on the walls. No wonder that MERSA and other staph related infections
were as common as the place was in worst shape than anyone could ever imagine.
This description applied both cosmetically and psychologically as the disarray
of mentalities strewn throughout the housing areas reflected chaos and disorder
in the most extreme and harmful way.
Walking the darkened corridors that led to these smelly and ill maintained
dungeons it reminded me of what I had seen in medieval movies where the
prisoners were kept and nothing was done to keep them out of harm’s way. The
staff, trying to overcome this madness was driven to extremes that created
their own mentalities completely different than those they were in charge to
keep.
This chasm of misunderstanding created voids that could never be filled by
those in charge or those working these men made hell-hole conditions. It was
something difficult to describe unless you lived it. Standing inside this hell hole was the most
horrific experience anyone could imagine but realizing it was real, it plays
mind tricks and challenges your survival against all odds.
There, inside this prison unit, was a three dimensional world here that was
hidden from the public and those that make the major decisions on life and
death inside prisons.
The first dimension was the leadership lacking to make a change to the way
things were inside this unit. Their arrogance and their unwillingness to walk
these same beats for more than one hours created vast differences in how to
handle the problems and how to manage these severely mentally ill prisoners
hidden away behind these large and sturdy concrete walls where the sun rarely
reached their saddened eyes and touch their ever pale human skin.
The second dimension was the perspective of those in charge and responsible
for the daily functions that are often impaired or impeded by emergencies of
life and death as another prisoner attempts to take his life or another staff
member has been struck with a sharpened object and needing medical care. There
wasn’t enough time in the day to take care of these basic functions as staff
was sparse and resources to handle the ever growing population were dwindling.
The third dimension was the ability to treat and program these crazies as
there was no proper space available to treat them out of sight from others.
Sparingly, these providers walked a fine line that was often broken by those
that made this environment intolerable to live or work in and resulted in
broken promises even in the middle of the night. The dispensing of medication
became a dreadful task as they had to walk among the filth and dangers of the
cell front and bringing these crazies to
the dispensary was impracticable as time and sufficient manpower to do
this was not on their side to get this
done.
The scenes observed were behaviors that staff described as “fruitcakes and
crazies” giving them a realistic idea what craziness was all about. No doubt
misunderstood in their behaviors, these prisoners were subjected to the most
inappropriate responses from unlearned and ill trained staff that created more
harm than good inside these torture units.
It was a form of genuine torture but not necessarily physical torture
because there was a human language difference that hardly everyone there
misunderstood. What was hard to translate was the mannerism used by the
prisoners to convey their own needs and their own messages as these ill
prepared staff members tried to decipher what they were asking but rarely hit
their mark and missed more than ever hitting the target in order to help them
cope with the environment as it stood before them.
Although it must be said without hesitation that there was a form of
physical or unintentional torture ever
present as no prisoner left their cells without first being stripped, shackled
and put on a gurney to be seen by medical or admin for reasons they hardly ever
understood and saw this as additional punishment for being crazy.
There were no straightjackets present but chemical restraints seemed to
work very well. Slurred in speech the prisoners tried to convey their needs but
found nothing but deafened ears and silenced mouths. Most just slept their lives away defecating in
their prison orange uniform and not asking for a change out when laundry day
came. They would rather remain in their own filth than to ask a prison
caretaker for help or new set of clothes.
This led to desperation that was often communicated in attempted suicide
acts or self harm injuries again misunderstood but nevertheless bringing them
to the attention of the mental health providers that struggled daily to meet
their caseload and see every patient on time.
Working inside this hell hole and watching the devil sit there on his
throne, the minds of those that work there transforms a new mentality as it
meets and adapts the mind to the surrounding that consume them from the moment
they entered these dungeons. They
develop a new set of morals and what was once evil is now a virtue. The
exchange of morality and indifferences set apart those crazy and those insane.
The crazies being those that are locked up and stowed away from others and the
insane taking care of them carrying out their custodial responsibilities in the
best way they can.
These crazies are a menace to themselves as well as others. Although in dire need for treatment, they
receive none as the numbers avail the ability to take care of all of them. Thus neglect and abuse become commonalities
that are acceptable under the present circumstances and become the norm. Values
and humanity have changed.
Persons dying, bleeding and death has taken its toll inside this unit and
nobody has the answer how to end it all. Humanity has forsaken those behind these huge
and thickened walls as it insulates the guilt and evil that hides there every
day of week, night or day without any help or chance in sight today in Arizona.
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