The California State Prison System

California State Prisoninmates, manufactures steel frames for double
Prisoners cycle repeatedly back and forth betweenbunks-and triple bunks-in addition to license plates. As
prisons, where they do not receive sufficienta result of these focus groups, we developed a two
treatment, and inpatient facilities, where they areweek, 8 session health promotion intervention for
permitted to stay for only a short while. PrisonersHIV+ inmates preparing to be released from prison.
have been warehoused and locked down inThere have been 15 deaths at the prison this year;
overcrowded and brutal prisons - many due to thenine in 1999 and 10 in 1998. If the prison is filled to
3strikes law - for longer and longer time. Through thecapacity, it will have about 500 full-time employees,
summer, groups of local, amateur baseball playersmost of them guards. Operation from the grounds of
gain access to the prison yard and play against theSan Quentin, the Prison Law Office is an aggressive
inmates in weekly games. The California Departmentadvocacy group that assists inmates in unanswered
of Corrections (CDC) operates 32 prisons and 40 fireappeals, and is often involved in class action suits
and conservation camps comprising about 3,000which are to the benefit of everyone. Provision of
structures having 37 million gross square feet ofinadequate health care creates needless pain and
building space. There are six major prison gangs thatsuffering for the many prisoners who require such
are recognized nationally for their participation inservices. State prisons vary between 1 percent under
organized crime and violence. From 1975 to 1985,capacity and 14 percent over capacity, while the
members committed 40 homicides in California prisonsfederal prison system is 34 percent above capacity.
and local jails, as well as 13 homicides in theBut most experts agree that prisons have done little
community. The machine shop at the prison, run byto make communities safer.